My Madison Bistro » Vegetarian

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza

Sara — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 02:21:19 +0000

One of my favorite things about pizza is the endless combinations, though I generally don’t step outside the box when it comes to toppings. This particular pizza is no exception.

I first made this recipe several years ago after I saw a variation of this pizza in the June 2007 issue of Bon Appetit. I’ve made it several times since then, using whatever mushrooms I had on hand. I usually like to throw in some minced garlic when the mushrooms are sautéing, but unfortunately, today I was out of garlic.

I always use some shiitake mushrooms when making this pizza, and I usually add some cremini or buttons as well. The more variety in mushrooms, the more complex the flavor, but you’ll still get a great pizza if you just use one kind, like the shiitakes I used for this particular pie.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza
adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2007

6 ounces fresh assorted mushrooms, stems removed, quartered
3 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ounces shredded whole milk mozzarella
soft fresh goat cheese
shaved parmesan
extra virgin olive oil
chives
pizza crust
salt
pepper

Heat butter in sauté pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and thyme, season mushrooms with a dash of salt. Cook until mushrooms release their juices and are starting to brown.

Preheat oven to 450. Brush pizza crust with olive oil, top with mozzarella and some shaved parmesan. Top with mushrooms, then dot with crumbled goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges of the pizza have browned and the cheese starts to bubble. Top with chives and finish with extra virgin olive oil.

Curried Couscous

Sara — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:00:27 +0000

I love, love, love curried couscous, but in the past I’ve often cheated and bought the boxed stuff. But in my attempt to cook as much as my own food as possible, I dug out this Barefoot Contessa recipe that I mentally bookmarked a few years back. I’ve made a few changes based on my personal preferences, and I’m happy with the results.

This recipe is simple and relatively quick to make, and I have to admit I have no excuse to not make this dish from scratch every time.

Curried Couscous
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

1 ½ cup couscous
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cup boiling water
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 ¼ teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup shredded carrots
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup small-diced red onions

Place couscous in medium bowl. Melt butter in the boiling water and pour over couscous. Cover tightly for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. Add carrots, parsley, cilantro, almonds, scallions, and red onions. Mix well and taste for seasoning.

Soupe Savoyarde

Sara — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:28 +0000

For my next installment of French country cooking, I wanted something fairly simple, yet seasonal. This winter vegetable soup seemed perfect.

I had to trek to a couple of grocery stores to find celery root, though around here that’s not all that surprising. This soup is perfect for a cold winter’s night, and it will warm you up night after night without getting boring.

This soup was worth the trouble it caused me: the vegetable scraps clogged my garbage disposal and sink. Whoops. I’ll refrain from going into detail, but let’s just say that it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Soupe Savoyarde (Winter White Vegetable Soup)
recipe from The Country Cooking of France

3 turnips
1 small celery root
2 large potatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5 leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 cups water
2 ½ cups milk

12 baguette slices
4 tablespoons butter
5 ounces gruyere, shredded

Peel and quarter the turnips, then slice ½ inch thick. Peel the celery root and cut into eight wedges, then slice ½ inch thick. Peel the potatoes and cut into small chunks; place potatoes in a bowl of cold water.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft but not brown, about five minutes. Add the turnips, celery root, and leeks; season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Press a piece of aluminum foil directly on the vegetables. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Sweat the vegetables for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

Drain the potatoes and add them to the vegetables. Add the water, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables start to get tender, about 25 minutes.

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until its steaming, but don’t let it come to a boil. Add the milk to the vegetables and taste for seasoning. Cover the simmer lightly until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Do not let the soup boil, or the milk will curdle.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Heat the remaining butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the baguette slices to the pan and crisp on each side. Top the slices with gruyere and place on the bottom of soup bowls. Ladle hot soup over the bread and serve immediately, so the cheese is melted but the bread remains crisp.

Leftover soup will keep in the fridge for about three days

Gougéres

Sara — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:38:43 +0000

I first started playing with choux dough back in college. At the time, my idea of cooking involved a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and a sauce packet. My roommates and I would cut up chicken, then stir-fry the chicken, add the veggies, add the sauce, and let it simmer for a bit. Whomever wasn’t involved with the stir-fry would take care of making rice. It was several steps up from boxed pasta dinners and ramen noodles, and we felt quite virtuous when we made those meals.

