Parmesan Flans with Tomatoes and Basil

When I saw the recipe for Parmesan Flans with Tomatoes and Basil I was transfixed. All of my favorite flavors in one beautiful dish. Eggs! Cheese! Tomatoes! I couldn't wait to try it!

n.o.e.'s notes:

- I replaced one of the eggs with 1/4 cup of egg substitute.

- I used Trader Joe's shredded parmesan and ran it through the mini food processor.

- For pans I used two ceramic and two glass ramekins. The flans baked in the ceramic ramekins cooked quicker than those in the glass, pulling away from the sides of their dishes. For some reason, though, I decided to serve the ones in the glass for the two of us for dinner. They were runny inside but almost tough on the outside. In contrast, the flans in the ceramic dishes were perfectly cooked through and not tough at all. They even survived gentle reheating in the microwave the next day. If I were to use the glass ramekins again, I'd cook at a lower temperature, and check the done-ness more carefully.


- I plated one of the flans on a bed of arugula, topped with tomatoes and basil (picture below), and the other just with the tomato and ribbons of basil (picture up top).

the verdict:

My husband was not very enthusiastic about these flans. For one thing, he's rarely a fan of egg dishes (he worries about the cholesterol in eggs). Another problem: "when I think of 'flans' I expect something sweet." These were most definitely savory and not at all sweet. I though the flavor of the flan was great, but the basil verged on overpowering the taste of the other ingredients. In the future I might just do the bed of arugula and topping of chopped tomatoes.

My husband's thumbs down vote on the flans just left more for me, and I ate the leftovers happily. A dish that qualifies as healthy, pretty, easy, and tasty is a winner in my book! This would make a great luncheon dish, paired with a soup and some sort of roll or bread.

Provencal Beef Daube

I have been making recipes from Cooking Light for more than 20 years. In fact before Cooking Light was a magazine it was a featured section of Southern Living Magazine, and I have some "Cooking Light" recipes that I tore out of Southern Living's pages. I don't subscribe to the magazine but I pick up an occasional issue in the grocery store. In the Fall of 2007 I came home with the 20th Anniversary issue of the magazine, which has turned out to be a veritable treasure-trove and has earned a permanent place on my cookbook shelves. (I've previously posted the Creamed Corn with Bacon and Leeks and the Penne with Vodka Cream Sauce, both from this issue. Edit: also Pasta with Prosciutto and Parmesan and Halibut with Bacon and Mushrooms) Another recipe in the issue that caught my eye was for Provencal Beef Daube, which was tagged as the "Best Beef Dish" in the magazine's history:

"It stands above all our other beef recipes because it offers the homey comfort and convenience of pot roast yet is versatile and sophisticated enough for entertaining."

Given this endorsement, I just had to try the dish for dinner guests. n.o.e.'s notes: I cut my own cubes from a wonderful beef chuck roast that I ordered through my farm box people. The roast was a tiny bit short of the specified 2 pounds, so I increased the carrots a little. As it turned out, the proportion was off - it really needed the full quantity of the meat and fewer carrots than I used. I browned the beef in two batches (in a 3 qt dutch oven, so the meat would brown rather than steam. This was the first time I used my new Lodge enameled cast iron - love the way it cooks. After starting the stew on the stove top, it finishes with 2 1/2 hours in the oven.

Ready to do time in the oven.

the verdict: I ladled the daube over buttered plain and spinach noodles. Although the recipe claims to yield 6 servings, we had just enough for 4 people. We really enjoyed this recipe (aside from wishing that I'd make it with the proper proportions of beef and carrots). All the flavors has mellowed richly during their long slow time in the over. It's as good as my go-to beef stew recipe, and more company-ready. Because it bakes in the oven rather than simmers on the stovetop, it needs less attention, leaving me do other things to prepare for company. Although it is a Cooking Light recipe, it is substantial and hearty - perfect for warming up on a gray, chilly day.

{Cooking Light Night} Roast Potatoes with North Indian Spices

I have no idea what led me to the recipe for these potatoes, but it made its way to the top of The List, and I'm glad it did! I'm a big fan of potatoes, especially roast potatoes, which I usually toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some fresh herbs. I've never seen this combination of ingredients (jalapeno, mustard seed, fresh ginger, garlic, turmeric, dried hot peppers, mint, cilantro, lime juice), and was very curious to see how all those flavors melded.

cook's notes:

- This recipe is very fast-paced, so I'd recommend that you have everything chopped, measured, ready, and in prep bowls.

