Category Archives: Emily Favorite

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

You want to know the one word that describes our meal tonight? You guessed it….mmmmmmmmmmmm. I don’t think I’ve ever heard two people gush over a home-cooked meal like we did with this Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower recipe from Bon Appétit. I was telling Alex some of my favorite recipes are the most simple and straight-forward, so this dish with its short and simple ingredient list and quick preparation, knocked our socks-off.

One simple addition, and if you are going to make this dish we HIGHLY recommend serving with sweet mashed potatoes which we peeled, boiled and mashed with heavy cream, unsalted butter, salt, pepper, cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. The mashed potatoes with the lamb, cauliflower and fresh green onion was well…mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

This bad boy is going into our favorites and next time we are going to double the sauce used for the cauliflower to drizzle over the lamb too. Make this immediately!

Bow Down, Alex is in Town

You might have noticed that Cooking Inside the Lines has been a little quieter than normal and although there are a few good reasons for this, the main one is that the lambiest of the lambs, aka my niece Alex, just joined me in my humble abode here in Austin. Alex is getting settled in our fair city and searching for a cooking or pastry job (ahem, ahem). She just graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas and is a passionate chef especially with a love for pastry.

I’m so excited to have her here and although she is now a trained chef she will be here with me testing and tasting recipes so you don’t have to. Welcome to Austin Alex and we will be testing recipes this week so stay tuned!

Me With a Chance of Meatballs

Being given the honor of The Best Dish of the Year 2010 by Bon Appétit is not something to be taken lightly friends. But yes, the humble yet comforting and delicious meatball has been given this honor and if you think about, with its versatility, many uses in many cultures and plain awesomeness it’s no surprise. Let’s hear what the magazine has to say for itself.

“With a return to homey, comforting cooking this year, meatballs made it big, appearing on restaurant menus and kitchen tables everywhere. They’re affordable, easy to make and absolutely delicious – and have inspired cooks from all over the world. Discover just how good (and versatile) meatballs can be with these five wonderful recipes.”


As mentioned, I’m testing and tasting three cover recipes for an all-out recipe smackdown and this Spaghetti and Meatballs Alla’Amatriciana might have already won without me trying the other two (although the other two look lovely thank you very much). THIS WAS THE BOMB. First, take a look at step one to make the meatballs…you make a bacon paste. Bacon paste. I think I said “this is so awesome, I’m making BACON PASTE” about three times as the delicious applewood smoked bacon spun around in the food processor. Bacon paste.
One would think that with so much bacon, about 12 slices in all, you would just taste bacon. No, no people. This sucker was layers of lovely delicious flavor upon delicious flavor upon delicious flavor. I tested this recipe to its full potential and will have leftovers for days, lucky me huh? I would also like to point out the Pork Meatball Bahn Mi (I love Bahn Mis!) looks awesome and I’m going to have to try that next.
This recipe flowed nicely but note it is a lot of steps and lengthy in its process (hence why I was eating dinner at 8:00 p.m.) so I would recommend making this on a Sunday so you can eat the leftovers all week. The bit o’labor is worth it so seriously give this dish a try.
This might be my last post for a week and half or so since I’ve got an intense period of time coming up and won’t have the opportunity to cook. With that I leave you with two things. One: TEXAS FIGHT! Can you believe the game is tomorrow night? Let’s all focus our energy on super happy, positive burnt orange thoughts towards a Texas win in Pasadena. Ready….do it now! Second, if you got this far, you must love meatballs so what is your favorite meatball dish? Let’s vote (up to your right on this page 😉

Mama Ingle Time!

Before another holiday season slips away from us, I wanted to share with you two of my Mom’s recipes that she has been making for Christmas, well, since I can remember and I’m 29-ish.

As mentioned in this post, I said I would be camped out by the fireplace eating my Mom’s party mix (aka Texas Trash) and veggie dip and guess what, that’s exactly what I did for days little lambs. If I was stranded on a deserted island my top three choices would be my Mom’s trail mix, veggie dip – with the typical accoutrements of veggies and fritos – and her okra, well and a bottle of wine. No, no please no water or anything of sustenance like that, I do have my priorities. The thing about all three of these dishes is that they inspire “zombie” eating where you find yourself standing over the bowl or plate shoving it into your mouth and then kind of snap out of it like “whoa, yeah, I just ate my weight in veggie dip.”

