[Recipe] [Blue Apron] Laotian Larb Gai

One of the things I like about Blue Apron is that its recipes span all types of cuisines.  This might not work for everyone, but I'm luckily a fairly adventurous eater, and there hasn't been a bad recipe yet.  There are certainly recipes I prefer over others and some that I wouldn't make on my own again, but overall I've been pleased and introduced to a few things I've otherwise never experienced.  This recipe is one of those: simple, light, and refreshing, from a cuisine I've never had.

Laotian Larb Gai
A recipe by Blue Apron
 
Ingredients
10 ounces ground chicken
1/2 cup sushi rice
1 lime
1 Persian cucumber
1 red onion
1/2 pound green cabbage
1 bunch mint
2 tablespoons golden mountain sauce
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
1 serrano chile pepper
1/4 cup peanuts

Directions
1.  Cook the rice.  If you don't have a rice cooker, you can combine the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water in a small pot, then heat to boiling on high.  Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer 15 to 17 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.  Remove from heat.  Fluff the finished rice with a fork.
2.  Prepare the ingredients.  While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce.  Using a peeler, remove the green rind of the lime, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or, alternatively, use a zester).  Quarter the lime.  Peel and thinly slice the onion.  Thinly slice the cucumber on an angle.  Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems.  Cut out and discard the cabbage core; slice the cabbage into 1-inch-wide strips.  Roughly chop the peanuts.  Cut off and discard the serrano pepper stem; thinly slice the pepper into rounds.  (For a milder dish, remove and discard the ribs and seeds of the pepper, then thinly slice.)  Wash your hands and cutting board immediately after handling the pepper.

3.  Cook the chicken.  While the rice continues to cook, in a medium pan (non-stick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot.  Add the ground chicken.  Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Wipe out the pan.
4.  Make the larb gai.  In the same pan used to cook the chicken, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot.  Add the onion and as much of the serrano pepper as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be.  Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened.  Add the lime zest, palm sugar, Golden Mountain sauce, cooked chicken, and the juice of 2 lime wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined.  Remove from heat.

5.  Plate the dish.  Top the cooked rice and larb gai with the peanuts and mint.  Serve with the cabbage and cucumber on the side.  Garnish with the remaining lime wedges.

[Recipe] "The Working Girl's" Avocado Pasta

I have a lot of energy-- what I don't have is time.  I work long, unpredictable hours and cram whatever I can into the little time left over.  And so I'm always excited by sexy words like "multi-tasking" and "30-minute (or less) dinner."  (Also "yoga pants," "doggy cuddles," and "Dr. Spencer Reid," but that might be TMI.)

Today's recipe is a gem because it can all be done in 20 minutes and is delightfully, deceptively rich and creamy when, in actuality, it's light and healthy.  The perfect weekday recipe for any girl who has a "head for business and a bod for sin."  (I'm just kidding, but this infamous line from The Working Girl seemed only apt.)

"The Working Girl's" Avocado Pasta
A recipe by Damn Delicious
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Overall Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
12 ounces spaghetti (though you can use any pasta you like)
2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded, and peeled
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
the juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup corn kernels (I like to steam corn and then scrape the kernels off, but you can used canned corn as well, drained and rinsed)

Directions
1.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
2.  To make the avocado sauce, combine avocados, basil, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper to taste.  With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.
* Note:  Don't be afraid to slightly overseason at this step-- the sauce will need to be spread over 12 ounces of pasta and may need the extra seasoning.  Alternatively, taste again once the sauce has been mixed in and salt to taste.

3.  In a large bowl, combine the pasta, avocado sauce, cherry tomatoes, and corn.

[Sunday Supper Menu] "Summer's Bounty" Menu - Roast Chicken and Summer Produce

I really like seasonal menus.  Many restaurants have them, but the one that stands out to me is Park Avenue, a restaurant in New York City that not only changes menus with the seasons but its decor as well.

While the decor in my apartment changes little (though occasionally I'll have seasonal flowers), Sunday Supper often follows the seasons.  It's unfortunately already the tail-end of summer, but to the extent you'll have company over one last time, I present the "Summer's Bounty" menu.

"Summer's Bounty" Endive and Sugar Snaps with Parmesan Dressing
a recipe by Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Buy the full recipebook here on Amazon!

