tinywhitecottage

lamb chops with minted pea mash

May 28, 2013 § 36 Comments

It is still cool and rainy here in Seattle. Memorial Day usually inspires outdoor grilling, however, the rain never stopped yesterday. Turned out to be a perfect day to grill indoors and perhaps make a fennel and gruyére gratin. This was the first time I cooked lamb and it was delicious. I always thought in order to have succulent lamb it needed to be braised for hours in a stew. We used the most simplest stove top grilling technique and we were pleasantly surprised how well it turned out. I wonder how many other cooking misconceptions I have! The fennel gratin was a perfect accompaniment to this dinner. Unlike a potato gratin the fennel is light and the gruyére gave it a comforting element needed for a cool rainy day.

Served with a minted pea mash and a fennel gruyère gratin.

Ingredients

2-3 lamb cutlets
olive oil
salt and pepper
a few wedges of lemon and/or fresh mint to serve

Method

Heat a ridged grill pan and brush both sides of lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the cutlets over high heat until browned on both sides. I cooked for 4 minutes each side and they were medium rare.

This was suppose to be a mint puree. It turned out a little thicker than I expected and instead of thinning it out I decided to keep the consistency as a mash. Very enjoyable. I seem to have been a little stuck on peas and mint lately in my posting. I just love using what is in season and freshly harvested.

Ingredients

8 oz. of fresh peas
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
sprinkling of salt and pepper
about 8 mint leaves
1 squeeze of lemon

Method

Cook the peas in boiling water until tender, then drain. Stir in the butter until it melts. Transfer peas to a blender or food processor. Add the cream, salt and pepper, mint leaves and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Serve warm.

f e n n e l a n d g r u y è r e g r a t i n

Ingredients

3 fennel bulb, trimmed of outer leaves
salt and pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated gruyère cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°. Trim the fennel tops and save any feathery fronds for later. Quarter the bulbs and cook in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes until tender. Drain well and place the fennel in a buttered gratin dish. Sprinkle the reserved fronds on top. Season with salt and pepper, pour on the cream and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake for 20 minutes. I sprinkled a few uncooked fronds on top after baking.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

vegetable risotto (risotto di verdure)

May 24, 2013 § 48 Comments

In a previous post I mentioned my admiration for Tessa Kiros and her fine cookbook Apples for Jam. I adore this cookbook and in my opinion it is written for me. My particular copy is far from being gently used. The dust cover is tattered and torn and many of its pages are a bit warped and spattered with the ingredients the recipe is calling for. I thought about picking up a nice new crisp copy, but then realized I couldn’t possibly replace my characterized volume. On a visit to the library the other day I acquired another one of Tessa’s cookbooks, Venezia. Looking through the recipes I stumbled upon this vegetable risotto. With all ingredients in season I decided we would have this for dinner. Being a borrowed book from the library I just better keep the pages clean!

This risotto recipe was terrific. It had all the substantial textures and flavor you want from a spring vegetable risotto. The crispy artichoke was a impressive way to top it off. When you prepare the artichokes I found it is very important to make sure you completely cut the tough parts of the leaves off. Next time I prepare this I will use baby artichokes if they are in season. I treasure baby artichokes because the whole globe is tender therefore no need to cut so much away and the hairy choke is nonexistent.

Ingredients

1 bunch of asparagus (about 12)
5 cups of hot vegetable broth
1 large artichoke (6 baby artichokes)
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
3 or 4 young zucchinis, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
all-purpose flour, for coating
light olive oil
handful of mint sprigs

Method

To prepare the artichoke, trim away the tough outer leaves and slice off the top. Halve the artichoke and remove the hairy choke. Cut into thin slices. Place in a bowl with cold water and lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.

To simplify the process, have all your ingredients prepared and measured before you start cooking the risotto.

Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet and sauté the onion until softened. Add the asparagus, zucchini and peas and sauté on high heat for a few minutes. Add the rice, mix through the vegetables to coat well. Season with salt and pepper, add the wine and allow it to bubble away. Add 2 cups of hot broth, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the broth has been absorbed. Add another cup of hot broth, stirring gently. Do not allow the risotto to get too dry. Continue to add a cup of hot broth when necessary as it is absorbed, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and gently add butter, parmesan and parsley.