When I baked, however, I brought out my cookbooks and started to really have fun. My first experience with choux resulted in chocolate éclairs. As you might imagine, those went over rather well in an apartment occupied by three young women. Next up was a lemon curd filling, with the finished puffs tossed in powdered sugar.

I never ventured to the savory side while in college, and it wasn’t until two or three years ago that I first made gougéres. I had high hopes, but I was a little overzealous with the eggs and cheese, and they didn’t retain their shape. I also used a recipe that utilized the food processor; that extra step keeping my hands away from the choux resulted in my not paying close enough attention to the dough; as with any dough, you really can’t blindly follow a recipe and you must pay attention to how the flour absorbs moisture. Since that kitchen embarrassment, gougéres have been on my To Do List to make again.

I’d promised to focus more on actual French recipes this year, though admittedly I’ve gotten off to a slow start. Because many of the recipes are more time consuming, I decided to start simple: gougéres. These instructions are fairly detailed and explain how to avoid the sunken cheese puffs I made a few years back. Definitely use the wooden spoon and forget about the food processor – it takes some muscle to work the dough, but then you won’t feel quite so guilty about eating the puffs!

Gougéres
recipe adapted from The Country Cooking of France

1 cup water
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
4 to 5 eggs

4 ounces shredded gruyére cheese
1 egg, beaten with ½ teaspoon salt, for glaze
¼ cup shredded gruyere

Heat oven to 400*F and line baking sheet with parchment.

In a small bowl, beat 1 of the eggs and set aside.

Heat the water, salt, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball. Stir in one egg at a time until the mixture has completely absorbed the four eggs. Add just a little of the reserved beaten egg; continue to stir vigorously until the mixture has absorbed the moisture from the egg. Continue adding a little egg at a time until the mixture can absorb no more moisture. Do NOT add too much egg, or the puffs won’t hold their shape when baked. Stir the pan over low heat for 30 to 60 seconds to dry out the dough. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.

With a pastry bag, two small spoons, or a small ice cream scoop, spoon or pipe 1 ½ inch mounds onto the baking sheet. Brush each with egg wash then top with shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and crisp. The puffs should remain crisp on the outside and slightly soft inside.

Enjoy warm from the often, if possible, or reheat in a low oven. The puffs can be stored in the freezer.

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts

Sara — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:00:16 +0000

When I first received my copy of Back to Basics, I knew that someday I would make the goat cheese tart. I mean, it has some of my favorite components: puff pastry, goat cheese, caramelized onions, parmesan, thyme…add a glass of wine, and life is perfect.

I originally made this recipe last year for the Barefoot Bloggers, which I was eventually a drop-out of. Someday, I might rejoin, but I’ve made so many of Ina’s recipes already that I’ve had commitment issues.

If you haven’t tried these yet, do so! With a glass of crisp white wine, they are the perfect weekend lunch.

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts
adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
Olive oil
2 c thinly sliced onions (mixture of red & yellow)
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
Sea salt & black pepper
Dry White Wine
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 oz herb goat cheese
6 grape tomatoes, sliced in half length-wise
3 large basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade
8 shavings of Parmesan cheese

Instructions
1. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and lightly flour each side. Roll the sheet into an 11×11 inch square. Using a 6 inch wide bowl, cut two circles from the pastry, reserving the rest for another use. Place the pastry on a sheet pan lined with parchment and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute or until fragrant. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and the thyme; stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine, scraping the bottom to loosen any brown bits.

3. Preheat oven to 425. Continue to cook the onions for another 10 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Deglaze the pan one more time with a splash of wine to loosen any brown bits. Turn off the heat.

4. Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/2 inch wide border around each pastry circle, but don’t cut through the pastry. Dock the pastry inside the border with a fork.

5. Place half the onion mixture on each circle, being careful to keep the onions inside the border. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on each tart. Arrange tomato halves into a circle on top of the onions. Brush the tomatoes and onions lightly with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Top with parmesan shavings.

