"The Thing That Makes Me Most Excited About Fall Right Now...

...is being able to make this chutney!"

This is approximately what a friend said last night when a group of us got together and made dinner, and I brought this mango chutney.  

Inspired by a chutney my Mom made for me a few weeks ago (although it turned out to be entirely different), this mango chutney is as easy and delicious as it comes.  The peeling and chopping is a tad bit time consuming, but once the fruits and veggies are all diced up, everything is dumped in one pot and cooks together.  Spices and a dash of acid at the end complete this delicious condiment that you'll want to serve (or just eat with a spoon!) all winter long.  Last night we served it over a brined pork tenderloin (more inspiration from Mom!), but I suspect it would be fantastic on chicken and lamb as well.

(Apologies for forgetting pictures--by the time dinner was on the table we all dug in and forgot the photos!  I can guarantee I'll be making this again and again, so pictures will come eventually)

A Fresh Take On An Old School Recipe

Friends, I am going retro on you, in the form of shredded carrot salad.  I am OBSESSED right now!  Seriously, I made some in May when I was trying to use up food in fridge, and since then I've made it THREE more times, because I liked it so much.  I've been tweaking the recipe a bit, and I've come up with something I'm really happy with.  I'm sure I'm not the first one to come up with my particular combination of ingredients, particularly because there are only 5, but I'm pretty darn pleased with it.

So, other than the fun retro factor, carrot salad is great for all these reasons, in no particular order:  

1. It's super easy to make.
2. It's fairly quick to make (provided you have a food processor with a grating disk.  If you don't, you probably want to stop reading, because grating tons of carrots by hand is time consuming, annoying, and you're guaranteed to lose a fair bit of knuckle skin, and no one likes that.
3. It's cheap.  Which is good when you want to make a lot to feed your friends, or bring to a BBQ or a potluck.
4. The ingredients are in season year-round (in the grocery store, anyway),  so once you discover how great this, you can make it forever. 
5. It's actually quite healthy and surprisingly filling.
6. It's the perfect make-ahead dish because it actually tastes better after sitting for a day.  The carrots soften and sweeten slightly, the raisins soak up the dressing and get plump and juicy, and the shallot mellows and provides just the right amount of subtle onion flavor.  
7. It continues to keep really well in the fridge for a whole week up to two weeks.  (I'm doing an experiment to see how long it stays tasty, but I'm 12 days in and it tastes as good as day 2)
8. It can be eaten directly out of the tupperware and viola, instant lunch!  (Or dinner!)
9. It can be mixed with greens and viola, instant salad!

So many ways to eat it!  So many reasons to make it!

I was reminded of carrot salad when I uncovered my copy of Fanny at Chez Panisse, a kid-centric take on cooking at Chez Panisse, by Alice Waters.  Someone gave it to me when I was about 9 years old. (How did they know that food was my destiny?!)  The carrot salad in that cookbook is seasoned with garlic and parsley, and a simple oil and vinegar dressing--tres Francais!  American carrot salads often have a creamy mayonaise-based dressing, and incorporate a sweet, fruity component, like apples, raisins, or pineapple.  I have borrowed components of each type, nixing the chopped parsley (mostly because I always get it stuck in my teeth, which is awkward), keeping the vinaigrette because I prefer it to creamy dressings, incorporating raisins (or currants), and adding finely diced shallot or red onion.  Salt, pepper, and 24 hours in the fridge--you'll be shocked at how delicious this simple combination can be. 

Shredded Carrot Salad

Makes approximately 12 cups 

I've written the recipe to feed a crowd (or me for like, four meals).  However, it's easy to divide if you need to.  However, the leftovers are fantastic, so don't be scared to make a lot!

* 3 pounds of carrots, preferably organic (approximately 10 large carrots)

* 1 large shallot, finely diced, or about ½ cup of finely diced red onion

* 1 ¾ cups of raisins or currants.  I prefer brown raisins for contrast, but golden raisins are also fine

* 5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

* 4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

* 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

1. Set up your food processor with the shredder disk. 

2. Scrub your carrots, peel them if you want (I don't, personally), and trim the ends.  Cut the carrots into lengths so that they will fit into the feed tube of the food processor horizontally (see picture below).  I like shredding them this way instead of feeding them vertically because you get longer shreds.

3. Dump the carrots in a large mixing bowl, along with the diced shallot and raisins.  Drizzle with the oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and toss with your (clean) hands.  

4.  Cover with plastic wrap, or transfer to tupperware, and refrigerate overnight.  

5.  Before serving, taste for salt, pepper, and acidity, and adjust seasoning if necessary.  

Enjoy!!

Stuffed Peppers

  

Casablanca Restaurant in Harvard Square makes, hands down, the best stuffed peppers I have ever eaten.  The one on their menu is served as an entree because it's so big and delicious.  I've become a huge fan since trying it for the first time a year ago.  These peppers are considerably less stuffed--definitely a side dish, not the main enchilada.  Still, they satisfy my craving for a yummy pepper stuffed full of goodness.  They are quick to execute and makes a great side dish, packing veggie and grains into one delicious package.  This is a Mediterranean-inspired version, but once you have the technique, which is quite easy, it's a fun dish to experiment with, using different grain/fruit/nut/vegetable combinations. 

Couscous and Vegetable Stuffed Peppers (Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis/www.foodnetwork.com)

Makes 6 Stuffed Peppers

When shopping, look for firm, unblemished peppers that are fairly full and round with nice, even bottoms.  These peppers will hold a good amount of filling, and they are much easier to clean out than skinny, misshapen peppers.  The peppers can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, and stored, tightly covered, in the fridge, then baked before service.

Peppers:

* 1 ⅓ cups low-sodium chicken broth

* 2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

* 1 cup couscous

* 1 15-ounce can of chick peas (also called garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

* ½ cup dried currants or raisins

* 1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves

* ⅔ cup (about 5 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

* ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

* Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

* 6 medium sized bell peppers.  Red, yellow and orange are the most flavorful, and make the prettiest presentation

* Hot water, a cup or two

Sauce:

* 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves

* ½ cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche or sour cream

* 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

* 1 Tablespoon water

* 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

* ¼ teaspoon sugar

* ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, plus extra, as needed

1. Heat your oven to 400 degrees F, with a rack in the center position  

2. Bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil in a medium sauce pan.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Once the liquid has been absorbed, fluff it with a fork to separate the grains. 

3. Slice the tops off the peppers and rinse to clean and remove all the ribs and seeds.  If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up.  Dice the pepper tops.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pepper pieces, garbanzo beans, currants or raisins, spinach, feta and ¼ cup of olive oil.  Add the couscous and toss together.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

5. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil.  Put the peppers in an appropriately sized baking dish (8 by 8-inches holds 5 peppers, but if you're actually doing 6, you'll probably need at least 10 by 10 inches).  Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes, and cover with foil if the filling is browning too quickly or is starting to look dry.  I didn't do this, but I should have! 

6.  In the meantime, make the sauce.  In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

7. Serve sauce on, under, or just alongside the peppers--whatever you like!  

Enjoy!  

Swirly Cinnamon Raisin Bread

  

I've recently become obsessed with creating an awesome but easy cinnamon-raisin bread.  The idea took hold during a conversation with a friend who suggested that Cook's Illustrated No-Knead Bread would work as a cinnamon-raisin loaf.  I was struck by that though, and since it is the easiest bread by far, I made a couple of loaves the next day.  The results were solid, but not quite what I had in mind.  Because the CINKB is both fat-free and slow-fermenting bread that develops a lot of gluten, it resulted in a tougher loaf than what I was looking for.  Still looking for a lighter, low-fat bread (as opposed to a buttery, brioche-based cinnamon-raisin bread, which would be very tender and delicious, but too rich for my purposes), I decided instead to try a classic white sandwich bread.   These breads are often milk-based, and contain either butter or oil, but are still fairly light.  The first one I tried was good, but it didn't produce as big a loaf as I imagined, and the weight of the raisins in the dough interfered with the rising and left a big empty pocket of air inside.  For take 3 I turned to the Cook's Illustrated companion, Baking Illustrated, and tried their American Sandwich Bread.  In addition to producing a nice big loaf, it's a relatively quick recipe to execute--just over 2 hours from start to finish.  It took a couple of iterations and adjustments, but I've finally achieved what I consider a delicious but not-too-indulgent-for-everyday-breakfast bread.  For ample cinnamon flavor I mix  ground cinnamon directly into the dough and roll cinnamon sugar into the loaf before it goes in the pan, producing an attractive sweet and spicy swirl.  A healthy dose of plumped raisins are kneaded directly into the dough so they're evenly incorporated, ensuring that with every bite you're rewarded with soft, sweet, raisin-y goodness.  My favorite way to enjoy this bread is simply toasted with a light smear of butter and a steamy cup of Earl Gray Tea. 

 

Every Day Cinnamon Raisin Bread (Loosely adapted from Baking Illustrated) 

Makes one 9-inch loaf

* 3¾ cups (18¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface

* 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt

* 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

* 1 cup warm milk--whole is recommended, but I use 1%

* ⅓ cup warm water

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

* 3 tablespoons honey

* 1 envelope (or 2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast

* 1 packed cup (5 ½ ounces) raisins

* 5 packed Tablespoons of brown sugar--light or dark is fine

1. Adjust your oven racks to the two lowest positions and prepare your oven for proofing by heating it to 200 degrees F. Once the oven temperature reaches 200 degrees F, turn it off.  Place a shallow baking pan on the bottom rack and set a few cups of water to boil.