Just before your risotto is ready, drain the artichokes, pat dry with paper towels and lightly dip each side in flour. Using a non stick skillet cover the bottom with olive oil and fry artichokes until golden and crisp on both sides. Transfer onto paper towels to s0ak off excessive oil.

Serve the risotto with a heap of fried artichokes, fresh mint and extra parmesan.

Serves 4.

buon appetite!

greek chicken cutlets and tzatziki

May 22, 2013 § 26 Comments

Here is a delicious Greek chicken recipe for you to make. I have been able to find chicken cutlets at most markets these day. If you can not find cutlets you may simply slice a chicken breast horizontally into three flat slices. You could pound them out a little more with a meat mallet if you like. Served with tzatziki, spanokópita, mache’ salad and greek olives.

Ingredients

4 chicken cutlets
a dusting of all purpose flour
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons of large capers, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of hot water

Method

Lightly pat both sides of chicken in flour. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil with the smashed garlic over medium high heat and cook until the garlic is aromatic. Add the chicken and fry until golden. Turn the chicken over, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook other side until golden. Turn again, season and squeeze in the lemon juice, add the capers, parsley and hot water. When it starts to bubble put a lid on the pan and cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and serve right away.

t z a t z i k i

Ingredients

16 ounces of full fat plain greek yogurt (I really like Fage)
1 large cucumber, peeled and grated
1 handful of dill, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt

Using your hands, after you peel and grate the cucumber, squeeze out the excessive juice. Place in a bowl and mix well with all the other ingredients. Taste and add salt to your liking.

serves 4

buon appetite.

spinach pie (spanakópita)

May 20, 2013 § 40 Comments

While traveling abroad I had the opportunity to learn a bit about Greek culture and become acquainted with traditional Greek cooking. During this time I spent several weeks with family and friends in Athens as well as on a small island called Siphnos. I learned Greek cooking to be simple, wholesome and solely based on fresh seasonal ingredients. There is no place for canned or packaged foods in a Greek kitchen. My fondest memories are gatherings around tables in a quaint taverna savoring slow braised lamb, a freshly shredded cabbage salad, tzaziki, dolmades, and one of my favorite comfort foods gigandes plaki…giant white beans. Potatoes were sliced and fried in olive oil right then and there if your ordered french fries. I still have a clear image of a taverna owner walking out to the seashore, pulling in a net, collecting a fish and returning to his kitchen to cook it for me after I requested it from his menu. Fresh, simple and organic. Spanakopita was one of many dishes I learned to prepare from a very dear acquaintance while staying in her family’s home in Athens. Not long after she rose out of bed she would begin cooking the meal of the day. The aromas coming from her kitchen kept your appetite stimulated throughout the day. Spanakópita is such a delightful side dish and quite easy once you get the hang of working with the fillo. It is important to keep the fillo humid by lying it flat in between a clean, damp kitchen cloth, preventing it from drying out. Purchase a good quality feta cheese. If possible find a bright white sheep feta packed in brine. Most spanakópita recipes call for cooking the spinach filling prior to “filling” the pie. I think the cooking time in the oven is sufficient. Ingredients

2 large bunches of spinach, washed, dried and chopped
bunch of spring onions, chopped
handful of dill, chopped
small handful parsley, finely chopped
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 package of fillo sheets
1/2 cup butter melted (1 cube)

Method Preheat oven to 350°. If you are not using pre-washed packaged spinach, wash spinach very well and dry. Cut off stems and chop. Place in a large bowl and add chopped spring onion, chopped dill, feta and eggs. Using your hands mix well until all ingredients are fully combined. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter and brush a little onto a 9 x 12 baking dish. Open your fill0 package and lay them flat in between a clean damp cloth folded in half. Place two fill0 sheets on the bottom of your baking dish and brush with butter. Make sure to keep your fillo sheets covered at all times to keep them from drying out. Continue placing two sheets at a time and brushing with melted butter until you have a good bottom base, approximately 10-12 sheets. Put your spinach filling in and continue layering fillo two sheets at a time and brushing with butter for another 12 sheets. I create a little more dramatic top by folding the fillo as you would a fan and placing them on top to fully cover. Drizzle the remaining butter on top and place in over for approximately 30 minutes until the top is well browned. Serves 4-6 as a side dish buon appetite.

