Recipe Wednesday: Classic Risotto

Sometimes a little classic cooking is in order. Today's recipe comes from our Italian Night with A Cook's Place own Jody Lehman.

Classic Risotto


Ingredients
2 T. olive oil

2- ½ T. unsalted butter, divided
½ c. minced onion
1 c. uncooked Arborio rice
½ c. dry white wine
3 c. warm chicken broth
¼ c. grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2-4 T. butter
Directions

In a large pan over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil and 1 1/2 T. butter until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add rice and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until well blended. Add wine and continue stirring until incorporated. Slowly stir in 1 ladle (1/2 c.) chicken broth, stirring frequently until all the broth is absorbed. Repeat this process one ladle at a time until all the broth has been absorbed and the risotto has reached a creamy, yet al dente consistency, usually 22-25 minutes. Remove rice from heat and stir in remaining butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms in 2T. butter, adding butter as needed. Serve a large spoonful of mushrooms over each serving of risotto.
4 side dish servings

Recipe Wednesday: Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast With Red Wine Vinegar, Mustard and Tarragon

We are still five months away from Valentines Day, but this recipe comes from the My Valentine's class led by Chef Joshua Simpson in February of 2009. And there's no reason you have to save a great recipe like this for Valentine's Day. Serve it this week to make your whole family feel special!

Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast
 With Red Wine Vinegar, Mustard and Tarragon

4 skin on chicken breast
Salt and pepper

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Check out our selection online or in our store.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chicken stock 6 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp butter softened
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp chopped tarragon
2 tsp chopped fresh chives
3 cups wild rice

Preheat oven to 325

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, and when it’s almost smoking, add the chicken breasts, skin side down. Lower the temp. Cook 6-7 minutes and turn them continue to cook until done.

When chicken is fully cooked remove and put on a platter and keep warm in the oven. Remove excess grease from the pan and add the chicken stock, add the vinegar, whisking to scrape the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid bubble briskly in the pan, whisking, until it’s reduced to about ½ cup, then whisk the butter, tarragon and mustard.

Recipe Wednesday: Cheese Soup

The first cool days of fall and we just couldn't resist offering a great soup recipe this week. Thanks to 

Twana Crenshaw for the great recipe.

Cheese Soup



Need a great new saucepan for fall soups?
Check out our selection of Le Creuset.



4 small carrots cut into 1” matchsticks

3 celery stalks, cut into 1” matchsticks

1 ½ c. chicken stock – Swanson’s regular

2 T. unsalted butter

2 T. finely chopped onion

¼ c. flour

3 c. hot chicken stock

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 can (8 ¾ oz.)Whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped

10 drops Tabasco

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Salt to taste

¼ c. dry white wine (optional)

1 ½ c. whipping cream

Add celery and carrots to 1 ½ c. chicken stock in 2 qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes. Set aside. Melt butter in 4-5 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent. Add flour, blend well and cook

5-7 minutes, stirring continuously. Slowly stir 3 c. hot stock into flour mixture. Cook over low heat, whisking until sauce thickens. Blend in cheese and stir until cheese melts.

Add celery and carrot mixture and undrained tomatoes. Season with Tabasco, nutmeg, salt, and wine. Just before serving, stir in hot cream.

Recipe Wednesday: Pesto Alla Genovese

Today's recipe comes from our Summer Italian class with Denise Backstrom.

PESTO ALLA GENOVESE

2/3 c pine nuts

¼ c olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 c fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 lb. Pasta or gnocci

Toast nuts in 350 degree oven, about 5 min. Place nuts, garlic, ¼ c olive oil, & basil leaves in food processor or blender; process until evenly pureed, about 15 sec. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Slowly stir in cheese, salt, & 2/3 c extra virgin olive oil. Mix with hot pasta or gnocci. If pesto is to be heated, heat very gently. Makes 1 ½ c pesto, enough for lb. Pasta, cooked & drained.