This salad recipe makes me want to join one of those farm collectives-- they're called CSAs (community-supported agriculture) (and you can check them out here if interested).  The reality is that my schedule likely wouldn't allow for weekly preparation of 5 random pounds of produce a week, but a girl can dream.  Or, you know, just buy enough summer produce for a 12-person dinner party.

Ingredients
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oi
1-1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and strings removed
4 yellow or red Belgain endive, leaves separated
1/2 cup chopped fresh herb leaves, preferably a mix of flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, dill, and chervil

Directions
1.  Combine the cheese, vinegar, lime juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a blender.  Puree until smooth.  With the machine running, add the oils through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream to emulsify the mixture.

2.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Fill a large bowl with ice and water.  Generously salt the boiling water and then add the snap peas.  Cook just until bright green, about 30 seconds.  Drain, transfer to the ice water, and drain again.  Slice very thinly at an angle.

3.  Toss the endive and snap peas with the dressing.  Top with the herbs.

"Summer's Bounty" Parmesan-Crusted Summer Squash - Recipe in This Post

"Summer's Bounty" Tagliatelle with Spinach, Mascarpone, and Parmesan
a recipe by Jamie Oliver
Buy the full recipebook here on Amazon!

I wanted a starch that would be light and tasty, allowing the chicken and chorizo to shine.  This very simple pasta fit the bill exactly.

Ingredients
1 lb. tagliatelle or spaghetti
olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 a nutmeg, freshly grated
14 oz. fresh spinach, washed thoroughly and finely sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more-- to taste)

Directions
1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta, and cook according to the package instructions.
2.  Meanwhile, get a frying pan or wok warm, add a drizzle of olive oil, the butter, garlic, and nutmeg.  When the butter melts, add the spinach.  After 5 minutes, it will have wilted down and will be nice and dark.  A lot of the liquid will have cooked away at this point.  Season with salt and pepper t taste, then add the cream, mascarpone, and a little ladle of cooking water from the pasta.  Let this come to a simmer and then season again.

3.  Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water, then stir it into the spinach sauce.  Add 2 handfuls of Parmesan cheese and toss everything together.  Loosen to a nice, silky consistency with some of the reserved cooking water so it doesn't become too dry.  Check once more for seasoning and serve right away.

"Rustic Charm" Spanish Roast Chicken - Recipe in This Post (To Come)

"Summer Lovin'" Strawberry Tiramisu - Recipe in This Post

Regular readers of my blog/followers of my Facebook or Instagram feed have likely figured out my not-so-secret secret: I'm very much into strawberries.  They are such a lovely summer fruit and yet easy to work with in baking (as opposed to, for example, watermelon, another summer love of mine that is somewhat more difficult to incorporate into delicious goodies-- although perhaps that should be my next challenge... ).   This strawberry tiramisu was a very popular, refreshing ending to the Sunday Supper summer run.

[Recipe] "Summer's Bounty" Parmesan-Crusted Summer Squash

I like vegetables.  I don't eat them all that regularly, likely due in part to my work schedule and due in other part to the difficulty of getting a lot of beautiful fresh produce in New York City.  There are farmer's markets, to be sure, but it just isn't that easy or cheap on a regular basis.  In the summer, though, it becomes slightly easier, as farmers' markets pop up all over the city and sometimes just a few blocks from my office.  I've learned to ignore stares as I take advantage of my lunch break to pick up ears of summer corn around the corner.  You've gotta do what you've gotta do.

"Summer's Bounty" Parmesan-Crusted Summer Squash
a recipe inspired by Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Buy the full recipebook here on Amazon!

As you'll see with this very easy recipe, sometimes less is more.  And the humblest ingredients can still yield Michelin-star results.  Who needs foam when you have parmigiano?

Ingredients
4 small yellow summer squash, trimmed and cut at a slight angle into 1-inch pieces
* Note:  If you can't get any yellow summer squash, green summer squash will work just as well.  I like to use both for color.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more as needed
lemon wedges (optional)
fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt (optional)
freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
* Note:  If you don't have a wire rack, the rimmed baking sheet by itself, covered with aluminum foil, will work.  However, as Jean-Georges says in his cookbook, by cooking the squash on a rack, it ensures that it won't wind up watery and soft.  Instead, the water is released and the squash will have a fluffy texture.

