The cure is a bottomless pit of goat cheese: Spinach and Goat Cheese Risotto

There is little in this silly world that I love more than my family,my friends, my pup, and my wine ;) And then, enter goat cheese. And the world turned upside down. Then! This dish warped my sense of reality all together! If you ever have a little time to cook up some heaven, please do! It reheats wonderfully and is great for those chillier days where you need a nice warm carby-cheesy-flavorful-food-hug. 

I found this from www.seriouseats.com and it has truly become a staple in the Fenton/Kaub cook book. Its a weird risotto recipe since it doesn't require the labor intense, patience wringing, sloooooooow addition of broth to the rice. From beginning to end it will probably take about 45 minutes.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Risotto (45 minutes)

Ingredients

×          1 tablespoon olive oil

×          4 tablespoon butter

×          1 medium onion, finely chopped (the finer, the better)

×          2 cups Arborio rice (Risotto Rice fool!)

×          3/4 cup white wine

×          4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

×          2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

×          5 oz spinach, washed and dried

×          Nutmeg (please use fresh, but if not … that’s … ok… too)

×          2 handfuls Parmesan cheese

×          1/2 lemon

×          4 oz goat cheese

Instructions

Saucepan #1 (small/medium)

1.       Melt a tablespoon of butter plus a splash of olive oil, a good grating of nutmeg, and the second clove of garlic

2.       When the butter has melted, add the spinach and cook until wilted down (about 5 minutes)

3.       Cool and puree in a food processor or chop by hand

Saucepan #2 (large, deeper - all the rice is going in here)

1.       Melt 1 tablespoon butter plus olive oil

2.       Add the onion and a clove of garlic and cook gentle until soft but not browned (~10 minutes)

3.       Add the rice to the onion and raise the heat to medium-high; toast, stirring constantly, until the rice begins to look translucent (5-7 minutes)

4.       Add the wine, stirring, until absorbed 

5.       Add stock to the rice little-by-little, stirring continually. Salt as necessary. (10-15 minutes)

6.       Turn off the heat and add the remaining butter, Parmesan, and the spinach mixture. Stir to incorporate well.

7.       Serve with a goat cheese crumbled on top

Orecchiette? Oh-rah-what? Orecchiette with cherry tomatoes and arugula

Another gem from my favorite online recipe goddess at www.smittenkitchen.com. On her blog she hand makes the pasta, but let's be serious, after work you hardly want to hand-make pasta, so I'm just going to take the complex part out of it. Truth of the matter is this dish is fabulous for dinner then equally  fab for lunch reheated the next day.... and I loathe leftovers. 

As far as finding the pasta goes, I had to search for a while in the pasta section, but it was there! If you don't want to hunt, or you just don't care, any kind of softer, smaller pasta will do. I think its totally worth the hunt - it’s a marvelous pasta! 

 Orecchiette with cherry tomatoes and arugula (25 minutes)

Ingredients

×          2 cups dry orecchiette

×          2 tablespoons olive oil

×          2 cloves of garlic, minced

×          2 small shallots, finely chopped (PS you should always have these handy!)

×          1 pint mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered (or you can be boring and just use red)

×          2 cups fresh arugula, de-stemmed, roughly chopped

×          Salt and pepper

×          Parmesan

Instructions

1.       Cook pasta fully, strain and set aside

2.       Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat

3.       Add garlic and shallots. Sauté until soft but not browned (about 5 minutes)

4.       Add chopped cherry tomatoes and cook until they have softened but not lost completely lost their form (about 3-5 minutes)

5.       Add pasta, reheating it in the sauce and seasoning with salt and pepper

6.       Add the arugula, stirring it until it has just wilted

7.       Add parmesan and enjoy!

Not Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup

So I found this on my favoritest of favorite cooking websites: www.smittenkitchen.com This woman is a genius and she’s funny! But I seriously have never eaten something from this site that has been less than stellar.  If you were smart, which I assume you are, you would frequent her website often.

This recipe is good for a Sunday and amazing to reheat throughout the week. Its shockingly filling and will fill the house with the most heavenly flavors one can imagine. It takes about one and a half to two hours to prep and cook this fantastic soup. And the first time it will be a little tricky, but trust you me, it is well worth your patience.

 Not Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup (1.5-2 hours)

Ingredients

×          1 ounce dried mushrooms (porcini, morels, or shitakes)

×          1/2 cup olive oil

×          2 sprigs of rosemary

×          4 sprigs of sage

×          1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

×          3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

×          1 1/2 teaspoons salt

×          1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper

×          1 pound white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced

×          1 pound shitake mushrooms stemmed, cleaned and thinly sliced

×          3 cups beef stock

×          3 cups vegetable stock

×          1 cup heavy cream

×          2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

1.       Soak the dry mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water for 20 to 30 minutes, until plump.

2.       Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter to remove grit and reserve, along with the reconstituted mushrooms, until needed.

