Member Recipe Review: Pain Perdu (Lost Bread)

Written Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 by Penny Hawkins

There are lots of reasons to love this recipe, but one of my favorite things about it is the name....Pain Perdu or "Lost Bread". It conjures up visions of romantic, Casablanca/Indiana Jones-esque movies doesn't it? Seriously... just because of the name, this recipe "had me at hello"!

Besides the great name, I was attracted to this recipe from HHM member MakeRoux because I really love the whole idea of finding ways to reclaim "lost" or stale bread, especially in these hard economic times. Can I just throw a shout out to the cook who came up with the idea of soaking stale bread in eggs and milk and frying it up? Brilliant! Whoever it was must have lived in times like these when nothing should ever, ever get wasted, and they sure knew what they were doing!

This is another recipe I made with my grandson recently, although he was mainly interested in the process of soaking the bread in the egg/milk mixture as opposed to the actual cooking part (boys....they like the messy stuff don't they?). Anyway, when the cooking was done, we feasted like kings and Brandon saw that breakfast is so much more than toaster pastries and cereal. He was crazy about this wonderful recipe and even suggested that next time we stuff the bread with "that cheese I like" (translated to mean cream cheese). Could it be that I have a budding chef on my hands? Only time will tell! In the meantime, I plan to make Pain Perdu again and again, and I hope you do too!

Fast, Frugal and Good for You - Beans

Written Monday, March 8th, 2010 by Anne Coleman

Beyond the egg, another of what I like to think of as a 'superfood' is beans. Not only are beans frugal and versatile, but they're good for you. Beans are very low in fat, cholesterol free, high in protein and full of fiber.

Although beans can take some time to cook from their dry state, canned beans are a fine alternative and one of the fastest fixes for any dish.  But, what do you do with them beyond chili and soup? Here are a few ideas and some links to recipes right here at Half Hour Meals.

Bean Dip - Think outside the box (or can) here. While classic bean dip with pintos is delicious in its own right, white bean dip with a Mediterranean flair is so good (and easy) that you'll turn to it again and again. Combine a can of drained white beans such as cannellini with a clove or two of garlic, sea salt and olive oil and blend until smooth. Add fresh herbs like basil or thyme for different flavor combinations and add a bit of grated Parmesan for real depth of flavor. Serve with toasted pita wedges or a baguette for a great first course of light lunch.

Beans and Pasta - While the combinations here are endless, I really like light colored beans like garbanzos or cannellini beans with angel hair. Toss together with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, a bit of red pepper flakes and cooked shrimp. Light, refreshing and packed with protein.

Bean Patties - Black beans combined with breadcrumbs, cilantro, lime juice, cayenne pepper and a little shredded Monterey jack cheese, shaped into small patties and fried lightly are one of the best 'burgers' around.

Use your imagination - and if you're still stumped, check out the many bean recipes here at Half Hour Meals: Beans

Fast and Easy Madeleines

Written Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 by Theresa H Hall

One of the most delightful things I learned to prepare while attending culinary school was this recipe. Madeleines are traditional petit sponge cakes from the northeastern regions of France. If you do a little research you can find the cool history surrounding this confection. They are also referred to as cookies.

They even have their very own adorable baking container. The Madeleine Pan is found in speciality stores that cater to the serious and professional cook. It is one piece of metal, and sometimes comes with a non-stick coating. The one I own is stainless steel and is a good weight. The lighter a baking instrument, the more the possibility exists of burning or uneven baking. The Madeleine Pan is similar to a muffin pan and has a dozen half-shell shaped depressions. As you can readily see in the picture of these petit cakes, the sides showing are actually the bottoms, the tops being rather dome shaped and smooth.

There are many variations for this recipe and you can even bake Savory Madeleines. In one restaurant where I once worked for a short time, they served Thai and Asian fusion foods. The pastry chef there taught me to prepare them with sesame oil and other spicy flavorings, and I have to admit they were very good to eat.

These little sponge cakes present well, and you must always remember to grease and flour your pans between every batch. If you have a deep container for flour, such as a floor container, like they use in big kitchens, you can dip your pan into the flour and pull it out to find it is evenly covered. When you pipe your batter inside the prepared shell pan, squeeze evenly from base to tip and back down again. Because the batter will expand while baking, you only fill the shell 3/4 full. As soon as the cakes are a golden brown color, they are done. Wearing a heavy oven mitt, remove the pan from the oven and tap the side of the pan to release all of the little Madeleines. They will jump out of their baking container. Shake confectioners sugar over top right away and take a bite.