Cutting Boards: A Kitchen Must Have

Cutting boards protect knives and provide sturdy surfaces for cutting. Consider having two or three cutting boards in your kitchen to cut down on the possibility of cross contamination. Some cooks color code using one color board exclusively for meat and another for vegetables and breads.


Check out our selection
of cutting boards in stock and online.



When choosing the type of board, wooden, plastic or glass, that you want to use, think about how you will use the board. While wooden boards are easier on knives and limit the cutting sound, they also are harder to clean, can not be put in the dishwasher and may harbor bacteria. Consider using a wooden board only for vegetables and breads.

Glass boards look beautiful but are harder on knives and make loud cutting noises. Plus you have an increased risk of the board breaking if it's dropped.

Plastic boards can be cleaned easily in the dishwasher and are a great board for cutting meats and other foods. But throw them away if they develop cracks where bacteria can hide.

Regardless of the board you use, make sure to clean and dry completely before you place back in your cabinet.

Something new: Flavored Salts

Come by the store and check out our new line of flavored salts. Sprinkle a little on your meats and veggies for an extra kick. Or use them in place of dipping sauces to add flavor to fried foods without weighing them down with heavy sauces. Check out Lime Fresco (great for margaritas!), Vintage Merlot, Spanish Rosemary, Habanero Heat, Sun Ripened Tomato and Black Truffle.

What is Blind Baking?

Our recipe this week calls for "blind baking" the pie crust, so we thought we'd offer a few tips to help your crust (and quiche) turn out great.

First off, blind baking means partially or fully pre-baking a pie crust. This prevents the crust from becoming soggy from the main pie (or quiche) ingredients and helps it to hold it's shape.

Second, you'll want to either "dock" the crust by pricking it multiple times with a fork or fill it with a pastry weight. You don't need to do both, but without doing either your crust will likely bubble up and lose it's shape.

If you opt not to dock, you should line your crust with parchment paper and then fill with dried beans, lentils, or peas or with ceramic or metal "baking beans". Place your weight in a bag so you can easily pull it out to re-fill with the real pie filling.

Recipe Wednesday: Mixed Vegetable Quiche with Cheddar and Parmesan

Today's recipe comes from our Learning at Lunch Quiche with Jody Lehman from April of 2009.

Mixed Vegetable Quiche with Cheddar and Parmesan

• (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup cooked stir-fried vegetables
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Cheddar
• 1/4 cup low fat milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Press pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch, removable-bottom tart pan (or 9-inch pie pan). Blind bake for 5 to 7 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine spinach, stir-fried vegetables and place on top of crust. In another bowl combine ricotta, cheddar, milk, eggs, Dijon, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Spoon cheese mixture on top of vegetable mixture in prepared pie crust and top with Parmesan.
Bake 20 minutes, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and crust is golden brown.

Cookie Sheet vs Jelly Roll Pan

This week's recipe Wednesday calls for a "jelly roll pan". So what exactly is a "jelly roll pan" and how is it different from a "cookie sheet"? Many people mistakenly refer to a "jelly roll pan" as a "cookie sheet". But there are a couple of differences.

Most "jelly roll pans" have 1" sides all the way around to hold in juices when you are cooking. A "cookie sheet" has only one or two raised sides, mostly to help with handling of the pan. The design of this "cookie sheet" allows air to move around your cookies better. While you can use a "jelly roll pan" for baking cookies, it's not always a good idea to substitute a "cookie sheet" for recipes calling for a "jelly roll pan" because it may allow the juices to run off into your oven.

Recipe Wednesday: White Sangria

White Sangria
Serves 4-6 guests

1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
1/4 cup peach schnapps
1 ea orange, thinly sliced
1 ea lemon, thinly sliced
1 ea lime, thinly sliced
1 ea. Granny Smith apple, corded and sliced
1 cup seedless white grapes, halved
1 cup ginger ale
To chill ice cubes

In a pitcher, combine the wine, peach schnapps and cut fruit and mix well. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. The sangria will sweeten with time, so the longer it sits, the better. Just before serving, stir in the ginger ale and ice cubes. Enjoy!

