Becker Sour Cream Dip; or How Laura Learned to Stop Chipping and Love the Veggies

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Laura S

Something really strange happened at our Super Bowl party last week. There was a huge array of delicious foods: Skyline dip, homemade artichoke spinach dip, fresh guacamole, even taco-flavored Doritos. And yet, I found myself eating veggies. Lots of them. This is not normal. Not to say that I dislike veggies, I’m actually a pretty big fan. But who wants carrots in the face of creamy, gooey Skyline dip?

Now, before you start thinking that this was some form of super celery, I should confess that I would have eaten anything that was covered into the fantastic dip that my friend Katie made. Cardboard would have been exquisite, veggies were amazing and I can only imagine how french fries would taste dunked in this stuff.

When I asked Katie what it was in this amazing dip, she listed all of my favorite things; sour cream, garlic, pepper and even lemon zest. If I had made it for everyone I would totally have taken credit for inventing it, but being the fine upstanding citizen that she is Katie informed me she found the recipe in The Joy of Cooking.

Try it, you wont regret it.

Mix well in a large bowl:

2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of one lemon

That’s it, you’re done. Easy, delicious, amazing. I would personally run it through the food processor so the garlic isn’t chunky, but any way you do it would be great!

The book also suggests trying these delicious add-ins:

3-4 scallions, thinly sliced, or
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, or
1/2 cup caramelized onions

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Apricots and White Chocolate

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Laura S

My mom stopped by the library today and brought the staff a surprise batch of cookies!

We found this recipe in the back cover of a Martha Stewart Living Magazine several years ago (I looked it it, it was March 2009), and it’s been a family favorite ever since. A classier take on the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie, the apricots and white chocolate give these cookies a much lighter, delicate taste. Our magazines are a great place to find recipes and you can check out back issues to bake all you want at home.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
7 ounces dried apricots, preferably California, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, oatmeal, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add salt, vanilla, and eggs, and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture gradually, beating until just combined. Stir in chocolate and apricots. Cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the center, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

If your interested in some of the other amazing baked goods that the amazing Ms. Stewart has to offer, try checking out Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook or Martha Stewart’s Cookies.

Meatloaf Brasciole: An Homage to Rachael Ray

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Laura S

When I was in college we had free cable and I was addicted to the food channels. Over the space of 3 years I taught myself to cook just by watching TV (I would have practiced but the dorms had no kitchens). Sadly, I saw lots of delicious recipes being made but didn’t think to write them down for when I could get somewhere to test them out. Instead I’d wait a few months and them create some terrifying amalgam of 12 different recipes I’d seen.

This started out as a recipe for Meatloaf Brasciole (that’s fancy for Meatloaf Roll-Up) that I saw on an episode of Rachael Ray, but got morphed to include the ingredients I had on hand. It’s as easy as a regular meatloaf, but with the rolled up core of prosciutto, cheese and spinach it looks super fancy and complex, plus the Italian flavors are WAY better than the version your mom used to make.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 small white onion, grated
3 tablespoons pine nuts, chopped
3 tablespoons grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano
1 cup baby spinach
6 slices prosciutto
6 slices deli sliced provolone
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients (except prosciutto, cheese, spinach and oil) like you are making a regular meat loaf. Flatten meat out on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet into a thin layer: 1/2-inch thick, 12 inches long by 6 to 8 inches wide. Cover meat with spinach, prosciutto slices and cheese then roll the meat, using the waxed paper to help roll up into a large log (like a giant Swiss Roll). Drizzle the log with extra-virgin olive oil to coat lightly. Roast meatroll 20 minutes. Cut into 1 inch servings.

For more awesome, easy dinner ideas try one of these great books:

Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook: 100 Can’t-miss Main Courses in Pictures

Just in Time! All-new 30-Minute Meals

Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book

Easy Rice Cooker Add-ins

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Laura S

The best purchase I ever made for my kitchen was my rice cooker. By combining rice with staples I have laying around the house I can make delicious, healthy meals and still have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with no effort whatsoever.