6. Bake for twenty minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Cut into fourths and serve.

Blueberry Muffins

Sara — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I’ve spent the past couple of years searching for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe. It couldn’t be too sweet, too dense, too cake-like, not sweet enough, and it had to have a quality that has you coming back for more.

This recipe is immensely popular, so it’s possible you’ve already seen it or tried it. But if you haven’t, and you love blueberry muffins as much as I do, you’ll want to get thee into a kitchen, pronto! Do yourself a favor and don’t even think about skipping the crumb topping – it’s really what makes these muffins special. I’ve made the topping using all granulated sugar, all brown sugar, and a mix of the two. I prefer all granulated, but really, all varieties are quite delicious.

Blueberry Muffins
adapted from All Recipes

1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 c canola oil
1 large egg
1/3 c buttermilk
1 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and line muffin pan with papers.

2. Combine first five ingredients in medium-sized bowl, stir to mix. In a glass measuring cup, pour in 1/3 c canola oil and large egg. Add enough buttermilk to fill to the 1 c mark. Mix liquid contents with dry ingredients, stir until just mixed. Add blueberries, stir to combine (be careful not to overmix). Fill muffin cups to the top.

3. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 c flour, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Use your fingers to mix ingredients together until a crumbly mixture is achieved. Sprinkle over muffins before baking.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Salsa

Sara — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:00:20 +0000

First, I have a confession to make. I’ve never made very good salsa. Fresh, cooked, it doesn’t matter. I’ve always happily left salsa up to the pros, until I tried the salsa that my friend’s mom makes each year. It’s good stuff – not too hot (I’m a wimp like that), but not too mild. During a sneaky raid by my friend’s dad, I got the recipe. Or something masquerading as a recipe.

At any rate, when my mom and I decided to make salsa this summer, we decided to try this recipe of sorts. We made a few minor adjustments, and though I would choose to tweak things a bit next time, we’re happy with our first attempt.

Our salsa is very mild. My mom grew a pepper plant this year, but when she bought it, it was only labeled as “salsa peppers.” I had no idea what that meant but thought perhaps they were peppers that packed a little heat. When I arrived at my parents that day, I took one look at the plant and realized my theory was wrong: they were poblanos. Now, I love poblanos. I love the flavor, I love the deep green color, and I suppose I love that they don’t set my mouth on fire. They are a great choice for making salsa, but if you want yours to pack some punch, add a few jalapenos to the batch (it’s up to you if you want to keep or remove the ribs and seeds).

Mild Salsa

3 cups tomatoes, coarsely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces tomato paste
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup diced poblano peppers
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil; simmer for 30 minutes and process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes. See Canning 101 for additional tips and tricks.

Caprese Salad, Madison Bistro Style

Sara — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:00:05 +0000

My grape tomato plant is out of control. I always get the bulk of my tomato crop in late summer to early fall, and this year is no exception. While my larger tomato varieties haven’t done so well this year, the grape tomatoes seem to want to make up for their counterparts.

This salad came about from the need to use some ripe tomatoes, some lettuce that was on its last day, and some mozzarella in the fridge that didn’t melt very well, but tasted okay when it was cut up. This salad begs for the best olive oil you have, and a splash of aged Balsamic takes it to another level. A sprinkle of whole basil leaves, salt, and pepper finishes things off nicely.

Of course, with the addition of lettuce and balsamic vineger, this salad isn’t your traditional caprese, but it sure does taste great. It would have been even better had I thought to make a few brioche croutons, but I didn’t have that brainiac moment until I was halfway through the salad. Next time, though…after all, I still have many more tomatoes to eat in the coming weeks.

This really isn’t a recipe, but here’s what you do to make this salad:

In a large bowl (I have an old serving bowl that I use for salads), pile high a few cups of torn lettuce leaves. Top with about eight cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, and several cubes of mozzarella cheese. Spinkle a few whole basil leaves over the top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy. It’s sometimes difficult to believe that something this simple could be so satisfying.

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Spiced Brown Butter

Sara — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:17:44 +0000

I’m in denial. Though it certainly still feels like summer, I want to believe that autumn is here. I mean, the leaves are starting to turn, my mums are blooming…it looks like fall.

