emerald eats: February 2012

Favorite Cookies

Pecan Sandies. These are made without eggs, and are seriously one of my favorite cookies evvvvver.

Recipe- Martha Stewart

Pecan Sandies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined. Fold in pecans.
Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place on two baking sheets, 2 inches apart. With the dampened bottom of a glass, lightly flatten each ball.
Bake until cookies are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool.

Cook's Note

For best results, line cookie sheets with parchment prior to baking.

Pasta with Lentils and Kale

YUM. I wasn't expecting much from this recipe, and it totally surprised me. The carmelized onions make this seriously delicious. Seriously.
Source-Epicurious

yield: Makes 4 servings

active time: 45 min

total time: 1 1/4 hr

Ingredients:

1/2 cup French (small) green lentils
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 pound kale (preferably Tuscan; sometimes labeled "lacinato")
3/4 pound dried short pasta

Accompaniments: toasted bread-crumb topping and/or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation:

Simmer lentils in water (2 cups) with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep lentils barely covered, until tender but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt.

While lentils simmer, heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring, 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden (stir more frequently toward end of cooking), about 20 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to moderate, then cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more.

While onion cooks, cut out and discard stems and center ribs from kale. Cook kale in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer kale with tongs to a colander to drain, pressing lightly. Keep pot of water at a boil, covered.

Coarsely chop kale and add to onion along with lentils (including lentil-cooking liquid), then simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add pasta to kale-cooking liquid and boil, uncovered, until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup pasta-cooking liquid, then drain pasta in a colander. Add pasta to lentil mixture along with about 1/3 cup of pasta-cooking liquid (or enough to keep pasta moist) and cook over high heat, tossing, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Cooks' Notes·Lentils and onions can be cooked up to 5 days ahead and chilled, uncovered, until completely cooled, then covered. Reheat over low heat, thinning with water as necessary.
·Kale can be washed and trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag lined with dampened paper towels.

Orzo with Garbanzo Beans, Goat Cheese and Oregano

This Pasta Salad is delicious for dinner, and even more awesome packed up for lunch the next day. Plus it's super easy and fast.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups orzo (about 9 ounces)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15- to 15 1/2-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
15-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Preparation:

Cook orzo in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally. Drain orzo.

Whisk olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and minced garlic to blend in large serving bowl. Add drained garbanzo beans, cooked orzo, and chopped fresh oregano; toss salad to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir in crumbled goat cheese. Serve orzo salad warm or at room temperature.

Quinoa Patties

I have never had great luck with patties of any kind- until these. They are super versatile. You can add them to top of a salad to bulk it up for dinner- drizzle with yummy balsamic vinaigrette. They are also really yummy with hot sauce. (Our favorite is "Slap Yo Momma")

For whatever reason, we have found this recipe needed twice as many eggs as it called for. We have made it several times that way- and it works great.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Yield: Makes 12 little patties

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups/12 oz/340 g cooked quinoa, at room temperature
8 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup/.5 oz /15 g finely chopped fresh chives
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup/.5 oz/15 g freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup/3.5 oz /100 g whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
Water, if needed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch/2.5cm thick patties. I err on the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, but you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add 6 patties, if they'll fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes and continue to cook until the patties are browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Alternatively, the quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days; you can cook patties to order, if you prefer.

To cook quinoa:
Combine 2 cups/12 oz/340 g of well-rinsed uncooked quinoa with 3 cups / 700 ml water and 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the quinoa is tender and you can see the little quinoa curlicues.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012