Nigella's Terracotta Bean Dip

Hello! Anyone out there? It's been a while.

I actually started writing this post last night. I was almost giddy with excitement. My baby was down for the night and there I was spending some alone time with my blog for the first time in months feeling the old creative juices flowing again. I began typing rapid fire. I felt free! Like galloping bareback on my pony when I was a kid. And then…Sawyer woke up. Screaming actually. Blogging ended before it began.

But it was okay. Partly because he looks like this.

But also because there's something selfishly awesome about when your baby wakes up crying from a nightmare or whatever reason and you can be there to make it all better. I walked him around for almost an hour even though he stopped crying the second I picked him up.

This is a far different place from where we were a couple of months ago. You see part of my long absence wasn't just having a baby but having a baby with severe food allergies. Who literally never stopped crying once he started. Poor guy. But that's another post - maybe even another blog.

Anyway we went to a friend's on Saturday and she was such an amazing host and cook that I was actually inspired to post the dip I'd taken over that night.

I'm finally coming out of the baby fog y'all. And I'm going to feed every damn one of you.

Nigella's Terracotta Bean Dip
Mildly adapted from FEAST
* A twist on your typical bean dip, this one uses red kidney beans and a mix of warm spices. I absolutely loved the lime in it it so I put the zest in the dip as well as on top. This is an unusual, but not weird change of pace and easy to make.

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (or 3 shallots)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon cumin (I'd even try upping it next time)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon paprika
pinch cayenne, optional
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans (including the juice)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, or to taste
zest and juice of a medium lime
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Tortilla chips or pita chips for serving

Directions:
Heat the oil in a medium/large cast iron pan or heavy bottom pan for one minute over medium heat. Add the onion, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic and sauté a couple more minutes. Add in the tomato paste and spices and stir around cooking a few more minutes to let the flavors deepen.

Add in the beans and liquid from the can and cook a couple more minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner to let cool for a bit. Then transfer to a food processor and add in the lime zest (you can reserve a little zest for garnish if desired) and juice and additional 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend until as much a puree as the skins on the beans will allow.

Taste for salt and add any more or pepper if you wish and blend again.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with additional zest and cilantro. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to eight hours before serving with tortilla or pita chips to serve.

Nigella's Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

I made this for Christmas and while it was absolutely delicious I feel it got lost in the shuffle with all the other sweets flying around. Next year I'll make it for Halloween because I can't help but feel that that's the holiday it was meant for. After all if this dessert were a Halloween costume, it would be the 'naughty nurse' outfit favored by college girls and cougars.

And while Nigella says the flavors might be too much for children, I disagree. It's basically a super rich chocolate sheet cake with a little something extra you can't quite put your finger on. Not really spicy like you would expect, just unapologetically chocolate-y with a pleasantly damp, squishy crumb.

A word of warning - the cake isn't much to look at after it's baked but don't fret. The pourable icing gives it an instant makeover (not accurately depicted by the above image, taken by me via iPhone while a bit tipsy at a holiday party...and on a paper plate no less.)

Nigella's Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
From Feast by Nigella Lawson
Makes about large 12 slabs, but smaller servings are nice too as its so rich.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 cup + 2 T dark brown sugar
2 T granulated sugar
3/4 cup golden syrup (such as Lyle's Golden Syrup) or light corn syrup
3/4 c. molasses
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 T warm water
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened powdered cocoa
1 cup (or more) semi sweet chocolate chips

For Frosting:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 T butter
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c. ginger ale (I used Dr. Pepper as it's what I had on hand)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking pan (10X13 pyrex) with parchment paper (so that you can lift it out later.)

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, melt the butter with the sugars, syrup, molasses, cloves, cinnamon and ginger.

In a separate cup or bowl, dissolve baking soda in warm water.

Take the saucepan off heat and add eggs, milk and soda/water mixture. Stir in flour and cocoa, reserving 2 T or so of the flour.