- I didn't have black mustard seeds, so used the yellow variety. I found that the seeds popped right on time, but that they seemed to continue cooking a bit too much. I'd add the next ingredients after about 30 seconds, instead of waiting for the seeds to pop.

about to pop!

- I used a spatter guard so that the popping seeds wouldn't jump out of the pan.

- Turmeric is highly STAIN-producing. We've actually learned this in various interesting ways over the years, but I thought my blue silicone baking dish would be impervious. I was wrong, and now I have a blue + green baking dish. Use glass or metal bowls and pans for this recipe (unless you have a yellow baking dish already).

- I only had a tiny bit of fresh mint, so I cut the herb/lime part way back. It was great on the potatoes, so next time I'd make sure to have enough.

ready for the oven

the verdict:

- these potatoes are unusual and delicious. You can increase the spice level by adding cayenne pepper powder, or more of the jalapeno.

- I served the potatoes with some lamb chops from the freezer (left over from a catered party), and a simple green salad. The potatoes shone in their starring role.

As always, thanks to Clara (CB) of I Heart Food4Thought for giving permission to use her "Cooking Light Night" logo. I've really enjoyed exploring the Cooking Light archives!

{Note: I'm celebrating my first 100 blog posts with a cookbook giveaway - to enter, go here and leave a comment before December 3}

{Cooking Light Night} Halibut with Bacon and Mushrooms

Isn't it funny that once you become obsessed with something, you tend to see it everywhere? Ever since my love affair with with Benton bacon lardons began, bacon recipes seem to jump out at me at every turn. (Not to mention the recipes where I say, "Hmm, that would be even better with a few lardons.")

This week I replenished my supply of lardons, so I was good to go when I spotted this recipe from Cooking Light in the Sept 2007 magazine. It always gives me a kick to make a "light" recipe that uses verboten ingredients like bacon and bacon drippings (thanks, Cathy, for the awesome vocabulary word!) And this recipe called for fresh thyme, so my little herb garden came into play.

I wasn't sure how the bacon/onion/mushroom thing would go with the halibut thing. A few of the online reviews thought the elements didn't mesh, but I was hoping my taste buds would disagree. As an aside, I love how the Cooking Light recipes are online, so no matter where I run across the recipe I can type it in and find lots of tips and feedback from the reviewers.

cook's notes:

- I used precooked bacon lardons, and drippings, both from the freezer - had no idea how much to use. It seemed weird that the recipe would use all of the drippings from 4 slices of bacon. I added about 1-2 T drippings to my pan, and estimated that 4 oz of cooked lardons would equal the 4 slices of bacon.

- At 3-4 minutes, the mushrooms gave off their liquid. I decided I wanted the mushrooms golden, so scraped out the onions and cooked until the liquid evaporated and the mushrooms were browned. In the future I'd cook the mushrooms with the thyme and add the onions towards the end.

- I skipped the rice and served the fish with salt potatoes and steamed green beans. Rice and fish just didn't sound that appealing to me.

- Although the recipe is in the "Superfast" "20 Minutes" section of the magazine, I didn't find it quick - there were several steps. Luckily only one pan. If I hadn't started with cooked bacon, it would have taken even longer. No way this was a 20 minute recipe.

the verdict:

Our reactions to this recipe were a bit mixed. My husband LOVED it, but I just was not bowled over. My fish got a bit tough simmering on the stovetop. The bacon was fine with the onions and mushrooms (although the lardons really didn't get a chance to shine), but I thought they were a bit jarring with the fish. Hubby didn't see that problem at all. He also said he would have liked this with rice. Unfortunately for him, I don't see myself making this recipe again, when I have these favorite ways to prepare halibut:

Roasted Halibut with a Walnut Crust
Panko Crusted Halibut with Chile Cilantro Aioli
Roasted Halibut with Sage

{Cooking Light Night} Pasta with Prosciutto and Parmesan

I was paging through my September 2007 Cooking Light Magazine and ran across this recipe for Cavatappi with Prosciutto and Parmesan. It was cited in the magazine as an example of the principle to "seek quality ingredients." Sounds like a good idea to me. The recipe uses small quantities of a few ingredients, so it's not too difficult to bust out the best olive oil in the pantry.

cook's notes

This recipe came together quickly - everything can be assembled in the time it takes for the pasta to cook.