linguine pesto and roasted tomatoes (linguine e pomodori arrostiti)

May 18, 2013 § 26 Comments

I wish I had more time to spend in the kitchen in the middle of the week. I am so content when I am able to chop by hand instead of using a food processor. Normally midweek I return home just before 6pm. I am usually very hungry and you can only imagine how ravenous my 15 year old athletic son feels. I do not like to purchase convenient pre-made packaged foods, and for this reason I keep my Tuesday to Thursday dinners simple. Two or three ingredients, nothing too fancy, wholesome and satisfying. With all that said, this dinner fits well into a midweek menu. I understand the best pesto is hand made, not using a food processor. If you have the time it is well worth chopping this by hand. Otherwise, it is a very nice mid week “whirled in the food processor” dinner!

For an extra creamy texture I added 4 ounces of soft goat’s cheese to this pesto.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Put a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Prepare tomatoes for roasting and make the pesto while you are waiting for the water to boil.

r o a s t e d c h e r r y t o m a t o e s

24 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Toss tomatoes with olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for approximately 20 minutes, depending on what size you are using. Once the skins are wrinkly and they look roasted remove from oven and set aside.

p e s t o

1 large bunch of basil, leaves only
3 cloves of garlic
small handful of raw pine nuts
4 ounces soft goat’s milk cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated good quality parmesan
approximately 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until blended.

Once your water is at a roaring boil add a tablespoon of coarse grain salt and drop your pasta in. I used one pound of linguine. Cook until al dente, linguine cooking time is approximately 9 minutes.

Drain pasta, return it to the pan (off the heat) and toss with pesto.

Divide into serving bowls and serve with roasted tomatoes and freshly grated parmesan on top.

Serves 4

buon appetite!

asparagus potato soup with a lemony drizzle

May 16, 2013 § 20 Comments

Last week I was profoundly inspired while reading a beautiful post in My French Heaven. Stephane’s Simple Crème d’asperge was magnificent! I loved her minimal ingredients and simplistic method of cooking asparagus soup. I happened to have asparagus in my refrigerator and decided right then and there we were going to have her soup. Her recipe was indeed wonderful. We loved every silky spoonful!

Next trip to the market I was awe struck at the sight of a mountain of asparagus! I had to buy some more. I picked out a nice bunch and then noticed the price per pound. I do not think I have ever seen asparagus so modestly priced. Do you think I bought too many? Obviously we are having a very productive asparagus growing season here in Washington state. Our temperatures have been warming up for several weeks topping out at 80° for a couple of days. This week the rain is falling and it has cooled off to a comfortable 65°…perfect!

This soup recipe is very different from Stephane’s. Her soup was so smooth and much lighter. And the nutmeg added such a nice subtle flavor. Using a blender rather than straining gave this soup a heartier consistency. I added a drizzle of lemon dressing to give it some zing.

Ingredients

2 large bunches of asparagus, remove tough lower stem, cut into pieces
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 quart of vegetable broth
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped fine

Method

In a heavy soup pot heat butter over medium high heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the potatoes, asparagus, salt, pepper and stir to coat well. Pour the vegetable broth in and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and slow boil until potatoes are tender. Blend the soup to desired consistency.

L e m o n y D r i z z l e D r e s s i n g

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
a pinch of salt

Mix all three ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a fork. Drizzle on top of individual servings.

Serves 4, with leftovers.

buon appetite.

caramelized onions and hamburgers

May 13, 2013 § 25 Comments

This is simply delicious. I love to make a nice spicy sauce for our buns and top with caramelized sweet onions. This evening I served these with roasted potatoes, garlic aioli and a power green salad, which consisted of baby spinach, mizuna, chard and kale.

s p i c y p i n k s a u c e

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce (tapatio or cholula)

Put all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt. Mix with a fork until smooth. Set aside, perhaps in the refrigerator.

h a m b u r g e r s a n d c a r a m e l i z e d o n i o n s

Ingredients

1 pound of good quality ground chuck
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced into rings
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 thyme sprigs
1 large juicy tomato, sliced
handful of lettuce of your choice
4 sesame buns

Method

Start your barbecue. I use a briquette grill so I need to get it going first. You may use a grill pan on the stove, lightly brushed with olive oil.

Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil to a nonstick skillet and fry the onions over low heat until they are golden and sticky. Add the thyme sprigs and a pinch of salt and continue to fry stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 15 minutes until they get a little crisp.

Put the ground chuck, parsley and egg in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Remove your rings and mix well with your hands and shape into four large flat patties. The should be about 4 inches in diameter and not more than 3/4 inch thick.

Grill the patties over a hot grill until they are nicely browned. Make sure they don’t get smoked and try not to allow them to dry out by cooking too long. They should be cooked through but moist and juicy. If you prefer to have a cheese burger, cover your patty with a slice of cheese and let it melt. Gouda or gorgonzola is a nice cheese to use.

Place all of your condiments on the table in separate bowls. Heat the buns on the grill of a couple of seconds. Put the patties inside the buns and serve right away, letting everyone around your table make their own by adding sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and warm onions as they like.

r o a s t e d p o t a t o e s

3 russet potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450°. Cut your potatoes into your desired shape and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper to the bowl and toss well to fully coat the potatoes. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast until nice and brown, approximately 45 minutes. Make sure to give the baking sheet a shake now and again and turn your potatoes over for even browning.

The g a r l i c a i o l i I made was a very simple version I discovered a few years back. I just use mayonnaise with a little olive oil and a few pressed garlic cloves. Sometimes I add different herbs to add another nice flavor.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

Best Moment Award (thank you Lilly Sue’s Bites and Brews)

May 10, 2013 § 6 Comments

Thank you Lilly Sue’s Bites and Brews for the Best Moment Award!

Awarding the people who live in the moment. The noble who write and capture the best in life. The bold who reminded us what really mattered – savoring the experience of quality time. (Please check out MomentMatters.com).

RULES: Winners re-post this completely with their acceptance speech. This could be written or video recorded. Winners have the privilege of awarding the next awardee’s! The re-post should include a NEW set of people/blogs worthy of the award; and winners notify them the great news.

As for my acceptance speech. I guess this is more of a time to give thanks and ponder the word “moments”.

It is a privilege to receive this award in recognition of my “little” blog. I want to say thank you to all of my new friends who leave me such kind and sincere comments. I feel much encouragement to continue posting to cottagegrovehouse!

I have been so inspired and encouraged by my family who sit with me at the dinner table every single evening and share my love of cooking, even if my dinner didn’t turn out quite as I imagined. I appreciate these days so much. I know some day my teenage son will no longer be at our table for every meal and I truly want to memorialize these moments.

….hens and chicks

I had some thoughts on best moments. I have a tendency to live in the moment… almost to a fault at times. It seems some very important matters are put off because I am enjoying the present moment far too much to stop and shift gears. Eventually I do get it all done, thank goodness!

I keep seeing the statement “Be Present” and it has such a profound meaning to me. My interpretation of “Be Present” is to give full attention to what you are doing, “now”. These days multi-tasking has become such a part of our lives we don’t even realize we are doing several things at a given moment. Imagine visiting with a good friend while they are carrying a text message conversation with another friend. Or spending time with your children while you are on your smartphone. How about at the market making food choices while chatting on your phone. Admittedly, I am at fault for doing all of these things. I appreciate the reminder of “Be Present” and I do make an effort to heed it’s instruction.

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. -John Lennon

It is my pleasure to present this award to….

irenasdots.wordpress.com

rubytheblacklabrador.wordpress.com

backroadjournal.wordpress.com

Congratulations. I love receiving notification every time you post!

pasta with baby artichokes (orecchiette con carciofini)

May 9, 2013 § 37 Comments

The majority of my dinner inspiration occurs while taking a stroll through the produce area of the market. On this visit I came to a halt in front of the baby artichoke arrangement. Instantly I knew I was going to try them in a sauce for pasta.