Toss the chocolate chips in the reserved flour, then fold in floured chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the parchment lined pan and bake about 50-55 min until risen and firm. The middle should still be a little damp under the set top, and will sink a little. Let cool in the pan.

While the cake is cooling, melt the butter, cocoa and ginger ale for the frosting in a small heavy based saucepan. Whisk in the powdered sugar and remove from the heat.

To frost, either remove the cake from the pan, fold down the paper, and pour frosting evenly over the cake (or you can just leave it in the pan and pour over there, removing it to cut up later.) Let frosting set for a few hours or overnight then cut into large slabs.

Nigella's Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Again Nigella saves the day during this busy time of year with this jack-rabbit-fast chicken dinner. If you don't like the licorice scent of tarragon, feel free to substitute basil.

Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce
* from Nigella Kitchen
* Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 fat scallions (green onions) or 4 skinny ones, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon or chives or basil
2 chicken breast fillets, skinless and boneless
couple dashes garlic powder
1/3 vermouth or dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/8 tspn table salt, plus extra for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup heavy cream
white pepper for seasoning
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, plus more for garnish

Directions:
Heat the oil in a pan or dutch oven that has a lid. You want the pan to hold the chicken and sauce comfortably, but not one the chicken will get lost in. Add the green onions, stir, then sprinkle in the dried herbs and stir again. Cook for a couple of minutes, being careful to not let them burn.

Season the chicken on both sides with kosher or sea salt and white pepper and garlic powder then add to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until the first side is light golden brown (if the scallions begin to burn at any point, put them on top of the chicken.)

Turn the chicken over and add the vermouth or wine. Let it bubble away for a couple minutes then lower the heat and put the lid on so that it simmers gently underneath, for ten minutes. When you peak you should see little bubbles in the center, not a static or a violent one either. Remove the chicken to a holding plate, the bring the remaining liquid to a boil and gently stir in the final bit of salt and fresh tarragon and cream.

Let bubble, stirring often, until it thickens slightly - just a couple or three minutes. Check for salt pepper then return the chicken to the sauce to warm through. Check the chicken just before serving to see that it's cooked through - slicing into the thickest part of the breast.

Serve with some sauce ladled over and additional fresh herbs.

Nigella's Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins

I'm on a Nigella kick and may be for a while. She rarely lets you down in the kitchen (we just won't mention her plastic lime phase, okay?) And with all the cooking I'm doing this time of year, I like to pretend she's actually in the kitchen with me. I suppose you could say it's my culinary version of singing in the shower, though possibly weirder and more disturbing. Hopefully none of my readers are psychologists.

Anyway my sweet mother in law is coming for a visit today so I made these to have on hand for an easy breakfast or snack. If there are any more diehard chocoholics out there than she and my husband, I'd like to meet them and possibly have them studied for scientific purposes. The funny thing about chocolate is, even as a person who often thinks it's over-rated and over-hyped, I usually end up being the one to finish up the last piece of chocolate cake, or in this case, muffin.

Wow, in just one post I've revealed that I'm not only somewhat delusional but that I sometimes cook with imaginary friends. I'll stop writing now.

Nigella's Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling on top
1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray (or fill with paper cups.) Set aside.

Measure the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Measure the wet ingredients into a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisking or stirring well to break up the egg. Make a well in the dry ingredient bowl, then add about half the wet mixing with a spatula or spoon just until blended (don't over mix or you'll have chocolate bricks instead of muffins.)

Add the rest of the wet and mix again, JUST until mixed. Divide the batter evenly between the cups and sprinkle over the additional chocolate chips.

Bake for 16-20 minutes until the muffins have risen and become firm and springy. Let sit in the tins for a few minutes to finish setting before removing to a wire rack (though to be honest I often forget to remove them for a couple of hours and all ends well.)

Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days or freeze.

Creamy Mustard Pork Chops with Hard Cider or better yet - Viva Nigella!