- There was no cavatappi in my pasta drawer, but I happened to have exactly half a pound of Montebello organic Conchiglie that I'd picked up at Cost Plus World Market last week.

- I bought about half a pound of Bora proscuitto, sliced thin but not shaved. I trimmed the bands of fat, and then cut the remaining meat into medium/small pieces. I froze my extra meat in 1 oz packages for future use.

- The parmesan is easy to shave with a vegetable peeler.

- To save time later, you can freeze chopped italian parsley, and measure it straight from the freezer.

- It pays to use as high quality ingredients as you can for this dish, and it's fairly economical to do so because you use so little of each ingredient.

- If you wanted to make this vegetarian, you could probably substitute sliced sun dried tomatoes or black olives or sauteed mushrooms for the prosciutto.

- I was tempted to toss in some spinach or arugula (or even chard) at the end and let it wilt on top of the pasta, but I recently learned that my husband doesn't like greens mixed into his savory food. A side dish of cooked greens is his idea of heaven, and he loves salad (eating a mixing-bowl full every night at dinner) but doesn't like them in pastas or soups. Hmm, I learn something new about this man even after 27 years of marriage!

- This recipe says it makes four 1-cup servings, which imo is not enough for a full dinner. For us it served 2 as a dinner main course. My plate is pictured above, and my husband's had about 30% more. A big salad accompanied the pasta.

the verdict

This was a perfect quick weeknight supper. The simplicity of the recipe really allowed the ingredients to shine. It was a great vehicle for the "good" olive oil. And the prosciutto really added a special touch. The flavor combination is reminiscent of a pasta carbonara, but without the high calories from the egg and/or cream. We loved it so much that I will make it regularly.

btw, thanks again to CB of I Heart Food4Thought for giving permission to use her "Cooking Light Night" logo. I haven't yet been disappointed by a CL recipe!

{Cooking Light Night} Oatmeal Peach Muffins

I'm not sure if this recipe technically qualifies for "Cooking Light Night", since it isn't a dinner, but it is from Cooking Light, and I baked it at night!

Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen posted some delicious-looking Pear-Oatmeal muffins last week. I bookmarked the recipe, which is on her post, hoping to make it sometime this fall. Then I cut into some white peaches I'd bought, I realized that they didn't have a full enough flavor for peach frozen yogurt that I'd planned to make with them. They were the approximate texture and flavor intensity of pears, so this recipe would be perfect for them. They were more pear-like than some pears I've had!

cook's notes:

- I used 1 cup of King Arthur White Whole Wheat, and 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.

- I used lowfat cottage cheese, because I had some to use up.

- This recipe is a great way to use a little cardamom, just in case anyone happens to have some hanging around (!)

- I made 12 in my new silicone cupcake molds, and 6 in a medium-large muffin pan. They were a bit too full. There's a lot of leavening in this batter, so the muffins rise a good bit.

- I added about 1 tsp. of grapefruit zest. I would have added lemon, but I was down to my last lemon, and had a cut half grapefruit just hanging around in the fridge. I'd add more next time.


the verdict:
These muffins were soft, moist, and delicate. I like the combination of the buttermilk and the cottage cheese. The cardamom/allspice were nice but not overly spicy. I might increase the amount of these, and also increase the amount of citrus zest. The bland peaches I used were a perfect substitute for pears. The recipe was quick and tasty - I'll make these muffins again.


Thanks again to CB of I Heart Food4Thought for giving permission to use her "Cooking Light Night" logo. If you haven't tried this recipe, CB, it's really a great use for ripe fruit.

{Cooking Light Night} Crust-less Spinach quiche

"Leeks?"
"Here"

"Eggs?"
"Check"

"Spinach?"
"Right"

"Tomatoes?"
"Yep"

"Swiss cheese?"
"Check"

"Asiago cheese?"
"Yes"

"Cheddar cheese?"
"Right"

"Lardons?"
"Here!!!!!!!!!"

Perfect attendance. My favorite savory ingredients, all present and accounted for. Oh, and cottage cheese, the reason I chose this recipe, also "here." I'd found some fancy organic nonfat cottage cheese in the fridge (left behind by daughter J.D.E), and I was looking for a way to use it up. My husband was away, so quiche would be a perfect dinner for me. He's not a fan of quiche and I love it.

