Other Things | Simple By Cindy

Fennel, Spinach and Red Pepper Saute

Jun. 27
2019

One of the best (and simplest!) summertime events is to visit our local farmers market. The market carries beautiful high quality and affordable produce. I love walking around looking at all the beautiful baked goods, fruits, and veggies. As wonderful as it is to ogle the wares, I also enjoy talking to the vendors and learning about their farm or business, and the creations they’ve brought with them. There are a few things you should know before going to a farmer’s market. It can be intimidating sometimes, so here are a few tips to relieve the stress and allow you to enjoy the experience.

Bring cash. While some vendors might use various forms of credit card payments, there’s no guarantee and I’d hate for you to miss out.

Take a turn through the market before you buy anything and take mental or written notes of the stalls you want to return to.

Bring a large tote bag. This will make it much easier for you to carry your purchases, and it’s environmentally friendly!

If you see something you do not recognize, ask the vendor about it. More often than not, they are friendly and want to educate customers on all the available goods. Last year, I stopped by a booth that had several vegetables I had never seen before. Upon inquiry, the vendor, he let me try some sea asparagus (think smaller, saltier asparagus), and I ended up purchasing a bunch to make into a delicious salad. You never know what you can learn!

Don’t be afraid to ask detailed questions. The vendors know exactly how the food was grown, if any pesticides were used, and will explain the best way to store and cook them.

Pick up your largest purchases last so you don’t have to schlep them around with you. That watermelon looks beautiful, but I can promise you that it weighs more after 30 minutes in your arms.

While you’re there, maybe you can pick up the ingredients for this amazing side dish the next time you visit. The fennel has a rich flavor, kind of like licorice. When you sauté it, it brings out the deep, intense essence of this wonderful vegetable. The red pepper and spinach compliment it nicely. Basil is the perfect herb for this dish which gives it a light, bright aroma.

This recipe will serve 4-6 people who will most definitely want to accompany you on your next trip to the market.

Ingredients for Fennel, Spinach, and Red Pepper Sauté:

2 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
1 thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
3 cups fresh baby spinach
3 garlic cloves
6-8 fresh basil leaves, julienned or chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Using a large cast-iron or enamel heavy skillet, heat butter and oil over low heat.

Turn heat up to medium-high and add the fennel and the onion.

Cook until slightly soft and tender.

Add red pepper and cook for about 3 minutes more.

Add basil, garlic, salt and pepper; cook for 1 more minute.

Add spinach and cook until spinach is bright green and just a little wilted. The cooking process will continue after you take it off the heat, so be cautious here. You don’t want it to be overcooked.

It’s that simple!

Cinnamon-Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie

May. 13
2019

Many moons ago, I hosted my younger son’s birthday party in our backyard. At that time, he was in love with oversized chocolate chip cookies like Mrs. Field’s used to make. There was a store in the mall near our home that made a similar cookie, so I decided to surprise him with one, and ordered the smaller of the two sizes they offered.

The morning of the party, I became unsure just how many the smaller cookie would serve, so I called back and ordered the larger one instead. They told me I could rest easy–they would have it for me later that day.

I had two errands to do before the festivities: pick up the balloons, and get the cookie. Since the party was outside, I delayed setting up until the morning of, just in case it rained overnight. Balloons all accounted for, I set out to get the cookie. Once I got there, they informed me that it was not ready, but it wouldn’t take long. How wrong they were. I don’t even think the cookie was made when I arrived.

Cookie was finally done (they gave me the smaller cookie as well), I raced home to set up. On my way, I stopped short at a light, and the big cookie went flying onto the floor of the car, breaking into a million pieces. I called my friend Beth, hysterical. As she always does, she calmed me down and told me something I have never forgotten. “I know you’re upset right now, but someday you will be laughing aloud about this.” I laughed then and there. The party was a huge success, and even though I served the smaller cookie, and there was more than enough for all. Lesson learned.

This cookie recipe exceeded my expectations. I could not find espresso powder, so I substituted cocoa powder and it worked perfectly. I also used milk chocolate chips and probably more than 8 ounces (hey, why not?). The cinnamon, cocoa powder, and milk chocolate are the stars here. It is crisp on the outside, and nice and chewy on the inside. Eat it with your favorite ice cream on top!

This recipe is courtesy of Epicurious and will serve 8 to 10 people who will never again waste time on a giant store-bought cookie.

Ingredients for Cinnamon-Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder (I used cocoa powder)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
8 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped (I used milk chocolate chips)

A heavy (preferably cast-iron) 12-inch skillet

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, espresso/cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add egg mixture and beat, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients, beating until just incorporated.

Fold in chocolate with a spatula.

Press dough evenly into 12-inch skillet.

Bake cookie until golden brown around the edges and center is still soft, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let cookie cool before slicing.

Cookie can be made up to 3 days ahead; cover and store at room temperature.

It’s that simple!

Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter and Garlic

Apr. 22
2019

As you know, I love to read cookbooks from cover to cover. This all started when I met my friend Beth. I am pretty sure before I met her I owned one, maybe two cookbooks and mostly relied on my mother’s guidance to cook. For this reason, I did not have a huge repertoire of recipes and I pretty much made the same things all the time.

As Beth and I became close friends I noticed all of her cookbooks, she had quite the collection herself, the biggest I had ever seen! When I asked her about them, she said that she reads cookbooks. Being an avid reader myself, it just had never occurred to me to read a cookbook the way I would read a book. She told me has had always loved reading them. You must be a great cook, then, I said, and she laughed.

One Thanksgiving, when Beth was having family and some friends over, she called me frantically an hour before she was going to serve dinner. Apparently, her turkey had not fully cooked and was in fact, rare, although it had been in the oven for a couple of hours. She blamed herself for not being a good enough cook and I calmly explained that there must be something wrong with her oven. I was right, but she never fully recovered from the experience and did not cook for crowds much after that.