2. Plump your raisins by covering them with very hot water, or cover with water and microwave for two minutes.  Set aside for 10 minutes.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3½ cups (17 ½ ounces) of the flour, the salt and 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon.  In a microwave safe measuring cup (at least 2 cup capacity), mix the milk, water and butter, and heat until the butter is melted and the liquid is warm (should be about 110 degrees.  If you let it get too hot--and I do this sometimes--allow to cool for a few minutes).  Add the honey and yeast and whisk together.

4. Turn the machine to low and slowly add the liquid/yeast mixture. When the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes.  If the dough begins to creep up the dough hook, stop the mixer and push it down.  If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add some flour, a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 Tablespoons) until it no longer sticks.  Once your dough has kneaded for 5 minutes, drain your raisins and add them to the mixer.  Knead for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the raisins are incorporated.  If they're being stubborn you can also work them in by hand.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball (and finish incorporating the raisins), about 15 seconds.

5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and turn it around the bowl to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warmed oven.  At this time take your boiling water and pour it into the pan on the bottom rack to create a nice steamy environment.  Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, 40 to 50 minutes.  

6. In a small bowl, combine the 2 teaspoons cinnamon and the brown sugar and set aside.  Lightly oil a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Dust your counter with a bit of flour and turn the dough out onto it.  Gently press the dough into a rectangle 9 inches across and about twice that in length.  Cover the surface with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Start rolling the dough from a 9-inch side.  When you get to the end, pinch the seam closed.  Place the dough in the greased pan, seam side down, and cover it again with plastic wrap. 

Put the loaf back in the oven until it nearly doubles again in size, 20 to 30 minutes.

7.  Remove the rising bread from the oven and heat it to 350 degrees F.  With the pan of hot water still in the oven, bake the loaf for 40 to 50 minutes.  If you have a digital thermometer, the bread's internal temperature will be 200 degrees F when it's done.  Turn the bread out onto a cooling rack and cool fully before slicing.  This bread will keep for several days in a ziplock bag at room temperature. 

Enjoy!!

Apple Raisin Muffins

 

Anyone familiar with Paula Deen of the Food Network knows that she loves butter, butter, and more butter.  Anyone familiar with me knows that I like butter...but only in moderation (usually).  So where do Paula and I find common ground?  In these apple raisin muffins.  How?  Because Paula is so generous with her butter, I can replace half of it with apple sauce and still produce some darn good muffins.  To further de-Paula this recipe, I often replace 1 ½ cups of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, and toss in about 2 tablespoons of nutty wheat germ to up the fiber and vitamin content of these flavorful treats.

Just as banana bread is the perfect vehicle for overripe bananas, these muffins are a perfect use for apples that are slightly past their prime.  Sweet, spicy, moist, they are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.  Re-warm in the microwave or toaster oven for optimal tastiness.  This is a big recipe, but it halves easily if needed.  Muffins will keep for three or four days in a sealed bag or container. 

Miniature Apple Raisin Muffins  (Adapted from Paula Deen, www.foodnetwork.com)

Makes about 5 dozen mini muffins or 2 dozen regular muffins

Note: Although the active time for this recipe is actually quite short, the apple mixture does take several hours to cool, so plan accordingly.

* 1 cup of water

* 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

* 2 cups grated apples, any variety will do (2 large or 3 medium apples)

* 2 cups of raisins

* 1 stick (8 tablespoon/4 ounces) unsalted butter

* 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce

* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

* 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger

* ½ teaspoon ground cloves

* ½ teaspoon kosher salt

* 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

* 2 teaspoons baking soda

* 3 ½ (420 grams) cups all-purpose flour, OR a mix of all purpose and whole wheat flour and wheat germ, equaling 3 ½ cups (I use about 240 grams all-purpose flour, 160 grams whole wheat flour, and 2 tablespoons of wheat germ.  If you don't have any wheat germ, use 180 grams whole wheat flour)

* Butter or oil spray (such as PAM)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, apples, raisins, butter, apple sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and cool to room temperature.  (While I've never timed it, my recollection is this takes 2 to 3 hours, even in the fridge.  Stir the mixture occasionally to help the process along.)

2. When your mixture has cooled, crank up your oven to 350˚F.  Grease your muffin tins with butter or oil spray (such as PAM).

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and nuts, if using.  Glob the cooled apple mixture onto the dry ingredients, and stir gently, just until combined.  The mixture will be thicker and chunkier than a traditional batter.  However, if you feel like it's so dry that the flour won't fully incorporate, add a ¼ cup of water to loosen things up.

4. Fill greased muffin tins almont to the top, and bake for 15 minutes for minis, about 22 minutes for regular muffins, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Cool the muffins in the tins until they can be removed without burning your fingers, then cool completely on wire racks.  If you need to reuse the muffin tins for additional batches, pop them in the fridge for a few minutes until they're cool to the touch, then re-grease and repeat until all the batter is used.

Enjoy!!