Cooking Notes:

- I used leeks instead of onions.

-I added a few halved cherry tomatoes to the onions in the saute pan.

- I used 1/2 cup of Benton bacon lardons instead of the turkey ham.

- I used fancy cave-aged Emmenthaler swiss cheese and fancy aged sharp cheddar cheese to go with my fancy bacon. I used Asiago cheese to sprinkle in the bottom of the pan. All the cheese I used was full fat.

- I used a tiny bit of olive oil instead of cooking spray for the saute pan and the baking pan.

- I used 1/4 c. Greek yogurt and 1/4 c. skim milk instead of evaporated milk

- I would have used egg substitute but I was out of it. I've used it before in quiches and it turns out very well.

- After layering the cheese and the bacon/leek/tomato mixture, I combined everything else in the food processor except the spinach and the swiss cheese. I added the spinach at the end and just pulsed an additional second or two. Then I stirred in the swiss cheese (I like cubes of swiss in my quiche).

- I used my wonderful new 7 3/4" tart pan with tall sides. This recipe can also be baked in individual servings in muffin tins.

- My quiche was taller than the original recipe, so I baked it in a cooler oven than specified, and for a longer time.

The Verdict:

Because of the flour in this dish and the bed of shredded cheese, it sort of makes its own crust. I really didn't miss the usual quiche pie crust at all. This quiche had great texture and flavors - very creamy rather than custard-y as a more traditional quiche would be.

I'm glad I used my tall tart pan, which is smaller in diameter than the specified 9" pie pan. I wanted a taller quiche with lots of interior volume, and it worked. This pan is my new favorite. (I originally bought this pan to bake Delia Smith's Deep Lemon Tart. Mine is smaller than the pan size she specified, so when I finally get a chance to try the lemon tart, I'll be pro-rating that recipe to the volume of this pan.)

The quiche was VERY savory. The Benton bacon has quite the hickory-smoked assertive flavor, and the lardons threatened to overpower the taste buds but the sharp cheeses held their ground. Barely.

The way I cooked this recipe, it lost some of its "light" qualities because I didn't use low fat shredded cheese (I don't really like it). In the future I could cut back the fat content by using egg substitute (which I was out of) and possibly a smaller quantity of cheese and bacon. In fact, I think I'd skip the cheddar and focus on the swiss-type and parmesan-type.

This quiche was my dinner for three nights, and I really enjoyed it. I had an extra large portion the first time, but the others were fairly average, imo. The recipe says it makes 8 servings, but if you're having it for dinner, I'd say 4-6, depending on your side dishes (and your appetite).

Thanks again to CB of I Heart Food4Thought for giving permission to use her "Cooking Light Night" logo.

{Cooking Light Night} = a great idea!

CB, of I Heart Food4Thought, has created this logo for her very own personal blog event. Her goal is to prepare a recipe from Cooking Light about once a week, and voila: Cooking Light Night! She has graciously given permission to use her logo for our own Cooking Light Night (if we link back to her). Thanks, CB! I've made several Cooking Light recipes recently - all winners, too (see: here, here, and here), and I look forward to frequent Cooking Light Nights on my blog.

Health in a bowl

In my forays around the food blogosphere, I came across a reference to walnut sage pesto. And was immediately captivated. We have a nice little patch of sage growing outside the front door, and I don't cook with it nearly as much as our other herbs. But my husband and I love sage, so I excitedly searched for recipes.

One of the first things I learned was that most walnut sage pesto recipes have a lot of parsley because sage is a very strong flavor. Anyway, I bookmarked a few recipes, then I came across this recipe for Sweet Potato and White Bean Soup with Sage Walnut Pesto from Cooking Light and I was smitten. The picture is gorgeous. Of course. (I was planning to serve my soup in a wonderful artsy bowl, but in the end I grabbed bowls that were the right size. I only remembered about photographing after we sat down to eat. Blogging about dinner is kinda tough that way. So there's my soup, above, in an Easter bowl from The Bay! My husband's bowl had little chicks around the border...)

With this recipe in mind, I ordered sweet potatoes as part of my box of vegetables. I had to go to two stores to get leeks and cannellini beans and chard. The whole time, I was irrationally excited about making this soup. Finally it was all assembled.


So, just a little chopping and processing and the pesto was done.


