Maui Girl Cooks

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti


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Butter & Buttercups

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”      James Beard (1903-1985)

My family is from the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, where I lived for just a few years as a child, because my dad was in the Air Force, so we moved around every four years or so.  The saying in my family was that if you held a buttercup flower under your chin, it meant you liked butter.  Of course, I tried it, and my chin glowed buttercup yellow.  Whose wouldn’t?  But it’s a nice thought.

Buttercups

There are those, like my husband, who like the butter to melt into the toast.  I prefer thin, cold slices of butter sitting on my toast, so I know that the butter is really there; I can see it.  I’m like my dad that way.  Of course, I would prefer thick slices of butter, thick enough for my teeth to sink into it, but all things in moderation, at least most of the time.  I generally use unsalted butter for baking.  But for buttering bread, frying eggs or buttering potatoes I’ll take delicious organic pasture butter.  What is pasture butter?  Pasture butter is made from organically raised cows who nosh on what cows are supposed to eat, grass.  It is a starred food from The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: the Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why {Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.} which I talk about on my Useful Resources page.  Imagine my delight when I saw butter as a starred food; pure joy! Bowden recommends butter from pasture-fed, organically raised cows as a “good fat, alongside nuts, eggs, fish, coconut, avocados and certain oils.”  Mary Enig, Ph.D., one of the country’s most respected lipid biochemists, points out that “butter has been used for centuries and that 30% of the fat from butter is from monounsaturated fat {the same kind that’s in olive oil}.”  Enig states that it is a good source of CLAs {conjugated linoleic acid}, which have anticarcinogenic properties and glycolipids, which have anti-infective properties.  I’m not advocating eating huge amounts of butter, but a little here and there adds enjoyment to one’s dining pleasure, and eating should be a pleasurable experience.

A simple & delicious way to use butter: Mash a clove of garlic into a paste & add it to softened butter.  Mix in salt to taste & whatever finely minced fresh herbs strike your fancy.  Lemon/lime juice or zest to taste is nice.  Add some freshly ground pepper too, if you are so inclined.  Delicious on bread, potatoes, popcorn, fish, etc.  I just made the herb butter below with garlic, chives, marjoram, lime juice, freshly ground pepper & flaky sea salt to taste {I used Maldon, my favorite flaky sea salt!}.

Herb Butter

Information from:  The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: the Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden


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Jack the Kitchen Supervisor

When I was young, I loved to watch my Dad shave or to be in the kitchen with my Mom while she was cooking.  Our cat, Jack, loves to be with us in the kitchen when we are preparing our meals.  He enjoys looking out of the kitchen window, but he isn’t allowed in the window when it’s time to cook because he has to walk on the counter to get to the window.  Of course, we sanitize the counter before we start to cook, & then Jack settles in on his Kitchen Supervisor Chair.  He seems to know when he his relegated to the chair & is content to keep an eye on things until it’s time for him to eat, which isn’t nearly as often as he would like.

Jack Looking through the chair

 


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Did You Know?

Did you know. . .

………that small onions are better for you than large onions, and that the more pungent the onion the better it is for you?  According to Jo Robinson author of Eating on the Wild Side, food scientists have discovered that small onions have less water, and therefore a higher concentration of phytonutrients.  Although sweet onions are tasty & easy to eat, they do not provide the same health benefits, such as thinning the blood, as the stronger varieties do.  Slicing pungent onions super thin makes them easier to eat raw on sandwiches, salads, etc.  Eat onions & eat them often!

 


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Immersion Blenders

immersion blenderWhat is an immersion blender & why would you want one?  An immersion blender is a kitchen tool that makes quick work of blending soups, sauces & other liquids in the container in which they are being prepared.  Instead of dragging out your blender  to puree a hot soup, using an immersion blender allows you to puree your soup right in the pot.  That means less clean up, because you generally can’t puree the whole pot of soup in the blender, so you have to do it in batches, which means. . .more dirty dishes.

Your immersion blender may be cute & colorful, but it is not a toy.  Use it carefully, so you stay out of the emergency room.

A side effect of immersion blending can be spattering-be prepared.  A handy trick to reduce spattering is to tip the pan, so that the soup collects on one side of the pot, then blend.


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Passato of Vegetables with Chard & Croutons

If you are a vegetable lover, you must try this delicious soup.  It goes together quickly so you can have it on the table in under an hour.  It is good hot or cold.

