THIRTY : CRUSTED PUMPKIN WEDGES W/ SOUR CREAM

PLENTY

JANUARY 17 2013

THIRTY : CRUSTED PUMPKIN WEDGES W/ SOUR CREAM

What does one do with leftover chicken liver paté? Make paté-stuffed pork chops, of course. I am a frickin' genius! I shall serve them with crusted pumpkin wedges, a nice green salad and a robust Pinot Noir for a very, very fine dinner, indeed.

While my handsome assistant packs as much paté as possible into the thick-cut chops, I tackle the pumpkin. It's just a little baby sugar pumpkin so it doesn't put up much of a fight. Each slice is crusted with an herbacous mix of breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, thyme and lemon zest then baked for 30 minutes until browned and tender.

While they're baking I sear the pork chops on each side then slide them into the hot oven to cook through. Maye I can distract my hunger pangs from the amazing smells filling the house but chopping salad toppings and shaking up a quick dressing. It almost works... Okay! The pork chops are out of the oven and resting, so I make a simple pan sauce with lots of marsala wine and we're ready to eat!

Well, the pumpkin is just fine. Delicate and savory with a lovely tang from the dill-sour cream mixture. But the pork chops totally steal the spotlight. So much so that I barely remember the pumpkin at all. You must make paté stuffed pork chops. Think bahn mi + French bistro + down-home rustic cooking. SO FRICKIN' GOOD!!!

TWENTY-NINE : ROASTED PARSNIPS & SWEET POTATOES W/ CAPER VINAIGRETTE

PLENTY

DECEMBER 13 2012

TWENTY-NINE : ROASTED PARSNIPS & SWEET POTATOES W/ CAPER VINAIGRETTE

Hello dear reader! I find I have been suffering a lack of enthusiasm for this blog the last few months and you may have noticed a looooonnnngg stretch without a post. During this downtime, I have made a few dishes from Plenty but simply failed to write up my experiences. I am determined to get back on track! So in the next few days I will try to catch up. Don't worry... there are only a few recipes to discuss so I won't be filling up your inbox or flooding your facebook feed. But bear with me as I drag us back to 2012 for a few days.

TWENTY-EIGHT : STUFFED ONIONS

PLENTY

NOVEMBER 22 2012

TWENTY-EIGHT : STUFFED ONIONS

As anyone who knows me can attest, I have no problem spending hours or even days on a ridiculously complicated recipe with 87 steps and 41 ingredients. Case in point, the insane Peking Duck recipe from Lucky Peach, fully described here by another crazy person willing to go the distance. But, there has to be some kind of payoff for all the invested effort and time. Unfortunately, some of Mr. O's recipes ask me to put myself through the ringer but just don't deliver. One example is this ridiculous herbed rice which had more steps than I even care to recount yet tasted like rice with lots of herbs stirred in. These stuffed onions are another example of wasted effort as I will explain.

TWENTY-SEVEN : QUINOA SALAD W/ DRIED PERSIAN LIME

PLENTY

NOVEMBER 20 2012

TWENTY-SEVEN : QUINOA SALAD W/ DRIED PERSIAN LIME

It is extremely dangerous for me to shop at Barbur World Foods. I go in to buy bread and come out with za'atar or preserved lemon or aleppo pepper. And I usually have no plan or even idea of how to use these items. In fact, these dried Persian limes have been sitting in my cupboard for years, completely untouched. Until now!

I was thrilled to find that one of Mr. O's recipes features dried Persian limes and I can't wait to use them. He is right in saying that turning these suckers into powder is "difficult to achieve because the limes are rock hard". As I'm breaking them into pieces to stuff into the coffee/spice grinder, I actually give myself a "dried-lime cut"... which is worse than a paper cut because the edges are all jagged and tangy. But it will all be worth it!

Now comes some sweet potato vs yam confusion. I bought said sweet potatoes which, once peeled, reveal themselves to be basically white. But Mr O's photos show a dark orange vegetable tossed in the salad. I think he used yams! Or different, orange-colored sweet potatoes? Aaaah... I'm so confused! The orange ones would look prettier... but I think they basically taste the same so oh well.

It's a pretty good salad. The dried lime powder ads a nice floral note and complements the earthy quinoa. Not sure why it has rice and quinoa... but still tasty! I'll have to research some more ways to use those dried limes cause I've still got most of the bag left.

TWENTY-SIX : SMOKY FRITATTA

PLENTY

NOVEMBER 18 2012

TWENTY-SIX : SMOKY FRITATTA

 

Doesn't that look good?!? Bubbly cheese, crispy around the edges. Warm and comforting. We were a bit wild last night and this looks like exactly what I need to shake it off and start a new day. First I need a bloody mary and then let's get cookin'!