for all you gluten-free vegetarians out there

what is rich, creamy, filling, and does not involve excessive meat, cream, or bread? mushroom risotto. my dad's classic recipe (most likely lifted out of "The New York Times" 15 years ago) is hard to beat. the hour-long effort in front of the stove is surely worth this indulgent meal, plus stirring doesn't require much skill...what's great about this recipe is that it's packed with flavor without being (too) bad for you. the whole recipe only calls for 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 3 tbsp. of butter. the cheese is added to suit your taste. it must be a function of the Arborio Italian rice. now we know how they manage to stay relatively skinny with all that gelato...a tip though: i used half dried porcini mushrooms and half fresh shitake mushrooms which gave it all the flavor without too much effort.

stick gooey goodness.

the one productive thing i did all weekend

is make this delightful galette. "galette" is a general term used in French to designate various types of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes aka a huge ass cookie. gentle flaky crust topped with roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, sage, and swiss cheese. it is a great potluck dish because it is the right amount of complex savory flavors and can easily be transported in one piece. tonight i had my martlet girls over for a potluck, but the ante was upped this time as one of them said "everything she makes tastes like rainbows"-- well i'm flattered but i'm not quite sure what rainbows taste like so i hope this fit the bill.

to achieve a truly flaky crust, all of the ingredients have to be cold, especially the butter. my friend gave me this AWESOME tip: if you have to freeze the butter only to eventually cut it up into smaller pieces and mix it with a flour mixture, it is easiest to freeze the stick whole then use the larger holes of a grater to get the butter into pieces. yes, the picture above is butter, not popcorn. sweet eh? 

roasted butternut squash and caramelized onions-- the two stars of this recipe.

it's like a pocket of goodness.

i think they liked it too. what a wonderful starch, cheese, and carb filled meal :)


For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

the "how-to":

1. Make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

4. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

5. Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

source: www.SmittenKitchen.com 

thank goodness my bubbe doesn't use the internet...

or else she'd blush at the fact that there are shrimp tails sticking out of the bowl below. oh well, it was too delicious to forgo! i would say this is the first real dinner that I've cooked for myself in quite a while. i feel like food never tasted this good! sometimes there just is a limit to take-out, frozen dinners, and even fancy restaurants. there is almost no other activity that i get as much enjoyment out of as cooking a one-pot meal then settling into an episode of "The West Wing," grinning with satisfaction at having created a tasty meal. one of my roommates mentioned that i put so much effort into cooking as if it was a burden, but the truth is that the effort makes the outcome so much more enjoyable.

 

so what it took me 15 minutes to grate and squeeze limes...

the rest was a breeze. sauté , simmer, and serve--

this thai shrimp curry hails from my holy grail: Bon Appétit

ingredients:

• 3 large limes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped shallots
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen brand)
• 1 13 1/2- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
• 8 peeled deveined uncooked large shrimp (8 to 10 ounces)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

 the "how-to":

• finely grate enough peel from 2 limes to measure 11/2 teaspoons. Squeeze enough juice from 2 limes to measure 2 tablespoons. Cut third lime into wedges.
• heat vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots, diced red bell pepper, and minced ginger; sauté until shallots are tender and peppers soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, 11/2 teaspoons lime peel, and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Simmer gently, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle fish and shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to curry sauce. Return to very gentle simmer and cook just until fish and shrimp are opaque in center, 5 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir in cilantro and basil; serve with lime wedges.

בתאבון