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Dinner last night
Jan. 7th, 2010 01:41 pmDinner was delicious. I have great respect for Trader Joe's gluten-free Kraft Dinner (macaroni and cheese to you yankees (and yes, when we say "yankee" we mean any American, even Southerners)), as it closely approximates the wheaty standard variety. I did add butter to the cheese sauce, though, as it was a little thin without it.
The italian chicory (aka radicchio) was toothsome and perfectly cooked, though I added too much salt to the vinaigrette by accident which was a little sad. The soup also turned out very well, though my roommate thought it was a little too spicy. I did use a particularly spicy batch of my homemade chicken broth in it, as well as a Madras-style curry spice blend. Next time I may dial one or both down in deference to her whitebread palate.
Seared radicchio
2 heads radicchio (radicchios? radicchiae?)
Olive oil
Roughly 1 cup red wine
If the radicchios are the oval-shaped ones, like bok choy, or if they're small round ones, quarter them. Otherwise, if they're medium or huge round ones, sixth or eighth them.
Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to a hot pan. When the oil is also hot add the radicchio, cut-side down, and sear for three minutes. Turn the radicchio over to the other cut side. After two minutes, add a splash or two of red wine and a grind of pepper to each slice of radicchio. After a minute more the wine should be cooked off. Put the radicchio on a plate or baking dish and cover tightly, either with tinfoil or the baking dish cover*. Leave it covered for at least five minutes, then dress (see below) and serve.
The idea is to sear the outside to give it a lovely grilled, caramelized flavor, and then let the chicory's own steam cook the insides of the quarters (or eights or whatever). I used a cast iron pan because of how well cast iron sears, though I know I was naughty and used wine (which is acidic) on cast iron which you should avoid if possible.
Mustard-balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (I used dijon)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more or less to taste)
Whisk all ingredients together in a non-reactive (ie not metal) bowl until emulsified**. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
Curried chestnut and cauliflower soup
1 medium head cauliflower
1/2 lb roasted chestnut (or so. You can often buy them in small 200 gram jars, which is a little under a 1/2 pound but will do just fine)
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
2 teaspoons curry powder (I used a very spicy, chili-intensive Madras curry mix, but you can substitute "regular" curry powder if you want less heat. Alternatively, substitute an equal amount of your favorite ras el hanout)
Olive oil
Chicken broth (or veggie broth if you like, which I don't)
Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat some olive oil in the bottom of the saucepan, then add the onion, garlic and spices and cook for 2-4 minutes until the onion is just tender. Next, add the cauliflower and a couple of pinches of salt and cook for around 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is lightly browned, mixing well to ensure that it's all coated in the spiced oil.
Add enough chicken stock to cover the cauliflower by about an inch, which should be just over a quart. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the chestnuts to a meal (powder) in a blender or food processor. I found that by refrigerating the chestnuts ahead of time and pulsing the nuts*** in short bursts in three separate batches, I got a very nice even texture to the resulting nutmeal.
After 12 minutes of boiling, add the nutmeal to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes or so, still covered. Remove from heat, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then puree with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender, if you're sadly stick-blenderless like I am).
Serve.
*If you opted to use a plate, do not cover with a baking dish cover (you idiot).
** The dressing, not the bowl (you idiot).
*** Dirty!
The italian chicory (aka radicchio) was toothsome and perfectly cooked, though I added too much salt to the vinaigrette by accident which was a little sad. The soup also turned out very well, though my roommate thought it was a little too spicy. I did use a particularly spicy batch of my homemade chicken broth in it, as well as a Madras-style curry spice blend. Next time I may dial one or both down in deference to her whitebread palate.
Seared radicchio
2 heads radicchio (radicchios? radicchiae?)
Olive oil
Roughly 1 cup red wine
If the radicchios are the oval-shaped ones, like bok choy, or if they're small round ones, quarter them. Otherwise, if they're medium or huge round ones, sixth or eighth them.
Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to a hot pan. When the oil is also hot add the radicchio, cut-side down, and sear for three minutes. Turn the radicchio over to the other cut side. After two minutes, add a splash or two of red wine and a grind of pepper to each slice of radicchio. After a minute more the wine should be cooked off. Put the radicchio on a plate or baking dish and cover tightly, either with tinfoil or the baking dish cover*. Leave it covered for at least five minutes, then dress (see below) and serve.
The idea is to sear the outside to give it a lovely grilled, caramelized flavor, and then let the chicory's own steam cook the insides of the quarters (or eights or whatever). I used a cast iron pan because of how well cast iron sears, though I know I was naughty and used wine (which is acidic) on cast iron which you should avoid if possible.
Mustard-balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (I used dijon)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more or less to taste)
Whisk all ingredients together in a non-reactive (ie not metal) bowl until emulsified**. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
Curried chestnut and cauliflower soup
1 medium head cauliflower
1/2 lb roasted chestnut (or so. You can often buy them in small 200 gram jars, which is a little under a 1/2 pound but will do just fine)
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
2 teaspoons curry powder (I used a very spicy, chili-intensive Madras curry mix, but you can substitute "regular" curry powder if you want less heat. Alternatively, substitute an equal amount of your favorite ras el hanout)
Olive oil
Chicken broth (or veggie broth if you like, which I don't)
Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat some olive oil in the bottom of the saucepan, then add the onion, garlic and spices and cook for 2-4 minutes until the onion is just tender. Next, add the cauliflower and a couple of pinches of salt and cook for around 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is lightly browned, mixing well to ensure that it's all coated in the spiced oil.
Add enough chicken stock to cover the cauliflower by about an inch, which should be just over a quart. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the chestnuts to a meal (powder) in a blender or food processor. I found that by refrigerating the chestnuts ahead of time and pulsing the nuts*** in short bursts in three separate batches, I got a very nice even texture to the resulting nutmeal.
After 12 minutes of boiling, add the nutmeal to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes or so, still covered. Remove from heat, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then puree with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender, if you're sadly stick-blenderless like I am).
Serve.
*If you opted to use a plate, do not cover with a baking dish cover (you idiot).
** The dressing, not the bowl (you idiot).
*** Dirty!
