Spring Green Tart

Oh man, this recipe is a keeper.  Absolutely delicious and even the kids ate it (well, Owen picked off the greens).  And it uses that crazy hon tsai tai.  The combination of the chard and hon tsai tai was nice but this could easily be made with just the chard or just the hon tsai tai (or another leafy green!).  I used Dufour Pastry Kitchens Puff Pastry (found at Seward Co-op) and it tastes like homemade.  Maybe someday I'll get around to making my own puff pastry but until then, I'll be buying this brand!



Spring Green Tart
via the Kitchn, original source erin's kitchen

1 frozen sheet all-butter puff pastry
2 egg yolks
1/2 large bunch of rainbow chard, center ribs removed, roughly chopped
one bunch trimmed and roughly chopped hon tsai tai
3 bunches sliced green garlic (I used one bunch of green garlic and one bunch of potato onions)
1 tsp. thyme leaves (I forgot about this...)
1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1 tbsp. cream
6 oz. goat cheese (I used at least 8 oz... I like my goat cheese!)
salt/pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400.

Defrost puff pastry and unroll it on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Score a 1/4-inch border around the edge of the pastry. Mix one egg yolk and a splash of water, and brush along the border. Chill the pastry in the freezer until ready to use.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat, and add tbsp. olive oil. Then add thyme and 1/2 the green garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Then add the chard and the han tsai tai, tossing in oil to help them wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until greens are tender. Set aside to cool.

Mix cottage cheese, remaining egg yolk, cream, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper together in a bowl (If you'd like it really smooth, you can puree in food processor- I didn't do this and it didn't seem chunky after baking).

Spread cottage cheese mixture on the puff pastry inside the scored border. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the cottage cheese, arrange the cooked greens on top, and sprinkle with the rest of the green garlic. Then distribute the last of the goat cheese on top.

Bake the tart for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden brown. Cool a few minutes and serve.

Pasta with Parsnips and Bacon

We keep talking about making our own pasta more often but we just haven't gotten in the habit of doing so (maybe we need a homemade pasta night!).  When a bunch of baby parsnips showed up in our veggie box, we remembered this delicious pasta with parsnips and bacon recipe.  Using our homemade pasta made this recipe even better than I remembered.  I also splurged and bought the real stuff: parmigiano reggiano.  I don't know if I can go back to my regular and cheaper parmesan!  Mike made a delicious salad with the pea vine, sunflower seeds, and feta to go along with the pasta.  Yum!

Pasta with Parsnips and Bacon

Adapted from Babbo, via Epicurious, via Serious Eats

1/4 pound bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds parsnips, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
8 ounces pasta (fresh pasta if you have it)
1/4 cup chopped green onion (or parsley)
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, add the chopped bacon to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and let drain on a couple paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Turn the heat to medium and add the butter to skillet with the bacon fat. Add the parsnips and cook for about 12 minutes, stirring often. They should be lightly browned and very tender. Turn off the heat.

Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. When done, reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and then add the pasta directly to the skillet with the parsnips. Turn heat to high and add about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water, the bacon, and the green onions. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add more of the cooking water if it looks too dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Favorite Things

Sliced baguette with goat cheese and a drizzle of honey is one of my all time favorite things.  Add arugula (another one of my favorite things) and I'm in heaven!

I think I mentioned here that I'm shopping at Seward Co-op more and really enjoying it.  It's a little tricky to stay on budget but so far I'm doing fairly well.  I find it so exciting to shop local and buy organic ingredients as much as possible.  This was made with a Rustica baguette, local chevre from Donnay Dairy, and Ames Farm Minnesota honey.  But, I can't say much about the arugula (can't wait for the farmer's market/crop share/garden arugula!).

Dessert Night and Pinterest

Wednesday is Dessert Night!  After hearing our kids beg for sweets and dessert all the time, we decided to designate a dessert night.  It works out so well!  Usually I try to make something homemade or we go out for ice cream.  This past week, Mike made cream puffs for the first time.  Oh deliciousness!

It's Friday!

Fridays mean pizza night around here!

I have a guilty love for taco pizza - what's not to love?  Apparently a lot, according to Mike.  This week I decided to ignore Mike's protest and put together an easy taco pizza.  I used the Pioneer Woman's "Mexican Flatbread Pizza" recipe as a base but made my own crust, skipped the meat, and put spinach on top.  It was delicious!  Everyone seemed to like it (and Mike's plate was clean - hrm!).




Last week, we made a Bird's Nest Pizza. I could have licked the plate clean! The recipe calls for Saint Nectaire cheese but I couldn't find it so I used another french cheese - l'edel de cleron. The creamy and stinky cheese coupled with the runny eggs and parmesan was so amazingly delicious. I left the l'edel de cleron off the kids' side of the pizza because I didn't want them to waste it and then they picked off the asparagus, too. Ah well.