2.  In a large bowl, gently toss the squash, oil, and salt until the squash is evenly coated.  Arrange the squash in a single layer on the rack, spacing the pieces at least 1/2 an inch apart.  Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the squash.  Each piece should have a generous coating.
3.  Roast until the cheese is golden brown and the edges of the squash are dark brown, about 11-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let the squash cool on the rack for 10 minutes.

4.  Use a metal spatula to transfer the squash to a serving dish.  You should flip the spatula over so the bottom is facing up, then push the edge of the spatula against the squash, the way you would scrape paint off a wall.  Positioning the spatula this way creates an angle that helps lift the squash off the rack.
5.  Optional Steps: I skipped these last steps, which appear in Jean-Georges' recipe, because I thought the squash was already seasoned beautifully.  But you can also squeeze lemon juice over the top of the squash, then drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil.  Season with fleur de sel and pepper and serve immediately.

[Recipe] "Once Upon a Dream" Cheddar Apple Muffins with Maple Candied Bacon Topping

I don't usually dream.

Or maybe I do, but I seldom remember my dreams.  The ones I do remember are often hyper-realistic, with only a very slight element of fantasy in them to remind me that no, So-And-So wasn't actually a jerk to me (or no more than usual), and I shouldn't not be on speaking terms with them.  Or else they're super-fantastical and all in animation, like the time I had an entire dream starring the cast of Disney's Aladdin on skateboards.

But last night I slept early, and this morning I awoke early, rousing from a dream of bacon, cheddar, and apples.  Some might have rolled over and gone back to sleep, hoping for more dreams.  But I decided to get up instead and see about making those dreams come true, humming the theme from Sleeping Beauty all the while:

Soundtrack - Once Upon a Dream
I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

How about you, dear reader?  What's the most fantastic dream you've ever had?

"Once Upon a Dream" Cheddar Apple Muffins with Maple Candied Bacon Topping
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)
with inspiration from Wanna Come With? and The Clever Carrot
Makes 12-14 muffins

Muffin Base - Ingredients
1 large egg
1-1/4 cups milk
4 oz. lunchbox-sized applesauce
1 apple, small diced
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Candied Bacon - Ingredients
4-6 slices bacon
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Candied Bacon - Instructions
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Wrap a rimmed baking sheet with at least two layers of aluminum foil and top with a wire rack (if you have one).
3.  In a medium bowl, add the maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Mix well.

4.  Add the bacon to the bowl and toss gently with your hands.  Make sure that all of the slices are evenly coated.
5.  Place the bacon in a single layer onto the wire rack or directly onto the pan (if you don't have a wire rack).
6.  Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.
* Note:  In my vision, the bacon will finish its crisp with the muffins.  If you want to have true candied bacon, bake for 20-25 minutes, checking to make sure the bacon looks slightly dark and crispy.
7.  Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the rack or on paper towels.  Then, using a knife, shred/dice/crumble the bacon into small pieces suitable for topping.

Muffin - Instructions
8.  While the bacon is in the oven, you can start on the muffin base, but remember to preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit before baking the muffins.  Either lightly grease your muffin tin or line with paper liners.

9.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and grated cheddar cheese.  Whisk together well.

10.  In another bowl or a large measuring cup, lightly beat together the egg, milk, and applesauce.
11.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and gently stir until just blended.  Mix in the apple dices, but try not to overmix.

12.  Fill the muffin cups and bake for 6 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with a small amount of crumbled candied bacon.  Bake for another 7-1/2 minutes.

[Recipe] "Hollaback" Banana (Nut) Crumb Muffins

I love bananas.  And all desserts that taste of or like bananas: Chunky Monkey ice cream (or other banana-based ice creams), banana splits, banana cream pie, banana fudge cookies, etc.  I'd say, really, that they're my one true weakness in life.

Our torrid love affair began in the first grade.  I was invited to a family friend's birthday party, and they served a Big Bird birthday cake (extra points for the Sesame Street theme)-- a big, yellow, creamy, and banana-heavenly cake that I've never forgotten.  It was love at first bite (in a totally non-creepy, non-vampire way).

