Blog Page

February 11, 2015 Food

Albertsons “Cantry” // Chipotle and Black Bean Chilaquiles

Canned goods are a cheap and easy way to ensure that you always have the foundation of a good, homemade dinner on hand, especially in the winter when fresh produce is more expensive and has to travel much further to get to you (at least for those of us in Northern climes). Like many home cooks, they are an essential part of my pantry – I always keep canned tomatoes and a variety of canned beans on hand, a habit that I picked up in college and that has stuck with me. In my first year with a kitchen, one of my dinner-time staples was a can of black beans mixed with a can of tomatoes, frozen corn, and a variety of spices – an easy, cheap, and nutritious meal for a busy college student.

This month, Albertsons and Shaw’s are celebrating “National Canned Food Month” by featuring tasty and easy recipes that make good use of canned goods. When they asked me to participate by coming up with a recipe using primarily canned goods, I quickly thought back to my tomatoes-and-beans days. While I’d like to think I’ve come a long way in terms of the quality and elegance of the meals that I make since then, I do still love that combination. I’ve elevated it here into Chipotle and Black Bean Chilaquiles, which are topped with cheese, avocado, and grilled pineapple. If you’re unfamiliar, chilaquiles are a Mexican dish of fried tortillas simmered in sauce, then served with a variety of toppings. It’s typically a breakfast or brunch dish, and I’ve seen it on quite a few trendy brunch menus recently, usually with a fried egg on top for good measure. My version makes use of canned tomatoes and canned chipotles in adobo for the sauce, and tops the tortilla chips with canned black beans and frozen corn to make a more filling, wholesome meal. The sauce has a mild heat, and the sweetness of the grilled pineapple topping makes a great match for it.

You can find the recipe for these chilaquiles over on the Albertsons website. Also, be sure to head over to the Albertsons Cantry homepage and check out the other easy and affordable canned goods recipes they are featuring. By voting for your favorite recipe (chilaquiles! chilaquiles!) you can also enter to win a giftcard.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons. The opinions and text are all mine.

February 9, 2015 Drink

USVI Travelogue // Piña Sunrise Cocktail

Two weeks ago, Trevor and I got back from a gorgeous week spent in the US Virgin Islands. Since then, it has done nothing but snow in Boston. Snow on snow on snow. Record-breaking snow. Headed into the 5th snow day of the past two weeks tomorrow, I thought perhaps we all could take a moment and indulge in some pictures of white sandy beaches and aquamarine water. And when we’re done hating New England/February/cold/precipitation, let’s make an over-the-top tropical cocktail and pretend we’re all on an island together.

Where We Stayed

I booked this trip on a whim back in August, when I happened to see a great deal on flights to St. Thomas. It was originally booked as a Thursday night to Monday morning sort of trip, so we decided that the easiest thing to do would be to stay on St. Thomas and wander over to St. John for the day if we wanted. Of course, between numerous airline schedule changes and the blizzard, we actually ended up being away for a full week – not exactly the weekend getaway I planned, but I can’t say I mind the extra downtime too much. We booked a villa at Pavilions and Pools through AirBnB (the listing is here, if you’re interested – we would recommend it and it’s certainly a better deal than most hotels!). It was a great spot – a private plunge pool, a big private deck, a comfortable and bright bedroom and sitting room, an outdoor-ish shower, and a small kitchen. The privacy and extra space were great, as was spending each afternoon lying on the pool floaties with a glass of cold chardonnay and a book. We were able to walk to both Sapphire and Lindquist beaches, and the team at Pavilions provided us with snorkel gear and beach towels. The roads in St. Thomas are windy and hilly with no sidewalk or shoulder, so even the 1/2 mile walk into Red Hook was out of the question, but we could easily flag down the $1 open-air safari taxis at the entrance to the villa complex for a 3 minute ride into town. We chose not to rent a car and are glad – we didn’t want to spend all our time driving and the adventure of driving on those crazy roads (and on the left!) was not high on our list – but if we had wanted to explore more of the island we would have spent a fortune on taxis (taxis charge per person and rates are not really standard). As it was, we were happy with our two beaches, the dining options in Red Hook, and the easy ferry to St. John.

