Spinach and Gorgonzola-stuffed Baked Potatoes

July 4th Leftovers

We had leftover food from our July 4th dinner. Cathy decided to make Spinach and Gorgonzola-stuffed Baked Potatoes from a recipe by Ottolenghi. Cathy is not a fan of Gorgonzola Cheese so she substituted White Cheddar Cheese. The potatoes were great. They were a perfect accompaniment to the delicious leftovers!

Spinach and Gorgonzola-stuffed Baked Potatoes

Simple

Ottolenghi

I love the strong blue cheese here, but use any other cheese that you have around or prefer—it’ll work just as well. This is either a meal in itself, to serve two, or works well to serve four, alongside a simple steak and fresh green salad. The walnuts are optional, but they do add a welcome Crunch.

If Esme could have had her way, there would have been more recipes for baked potatoes here. With both apologies and thanks to Esme, this is for those that didn’t get in and the two winners that did.

Serves two as a main or four as a side

2              large russet potatoes

1-1/2       tbsp unsalted butter

3              tbsp heavy cream

2-1/4       Gorgonzola

salt and black pepper

7 oz        baby spinach leaves

2              tbsp walnut halves, lightly toasted and broken up into 1/2-inch pieces (optional)

1.  Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2.  Poke the potatoes a few times with a fork and then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or just over, until the flesh is soft all the way through. Remove from the oven and slice the potatoes in half, lengthwise. Scoop the flesh out into a medium bowl, setting the skins aside on the sheet for later. Roughly mash the potato with 1 tbsp of the butter, the cream, Gorgonzola, 1/2 tsp ,of salt, and a generous grind of pepper and set aside.

3.  Take the remaining 1/2 tbsp of butter and divide it among the potato cavities. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and return to the oven for 8 minutes, for the skin to become crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.

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4.  Place a medium saucepan, halfway filled with salted water, over high heat. Once boiling, add the spinach for about 10-15 seconds, just to wilt. Drain the spinach, squeezing out as much of the water as possible. Stir into the potato flesh, to combine, then spoon the mash back inside the empty skins, piled high. Bake for 15 minutes, until the top of the mash is crisp and browned. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the walnuts, and serve.

July 4th

Porchetta from McCall's

Oh the Pork!

Brisket from Bludso's

Ribs from Bludso's

On July 4th we always have friends over to eat on our deck and watch the fireworks from all over the city. It is always fun. We added a new dish to the spread: Corn Salad With Peppers and Ginger. It was a hit and we will make it again. By popular demand once again we made Megan's Porchetta that we purchase at McCall's Meat and Fish. We purchase Ribs and Brisket from Bludso's. A pork lovers dinner!

Corn Salad With Peppers and Ginger

American Masala

Suvir Saran

Serves 8

2          tablespoons canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil

1          teaspoon cumin seeds

3          dried red chiles (optional)

1          small red onion, finely chopped

2          medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely chopped

1-1/2   inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2          jalapeho (cored and peeled if you prefer a milder flavor), finely chopped

2          teaspoons kosher salt

6          large ears of com, husked, kernels sliced from the cob (about 5 cups of com)

Heat the oil with the cumin and chiles (if using) in a large skillet or wok until the cumin is toasty, brown, and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, cook for 1 minute, and then add the bell peppers, ginger, jalapeno, and salt and cook until the onion has softened, 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the corn and cook until it’s tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the salad to a bowl and serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

EVERY YEAR my good friend Art Smith, an incredibly talented chef, invites some of his colleagues to join him in helping to raise money for various charitable causes. For one of these events I decided to make Corn Salad, and it became the talk of the evening, with guests lining up for second and third helpings. It's the kind of dish that is deceptively easy, tasting so good that no one will ever believe it took you less than 15 minutes to make, it’s especially delicious in late summer when field com is at its peak and is so milky and sweet that you barely need to cook it.

Zucchini Pasta

Melons this year have been particularly good!

This is one of our favorite summer dishes. Zucchini Pasta. Actually to be clear the pasta isn't made from zucchini, the sauce is. It is sautéed until it is a rich dark mass. The browned zucchini almost taste like a meat sauce. It is a delicious pasta especially appropriate for you vegetarians. The zucchini is sliced very thin and sautéed until dark and crisp. They cook down to very little, so start with a lot of zucks. You can find the recipe for this simple and delicious pasta in our blog of: June 19, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. This is one of those dishes that makes me realize I could be a vegetarian (theoretically speaking - I will never give up my love a great steak!).

