Fricks Fixe

Fricks Fixe

During my week of “retirement” between jobs, I of course decided to spend one of them cooking up a multi-course feast for Dennis and myself to enjoy. And the best part is, he’s returning the favor tomorrow. There’s not much of a theme to the night as a whole, other than the fact that I was trying to clean out our refrigerator of items that have been lingering in there for awhile.I apologize for all the darkness in the pictures-- the light fixture above our table went out this evening.

Radish Tea Sandwiches

During our recent trip to Paris, we were delighted to find raw radishes with salt set out as a “bar snack” at some of the cafes we visited. Turns out that this is a popular pairing in France and often turned into a sandwich at tea time. We modified a Splendid Table recipe for radish tea sandwiches by serving them atop pumpernickel rather than French bread. The herbal butter and salt cut nicely into the radish’s inherent bitterness for a tasty, light snack. 

Ingredients:

·         Butter (at room temperature)

·         Fresh dill, chopped (you can substitute dried dill here)

·         Pumpernickel bread, sliced

·         Kosher salt

·         Radishes

·         Arugula

Directions:

1.    Allow butter to come to room temperature. Fold dill into butter until evenly incorporated.

2.    Lightly toast bread and allow it to cool completely (this will prevent the butter from melting when you spread it on).

3.    Spread butter onto one side of each toasted bread slice.

4.    Sprinkle Kosher salt onto each bread slice.

5.    Press radishes firmly into the salt, so they start to absorb some of it.

6.    Finally, top with arugula and serve.

Broiled Pesto Tomatoes

A special thanks to family-friend Janice Hepperman for introducing us to these during one of our houseboat adventures. This appetizer comes together in a snap, and it is a great way to use up summer garden bounties of tomatoes and fresh basil. We tried a new rendition with fresh Mozzarella this evening, but decided the new version paled in comparison to the old standby made with Parmesan that we have written up below.

Ingredients:

·         Medium or large-sized tomatoes

·         Pesto (preferably home-made)

·         Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

·         Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1.    Preheat broiler on oven.

2.    Slice tomatoes horizontally (as you would for hamburgers) about a quarter-inch thick.

3.    Place tomatoes on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

4.    Spoon a small dollop of pesto onto each tomato slice.

5.    Sprinkle with Parmesan and a few grinds of pepper.

6.    Broil until cheese starts to brown and bubble. Keep an eye on them because this will likely happen in less than 5 minutes, and you don’t want to burn the cheese.

Spiced Carrot Noodle Salad

This recipe caught my eye in a recent Rachael Ray magazine that include a feature on farm-to-table restaurants. There are a lot of complimentary textures and flavors that will keep you going back for more. The strangest part was the purple shaved carrots ended up looking remarkably similar to bacon. And they even tasted a bit like bacon too—probably thanks to the sweet, smoky flavors and crunchy texture. No one I know will complain about a vegetable taking on bacon-like qualities!

(4-5 servings as a side salad)

Ingredients:

·         1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

·         2 lbs. rainbow carrots (be sure to save the tops, if they come in a bushel)

·         olive oil

·         1/4 cup golden raisins

·         1 cup dry white wine

·         1/4 teaspoon sugar

·         1/2 cup pepitas

·         1/2 cup raw shelled pistachios

·         1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

·         1/2 teaspoon honey

·         1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

·         1/2 teaspoon white Balsamic vinegar (champagne vinegar would also be a good substitute)

·         fresh parsley, chopped (you can omit this and use the carrot tops instead, if you have them)

Directions :

1.    Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2.    In a small dry skillet, toast the coriander seeds over medium-heat, stirring often, until they are toasted (about 3 minutes). You’ll know they’re done because the color with get darker and some of the seeds will start to pop.

3.    Transfer seeds to a mortar and pestle and crush finely.

4.    Slice half of carrots into 1/2 inch thick coins. Toss these with a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of the coriander you crushed.

5.    Place the carrots on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Place in the oven to roast, until crisp-tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from oven and allow carrots to return to room temperature.

6.    Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan, heat the raisins, wine, and sugar over low, stirring occasionally, until the raisins are plump, about 10 minutes. Drain the raisins and reserve liquid.

7.    In the same skillet you used for the coriander, dry toast the pepitas, stirring often, until slightly browned (about 2 minutes). Transfer to a plate.

8.    In the same skillet, dry toast the pistachios, stirring often, until toasted (about 5 minutes). Remove the pistachios from the heat and coarsely chop.

9.    Using a vegetable peeler, shave the remaining carrots into long noodle-like ribbons. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water to keep them crisp.

10. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, mustard, vinegar, and remaining coriander. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

11. Stir in the roasted carrots, raisins, pepitas, and pistachios. Drain the shaved carrots and stir them in too. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of olive oil or some of the reserved wine you used to plump up the raisins.

12. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Chicken Parmesan Tenders

This is a Judy Ruf go-to recipe that we have put on hiatus for far too long.  It comes together quickly and rarely requires an extra trip to the store, since the recipe primarily includes pantry/freezer staple ingredients. The only major change I made this time around was in the cooking vessel. In the past, the bottoms of the tenders have turned out a little on the mushy side. Placing a cooling rack atop the baking sheet allows for them to cook from all sides and get extra-crispy. 

 Ingredients:

·         6 Tbsp Italian Bread Crumbs (If using plain breadcrumbs, be sure to stir in some of your own extra Italian seasonings)

·         2 tsp dried Italian seasonings (or a basil/oregano heavy mixture augmented with a dash of sage and thyme)

·         5 Tbsp fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

·         1 tsp dried parsley

·         ¼ tsp garlic powder

·         ¼ tsp onion powder

·         ¼ tsp garlic salt

·         Black pepper to taste

·         5 Tbsp zesty Italian salad dressing

·         1 lb. chicken tenders (or you can always cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into strips)

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.    Position a cooling rack atop a large baking sheet. (You might want to line the baking sheet with aluminum foil to catch any crumbs/dregs that fall onto it for easy clean-up, especially if you don’t have a dishwasher!)

3.    In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, Italian seasonings, Parmesan, parsley, garlic and onion powder, garlic salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

4.    Squeeze the salad dressing into another bowl.

5.    Dip each chicken tender in the zesty Italian dressing first. Then roll and press it into the bread crumb mixture until well-coated on all sides.

6.    Transfer to cooling rack.

7.    Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and crust is crunch.

8.    Serve with your favorite dipping sauce—we’ve given a few suggestions, but marinara is also a tasty option. Or you may consider serving the chicken atop a bed of pasta dressed with pesto.

Balsamic Ketchup

We’ve combined balsamic with our mayonnaise as a sandwich spread in the past. Why not do the same with ketchup? We’ve also thrown in a splash of Worcestershire sauce for added depth. Dip your fries in it or spread it on a burger or other sandwich of your choosing for a twist on an old favorite condiment.

Ingredients:

·         ketchup (X3 parts)

·         balsamic vinegar (X 1 part)

·         Worcestershire sauce (X 1/2 part)

Directions:

1.    Stir together all ingredients to combine. Taste and adjust ratio to your liking.

Siracha Honey Mustard

Tangy and sweet with a bit of heat. You really can’t go wrong. We’re excited to whip up another batch for dipping chicken wings.

Ingredients:

·         Greek yogurt (can substitute mayo or sour cream or a combination of your choice); (X4 parts)

·         mustard (X2 parts)

·         BBQ sauce (X2 parts)

·         honey (X1 part)

·         Siracha (go light at first—you can always add more or have your guests add their own to reach their desired level of spiciness); (X1/2 part)

·         fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.    Same as the last sauce. Stir together all ingredients to combine. Taste and adjust ratio to your liking.

Peach Basil Bourbon Smash

For this special occasion, we broke into the Jim Beam Knob Creek Bourbon we helped bottle and label during our recent Louisville vacation. The bourbon’s deep, dark flavors played nicely off the sweetness from the peach puree and basil simple syrup. This is a great summer-time sipper.

Ingredients:

·         5-6 ripe peaches

·         basil simple syrup

·         bourbon

·         fresh lemon juice

·         basil and peach slices for garnish

Directions:

1.    Peel peaches, cut into chunks, and transfer to a blender. Combine with 1/4 cup of water and process on high until smooth. (An optional step here is straining the pulp through a fine mesh sieve to remove the solid pieces).

2.    For each drink, combine about 3/4 cup peach puree, 1 tablespoon basil simple syrup, 2 tablespoons bourbon, and the juice from 1/4 of a medium-sized lemon. Add a few ice cubes and basil leaves for garnish. You might also want to add a couple fresh peach or lemon slices too.

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse with Raspberries

Since creamy desserts are typically a Dennis job, I was nervous about living up to his high standards for consistency and flavors when making this dish. Never fear, cheating with cream cheese made this recipe foolproof in comparison to the tricky tempering of eggs and other milky products involved in panna cottas, ice creams, crème brulees, etc. Bananas would also be a tasty topper for this mousse.

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

·         5 oz. dark chocolate squares

·         1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)

·         8 oz. cream cheese, softened

·         1/2 heaping teaspoon vanilla

·         3 tablespoons powdered sugar (you might want to add more for a sweeter version, if serving the mousse sans raspberries or dark chocolate chips as toppings)

·         1 cup fresh raspberries

·         dark chocolate chips

·         Leibniz cookies (totally optional; and really any graham- or wafer-like cracker will do—I just happen to be favorably prejudiced toward anything German!)

Directions:

1.    Melt chocolate using a double-boiler (a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of simmering water) until smooth. Remove from heat while you do the next steps.

2.    Add the cold whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the cream holds a stiff peak.

3.    Add the softened cream cheese and beat on medium speed until combined and smooth.

4.    Gradually pour in the melted chocolate followed by the vanilla.

5.    Add the powdered sugar until it all comes together.

6.    Pour the mixture into ramekins or other small dessert vessels.

7.    Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

8.    Garnish with raspberries, dark chocolate chips, and cookies. Serve chilled.

Henry's Havest Feast

A tribute to Henry’s—our favorite restaurant in Lincoln that we miss dearly. While unpacking here in STL, we ran across a menu from a prix fixe dinner we attended at Henry’s in fall 2013. The premise was that the restaurant owner Henry was bringing back a tradition he initiated with a group of friends initiated during his time in Europe. Just prior to Thanksgiving, he would invite friends over and prepare a multi-course meal that celebrated the flavors of fall. We enjoyed every course that night and did our best to recreate them here at our apartment last weekend. (If you ever doubted our foodie-nerdiness, this certainly confirms it.)

(Gruyere & Thyme) Popovers

Mission “popover pan purchase” was not easy, but in the end worth the last minute effort. This turned out to be our favorite dish of the night, and we plan to make them again later this week. We followed Henry’s suggested ingredient add-ins to a basic Alton Brown popover recipe, but truly…the possibilities for mix in and topping ingredients are endless. We’ve listed a few ideas at the end of this recipe, but the list is nowhere close to being exhaustive. Keep us posted if you think of or try anything new or different. We were pleased at the simple preparation and basic list of ingredients that we almost always have on hand as staples in our pantry and fridge. This could become a new obsession!

Ingredients:

·         1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         1 tsp. kosher salt

·         2 large eggs, at room temperature

·         1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

·         *3 TBSP shredded Gruyere cheese (optional)

·         *1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1.    Bring all ingredients to room temperature. (If needed, you can speed along the process by popping the milk in the fridge and placing the egg in a bowl of warm water).

2.    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oven should be thoroughly heated before you start preparation of batter.

3.    Grease a 6-cup popover pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

4.    Combine the butter, flour, salt, eggs, and milk in a blender or food processor and process for 30 seconds.

5.    Divide batter evenly among the cups, filling each 1/3 to 1/2 full.

6.    Place pan in hot oven and bake on the middle rack for 40 minutes. Do not open the door!!

7.    Remove popovers and place on a cooling rack. Pierce each top with a knife to allow steam to escape. Serve warm.

**If preparing the cheese version, use a spoon to stir Gruyere and thyme into batter between steps 4 & 5

**other optional ingredients: other herbs or cheese varietals, dark chocolate slivers, cinnamon and sugar, chives, and of course…pepper! 

Sweet Potato & Chipotle Bisque

The depth and inherent sweetness of the sweet potatoes was a perfect compliment and counterpart to the spicy peppers. Disclaimer: the spiciness did build with successive bites, and in the end we were happy to have small portions. It would be fun to serve this soup as a shooter. Or you could always tone down the heat, if you plan to eat a full bowl as a meal. Another option is simply giving the leftover super-spicy version to Mr. Ruf, who never complains about too much heat and may even sprinkle on additional cayenne to appease his “deaf taste buds.”

Ingredients:

·         1/4 cup chopped celery leaves

·         1/8 cup onion, minced

·         6 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 medium shallot, minced

·         1/2 tsp. each salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika

·         1/2 cup white wine

·         4 cups chicken/turkey/veggie stock

·         2 canned abodo chiles (and a splash of sauce)

·         2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

·         2 ribs celery, chopped

·         2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

·         1/2 large onion, chopped

·         sour cream or Greek yogurt for topping, optional

Directions:

1.     In a large pot, sauté celery leaves, minced onion, garlic, and shallot in olive oil. Add 1 tsp. each of your initial seasonings (don’t go overboard because you can always add more later; we just wanted to start developing some deep flavors at the get go).

2.    When your veggies start to brown and caramelize on the edges, deglaze the pan with white wine. Reduce by about half.

3.    Next, add your stock, chiles and sauce, potatoes, celery, carrot and onion.

4.    Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmering until veggies are cooked through and can easily be pierced by a fork.

5.    Transfer to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

6.    Return to pan over low heat. Taste and adjust spice level to your liking. If mixture is too thick, add more stock, wine, or water to thin. If mixture is too thin, increase heat and simmer with lid off to reduce.

7.    Spoon into bowls and top with sour cream/yogurt, if desired.

Winter Slaw with Shaved Parmesan & Marcona Almonds

Another spin off from the original Judy Ruf Brussels sprouts slaw recipe that we love so dearly. Thanks, mom! This version adds tangy lemon to the dressing and a few different winter vegetables for textural and flavor contrasts.

Ingredients:

Dressing ingredients:

·         juice from 1/2 medium-sized fresh lemon

·         2 TBSP champagne vinegar (or a combination of apple cider and white wine vinegar could serve as a substitute, depending on your pantry stock)

·         1 TBSP Dijon mustard

·         1/4 cup Greek yogurt

·         fresh ground black pepper

·         salt (go light on this due to the saltiness of the almonds and parmesan)

·         1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

·         2 tsp. olive oil

Other components:

·         8 Brussels sprouts, shredded on the lowest setting of a mandolin

·         1/4 red onion, sliced on lowest mandolin setting and cut into slivers

·         1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded

·         1 cup kale, finely chopped

·         1 rib celery (optional)

·         green apple?  (we didn’t add this the first time around, but think it would be a nice addition; again, we’d recommend thinly slicing on the mandolin and then slivering with a knife into matchsticks)

·         parmesan cheese, shredded

·         Marcona almonds

·         fresh basil or mint, chiffonade (optional)

Directions:

1.    Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust to your liking.

2.    Prepare veggies and toss together in a large bowl.

3.    Pour dressing over veggies and mix thoroughly. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

4.    Just before serving, stir in almonds and fresh herbs (if using) just prior to serving to ensure crunchiness and freshness.

Cocoa Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

We liked but did not love this dish. Previous forays into coffee-rubbed meats have out-ranked tonight’s cocoa-rubbed meat course. The cocoa ended up being a little bit dry and chalky.  The silver lining was a delicious sauce we whipped up with thoughts off the top of our heads—ketchup, Siracha, yellow mustard, ancho chile powder.

                                                 

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Cabernet, Grape and Shallot Reduction

We combined Dennis’ previous experience with wine-grape-shallot reduction sauces with Michelle’s love of marinating and roasting vegetables. Although the end product was delicious, it was also really time consuming and not worth the effort above and beyond a more basic roasted veggie glaze. Our biggest tip from this (which we’ve applied to many other circumstances) is to leave the peels on the carrots and slice them in half lengthwise before seasoning and roasting. High heat in the oven is also key for caramelization without over-cooking.

Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Gingered Cranberries

I have always liked milky, creamy desserts.  It’s why I love ice cream.  Panna Cotta is an apt substitute when you need a fix and don’t have ice cream.  It’s as if jello and ice cream had an Italian child.  Make sure not to boil the milk mixture.  Also, you really just need 1 1/2 cups of any type of milky product (so long as they are as fat or fatter than whole milk!)  It’s great to serve any panna cotta with something to add a different texture to the dish. Sad to say the cranberry sauce was not worth repeating. We should have added more sweetness—a comment you won’t often hear about a dessert in this household. Even Dennis admitted wine soaked raisins would have been a welcome addition. We topped the leftovers with pecan granola for dessert on a future evening and liked that just as well, if not better.  

Ingredients:

·         1/8 cup cold water

·         1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin

·         1/2 cup milk

·         1/2 cup half and half

·         1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

·         1/4 cup sugar

·         pinch of salt

·         1/2 tsp ground allspice

·         1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

·         1/2 tsp ground ginger

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

·         3/4 cup pureed pumpkin (could be made with roasted sweet squash as well)

Directions:

1.    Put the cold water in a small cup and sprinkle the gelatin over it to let the gelatin “bloom.”

2.    Mix the pumpkin and the sour cream/Greek yogurt together in a medium bowl until they are completely integrated.

3.    In a sauce pan add the milk, half and half, and whipping cream with the sugar, salt, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla over medium heat. 

4.    Warm the mixture, but do not bring it to a boil.  Once the mixture is hot, add the gelatin and whisk it in.

5.    Take the mixture off the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes

6.    Slowly pour the cream mixture into the pumpkin mixture and then whisk them together until smooth.

7.    Pour the mix into 3 or 4 ramekins or small non-plastic bowls.

8.    Chill for at least 5 hours, overnight chilling is good.

9.    Serve in the ramekins/bowls or turn out onto plates (warm the sides of the ramekin/bowl to help turn out the desserts)