What is it about Nigella? Her soothing-as-Ambien English accent? Her endearing way of phrasing things (just 'bung' it into a pan...)? Or let's face it - her gorgeous, gorgeous face? I say all of those are just icing on an already perfect cake.

For me it's her recipes. Sooner or later you'll make one that changes you as a cook. And in one fail swoop you've crossed a bridge there's no turning back from. You have arrived in the kitchen and Nigella is there with open arms and a cocktail.

I should caveat that while I love the below recipe - it's not the Nigella recipe that altered my cooking life. For me that was her Chocolate Pudding and Cherry Trifle, adapted here. Holly Hell!

Mustard Pork Chops
Adapted from 'Nigella Express' Cookbook...
* Serves 3.
* I used to hold a prejudice against recipes that called for heavy cream, believing it was a form of culinary cheating as anything with heavy cream is bound to be good. Well, I was dumb. That said I sometimes use mostly half and half in place of the cream with just a healthy splash at the end to meet the measurement. No one will notice - this recipe is chock full of flavor.

Ingredients
3 bone in, yet thin pork chops, already pounded by the butcher to 1/4 inch
garlic powder
sea salt or kosher salt
black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup hard cider (alcoholic fizzy apple cider)
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/3 cup heavy cream
Chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions:
Season the chops on both sides with garlic powder, salt and pepper and set aside. Meanwhile add the olive oil to a medium sized rimmed skillet and bring to medium heat. Let the oil heat through for a minute or two until hot, then add the chops. Cook on the first side for 4 minutes or until they release easily when you try and turn them (making sure they have SOME hint of a golden crust before turning - if they look anemic - leave them be until some color appears.) Flip over and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove and place on a plate covering with foil as you get on with the sauce.

Without killing the heat, add the hard cider to the pan, gently scraping the browned bits from the bottom and swirling into the cider as it gently bubbles away - about 4 minutes. Gently stir in the mustard then raise the heavy cream (or half and half.)

Stir gently while you let everything bubble at a leisurely pace to thicken slightly (if there's no bubble whatsoever - raise the heat a bit.) After about 2 minutes, return the chops and any collected juice, nestling them in among the liquid. Let finish cooking over medium heat (or just get to know each other) being careful not to let come to a boil, for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve spooning extra sauce over each chop and garnish with flat leaf parsley and serve with roasted potatoes and Caesar salad (or that's what I do;)

Date Night Dessert - Nigella's Chocolate Pudding Trifle with Strawberry 'Liquor'

You didn't think I was just going to give you pulled pork for Valentine's Day, did you?

Here is a simplified version of Nigella's chocolate trifle. You can use any pound cake recipe you love or even a store bought one (I have great luck with Entenmann's marble loaf.) With all of that strawberry liquor and chocolate pudding on top, you could probably use cardboard and find it delicous. It's damn magic that custard, I tell you.

Confession - I didn't even know what trifle was until I saw Nigella make it on an episode of Nigella Bites. Which is strange because trifle is also a traditional southern dessert in the US. I guess it just flew by me somehow while growing up in Texas. In fact if someone had asked me what trifle was, before seeing said episode, I'd have said, 'a disgusting English dessert containing meat."

Well, thank goodness for Nigella, once again, as this is my favorite, favorite naughty thing to dive into when the devil's on your shoulder. And I'm sorry but a good Valentine's Day may be all about love, but a great Valentine's Day involves the devil.

The shortcut I referred to earlier is to make a quick 'strawberry liquor' by mixing strawberry jam, Amaretto, and vanilla extract together and pouring it over the layered cake pieces. Nigella makes 'sandwiches' with jam and cake - I just mix and pour this over the cake layers. It's easier and adds to the 'carpe diem' factor that this treat exudes in spades. Top with whipped cream, extra berries and seize the day, or night.

Nigella's Chocolate Pudding Trifle with Strawberry 'Liquor'
Serves 3 (though technically, 6 - see note below.) Easily doubled.
* It's worth mentioning that I don't know a human being who can actually finish one serving of this - it's that rich. That said, I like serving it in glasses, so I kept the servings per glass. You can easily cover leftovers in plastic wrap and return them to the fridge until the next day, as we do. OR embrace the date night concept and share a glass between you.

Custard Ingredients and Instructions:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70 percent cocoa solids, chopped
2/3 cup plus half a tablespoon milk
2/3 cup plus half a tablespoon heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup plus half a tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/6 cup cocoa

Melt the chocolate on low to medium heat in the microwave, checking after 1 minute, though it will probably need a little more. Or you can place it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, set it aside while you start the custard.

In a saucepan warm the milk and cream over low heat, being careful to not let it form a skin (stirring prevents this.) Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, extract, and cocoa in a large bowl. Pour the warm milk and cream into the bowl in three batches, swiftly whisking it into the yolks and sugar mixture to prevent the eggs from curdling. Stir in the melted chocolate, scraping the sides well with a rubber spatula to get all of it in, and pour the custard back into the rinsed saucepan. Cook over a medium heat until the custard thickens, stirring all the time. Make sure it doesn't boil, as it will split and curdle. Keep a sink full of cold water so that if you get scared you can plunge the bottom of the custard pan into the cold water and whisk like mad, which will avert possible crisis. Once thickened (your spoon should leave a wake in its path), set aside and let cool for 15 minutes (stirring a time or two to keep it from developing a skin.) Meanwhile, get on with assembling your trifles - ingredients/further instructions below.

Cake:
2 1/2 inch slices of pound cake, either vanilla, chocolate, or marbled, cut into quarters

Strawberry Liquor:
3 tablespoons strawberry jam (seedless)
2 tablespoons Amaretto (almond liquor)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnishes/Essentials:
couple handfuls fresh raspberries, plus extra for garnish
Fresh whipped cream or cool whip, for topping
3 wine glasses, goblets, or martini glasses for serving

Divide the cake pieces between your 3 serving glasses, overlapping them slightly. Carefully stick your raspberries down around the sides of the glasses so they look pretty - either between the cake and glass or wherever they fit but so that you can see them. Make the strawberry liquor by stirring together the jam, amaretto, and vanilla combining well. Divide that up between the glasses, pouring over the cake and letting some drip down the sides to the bottom. Repeat with the slightly cooled chocolate custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight before serving.

Just before serving, garnish with either fresh whipped cream or cool whip, extra raspberries and mint leaves if you have any.

Nigella's Pan Seared Salmon with Mirin Soy Glaze

I have dreams about this salmon. When I first read the recipe in Nigella's Express cookbook, I had serious doubts it would work. Marinate for 3 minutes? Dump it all in the pan and then it's done?

Well, I guess there are little miracles in life. And for me, this is one of them...right next to the Marc Jacobs coat I got for Christmas;)

Mirin-Glazed Salmon
Serves 4.
Serve with rice and/or pan sauteed snap peas and/or asparagus and mushrooms for a complete meal.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 (4 oz) pieces of salmon, preferably wild and cut from the thick part of the fillet so that they are narrow but tall rather than wide and flat)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 scallions, halved

Directions:
Mix the mirin, sugar, and soy in a shallow dish that will hold all of the salmon and marinate the salmon in it for 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second. Meanwhile, heat up a large non stick skillet on the stove over medium/high heat.

Cook the salmon (NON skin side first) in the hot, dry pan for 3 minutes (she says 2 but I like my salmon more cooked.) Turn it over, pouring in the marinade and cook for another 3 minutes.

Remove the salmon to your serving plate, and add the rice vinegar to the marinade still on the stove. Stir all together for a few seconds over medium heat until bubbly and 'sticky', then pour over the salmon and garnish with scallions.