So in honor of Mama Ingle here are her splendid trail mix and veggie dip recipes, I hope they can find a happy place in your hearts, homes and tummies as they have mine and my family’s.
P.S. My Dad won the “Christmas Checkers Battle” fair and square. Whatever Dad!
P.P.S. Dad, like Dumbeldore’s Phoenix I shall rise from the ashes in 2010 and earn back the title!
P.P.P.S Meagan (my niece) “Dumbledore Clap!”

 

Mama Ingle’s Party Mix aka Texas Trash
Serves 12 or more (or just me if it’s me eating it)
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter or margarine in large roasting pan in oven. When melted, add two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and combine. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons of seasoned salt and 3/4 tablespoon garlic powder, 1/2 tablespoon of onion powder then gradually stir in 3 cups of Corn Chex Cereal, 3 cups Rice Chex cereal, 3 cups Wheat Chex cereal, 1 cup of mixed nuts, 1 cup of pretzels (thin sticks) 1 cup of garlic-flavored bite-size bagel chips broken into pieces (optional). Mix until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Spread over paper towels to cool. Store in an air-tight container.

 

Mama Ingle’s Vegetable Dip
Serves 12 or more (or just me if it’s me eating it)
1 large container sour cream
2 cups Hellman’s Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dill Weed
1 teaspoon of Beau Monde Seasoning
1 teaspoon of Accent
Dash of Onion Salt
1 tablespoon of parsley flakes
Tabasco Sauce (to taste)
Combine all ingredients and store in refrigerator. Serve with assorted cut up vegetables or chips or crackers or pizza or sandwiches or on a BIG spoon, ok, I might have added those last three. One other note my Mom and I discussed, it’s the holidays people so don’t try skimping with low or no fat versions of this as it just doesn’t taste as good at all. Hey, you can make up for it in the New Year!

Lucky #7!

Y’all I just wanted to say how honored I am to be included in this fine, fine list of The Austin Chronicle’s Top Austin Food Blogs. OMG! I didn’t even know people read my blog so you can imagine that I’m very stunned and so appreciative. Thanks Kate Thornberry, and I do hope I can meet you soon to thank you in person too. I have such a passion and love for cooking and this just makes want to keep going and going and going! Thanks to those who read my humble little blog and the Austin Chronicle. Happy New Year to you and yours!

“My, My That Was Good!”

Those were my exact words friends as I finished my plate of Greens and Eggs Migas from the cookbook Simple Fresh Southern by the Lee Bros. who are, you guessed it brothers, hailing from South Carolina and are food/wine/travel journalists. For someone who works in the food industry I had not come across the Lee Bros. yet but if this recipe and the gentle cookbook they created is any testament to their talent then shame on me.

I wanted to test this recipe for two reasons, one they called this dish “Austin-Style” and of course anything featuring my home city I’m drawn too and two it has eggs. Well and three, I love having breakfast for dinner. Gosh, I could eat the most important meal of the day three times a day!

Lee Bros. Cherry Tomato Soybean Salad

According to the book: “migas means ‘crumbs’ in Spanish, and the roots of the dish can be traced to the Old World, specifically to Portugal and Spain.” For this dish you actually make the Collard Greens with Poblano Chiles and Chorizo first and then incorporate it into the migas. I loved this so much. It is easy, quick – even with two recipes if you think about it – and the flavors are absolutely awesome. I’m going to stop talking now and let you see for yourself with the two recipes below from the cookbook. Thanks boo for the awesome cookbook, this rocked!

Greens and Eggs Migas
Serves 4
Time: 25 minutes, preparation, 10 minutes cooking

1/2 cup canola oil
Three 6-inch corn tortillas, cut pizza-style into 8 triangles
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
8 large eggs, beaten (obviously I culled this recipe down for just moi)
4 ounces, extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
1 recipe Collard Greens with Poblano Chiles and Chorizo, warm (I saved the rest of this for breakfast tomorrow!)
Fresh or store-bought salsa, for serving

Heat the oil and one of the small tortilla triangles in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat until the tortilla sizzles vigorously. Add the remaining tortilla pieces and stir them in the hot oil until they become crispy and browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted metal spoon, transfer them to a plate lined with a double thickness of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and set aside.