These cakes are well received because they are light, airy, are full of flavor, whichever you decide to use, and you or your guest need only eat one. They are smaller than a cupcake and may be iced or not. You can store them in your freezer for up to a month, and take them out as you need them. You can pipe fillings into them and dip the ends of the bottoms in chocolate. Sprinkle decor on them and ship them to your friends and relatives as gifts. People love Madeleines. Look at everyone's smiling faces!

This recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several days. Pipe the batter and bake as you need them. Baking time is perhaps 8 to 10 minutes. Watch them closely because if you over bake them they will be dry and no good.

Madeleines

This cookie has its very own cookie pan.  The characteristics are a shell on the front and a hump on the back.  You can make the batter, and take it out to use as needed, for up to a week.  Take out, warm up the batter to room temperature and pipe. Grease and flour the pans.

8 oz  butter softened

8 oz   sugar

1 tsp   vanilla

1 tsp   lemon zest (or any kind or zest or flavorings)

4   large eggs

1   egg yolk

12 oz  all purpose flour

a pinch of salt

2 1/4 tsp  baking powder

---------------

Finish with 10 X sprinkled on top

1) Cream butter, sugar, zest and salt.

2) Sift baking powder and flour together.

3) Alternate adding the dry ingredients and then eggs, a little bit at a time to incorporate; ending with the dry.

4) Stir until well combined.

5) Pipe batter into Madeleine pan with #5 tip, and fill about 3/4 full. Start at the base, go up, and come back.

Bake 375º for 8 to 10 minutes.  They will puff up a bit and be brown on the backside.  Remove from pans immediately by tapping the mold onto a mat, and they will fall out.

Serve plain, with 10 X sugar, a lemon glaze or with tempered chocolate. Be sure to let the edges show.  Serve fresh out of the oven in a warm container.

Freezes nicely.

Just remember once you have made these a few times and see how easy they are to make, put your own spin on them with flavorings, sweet versus savory, for your next meal.

Incredible Eggs

Written Monday, February 8th, 2010 by Anne Coleman

Eggs are one of the oldest and most widely consumed food sources on the planet. Dense with nutrients (Protein, Choline, Lutein, Vitamin A, Vitamin D and Folate to name just a few) and low in calories (70 per egg) the egg is a powerhouse of nutrition in a tiny and very versatile package.

Used for everything from leavening, to thickening to a full-out protein source, the abilities of the egg are astounding - and boy, do they taste good! From omelets to souffles and everything in-between, it's not hard to find a way to incorporate eggs into your diet, and it certainly doesn't hurt that they're budget-friendly, too.

Simple recipes like the 3-Egg Omelet (pictured) filled with any of a thousand ingredients (the one above uses Ricotta and Parmesan cheeses blended with black olives, green onions and grape tomatoes) and a quick-fix for breakfast lunch or dinner, it's just one egg recipe you'll turn to again and again.

How about Scrambled Egg Towers, Garden Frittata, Wild Mushroom, Spinach and Gruyère Frittata, Duck-centric Breakfast (a whole different breed of egg!), or Breakfast Pot Pie - each unique and each delectable.  A quick search on Half Hour Meals turns up plenty and there are more to come. Check out these delicious egg recipes and more under our Recipes tab.

A Week of Half Hour Meals Part 2

Written Thursday, February 4th, 2010 by Anne Coleman

Last week I posted about making meals for my family completely from Half Hour Meals, and I did. Not only was everyone satisfied, I had no naysayers at all and we've added a few recipes to our usual nightly repertoire as well.

Here's what we had, in no specific order:

Carbonara Pizza - This one went over hugely here. Not only were there no leftovers, I've already had requests for more. I used the cheaper bacon alternative, but other than that there were no changes made and it was perfect.

Arroz on Pollo - Another hit with returns for seconds (and thirds for some!) and one more added to the family recipe pile.

Grandma Nucci's Meatballs - (pictured) This is now my go-to meatball for pasta dishes. This was the most delicious meatball I've had, hands-down! Bursting with flavor and a mere 5 ingredients, it doesn't get any simpler or tastier.

Penne Pasta with Pesto - Two of my absolute favorites together - and the pesto recipe was perfecto! The kids loved it as well and it's gone into our rotation, too.

Sticky Lemon Chicken - So good! Yet another go-to for a quick chicken recipe and one that everyone liked. Any side dish would go well with this, but we made the recommended mashed potatoes and peas & carrots.

