Author Archives: RedPenRecipes

I'm an editor who loves to bake and cook. I try recipes and edit them according to my liking and make lots of notes in my cookbooks. I update this blog every Sunday morning.

Cocoa cookies are as cute as can be

24 November 2013

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My 2013 cookie countdown to Christmas begins with this post. I know Thanksgiving hasn’t passed yet, but I’m already testing new recipes. I put my little Christmas tree up yesterday while listening to Christmas music, so the holidays are in full force at my place. I’m excited to share some new favorites with you.

My favorite new decorated cookie from last year was Food Network Magazine’s hot cocoa cookie recipe. I saw the recipe in the December 2012 edition as I was perusing for new recipes. The cookie is a chocolate cutout cookie topped with marshmallow cream. The recipe in the magazine called for making a sandwich cookie loaded with the cream, but it only makes 15 sandwich cookies — not enough for my large family. I decided to do a single cookie topped with the cream.

Though the recipe called for store-bought marshmallow cream, I pride myself on making things from scratch. This was no exception. While I know how to make marshmallows, I didn’t know how to make marshmallow creme. I turned to this recipe from Bon Appétit for help.

The chocolate cookie isn’t too rich, and the marshmallow cream was a really nice change from traditional icing or buttercream frosting, which is what I use on my sugar cookies. Plus, it gave me a chance to decorate in a different way. I love how they turned out. They just put a smile on my face.Christmaskitchen

Cookies
2 1/4 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until just incorporated. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, dust the dough generously with flour and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper until about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out shapes using 2- to 4-inch cookie cutters and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Refrigerate the cutouts until firm, about 30 minutes.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until slightly puffed and darker around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Sandwich the cookies with the marshmallow cream.

Marshmallow creme
1 cup sugar, divided
4 egg whites
Pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and simmer syrup without stirring until the thermometer reads 240 degrees F, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush.

Meanwhile, place egg whites, salt, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Whip on high until frothy. Slowly add remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Whip until soft peaks form. Continue whipping until medium peaks form. Reduce speed to medium, then pour hot syrup into meringue in a slow, steady stream while whipping. Increase speed to high and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and whip until meringue is cool.

Apple-based soup is a refreshing change

17 November 2013

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This soup isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill soup. It isn’t loaded with cheese, it’s not mellow like the butternut squash soup recipe I posted a few weeks ago, and it’s definitely more tart than the white bean-and-rosemary soup I made earlier this year.

While I usually tend to favor more mellow flavors for soups, the tartness in this Hungarian Apple Soup was a refreshing surprise. When I was preparing it, I thought the potato would cancel out the apple flavor, but that flavor was first and foremost in the end. It was a pleasant surprise.

I doubled the recipe because I had two apples I needed to use, but you can visit the original recipe if you only want to make three cups of soup.

If you’re looking for a soup that will awaken your tastebuds as we head into winter, this is it.

Next week I’ll begin my cookie countdown to Christmas. Get ready for some new favorites with great flavor.

Ingredients
1 1/3 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups diced peeled Yukon Gold potato
2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery, plus leaves for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Pinch of paprika, preferably hot Hungarian
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add apple, potato, onion and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, sage, paprika and pepper; cook for 30 seconds. Pour in broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and gently simmer until the potato is tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a large blender or food processor, add sour cream and process until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Garnish with celery leaves, if desired.

A sweeter spin on scalloped potatoes

10 November 2013

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Some vegetables stump me when it comes to figuring out new ways to prepare them. Sweet potatoes are one I struggle with. Outside of baking them or cutting them up into small pieces and frying them, I didn’t really know what else to do with them — that is, until I saw a recipe for Pumpkin Scalloped Potatoes on Pinterest.

The sauce for this recipe is sweet, and the thyme lends a really nice flavor to it. The first time I made this, I used both Yukon Gold potatoes and yams, but the combination of the sweeter sauce and the Yukon Gold potatoes didn’t taste quite right to me. I liked the idea of making a pumpkin cream sauce with herbs for the potatoes, so I made the dish a second time only using yams. It was much better.

