Dutch Baby & Focaccia

A genuine Dutch Baby.

For Sunday breakfast yesterday, I made a Dutch baby. This is a kind of pancake that is cooked in the oven so it puffs up like a giant popover. Once you take it out of the oven, it deflates quickly, but it is very light and sweet, delicious with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries. I’ve made something like this before, but I didn’t realize then that its real name was Dutch baby.

For my Sunday afternoon baking project, I made rosemary focaccia. I love focaccia and will eat it for breakfast, sandwiches, snacks, anytime. It’s like pizza without all the stuff. The recipe I tried was from Cooks Illustrated and called for a potato. I’m not sure it was the best recipe for focaccia out there, and I would like to experiment with other takes on it before committing to a go-to recipe.

How to Make Croquettes

I have been making croquettes — or little fried cakes — for a long time now. They are always popular, and for me they are comfort food. I usually make them with mashed potatoes or beans. It didn’t occur to me that I could use another vegetable until I found Mark Bittman’s recipe for spinach croquettes. But then I realized that the basic croquette is a versatile recipe that can be adapted quite freely. And since it requires cooked vegetables, it is the perfect vehicle for using up leftovers.

Last night I made croquettes with leftover cooked kale. They were surprisingly good, and even the baby ate three small ones. I would also try making them with other greens, artichoke hearts, broccoli, carrots, corn, peas, sweet potatoes or winter squash.

I served them dry, though, which I would amend for next time. Croquettes really need some kind of sauce to be complete. My husband suggested hollandaise sauce, which would be quite decadent and delicious. But even something as simple as a pesto, salsa or aioli would work. But even without the sauce, they are yummy and very quick to make. If you have time to chill them beforehand, all the better.

Basic Croquettes

Yields: about 6 croquettes

• 2 cups cooked vegetable, either mashed or chopped fine
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup cheese, grated
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs, plus more for cooking
• seasonings of your choice: chopped onion, fresh herbs, seasoning mix, etc. plus salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp. oil
• ¼ lb. cooked, flaked fish or ground meat (optional)
• Hollandaise sauce, pesto, salsa, aioli, or other mayonnaise or dipping sauce to serve

Combine the vegetable, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs and seasonings in a bowl, and mix well. Add the meat, if using — these will make the cakes more of an entree than a side dish. If the cakes aren’t holding together, add more breadcrumbs. If they are too dry, add more beaten egg to bind.

Form the croquettes into cakes. You should have at least 6, or you can make mini-cakes to get more. Lay on a sheet of wax paper on a plate and cover with wax paper. Chill for at least half an hour and up to a day.

Heat the oil over medium-high. Dredge the cakes in breadcrumbs. When the oil is shimmering, fry the cakes until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. You may have to cook the cakes in batches depending on the size of your pan.

Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.

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Sausage & Cabbage Stew

It has finally gotten cold around here — what we consider cold in North Carolina, anyway. When I get home from work on a cold night, all I want is something warming, satisfying and simple. This stew fits the bill. I couldn’t help going back for seconds.

Sausage & Cabbage Stew

Serves: 2
Time to make: ~45 minutes

What you need:

• 1 cup pasta shapes (I used medium shells)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 andouille sausage links, sliced (I used chicken sausage)
• ½ head Savoy cabbage, shredded
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ cup chicken stock
• Parmesan to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta until almost done
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium
3. Saute the onion until very brown and soft, about 15 minutes
4. Add the sausage and brown a few minutes
5. Add the cabbage and garlic, and let the cabbage wilt a bit
6. Add the stock and the pasta
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the pasta is fully cooked and the cabbage is tender
8. Garnish with grated Parmesan

Chicken “Stroganoff”

Maybe this isn’t a true stroganoff, since it doesn’t have beef, but it is an easy and tasty weeknight meal. I adapted the recipe from my base recipe for Saucy Chicken.

Chicken Stroganoff

Serves: 2
Time to make: ~30 minutes

What you need:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• ½ lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ bell pepper, sliced
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ lb. boneless chicken breast, diced and tossed with salt, pepper and dried herbs (such as sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano)
• ¼ cup sherry
• ¼ cup sour cream
• egg noodles, cooked

1. Heat the oil over medium-high
2. Saute the mushrooms, pepper, onion and garlic until browned
3. Add the chicken and cook until browned
4. Reduce the heat to medium
5. Add the sherry and let simmer a minute or two
6. Add sour cream and mix well
7. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through
8. Serve over egg noodles

Sausage, Beans & Greens Stew

Sausage and beans, beans and greens — both are classic combinations. This simple, one-pot, weeknight supper combines them all. This dish took less than 30 minutes to make and was a big hit at the table.

Sausage, Beans and Greens Stew

Serves: 2
Time to make: ~30 minutes

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Italian sausage links, sliced
• 1 can of any beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 cup pre-cooked beans
• 1 lb. leafy greens or cabbage, chopped
• ½ cup chicken stock
• grated cheese (optional)

Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a dutch oven. Saute the onion, garlic and sausage until the sausage is browned. Add the beans and greens, tossing to mix and wilt. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer until the greens are tender, 7-10 minutes. Season to taste and garnish with cheese, if you like.

Notes: I love chicken sausage because it is leaner but still tastes like the real thing — to me, at least. While Italian sausage is called for, you could substitute any sausage flavor of a similar size.

Bonus Recipe: Easy Garlic Bread

I served this with my version of Easy Garlic Bread. Cut an Italian or French loaf into thick slices, but don’t cut all the way through. Slip a pat of butter between each slice and smear with a dab of roasted garlic paste (a handy ingredient that you can find in most grocery stores). Wrap in foil and heat at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Voila!

Saucy Chicken

This is a super-easy, super-fast dish made with that weeknight staple: the boneless chicken breast. Again, you can vary this so many ways that you’ll never have to make it the same way twice. This recipe serves 2 but is easily multiplied.

1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium-high.
2. Cube ½ lb. boneless chicken breast and toss with seasoning.
3. Saute some aromatics until golden. Onion is always appropriate, and may be all you need. But anything goes, depending on your flavor theme.
4. Add the chicken and brown.
5. Add a selection of cubed or sliced vegetables and saute to brown. Almost anything goes here, or you can omit this step altogether if you want a plain chicken dish.
6. Add ½ cup stock or water.
7. Season. This is a good chance to add some unique flavor to the dish. Think beyond herbs and spices. For instance, I have added soy sauce, hot sauce and pesto. You can even vary the cooking liquid to punch up the flavor — try coconut milk, for instance.
8. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through and there is a nice sauce.
9. For a complete meal, serve over pasta, rice or couscous.

How to Make Hearty Soup

Soup is one of the easiest and most satisfying things to make. Almost anything goes when it comes to soup, and if you make a lot of it, you will have lunches for days, or you can freeze it and have ready-made dinner for the next week. Here is the basic formula for making pretty much any kind of soup you like.

Basic Hearty Soup

This recipe is intended to serve 4 people, but it can be easily doubled or tripled. Even when made for 4, there are always leftovers.

Over medium-high, saute aromatics in 2 tbsp. olive oil until golden. For most soups, you can’t go wrong with onion and garlic. Adding carrots and celery is a safe bet for traditional soups.

Add:

• 4 cups mixed chopped vegetables — any will do, but I prefer vegetables that aren’t too watery, so I usually don’t use zucchini, summer squash or eggplant.
• 1 cup canned or cooked beans, chicken, fish, shrimp or even clams for some protein – you will probably want to save the seafood until the soup is almost done cooking so it doesn’t get overcooked
• 1 cup starch, such as pasta, rice, orzo, whole grains or potatoes
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (optional)
• 8 cups water or stock

Add seasoning of your choice. Salt and pepper are mandatory. Dried herb mix is a good addition.

Chef’s tip! If you have a rind from a Parmesan cheese sitting around, throw it in–it will really enrich the flavor.

Bring it all to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until all the vegetables are tender and everything is cooked. This could take anywhere from 15-45 minutes depending on what kinds of proteins and starches you added. Just keep checking it every 10-15 minutes.

Garnish! Think of garnishes as like the accessories for your dish. Don’t overdo it, but a few well chosen garnishes can really make the outfit. Fresh herbs will always brighten the flavor. Grated cheese is nice, as are croutons. Or go outside the box: a dollop of pesto, toasts topped with cheese and broiled, diced avocado, raw bean sprouts, whatever you like. This is your soup.