Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

If the name of this side dish wasn’t enough to get your attention, the following were overheard at Akin Thanksgiving re: these potatoes:

“I want to stick my face in that.”

“I would like to be alone with the potatoes.”

“I can’t say what I want to do with these potatoes in front of my Mom.”

This recipe was originally a Michael Symon jam, but we’ve increased the ratio of butter to potato because Duh.

Rice that sh*t or The Chef will come after you.

9 large russet potatoes, peeled and chunked
1 1/4 sticks of butter
1 cup milk
1/4 cup crème fraîche

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in salted water. Simmer for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk the butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes to turn it a golden brown, caramel color.
3. Put the potatoes back in the pot and cook them on high for 1 minute. (This will help them suck up all the fatty goodness.)
4. Mash your potatoes or pass them through a ricer.
   Note: A ricer, or food mill, is a schmancy chef thing that makes your potatoes smooth as silk. While that texture is nice, it’s by no means necessary. But do not say that to a Chef. You will get punched in the face.
5. Add the milk and crème fraîche and stir well. Season with salt (it won’t need much) and white pepper.

You can make these a few days in advance because sheer amount of lard inside will keep them well preserved. See: Any fat Southern woman.

Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

afoodcentriclife.com

My favorite thing about talking to some of our less-cheffy friends is that they make you feel super impressive and creative, even when your ideas are pretty standard. For example, Liza was recently telling The Chef and me about how there’s only so much you can do with chicken and vegetables, and you just can’t make pork tenderloin for two.

To which I said, um, depends on how large and fattening your portion sizes are, but that’s really not the point. Tenderloin is surprisingly simple to make, and it’s just about the best snack ever.

So when The Chef told Liza about this sweet and tangy marinade and the ways you could re-purpose your leftovers – tenderloin tacos, quesadillas, on buns with horseradish or honey mustard – she acted like he had just discovered fire. It was hilarious.

So this one’s for you, young Liza. Treat yo’self!

1 1/2 cups of maple syrup
1 cup of creole mustard
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 rosemary sprigs, chopped
salt and pepper

1. Whisk together all ingredients.
2. Pour marinade over tenderloin and marinate for 4 hours – overnight, depending upon how intense you want the flavor to be.
3. Grill (or bake) until a thermometer registers 150 degrees. (If you are a little braver and like the pink, you can stop at 140.)
4. Let the tenderloin rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Or, if you’re making this ahead of time for a specific occasion, refrigerate and slice when ready to serve. Tenderloin is just as good room temp.

Asian Mignonette

glidemagazine.com

As I mentioned in the classic cocktail post, an Asian Mignonette is an interesting and delectable variation for an oyster topping.

Having only tried it a few times at the schmanciest of restaurants, I was intrigued to see how the homemade version would stack up. Turns out: really darn well.

This particular blend has a depth of flavor that lends a whole new element to the oyster, but it still brings the tang you’re looking for with an oyster garnish. Again, if you’re working with quality oysters, I say go naked: splash of sauce and slurp.

1/2 cup of sake
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup of minced ginger
1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar
3 teaspoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
3 green onions, chopped

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Serve.

Chef’s Classic Cocktail Sauce

addapinch.com

Well it’s been a while since this blog was used for actual recipes, and I think it’s time we get it back on track.

This recipe is super simple, thus the “classic” title. The Chef and I produced boatloads of this stuff on New Year’s Eve to top the 100 oysters he so kindly shucked. And no matter how fun it is to spice things up with something like an Asian mignonette, there is something unbeatable about a really great cocktail.

So much so that If you’ve got good oysters, I’d suggest going cracker-less. And if you’re looking for more of a kick, grate some extra fresh horseradish on top. That will light you up and clear your sinuses in the most delightful way.

Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup prepared horseradish (or 3/4 cup freshly grated)
1 cup of ketchup (NO Hunt’s. It is The Worst.)
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire

1. Mix and chill.

Barrett’s Simple Red Wine Sauce

bbcgoodfood.com

Sometimes The Chef and I disagree on the goodness level of certain recipes. There are recipes I love that he thinks are too standard to make as frequently as I request them. Like his Tortilla Soup. Or his Tomato Soup. Or his Mushroom Sauce. So, soups and sauces basically. Look, I know what I like.

Anyway, this is one of those recipes. In the infinite bounty that is The Chef’s current catering gig, he brought home some short ribs the other night that only needed a saucy boost for dinner. He whipped up this simple red wine sauce in 10 minutes, and while he found the whole thing totally boring, I found this sauce freaking delectable.

It’s obviously awesome on meat of any kind – and we fully plan to test it over tenderloin with fried eggs and cheese grits for Sunday brunch – but I’d wager you could even make tofu edible with this stuff. Observe:

half bottle of decent red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour

1. In a saucepan, reduce red wine by half. Then add beef broth.
2. In another pan, make a blonde roux: Melt one tablespoon of butter, add one tablespoon of flour, and stir constantly for about 2 minutes on medium heat.
3. Slowly whisk the roux into the sauce. Bring sauce to a boil and then reduce to simmer.
4. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle on EVERYTHING.

Barrett’s Baby Bok Choy

Aight, Imma be straight wichu: this has been in my backlog for months. And it’s not because I don’t think it’s good.

ieatmostlymeat.com

I actually can’t remember anything The Chef has cooked for me that wasn’t awesome… barring one incident with some enchiladas. And that was a disaster mostly because I was hopping around the kitchen on one leg with a large knife and we were too tired to be cooking anything more than frozen chicken nuggets. (And we actually forgot to turn the oven on when we tried to cook those, so that kind of indicates what level we were on that day.)

Anyway, I’ve been less than anxious to post this only because it’s not in my comfort zone, meaning it is not soup or pasta or a dip made with cream cheese.