I used a mandolin slicer to cut the potatoes, and it was really nice to have all the pieces cut uniformly. I used cheddar and Parmesan, since that’s what I had in the fridge. The cheese added a much-needed savory flavor to the dish, which helps balance the overall taste.

This dish is a great way to make the most of fall flavors. It’s a nice comfort food for cold days, too. I may consider making it for Thanksgiving this year.

1scallopedsweetpotatoes111013Ingredients
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/3 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best!)
2 large yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces Fontina, Havarti or cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, pumpkin, thyme, garlic and nutmeg and heat over medium-low heat. While the cream sauce is warming, prepare the potatoes.

Create three rows of potatoes along the bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly and alternating the two types of potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove the cream from heat (fishing out the thyme and garlic and discarding those) and spoon 1/3 of the cream sauce over the potatoes. Combine the two cheeses in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheeses over the potatoes too. Create a second layer of potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1/3 more of the sauce and 1/3 more of the cheese. Create a third layer of potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remainder of the sauce.

Bake the potatoes, uncovered, for 50 minutes. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.

Interview with Chef Robert Irvine of “Restaurant: Impossible”

6 November 2013

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The South Lake Tahoe Food and Wine Festival will take place this weekend at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. I was able to conduct a phone interview with him for the newspaper.

While he does have a tough personality on his show, he’s a really nice guy.

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Chef Robert Irvine’s career has him traveling for most of the year. The Food Network star’s latest project, “Restaurant Express,” which premiered Sunday on the Food Network, pits nine chefs against each other in a competition for a restaurant at a Las Vegas hotel.

Irvine took time out of his busy schedule to do a phone interview after getting off plane Monday. Read on to find out what keeps him going, what ingredients he always keeps on hand and what to expect at the South Lake Tahoe Food and Wine Festival at Harrah’s this weekend.

So where did you just land?

I’m in Sacramento. I was in Orlando this morning. Before Tahoe, I’ve got to film an episode of “Restaurant: Impossible” for the next two days, then head to L.A. for “Melissa and Joey.”

Talk to me about your new show, “Restaurant Express.” Where did the concept come from?

It was actually a collaboration between myself and Andrew Schechter at Food Network. He wanted to do something cool. He came up with the bus idea and we worked it out from there. People think anyone can run a restaurant. They think about food, not everything else that goes with that. I wanted to do something that highlighted that. I’ve got this thing about helping people.

At this point, have you finished filming the first season of “Restaurant Express?”

We finished the “Restaurant Express” project about four weeks ago. Now we’re filming another 30 episodes of “Restaurant: Impossible.”

You’ve helped a lot of people on “Restaurant: Impossible.” You have also made appearances for charity or to help out other organizations. Why do you do it?

First of all, I would get a lot of emails of people asking me questions about how to fix their businesses — restaurants, hotels, motels — a wide array of people and I thought what a cool way to showcase that in “Restaurant: Impossible.”

I do Make-A-Wish, and I do things for our troops. I’m a big advocate of our military and veterans. I believe we forget these people that take care of us every day, and we can’t let that happen.

We just finished our 91st episode. I’ve been 82 percent successful in saving them.

How do you calculate that?

I count the ones that are sold and moved and failed. Some people sell and pay their debt and move on … For the most part, of everyone we’ve touched, we’ve only lost 18 or 17 of the 90.

You’ve got television shows, appearances at food festivals, cookbooks, restaurants and a family. How do you balance everything?

I travel 345 days per year. I work out, spend as much time with wife and kids as I can. I truly believe everything I do gives back in my life. I do things that are meaningful to me. If I truly believe in something, I don’t care what it takes, I’ll do it. I had a hip replacement and 17 days after I was on my way to Afghanistan.

What do you most enjoy about your work?

I really enjoy the smiles on the faces of people that we help. I truly enjoy doing it. No matter what it is. The reward you see when business succeeds or family is together and hasn’t lost their home or a military guy in desert smiling because you’ve just fed him … It’s just a really good feeling.

I’ve read that you were part of the British Royal Navy. Has anything from that background helped you in your current career?

Absolutely. The military teaches you the mission, and you have to work back to get to that mission. How do we get the steps to get there? I use that in everything I do in my life. … I believe in helping those less fortunate than you. My life shows that I begin and end with helping people every day. I believe we’ve earned the right to breathe on this planet, and I live life like that. My team lives their life like that, too.

What defines you as a chef?

Simplistic food with great flavors. Not overcomplicating it. I’m very into healthy eating. I exercise with my kids. I believe in family bonding through food. I try to keep that mantra in everything I do. Simple. There are a lot of people who do that. We do it a bit differently. I change flavors in a unique way. I do things I think people like. I cook for people the way I like to eat. It’s how I run my restaurants. I make the food I like to eat.

What are some of your favorite foods?

I like simple. I love roasted salmon with salad and beets — everything fresh. I’m big believer in hot proteins and cool salads. Lots of fresh herbs, acids, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juices, things lower in sodium, lower in fat.

In the opening of your book “Mission: Cook!,” you mention that you like to create an “amusement for the mouth” in each dish. What types of flavors do you turn to for this, and what are you hoping the person eating your food understands about you from this offering?

I believe we’ve got these senses, we love spice or we don’t. We love sugar or we don’t. We love salt or don’t. I combine flavors in simple format so one doesn’t cancel out the other. Every bite you take should combine all of them. I tend to find that majority of people love acid — vinegar, juices — really make tartness stand out … every mouthful you have something really flavorful.

What will you be cooking for the food and wine festival?

No clue. I send somebody out to buy food and I have the audience choose what ingredients I use. I want people to understand how easy it is to cook. I show them how to create food using exactly what I just told you. I like creating things that are exceptionally flavorful, but simple. Everybody’s got families and kids and this and that going on, they’re all too busy to spend time cooking … if you think about the food in fridge, this is what you can do with it.

What are some ingredients you always keep on hand?

I always travel with demi-glace, white wine vinegar and juices. I can make anything from that.

What advice do you have for people who cook at home?

Anybody that cooks at home has to think about their day. What do they have going on that week? They’re all busy and have lifestyles … If you had 10 minutes on Sunday to map out what you’re doing each week and you buy food according to that, you can pre-cook chicken breast, pre-do vegetables, map out a menu, make sauces in advance, make salads in advance. I used to take my girls to supermarket and make a game … I’d get them on board with what tastes different. They’re not afraid to try stuff. It’s very good for bonding time. You cook and laugh and joke and make messes. We don’t do enough of that. Instead of getting kids on computers — smartphones have become babysitters — get away from that for a couple hours each day, cook, get out, kick a ball. We need to set our kids up for success.

Do you have any tips for baking or cooking at high altitude?

You lose temperatures, boiling point is very different. I truly believe if you’re a cook, you can cook anywhere with anything. I did it for almost five years on “Dinner: Impossible.”

You’ve been interviewed a lot in your career. What is something you wish people would ask you? How would you answer it?

People always ask me about fitness routine, my wife, travel schedule, eating habits. People never ask me about religion or anything like that. I’m a very religious, god-fearing man and I live my life like that. God gives us all a talent and we should use that talent for the betterment of the less fortunate. I live my life that way. That’s the only thing people never touch on.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Make sure readers come out and have a lot of fun. You never know what I’m going to do.

Start your week with simple, flavorful salmon

3 November 2013

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Most weeknights I turn to easy-to-make meals because, by the time I get home, I’m already hungry and don’t want to wait for something more elaborate.

On a recent trip to Raley’s, I picked up a copy of the store’s free “something extra” magazine for fall 2013. It contains a bunch of recipes, one of which was Maple Balsamic Baked Salmon.

While the original recipe used parchment bags, I just made my own. To do so, take a large piece of parchment paper and fold the longer sides toward the middle. Fold the other ends about an inch toward the center, so the flaps are on top. Fold each flap over once more.

I first thought the recipe might be too sweet, but it was just right. I added pieces of fresh basil on top, which nicely complemented the flavor of the fish. The best part is that the whole thing took less than 20 minutes. I’ll definitely be making this again.

Ingredients
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 cloves roasted garlic, minced
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper

Season salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Place skin side down in parchment bag and place on a baking sheet. Stir together vinegar, syrup and garlic and pour over salmon in bag. Fold over to enclose. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Top with snipped fresh basil.