¼ c extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, finely diced
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 large waxy potato, peeled & diced {Yukon Gold, yellow, white salad and red potatoes are good choices; russets are too mealy}
1 14 ½ ounce can of diced tomatoes
1-2 bunches chard leaves, roughly chopped; ribs removed & finely diced {You can throw in some spinach or dinosaur kale in here too, but I think I would stay away from greens that are too bitter, for this soup.}
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Fresh lemon juice to taste

To finish:  1 c small bread cubes {I usually use sliced bread that I have in the freezer, including the heels.}
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmigiano-Reggiano for shaving

Warm the oil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid.  Add the vegetables, season with ¾ t salt, then cover the pot & cook over low heat for 30 minutes, during which the vegetables will produce quite a bit of delicious juice.  While they are cooking, bring 1 quart of water to a boil.

Carefully puree the cooked vegetables with the hot water, beginning with a small amount and adding more, up to 3 or 4 cups, depending on the thickness you want.  I use 3 cups.  Leave a little texture or make the soup smooth, as you wish {I like biting into a piece of potato or other vegetable, so I never puree it smooth.}. Return it to the heat, taste for salt & season with pepper.  Add lemon juice to taste to sharpen the flavors; I generally add the juice of a whole lemon.  Note: I have found that if I blend the soup until it is very smooth, it becomes quite silky in texture, which we enjoy.  So, that’s how I’m doing it these days.

Crisp the bread cubes in a little olive oil over medium-low heat {or in the oven}, until golden, about 8-10 minutes.  Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil & add the croutons.  Shave cheese over the top & serve.

Recipe adapted from:  Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen {one of my very favorite cookbooks!}


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Chicken Sandwich with Lime Herb Aioli

Aioli is a French garlic mayonnaise, which is delicious. This Lime Herb Aioli is my spin on the traditional sauce. I use homemade mayonnaise from the Cook’s Illustrated recipe, but you can use jarred mayonnaise if you desire.

Ciabatta split & toasted
Cut clove of garlic
Rotisserie chicken
Thinly sliced onion {lots}
Arugula {you can substitute another green here}
Tapatio Hot Sauce {or your favorite}
Lime juice
Lime Herb Aioli {recipe follows}
Salt & pepper
Toast the ciabatta under the broiler until browned. Rub bread with a cut clove of garlic; little bits of garlic will grate themselves onto the crispy bread, imparting a most delicious flavor. Spread aioli on both sides of bread. Add chicken, onion & arugula. Sprinkle arugula with lime juice, Tapatio & salt & pepper. Top with second slice of bread & eat. Delicious!

Lime Herb Aioli
Mix mayonnaise {about 2/3c} with 1 clove garlic mashed into a paste, lots of pepper, lime juice & minced herbs {basil, chives & parsley are good}.


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Silky Chocolate Pudding for Grownups

This is a silky chocolate pudding for adults; it’s not the super sweet pudding from your childhood.  It’s delicious, especially on the day you make it.

3 c milk
3 T cornstarch
3 T cocoa powder {I use Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder}
1/8 tsp salt
2 T sugar
Espresso powder to taste {I use about 1 tsp}, optional
1 tsp vanilla
1 T butter
In a medium size mixing bowl {I sometimes use an 8 cup Pyrex measuring cup, because the handle allows for greater ease in getting the pudding out of the microwave for stirring; the mixing bowl gets hot!}, stir together cornstarch, cocoa, salt & sugar together.  Whisk in enough milk to make a thick, smooth paste; this will help to break up any lumps.  Whisk in the remaining milk.  Microwave the pudding on high for 3 minutes, whisk vigorously & repeat until pudding thickens. The last time you may only need to microwave it for 1-2 minutes. The pudding will thicken as it cools, so don’t cook it so long that you end up with rubber pudding.  Whisk in vanilla & butter.  Cool to room temperature & eat, or chill.

Notes:
~You can also cook the pudding on the stove.
~I happen to love “pudding skin” but if it’s not your cup of tea, press a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the hot pudding.


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Meatloaf Sandwich on Ciabatta Bread

Ciabatta rolls, split & toasted under the broiler, then rubbed with a cut clove of garlic
Thinly sliced onions
Meatloaf, sliced about ½” thick, and slightly heated {just to remove the chill}

Spread one side of ciabatta with mayonnaise.  Top with onions and meatloaf.  Top the meatloaf & the other piece of the ciabatta with lots of catsup.  Smoosh the sandwich together if it seems too thick.


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Fresh Oregano Vinaigrette

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp minced shallot
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard {smooth or grainy} or ¼ tsp dry mustard
1 clove garlic, finely minced or made into paste
Freshly ground black pepper

Add minced shallot to vinegar & let sit for about 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients & whisk together until blended.

This is one of my new favorite dressings.  You can use other herbs, or a mixture, if you like.