Rotisserie Chicken and Fresh Baked Focaccia

Fresh Baked Focaccia

Rotisserie Chicken is another favorite of ours. We cook it on the spit (Usually 2 chickens so that we have leftovers. We place a pan with potatoes and onions underneath the chicken as it cooks. We stuffed the two chickens using the recipe for Roast Chicken for Two and from The Balthhazar Cookbook by Keith McNally, Riad Nasr & Lee Hansen. This is a great recipe that keeps the chicken very moist. You can find the recipe on our blog of: June 23, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.The potatoes absorb the juices and are a perfect accompaniment.

We have been making Focaccia. It is simple for us. We purchase the Focaccia Dough at Cookbook in Echo Park. All we have to do is let it rise and sprinkle Thyme, Salt and Parmesan Cheese on top and bake. Couldn't be easier.

Goan Shrimp

Goan Shrimp is a favorite dinner for us. We make it several times per year. It has a kick, but you can temper it to your taste. We serve it over Basmati Rice. If you haven't ever made this and you like Shrimp and Indian Spices, this is for you! You can find the recipe for the Goan Shrimp on our blog of: August 9, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

A chief we know: Kenya

Cathy made this great Banana Chocolate Chip Cake from a recipe in Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook. It was very good. Because of the Banana it is a very moist cake. The picture of Kenya has nothing to do with this recipe. I just like the picture I took of her cooking in a restaurant.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook.

This tender cake is different from all the banana breads out there -- possibly because Jim Lahey brings his celebrated skills as a bread baker to the recipe, which we adapted from "The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook." The spices, molasses and dark brown sugar combine for an intense, fragrant and almost caramel-like richness, while the mix of butter and olive oil make the crumb melt in the mouth. Be sure to use very ripe bananas for the best flavor; they should be spotted with brown and soft.

Ingredients

¾      stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, more for greasing pan

1       cup plus 1 tablespoon grams all-purpose flour

1-¼  teaspoons baking powder

¼      teaspoon fine sea salt

¼      cup extra-virgin olive oil

⅓      cup granulated sugar

¼      cup dark brown sugar

1       tablespoon molasses

½      teaspoon ground allspice

½      teaspoon ground cinnamon

1-½  teaspoons espresso or strong coffee, cooled (optional)

½      teaspoon vanilla extract

1       egg

1       cup smashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)

Generous 1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and fine sea salt.

3.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, oil, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, allspice, cinnamon, espresso and vanilla until just combined. The secret to this cake's texture is to stop mixing before the sugar is dissolved.

4.  Use a spatula to mix egg into butter mixture, then stir in flour mixture just to combine. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and bake until top is golden and sides begin to pull away from pan, about 25 minutes.

5.  Let cool for at least 20 minutes (or longer, until completely cooled), then run a thin spatula around the edges to separate from the pan. Invert onto a serving plate. Cake will keep for 1 day, covered.

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Pan-Roasted Sea Trout With Umbrian Lentils And Red Cabbage Sottaceto

We had left over Smoked Salmon and decided to serve it on a bed of Cabbage and Lentils. We used the  recipe for: Pan-Roasted Sea Trout With Umbrian Lentils And Red Cabbage Sottaceto from the Mozza Cookbook. It is excellent! You should try this. You can get the recipe on our blog of: April 16, 2012. Click the date to get this great recipe.

Smoked Salmon and Orange Blossom Rice

Fresh Smoked Salmon

Orange Blossom Rice in Donabe

We regularly Smoke Salmon in our Green Egg. It is a wonderful way to cook salmon. You can get the recipe from our blog of: January 15, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

In Japan they use the double lidded Donabe Pot to cook rice on top of the stove. Orange Butter Rice is an interesting recipe that we will make again. The addition of Butter and the Orange Rind makes for an unusual and tasty rice.

