Tag Archive for 'olive oil'

Chicken and Biscuits Florentine

Published by Hal on April 6, 2008 in recipes. 1 Comment

So, what’s the worst thing a food blogger could do (besides not cook, or write about it)? Not have batteries in the camera to take a picture of the food s/he is writing about. Ooops.

Well, anyway, I don’t have pictures to share, but I thought I would provide the recipe anyway, just in case I forget (because I am prone to do that, now). I came up with this because I needed to use up a lot of things: I had a can of cream of chicken soup that we bought for some reason, and I had a ton of vegetables in fridge that were calling out to be eaten. I thought I might could do a chicken primavera, but then I didn’t haven’t enough farfalle pasta. I thought linguine would be too much. So I opted for rice. But as I was eating this with the rice, I realize that the chunkiness of the veggies and the sheer volume of the spinach was calling for something else–a biscuit! So, there you have it.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 ribs of celery, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
  • 4 chicken tenders, cut in to bite sized pieces
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can of milk
  • 1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and very well drained
  • 1/2 green pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red pepper, diced
  • salt and pepper

Procedure

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, and a dash of salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and chicken, stirring just until the chicken is nearly cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the soup and milk and stir to combine. Then, add the spinach and stir to evenly incorporate everything. Once the mixture has come to a bubble, add the peppers. Spoon over a split biscuit and serve.

One final thing to note: I upgraded my WordPress installation tonight–if something doesn’t look right, please contact me at blog [at] commonculinarian [dot] com.

Roasted Squash Soup

Published by Hal on March 14, 2008 in Hal's Hint and recipes. 0 Comments

Roasting Squash

How’s that for a post header, huh? One of my favorite things to do is to roast vegetables in the oven. There’s just something about the deep, rich flavor of roasted anything that is incredibly satisfying. Around this time of year, you can find all kinds of delicious things to roast: potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, squash…

We bought an acorn squash a few weeks ago, not really sure what we going to do with it, but it was on sale. We’ve had it for a few weeks, so I knew that I needed to use it–but what for? Suddenly, I had this great idea to make a soup! We’ve also been eating a little less healthfully lately (notice that there haven’t been any posts on Wednesdays for the last several weeks?), so a soup seemed to be a good choice, rather than some deep fat fried thing.

But, of course, it’s that time of year, so I’ve been working late and haven’t had time really to cook. Thus, my sous chef has been helping me out:

Peeling Acorn Squash

She tells me this is my blog, even after I’ve implored her to write about some of her trials and tribulations, so that’s why she doesn’t really post here. But, she’s working just as hard as I am in the kitchen, and she deserves some credit. So, there you have it!

Anyway, we bought this squash, and we’re making soup. I was just thinking of pureeing the squash with some chicken stock, but I’m glad I looked up a recipe–there’s more too it than that, but it’s still relatively simple. Just get a few basic ingredients together, and you’ll have roasted squash soup in no time!

Roasted Squash Soup

Adapted from Michael Chiarello.

Ingredients

  • About 3 pounds of squash (such as butternut, acorn, pumpkin)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced carrot
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Optional

  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

Squash Soup OverheadProcedure

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Peel the squash and cut into 1-inch cubes.
  3. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. When the butter has melted, combine with the next six ingredients (do not add the olive oil).
  4. Toss the butter-spice mixture with the squash and spread in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
  5. Roast in the oven about 45 minutes to an hour, until the squash is soft and has begun to caramelize (turn brown around the edges).
  6. When the squash has finished roasting, allow it to cool. When it has cooled, use a blender to puree the squash. Set aside.
  7. Meanwhile, heat a medium-large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
  8. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, carrot and cinnamon stick. Stir continuously, allowing the vegetables to get soft, but not to brown–about 10 minutes.
  9. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for several minutes, then add the squash puree.
  10. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then discard the cinnamon stick and add the vinegar.
  11. Use a blender to homogenize the soup in batches. Once the soup has been through the blender, reheat it gently before serving.
  12. Add this point, add the half-and-half if you’re using it. Garnish with the cheese and seeds, if desired.

Yellow Tail RieslingSome observations: This soup is already really rich between the butter and the oil. You really don’t need the half-and-half–it’s creamy enough without out. Also, when you run the soup through the blender, fill the blender less than half way, leave the pour spout open, and cover the top loosely with a clean towel. This soup will expand to at least double while the blender is running and the soup is hot. Trust me! Finally, we served with with some white wine and it when perfectly–squash is a little on the sweet side, so go for a sweeter wine. We chose a Yellow Tail Riesling. Enjoy!

How-to: Roast Vegetables

Published by Hal on March 13, 2008 in technique. 2 Comments

salmon04

Roasting vegetables isn’t nearly so scary, and it’s a great technique for coming up with a quick side dish or using up something that might otherwise go bad. The trick is to use a vegetable that’s not going to dry out, and has enough natural sugar to aid in the caramelization process. Following these steps will yield you some delicious meals and/or sides that you can whip up in a snap:

  1. Find yourself some vegetables that have natural sugar and enough moisture that they can stand prolonged high, dry heat (potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, squash, onions, parsnips, carrots, turnips, brussel sprouts, etc…)
  2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  3. Get a bowl and cut your vegetables into even, like sized pieces (into the bowl, of course).
  4. Get some of your favorite spices and some olive oil or melted butter. Drizzle the oil over the vegetables, and add a little bit of your spices (Some good combinations: potatoes and rosemary, squash or sweet potatoes and cinnamon, garlic and/or garlic powder on just about anything. Experiment and see what works for your tastes).
  5. Place the coated veggies in a shallow baking dish and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until they are nice and soft and just caramelized.

See, that wasn’t so hard! There’s nothing to this technique at all; however, I will give you a word of caution: leafy veggies might work, but they need a lot more attention. Don’t let them hang out for 45 minutes, or you’ll be eating charcoal. Zucchini and summer squash work well, too, when cut into quarters (like a pickle spear). Have fun, and happy roasting!

Cod with Leeks and Tomatoes

Published by Hal on February 15, 2008 in Fish Fry-day. 2 Comments

bakedcod03 As you read this, I’m probably on my way to a fish fry in our home town. You see, one of the things I love dearly about being Catholic during Lent is the wonderful thing that are fish fries. During an otherwise solemn time during the church year, this is an opportunity to develop community, eat some good food (staying within the abstention guidelines, of course), and raising money for a good cause. The particular fish fry we go to has an assortment of food, not just fried cod sandwiches–cheese pizza and grilled cheese for the kids, and baked/fried/broiled fish and crab cakes or bisque for the adults.

Which, all this talk, got me thinking about the next Fish Fry-day. I’ve pledged to share with you easy, inexpensive ways to prepare fish during Lent. Of course, you can use them whenever you feel the calling for seafood, but they are particularly timely now, if you practice this discipline. I wrote about Everyday Food earlier this week, and there is a delightful preparation for baked cod, right inside the book. I just had to try it out and share it with you.

Cod with Leeks and Tomatoes

From Everyday Food: Great Food Fast page 61

Ingredients

  • 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly slicked, rinsed well, and patted dry
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 sprigs thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
  • 4 cod fillets, each 6 to 8 ounces and 3/4 to 1 inch thick

Procedure

  1. bakedcod02Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss together the leeks, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with foil, and bake until the leeks just begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Add the tomatoes, and toss to combine. Season both sides of the cod fillets with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; place on top of the vegetables.
  3. Cover the dish and bake until the fish is opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Unfortunately, I live in the middle of south-central Indiana, and it’s the middle of winter. So, I didn’t have any leeks available (and I did try to find them!). Instead, I used a whole red onion, sliced into thin rings. Everything else was the same–delish! You could serve this with a nice salad; there are enough pan juices that you can whisk in some olive oil and have a dressing that matched your main dish. Yum!

bakedcod04

Chicken & Corn Chowder

Published by Hal on January 29, 2008 in recipes and rotisserie chicken. 2 Comments

I went to a training today that made me realize that I really should have a privacy policy for this site. Initially, I didn’t because I didn’t think I collected any information about the visitors to the site, but then I realized that’s not so–I use Feedburner for my feed stats and Google Analytics for my site stats. These two programs tell me who is clicking on my material and how they got to this site. So, consider yourself disclosed :) I don’t know exactly who you are, I just know that someone from some where is coming here using some key words typed into Google.