And then the warmth inside my condo yanks me back into reality. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t still pretend, just a little, that autumn is here. Today I kept up the charade by focusing on a flavor profile associated with autumn: sweet potatoes, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon.

Last night I went to bed with a headache; by morning it was threatening to turn into a full-blown migraine. I simply did not have the energy or brain-power to cook, so I went with one of the easiest options in my kitchen: a package of sweet potato ravioli that has been stashed in my freezer for way too long. (The headache still lingers, so if my writing doesn’t make much sense today, there’s a reason for it…) But plunking those ravioli into boiling water and browning a little butter was so easy, even I could handle it today. The combination is so ridiculously delicious that I had to photograph it and share the recipe with you. For those of you who can’t do the pasta thing (like I shouldn’t be doing), try drizzling the spiced brown butter over a baked sweet potato, or even pieces of roasted sweet potato. Butternut squash or pumpkin would be great substitutes.

And for those of you who noticed the second picture included some shaved parmesan…I tried that at first but ultimately decided the cheese fought with the rest of the flavors, and I completely forgot to take another close-up picture. I told you this headache is evil.

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Spiced Brown Butter
serves 2

9 ounces package of sweet potato ravioli*
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch of salt
toasted hazelnuts, if desired

Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter starts bubbling, stir frequently, scraping the bottom to loosen any brown bits. When the butter smells nutty and looks like it is just shy of starting to burn, remove it from heat. Stir in spices, salt, and brown sugar.

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous sprinkle of salt to the water, then a small pour of oil (the oil will help keep foam to a minimum). Add the ravioli and cook for about four minutes, or until the ravioli are all floating at the top. Remove the ravioli from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the brown butter. Stir to coat.

If desired, garnish with toasted hazelnuts. (To toast, place hazelnuts in a dry frying pan and heat over medium-high, occasionally giving the pan a gentle shake. When nuts become fragrant, remove from pan to a bowl to cool. This only takes a few minutes, so don’t walk away – they can go from toasted to burned quite quickly.)

*I get my ravioli from a local pasta company that distributes to the grocery stores. You may also be able to find a similar ravioli (fresh or frozen) in your local grocery, or a specialty gourmet shop.

Crustless Quiche

Sara — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:00:41 +0000

I love eggs, but I tend to appreciate them for what they can do, rather than for how they taste.

They are just so darn versatile! In baking, eggs are used as a binder, they are used to provide structure, they are used to make sauces and custards, they are used as a thickening agent…the list goes on. On the savory side, they can be scrambled, fried, poached, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, and they can be cooked as a serving vehicle for vegetables and cheese (don’t you just love omelets and frittatas?).

Nutritionally speaking, they are darn near perfect: some protein, fat, and just a touch of carbohydrate rolled into a neat little package. Even better, eggs are extremely economical, even when you spend a little more to buy eggs that come from humanely raised, pastured chickens. (If you can’t tell what kind of eggs are at your grocery store, check out a farmers’ market – I often buy eggs from a local Amish family.) Personally, I wish I could stomach eating eggs every day for breakfast, but I’ve yet to recover after a year-long low-carb stint several years ago.

However, I do still find eggs to be a wonderful addition to any brunch menu, as well as being a quick dinner on those nights when you’re exhausted. This basic quiche recipe is a favorite of mine; you can mix up the vegetables and cheese based on what’s in season (or just in your fridge), and because there’s no crust to worry about, it’s perfect for those who can’t tolerate grains. It’s simple to make, can feed a crowd or just one, with leftovers to boot.

Crustless Quiche

2 T butter
8 oz chopped mushrooms
2 sprigs thyme
1 c sliced zucchini
½ c chopped red bell pepper
5 oz pkg baby spinach
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
4 large eggs
4 oz half and half
4 oz heavy cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella or gruyere
2 T shredded pecorino romano or parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie dish and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the zucchini and red pepper and cook until tender. Add the spinach and fold to get the warm vegetables on top of the spinach. Cook until it wilts. Transfer the vegetables to the buttered pie plate.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Whisk in the half and half and heavy cream. Whisk in the mozzarella and pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, evenly distributing the cheese as much as possible. Sprinkle the pecorino over the top.

Bake the quiche until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.