What We Did

This trip was booked with the explicit purpose of not doing much, so I had to continually remind myself that it was OK to do just that. Trevor had a miserable sinus infection for most of the trip, but he let me drag him around a little bit anyways. Sapphire Beach was the easiest option – just a short walk down a dirt road from Pavilions and Pools. It is gorgeous, but a bit crowded with cruise traffic. Lindquist was a semi-treacherous 5 minute walk down the busy road, and charged a $2 per person fee, but was much quieter and longer, and the lack of amenities gave it more of that remote, desert-island feel (this may have been enhanced by the commercial they were shooting of white horses running along the beach). We snorkeled at both beaches and it was really awesome – I don’t think I’ve been snorkeling since I was 8 or 9 and it really is so cool. We must have seen over 30 different types of fish, and the reef at Lindquist was intact with purple fans and brain coral and many other formations. I probably spent 10 minutes floating and watching a huge school of “Dorie fish” (I mostly only know about tropical fish because of Finding Nemo, sorry) nibble at the coral.

On our second day we took the ferry from Red Hook over to St. John, about a 20 minute ride. Cruz Bay seemed like a much cuter town than Red Hook, although we didn’t walk around and explore at all. Instead, we hit the trails of the USVI National Park – starting right behind the visitor center in Cruz Bay, we took the Lind Trail down to Honeymoon Beach and then connected back to the Caneel Hill Trail, which took us up and over two major hills and down to Caneel Bay Resort. I had thought there was a separate beach at Caneel Bay, but the public beach access signs led us probably another mile back to Honeymoon Beach, so we ended up just hiking back to Cruz Bay instead of taking a taxi from Caneel Bay as planned. If I did it again, I would do a loop, starting on Caneel Hill to begin with and then taking Lind Trail back from the beach on the way back. Caneel Hill is not the most popular trail in the park, but it was convenient that we did not have to take a cab to a trailhead and back again, and it was a challenging and well-maintained trail with great views of the islands from the top of Caneel Hill. On our last afternoon we took a safari into Charlotte Amalie, the major town on St. Thomas – since it was Sunday, I knew that some places would be closed, but literally, everything in the whole town was closed! All the shops, restaurants, bars… it didn’t seem like a town that I would love spending time in (just a bit touristy and shopping-oriented), but if you do go, definitely don’t go on Sunday.

What We Ate

The USVI are not really reknowned for their culinary offerings, and overall we found the food on the island a bit boring and overpriced. Of course, we’re spoiled by the wealth of interesting and affordable restaurants all over Cambridge and Boston, so we have high standards. That said, a few places we ate at are worth mentioning here. Off The Grid, a BBQ food truck located at the top of the hill down to Sapphire Beach was a great stop – they had delicious ribs, pulled pork, wings, sausages, and brisket all sizzling away on a big outdoor grill, plus a sweet and tangy “painkiller” BBQ sauce made with rum and pineapple juice, and good veggie sides like grilled sweet potatoes and rice and beans. They served beer and sangria and we enjoyed our meal at their picnic tables, looking out over the islands.

Our one fancy dinner was at Caribbean Fish Market, one of the few restaurants on the islands that is open on Sundays. The ambiance was nice – it’s part of a resort complex but right on the beach, and we ate outside with live piano music. My chicken was actually quite good, somewhat surprising at a fish restaurant – it was stuffed with bacon and spinach and served with a mango chutney and sweet plantains – but Trevor’s tuna was very bland, certainly not worth $38. I’m not sure where I’d come down on the restaurant in the end – although it seemed overpriced, it was on par with every other nice restaurant on the island, and I think the same is probably true for the food quality. In Red Hook itself we only really partook in liquid dining, but we did have quite a fun time at Melt killing time before dinner. The bar has a younger vibe, and we loved that they have games available – a table behind us was playing Connect 4, there was skee ball and some sort-of skinny air hockey, and Trevor and I spent a solid hour playing Texas Hold ‘Em. The sandwiches there looked good – we were tempted to call off our nice dinner and stick with grilled cheese and tater tots, but we didn’t in the end. Next time. It’s worth mentioning that we were there in the late afternoon so it was a quiet crowd – I’m not sure what it would be like later at night, but likely a lot livelier and less conducive to board games.