So, the point of telling you all that wasn’t so much to give you notice as it was to share some really interesting things about how it seems you guys are coming by this site. Three of the most popular searches are for “how to chop basil,” “how to cook pin oats,” and “recipes with a rotisserie chicken.” Hating Paula Deen is up there, too, but since I actually like Paula Deen, I’m choosing to ignore that ;)

This tells me that I need to write more “How-to’s” (thinking about what to do next), find a recipe for pin oats besides oat meal (I’m working on it–it’ll probably be a cookie), and write some recipes with that crazy rotisserie bird. Who knew it would be so popular?

Well, I can satisfy one of these needs tonight. My wife and I picked up one of these little guys at the store yesterday for dinner last night, but we got side tracked and made something else instead (hopefully I’ll be able to tell you what in a few days). My wife is also not feeling too great, so I needed to come up with something with some nutrients and simple. Chicken soup came to mind–but, wait, I have all these root vegetables (including little potatoes), some whole milk I’ll probably never get to finish, and a shiny new saucier. Chowder-time!

Before tonight I was thinking that most chowders were potato based, but in doing a bit of research, that doesn’t seem to be the case–rather, it’s a thick soup, with heartily cut ingredients, made from whatever a cook had available. We associate it with clams and seafood in the US because of New England, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be so. In fact, I say this dish epitomizes the idea of chowder, since I took what ever I had on hand, threw it in a pot, and called it dinner!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 celery rib, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 small potatoes (1 1/2″ diameter), halved, then quartered
  • 1 cup shredded chicken (from a rotisserie chicken)
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
  • 1/2 cup of whole milk

Procedure

Combine the oil and butter in the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart saucepan, over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onions are just starting to caramelize, then add the garlic and the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes begin to show color at the edges, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken, chicken stock, corn, bay leaves, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow the chowder to simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and begin to fall apart. Add the milk to the chowder, then stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Initially, I thought I was going to need to make a roux, but then I remember I was cooking with potatoes. Potatoes have enough starch in them to be a good thickening agent for whatever your cooking, especially if you cook them until about when they fall apart.

This recipe is really as simple as putting the ingredients in a pot and calling it dinner. What I loved about this is that it takes almost no effort, and the payoff is huge! This makes a delicious chowder, and feeds about four. Trust me when I say you don’t need anything else but a bowl of this for your dinner.

Recipes: Focaccia

Published by Hal on January 22, 2008 in recipes. 3 Comments

I apologize for not posting much over the last several days–we had a wedding back home, so I spent the weekend traveling. Then, we went over to a friend’s house for dinner last night and didn’t get home until late.

However, it was the weekend of great food! The wedding was held at the Krohn Conservatory, overlooking downtown Cincinnati. The couple had the reception catered by Jeff Thomas Catering, who came up with an ingenious way to design a menu. The bulk of the party was in three rooms at the Krohn: the southwest room, the bonsai room, and the floral display house. In these three rooms was a tacos/fajitas bar, a Southeast Asian bar, and a pasta bar, respectively. Everything was amazing, especially the Southeast Asian bar. The chicken curry was delightful!

Then, last night, we went to our friend, Sonia’s, house (hi, Sonia!), where she treated us to an assortment of yummy food. First, she doctored up some canned cream of mushroom soup with chickpeas and rice (a good tip, if you’re in a rush). Then, we had some chicken in aromatic rice, biryani, lentils, and flatbread. Finally, she ended with a perfectly cooked, deliciously lemony cheesecake. What a nice!

