Amateurs with Knives

After subjecting my household to an uber-healthy muffin, I decided to go in the opposite direction with dessert-style treat: The coffee cake muffin.

This soft and sweet muffin was also meant to have a drizzle of sugar icing over the top, but when they came out of the oven they looked and smelled so amazing that we didn’t wait to add that step. I’m sure it would have been great.

Coffee Cake Muffins
Adapted slightly from ATK: Baking Illustrated

1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and softened
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup light sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon until the nuts are the size of sesame seeds, about ten 1-second pulses.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.

Return the bowl and metal blade to the food processor, add the flour, granulated sugar, and salt and process until combined, about five 1-second pulses. Sprinkle the butter evenly over the flour mixture and process until the butter is the size of oats, about eight 1- second pulses.

Remove 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and stir it with a fork into the reserved brown sugar mixture until combined. This will be the streusel. Set aside 3/4 cup of the streusel for the muffin batter and the remaining portion for topping the muffins.

Add the baking powder and baking soda to the remaining flour mixture in the food processor bowl and process until combined, about five 1-second pulses.

Whisk together the sour cream, egg and vanilla in a 1-cup glass measuring cup and add to the flour mixture. Process until the batter is just moistened, about five 1-second pulses. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of the streusel to the flour mixture and process until the streusel is just distributed throughout the batter and the batter looks crumbly, about five 1-second pulses.

Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle a scant tablespoon of streusel on each muffin, pressing lightly so that the streusel sinks slightly into the batter.

Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with several crumbs clinging to it, about 18 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time. Avoid over baking. Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 2 minutes. Using the tip of a paring knife, loosen the muffins and gently transfer from the tin to the wire rack. Cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Continuing our discussion of best potluck main dishes, I’ve got another one that I like to break out when I want to impress.

Okay, who am I kidding — I always want to impress at a potluck. I want everyone to look from afar and say, “Who is that girl? She’s captivating!”

“And her layers of cheese and meat are enchanting!”

This is my absolute favorite lasagna ever(!) and it comes to us from Gourmet (RIP!). It combines everything that I love in a single bite: A flavor packed, vegetable-laden bolognese, a creamy sauce, melted cheese, tender pasta, and a very flavorful ground beef. All of the best aspects of pasta, layered together a single dish.

You’ve got a little drool on the corner of your mouth. Yeah. Right there.

I’m going to post the original version of the recipe with the caveat that I change some of the ingredients into the lower fat versions (1% milk, lean ground beef). The issue that I run into with using the lower fat versions of things is that the lasagna ends up a little drier than the “fat version” might be. Don’t get me wrong — it’s not like cardboard or anything. It’s still moist and the noodles are tender and the cheese is fantastic. The taste is really incredible. But by substituting the whole milk ricotta, whole milk and ground beef chuck, you do lose a little bit when you translate with healthier products. I personally don’t care because the taste is amazing and I don’t feel like I’ve dumped heavy lead in my gut after eating a slice, but that’s me. What you prefer is up to you.

Lasagne Bolognese with Spinach
Adapted from Gourmet

Bolognese
1/4 cup olive oil
3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 pounds ground beef chuck (not lean)
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

Ricotta:
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 (15-ounce) containers whole-milk ricotta
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup whole milk, divided

For assembling lasagne:
12 Barilla no-boil dried lasagne noodles (from 1 box)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Prepare the sauce: Heat oil in a 12- to 14-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Cook pancetta, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden and softened, 12 to 15 minutes.

Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any lumps, until meat is no longer pink, 6 to 10 minutes.

Stir in wine, milk, tomato paste, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp pepper. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated but sauce is still moist, about 1 hour.

Ricotta filling:Put spinach in a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and twist to squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Note: I used my wire strainer for this, and pressed down on the spinach with dry paper towels. I’ve tried both methods now and like using the strainer better.

Whisk together ricotta, eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Transfer 1 1/2 cups ricotta mixture to another bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup milk; set aside. Whisk spinach into remaining filling with remaining 1/2 cup milk.

Assemble and bake lasagne: Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Soak noodles in a bowl of very warm water until pliable but not softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Place on a kitchen towel (it’s not necessary to pat noodles dry). Spread 1 1/2 cups bolognese sauce in baking pan and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp parmesan. Cover with 3 noodles, leaving space in between.

Note: I cut this recipe in half and baked it in an 8×8 pan, so my layers look a little different.

Spread half of spinach filling on top, then 1 cup bolognese sauce, and top with 1 Tbsp parmesan and 3 noodles; repeat.

Top with remaining bolognese sauce, 1 Tbsp parmesan, and remaining 3 noodles. Pour reserved ricotta mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.

Cover pan tightly with buttered foil and bake 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned in spots, about 15 minutes more. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

My schedule ended up being a little off this week since my evenings have been hectic, which is why the Monday/Thursday update was interrupted. Next week we will be returning to our regularly scheduled program. I promise.

In the meantime, I wanted to revisit the potluck discussion we touched on last week. Best potluck main dishes — what are they?

When my mom and I were discussing potluck dishes, the chili wasn’t the only one that sprang to mind. I also thought of this Chicken Pot Pie recipe that was recently published from, of course, Cook’s Illustrated.