The soup came together quickly. The most time consuming thing was making sure the leeks and the chard were well washed. Saute the leeks, throw a few things in, and it's done!


Here are a few notes of how I made the recipe:
- I used olive oil for cooking the leeks.
- I used homemade chicken stock from the freezer
- I forgot to add the lemon juice to the soup, although I had it all squeezed and ready to go
- for the pesto, I increased the sage and decreased the parsley. I'd add even more sage next time.
- I used olive oil in the pesto because my walnut oil had gone bad, unfortunately.
- the mini chopper was perfect for the pesto

We served the soup with crusty bread and a salad.

The Verdict:
Not only did this soup live up to my insane expectations, it exceeded them! I loved it!! The soup is packed with nutrition, especially from the sweet potato and chard, plus it has protein from the beans. The best part is how all of the flavors blended into a synergy of warm deliciousness. I can't wait to have the leftovers.

And after dinner I previewed the recipe for cookies I am going to bake this weekend that have, oh, five or six kinds of chocolate.

Amazing invisible halibut

I picked up some good-looking halibut at Whole Foods today, and rather than making my recent favored recipe, I decided to search for a new recipe. Well I say that the fish looked good, but you'll just have to take my word for it. Things were a little chaotic around our house as I was trying to cook, and I totally FORGOT to photograph our food. We just sat down and ate dinner like normal people who don't delay eating their meals for pictures! We enjoyed this fish so much I decided to post the recipe without visual aids , so you'll have to use your imaginations.

Anyways, a quick search on FoodieView turned up a highly-rated Cooking Light recipe called Cornflake Crusted Halibut with Chile Cilantro Aioli.
The overwhelmingly favorable reviews had some great suggestions, and I had a few of my own ideas. Here's what I did:

- used Panko crumbs rather than cornflakes
- used white whole wheat flour
- added more salt and pepper to the crumbs
- skipped the egg white and just used the milk wash
- made half recipe of the fish but a full recipe of the aioli.
- used 2 T reduced fat Hellman's mayo and 1 T olive oil in the aioli (rather than 3 T nonfat mayo)
- doubled the amount of garlic in the aioli

The Verdict:
This fish was excellent - our new favorite way to eat halibut (but really, is there a bad way to eat halibut?) It's the combination of the breading, the lemon squeeze, AND the fabulous aioli that makes this fish taste so good.

Using olive oil as a substitute for 1/3 of the mayo made for a nice smooth mellow sauce, with the slight kick of serrano pepper (really it wasn't too very spicy for us). It was good to have double the sauce, and I'd do that again.

As a reward for reading this whole post without pictures, here's a little peek at the beginning of the recipe - the chopped serrano pepper:


{Update 9/14/08: the halibut is invisible no longer! I made it again, and this time had the camera handy.}

Summer Dinner Party, part 1: Creamed Corn with Bacon and Leeks

This recipe from Cooking Light called my name from the minute I saw it on my computer screen. I knew it would go well with our favorite chicken (luckily my electric spice mill came in the mail, so making that was easy!)

I doubled the recipe, using the dozen ears of corn from my trip to Central New York.


I wanted the bacon to be really distinctive, so I stopped at Star Provisions specialty market for advice. The fellow behind the meat counter was incredibly helpful, and set me up with Benton bacon cut into lardons. This stuff had the most amazing hickory smell. I fried it slowly and rendered off the fat. It cooked to a beautiful brown color and tasted salty, smoky and chewy - perfect for my recipe!


Making creamed corn produces a total mess - the cutting and the scraping makes corn bits fly all over. Also, I forgot that when making creamed corn, I shouldn't cut all the way to the bottom of the kernels, so I had less "milk" and pulp when I scraped the cobs, and probably too much kernel.

At any rate, something went wrong in the proportions of ingredients, so I ended up with way too much liquid. I poured some liquid off. I added more corn kernels. Then I sifted more cornstarch into the skillet and simmered it for a while until it thickened. Finally it reached an acceptable consistency.


With the bacon on top it was beautiful and I served it right out of the skillet. It looked just as wonderful as the picture on the Cooking Light website. (I didn't photograph the food in front of my dinner guests, however!)

The Verdict:
We loved this corn. It tasted fresh and creamy and the bacon was the perfect complement.

I will make it again, but I have to figure out where I went wrong since it was very stressful to have to "rescue" the dish. That probably serves me right for trying new recipes on dinner guests!