Barbecue Bacon Burgers - OK, so I've been doing things like adding potato chips to my sandwich for years, but who'da thunk to add them to a burger? I've been asked to 'please only make this burger from now on' , and I think I'll oblige! Very tasty and something you can serve for family or company.

That was our week  - and next time we'll do meals from appetizer through dessert and report on that, as well. Please give one or two of these a try, they're very worth it!

Member Recipe Review: Crockpot Chicken

Written Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 by Penny Hawkins

It's been a little while since my last comfort food recipe review, and before ya'll get the idea that somehow my comfort food obsession has passed (as if!), I decided it was time to go in search of another HHM member comfort food recipe to review. So, I clicked over to the recipes tab here at HHM and  began my search with the help of the handy categories links.

The criteria? I wanted a recipe that was a "set it and forget it" one-pot meal, and it absolutely had to include gravy or sauce! Hmmm...I remembered seeing a "Meal of the Day" a week or so ago that had appealed to me, but where was it? Thinking it had been a chicken dish, I clicked on the "chicken" category link, and after a minute of searching, there it was... on page 4...Ashley's Crockpot Chicken!!!

Besides being easy and delicious, one of my favorite things about this recipe is that it uses ingredients that I already had on hand because they are pantry staples. I was literally able to decide to make this recipe on the spur of the moment, and get it in the crockpot in 10 minutes without going to the store! Now I don't know about ya'll, but that's my favorite kind of recipe! Did I mention it was delicious? Just like Ashley described, it reminded me of everything I love about Thanksgiving dinner!

So if you're looking for spur-of-the-moment inspiration for dinner this week, give Ashley's Crockpot Chicken* a try...it's fantastic! 

*this recipe has been husband-tested, and beancounter hubby gave it a 10 out of a possible 10.

Featured Community Member: ThomasMorris

Written Sunday, January 31st, 2010 by Anne Coleman

Thomas Morris is one part lawyer and one part foodophile, something I thought was an odd combination. Thomas set me straight, though and let me in on his foodie life. Read on to learn more about our resident lawyer/cook and his blog, Thomas the Accidental Gourmet.

How does a lawyer wind up in writing a food blog? What is cooking to you - a hobby, an outlet, or a passion?

You'd be surprised about lawyers! Just like anybody else, we all have interests outside of our profession. My wife, Jenn, also likes to cook, but she's more of a follow-the-recipe type of person.

I'd have to say that cooking is a mix of all three things you mentioned. I'm certainly no professional, so I guess it's a hobby. It also is a great way to unwind after a stressful day/week. Finally, I'm very passionate about my cooking. I critique everything I make, and always try to improve. Friends who come to dinner are usually uncomfortable the first time because it sounds like Jenn and I are tearing apart each other's cooking. Actually, we're just figuring out how to make it better the next time.

As for writing the blog, it started more as a personal recipe repository, but I had some friends and family that said they enjoyed it, so I started trying to make my posts (i) more interesting and (ii) more regular. Life does, however, get in the way sometimes...

Have you always lived in Texas? What are other food influences in your life?

I grew up in the little apple, Manhattan, Kansas. My mother is from west Texas, and my father from northeastern Georgia. So, I'd have to say that southern cooking has always been in my household. (The folks used to have to special order buttermilk to make cornbread.)

It wasn't until I moved to Texas in 1986 that I really started to get into the spicier side of things (there simply isn't a good Mexican restaurant in Kansas).

As far as other influences, I've spent time in southern France, Tuscany and the Caribbean. So I'd have to say that I've got a lot of Mediterranean dishes, rustic Italian, and then Caribbean fare, using ginger and fruit with a lot of spices. Stuff I've made includes couscous; panini with tomato, basil and mozzarella; and "goat water," which is what they call curried goat stew in St. Lucia.

What would a day in your kitchen look like?

Morning or night? In the morning, I boil water for coffee in the French press, grind some coffee, then come up with something interesting for breakfast. My wife would be content with cereal every day, so I do the breakfast cooking. (Recently, I've become a fan of spreading avocado on toast and topping it with tomatoes and bacon.)

At night, we usually get home from the office about 8:00. I get the protein I took out of the freezer from the night before, and make something happen with whatever vegetables we have while Jenn cleans up.

On the weekends, the mornings are the same, but we typically cook something fairly involved together.

An unexpected guest stops by for dinner and you had nothing planned -what's your secret for a quick fix?

Stick my head in the 'fridge and come out with dinner! I rarely cook anything using a recipe (some sauces are the exception, but that's only because I don't do a more complicated sauce such as a béarnaise or beurre blanc very often.) So, making a nice dinner on the fly for guests is about the same as any other meal at our house, just for more people.