Recipe Wednesday: Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY COOKIES

Taken from our Healthy Eating with David class in January 2010.
Makes 1 dozen cookies

1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour (King Arthur)
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sunflower butter or favorite nut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cranberries or favorite dried fruit, chopped

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the sunflower butter, honey, oil, and vanilla. Pour the flour mixture into the sunflower butter mixture and stir until combined. Mix in the cranberries and chocolate and allow the dough to rest for five minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Spoon a heaping tablespoonful of dough onto a non-stick or lightly greased cookie sheet and gently flatten the cookies with a fork or fingers. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, but be careful not to over bake as honey browns fast. Allow the cookies to cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Tip – Great thing about using sunflower butter is that a kid who is allergic to peanuts can enjoy this cookie.

Cooking Tips: Skewers

Order online or in our store!

Summertime means lots of meals cooked over the grill. And with the variety of fresh vegetables available right now, almost everything can be cooked over the grill. Skewers can help you stabilize cut up vegetables and meats so they don't fall through the grates of your grill. Use two skewers instead of one to stabilize the food even more. For metal skewers, check out twisted or square skewers to help keep your food in place and prevent slipping. If you prefer wooden skewers, keep the foods closer together so there's no space between them. You'll also want to soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading on the food to keep the skewers from catching fire on the grill. And to keep from over-cooking one food and under cooking another, put foods with similar cook times on the same skewer.

7th Annual Sidewalk Sale Going On Now!!

Recipe Wednesday: Caprese Whole-Wheat Pizza

Caprese Whole-Wheat Pizza

Whole wheat crust
Makes 6 - 12" crusts
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp dry active yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp dried herbs, chopped (optional)
4 cups white whole-wheat flour (King Arthur)

In a large bowl, dissolve the honey in warm water. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.

Stir the olive oil, herbs and salt into the yeast mixture and mix in the flour until dough comes together.

Transfer the dough to a floured countertop and knead until it becomes smooth, about 4-5 minutes. If any of the dough sticks to your hands, just rub them with a little extra flour. The finished dough will be springy, elastic and sticky, not just tacky. Place dough back in an oiled bowl, cover loosely with a towel, and put in a warm place until doubled in size.

Transfer the dough to a floured countertop and cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and mold each into a ball. Cover loosely with a towel and allow the balls of dough to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Gently press the dough ball into a dish and pull the dough out to a 12-inches or so. Place the dough on a peel or the back of a sheet pan dusted with cornmeal. Add your toppings (less is more!) and slide the topped pizza onto the baking stone or baking pan. Bake until the crust is crisp and nicely colored. (12-15 minutes)

Tip--Partially bake the crust by cutting the cooking time in half. Allow the crust to cool, place a piece of wax paper between each and place in a freezer bag. As you need a crust, pull one from the freezer, allow them to thaw overnight in teh refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and apply your favorite toppings. Place in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and cheese is melted. Frozen crust will keep for up to 3 months.

Fresh vs Dried Herbs and Spices

Adjustable measuring spoons
make measuring spices easy.

We all know fresh is best. But what happens when your recipe calls for fresh spices and all you have on hand is dried? In most instances, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of a dried herb or spice for 1 Tablespoon of the fresh. Some recipes just aren't the same without fresh ingredients like fresh basil in a Caprese salad. But in most cases, you can easily substitute the dried version of a spice in place of the fresh. Keep in mind that dried spices tend to loose some flavor over time, so if that container has been in the cabinet for a while you might add a slight about more than the day after you bought it.

Have fresh herbs left over? Add it to a mild oil or vinegar to use as infusions for later cooking.