This Cocktail

Neither Trevor nor I actually had any froofy tropical drinks while we were away – we mostly drank $4 rum and cokes served in plastic cups, and I don’t recall there being any drink umbrellas (something to improve upon during our next vacation, surely). But rum and coke in a plastic cup doesn’t exactly have that “transport me out of the snow and onto the beach” effect, so I’ve come up with something a lot more exciting. I’m calling it Piña Sunrise, as it’s somewhere between a piña colada and a tequila sunrise. It has three layers – a grenadine and pineapple layer, a pineapple and pineapple layer, and a coconut sorbet layer. Each layer is laced with rum and coconut rum, and it’s all frothy and cold and sweet and exactly the sort of thing you should drink on the beach. I special-ordered drink umbrellas to top it off, just to complete the vibe. So drink up! Winter will be over soon.

Piña Sunrise Cocktail

Serves 2.

1 scoop coconut sorbet
1/4 c. whole milk
3 ice cubes
3 oz. coconut rum, divided
1.5 oz. white rum
3/4 c. frozen pineapple cubes
3/4 c. pineapple juice
1/2 tsp grenadine plus a dash for glasses

Add the coconut sorbet, milk, ice cubes, and 1.5 oz (one shot) of the coconut rum to a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into a container and set aside.
Add the remaining 1.5 oz of coconut rum and 1.5 oz of white rum to the blender along with the pineapple cubes and pineapple juice. Blend on high until smooth. Pour half the mixture into a container and set aside. Add the grenadine to the mixture still in the blender and pulse a few times to mix.
Place a dash of grenadine in the bottom of two glasses. Divide the pink pineapple-grenadine mixture between the two glasses. Carefully pour the yellow pineapple mixture on top of the pink layer, then carefully pour the coconut sorbet mixture on top of the yellow layer. The layers may mix slightly, but you should see a gradient going from pink at the bottom to white at the top. Serve immediately (with a cocktail umbrella!)

February 6, 2015 Food

Movie Night with Cambria Wines: Chicken-Broccoli Alfredo Pizza and Maple-Chili Popcorn

We’ve made it to Friday! I thought it might never get here. The first week back after vacation is always daunting, and kicking the week off with a snowstorm and finishing it with sub-zero temperatures doesn’t exactly make it go any faster. But we made it through the week, we’re currently experiencing a brief but welcome bout of sunshine, and it’s just about time to pop open a bottle of wine for the weekend.

When I was little, Friday nights were always movie night in my family. My mom would make do-it-yourself calzones – everyone got a rolled out pizza dough, and we’d stuff and roll them up to our heart’s content. Mine was usually just a tiny spoonful of sauce covered by huge handfuls of cheese, and maybe a few olives (mostly because I liked eating them off the ends of my fingertips). If we were lucky, my mom would haul out the giant air-popper, too, and we’d watch the kernels whirl around inside until they popped out the chute at the top. There was a little metal tray on top of the popper that melted the butter as it worked, and we always used an entire stick of butter – a decadent amount, really, but the popcorn tasted amazing. Then we’d all pile into the den and tune into the latest Disney Channel Original Movie, snacking on popcorn and pausing only to pull our calzones from the oven.