Anyway, I’ve been getting into baking lately, at the suggestion of my friend, Charli (hi, Charli!). Last week, I found a delicious recipe for focaccia, here, and it’s been a hit the three times I’ve made it. Of course, I took my own spin (on the directions at least). So, without further ado:

Focaccia

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella

Directions:

  1. Proof the yeast with the water and the sugar.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Use a whisk to distribute the herbs throughout.
  3. After the yeast has proofed (you can tell because the head will have more than doubled), stir the yeast/water mixture and the vegetable oil into the dry ingredients.
  4. Using the dough hook on your mixer, or just a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients until they come together into a ball.
    • If you’re doing this by hand, you can also just use your hands once you’ve got all the ingredients combined.
  5. Knead the dough about 20 times and form into a ball.
  6. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise for 20-30 minutes. (Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees)
  7. After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a greased baking sheet. Then, flatten it to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
    • You can make a rectangle, but the dough seems to want to be round. I just use a solid bottom pizza pan and make a round loaf.
    • I would not use one of those baking sheets that has two layers of metal with air between. You’ve seen them–they keep the bottom of cookies from browning too much. Problem is, they keep the bottom from browning, and you want a nice crust!
  8. Brush with the olive oil, then sprinkle the cheeses over the top.
    • The ingredients say mozzarella and parmesan, and you can use that, however it, would be like a pizza without cheese. The first time I made this, I used shredded (not grated) parmesan and romano cheese. My wife thinks this was much better.
    • Experiment with the toppings–I’ve been thinking of caramelized onion slices and sun-dried tomatoes.
  9. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Serve warm.

Frugal Friday: London Broil/Flank Steak

Published by Hal on January 11, 2008 in Frugal Friday and recipes. 3 Comments

I must be getting popular or generating some better hits on Google, because I’m started to get some spam comments! I guess that’s good, but I love real comments, too, so if you’re reading, let me know, and share some good ideas with me!

When I was at home last week and my in-laws wanted to see the potato ricer at work, I needed a dish to serve with my Roasted Red Pepper Mashed Potatoes. The last time I made smashed potatoes, I served a marinaded flank steak over them and it was really tasty. The great thing about flank steak is it’s a very inexpensive cut of meat, and it’s not hard to prepare at all.

At it’s basic level, you get a flank steak, season it liberally and place it under a broiler (about 4 inches from the element) for 4-5 minutes per side. When it’s done, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut it against the grain and serve it in strips with your favorite side. This ensures the meat will be served rare/medium rare, and will stay tender. Because of this particular cut, if you don’t prepare it this way it will be tough and chewy–so don’t over cook it, and don’t cut it with the grain or straight! (photo courtesy of viamarisol)

Alternatively, you could also marinade your flank steak to impart more flavor. I came across this recipe at Kalyn’s Kitchen blog, and gave it a try:

Ingredients:

  • 1 large piece of flank steak, 2-3 pounds
  • Marinade:
    • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1 tsp. ground cumin
    • 1 tsp. dried oregano
    • 1 tsp. onion powder
    • 1 tsp. garlic powder
    • 1 T soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder (or use your favorite hot sauce)
    • 2 tsp. lime zest (optional)

Procedure:

Combine marinade ingredients. Put flank steak into a ziploc bag and pour marinade in, seal bag, and marinate all day in refrigerator. (You can marinate up to 24 hours if desired.)

Take meat out of refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before grilling. Preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to medium high (you can only keep your hand there for a few seconds.)

Grill meat to desired doneness, approximately 4-5 minutes per side for rare to medium rare or 6-7 minutes for medium to medium-well. Time will depend on the thickness of your flank steak, the best way to judge the doneness is to use an instant-read meat thermometer.

Remove meat from grill and let rest about 5 minutes. (You can cover with foil to keep it warm if needed.) Slice across the grain and serve warm.