I like to buy and pre-grill chicken breasts in bulk and then freeze them. When I know that I’m going to have rice for dinner I’ll pull one or two out the night before so it can defrost in the fridge. When I get home from work I’ll throw rice in the cooker with some of these delicious add-ins and then pop the chicken breast into the cooker (on top of the rice) in the last 5 minutes so that it reheats in the steam.

For Italian rice and chicken try adding:

1 can petite diced tomatoes
½ cup parmesan grated
¼ cup chopped basil
Add cheese and tomatoes to rice before removing from heat, let sit 5 minutes, fold in basil before serving.

For Asian rice and chicken try adding:

2 cups finely chopped broccoli
2 thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil
After rice cooks 12 minutes sprinkle with broccoli, cook 5 more minutes, fold in other ingredients before serving.

For Laura’s favorite rice and chicken try adding:

½ cup sliced dried apricots
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
½ cup toasted almonds
Remove rice from heat, sprinkle with apricots and lemon zest before letting stand, fold in almonds before serving.

Once you master using these simple recipes with your rice cooker try checking out this amazing book. You’ll never use your stove again:

The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cook Book: 250 no-fail recipes for pilafs, risottos, polentas, chilis, soups, porridges, puddings, and more, from start to finish in your rice cooker by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann.

Best Ever Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Laura S

There isn’t much I love in this world than the smell of a roasting chicken. Other than potatoes roasted in the same pan as said chicken that is. If you can use a mandolin slicer to cut your potatoes and onions nice and thin the prep time on this dish is about 5 minutes. I first time I made it in my new apartment my roommates were beyond impressed. By drying the chicken extra well you ensure a crisp and impressively colored skin.

Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons butter
5-6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-rounds
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
One 4-5 pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter

You will need:

Ovenproof frying pan or roasting pan
Kitchen knife
Cutting Board
Paper towels
Kitchen twine and scissors

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Thinly slice potatoes and onion.

2 Melt the butter in a large oven-proof frying pan or small roasting pan. Layer the potatoes all around the bottom of the pan, completely covering it. Scatter the onions over the potatoes. Set aside and prepare the chicken.

3 Rinse the chicken and then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird.

4 Next, salt the chicken very well. Season to taste with pepper and garlic powder.

5 Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and onions in the pan and put it in the oven. Don’t open oven. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are golden and a little crispy, about 50 to 60 minutes.

6 Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with any juices from the pan and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Like making chicken? Try these titles:

150 Things to Make with a Roast Chicken and 5o Ways to Roast it by Tony Rosenfeld

The Best Chicken Recipes by Cook’s Illustrated

The New York Times Chicken Cookbook edited by Linda Amster

Recipe adapted from Thomas Keller via Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

Quick Caramel

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Laura S

Everything is better when dipped in caramel, right?

For the CCPl Staff Development Day lunch I made my new favorite treat; marshmallows dipped in caramel and dark chocolate on a stick (because everything is better on a stick right? I already had the marshmallows and dark chocolate chips, but I thought homemade caramel would be a great choice.

My family has a secret recipe that almost always results in a great caramel and can be tweaked to provide soft and chewy or hard and lollipop like candies. Here’s how it works:

In a deep, thick pot with attached candy thermometer combine the following:

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
1 lb light brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Karo pancake syrup

Cook, stirring but not scraping the sides until candy is 225° F. When temperature is reached stir in:

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour from pan (being sure to not scrap sides) into desired dish.

Remember this recipe is super easy to change so that you get any sort of caramel you like. Try using dark brown sugar instead of light for a darker caramel. Cook to 228°F for caramels you can cut with a cookie cutter. Cook to 230°F for a darker, peanut brittle consistency.

To make our Staff Day treat lightly grease a cookie sheet, place marshmallows on it so they are not touching. Using thin pretzel sticks in place of sucker sticks impale marshmallows and dip them in caramel once you have removed it from the pot (into a bowl works best). Place in freezer to harden for 5 minutes and then dip into melted chocolate chips and then immediately dip just the bottom of your pop into sprinkles or jimmies (they help keep the chocolate from sticking to your serving dish).