Although I still occasionally participate in movie night when I’m at home (there are still calzones, but no more air popper), movie night as an adult is a little bit different. For starters, there’s wine. Specifically, a bottle of Cambria Pinot Noir. And because I have to live up to your expectations of me as a fancy-food-blogger, there’s fancy pizza and fancy popcorn to go with said wine. Most recently, the pizza took the form of Chicken-Broccoli Alfredo Pizza – a favorite childhood combination, comforting and creamy and mild. The homemade alfredo sauce utilizes a roux as a base, allowing you to use milk instead of cream and still achieve a thick and creamy texture (and after lunch today, I can also confirm that the leftover alfredo sauce on pasta tastes exactly like Annie’s mac’n’cheese. Nostalgia overload). The chicken is simply shredded rotisserie chicken (easy is king on Friday nights!), and the broccoli is roasted before going on top of the pizza for additional flavor and crispiness. For the popcorn, I went the maple-chili-butter route – it was Trevor’s idea and it was a great one. It hits all the sweet-salty-spicy notes I crave in snack food, making it almost impossible to stop eating it. And with those three elements – pinot, pizza, and popcorn, plus a great movie, a cozy blanket, and ideally a good snuggling partner – you’re ready for the weekend.

Find the recipes for this pizza and the popcorn over on the Cambria Wines blog!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Cambria Wines. All opinions are honest and my own.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

February 2, 2015 Breakfast

Clean Eating: Buckwheat Porridge

Since here in Boston we’re kicking off the week with another snowstorm, I thought now might be a good time to share this warming, filling, buckwheat porridge – just the sort of thing you need on Monday morning before trekking out into the snow. Buckwheat is becoming a bit of a health darling, and I can totally see why. Of the gluten-free grains/seeds available, it’s one of my favorites – it cooks up soft, nutty, and slightly sweet, almost like a tiny pasta. I actually ate buckwheat for the first time in Russia, where it’s commonly served as a side dish with lunch or dinner. Never having seen or eaten it in the States, it took me quite a while to figure out what it was called in English. I enjoyed it so much that I brought home a few bags with me – not realizing it’s easily purchased here, as well.

Cooked with a bit of milk and cinnamon, buckwheat turns into a lovely breakfast porridge, softer than other grains and less sticky than oatmeal. When I first made this porridge, I had asked Trevor to pick up “some berries,” and he brought home four boxes of gorgeous blackberries, raspberries, and currants – hard enough to find in the summertime, the tiny, jewel-like currants were like a small miracle in the middle of winter. Feeling a bit Nordic because of the snow and the currants and the buckwheat, and because, let’s face it, Nordic is trendy these days, I topped the porridge with the berries, a dollop of Skyr, and a drizzle of honey for the loveliest winter breakfast.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door in the box on the right or on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

Buckwheat Porridge

Serves 1.

1/2 c. buckwheat groats
1/2 c. water
3/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBS maple syrup
1 c. mixed berries
spoonful Skyr or Greek yogurt, for topping (optional)
honey, for topping (optional)

Add the buckwheat and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then add the milk. Cook at a low simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the buckwheat is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon and maple syrup. Pour into a bowl and top with the berries, Skyr, and a drizzle of honey. Serve immediately.

January 27, 2015 Asian and Indian

La Crema Game Day: Korean Gochujang Wings

Another post brought to you from on the road, although this time it’s not exactly planned. Trevor and I spent the last 5 days on vacation in the USVI, for some much needed sun and unplugged time. I’m pretty sure it was not particularly high on Trevor’s all-time-best vacation list, given that he’s been battling a sinus/ear infection pretty much since we landed on the island, but it was still great to be outside and soak in the views, even if we took it a little slower than we might have otherwise. However, since we were supposed to fly back into Boston Monday night and Blizzard Juno (man, I really hate that they name snowstorms now) had other ideas, we are now on an unplanned, extended layover in Miami. It’s a little bit of a pricey layover… but things could be a lot worse. A) We aren’t stuck in Boston pining for a missed vacation and B) we’re on a beach while everyone at home is just listening to the wind howl and watching the snow pile up.

