Roasted Broccoli

My family loves broccoli, but I don't like it steamed. This recipe was a revelation--the broccoli turns out sweet and crispy. We probably eat this once a week in the winter, when we don't have zucchini coming out our ears, and as a result I just toss the broccoli in olive oil and equal parts salt and sugar before roasting. But here's the original, official recipe. 

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Roasted Broccoli with Optional Garlic

Source: Cook's Illustrated

Serves 4

Trim away the outer peel from the broccoli stalk, otherwise it will turn tough when cooked. For Roasted Broccoli with Garlic, stir 1 tablespoon minced garlic into the olive oil before drizzling it over the broccoli.
Ingredients

1 large head broccoli (about 1 3/4 pounds)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teas table salt
1/2 teas sugar
Ground black pepper
Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut broccoli at juncture of florets and stems; remove outer peel from stalk. Cut stalk into 2- to 3-inch lengths and each length into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Cut crowns into 4 wedges if 3-4 inches in diameter or 6 wedges if 4-5 inches in diameter. Place broccoli in large bowl; drizzle with oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt, sugar, and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer broccoli to baking sheet and spread into even layer, placing flat sides down. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until stalks are well browned and tender and florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Custard-filled Cornbread

 

This is a relatively new recipe in our collection but as soon as we tasted it we knew it would be permanent. The book is a lovely read and full of great recipes. Both of us trust Molly Wizenburg's work.

As you can tell, this is not a low-fat recipe and will probably suffer if you use low-fat substitutes. Cook it for a special occasion, if the thought of that much cream is a worry. Just don't skip it all together.

 

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Custard-filled Cornbread   

 

Source:  A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenburg

Serves 6-8

3 T unsalted butter
1 c unbleached flour
3/4 c cornmeal, preferably medium ground
1 teas baking powder (for my altitude I used 3/4 teas)
1/2 teas baking soda (for my altitude I used a scant 1/2 teas)
2 large eggs
3 T sugar
1/2 teas salt
2 cups whole milk (not low fat or nonfat)
1 1/2 T distilled vinegar
1 c heavy cream

Syrup for serving: maple, raspberry or blueberry (which is particularly pretty and tasty).

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round pan. Place the buttered dish in the oven to warm while you make the batter. 

In a large microwavable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. (Butter can be melted in the oven as it preheats, if preferred.) Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and baking soda.

When the butter has cooled a bit, add the eggs and whisk to blend well. Then add the sugar, salt, milk and vinegar and whisk well again. Whisking constantly, add the flour mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth and no lumps are visible. Measure the cream and have it near the oven.

Open the oven and extend the oven rack out. Place a rimmed cookie sheet under the hot pan. Pour the batter into the pan; it will be quite full. Then slowly pour the cream into the center of the batter. Do not stir.  Carefully slide the rack and the pan back into the oven, taking care not to knock it, and bake until golden brown on top, 50-60 minutes. Serve warm, with maple syrup.

This can be covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for a day and in the fridge for 3 days. Leftovers are fine at room temperature or warmed. A slice can be toasted in a toaster oven.

Notes:

I halved this recipe and cooked it in a bread loaf pan (8 by 4 inches) and it worked great for only 2 people.

If you find yourself in a country that doesn't generally stock cornmeal in grocery stores you can substitute fine to medium ground semolina for the cornmeal. It will not taste as corny but it is still a good breakfast.

 

Johnny Cakes

My mother was a hard worker and a night owl. The combination meant she had a hard time waking up many mornings. When she had a house full of teenagers and preteens, I remember her stumbling out of bed, coming into the kitchen and opening the cupboard to find 3 by 5 inch card taped on the door. On the card was listed the days of the week and a different breakfast for each day. She was too tired in the mornings to think of something to feed us so she used her reminder card. Johnny Cakes was on the list.

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 Johnny Cakes                           

Source: Grandma Betty
Serves 4

1 1/2 c cornmeal
1 teas salt
1 T flour
2 T vegetable oil
1 teas soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c milk (slightly less if you use skim milk)

Mix all together with a few swift strokes.  This batter will seem extra thin—don’t worry it cooks up all right.  Stir the batter each time you get a spoonful to drop on hot oiled grill.

This can be easily halved or left over cakes can be frozen.

Tortas (Black Bean and Chorizo Subs)

This quickly became a frequent meal when we first discovered the recipe. To me it is messy enough to be considered a Mexican Sloppy Joe, but I think it tastes much better. 

 

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Tortas (Black Bean and Chorizo Subs)

Source: Rick Bayless in Mexican Everyday
Serves 5-6

8 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo sausage (casings removed, if in links)
3-4 T olive oil, divided
2 15-oz cans black beans (you can substitute other beans, such as pinto)
4-6 bolillo rolls or submarine rolls (6-7 inches long, 3 inches wide)
About 6 ounces Mexican queso fresco cheese, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 ripe avocado, pitted and sliced 1/4 inch thick
salsa or hot sauce, to taste
cilantro, optional

Break the chorizo into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking up the clumps, until browned and thoroughly cooked. Add 1-2 T oil, depending on how much fat the chorizo has rendered. Add the beans and the liquid. Bring to a simmer and mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Cook, stirring often, until it is the consistency of very soft mashed potatoes, leaving a few beans whole, 10 or more minutes. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Keep warm over the lowest heat, covered to keep the beans moist.

Heat a griddle over medium flame. Slice the rolls open and scrape out some of the soft bread in the center of each half, making a small hollow. Pour the remainder of the olive oil on to the griddle and when hot, place the rolls cut side down on the griddle, dipping each piece in some olive oil. (You may also brush the rolls with olive oil before placing on the griddle.) Cook until crisp and golden brown. You will probably have to do this in batches unless your griddle is large.

Smear about 1/3-1/2 c of the chorizo-bean mixture over the bottom half of a roll. Top with slices of the cheese and the avocado. Spoon on the salsa or sprinkle with a dash of hot sauce. Top the cilantro, if you have it, and then the rolls and serve.

Notes from Colette:

Chorizo has fortunately become easier to find in the last few years. Some American companies (such as Johnsonville) now make Chorizo sausage but my favorite is the kind you can buy in a Mexican market. Sometimes it comes in links and sometimes it is ground. There are some small "chubs" you can find sometimes but they are quite greasy and not only will you not have to add oil, you'll probably have to get rid of some.

If the bolillos are very soft, there is no need to scrape out the center since the bread will smash down. 

Bayless suggests substituting (if necessary) feta or goat cheese for the queso fresco. They are not my favorite but Bayless, apparently, really likes goat cheese on a torta. I think you can use Monterrey Jack or even Manchego if you can't find queso fresco. You should be able to find it, though, since most supermarkets carry it nowadays.

Bayless points out that this recipe can be altered in numerous tasty ways such as adding rotisserie chicken or roast pork or beef. He also suggests toppings such as grilled onion or pickled jalapenos or chipotle en adobo.

The bean mixture stores well in the fridge and even better in the freezer. It may need a little additional water when warming it up.

Stuffed Shells

This was a favorite in our family when the kids were teenagers. The recipe was given to me by a neighbor who lived through the woods from us in Grafton, Virginia. She'd been there only a few months by the time we moved but she was kind enough to make this for us while we were packing out.

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Stuffed Shells

1 jar of spaghetti sauce or a quart of homemade sauce
1 box jumbo shells, cooked according to directions—see note

Mix the following together:

1 (16-oz) container low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 teas salt
1/4 teas pepper
1 T finely chopped parsley
1/4 c frozen chopped spinach, let it thaw and squeeze excess liquid squeezed out
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese (or parmegiano reggiano)
3 c shredded mozzarella cheese (reserve 1 c cheese to sprinkle on top)

Spread enough sauce in baking dish to generously cover bottom (about 1/2 inch deep).  Fill shells; place in sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over shells and cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. Remove foil, spread reserved cheese on top and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Note from Colette: Usually a box of shells is too much for the filling.  Using a tablespoon to fill the shells, I use approximately 28 shells. If I cook a whole box, I increase the filling ingredients by about half and use 1 1/2 quarts of sauce.

Congo Bars

Many recipes for congo bars these days have coconut and/or white chocolate chips. This one is more like a blond brownie, and it's been in the family for at least 50 years. These are a favorite of my dad's; he made them frequently while my brothers and I were growing up. Pure comfort food.

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Congo Bars

Source: Grandma Betty

Beat the following ingredients together:

3 eggs
2 1/4 c firmly packed cups brown sugar (or a 1-pd box)

2/3 c vegetable oil

Add:
1 teas salt
2 teas baking powder
1 teas vanilla
1 c walnuts or pecans, chopped
3 c flour
1 c chocolate chips (or a 6-oz pkg)

This will be a stiff dough. Press into an oiled 18x12 pan or two 9x13 pans. Bake at 350F for 12-20 minutes. When they are cooked they still look a little undercooked in the middle. If you leave it until it looks done, they will be dry and crunchy. You can use a toothpick stuck in the middle to check to see if they are done--if the toothpick comes out dry, it’s finished cooking. Cut while slightly warm.

Fajitas

These fajitas are a staple of my fast dinner collection.

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Fajitas

Marinate 1 lb thinly sliced pork, chicken, or turkey several hours or overnight with the following:

1/4 c lime juice
1 T balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teas honey
1/2 teas each ground coriander and ground cumin

Sauté and add 1 green pepper and 1 onion, sliced. I often add an extra pepper or onion, or both. When meat and vegetables are cooked, place in warmed flour tortillas. Serve with sour cream and guacamole, if desired.

If you don't have time to marinate or if you're using precooked meat, just cook the meat and vegetables right in the marinating ingredients.