I’ve cooked a few pot pies in my life and eaten even more, and I’m convinced this is the definitive recipe. Yes, the sauce is magnificent and the veggies are amazing. But most importantly: It has the most amazing crumbled crust on top. Yep, I said crumbled.

Bye bye, rolling pin.

For starters, the crust can be made entirely in a food processor. To ensure that it stays super crispy, it’s baked twice. Mmm…

Chicken Pot Pie With Savory Crumble Topping
Courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated

Crumble Topping
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Filling
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 cup)
2 small celery ribs, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
Table salt and ground black pepper
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and sliced thin
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon tomato paste
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% lowfat milk
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3/4 cup frozen baby peas

Now before we dive into this, I need to tell you — this recipe is a time commitment. It’s something you make on a weekend only when you’ve got a couple of hours to burn.

But it’s so very, very worth it.

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until chicken is just done, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

So here’s my set up for the broth. I strained it out into a mesh strainer and caught little bits of fat:

So there’s a very good reason to strain the broth, and it’s not just to eliminate more fat. Texturally, that stuff sucks, especially when you’re trying to make a silky sauce.

2. FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour.

I did this all in the food processor, which made the whole thing painless. Pulse butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and pulse until just combined.

My topping was still looking like a fine powder (because of the processor) so I stuck my fingers in there and pinched spots, just to make sure it was damp and “clump-able”.

Crumble/clump mixture into irregularly shaped pieces ranging from 1/2 to ¾ inch each onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.

Couple shots of the finished product, so you can see that it’s still pale but slightly crisp in the middle, and the edges are just a little browned.

Do NOT bake this until it’s entirely crispy, because it’s going to bake again. This initial baking will keep the crust from soaking up all of the sauce and getting mushy, and will allow it to all crisp up nicely in the final baking. If you bake it all the way in this step, it’s going to be an inedible, burned waste in the end.

3. FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

4. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes.

Remove cover and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste.

I know — the soy sauce and tomato paste seems a little out of place for a pot pie but trust me. Do it.

Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on surface of pan, about 5 minutes.

So you can see that there’s a difference between this picture and the one above it. In this final mushroom shot, there’s a really nice, thick broth that’s formed. Don’t stop cooking the mushrooms until you start to get that nice, thick broth.

Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables. Set aside.

5. Now for the roux, which will turn into a delicious, velvety sauce. Of course it’s a montage shot! You’re surprised?

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

6. Combine! Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish or casserole dish of similar size. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling.

Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Dig in.

My mom called over the weekend and said she had a potluck coming up. She typically brings side dishes, but this time around she wanted to bring a main. Both of us own ATK’s Light & Healthy 2010 book that I’ve been covering over the last month, so it just made sense for me to find something in there.

Right away I spotted “Vegetarian Chili” and promised I’d feature it on the site this week. After we got off the phone, our web admin politely reminded me that I had already made that recipe and we disliked it. A lot.

Huh. Really? This delicious pot of goodness?

It took me a few minutes to remember why, but I finally did. To turn it into a vegetarian chili, the meat was taken out and replaced with a funny little soy product called “tempeh“.

I had no idea what that even was, and had to look it up. As it turns out, tempeh is made up of soybeans fermented into a hard cake. To cook, it’s crumbled with a little oil in a pan — the same way any ground beef product is cooked. It’s a little lighter than meat, but I thought the texture and weight of it to be very similar to ground turkey. There’s just one problem: The smell.

As I said, it’s fermented, and that makes a weird odor. It was so strong that it influenced my sense of taste. I just couldn’t get past it. So this time around, I swapped it out for ground turkey, and I was really pleased with the results.

Now, there are lots of chilis. And there are certain parts of the United States where chili is a huge deal and people claim definitive chili recipes. I don’t subscribe to that philosophy. I believe it’s nice to have a few different kinds in one’s repertoire. This one is loaded with vegetables, and I don’t think it can be compared on the same level with the strict meat and bean chilis. But that’s just me.

Looking at the ingredient list, right away we know it’s Southwestern: Red bell pepper, tons of garlic, chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, cumin seeds and lime.

Unfortunately, I omitted a very important first step — the diced tomatoes are supposed to be pulsed in a food processor or blender for about ten 1-second pulses. That’s very important because, when your chili is simmering, the liquid reduces down to a lovely tomato sauce that lightly coats the chili the way a chili sauce should. I didn’t pulse my tomatoes, so my sauce couldn’t really reduce enough, and what I ended up with was more like a very hearty Southwestern stew. But the flavors were awesome, so I didn’t mind.

Our web admin might have expressed some displeasure, but I couldn’t understand over the sounds of his rabid scarfing.

After the sauce reduces and the spicy and savory flavors are built up, diced zucchini, frozen corn and a splash of fresh lime are added in at the end, along with the ground turkey. Now, if you’re a spice wimp like me and you feel that there’s too much chipotle in this, add more of the corn. The sweetness of the corn will help balance that out. Don’t use canned! Use frozen.

Top with cilantro (or, if you don’t care for the kick-in-the-face-brightness of cilantro, use Italian Parsley like I did) and dig in. My favorite part of the chili has to be the mouthful of vegetables in every bite. There’s the right amount of crunch and the flavors are simply delicious. This chili was an absolute pleaser and has been added to my regular dinner rotation. Mom: This is a winning potluck dish!