So I’m still mostly in vacation mode, but I am starting to think ahead to what needs to be taken care of when I get home, and what’s coming up in the next couple of weeks. And one of those things is the big game this weekend. I’m not really much of a sports fan, but over the past 5 or 6 years, I’ve watched my baby brother turn my parents into diehard Patriots fans, to the point where I’ll show up in the house on game day to find everyone dressed in jerseys and cheering loudly for individual players. It’s a bit incongruous with my memories of growing up – my dad always loved soccer, but baseball, football, and basketball were things we played outside, not watched on TV. I’m OK with it, though, because if there’s one thing I can appreciate about watching football, it’s the food that comes with it. Nachos, chili, wings, guacamole, and pizza – it’s like junk food heaven. Of course when my family is cooking, junk food tends to be not that junky – homemade pizza and chili with cornbread are a far cry from the greasy fryolator food we associate with huge crowds and stadiums.

These wings are another example of classic stadium finger food given a healthier and more refined twist. Marinated in an exciting, Korean-inspired sauce, then baked instead of fried, they’re a bit more gourmet than buffalo wings but equally delicious. The sauce is primarily a mixture of gochujang – a spicy Korean red pepper paste – and pomegranate molasses, which adds tang and depth of flavor in addition to sticky sweetness. A few other strong flavors: fresh ginger, honey, and umeboshi plum vinegar round out the intense sauce for a balanced, spicy-sweet chicken wing. Tossing the sticky wings in toasted sesame seeds and chopped cashews after baking gives them a bit more crunch, and adds another element of flavor. While beer is the obvious choice for football-watching, it’s not the only one. I’m personally much more of a wine-lover, and these wings go just as well (if not better) with a glass of light red as with a cold beer. If you’re also a wine-lover, the La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a great pairing for these. The pomegranate notes in both the wine and the wing sauce will complement one another, and the Pinot Noir’s relatively light body makes it a good choice for serving with spicy food.

Find the recipe for these wings over on the La Crema blog!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by La Crema. All opinions are honest and my own.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

January 21, 2015 Food

Cravings: Penne Alla Vodka

We’re leaving for vacation in the morning and I still have about a million and one things to do before that, so I apologize in advance for the brevity and scatteredness of this post. If it illustrates the situation for you, let me just share that I’m sitting in a pile of laundry, eating leftovers of this penne alla vodka cold out of a plastic tupperware. Food blogging isn’t all rustic wooden tables and nice ceramics, guys. Sometimes it’s cold leftovers in tupperware.

Anyway, penne alla vodka. When I was in college, most likely in similar states of chaos, I used to order penne alla vodka from the local Italian place for late-night delivery. It came in a big aluminum container, was just spicy enough, and the sauce to pasta ratio meant I was always spooning sauce out of the container long after I’d eaten the last bite of penne. I hadn’t thought about those glorious containers of terrible-for-you noodles until this fall, when I suddenly started craving them, and since then I’ve whipped up a batch more times than I should probably admit. Let’s just say that I brought a bottle of nice vodka home from Russia last year, and about 90% of it was used in this recipe. That may sound like a waste of good vodka to some, but I don’t regret it one bit. It’s just the perfect thing for harried nights or after a particularly long day – it only takes 20 minutes to make, and hits all the tangy, salty, creamy, spicy notes I crave when I’m feeling less than motivated. I use the Serious Eats recipe as a base, but tone down the vodka and quadruple the red pepper flakes. If you have the time, blend the sauce for that smooth and thick consistency that coats penne so well, but if you’re in a hurry, or just don’t feel like washing your blender, I can attest to the fact that it’s just as good a little bit chunky.

Penne Alla Vodka

Adapted from Serious Eats. Serves 6.

3 TBS butter
1 small white onion, peeled and finely diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
One 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. vodka
1/2 c. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. penne pasta, cooked to al dente

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is fragrant and translucent, but not browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring.
Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the vodka and cook until the alcohol has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender, and blend on high until smooth. Return to the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then toss with the penne and serve immediately.