That being said, if I've got it on hand it's hard to go wrong with a good steak on the grill. Barring that, a pasta primavera with shrimp or chicken is always a crowd pleaser and super easy to make. Can't forget the wine of course! (We have a wine fridge, be we can never seem to keep it full for some reason...)

Name a handful of ingredients you couldn't live without.

Onions. Garlic. Oregano. Cumin. Kosher salt. Limes and lemons. Tomatoes. A hard cheese, such as parmesan or pecorino toscano. I also usually have ginger, bell peppers and serranos on hand.

Do you use cookbooks? What is a favorite?

Rarely. My mother in-law gave me "Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making" by James Patterson that I really like. Sometimes we'll crack open "The Joy of Cooking" for a reference. I'd say this is a must-have for anyone serious about cooking.

How are you liking Half Hour Meals so far? What would you tell others about the site?

I think it's great. There are a lot of talented people out there. It's nice to see that quick meals have moved away from the simple to real gourmet. I'd tell anyone that needs a little quick inspiration to check it out!

Thank you, Thomas -  and I'd like to tell anyone reading this to head on over to read Thomas' blog or page here at Half Hour Meals - both very worthy reads.

Member Recipe Review: Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Cake

Written Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 by Penny Hawkins

Blueberries and lemon are one of those classic flavor combinations that are just meant to go together, a fact that is perfectly illustrated after one bite of  BnB Finder's Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Cake.

This moist, delicious cake is ideal for breakfast or brunch accompanied by a mug of coffee, or a cup of your favorite tea. Not too heavy or sugary-tasting, this cake is a perfect  balance of sweet juicy blueberries, and the bright, tart, flavor of the lemons. 

This recipe was absolutely perfect as it was written, but, when I spotted some buttermilk in the fridge, I couldn't resist trying it in place of the regular milk. It added a pleasant  tangy flavor, and helped ensure a moist, tender cake. I should also add that I made this recipe in a loaf pan because after I got the batter made, it didn't look like it was enough to fill my Bundt pan. There's nothing sadder than a wimpy, undersize bundt cake, so I opted for using a loaf pan. I also found that it needed an extra 15 minutes baking time, but I suggest you start checking at 50 minutes since oven temps vary.

I recommend this recipe as both easy and delicious..perfect when you want a not-too-sweet treat, or something special for brunch when you have friends or family over...it's a real winner! On my beancounter husband's scale of 1 -10, this cake got an 8. He took it to work and said it was gone in a flash (and poor man only got one piece)!

A Week of Half Hour Meals

Written Sunday, January 24th, 2010 by Anne Coleman

What would your week look like if every dinner meal was done in half an hour? I'll let you know by next week!

I decided on this week's shopping day to choose at least 5 meals from Half Hour Meals to make for our dinners this week. So far we have two in and nobody has been disappointed. On the contrary, the recipes I chose have been big winners and I've already been told that they need to enter the family dinner repertoire.

Would you like to join me in my Half Hour Meals Dinner Week? Drop a comment to let me know and I'll put up an aggregate post of everyone's entry. You don't need to have every meal come from HHM, even one or two is good, and the more we have along for the ride, the merrier!

Don't miss our other challenge currently running. For the chance to win a copy of Rose Levy Beranbaum's newest cookbook, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, see this post: http://www.halfhourmeals.com/food-for-thought/win-a-copy-of-roses-heavenly-cakes/ and get your entry in ASAP, the deadline for this delicious giveaway is Thursday, January 28 at 11:50 PM CST. Go have a look!

Member Recipe Review: Mexican Green Spaghetti

Written Thursday, January 21st, 2010 by Anne Coleman

Before I knew that I wanted to interview Paloma (love4coffee) I found her recipe for Mexican Green Spaghetti. I knew right away that I'd want to make it as it contains two of my favorite ingredients-cilantro and garlic. Blended together with roasted poblano peppers and Mexican sour cream, it's the perfect plateful of pasta.

I'd not heard of Mexican sour cream prior to this and I wasn't sure I'd be able to locate it. I was very surprised to find it quite easily at one of my favorite local groceries. It really is different - thick, rich and not as sour as regular sour cream, it added the ideal foil to the heat of the poblanos and added just the right creaminess to the dish.

I served it with a taco casserole and it was eaten so quickly there was no time to even think of leftovers. Give this one a try, you're sure to love it, and don't worry about those peppers, poblanos are a milder pepper to start with and the sour cream cuts the heat making them simply spicy rather than hot.