Never having prepared baby artichokes before I knew with a little trimming you may eat the whole thistle. After a little research I found it is very necessary to soak your trimmed artichokes in lemon water, otherwise they turn an unsightly brown hue. I read a couple of appetizing sautéed baby artichoke recipes and came up with an idea. Shallots instead of onions. Herbs from the garden. And one of my favorite pasta sauce ingredients, pancetta.

This is very simple and not too rich. The three herbs really give it a fresh spring-like flavor. For this dish I chose orecchiette because it is my son’s favorite. He calls them hard hats.

Ingredients

12 baby artichokes, cut the tops and stems off and pull off any thicker outer leaves
1 lemon, halved
4 shallots finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 pound pancetta, diced
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound orecchiette pasta
handful parsley, finely chopped
handful mint, finely chopped
handful basil, finely sliced
freshly shaved grana padano parmesan

Method

Squeeze your lemon into a large bowl of water and drop the lemons in too. As you are slicing your artichokes add them to the bowl so they do not turn brown.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.

In a large skill, over medium heat add your olive oil and pancetta and cook until brown. Add shallots and garlic and cook another 4 or 5 minutes. Drain the artichokes and add them to the skillet. Raise the heat to medium high and cook until the edges have turned a nice golden brown. Add wine and reduce. Cover pan, lower the heat to simmer and cook another 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While pasta is cooking chop the parsley and mint together. Slice the basil into little strips.

After your pasta has cooked and before you drain, reserve 1/2 cup of your pasta liquid.

Stir the reserved pasta water into your artichoke sauce and bring to a soft boil. Add drained pasta and parsley to the sauce and toss to combine and coat well. Turn off heat. Serve right away topped with cheese and basil.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

Liebster Award!

May 7, 2013 § 24 Comments

Well…I have to admit I never even thought about awards when I started this blog. Poppy’s Patisserie so kindly nominated me for a The Liebster Award! Thank you so much Poppy. This is very exciting for me. When I started posting recipes on this site two months ago I thought it was a great way to get my thoughts together about the food I was preparing for my family. They have always been such a fan of my cooking and nothing satisfies me more than putting dinner on the table for us.

This is what Poppy wrote on her blog about the Liebster Award….

My research on the award suggests that it originated as an award to small and new blogs which had less than 200 followers but over a few years has moulded into more of an appreciation and ‘booster’ award.

The Rules:
• Post 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions made by the person who nominated you.
• Create 11 questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.
• Choose 11 bloggers to pass the award to and mention them in your post.
• Go to their blogs and let them know that they have been nominated
• No tag backs.

Here we go!

11 Random Facts about me:

I could eat spaghetti every single night!
I am obsessed with white pottery and white linen.
I am a black belt in tae kwon do.
My favorite color is orange.
I really like cool cloudy days.
Fall is my favorite season. I love the clothes and food.
I have a fine collection of antique color glass vases.
I’m crazy in love with my husband.
I’m in bed by 9pm!
I buy myself a bouquet of white flowers every week. (my favorite: tulips)
Along with my husband and teenage son, we are completely remodeling our 1931 cottage!

Questions from Poppy:

What is your favorite cookbook?
-Tessa Kiros…..Apples for Jam.
What is the worst kitchen disaster you’ve ever had?
-While having guests over I filled the whole house with smoke from the salmon in the oven!
If you could become a non-human animal, what would you choose to be and why?
-A dog. My big black lab! I would love to lounge around all day!
What dish do you make most often?
-Spaghetti with a tomato base sauce
If you had to emigrate to a country of your choice, where would it be?
-Italy, of course!
If you wrote a book, what would it be about?
-Cooking!
What’s the weirdest thing you ever ate?
-Only weird to me….escargot
Where’s the weirdest place you ever went?
-Weird in a foreign way…..Istanbul
Do you have an embarrassing/cheesey nickname?
-When I was little…..Cecil
What’s your favorite website?
-I use to love apartmenttherapy.com.
What is your favorite charity?
-Local Seattle homeless charities and “No Kid Hungry” in America