January 17, 2015 Asian and Indian

Clean Eating: Soba Noodles with Asian Pesto

Hello from JFK’s terminal B! I am on my way home from Bogota, where I spent most of last week for work. It was the first of several trips I’ll take there this year, and while I didn’t have much free time to explore, I did get to explore the food. And it’s good – hearty stews of chicken, rice, and plaintain; lime and coconut shakes that taste like key lime pie in a glass; and big bowls of beans, beef, corn, and chorizo. Plus a little bit of avocado on top of almost everything for good measure. Despite the difficulties of exercising at 8,600 feet, I struggled through a few workouts just so I could keep indulging.

As much as I enjoyed eating my way through the city, I will say that I’m looking forward to a few vegetable-driven meals this weekend to recover. I’m thinking that perhaps another batch of these Soba Noodles with Asian Pesto will be just the thing The light, bright flavors of these noodles are just right after a weekend/week of heavy eating – and getting an eyeful of color on your plate in the middle of January doesn’t hurt, either. The pesto is adapted from a favorite Ming Tsai recipe – it skips the garlic and cheese, adds jalapeno and ginger, and complements the basil with cilantro and mint. It’s a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy, and a whole lot of green. Here I’ve mixed it with soba noodles, edamame, raw carrot “noodles,” and red pepper, but other vegetables would not be out of place either. It’s a flexible recipe, just right for reminding ourselves that eating vegetables can be delicious, even in the middle of winter.

Soba Noodles with Asian Pesto

Pesto recipe adapted from Ming Tsai. Serves 4.

1/3 c. canola oil
1 jalapeno, stem removed and pepper cut into chunks (remove seeds if you don’t like much heat)
1 1/4 c. salted and roasted cashews, divided
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 c. fresh basil leaves
1 c. fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 c. mint leaves
1 TBS honey
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. soba noodles
1 c. frozen shelled edamame
2 carrots, cut into “noodles” using a julienne peeler or spiralizer
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

Make the pesto: add 1 TBS of the canola oil, the jalapeno, 1 cup of the cashews, and the ginger to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the orange juice, basil, cilantro, mint and honey, and begin processing, slowly drizzling in the rest of the canola oil until a smooth consistency is reached. Stop the processor and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. 2 minutes before they are done, add the edamame to the boiling water. Drain and set the noodles and edamame aside. Roughly chop the remaining 1/4 cup of cashews. Toss the noodles with 1 cup of the pesto, the carrot “noodles,” the chopped cashews, and the chopped red bell pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve room temperature or chilled.

January 13, 2015 Breakfast

Book Club: Duck & Waffle // Hangover Hash

The Book: Every season I receive a handful of cookbooks in the mail that weren’t previously on my radar. I don’t review everything that comes across my doorstep, but every once in a while I get a surprise gem that I never would have thought to look at otherwise. This fall, Duck & Waffle, the cookbook from the trendy London restaurant of the same name, was that unexpected treasure. Right away you can tell that this book is exceptionally creative: “Dossants” – croissants stuffed with amaretto donut cream? PB&J turned into french toast? Spicy ox-cheek filled doughnuts? I am so in. This book is packed with comfort food recipes but with fancy ingredients and flavors – so basically, right up my alley. As you might have guessed, this is not food for when you’re craving something light. In fact, the chef and author Daniel Doherty writes in his recipes for Grilled Cheese with Ox Cheek, “as always, feel free to add one of the magical three: bacon, more cheese, or hot sauce.” Words to live by. The breakfast and brunch chapter is where this book really shines, but there are some inspired dinner and dessert picks as well. Whatever time of day it is, flipping through Duck & Waffle is going to make you hungry.

The Food: If a book has a recipe for something called “hangover hash,” how can you not make it? Whether or not you’ve had a bit too much to drink the night before, is there anything more appealing than a skillet full of potatoes, sausage, eggs, and cheese set in front of you on a lazy weekend morning? I’d argue there isn’t, unless of course you sweeten the pot with a piping hot mocha and a bowl of fresh berries on the side. This hash would shine at any respectable brunch restaurant – it’s got potatoes, caramelized onions, an incredible tangy sauce of red peppers and tomato, chorizo, egg, and of course, a healthy handful of grated gruyere cheese. Both the caramelized onions and the peperonata take a long time to prepare, slowly sweating over low heat, but the pay-off is well worth the wait. The peperonata in particular is a flavor powerhouse – Doherty writes that he is never without a jar in his fridge, and I may have to follow suit. I will say that if you were actually hungover, making this would be altogether too daunting, at least as far as I can tell from my experience with hangovers and cooking. But if you’re planning ahead, then you’ll make the caramelized onions, peperonata, and boiled potatoes in advance, and the morning of all you’ll have to do is put everything in a skillet, put it in the oven, then lie back down and wait 25 minutes for it to be done. And once you’ve tried the basic recipe, it’s easy to riff on – I made my second batch with a fat spoonful of ricotta on top, and next time I think I’ll replace the caramelized onions with sauteed mushrooms.

Recipe Shortlist: Smoked Haddock with Hash Browns and English Mustard Cream; Toasted PB&J with Banana and Berries; Smoky Mutton Sloppy Joe with Crispy Lamb’s Breast; Steamed Clams with Guanciale and Lardo-Parsley Crumb; Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnuts with Apricot Jam; Duck and Waffle with Mustard Maple Syrup; Rabbit Agnoli with Sage Brown Butter; Polenta Chips with Truffled Pecorino Dip

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door in the box on the right, on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of Duck & Waffle from Mitchell Beazley, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Hangover Hash

Recipe adapted slightly from Duck & Waffle. Serves 2.

3 TBS olive oil, divided
2 large onions, finely sliced
1 bay leaf
10 new potatoes or 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
One 4 1/2 inch long cooked, smoked chorizo or andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1/2 c. peperonata, recipe below
2 eggs
3/4 c. shredded Gruyere cheese, or a mix of Gruyere and Gouda
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place 2 TBS of the olive oil in a large skillet and heat over low heat. Add the sliced onions and bay leaf and toss to coat with the olive oil. Cook the onions over low heat until golden brown and caramelized all over, stirring every 3-5 minutes – this should take 40 minutes to 1 hour. If your onions are browning on the outside inside of turning golden, turn down the heat. Remove the bay leaf and season onions to taste with salt.
Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Add to a saucepan and cover with cold water. Salt the water, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, then drain.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the cooked potatoes and the sliced sausage between two 6 inch cast iron skillets. Drizzle with the remaining 1 TBS of olive oil. Bake the potatoes and sausage for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and stir in the caramelized onions and peperonata. Bake for another 10 minutes, then crack one egg over each skillet and cover with grated cheese. Bake until egg white is cooked through, about another 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and serve immediately. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peperonata

Recipe adapted slightly from Duck & Waffle. Makes about 4 cups.

1/4 c. olive oil
4 large red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into strips 1/4 inch thick
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
2 TBS dark brown sugar
4 TBS red wine vinegar

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the peppers, onions, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers and onions are soft, about 20-25 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar and stir to evenly mix. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, until it has a semi-thick sauce consistency. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme stems, and store in a jar in the fridge.

January 10, 2015 Asian and Indian

Clean Eating: Lentil and Roasted Tomato Soup with Saffron

As promised, I’m balancing indulgence with healthfulness this month – since my last recipe was for a sausage-stuffed grilled cheese sandwich, this one will be much more restrained. It’s a simple lentil soup, bulked up by oven-roasted tomatoes and given warmth and depth with harissa, cumin, ginger, and saffron. A swirl of cool Greek yogurt balances out the subtle spiciness. It’s a very good recipe for these very cold days – satisfying and nourishing at the same time.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite healthy cookbooks, A Change of Appetite, by Diana Henry. It was only released last summer, but it’s already become one of 4 or 5 books that I turn to when I need inspiration for whole eating. It’s also the only cookbook I purchased as a gift for someone this year, which I think says a lot. Anyways, if you’re looking for sources of inspiration for healthy cooking, I’d highly recommend it – and if you’re curious but not sold, read more about it in my full review from a few months ago.

Lentil and Roasted Tomato Soup with Saffron

Recipe adapted slightly from A Change of Appetite. Serves 4-6.

6 plum tomatoes, halved
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp dried harissa powder
salt and black pepper
2 tsp canola oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 inch piece ginger root, peeled and minced
1 red thai chile, stem removed, finely diced
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
good pinch of saffron stems
4 c. vegetable or chicken stock
1 c. red lentils
plain Greek yogurt, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together the olive oil, harissa, and salt and pepper, and pour over the tomatoes. Use a spatula to flip the tomatoes and coat in the oil, ending with the tomatoes cut side up. Roast the tomatoes for 40-50 minutes, stirring once, until slightly shrunken and charred in places. Set aside the 4-6 nicest looking tomato halves for garnish.
In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, thai chile, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and saffron and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the stock, the lentils, and the roasted tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils have softened into a puree and the tomatoes have mostly dissolved into the soup. Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and one of the reserved tomato halves.

January 7, 2015 Food

Brussels Sprout and Chorizo Grilled Cheese

Are you guys all getting back into the swing of things? Going back to work this week has been surprisingly painless for me, even with a gross head cold and the formidable temperatures we’ve been having in Boston (I’m just glad I don’t live in the Midwest). I was a little bit worried that since I worked a few days over the holidays, I wouldn’t feel re-energized headed into this month, but for the most part I really do. It’s refreshing, and I’m wishing all of you the same clear headspace.

Whether you’re back at work feeling invigorated or are still recovering from the holiday whirlwind, I’m guessing you might be getting to that point in January where you start craving things that aren’t salad or green smoothies. Things like cheese. Specifically, cheese stuffed between two slices of hearty pumpernickel bread along with thin slices of spicy chorizo and sauteed shredded brussels sprouts, then grilled to perfection. Just a guess. Of course, I’m not saying that you should totally give up on your resolutions just yet – really, stick with them! – but just remember that it’s OK to have something a little bit indulgent here or there. Especially when it’s less than 0° outside.

It might not look like much, but I assure you, it’s as tasty as it gets.

Brussels Sprout and Chorizo Grilled Cheese

A Katie at the Kitchen Door original recipe. Serves 2.

15 large brussels sprouts
2 TBS butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
sea salt and pepper
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/3 lb. fresh chorizo (soft/uncured style)
4 slices bread, preferably rye or pumpernickel
1 TBS mustard
1 TBS mayonnaise or creme fraiche
2 oz. manchego cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
2 oz. mahon cheese, shredded or thinly sliced

Trim the brussels sprouts by slicing off the root end and pulling off the outside leaves. Thinly slice the brussels sprouts.
Heat 1 TBS of the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and the sliced brussels sprouts, then season with the sea salt, pepper, and sweet paprika. Saute, stirring frequently, until the brussels sprouts are soft and begining to caramelize on the outside, about 6-8 minutes. Scrape the brussels sprouts into a bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to the heat. Crumble the chorizo into the frying pan and flatten the pieces with the back of a spoon. Cook the sausage until thoroughly cooked through, flipping once or twice.
To assemble the sandwiches, spread the inside of two pieces with the mustard, and the inside of the other two pieces with the mayonnaise. Sprinkle or layer the cheeses on top of the side of the bread with the mayonnaise, then top with the cooked chorizo, followed by several spoonfuls of the brussels sprouts. Top with the mustard-coated bread. Melt half of the remaining 1 TBS of butter in the saute pan, and spread the other half on the top of the sandwich. Place the sandwiches, cheese side on the bottom, into the melted butter. Cook the sandwiches until cheese is melty and bread is golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.