Pour off the oil, and add butter to the skillet, and when it’s completely melted and frothing, add the onion and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add the eggs and the tortilla chips, and scramble until the eggs are curdy but still moist, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, cover, and cook just until the cheese melts, about 45 seconds.

Divide the collard greens with poblanos and chorizo among the 4 warm serving plates, and top each portion with eggs and spoonfuls of salsa.

Lee Bros. Brandied Plums

Collard Greens with Poblano Chiles and Chorizo
Serves 4
Time: 5 minutes preparation, 15 minutes cooking

2 teaspoons peanut or canola oil (I used canola)
8 ounces of fresh chorizo, casings removed, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces; or 4 ounces cured chorizo, kielbasa, or other smoked sausage, finely diced
3 poblano chiles, seeded and sliced into thin 2-to 3-inch strips (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 pounds collard greens (about 1 bunch), ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced (1 packed quart)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Pour the oil into a 12-inch skillet or saute pan set over high heat, and when it shimmers, add the chorizo. Cook, chopping up the (fresh) sausage with the back of a spoon, until the sausage has rendered most of its fat, about 2 minutes. Add the poblanos, and continue to cook until they have softened slightly and the chorizo is cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, half the collards, the salt, and 2 tablespoons water to the skillet. Cook, turning the collards with tongs and adding more greens as those in thee pan wilt, until all the collards are in the skillet. Continue to cook until the collards have softened and become dark green, about 6 minutes. Add the vinegar and continue to cook the collards, turning them occasionally, until the vinegar has completely evaporated and the pan is dry, about 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, if necessary, and divide the collards, poblanos, and chorizo among 4 warm serving plates. Serve immediately.

What Do You Get When You Combine a Figure Skater and Bacon?

No, not a greasy triple axel or savory Salchow, you get Bacon Corn Muffins with Savory Cream Cheese Frosting of course! As I mentioned in this post, I was trying out a few recipes to cook for my family for our Christmas appetizer smorgasbord and after seeing Brian Boitano make these on his show, What Would Brian Boitano Make, I decided I really, really wanted to give them a try. Y’all, these were a hit! My mom and big sis kept giving me lots of compliments on how great they tasted and I most certainly loved them too.

These were actually really simple to put together except I had to cook the bacon in the oven waaaay longer than the recipe calls for since my Mom’s oven sucks. Her birthday is coming up in January and I’m really hoping she gets a new one (Hint, hint Dad). Also, I didn’t have a piping bag so I just had to spoon the frosting on, and as my sister Gelana pointed out, please take them out of the muffin tins before you frost them…silly me.

I highly recommend these muffins and think it would be a new year’s eve party insta-hit as it is a crowd pleasing, fun and unique recipe. If you haven’t watched the four episodes Food Network has so far for What Would Brian Boitano Make, you should take the time, it has a lightness and sense of humor to it that so many Food Network shows are missing; I can’t wait to watch the new episodes in March 2010.

And now, the South Park song that started it all.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qt9MeW80N4]

The Prettiest Guacamole in the Room

I have been testing, testing and testing away dear readers and sadly none of the recipes I’ve tried have made the cut to share with you…until tonight. I’m getting ready to head back to East Texas for Christmas so I chose super simple recipes the next few days because well it’s the holidays and my nightly meals shouldn’t be too much trouble this time of year.

I made this Mango Pomegranate Guacamole recipe tonight and to turn it into an entree, I layered baked tostadas with the guacamole, canned (and rinsed) black beans with a little bit of sour cream. What a simple, vegetarian, healthy and DELICIOUS dish. With the addition of mango and pomegranate, the textures and flavors bounced off each other very nicely and the colors made the guac pop. This is an amazing twist on guacamole and you could serve at a party, to your kids, or by yourself while watching Antiques Roadshow. I’ll admit it, I love Antiques Roadshow. I just saw an 18th Century North American Indian Burlwood Bowl get appraised for $40,000 – 60,000. It’s a bowl. That’s insane. And awesome.