Jim Lahey's Bird's Nest Pie

serves Makes one 10- to 12-inch pizza

3 thick asparagus spears
1 ball of Pizza Dough, shaped and waiting on a floured peel (I like Emeril's dough recipe and I use cornmeal on the peel)
1/4 C finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 ounce Saint Nectaire cheese, cut into 6 chunks (I used l'edel de cleron)
4 to 6 quail eggs (we used regular eggs which was a bit of a problem with cooking time - use small eggs if you can)
Pinch of kosher salt

Place the pizza stone in a gas oven on a rack about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at 500°F for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for 10 minutes (or until egg whites are set).

Cut away about 2 inches of the base of each asparagus spear. With a vegetable peeler, shave the entire asparagus from bottom to top, reversing your grip and rotating as necessary to shave as much as possible. Don’t rush it; be deliberate for the greatest precision.

With the dough on the peel, sprinkle the Parmigiano evenly over the surface and distribute the chunks of Saint Nectaire (or other cheese) on top. Arrange the asparagus shavings over the cheese.

With quick, jerking motions, slide the pie onto the stone. Broil for 2½ minutes under gas (somewhat longer with an electric oven). The cheese should be bubbling, the crust only slightly charred. Using the peel, pull the pizza out of the oven. Close the oven to conserve heat.

Crack the eggs very carefully to keep each yolk whole. Place the eggs around the pizza (one for each slice). Sprinkle the salt evenly over the pie. Return to the oven to broil for 1 minute (or more depending on size of egg - use the small eggs if you can!), until the eggs are set but not hard and the charring is deeper.

Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a tray or serving platter. Slice into wedges (cutting through the egg yolks to allow them to spread slightly). Serve immediately.

Note: If quail eggs are unavailable (farmer’s markets are often an excellent source), go with the smallest eggs you can find.

Cheers to 2012

I've been reading a lot of "foodie" novels and memoirs lately and it has me thinking about my cooking and baking repertoire. Or, lack of. I think I have ADD when it comes to cooking and baking. I'm always trying something new and we rarely eat a dish more than once. I think my problem is that there are so many delicious sounding foods that I must keep trying new things. But, I'm starting to think I'm not doing myself a favor. By not making a dish more than once, I have no opportunity to fine tune it or tweak it to be my own. I want to have a few signature dishes so this spring and summer, I'm going to work on a repertoire. Luckily, I have a few things to start with: pasta fagioli, cinnamon rolls, homemade macaroni and cheese, pitas, and I'm getting pretty good at dan dan noodles. I'd definitely like to add a red sauce pasta to the list, along with a mexican dish, a hearty breakfast dish, and some sort of cake.

We decided to do an every-other-week crop share this season (ok, I decided and finally convinced Mike to go along with it). I'm really hoping that less veggies means more flexibility with cooking. And because we won't be as bombarded with veggies, I can go to the farmers market and/or cook something without a crazy amount of vegetables in it. And perhaps, I'll actually stick with blogging this season. Cheers to the 2012 fresh veggie season!

PS - And maybe I'll get around to fixing my Flickr and my broken photo links.

Tis The Season

Hello Old Friends!

We've been cooking and baking up a storm but have failed at documenting all the goodies. I made a tasty and good looking dish the other night and thought I'd share.

Vegetarian Stew with Quinoa, Butternut Squash & Coconut Milk

Yield: Serves 4

From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck.

2/3 cup quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
Pinch of salt
2 cups diced (1/2-inch) butternut squash
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 large jalapeno pepper, seeds & membranes removed, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup lite coconut milk, stirred
1 can (14 oz.) petite diced tomatoes (with juices)
1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water, and place over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the heat, fluff with a fork and re-cover to keep warm.

In a medium or large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the cubed butternut squash. Cook until the squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil oil over medium heat. Add onion and kosher salt and cook until the onions are turning brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add ginger and minced jalapeno and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring.

Add the lite coconut milk, diced tomatoes with juices, chickpeas and cooked butternut squash. Turn the mixture to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the butternut squash is tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.

Divide the quinoa between bowls and ladle the stew over top. Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve.

Baking

As far as holiday baking goes, we've been making a bunch of cookies: chocolate crackles (Martha Stewart's recipe is my favorite), sugar cut out cookies, white chocolate cherry shortbread, chocolate covered cherries and macaroons. Macaroons have become my thing.







We tried these pretzel, rolo, M&M candies for the first time this year (found on pinterest). Owen was able to do these without much help - it was great!




For Thanksgiving, I made these cranberry brie bites (also found on pinterest) and they were phenomenal.