But you know what? That’s exactly why it needs posting. This dish actually has some nutritional value and is pretty tasty when you sauce it up all Asian-like. And it’s downright different. So Free Yo Mind, y’all. The rest will follow.

6 oz baby bok choy, cleaned
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp garlic. minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced
1 /2 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Blanch and shock the bok choy.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan. Sweat the ginger, scallions, and garlic until tender.
3. Add bok choy. Season with salt, pepper, and sesame oil.

Mashed Parsnips

foodnetwork.com

As The Chef prepared these on Sunday, our self-proclaimed “foodie,” Emily, asked, “what are we making?” To which The Chef replied, “mashed parsnips.”

“Oh-uhhhhh, OK, riiiiiiight,” Emily said, acting casual and stuffing a Reduced Fat Wheat Thin into her mouth.

“Do you know what parsnips are?” I asked. “Not exactly,” she said shamefully.

CreativeFixDesign

But we are not about the shame here at Nummy! So I simply explained to her that a parsnip is pretty much what would happen if a potato and a carrot made a baby. And then I started thinking about how that would be like THE most inappropriate Veggie Tales episode ever, but it also might be kind of interesting… and then the lobster we were cooking to eat with these were ready, and that snapped me out of it.

Anyway, Emily doesn’t like mashed potatoes, but she thought these were “delish,” so we declare this a culinary victory. Observe:

1 pound of parsnips, peeled and diced large
1 cup half & half
2 tbsp butter
salt to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped chives

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add parsnips and cook until fork tender.
2. Drain parsnips and add the remaining ingredients.
3. Mash to your desired level of creaminess.

The Chef points out that you can also do this with half potatoes and half parsnips if you want a less sweet result. Either way, it’s a go-to winter side dish.

Blue Cheese Cream Sauce

kevinbryant.com

We at Nummy love nothing more than a good sauce. Specifically, a cream sauce. More specifically, a cream sauce that can be slathered atop any variety of meat on a Sister Schubert bun.

I thought The Chef had topped himself a few weeks ago with the Horseradish Cream Sauce, but he says this is the tots on beef tenderloin rolls, and I’m sure he is correct. I am planning a full investigation and will report back post-haste.

1 cup heavy cream, divided in half
4 tbsp blue cheese crumbles
4 tbsp of cream cheese

1. Mix 1/2 cup heavy cream, blue cheese crumbles and cream cheese in a mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth.
2. Whip 1/2 cup heavy cream until light and stiff. Then gently fold in blue cheese mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tom Yum Soup & Shrimp Stock

I was cleaning up the ole WordPress today and ran across this dusty draft in my backlog. How it is possible to forget such a yummy recipe – especially one that involves not one but two types of soup – is beyond me. Let’s remedy that, shall we?

templeofthai.com

This is 2-for-1 in that it is The Chef’s recipe for both Shrimp Stock and Tom Yum Soup. Usually, if you don’t have the time or patience to make your stock, you can buy it; but the ingredient list on this sucker makes me think you should go traditional or go home.

And I’d wager that the flavor will be well worth it. Tom Yum is spicy, brothy Asian goodness, and the longer it simmers and permeates your house, the better it will be when you finally slurp it down.

Shrimp Stock:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
shells from 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp (shrimp reserved)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
stems of 1 lb shiitake shrooms
2 lemongrass stalks, rough chopped
3 inch piece of ginger, rough chopped
2 celery stalks, rough chopped
1 onion, rough chopped
2 tsp of tomato paste
1/2 cup rice wine (mirin)
enough water to cover

1. Add oil to stock pot. Add shrimp shells and cook them until pink.
2. Add the rice wine.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and enough water to cover.  Simmer for about 45 minutes. Strain.

Tom Yum Soup:
1 tbsp peanut oil
1.5 lbs shrimp
2 tsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, chopped*
2 lemongrass stalks, chopped*
3 Thai chilies*
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
2 celery stalks, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch slices
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
8 cups shrimp stock
2 cups cilantro, no stems
1 lime, cut into quarters for garnish
cilantro for garnish

1. Heat large pot over medium heat. Add peanut oil. Then add garlic, chiles, ginger, lemongrass, onions, celery, sesame oil, and chili powder.  Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Add shrimp, mushrooms, and stock. Cook for about 15 minutes.
3. Add fish sauce and cilantro.
4. *Remove lemongrass, ginger, and Thai chilies.
5. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs. Add soy sauce if you need salt.

The Chef warns that you will definitely have leftover stock, so freeze it for next time, and your Tom will be Yum in no time.

Apricot Ginger Sauce ~ Happy Halloween 2K11!

Happy Halloween Nummy Num Nums! Despite my intense exhaustion due to the weekend’s celebrations – i.e. Todd’s stupid ayse dressing up as the banker from Monopoly and leaving $1 million worth of fake money scattered all over Blair – I could not let this most high and holy of days pass without a recipe.

thelostclassics.com

I know this recipe isn’t for severed fingers or brain soup or whatever other disgusting “treat” Sandra Lee is no doubt whipping up today, but it is orange and therefore festive all on its own!

The Chef says this sauce is great sauce for grilled chicken, pork or even seared duck. It does sound pretty tangy and delicious, and were we not planning on feasting on some shockingly cheap Chanterelles The Chef procured from Costco for dinner, I’d be demanding duck for All Hallow’s Eve. (Luckily these shrooms are orangish on their own, so we shall be totally “wealthy” and seasonal with our supper either way.)

And if you’re looking to waste a little time today, here’s a little Monster Squad for your viewing pleasure. Yes, this is as scary as it gets for me. OH IT’S SPOOKY!

food.com

1 12 oz jar of apricot jelly
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp garlic minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook on low until the preserves are fully melted.
2. Dunzo. Sauce and serve.