This was the final, plated product, which my family thoroughly enjoyed! Best of all, this dish uses many pantry staples, so my only real cost was that of the meat–3 pounds for about $7, a true frugal buy.

5 Easy Appetizers for New Years Eve

Published by Hal on December 30, 2007 in Hal's Hint, mixed drinks and recipes. 1 Comment

With New Years’ celebrations upon us, I thought it might be a good idea to give you a appetizers that look and taste gourmet, but are easy on the wallet and are easy to prepare.

1. Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Get a few packages of lean cut bacon and some containers of dates. Wrap a slice of bacon around each date and skewer with a tooth pick. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked.

2. Prosciutto-Wrapped Apples and/or Melon

Wrap some prosciutto around wedges of apple or melon, such as honeydew (but only if you have access to good quality melon!). These are sure to be a hit!

3. Honey-Nut Brie

Place an 8-ounce wheel of brie on the center of foil lined baking sheet and score the top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some fresh thyme leaves over the top. Cover with the foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 10 minutes. When the brie is melty, plate it and cover with 1/4 cup of toasted pecans and 2 tablespoons of honey. Serve with crusty bread.

4. Bagel or Pretzel Dip

Combine 8 ounces of cream cheese with 5 ounces of Old English Cheese. Add about 1 teaspoon (up to 2, if you like the flavor) of garlic powder. Serve with cut up bagels or soft pretzels.

5. Easy Bruschetta

Dice 6-8 roma tomatoes and add to bowl. Prepare a chiffonade of fresh basiland add it to the tomatoes. Add a dash of salt about about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir to combine. Serve over toasted slices of French Bread.

BONUS COCKTAIL

Here is an easy, refreshing cocktail for your party. Fill a tall, thin glass with ice. Add one ounce of vodka, then fill with sparkling water. Squeeze a lime wedge into the drink and garnish with some curls of lime zest or a slice of lime.

Hal’s Hint: As you can see, these appetizers are really easy, the most difficult having only five ingredients. And, most only have 1 “gourmet” ingredient. Because of this, your guests will be amazed–but we know the secret, that these recipes cost nearly nothing. Another trick that will “Wow!” them is presentation. We eat first with our eyes, so having these dishes arranged artfully on a nice platter will be certain to whet your guests’ appetites. Be creative and festive–your guests will appreciate your effort!

Recipes: Pan Smashed Potatoes

Published by Hal on December 17, 2007 in recipes. 1 Comment

I saw this recipe over at 101 cookbooks and thought I would try it to tonight with my coq au vin (recipe to follow).

Before I start, though, I have a confession. I see a recipe and I get inspired, and I remember the gist of the recipe. But, in typical man fashion, I don’t get directions before I start. So, this recipe was inspired by the one above, but it’s not the same as the recipe linked above.

I was very pleasantly surprised, and I think it’s a very tasty way to prepare mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

  • One small bag of small potatoes (or 4-5 small/medium sized red potatoes)
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and place in a layer in a medium, non-stick saute pan.
  2. Add the salt, cover and heat over medium-high heat until crispy, turning at least once.
  3. Add the olive oil and smash the potatoes.

More pictures:

Recipes: Linguine with Navy Beans, Tomatoes, and Basil

Published by Hal on December 9, 2007 in recipes. 2 Comments

Linguine with Navy Beans, Tomatoes, and Basil

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz linguine
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 15.5 oz can of navy beans, drained
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes (Hal’s hint: use roma tomatoes–they will stand up to cutting better and will likely not be as gritty)
  • 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) basil chiffonade
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Prepare the linguine according to the package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add the onions and cook until translucent
  4. Add the garlic and cook an additional two minutes, stirring continuously.
  5. Stir the beans into the onions and garlic and heat through.
  6. Stir the tomatoes into the beans, onions, and garlic, and heat through.
  7. Drain the the pasta and combine the bean-tomato-onion mixture with the pasta.
  8. Add the basil chiffonade to the pasta.
  9. Salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Plate the pasta and sprinkle some cheese over the pasta.

Serves 4.