3.       Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium flame. Bundle the rosemary and sage together and tie with kitchen twine (I use a ‘sachet’ bag to make sure all the little needles don’t run away) When the oil is hot, add the herb bundle and sizzle for a few minutes on both sides to infuse the oil.

4.       Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent but not brown.

5.       Turn the flame to high and add the white mushrooms and shitakes. Alter the heat if you think it is too hot, just turn it down!

6.       Cook for 10 minutes, during which the mushrooms will give off their liquid (which should evaporate quickly due to the high heat) and deflate significantly. Stir occasionally.

7.       Add the chicken stock and the dried mushrooms along with the soaking water.

8.       Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the herbs, then add the cream and butter. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot and keep at a very low simmer until ready to serve. 

In loving memory of Papa Fritz: Figgy Goat-Pig Pizza

Oh what I wouldn't give for some Bertuccis or Papa Gino's... But alas, none to be found. And for a girl from the North, this is a painful transition. But lucky for me there is a quick and simple solution to a) missing delicious pizza, b) being broke, c) being hungry -- homemade pizza! Now since my right hand man was at work (likely excuse I know) and I was incredibly unmotivated (more so the excuse), I made this with a store-bought crust. Blasphemy I know, but we will make this completely from scratch for Version 2.0 and post again!

The great thing about pizza is it tends to take more prep time than cooking time. Maybe 20 minutes tops for cooking these little babies, that is with the right crust J

A Figgy Goat-Pig (20 minutes)

Ingredients

×          Olive Oil (I use grape seed oil)

×          Fig jam or jelly

×          Goat cheese, crumbled

×          1 medium yellow onion, caramelized (this means throw in a pan with a little butter)

×          Prosciutto

×          Arugula 

Instructions

1.       Brown crust on a nonstick, greased, cookie sheet

2.       Remove from oven and brush on oil.

3.       Spread a very thin layer of Fig jam, the crumble on the goat cheese and onions

4.       Return to the oven for ~5 minutes or until browned

5.       Remove from oven and add prosciutto and arugula once the pizza has had time to cool. I usually do it per slice since its cleaner

Presto Change-o its a Figgy Pig! 

You Thoughtless Cow: Skirt Steak with mushrooms and onions

Skirt steak is cheap, thin, and delicious! Just throw some seasonings (steak seasonings, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika... you name it steak loves it!) on it and sear that sucker in a pan. Pair with mom’s Worcestershire mushrooms (with optional but fantastic onions) and it’s too good to be true! Just more proof that you don’t need carbs to eat a wonderful meal. But if you must, toast a piece of bread and put the whole thing on top :) yum!

 Skirt Steak with mushrooms and onions (20 minutes)

Ingredients

×          Any steak that’s on sale, I tend to look for 1 lb or more

×          1 tablespoon of butter

×          1 medium yellow onion

×          1 small package of button mushrooms

×          Salt and Pepper

×          Worcestershire sauce

×          Celery Salt

×          Tabasco sauce

×          Garlic Salt

Instructions

In medium skillet number one:

1.       Melt 1 tb butter

2.       As soon as the butter begins to crackle, toss in your pre-seasoned steak

3.       For medium-rare, cook for 3-4 minutes on each side

4.       Remove steak and let rest

In a second smaller skillet, at the same time that you start the butter in the first

1.       Add thinly sliced onion and a small bit of butter if you want (I don’t use it but, you are a Fenton)

2.       Cook onion until it starts to give, but not browned!

3.       Add sliced mushrooms

4.       Add salt, Worcestershire, celery salt, Tabasco, garlic salt and whatever else you 

Homage to A. Brown: Steak au Poivre

I am obsessed with Alton Brown. This is my pre-cook-post... Once I actually accomplish this culinary masterpiece, this page will be happily updated with my learnings

I have wanted to make this one for a while now, but Steve’s work schedule hasn’t allowed me to stretch my culinary wings this far :) It seems simple, but you have to let the meat rest before cooking (come to room temperature) and after cooking (REST THE MEAT!) to get the best medium/meduim rare

The steak will take about 15 minutes to cook, but budget 15-30 minutes before for resting, and 5-10 minutes after for resting. The sauce is fun because you get to light a fire, but as with all things associated with fire, be careful and do it right! No Shortcuts! And turn off the FLAME first!

Steak au Poivre (45 minutes)

Ingredients

×          4 tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick

×          Salt (please use Kosher – the shape is SO much better for cooking)

×          2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed with a mallet into large pieces

×          1 tablespoon unsalted butter

×          1 teaspoon olive oil

×          1/3 cup Cognac, plus 1 teaspoon

×          1 cup heavy cream

Steak

Instructions

1.       Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt.

2.       Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside.

3.       In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil.

4.       As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan.

5.       For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side.

6.       Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean.

Au Poivre (aka delicious sauce)

Instructions ctd

7.       Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match. Gently shake pan until the flames die.

8.       Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream.

9.       Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon (5-6 mins)

10.   Add the teaspoon of Cognac and season, to taste, with salt.

11.   Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

Cuban Marinated Steak with Chimichuri Sauce

So my coworker and I have a few favorite spots to spoil ourselves during lunch (and by spoil I mean this is a regular occurrence... we're indulgent little worker bees) But we do have a favorite within our favorites ... We have nicknamed it, aptly I might add, 'Latin Grill'. Its freaking delicious. Like the cute old men we are, we always get the same thing.. I get Ropa Vieja and she gets the Skirt Steak. mmmmm... Today, lets concentrate on the steak - tender and pink - seasonings that just dance all the way down to your belly... UGH! its heaven.

Needless to say I was inspired to attempt to take this simple but fantastic dish home! Cuban steak has a similar feel to a fajita meat, only slightly more citrusy, and trust me when I say that is a delightful attribute! For my home version, I added a chimichuri sauce (to replace the typical white rice) to keep the dish lighter but still tasty tasty! The sauce is really just a fancy name for parsley, cilantro, oil and vinegar. It sounds scary but your boldness will pay off!

This is a good one to prep the night before. If you do that, this will only take about 30 minutes of minimal work before you are feasting! Voila!

Cuban Marinated Steak (Adapted from McCormick - fancy I know)

Ingredients

×          1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak (I look for ~1-1.5” thick, minimal marble)

×          1/4 cup orange juice

×          2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (~2 little limes, or 1 large)

×          2 tablespoons vegetable oil

×          2 tablespoons steak seasoning

×          1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

Instructions (indoors)

1.       Marinate for at least 30 minutes, I typically marinate overnight

2.       Set burner on med/high and let a grill pan sit and get nice and hot for ~5 minutes

3.       Sear the first side for ~3-4 minutes, and slightly less on the second side

4.       Depending on your thickness, you may want to put this in the oven for 10-15 minutes @ 325-350

5.       Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing on the diagonal

Instructions (outdoor)

1.       Marinate for at least 30 minutes, I typically marinate overnight

2.       Grill!

Chimichuri Sauce (Adapted from Emril)

Ingredients

×          1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley

×          1/2 cup olive oil

×          1/3 cup red wine vinegar

×          1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro

×          2 garlic cloves, peeled

×          3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

×          1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1.       Puree all ingredients in processor

2.       Transfer to bowl

3.       Let it sit for at least 2 hours so the flavors have time to fall in love

Note: You can make it the day before and throw in the fridge 

Sunny Goat Gnocchi

So, one fateful day, Steve and I were looking for somewhere to eat - a celebratory dinner that is! This was one of those rare occasions where we actually had an excuse, so it had to be good! I googled. I citysearched. I yelped. and then we went to Max's Wine Dive. Holy moley talk about an amazing dinner! 

Long and the short of it is I had this fantastic gnocchi dish with arugula  and goat cheese (my secret main cheese squeeze of the moment) and it stole the show. I clearly needed to try to copy it :) Sadly, once I finally remembered my plan (I foolishly didn't write it down and into the ether it went) I couldn't remember exactly what was in it! So, I just used what I had in the house to make something sliiiiightly similar... but still SO very different I will undoubtedly need to try again soon.. but with more forethought

My little creation isn’t half bad. I think next time I will play with the proportions more, but really, I impressed myself. We will see what Steve thinks when he eats the leftover tomorrow :)

Sunny Goat Gnocchi (20-25 minutes)

Ingredients

• Package of gnocchi (fresh if available)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced
• 10 oz jar of sundried tomatoes, chopped or sliced
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• Fresh tomatoes, preferably cherry, halved or quartered
• Goat cheese
• Mixed greens

 Instructions

1. Cook the dang pasta! Drain and set aside with some extra virgin olive oil .
2. Add the onion and marinade from sundried tomatoes to a medium saute pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add garlic and continue to saute for another 2 minutes
3. Add sundried tomatoes and white wine and continue to cook until the mixture starts to thin
4. Right before removing the mixture from heat, add the tomatoes and cook for only 1-2 minutes
5. Add the pasta right into the saute pan and stir to mix
6. Crumble a generous amount of goat cheese onto your plate, then top with pasta mixture. Top with mixed greens and then fall in love!