My Favorite Mussels Recipe (So Far)

I recall the time, waaaay back in the days of this past June, that I first tried to make mussels at home. Gosh, it seems just like yesterday doesn’t it? 

  

While I loved that first recipe, this delicious Mussels with Chorizo and Spicy Charmoula Broth concoction from Bon Appetit is light years (pun intended) ahead of all of the mussel recipes I’ve tried in the past (this one doesn’t count as one of my mussel recipes because it’s not just mussels, gosh I loved this recipe). According to the magazine, “Charmoula is a North African mixture of herbs, oil, lemon and cumin. The spicy charmoula broth needs to chill overnight so be sure to begin one day ahead.” I’ve seen charmoula-inspired sauces, broths and what have you used a lot recently and have tried it a few times, however it was most delicious on the mussels and once you mixed with the chorizo, whoa, it was perfect. If you do decide to try this, do yourself a favor and go ahead and cut yourself plenty of crusty bread. If you think you are going to eat two slices, make four. I’ll be the first to admit that I ate five pretty good-size slices of crusty bread with the broth and there may have been some slurpage even after that.
  
They don’t have the recipe online so here you go. If you are a mussels fan give this a try, it’s your density :). On one note, if you can’t find harissa paste which I luckily did at Central Market, in ten minutes you can make your own and let me tell you this would be good on LOTS of other food items (sandwiches, olives, roasted meats) so give her a try!
 

   

  

 Mussels with Chorizo and Spicy Charmoula Broth
Bon Appetit
, December 2009
 

1 cup of fresh cilantro sprigs 

1/4 cup paprika 

3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

4 garlic cloves, chopped 

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

2 teaspoons harissa paste 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

3 cups of vegetable broth 

3 ounces fresh Spanish chorizo. casing reomved, broken into pieces

3 pounds of mussels, scrubbed, debearded

Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Crusty bread

Puree first 8 ingredients in processor until smooth paste forms. Transfer to a large saucepan. Whisk in vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes to blend flavors. Season charmoula broth to taste with salt and pepper. Cool broth slightly; cover and chill overnight to develop flavor.

Heat large pot over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 3 minutes. Add mussels; stir to coat. Add 1 1/2 cups of charmoula broth. Cover pot; cook until mussels open, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open).

Transfer cooked mussels to large bowl. Season charmoula broth to taste with salt and pepper. Pour broth over mussels. Sprinkle with parsley and serve dish with crusty bread.

You Say Root Beer, I Say Short Ribs?

Yes my little lambies….Root Beer Short Ribs. You can pinch yourself as hard as I did when I came across this recipe and then maybe smack yourself for not thinking of this combo sooner. I mean really right?

This is from Everyday Food reader Shawn Darling (congrats!) and I have to say I wish she would have shared this much sooner because this will be a staple for the fall months for many, many years to come. I actually made this last night up until step three and then completed it tonight. I served the short ribs with their perfect sweet, but not too much, glaze/sauce on top of mashed sweet potatoes as the magazine suggests. For once, and this is rare, I am speechless. I have one last question, “do you have any good sarsaparilla?” Well give me some short ribs their stranger and I’ll show you in about four hours.

Everyday Food, December 2009
Root Beer Short Ribs

Serves 6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Total time: 4 hours
4-inch pieces
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch wedges
3 large celery stalks, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 small carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 head garlic, sliced half crosswise
10 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 whole star anise
3 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 cups good-quality root beer

4 1/2 pounds short ribs, cut into

1. Preheat over to 275 degrees. Season ribs generously with salt and pepper. In an 8-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil on high. In batches, brown ribs on all sides, about 20 minutes total. If oil gets too dark during browning, pour off and add more oil (do not wipe pot clean). Transfer ribs to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot.

2. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, cumin, and star anise. Cook , scraping up any browned bits, until onions soften, 5 minutes. Return ribs to a rapid simmer, cover, and place pot in oven.

3. Cook until meat can be easily pierced with the tip of a pairing knife, about 3 hours. (To store, refrigerate, up to 4 days.) With a slotted spoon, transfer ribs to a large straight-sided skillet. Skim off and discard any fat from cooking liquid. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into skillet; discard solids. Boil over medium-high until liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Continue to cook, spooning liquid over meat occasionally, until ribs are glazed and sauce is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.