Chicken Paprikash

I've got a lot of great cookbooks, but a lot of their contents require ingredients I'll never use otherwise or a cooking setup that you just can't get in a simplistic NYC rental kitchen.  In the middle of Cook's Illustrated's selection of awesome-looking but totally impractical (for a single dude apartment-dweller) braised pork, chicken, and beef recipes, though, there's chicken paprikash:

Recipe

4 bone-in chicken thighs
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, halved widthwise and cut into thin strips
2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/3 c white wine
1 14 oz can tomatoes, drained
1/4 c sour cream
parsley
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 300 and heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and place skin-side down to brown, 5 minutes or so.  Flip and brown the other side, then remove and set aside.  Start browning the onions; when they're most of the way there, add the peppers.  Once browned/softened, add a tbsp and a half of the paprika, flour, and marjoram (if you have it) and stir up for a minute.  Add the wine and scrape up the browned bits; add the tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt, and the chicken.  Cover and cook for about an hour and fifteen minutes.  Lastly, mix up the sour cream and 1/2 tbsp paprika, stir in some warm sauce, and add to the sauce in the dutch oven.  Serve over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Notes

The cookbook did its best to make this recipe look complicated with a lot of different ingredients, but there's not really too much crazy in there.  I don't generally keep marjoram on hand, but otherwise...  the finished product was pretty good!  A lot like a stroganoff, if you like that...  It's nice to crisp the chicken up before braising it.  The recipe tells you to remove the skin once you've done all that work to brown it - but who really minds a little extra grease in the sauce?  Not me!

Snickerdoodles!

I vaguely remember making snickerdoodles for a colonial fair in elementary school.  So I've always had a soft spot for that lesser-known cookie - or maybe it was just because they're delicious.  So when I happened across an easy recipe online (one in a cookbook I have required tartar sauce? (correction: cream of tartar, but still, what is that and who has it lying around?)), I was excited to give it a go:

Recipe

3 tbsp room-temperature butter
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

cinnamon sugar: 1 tsp granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Whisk together the butter and sugar, then the egg yolk and vanilla.  Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Heat oven to 350 and mix your cinnamon sugar.  When the dough has hardened a bit, divide it into two cookies (this is a very small-batch recipe), roll them in the cinnamon sugar, and place on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.  Bake 16-18 minutes.

Notes

Keeping things in the ADKs theme, I used maple sugar instead of the first batch of sugar.  Either because of that or because of a weak/too short refrigeration period, the dough was still super gooey when I tried to roll it and ready it to bake.  The end product was still delicious!  If not picture-worthy...

Gravad Lax

Homemade gravlax!  As per the classic Scandinavian cookbook.

Recipe

1 lb salmon, cut into two fillets
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp crushed peppercorns
1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

Mix the salt, sugar, and pepper.  Lay the salmon out on a big piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Top with dill and sprinkle generously with salt mixture.  Put one fillet on top of the other and wrap up securely.  (You might also want to put it in a plastic bag in case moisture leaks out.)  Place on a dish and weigh it down, for instance with a few cans of food.  Refrigerate for at least 48 hours, turning it a few times.  Once it's done, unwrap, scrape off the seasonings, slice thinly and serve!

The cookbook recommends "gravlaxsas" (sound it out!) as an accompaniment - essentially a mustard vinaigrette with more salt, sugar and dill.

Notes

A week-plus since by first trials of this (non-)cooking concept, and all test subjects (i.e., me) seem to have suffered no ill effects...  A bit of a relief, since I convinced myself in the meantime that it was a mistake to trust the Lake Placid Price Chopper's seafood counter, and my salmon had to sit in the car for the ride back plus another errand or two...  Maybe next time I'll make sure to hit a more upscale grocer and specify "sushi-grade"...

In any case, I used two six-ounce skinless fillets.  Rather than just season the top and press together, I made sure all sides were well-coated in salt mixture and dill.

I also did some outside research to make sure copy editors didn't leave out an important step like "cook for 30 minutes"...  There were actually some similar, more modern recipes online that are essentially the same in concept but explore variations in the ratio of salt to sugar or other seasonings like coriander, caraway, or fennel seed, or citrus zest, or aquavit.  But the key takeaway was that, yes, you can make your own gravlax for not-too-expensive!  (Pictures of what it should look like also helped reassure me.)  So full speed ahead with taste tests.