Orange Butter Rice

Donabe Cookbook

1          medium orange (such as navel)

3          rice cups short-grain white rice, rinsed

2-1/4   cups water

3          tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 slices, at room temperature

3          tablespoons usukuchi shoyu
(light-colored soy sauce)

Freshly ground black pepper

It may be hard to imagine how the flavor combination of steamed rice with orange, butter, and soy sauce could work, but it’s delicious to the point of being irresistible. While this dish is good on its own. Smoked duck and orange butter rice brilliant pairing! It’s also great as a side dish for grilled meat or fish.—Naoko

Using a paring knife or a peeler, slice off the zest from the orange in long strips 34-inch wide. Be sure to remove just the top layer of the skin, not the white pith. Cut crosswise into very finely julienned pieces. Set aside. Reserve the peeled orange for another use.

In the donabe, combine the rice with the water. Let the rice soak for 20 minutes. Cover with both lids and cook over medium-high heat for 13 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest undisturbed for 20 minutes.

Uncover and add the butter, usukuchi shoyu, and orange zest. Gently fluff the contents and serve in individual bowls at the table. Grind some black pepper on top and enjoy.

Asparagus Pasta

Every year in spring we make one of our favorite dishes: Asparagus Pasta. This is one of the dishes that makes me believe I could be a vegetarian. I love this dish. You can find the recipe on our blog of: April 17, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Olive Oil-Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Carrots

I liked this recipe from the New York Times for: Olive Oil-Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Carrots. The recipe says save the oil after cooking for other uses. Because we added Potatoes to the recipe, and soaked up the oil with Focaccia Bread  we didn't have very much oil left over!

Olive Oil-Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Carrots

New York Times

Think of this as a weeknight chicken confit, cooked low and slow in plenty of olive oil along with sweet carrots and tangy lemon slices. Save that leftover oil and use it to roast vegetables, fry eggs, jump-start a pasta sauce or, of course, cook more chicken.

Ingredients

2       pounds whole chicken legs, or bone-in, skin-on drumsticks or thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1       bunch small, thin carrots, preferably with their green tops

2       heads garlic, left unpeeled and halved crosswise to expose the cloves

1       lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed

½      bunch oregano, plus more leaves for garnish

1       cup olive oil

Preparation

1.   Heat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

2.   If the carrots have their green tops, trim the tops so that the stems are about 1/2- to 1-inch long. Save the greens for garnish or for using in salsa verde or pesto (they can be treated like parsley).

3.   Arrange chicken in a large shallow baking dish or shallow braising pot (about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts) so that the legs are snug and lying flat. Scatter garlic head halves, carrots, lemon slices and oregano sprigs among the chicken pieces, nestling everything in there. (It’s O.K. if the carrots stick out a bit.) Pour the olive oil over the chicken and vegetables. (Yes, you’re using all that oil! Don’t worry, it can be repurposed; see Note below.) Season again with salt and pepper.

4.   Place in the oven, uncovered, and roast until the chicken is so tender it nearly falls off the bone and the carrots and lemons are nicely caramelized, 55 to 65 minutes.

5.   Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Divide chicken, vegetables and lemons among plates (or serve straight from the dish it was cooked in) and scatter with carrot tops, if you have them, and more oregano before eating. (Reserve the leftover schmaltzy olive oil in the baking dish for another purpose.)

Tip

The schmaltzy olive oil can be strained and stored in an airtight container, and refrigerated for up to 1 month. Use it to fry eggs, roast vegetables, cook more chicken, smear on toast or make bread crumbs.

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Zucchini Pasta and Homemade Focaccia Bread

Zucchini Pasta is wonderful. Thinly sliced Zucchinis are sautéed into dark and rich in taste. It makes a delicious pasta sauce. We started with home baked Focaccia Bread. We purchase the dough for the Focaccia at Cookbook. You just need to put the dough in a pan, let it rise and then bake. We have learned over time to bake the bread at slightly lower temperature and shorter time, to get a perfect result. You can find the recipe for this simple and delicious pasta in our blog of: June 19, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. This is one of those dishes that makes me realize I could be a vegetarian (theoretically speaking - I will never give up my love a great steak!).

Rici-E-Bici

Spring brings us Fresh Peas. Rice-E-Bici is a favorite of ours. We make it several times each year. It is   like a cross between a Soup and a Risotto. This is a dish you should make, if you like the taste of peas. You can find the recipe for this perfect spring dish on our blog of: March 31, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.