"Hollaback" Banana (Nut) Crumb Muffins

an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

Makes 12 muffins

This is, in my humble opinion, far and away my best and most favorite recipe.  The muffin is incredibly moist, and the banana and cinnamon are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Muffin Base - Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 over-ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Crumble - Ingredients
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly grease the muffin tin or line with muffin cups.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together 1-1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, brown sugar, egg, and melted butter.  Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

3.  In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, and cinnamon.  Cut in 1 tablespoon of butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Sprinkle over the muffin batter.

4.  Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. 

[Recipe] "Au Revoir" Duck Confit Pasta

Moving can be one of the most stressful and bittersweet experiences of anyone's life, and it's something that young adults actually experience quite often before they "settle down."  You move away to college, perhaps a few times while you're in college, and then again when you start your first job or go on to grad school, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat.  Moving is easier when you have less things, of course, and less hours to commit to school or work.  I'm much more likely to hire movers than to spend hours packing and unpacking myself, but even then, I have to spend a good amount of time organizing valuables and breakables and perishables.

My pantry is always full of cans and spices, and I've had to shed quite a few over the years as time gets away from me or as I move cross-country.  I've also picked up quite a few treasures over the years as my friends move.  My most recent gift was a large can of duck confit direct from Paris, set to expire in a little more than a month. It became the focus of my next Sunday Supper dinner party.

"Au Revoir" Duck Confit Pasta
a recipe by Emeril Lagasse
basic pasta recipe by Smitten Kitchen

The thing I most regret willfully donating in a move is an ornate, gorgeous gilded gold mirror that was larger than me.  It made its way over to my new city, but I had no space for it in my tiny starter apartment and I was forced to give it away to the guys who moved me.  There's a spot near the entryway of my current apartment that misses it dearly, and I know it'll be hard for me to find another just like it.

How about you, dear reader?  Is there anything you lost, purposely or not, in a move that you really wish you could get back?

Fresh Pasta - Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed

Duck Confit Pasta - Ingredients
up to 1/4 cup duck fat
2 tablespoons each of finely diced carrots, celery root, Shiitake mushrooms, onions, and beets
2 cups chunky meat, pulled from duck confit
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 cup chicken stock
2/3 pound pasta sheets, freshly torn into pieces
salt and black pepper
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Fresh Pasta - Directions
1.  Combine all of the pasta ingredients in a food processor.  Run the machine until the mixture begins to form a ball.  You're looking for a dough that is firm but not sticky.  If needed, add water at a drop at a time until it comes together.  Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and invert a bowl over it.  Let it rest for an hour.  You'll have about 10 ounces or a little less than 2/3 pound of fresh pasta dough.
2.  Get your work area ready-- one option is to line a large tray with waxed paper.  Dust the waxed paper with flour.  Keep more waxed paper and flour nearby.

3.  Working with a quarter of the dough at a time, run in through your pasta roller on the widest setting (usually "0"), then repeat this process with the roller set increasingly smaller ("1," "2," "3," etc.) until the pasta is very thin.
4.  If you find your dough sticking, lightly flour it.  If it gets too big to handle, cut it in half.  If the piece gets too wide for the machine or becomes annoyingly irregularly shaped, you can re-"fold" the dough by folding the sides of the dough into the middle, like an envelope, and press it flat.  Then, run the piece back through the machine with the open sides up and down on the widest setting again ("0"), working your way thinner.  This allows the machine to "press" any trapped air out.
5.  Lay your pasta on the floured waxed paper in a single layer, trying to keep the pieces from touching.  Score the pasta sheets with a knife into 1/2- to 1-inch strips.
6.  Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.  Because the pasta is thin, it only needs to be in the pot for about a minute or two to cook al dante.  Drain.

7.  Finely dice all of the vegetables.

8.  Then it's time for the star of the dish, the duck confit.  If you've bought a can of it, the duck confit is sitting in a lovely vat of duck fat.

9.  In a large saute pan, heat 1 teaspoon of duck fat, add vegetables and duck confit, and cook 4 minutes, tossing often.

10.  Add thyme and stock, bring to a boil, and allow liquid to begin reducing.

11.  Add pasta directly to the saute pan.  Toss to combine, adding more duck fat for flavor if desired.  Season to taste; black pepper goes well with this dish.
12.  Top with freshly grated cheese.