Saturday Morning Muffins

It has been cold in Seattle. So cold, in fact, that I cannot bring myself to go outside today. Instead I have decided to manufacture some warmth in the form of fresh baked goods and hot french press. If you're feeling the sting of the morning frost like I am, whip yourself up a batch of these yummy fresh fruit muffins and put on the kettle. This recipe comes from one of my most cherished baking guides, Bakewise by Shirley O. Corriher.

What makes this muffin recipe so lovely is the fluffy whip cream that gets folded into the batter. We have a surplus of blueberries in our house at the moment, so we made the blueberry and cream cheese variety. Feel free to substitute any fruit that suits your fancy or refrigerator.

FRESH FRUIT MUFFINS

Makes 12

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups room temperature fruit (we used blueberries)

1/2 cup sweetened cream cheese  (optional)

To begin you will want to preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place a baking stone on a shelf in the lower third of the oven.  At this point it would also be smart to put a bowl in the freezer (this will be used later).

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar for a full 30 seconds.

In medium bowl, beat the egg with a few strokes, then beat in the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon zest.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and  pour in wet ingredients. Beat together. This batter will be tender, so do not hesitate to stir vigorously. Set aside.

Remove your bowl from the freezer and whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Stir one quarter of the whip cream into your batter. Then, fold in the remaining whip cream. Lastly, fold in your fruit.

Make sure that you have either sprayed your muffin tin or have lined it with baking cups. If using cream cheese (like we did), fill the cups 3/4 of the way full. Spoon in a tablespoon of sweetened cream cheese before topping the muffins off with the remaining 1/4 of batter (you can fill your cups quite full, as this batter is light). Place your pan on the oven stone and cook until well risen and brown, about 20 minutes. I find that I also have to rotate mine midway through to ensure even baking. Let cool before eating.  

Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

It's officially fall, my friends. Although I am already mourning the loss of fresh tomatoes, I am very much anticipating the warm and comforting recipes that the colder months seem to inspire. To kick this comfort food season off with a bang I thought I would post this wonderful recipe for french onion soup (courtesy of America's Test Kitchen). I must admit that I don't actually have this recipe on hand. In fact, I caught most of it on television while I was sitting in a waiting room somewhere. Despite the possible non-adherence to the exact specifications, the soup I did end up with turned out fantastic.

FRENCH ONION SOUP
Serves 6

Ingredients
3 pounds red onions, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
Parsley, 1 sprig
Thyme, 1 sprig
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
French bread, sliced
6 deli slices of Swiss cheese,
1 cup Asiago cheese, (grated)
Salt and pepper, to taste

First off, I strongly advise you use red onions. Yellow or white onions are not a substitute in this recipe. To begin, you will want to caramelize your onions. For this recipe I would recommend using an oven-safe, non-reactive pan (I used a Creuset dutch oven). Melt 2 tablespoons of butter into the pan on medium heat. Once melted, turn the heat up to medium-high and add the onions and a hearty pinch of salt.

It will take about 45 minutes for the onions to caramelize, so be sure you stir frequently. Once the onions are finished, add your chicken and beef stock, the red wine, and the parsley and thyme (tied). Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan a few times. Once the simmering time is up, add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Stir and let stand for five minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. I sometimes add a bit more brown sugar and a pinch more balsamic then the recipe suggests. Use your best judgment when balancing the flavors.

Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Top first with bread (2 slices from a french baguette is usually sufficient), a slice of Swiss cheese, and some grated Asiago. Put under a broiler until the cheese is gooey and browned (about five minutes). Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese

I'm going to be honest. Cooking meat can be weird. If you haven't spent much time with the stuff it can pose a serious challenge. It wasn't until my mid-twenties that I decided  I was ready to get over my meat-cooking phobia (and I have to say, I did it with a vengeance). I have to credit a good portion of that to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's The River Cottage Meat Book. This book changed my life. That said, if you don't have time to thumb through all 543 pages of Whittingstall's blessed meat bible, I suggest starting with my recipe for Pasta Bolognese.

Every time I make this dish for company my guests always end up leaving with the recipe. Despite the constant repetition, I still make this dish a couple of times a month (a true testament to how easy and satisfying it is). As a side note, this recipe does take some time to cook (about five to six hours total). That said, you really don't have to watch it much as it practically cooks itself.