The results: it was really, really good.  The smooth salmon taste, with a healthy dose of salt and pepper.  So good.

Fried Zucchini Spaghetti

Guess which two of the following three things Gwyneth Paltrow counts among her "favorite things on earth": fried zucchini, spaghetti, and caring for orphans?  According to her cookbook, the answer is fried zucchini and spaghetti - no mention of the poor orphans :(

Recipe

3/4 lb (1 box) spaghetti
2-3 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 c Parmesan cheese, grated
handful basil leaves, roughly torn
olive oil, salt & pepper

Cook the spaghetti.  Meanwhile, toss the zucchini with the flour and some salt and pepper.  Heat a quarter cup of olive oil high, and cook single layers of zucchini, turning until golden brown on both sides.  Meanwhile x2, whisk the cheese with 2 tbsp olive oil, adding about a quarter cup of pasta water to make it creamy.  Toss in the pasta, basil, salt and pepper, and most of the zucchini, saving some slices and extra cheese for the top.

Notes

This was pretty easy!  However, I thought it lacked some protein/meat elements, so why not sizzle up some bacon first and use the grease to fry the zucchini?  Done.  The cheese mixture got a little melty and clumpy, but with a little extra effort I got it mostly mixed in with the pasta.  How's this look, orphans?

Ginger-Garlic Pot Roast

I may not have a bunch of kids (or really consider myself a foodie), but this Foodie with Family recipe looked right in my wheelhouse anyway:

Recipe

3-4 lb boneless chuck roast
2 tsp vegetable or canola oil
3" ginger root, cut in half and smashed
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
4 c beef or vegetable broth or stock
2 tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce
1-2 lb small red potatoes, halved
3 carrots, cut diagonally into 1" pieces
6 green onions, trimmed of root (didn't actually include these)
salt & pepper

Stage 1: Preheat the oven and high-heat the oil in an oven-safe dish with a lid.  Salt and pepper the roast, and brown the main sides a few minutes each.  Toss in the ginger and garlic, pour in the broth, and sprinkle the soy sauce over everything.  Lid on, put it in the oven.

Stage 2: Two hours later, add the potatoes, carrots, and onions; lid it and pop it back in the oven.

Stage 3: After another hour, you're done!  Well, if you want.  Remove the meat to a cutting board and scoop out the veggies (getting rid of the ginger).  You can serve over rice or noodles, sprinkle with pan juices (thickened if you want), more soy sauce, or sesame oil.  Eat.

Notes

It's probably just as well that I didn't try to do this in my tiny apartment, because the browning part was pretty aggressive and smoky.  The recipe said to let the roast sit for four minutes untouched on each side, but after like half that time the first side (top in the picture below) was already good to go.

I forgot the green onions/wasn't sure if they were the same as scallions and which of those were sitting in the fridge...  But I added a few from our bounty of apples, since apple-ginger is a thing, right?

My relatively small roast (2.8 lbs, I believe) came out pretty well-done, so it could use some pan juices to restore some moisture.  The flavors didn't penetrate the lump of meat as much as I might have hoped, but the potatoes and carrots more than made up for it - they were amazing (and the apples added a touch of sweetness)!

Overall, there's nothing very labor intensive; the hardest part is the anticipation.  The roasting ginger and garlic smell awesome!  And it makes a great, hearty meat & potatoes dinner (or for me, a few dinners).

Crispy Baked Chickpeas etc.

This post aggregates a few concepts I like, but didn't feel were really substantial enough for their own posts:

Crispy Baked Chickpeas

Drain and rinse a can or two of chickpeas.  Cover in vinegar, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let sit for 20-30 minutes.  Drain, toss with olive oil and some seasonings, and bake about 45 minutes at 400 degrees.  (Original link)

This was the kicker to get me to put this post together.  I'd done baked chickpeas a few ways before; they were good but simple enough I didn't need to save the instructions or publicize it.  Trying to use up the bounty of homegrown apples, though, I sliced up a few (to go with the apple cider vinegar).  The sweet element really added to the flavor (especially since the vinegar can be overpowering).