Cooking Tip: Avacados

Avacados provide some amazing nutritional benefits and can be used in anything from dips and soups to main dishes and even dessert.

When you are shopping for avacados, pay attention to both the color and firmness of the fruit. Avacados soften and ripen after they are picked, so a firm green avacado is the freshest but will ripen in 3-4 days. A softer, more mottled avacado may be used in 2-3 days. If you need an avacado to use right away, look for one with a dark green skin.

If the avacado has mushy spots, appears to be pulling away from the skin or has a rattling pit, put it back.

When you are ready to prepare your avacado, check out our slicer/peeler tool as a quick and easy way to get the most of your fruit without damaging it.

Recipe Wednesday: Tuscan Roasted Vegetables

Tuscan Roasted Vegetables
(Taken from our Culinary Journey: Florence class.)
 The vegetables can be prepared in advance and reheated.

Need a new pepper mill?
See our selection in store and online.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, crushed and minced

1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 8 wedges, each wedge cut into 3 pieces

1 large red bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces

1 large fennel bulb, cut into 8 wedges, layers separated

2 small to medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into quarters, and then each quarter cut into 3 pieces

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Put all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add thyme leaves in and drizzle olive oil over the mixture. Mix completely.

3. Arrange the mixture on two baking sheets, spreading them in an even layer. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the vegetables and place in the oven.

4. Roast vegetables for 15-20 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender when pricked with a knife.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or let them cool for later use.

To serve these vegetables as a salad: Cool vegetable to room temperature. Arrange some lettuce leaves on a serving dish, top with the vegetables and make a dressing by whisking together the following:

1 1/2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, scallion or chives.

Use spoon to drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and serve at once.

Cooking Tips: How to Grill Beef

With the Fourth of July weekend upon us, here's a great video on grilling beef by Kingsford. If you're looking for a great dry rub for your meat or a dip mix for your holiday get together, A Cook's Place has what you need.

Looking for more some great recipes? Check out the recipe page on our blog!

Recipe Wednesday: Smoked Salmon and Asparagus with Cream Cheese

Thought we'd try a little sushi recipe today taken from our Simply Sushi class led by Joshua Simpson.

Smoked Salmon and Asparagus with Cream Cheese

1 nori sheet
1 cup sushi rice
1 tsp Wasabi paste
2 tbsp cream cheese
4 slices smoked salmon
4 asparagus spears blanched and chilled
Fresh dill minced

Spread sushi rice over nori sheet, flip the roll over so the nori faces up, and with your index finger smear Wasabi and cream cheese over the rice. Arrange 2 salmon slices with two asparagus spears back about 1-1/2” from the end nearest you, allowing asparagus to poke out at each end. Roll until you reach the end, press tight to make sour the roll is tight as possible.

Cooking Tip: Vinegar

Cooks use vinegar to make pickles, deglaze pans, marinate meats, and add tang to vinaigrettes, sauces, and even desserts. Vinegars are made by adding bacteria called Acetobacter aceti to diluted wine, ale or fermented fruits or grains. This creates acetic acid, which gives the liquid a a sour flavor. Unopened, most vinegar will last for about two years in a cool, dark pantry. Once opened, vinegar should be used within three to six months.

But which vinegar should you use? Many cooks prefer old-fashioned white vinegar for pickling. It allows the flavors of your spices and main pickling ingredient to take center stage.

Vinegars add flavor when creating a vinaigrette, so choose something with a little more flavor than the neutral white vinegar. At the very least, use a white wine vinegar. But the flavors and types of specialty vinegars, like balsamic, sherry or raspberry, are as varied and diverse as can be. Cider vinegar is made from apples and is a good choice for fruity vinaigrettes. Balsamic vinegar, sweet, dark and aged in specially treated wooden casks, is one of the most sublime vinegars you can find. Another interesting choice, especially for Asian-flavored vinaigrettes, is rice vinegar, which is made from fermented rice.