If you enjoy this recipe try one of the following books:

Candy Making for Dummies by David Jones

Candy Making for Beginners by Evelyn Howe Fryatt

Cool Weather Chicken

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Laura S

Now that fall weather is finally here I feel justified in using my oven again. All summer I long for casseroles and baked treats but I can’t stand the thought of using the oven in such oppressive heat.

My very favorite recipe to make for family dinner is one that my brother Thomas concocted using an amalgamation of what he had seen on the Food Network, his one cookbook and what turned out to be a secret knack for cooking. Chicken breasts roasted in a tangy rich sauce with the side dish cooked right on top. It comes out of the oven looking complicated and time consuming but with a little blender action is easy to throw together.

Le Poulet de Thomas

Serves 4

Preparation time: 25 minutes, Cooking time: 1- 1½ hours

Ingredients:

1lb 8 oz trimmed leeks- about 3
10 oz small waxy potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic- peeled and chopped
1 cup soft cheese with garlic and herbs- Boursin is best
½ cup white wine
¾ cup chicken stock
2 tsp Cornstarch
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

You will need:

A large, shallow oven proof dish (about 7½ cup capacity)
A skillet
A cook’s knife
Measuring cups
A cutting board
A blender

Method:

1 Preheat oven to 350 F. Clean and thickly slice leeks.

2 Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible.

3 Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the leeks and garlic 3-4 minutes or until beginning to soften. Remove from skillet and put in the ovenproof dish.

4 Place the cheese, wine, stock and cornstarch in blender and process until smooth.

5 Arrange chicken pieces on top of leeks, season well and pour in the sauce.

6 Layer potatoes on top, season and brush thoroughly with melted butter.

7 Cook in the preheated oven 1- 1½ hours or until potatoes are well done and brown. Serve at once with the parsley sprinkled over.

Want some other amazing one dish family meals? Try these awesome books:

The One-Dish Chicken Cookbook : featuring 120 soups, stews, casseroles, roasts, and more from around the world by Mary Ellen Evans

The Best One-Dish Suppers: a best recipe classic by the Editor’s of Cook’s Illustrated

Perfect One-Dish Dinners: all you need for easy get-togethers by Pam Anderson

White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Laura S

Crock pot soup is the fastest, easiest way to make sure you have a delicious dinner waiting for you when you get home after a hard day of work. In my house we like to make something we affectionately refer to as Refrigerator Soup, dumping everything that we can find in a pot together.

The most recent batch was made of some leftover kale and Italian sausage and was a HUGE hit with the ladies of the Amelia Branch Library. It was spectacularly simple, delicious and deserves its own recipe designation. After spending the night in the slow cooker the beans were buttery smooth and the sausage had infused everything with a smokey, delicious taste. I usually prefer spinach in Italian style soups, but kale holds up wonderfully under the hours of slow cooking, coming out still slightly firm and delicious.

White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

Ingredients

1 lb Italian Sausage- browned
1 medium white onion- finely chopped
4 cloves garlic – finely chopped garlic
1 can tomato paste
3-4 cans chicken broth
4 cans white beans- rinsed
3-4 handfuls Kale loosely chopped (enough to fill up any space left in your pot)

Instructions

Brown and drain sausage, do not rinse. Set aside
In same pan sauté onions and garlic until translucent, scrapping sides to get off all the delicious sausage bits that were left.
In bowl of your slow cooker whisk together tomato paste and chicken broth.
Add sausage, onion mixture, beans, tomatoes with juice and kale.
Cook on low setting for 8+ hours.

Remember, you can assemble all the ingredients in the cooker and refrigerate overnight. Just pop the pot to your slow cooker in the base in the morning and let it simmer while you work!

Looking for more delicious slow cooker recipes? Try some of these great resources:

Slow Cooker Revolution: one test kitchen, 30 slow cookers, 200 amazing recipes by the editors at America’s Test Kitchen

The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone

175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics by Judith Finlayson