That really is how I began my adventures into cooking. While Beth is a good cook, but she doesn’t really enjoy it the way I do. I do benefit from all her knowledge. If I have a question about what substitutes to use, she knows the answer. I am thankful she is always one phone call away because truthfully, she knows so much more about cooking than I do.

This is one recipe you do not have to have fine culinary skills to ace. I chose to prepare it because of its unusual ingredients. There are many ingredients that the author uses that I do not have access to. For example, he uses black garlic in this dish, but I couldn’t find any. Nevertheless, these Brussels sprouts are amazingly tasty! The caraway and pumpkin seeds contrast swimmingly with the tang of the lemon. The tahini sauce is the star of this dish as it adds depth to its flavor and richness to its texture.

This recipe is courtesy of Simple by Ottolenghi and will serve 4-6 people who will be amazed by the variety of flavor this side has to offer.

Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter and Garlic:

1 pound Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
3/4 ounce black garlic, roughly chopped (I used regular)
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Mix the Brussels sprouts with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes until the sprouts are golden brown but still crunchy. (This took longer than 10 minutes for me, more like 15-18.)

Meanwhile, lightly crush the caraway seeds with a pestle and mortar.

Add the garlic and thyme and crush them to form a rough paste.

Put the butter into a large sauté pan and place over medium-high heat.

Cook for 3 minutes, until melted and dark brown.

Add the crushed garlic paste, sprouts, pumpkin seeds, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.

Stir for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.

Stir in the lemon juice and transfer to a bowl or individual plates.

Drizzle with the tahini and serve at once.

It’s that simple!

Breakfast Bread Pudding

Apr. 1
2019

Bread pudding was not in my mother’s repertoire of recipes, so I never had it until after I was married. Even when we went out for dinner, we would only go to one of three restaurants, and there was no bread pudding on the menu at any of them. I grew up in a home that was centered on routine. Sunday we ate steak, Friday fried chicken, Thursday veal, and so on. Dessert was not a constant, although there were the occasional ice cream treats or fruit if you asked politely. Instead, dessert was served on holidays or at family gatherings.

When I was in college, my friends and I never went out to dinner (who could afford to?). During the few times that we did treat ourselves, bread pudding was not on the menu! I am not exaggerating when I tell you, I honestly hadn’t even heard of bread pudding.

It wasn’t until dinner at our friend’s home that bread pudding had entered my life. Once I took my first taste, I instantly knew what I’d been missing. I went crazy for the dessert, and because I knew nothing about preparing one, I thought my friend was the greatest dessert maker in the world (little did I know how easy it was to prepare). I cherished every bite that I took.

Now, if you couldn’t tell, I am obsessed with bread pudding. We are lucky to have a restaurant near us whose chef was a contestant on the show Top Chef. She too, is a huge fan of bread pudding and a new one is featured there every night. When I asked her husband about her passion for bread pudding, he said it was born out of a way to use up their leftover bread. Genius! Her bread puddings are so elaborate and delectable. I have to try it every time I go.

This is an easy one to make, so it is perfect if this is your first try. Ina called for brioche bread, but I only had challah bread and I am sure it tastes just as delicious. Challah is always a good choice to make bread pudding with because of its thickness. Personally, I think challah was the perfect home for the delectable sauce in this dessert. The rich vanilla flavor makes this bread pudding irresistible. The honey and raisins give it an unavoidable sweetness, which is further complemented by the citrus in the orange zest. I did not think it needed the maple syrup that is recommended, though it would make it more breakfast-y indeed.

This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten, and will serve 8-10 people who will develop their own obsession with this unique dessert (or breakfast!).

Ingredients for Breakfast Bread Pudding:

5 extra-large whole eggs
2 extra-large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups half and half
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange zest (2 oranges)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Brioche loaf (I used Challah)
1/2 cup golden raisins
Maple syrup, to serve

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half and half, honey, vanilla, orange zest and salt.

Set aside.

Slice the brioche (or any bread you choose to use) into 6 1-inch thick peices.

Lay half the bread slices flat in a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

Make sure that the raisins are between the layers of bread or they will burn while baking.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread and allow to soak for 15 minutes, pressing down gently.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

It’s that simple!

Macy, my beautiful old lady.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Wine and Whole-Grain-Mustard

Mar. 28
2019

Lara’s wedding has come and gone way too fast. All the preparation and attention to detail goes by in the blink of an eye. Despite that, the joy shared and memories made are worth it all.

Having all my family together in Miami for the wedding was so nice. We all got to spend the day at the pool together, the men in the hot tub, beers in hand, and the women by the pool just enjoying each other’s company. I thought to myself, these are the moments we do not get very often, though I wish we did.

The wedding was so stunning. The flowers were dazzling and the room looked so elegant. Everyone was on the dance floor all night, unless of course we were sitting down to eat. It was wonderful to see all the people Lara and her husband love celebrating this joyous occasion with them.

Lara looked exquisite. She, like many brides, was radiant. The most important thing was that she was very present, taking in every moment and all the love that was present in the ceremony and the ballroom. I love the memories these moments make.

This dish was not on the menu for the wedding, but it very well could have been. The white wine and whole grain mustard are combined to coat the Brussels Sprouts with a heavenly sauce. The lemon zest and juice give them a nice tang. Then they are roasted and caramelized to perfection in the oven. This is a great short on time side that rivals any wedding caterers best.

This recipe will serve 4 to 5 people who will definitely say “I do” to a second serving.

Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts with Wine and Whole-Grain-Mustard:

1 pound Brussel Sprouts, cut in half lengthwise
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon