Mixed Baby Greens with Maple Dressing, Cranberries and Apples, Recipe

I only recently discovered how delicious salads, with homemade dressing, can be so was happy to serve one up as a starter for my recent dinner party. The entree, Fish Mollee, was on the heavier side so wanted something light but not boring. I also wanted to sneak some fruit in there as I’ve been lacking in my fruit intake lately. Enter Mixes Baby Greens with Cranberries, Apples, and Goat Cheese with Maple Dressing. It was easy (especially as you can make the dressing earlier and refrigerate until ready to use), quick, and delicious.

The dressing is quite garlicky, be warned, but it actually offsets the sweetness of the cranberries apples, and maple really nicely. By the end of the salad I couldn’t taste the garlic anymore but I am sure that’s just because my whole mouth tasted like it. I’d definitely make this again whether for a party or as a quick weekday dinner.

Mixed Baby Greens with Maple Dressing, Cranberries and Apples

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T maple syrup
Kosher salt
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into thin strips
1 T fresh lemon juice
8 cups mixed baby greens, lightly packed
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1. Make the maple dressing: Whisk together the oil, garlic, vinegar and maple syrup until well combined. Add kosher salt to taste. (I usually need 3-4 generous pinches, tasting after each addition.)

2. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice to prevent browning.

3. In a large bowl, combine the baby greens, apples, cranberries and half the pecans. Toss the greens with maple dressing to taste and divide among serving dishes. Top each dish with remaining pecans and goat cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4-6

Mustard Horseradish Sauce, Recipe

One of the things I was most excited about when I made a Roast Tenderloin of Beef was leftovers to make sandwiches with. I loaded up on arugula, cheddar cheese, and topped it all off with mustard horseradish sauce on wheat bread. The mustard horseradish sauce was really easy to make and was so good (especially with homemade mayo to start it off with). That was a week of delicious lunches to look forward to! What else could I have this sauce with? Hmm….

Mustard Horseradish Sauce
From Ina Garten

3/4 cup good mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons sour cream
Kosher salt

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Parmesan Rosemary Gougères, Recipe

Last weekend I hosted a little dinner party. I had planned a Japanese inspired menu with homemade gyoza as an appetizer, sushi as the main course, and matcha cheesecake for dessert. Perfect, right? Well, until I went to my local Japanese grocer and found that they were out of sushi grade fish. I called around to few other fish places but had no luck. I quickly flipped the menu upside down and decided to make Fish Mollee with rice and naan for our entree and plan around that. As much as I wanted to make all components Indian inspired (can you tell I like themes?)I just didn’t have the time so went with Mixed Baby Greens Salad with Cranberries and Apples and a Maple Dressing as a starter and Molten Chocolate Cake for dessert.

I had cheese, grapes and crackers out to snack on but wanted a little something extra for my lovely dinner guests so whipped up some of these Parmesan Rosemary Gougères which are so good and yet quick and easy to make. I made them earlier in the day and then just heated them up as Judd, Jackie, and Libby arrived.

The gougères came out lovely – cooked all the way through but with the center still soft and doughy. This is a super easy recipe sure to please all your guests (or to serve as a late late snack for one – either way works!). I can also confirm that leftovers are great in the morning!

Parmesan Rosemary Gougères

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Large pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 tsp. rosemary, plus more for sprinkling
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, bring the water, milk, butter, and salt to a boil. Add the flour, stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and dries out a bit. Roughly two minutes.

Turn the dough out into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each one. Add the Parmesan cheese, rosemary and pepper.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a half inch tip (or a disposable bag with the tip cut off) and pipe tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets at least two inches apart.

Sprinkle with cheese and additional rosemary. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature.

The gougères can be frozen or refrigerated. To reheat, cook in an 350 degree oven for at least five minutes, or until piping hot and crisped.

Nutella Mousse, Recipe

Happy 100th post, Five Spoons! A big thanks to everyone who has been so supportive over these last few months, I am having a blast with this little project and hope you are all enjoying my recipes and reviews.

What better way to celebrate 100 posts than with nutella, right? I made this mousse a few days ago when an old friend was in town visiting. It was a nice light finish to our roast beef and leek and potato puree dinner. I love this recipe as you have to make it in advance. Its also is, obviously, served chilled so you don’t have to spend any time fussing in the kitchen when you should be enjoying yourself with your guests. The mousse was really light and fluffy and not overly nutella-y (although that’s never a bad thing). The oreo crunch at the bottom gave it nice texture as well. Definitely an easy recipe I’ll be keeping on file to make again and again.

Nutella Mousse
Adapted from Wishful Chef

2 Oreo cookies, without cream center
1/8 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup Nutella
1/2 cup cream, whipped
ground cookies and almonds for garnish

Grind slivered almonds in a food processor until almost like powder and reserve. Do the same for the chocolate cookies. Place cookie crumbs on the bottom of 2 small glasses or bowls. Save a little extra of the ground almonds and cookies for garnish at the end. In a small bowl, whip the cream until you get soft peaks. Mix both the ground almonds and Nutella, then whip the whipped cream and almond Nutella mixture together until smooth and well blended. Place mixture on top of cookie crumbs and sprinkle some crumbs on top. Chill in fridge until ready to eat.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Leek and Potato Purée, Recipe

I came across this recipe while looking for a side dish to serve with roast beef. It was a nice alternative to plain ol’ mashed potatoes but not too much so that the roast beef was no longer the star of the dish. These potatoes were creamy, rich, and flavorful – I’ll definitely be making them again, especially with red meat. Delicious!

Leek and Potato Puree
From Eat Live Travel Write

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
1 leek, white and light green part, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1 1/4 lb (625 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup (125 mL) 35% whipping cream, heated

Leek and Potato Puree: In nonstick skillet heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter over medium heat and cook leeks for about 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Stir in parsley and salt; set aside. Bring potatoes and thyme to boil in large pot of salted water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well and mash until smooth. Add cream and remaining butter and stir until smooth and creamy. Add leek and parsley mixture into potatoes and stir to combine well. Set aside and keep warm.

Roast Tenderloin of Beef, Recipe

I had never made a roast beef before but with an old friend in town visiting I wanted to try something new. I was so pleased with the week’s worth of chicken sandwiches that I was able to make out of leftover roasted chicken that I wanted to do something similar. I wanted to make something that would give me a week’s worth of lunches.

The recipe I used, below, called for “1 whole beef tenderloin” which is a little vague so I headed to Whole Foods and let them know what I needed. They didn’t have any beef tenderloin behind the glass but they said they had some in the back and would be happy to trim one up for me. They were very helpful and asked all sorts of questions about my dish so that they would best help me.  I explained that I have never made a roast beef before and wanted to feed about 6 people (between dinner and leftovers for sandwiches) so trusted them to cut what they thought was the right size. A few minutes later they came out with this huge slab of meat. Ok, sure, whatever you guys say. I glanced at the price and saw $29.99 which was fine as it would feed me for a week. When I got to check out I quickly learnt that the beef was $29.99 per pound and that giant slab of meat was almost five pounds! Yes, that’s about $150.When they rang that up I almost fainted. Although I was mortified for being so ignorant about the price I asked them to take it back and popped across the street to Trader Joe’s and got about 2 pounds of it for about $14. Score.

The roast beef came out really nicely and was very simple to make, as you can see. I served the roast beef with a side of Leek and Potato Puree which went really nicely with it. With the leftovers, I sliced the roast beef as thin as I could and made sandwiches with arugula, cheddar cheese, and mustard horseradish sauce on wheat bread – now there is a bagged lunch to look forward to! Do you guys have any any good suggestions for leftover roast beef leftover?

Roast Tenderloin of Beef
From Marcia’s Kitchen

1 whole beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat
1/2 cup olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2-3 cloves of garlic- mashed- you don’t have to peel
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 T unsalted butter- room temp

Combine the olive oil, vinegar,parsley,thyme, bay leaf, and garlic in a glass dish large enough to hold the beef- with some space around the roast. Rub the beef all over with the mixture and marinate for at least an hour- if longer than an hour refrigerate it. (Remember to remove it from the fridge about an hour before roasting)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Place it in a shallow roasting pan and rub the butter all over- top, bottom and sides.

Roast for 20 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer- in at least 2 places- when it’s 120 degrees it’s medium rare. The temp goes up fast so if you need to return it to the oven check every few minutes- this is one expensive cut of meat that you don’t want to over-cook.

Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into thick- about 1/2” slices- serve with the sauce of your choice. I added a splash of wine and cooked down the juices and finished it with a little butter which turned out great. Bearnaise or Bordelaise would work well too!

Homemade Mayonnaise, Recipe

I know its not the most exciting, exotic, or appealing post I’ve ever done but I have to dedicate one blog post to homemade mayonnaise. I know a lot of you hate mayo so I apologize in advance but I’m the girl that would dip her fries in mayo every night of the week given the opportunity. Its the french in me.

I looked up a few mayonnaise recipes and their reviews before settling on this one from Epicurious. The lemon and dijon were mild but added a nice freshness to the mayo. If you follow the recipe exactly you will get about 3/4 of a cup of delicious homemade mayo. Be warned: your whisking arm will be tired when you are done.

I made this mayo to use on chicken sandwiches with roasted red peppers, avocado, provolone, and leftover roasted chicken. Definitely worth the effort.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Ingredients
1 large egg yolk*
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
3/4 cup canola oil, divided

Preparation
Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds.

Using 1/4 teaspoon measure and whisking constantly, add 1/4 cup oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Cover and chill. do ahead Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

* Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. To avoid the risk of salmonella infection, you can use pasteurized egg yolk instead.

Roasted Chicken, Recipe

Here’s a little secret you may not have know about me… Until a couple weeks ago I had never roasted a chicken. I KNOW!! Its kinda crazy but I just never had the occasion and it always seems like a whole lot of chicken for one person. So I decided enough is enough and I had to do it.

I was given some good looking recipes from some friends but really needed to start at the basics so filed those away and decided to try this one titled “How to Roast a Chicken”. Its like a dummies’ guide to roasting chicken which is exactly what I needed, at least for this first run.

My chicken came out lovely! He (it?) was moist and tender and flavorful, I’m very pleased with him and myself. The one thing I am confused about is why he was ripping out of his skin like the Incredible Hunk… Anyone know? I don’t mind but just thought it looked a little funny that his skin looked like the Hunk’s shirt once he started transforming. Super chicken!

What did I learn from this experiment? Lets see… 1) Chicken is easy and delicious, 2) I need a larger roasting pan, 3) Watching me trying to tie his legs was like watching someone a man try to braid hair (confusion and light panic), 4) One chicken is enough meat for 2 people to live off of for about a week, 5) I am happy to eat chicken sandwiches for a week (with homemade mayo to boot).

Roasted Chicken
From Cooking & Eating from Away in Maine

Ingredients:
1 5 lb chicken
1 tablespoon butter
Bunch of rosemary
3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper

Method:
Slice garlic. Bash rosemary to release oils. Cut butter. Remove the innards. Rinse the bird in cold water, inside and out. Pat dry really, really well with paper towels, so the chicken won’t steam.

Sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper, stuff it with garlic and rosemary.

Tuck pieces of butter under the skin, and rub some all over the chicken’s outside.Truss and tuck. Wings are pinned behind the bird, as if it were relaxing.

Use kitchen twine to cinch the chicken, so that it cooks evenly and retains juices. Center the string over the neck, cross over legs and tie in a knot. Rain salt and grind black pepper over the bird.

Roast the chicken in a preheated 425 degree oven, for about an hour an a half. Let it rest for ten minutes before you carve.

Galette des Rois, Recipe

One of my favorite memories growing up was celebrating Epiphany with my mother’s side of the family in Paris. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you how we celebrated other than sitting around the table sharing a Galette des Rois. These cakes are sold in every bakery in France leading up to and around the first Sunday of January. Unfortunately they are close to impossible to finding here in Boston so you’ll just have to make your own.

A Galette des Rois is a cake made of flaky puff pastry layers with a dense center of frangipane. The south and north of France have slightly different versions with the south adding candied fruits, so I am sticking to what I know of from living in Paris.

Adapted from Wiki: Tradition holds that the cake is “to draw the kings” to the Epiphany. A figurine, la fève, is hidden in the cake and the person who finds the trinket in their slice becomes king for the day and will have to offer the next cake. Originally, la fève was literally a broad bean (fève), but it was replaced in 1870 by a variety of figurines out of porcelain. A paper crown is included with the cake to crown the “king” who finds the fève in their piece of cake. To ensure a random distribution of the cake shares, it is traditional for the youngest person to place themselves under the table and name the recipient of the share which is indicated by the person in charge of the service.

I chose this recipe from All Recipes and it came out very similar to as I remember. Its a lot of work (especially if you make the almond paste from scratch as I did) but well worth the efforts for the flood of memories.

Galette des Rois

Ingredients
1/4 cup almond paste
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 dry kidney bean
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions
Place the almond paste into a food processor or blender with about half of the sugar, and process until well blended. Add the butter and remaining sugar using and process until smooth, then blend in 1 egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, flour and salt. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Butter a baking sheet or line with parchment paper, and set aside.

Roll out one sheet of the puff pastry into an 11 inch square. Keep the pastry cool, do not knead or stretch. Use a large pie plate, cake pan or frying pan to trace an 11 inch circle onto the dough using the tip of a small knife. Place the circle of pastry onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry. Refrigerate both sheets.

Mound the almond filling onto the center of the pastry that is on the baking sheet. Leave about 1 1/2 inch margin at the edges. Press the bean or feve down into the filling. Place the second sheet of pastry on top, and press down the edges to seal. Beat the remaining egg with a fork, and lightly brush onto the top of the galette. Use a knife to make a criss cross pattern in the egg wash, and then prick several small slits in the top to vent steam while baking.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not open the oven until the time is up, as the pastry will not fully puff. Remove from the oven, and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Return to the oven, and cook for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Lay a golden paper crown gently on top of the cake. This will be used to crown the person who finds the bean or feve. Serve warm or cold. Make sure to tell everyone about the bean or feve.

It was probably wise for my grandparents to buy numerous Galettes so that there could be numerous kings.

Praline Topped Brownies, Recipe

I was making dinner for a friend this past Sunday and wanted, naturally, to include dessert but had a hell of a time trying to decide what to make. I didn’t want something too fussy that I would have to make during the evening as I wanted to enjoy being able to hang out. I didn’t want something common like a chocolate chip cookie as I wanted it to feel a little more special. I didn’t want something bulky or untransportable as I wanted to be able to get rid of the leftovers. Brownies! Yes. But not your everyday run of the mill brownies, they needed to have something special to them. Something to make them feel like dessert and not something you just add to your order at your local coffee shop. I think I got it… Praline Topped Brownies.

I made a note about the frosting below for you but, basically, the frosting will look very different whether or not you have patience. Either is totally fine and equally delicious, it’s just what you prefer esthetically. I think I prefer the cooled version myself although I have little patience when assembling desserts as I just want to eat them as quickly as possible.

The brownie recipe alone was actually really good (I ate three before I even made the frosting – not particularly proud of that). They were very chocolately and chewy and soft in the middle, just the way I like them. We enjoyed one after dinner and, turns out, they make a great mid-morning snack as well. They also transported well so that I could rid of my house of them as not to eat any more.

Praline Topped Brownies
Adapted from You Made That (modified from Delish.com)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups sugar
1/4 cups light brown sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Praline Topping
5 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 T vanilla extract + 2 T water
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13- by 9-inch metal bakingpan with foil; grease or spray foil with cooking spray.

In heavy 2 quart saucepan over low heat, melt margarine or butter and chocolates, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat.

Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl and beat in sugars, then eggs, until well blended. Stir in vanilla, salt, then flour just until blended. Gently stir in chocolate chips until just blended. Spread batter evenly in pan.

Bake brownies 35 min. (toothpick inserted in brownies will not come out clean). Cool brownies in pan on wire rack. If not using brownies within 1 day, cover cooled brownies with foil and refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.

In 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, heat butter and brown sugar, until mixture melts and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. With wire whisk, beat in vanilla and water, then confectioners’ sugar, until mixture is smooth.

*Side Note: You Have two options here, both equally delicious. Option 1) Glaze your brownies as the frosting is still warm and let it drip down the sides or Option 2) Wait, somewhat patiently, for your frosting to cool to room temperature and then frost your brownies creating more of a traditional cake look / feel. Personally, I did one (I impatiently wanted one stat) and the the other which I think is the way to go.

With metal spatula, spread frosting on cooled brownies; sprinkle with pecans. To cut brownies lift the foil out of pan and cut even squares.