Eggs Baked in Avocado

Halve your avocados, remove the pit, and scoop out some more space for an egg.  Season with salt, pepper, lime juice, etc.  Crack an egg into each half, and hey, season some more (chili powder, jalapeno, etc.).  Bake at 450 degrees about 10-12 minutes, until the egg white is appropriately set.  (Original link)

Another simple concept.  It's too bad, but you really have to scoop out some extra avocado pulp to make room for the egg.  I did not, so my first ones were a little messy...  Second time around, I made plenty of space for the egg, but neglected the stability factor and lost some of the egg the totally predictable rolling of the avocado halves :(  Still plenty of goodness left, and at least more photogenic:

Marinated Zucchini

Halve some small zucchini lengthwise (or quarter bigger ones).  Heat some olive oil in a skillet, and brown the zucchini a couple minutes on each side.  Whisk together three tbsps olive oil, one tbsp vinegar, and seasonings like garlic, salt & pepper, etc.  Toss with zucchini in a flat container and let marinate at least an hour.  (Original link)

Simple again - see the theme?  Also flexible, since you have plenty of room to add seasonings, apples, etc.  The vinaigrette ratio was also helpful for future reference!

Fresh Corn Cornbread

You can always count on America's Test Kitchen for a delicious recipe.  Sure, there might be much simpler versions out there on the internet, but you get to feel like a real chef.  Here's the latest:

Recipe

1 1/3 c cornmeal
1 c all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 ears-worth of corn kernels
6 tbsp butter
1 c buttermilk
2 eggs plus another egg yolk

Preheat oven to 400.  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Process the corn kernels until smooth, then cook in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir constantly until thick and rich yellow.  Remove from heat and add in 5 tbsp butter, then the buttermilk, then the eggs.  Mix into the dry ingredients.

Meanwhile, melt the last tbsp butter in a cast-iron skillet or baking dish.  Spread batter into the dish, then pop it in the oven.  Bake about 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick/fork/knife/whatever comes out of the middle clean.  Let cool and sit for a while if you can.

Notes

As much as I'd like to follow these intricate recipes as closely as possible, I did take a couple liberties.  Regular milk, only two eggs, but also what I think was a nice idea - using maple syrup instead of sugar.  My baking dish was also a little smaller than what they recommend (10" skillet), and it rose a bit to give me a surprise the first time I checked on it.  Since it was thicker, I had to bake it longer to let it set; it got a nice crust, maybe a touch dry and crumbly, but very nice!  Not too sweet, so if that's what you prefer, up the sugar (or syrup).  Finding a few different uses for the rest of the loaf (e.g., the base of an open-faced bacon & egg sandwich).

SunButter Dan Dan Noodles

Homemade Chinese Food!

or

MAKE AND CONSUME 4 BATCHES OF THESE NOODLES RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

(From Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking)

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. gluten-free linguine

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed

2 tbsp finely minced or grated ginger

2 tbsp coconut amino acids (Worcestershire Sauce is also useable for allergy-folks, soy sauce is fine otherwise)

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp sriracha

1/3 cup smooth SunButter/sunflower seed butter (non-allergy-folks, peanut butter can work)

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/2 tsp salt

3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds, plus more for garnish

1/2 English cucumber, peeled, quartered, and diced, for garnish.

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to box.

2.) In a large bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, coconut amino acids, oil, sugar, vinegar, and chile sauce. Mix well. Add the SunButter, chicken broth, and salt. Stir until smooth.

3.) Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce, tossing to coat. Mix in the green onions, cilantro, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds.

4.) Serve garnished with the diced cucumber and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds.

NOTES:

-SO easy!! Complex flavors make it seem so much fancier/harder than it actually is!

-Recipe has a good kick, so follow it without embellishment first...

-I didn't use cilantro and honestly, I don't think it needs it...

-Second go round included some chopped greenery and chicken chunks sauteed in the sauce. I recommend those additions.

Hot Sauce Pasta Salad

No idea how I happened across this recipe, but it stood out for (1) a hearty, healthy-looking dish that would keep for multiple meals, and (2) hot sauce!

Recipe

Pasta
1 lb cooked pasta: e.g., shells, ziti, penne, rotini
2 c tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 c artichoke hearts, quartered
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 c black olives, sliced
2/3 c red onion, chopped
2/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated
olive oil

Cook the pasta, drain, drizzle with olive oil, and mix in the other ingredients.