PASTA BOLOGNESE
Serves 6

Ingredients
2 pounds of brisket, lightly salted and room temperature
2 yellow onions, diced
2 carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cups of red table wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
28-44 ounces can of San Marzano plum tomatoes
15 sprigs of fresh thyme (stems removed)
5 sprigs of fresh oregano (stems removed)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 small block of parmigiano reggiano
1 pound pappardelle noodles (fresh, if possible)
6 pieces of fatty bacon (optional)
A dash of balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste


Before beginning the sauce, the meat needs to be braised for 3-4 hours. Lucky for you this is really easy to do. First, preheat your oven to 230 degrees. If your using the bacon, dice the meat into very small pieces and begin to cook it in a dutch oven (lid off) over medium heat until slightly crisp. Next add in one diced onion. Lower the heat and let them sweat for about 10 minutes (if you're not using the bacon, go ahead and begin the recipe by sweating out the onions). You may be wondering why the bacon is optional, my reason for that is simply personal preference. Some people love the taste that the smokey bacon imparts on the sauce. Others favor it without. Personally, I make it both ways, depending on my mood and taste on any given day. I should also say that this recipe takes a few steps away from  that of a traditional bolognese sauce, so if you're a die-hard traditionalist, you may want to choose another recipe (although I promise that this one will blow your hair back).

While the onions are releasing their liquid, begin to tie your brisket. Place some thyme sprigs between the string and your brisket (be sure to use oven safe string). Place the tied brisket in with the onions, and remove from heat.

Add a cup of water to the meat and onion mixture you have. Wrap your dutch oven with aluminum foil and then set the heavy lid on top. Place the pot on the bottom third of your oven on a baking stone. Let cook for 3-4 hours. Check your meat every so often and replace water if it is evaporating too quickly (although I have never had this happen). I would again suggest buying an oven thermometer for oven cooking. It is the only way to truly monitor your oven's temperature.

Now, it's possible that you're wondering why I wouldn't suggest browning the meat first? In this case, the meat will become so broken down that it is really not necessary to brown first. Heston Blumenthal wrote a great article that demystifies browning that can be found here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2001/nov/24/foodanddrink.shopping

Once the brisket's 3-4 hours are up, take it out of the oven and remove the tie (discard the onions but strain the remaining braising liquid into a glass - there is yummy bacon flavor in there! Let your liquid sit before skimming the fat off the top). Shred the meat with 2 steak knives or a fork (the better way). Put the meat on a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the dutch oven (don't wash it) and cook the other onion (diced) over medium heat until tender. Add the shredded carrots. Cook for a few minutes before adding the meat mixture back in. Cook for a few more minutes. Next, make a little well in the middle of the pan, clearing all the other ingredients. Add the tomato paste, placing it in the center of the well and letting it cook there for a few moments, stirring it delicately. When finished, mix the paste into the other ingredients. Now add the remaining braising liquid and let simmer for a moment before adding the wine. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the wine to cook down to about half. Add the tomatoes (you may need more than a 28 ounce can, as sometimes I need an extra 16 ounces to have enough sauce - so use your best judgment here). Let this come to a roaring boil before turning down the heat medium-low. It will look soupy, but this will change as it cooks down. Add the herbs (chopped) and a generous pinch of salt. I like my sauce to have a lot of flavor, so I add  more herbs to it then stated here. Feel free to do the same. Incorporate your herbs little by little until you've found the balance that's right for you. The same goes for salt and pepper (which you will add later). The trick is to incorporate it in little by little, using your best judgment.

Let this mixture simmer for over an hour, stirring to prevent sticking. After about an hour, add the brown sugar and taste the mixture. If it still tastes too acidic, let it continue to cook down until you no longer taste any strong acidity (it should taste sweet and balanced). If you are losing to much liquid in your sauce, replace the lid (but turn down the heat a bit if you do so). The sauce should be very thick when finished (nothing like a traditional jarred sauce). As a trick, I use a potato masher to mash up my sauce every 20 minutes or so. It really helps to break everything down and leaves you with a hearty sauce. Getting a nice balance of salt and acidity is important in this recipe too. Add a dash of vinegar here and a pinch of salt there until you reach your desired result (note: you will definitely need some generous pinches of salt at this stage). When you have found that the sauce has a balanced flavor, remove from heat and add the cream. Stir to incorporate. Grate in a 1/4 cup of Parmigiano, also stirring to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over cooked noodles and garnish with more cheese and fresh basil.

Enjoy!