Baking outside of the box

There’s no shame in baking brownies from a box. We’re not big on sweets around here, so when I actually do get the bug to make dessert, the base tends to come from our good friends at Pilsbury or Duncan Hines. However, I do like to tweak boxed mixes so the end result has a fancier feel to it. I did four things to make these delectable brownies:

1. Started with a box of Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix 
2. Added brewed coffee to the mix instead of water
3. Smeared the baked, cooled brownies with a hefty serving of Nutella
4. Topped the brownies with lots of crushed, roasted hazelnuts

White chili recipe a trusty fave

I’ve been rocking this chili recipe for years but have yet to share it on this blog … until now! If you like a spicier chili, swap out the cheddar for more pepper jack.

Turkey White Bean Chili 
1 large white onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
8 ounces diced green chiles
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar
Salt and pepper, to taste

 In a large pot over medium heat, combine onion, garlic and ground turkey, stirring occasionally and sautéeing for roughly 10 minutes, or until the turkey is brown. Add the chiles, cumin, oregano and cinnamon and sauté for five more minutes.

Puree two cans of the beans with three cups of the chicken broth in a food processor. Pour the puree in the pot along with the remaining beans and broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and simmer for another five minutes before serving. Possible garnishes include green onions, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Food fun in wintry Wisconsin

Anyone else out there miss the holidays?

I had a great Christmas vacation with Chris and his family out in wintry white Wisconsin. Lots of fun, lots of relaxing, LOTS of delicious food and beverages.

I want to share a few of my favorite flavors from the trip, with some fun photos by Chris (who, if you didn’t already know, takes and posts all kinds of great pics here).

The Badger State busts out some serious brews, and we enjoyed quite a few during our recent visit. I like everything I’ve tried from New Glarus Brewing Company, and wish they distributed out to California just like Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company does. My new favorite, discovered out on this trip, is O’So Brewing Company’s Hopdinger, a pale ale with a great hoppy flavor.

We were equally impressed with the beers and the appetizers at Hinterland Brewing Co. in Green Bay. Seriously, who doesn’t love a ginormous bowl of sweet potato fries?

The Packers’ hometown is also home to Kavarna Coffeehouse, where they make a mean white mocha. While visiting Milwaukee we got our morning caffeine fix from Alterra Coffee. We liked it so much we bought a couple pounds of their coffee beans to bring home.

If you ever visit Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, definitely hit Cafe Benelux. Their Bier Book is ri-di-culous. And if you’re interested in some better-loosen-the-belt German food, definitely give Karl Ratzsch’s a try. Schnitzel, schnitzel everywhere, and you won’t want to put down your fork and knife.

Noodle salad fresh and festive

‘Tis the season to overindulge. Give this salad a try if you want something quick and fresh to balance out all the ridiculously rich goodies you’ve enjoyed at Christmas cocktail parties, family feasts and other holiday festivities. This recipe is similar to the Thai Beef Noodle Salad I made a couple summers back, and the ingredients taste just as great with shrimp as they do with flank steak.

Shrimp Noodle Salad
1 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
3 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 6-ounce package mung bean noodles
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
½ cup fresh cilantro, torn
⅓ cup crushed unsalted peanuts

Make dressing by whisking 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 2 tablespoons garlic in a bowl with soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, jalapeño and rice wine vinegar. Set aside. Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain using a colander, and rinse in cold water before placing in a large bowl with bell pepper, carrot, cilantro and dressing. Heat remaining teaspoon sesame oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two, until aromatic, before adding shrimp. Cook shrimp for a couple minutes on each side until shrimp are fully cooked. Toss shrimp with noodles and vegetables. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts.

Baked fish with plenty of fresh flavors

I need to cook fish on a more regular basis. Boneless chicken breasts, jumbo prawns and ground turkey are my constants when it comes to cooking animal proteins. However, there are plenty of other fish in the sea (ha) when it comes to menu planning, which is I created a recipe around cod, quite a mellow fellow as far as fishy flavor is concerned. I think the acidity of the tomatoes and the salt of the olives really complement the fish in this dish, which also gets some wonderful fresh flavors thanks to parsley and a little fresh lemon juice squeezed over the plate at the last second. This recipe yields four main-course servings.

Baked Cod with Tomatoes and Olives 
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
28-ounce can plum tomatoes in liquid, coarsely chopped or crushed by hand
¾ cup Spanish manzanilla olives
¼ cup dry white wine
1 pound cod fillets, rinsed and patted dry
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
8 ounces pasta, cooked al dente (I used Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper Pappardelle)

One lemon, cut into wedges Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat bottom of 9-inch-by-13-inch glass dish with one teaspoon of olive oil and set aside. Heat remaining teaspoon olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for just a minute or two, until aromatic, before adding tomatoes, wine and green olives. Let simmer over medium heat until sauce thickens a bit, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Place cod fillets in glass baking dish and pour tomato sauce over fillets. Cover dish with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, until fish registers 140 degrees with a meat thermometer and flakes easily with a fork. Divide pasta among plates, topping each plate with cod fillet and a spoonful or two of sauce. Garnish each plate with a lemon wedge and serve.

Going meatless? Go with mushrooms

It’s an odd day when there’s not a mushroom to be found in my kitchen. We go through them like they’re going out of style, and my ears always perk up when I come across recipes calling for any sort of fungi. Mushrooms are just so versatile, and have a wonderful flavor, no matter if you grill, stuff or sautée them. I find myself using them more as a substitute for meat -- grilled portobello caps make great burgers, and I like my fajitas with sliced creminis as much as I do chicken or steak.

I came up with this super-simple, meat-free dinner the other night in an attempt to use up the rest of my Thanksgiving-stuffing herbs. Sure enough, I also had a pound of white mushrooms in the fridge.

Farro with Mushrooms 
2 cups farro
6 cups water
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup vegetable broth
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine farro and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until farro is tender. Drain farro and set aside. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and thyme and sautée, stirring occasionally, for 4 or 5 minutes. Add broth to pan with mushrooms and simmer for a few minutes. Lower heat and add cooked farro to pan, stirring to mix. Stir in the parsley and Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Giving chicken soup a little kick

Homemade chicken soup is such a simply wonderful meal. It’s a great comfort when you’re under the weather, but a warm bowl full of chicken, broth and other goodies is delicious no matter how you feel. The next time you want a little twist on a traditional favorite, give this recipe a try.

Kickin’ Chicken and Rice Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, ends removed, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1 cup dry white rice, rinsed
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 cup (7-8 ounces) diced smoked sausage (I used one of these guys)
8 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces large shrimp, butterflied and separated

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large, heavy pot. Add garlic, onion, carrots, celery and bell pepper and sautée for a couple minutes. Stir in Creole seasoning, rice, sausage and chicken and sautée for a couple more minutes. Add broth and tomato paste. Bring pot to boil and then reduce heat, allowing soup to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Stir in shrimp, cover, and simmer for another five minutes, until shrimp is fully cooked.