Dressing
1 c red bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 c olive oil
1 1/2 c tomato sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 c basil, chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
salt

Heat the olive oil and garlic, then add the red pepper and cook a couple minutes.  Remove the garlic, then add the tomato sauce and hot sauce.  Simmer for five minutes.  Add basil, lemon juice, and salt, and pour over the salad.

Top with Parmesan.

Notes

There's a good bit of chopping and other prep involved here.  I took most of the measurements as whatever was convenient with what I had.  I aimed for about a half portion overall, but I also reduced the olive oil - a whole cup?!  I also upped the hot sauce considerably.  I felt a little bad for not using Cholula brand, but somewhat better about supporting Hot Sauce 4 Good.

Here's my finished product, topped with some popcorn shrimp(!) - they also suggest regular shrimp or chicken if you want more protein.  Didn't really need it though.  Pretty good, tangy, and hopefully the rest will keep for a bit.

Chicken Hash

Upstate cooking lab is in full swing.  Today's afternoon session was a nice Martha Stewart brunch option:

Recipe

1/2 a chicken breast, cut into 3/4" cubes
12 oz small red potatoes, boiled and quartered
2 ears-worth corn kernels
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, minced
4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c chicken (or veggie) stock
salt, pepper, evoo

Step zero is to get your potatoes boiling...  Heat a skillet up high.  The first thing in is your chicken; brown for a few minutes, then set aside.  Add a few tsps oil, then the potatoes go in until golden-brown, a few minutes, then set aside.  Add another tsp oil, then the corn, scallion, and jalapeno, just a couple minutes until the corn is dark brown in spots.  Next, add the tomatoes and cook a minute or so.  Then add the stock and chicken, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the potatoes, and you're ready to go.

Notes

Martha's hash is a little upscale - you don't just plop things into a skillet one-by-one (or all at once) - you'll have some extra bowls to clean.  That said, this was a really nice one.  Everything browns up nicely to appropriate degrees...  I didn't follow the measurements too closely, eyeballing the amounts for pretty much everything.  Didn't effect the final product.  Fresh corn is a great element (I'm less of a tomato fan, but realize that's just me).  When I added the stock, whoosh it boiled almost immediately, but kept things from drying out too much.  All in all, Martha knows what she's doing.

One-Pan Pasta

Cannibal Stew is apparently late to the viral sensation on this one...  Supposedly it came from Martha Stewart originally:

Recipe

12 oz linguine
12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1 onion, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 sprigs basil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 1/2 c water
red pepper
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese

Start with most of the ingredients in one large straight-sided skillet - pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, olive oil, some red pepper, salt & pepper, and the water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring pasta frequently.  Cook about 9 minutes, until the pasta is ready and most of the water absorbed/evaporated.

Serve with Parmesan and more salt & pepper, olive oil, and basil.

Notes 

Twelve ounces is a strange quantity of pasta - since boxes are usually a pound, you either leave yourself an inconveniently small uncooked portion or you round up or down.  I went up and increased the water to 5 cups, which may not have been necessary.  In any case, it's a pretty quick, not too difficult pasta recipe, a good alternative to carbonara.

Korvgryta

Pronunciation unclear, korvgryta is a Swedish sausage casserole.  Like other Scandinavian dishes, it's straightforward meat-and-potatoes; it may not be as tempting to poor Jansson, but that's a matter for a future post.  Here you go:

Recipe

1 lb sausage meat
2 onions, sliced
2 apples, sliced
4-5 potatoes, cooked and sliced

Start by boiling your potatoes.  Remove the sausage meat from the casings and brown in a heavy skillet.  Remove sausage but leave drippings; cook the onion.  Once they're golden brown and transparent, add the apple slices and cook briefly.  Butter a casserole dish and layer the potatoes, sausage, and onion/apple.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Notes

Everything cooks separately, but it's the half-hour or so baking in the casserole that lets the flavors meld together wonderfully.  I don't think you have to be too selective with your choice of sausage; our jalapeno-cheddar added a nice spicy and (obviously) salty element to the mix.  The original recipe said it made four servings; we one-and-a-halved everything, and it stuffed four people nicely with a little left over.

Not much green in the recipe, so it needs a side for a well-rounded meal: