Valentines Day always tends to send the blogosphere into a tizzy with all things red, chocolate, heart-shaped, and/or shareable, and despite my irregular blogging habits over the last year or two, I seem to be no exception (see these Mexican Chocolate souffles for two or the little valentine cheesecakes for two– two surprisingly popular posts, mostly due to the for-two-factor!). This year, I was feeling a bit lazy about planning any sort of special dessert (especially because Stephen nearly always prefers chocolate chip cookies to anything else I might make), but then it occurred to me that one needn’t go dessert to get valentiney, and I had enough fun to want to blog about it! Valentines Day isn’t a particularly big deal around here, but we do like to try to do something involving cooking together, and this fits happily into that category.

I totally love soft pretzels, but most of the time I am far too lazy to make anything yeasted. Somehow, scaling the recipe back to just make a handful (well, a couple handfuls) of pretzels made it feel much more approachable, which was good because I decided to make these, dough-rising and all, at like 9:30 pm on a weeknight. It may have been a tad foolish given the timing (definitely not a bowl-to-belly in 30 minutes kind of snack), but it was surprisingly doable, and when we had the pretzels in hand it was all worth it. If you have some quick yeast (I didn’t), I bet you could shave the waiting down even more. Even with normal waiting time, I felt like the recipe made enough pretzels that my effort was justified, but not so many that I was shaping and poaching all night just to be left with a Super Bowl amount of snacks that we could never take down on our own. It made for a lovely Valentine preview snack!

I made very few tweaks to the original recipe; besides altering the scale a bit, all I really did is add some juicy bonuses like white cheddar, minced scallions, and black pepper, which we really enjoyed. I couldn’t resist the heart-shaping when the idea sprang to mind just in time for valentines day, but you needn’t bother with that if you simply want a savory snack sans seasonal embellishment. You can go with a standard pretzel twist shape, or roll it out and slice into little pretzel bites (arguably the easiest way to poach and bake them).

We dusted our finished pretzels with salt and red pepper flakes. To be honest I added the red pepper flakes as a half-hearted attempt to make these more valetiney with something red, but it was actually my favorite part. A light sprinkling gave the pretzels just a little kick without detracting from the rest of it. As a last touch, we brushed some of the pretzels with garlic butter, and we certainly didn’t regret it.

Happy Valentines Day, if you swing that way, and happy pretzel-eating day if you don’t!

Small Batch Soft Pretzels with White Cheddar, Scallions, and Black Pepper
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Annie’s Eats
Makes 8 pretzels

1 cup warm water
1 T sugar
1 generous teaspoon active dry yeast (1/2 packet)

2.5 – 3 cups flour (you can use all-purpose, or half AP and half whole wheat)
2 tsp salt
1 T melted butter
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar (not packed)
2 scallions, finely minced
freshly ground black pepper, about 1/2 tsp or to taste

1/4 cup baking soda, for the poaching liquid

1 egg + 1 T water
to garnish: coarse salt, red pepper flakes, extra grated cheese, and/or garlic butter, to taste

PROOF Add warm water, sugar, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, or to a regular large bowl, and briefly mix to combine. Allow to stand for 10 minutes while you do some other prep– gather your ingredients, grate the cheddar, and mince your scallions.

MIX, RISE Return to your frothy bowl of  yeast water and add 1.5 cups flour, salt, melted butter, grated cheddar, scallions, and a few generous twists of black pepper (to taste). Mix on low for one minute, or until dough comes together. Add remaining cup of flour and mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Touch dough; if it feels wet and sticky, gradually incorporate up to 1/2 cup more flour, until it is slightly tacky, but not wet. Remove from bowl and knead for about a minute, or until nice and smooth, and gather into a ball. Coat your hands in a bit of canola oil, rub it around the surface, and return your dough to the bowl. Cover with a towel and keep in a warm place for 30 minutes to an hour (depending on your yeast), or until roughly doubled.

SHAPE When you’re ready, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and prepare a baking sheet (or two, depending on size) with parchment or a silpat. Turn out your dough onto a lightly floured surface, and gently press the air out. Divide into eight even pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough into a long strip, and then twist into the desired shape (or, slice into stubby nuggets for pretzel bites). Transfer shapes onto prepared baking sheet and cover with a towel to rest until you’re ready to poach them.

POACH Fill a large saucepan with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then add the baking soda. It will foam up and then settle back down; reduce the heat just a bit to keep it at a vigorous simmer. Gently transfer your pretzels into the water, a couple at a time (depending on the size of your saucepan); I like to put them on a slotted metal spatula and then gently lower them into the water and let them float loose, to best preserve the shapes. If you have a skimmer that can better accomplish the task, by all means use it! Poach pretzels for one minute on each side before removing (again, I use the spatula) and returning to the lined baking sheets. If you’re making pretzel bites, you can throw them in the water a little less cautiously, and remove them after just 30 seconds or so.

BAKE Beat egg and water in a small bowl for your egg wash. Brush lightly over poached pretzels, then sprinkle with coarse salt and red pepper flakes to taste, and/or a light sprinkling of cheddar. Bake for about 15 minutes (depending on thickness– more like 10 mins for bites). Remove and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack (or enjoy hot from the oven!). Brush with a little garlic butter for extra decadence.

EAT these ASAP– they are best when fresh, but can keep for up to another day if left uncovered at room temperature. Enjoy!

If it wasn’t obvious already, I sort of fell out of the habit of blogging. Work got busy, I got married…I could blame those things, but basically I just stopped doing it! I don’t feel guilty about it (though I do miss it!), nor will I make any specific promises as to my renewed commitment to blogging regularly or anything. All I really know at this point is that I still cook, I still like to preserve a record of recipes we’ve tried and enjoyed, and I felt like blogging about this recipe.

We’re always on the lookout for good lunch salads, particularly ones with a nice balance of greens and grains as well as some tasty mix-ins. When I came across the idea of this salad on Serious Eats, I couldn’t help but lust after the concept, though we made a couple little changes in the execution. We’ve been pleased enough with the result that it’s joined our repertoire!

This recipe makes enough salad for four lunch portions, or two dinner-sized salads. We’ve been enjoying making it in the afternoon on the weekends, and then saving a bit for Monday’s lunch at work. It makes lunch a bright spot in my day, and it’s pretty flexible. The citrusy dressing gives it a nice punch, while the cheese, avocado and nuts make it filling enough to get you through an afternoon (though, some chunks of chicken or crumbled bacon, or even a little hard boiled egg wouldn’t go amiss if you’re looking to bulk it up with more protein). You can also vary the grains or greens according to your tastes or pantry. I love mâche, but another leafy green would certainly work in its place (baby spinach, pea shoots, arugula, or the original recipe suggested watercress). Same goes for the grains– I used pearl couscous here because that’s what I had, but it’s great with quinoa or farro. You could swap the citrus (maybe meyer lemon instead of the lime), go for pistachios instead of almonds, maybe add some cucumber, or any number of other little switches. One way or another, I hope you enjoy it!

Pearl Couscous and Mâche Salad with Almonds, Feta, and Citrus Vinaigrette
Adapted from Serious Eats
Serves 2-4

1 cup farro, pearl couscous, or quinoa

For the dressing:
juice of 1 lime
2 T orange juice (freshly squeezed from about half an orange, or borrowed from can of mandarin oranges, only if they’re canned in juice)
1 T honey
1 tsp soy sauce
6 T canola oil
salt and pepper

For salad:
3 handfuls mâche (can sub baby spinach or arugula)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup crumbled feta
about 1/4 cup mandarin orange slices (you can supreme a fresh one if you’re ambitious)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 avocado, sliced
Optional: leftover shredded chicken or even some crumbled bacon

Cook grain according to package directions. Remove from heat, drain if necessary, and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, combine citrus juices, honey, and soy sauce in a glass measuring cup or shaker jar. Stream in oil and whisk or shake to combine, then season with salt and pepper. Toss 2 T of this dressing with the cooling grains, and spread them on your serving plate for presentation, or reserve if you prefer to toss them with the the remaining ingredients in the next step.

In a medium bowl, toss greens, almonds, feta, oranges, red onion, and avocado with 3 T of dressing. To serve, either plate the dressed greens atop the bed of grains on the serving platter, or add the grains to the bowl and toss it all together. If desired, add another sprinkle of almonds or feta for presentation.

Does blue cheese dressing merit its own post? Like, without an accompanying salad recipe? I wouldn’t have believed it but I’ve gotta say…yes, yes it does.

I used to turn up my nose at bleu cheese in any form, but I’ve gradually been converted by a dude who can’t get enough of it. And this, my friends, is the best blue cheese dressing either of us has ever tasted. The recipe we adapted came from One Big Table, which ironically got the recipe from the Rogue Creamery, our local purveyor of delicious and award-winning cheeses like Oregonzola, Crater Lake Blue, and Caveman Blue. We happened to use some Crater Lake blue to make the dressing, but you can make it with whatever blue suits your fancy, and the dressing will come out creamy and smooth, with zesty blue cheese flavor, a zing from the dijon and vinegar, and the freshness of parsley and scallions. Pretty much all I want in a blue cheese dressing, and it’s equally at home drizzled on a salad or used as a dip for a plate full of veggies. Just make sure you double the recipe if you plan to feed a big crowd, because this dip goes fast!

Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressing (or Dip)
Adapted from the Rogue Creamery, via One Big Table, by Molly O’Neill
Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup mayonnaise (we use reduced fat, but use what you like)
1/4 cup sour cream (again, we used partial fat, but whatever will do)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard (I prefer a smooth/grain-less kind, since i want the dressing creamy)
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (choose a kind you enjoy)
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 scallion, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, stir or whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and worcestershire sauce until smooth. Add the blue cheese, garlic, parsley, and scallions, and stir until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, ideally at least an hour so the flavors can marry. Serve on salad or as a dip for crudités.

Tuna noodle casserole from a box was a staple in my house as a kid. I daresay I liked it then, but as an adult it’s rare that I even think of the stuff. But when I saw a recipe in Bon Appetit for a re-invented homemade version at this time last year, I tore it out right away and planned to make it. Surely even this humblest of casseroles deserves a second chance, right? I mean, you’ve gotta admit that creamy sauce + noodles + anything, baked until bubbly, has potential. Anyways, after I resolved to make the stuff I promptly lost the page and forgot about it for a year, but when I found the recipe yesterday I knew we would have it for dinner. It is time, my friends, to revisit tuna noodle casserole, sans box.

This turned out to be another seriously nostalgic meal. The flavors are pretty similar to what I remember of the boxed stuff, but fresher and more developed, and you can’t deny that this is better for you, and more fun to prepare and eat. In adapting this recipe, I wanted to use as many fresh ingredients as possible (the leeks of course, along with fresh dill and fresh celery rather than their dried equivalents), and I wanted to make it creamy while skipping the whole milk and half and half called for in the original recipe. We used skim milk and found that thickening with a roux and adding some gruyere made it perfectly creamy. A little lemon juice brightens it up, and the potato chips give it a really nice crunchy top (although you could substitute a little toasted panko if you’d rather skip the chips).

If you wanted to amp up the green quotient a little bit, you could fold in some frozen peas when you mix in the dill and cheese and let them bake up in the oven (I think some families eat their tuna casserole with peas anyway). All in all it was a tasty meal, and the next time I crave tuna casserole, I will look no further than this recipe.

If you want to make this casserole in advance, you could complete it to the point of combining the leek sauce, noodles, cheese, dill, tuna, and pasta water, and then transfer it to the baking dish (or leave it in the skillet) and allow it to cool. Then cover it, refrigerate it for up to a day, and remove it when you’re ready to bake– just give it an extra ten minutes in the oven before adding the chip topping.

Another thing to note is that while tradition might call for cooking this up in a baking dish, you could also minimize your dishes by doing the whole thing in a skillet– just make the leek sauce in a large ovenproof pan and then you can add the noodles, etc. to the sauce when they’re ready and bake the whole thing as is. Of course, if you need to transport the dish somewhere or if you want a nicer table presentation, the baking dish might be the way to go– instructions for both are included below. Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole Redux
Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2010
Serves 4-6

1/4 cup unsalted butter (4 T), plus extra for greasing dish
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (from one large or two medium leeks)
1 rib celery, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
juice of half a lemon
8 oz wide egg noodles
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
1-2 T chopped fresh dill (to taste)
6-10 oz canned albacore (1 large can or two small), flaked up with a fork
1 2-oz bag potato chips, crushed, or 1 cup panko crumbs toasted in a pan with 1 T butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. If you want to serve it in a casserole dish, lightly grease a square baking pan; if you’re preparing the dish from start to finish in an ovenproof skillet, you can skip that step. Set a large pot of water over high heat, and when it boils cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain the noodles.

While the water boils and the noodles cook, work on the sauce. Melt the half stick of butter in a large skillet (ovenproof, if you’ll be baking it in the same pan) over medium heat, then add leeks, celery, and a twist of salt and cook until the veg are very soft but not brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the flour and stir for a minute, then gradually stir in the milk and get it simmering until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, adjusting to taste. Remove from the heat.

Combine the leek sauce and the drained noodles in the pan and stir to mix. Add the gruyere and the chopped dill and stir it all together, then add the reserved pasta water little by little to loosen the sauce to a smooth, creamy texture. Stir in the tuna and then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, if using; otherwise, leave it in the ovenproof skillet. Cover it with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and top the casserole with the potato chips or panko and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, until brown and bubbly. Enjoy!

We recently discovered a local farm that produces ridiculously delicious chorizo, and have been enthusiastically exploring things to do with it. First we made tacos with it, and then scrambled it with eggs. Then we made chorizo sandwiches, and sprinkled it on salads. Finally, we were thinking it might be nice to try it with pasta, imagining something reminiscent of this, when I happened upon a recipe for a spicy pasta and sausage bake from America’s Test Kitchen. With a few tweaks, the dish became an amazing way to enjoy chorizo, pasta, and all the spicy, cheesy warmth of a good casserole.

I wasn’t sure how the elements of this dish would come together, but the effect was homey and nostalgic, even though I never ate anything like this as a kid. Something about the combination of the pasta, cheddar, tomatoes, and spicy meat had kind of a chili mac vibe, but in a more elevated way. I loved how low maintenance and weeknight friendly it was (chop an onion and some garlic, grate some cheese, stir stuff around, and that’s about it!); it’s definitely one of those dishes that makes you feel like you created a lot out of relatively few ingredients. This is definitely something we will make again!

Casseroles tend to be pretty flexible, so a quick note on ways you can play with this recipe if you like. First, if you don’t have access to a good chorizo that you like, you could go ahead and substitute another ground meat– hot italian sausage would be the closest substitute, but you could even go with ground beef or pork if you want, even chicken I suppose. The recipe calls for diced tomatoes with green chiles and spices to add a little gentle heat, but if you don’t have those, regular diced tomatoes would work as well, although in that case I would add a touch of cayenne or red chile flakes to bump up the spice. Lastly, we used cheddar cheese, but you could probably get away with mozzarella in a pinch, or pepperjack would surely be tasty if you have it on hand.

Baked Penne with Chorizo and Cheddar
Adapted from The Best Simple Recipes, from America’s Test Kitchen
Serves 4

1/2 lb chorizo (raw mexican-style, not cured spanish style), casings removed if present
1 medium onion, diced (a rough cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (or half n’ half, if you are feeling rich)
1 10-0z can diced tomatoes with green chiles and spices (plain diced tomatoes is ok too)
12 oz penne (about 3 cups)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or pepperjack cheese
3 scallions, chopped

Place a large, ovensafe skillet or saute pan over medium high heat. Add the chorizo and onion and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the chorizo, until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the broth, milk, tomatoes (and their juices) and pasta, and season with salt and pepper. Turn on the broiler in the oven so it can preheat while the pasta cooks. Bring the pasta mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring frequently, until pasta is al dente, 10-15 minutes.

Take skillet off the heat, and stir in half of the shredded cheese. Top pasta with the second half of the cheese, and pop it under the broiler for 2-5 minutes, watching carefully, until it’s lightly brown and bubbly. Allow the casserole to rest for 5 to 10 minutes (the juices will thicken a bit), then sprinkle with scallions and serve!

Unfortunately, I recently discovered that cheesecake is delicious. For ages I thought I didn’t like it, at least not enough to seek it out, and this helped me avoid the cheesecake-lust that I now imagine must torment cheesecake enthusiasts on a regular basis. But then I tasted an amazing one with a crumby crust and creamy, dreamy center topped with lemon curd, and I realized that me and cheesecake could be friends.

Unlike cheesecake, Valentines Day is not something I get all that excited about. I don’t feel the need to shell out for gifts or fancy restaurants (or have that done for me), and apart from the secret fun I have making valentines with my preschoolers, I don’t care much about giving or receiving cards. Stephen and I discussed it this year and decided that all we really want to do is cook ourselves a nice dinner and enjoy it together at home, so that is what we set out to plan, with cheesecake as the finale of the meal.

The only problem was that the idea of making an entire cheesecake, with all the many boxes of cream cheese and richness that entails, and then having it laying around staring at us seemed too daunting. So from there the idea of two little baby cheesecakes was born, and I was delighted to discover that it is not only possible to make just two little cheesecakes, it’s also super easy with a simple ingredient list. Until a few weeks ago I had never really eaten more than a bite of cheesecake, let alone made one at home, but this is such an easy way to do cheesecake that I felt like a pro the first time around.

This recipe makes two 10-oz ramekin-sized cheesecakes with buttery vanilla wafer crumb crusts and a light-textured, rich-tasting filling. For Stephen and I, a whole 10-oz ramekin full of cheesecake each is actually more than we can handle in one sitting, but having a little extra around for sharing and leftovers is never a bad thing. And, if you should want to have more than just two cheesecakes laying around, this recipe is extremely easy to double or even triple. Halving down to a single serving is not so easy since there is only one egg involved, but again, having an extra mini cheesecake around in the fridge can only be a good thing, so I’d just go for the recipe as written even if you’re craving some solo cheesecake action.

One of the great things about cheesecake is that it’s kind of like a delicious little blank canvas, begging for any number of flavor combinations and toppings to accompany the crumbly crust and creamy filling. I’ve been rather taken with lemon cheesecake lately, so we did sort of a lemon curd swirl effect on some of our cheesecake and we also tried a chocolate chip cheesecake version, which we really enjoyed as well (instructions for both variations can be found below the basic recipe). You can also top the cheesecakes with any number of concoctions– you can bake it with extra cookie crumb crust on top for crunch, or serve it with a cooked berry sauce or some simple fresh fruit macerated with sugar until the juices run. You could also use chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa powder or sprinkles to achieve sort of a festive look. Any way you serve it, you won’t regret spending a half hour putting these babies together, whether they’re gracing your Valentines Day table or just satisfying your sweet tooth on a Tuesday night.

Chocolate treats for two sound more like your style? Try these mexican chocolate souffles.

Individual Cheesecakes
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 2

1/2 cup ground vanilla wafers (or ground shortbread cookies, gingersnaps, or graham crackers)
1.5 T unsalted butter, melted, plus additional butter for greasing the ramekins

1 8-oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
optional: 1 T lemon curd, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, or any number of other topping options (fresh fruit, berry sauce, extra cookie crust for the top)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 10 oz ramekins or custard cups (if you only have smaller, 6 oz ones, you can make 3 or 4 smaller cheesecakes in place of two 10 oz ones). In a small bowl, toss the vanilla wafer crumbs with the melted butter, then press half of the mixture into the bottom of each ramekin. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the egg and beat again until fully incorporated. Divide the filling between the two ramekins. If you are making the lemon-swirl or chocolate chip variation, see instructions at the bottom.

Place the ramekins in a deep roasting pan or baking dish (I used a pyrex baking dish), and add hot water to the dish to reach about half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cheesecakes are set and puffy around the edges and just setting in the center (if they start to brown, they’ll be a bit overcooked and the tops may crack as they cool- but they’ll still taste good). Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold (at least an hour) or up to a day before serving.

To serve: enjoy them as is, or you can dust the tops with chocolate shavings, dutch-process cocoa powder, or sprinkles. You can also top them with fresh fruit (macerated in a bit of sugar until the juices run) or cook up a fruit sauce. Or, try one of the variations below.

Lemon-swirl variation: once you’ve incorporated the egg into the cheesecake batter and divided it into the ramekins, add a teaspoon or two of lemon curd (store-bought, ideally freshened up with a bit of lemon zest and juice, or homemade if you have it) to each ramekin and swirl it gently into the cheesecake filling with a toothpick or knife. Bake as directed above.

Chocolate chip variation: after incorporating the egg into the cheesecake filling, stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Divide batter into the ramekins and bake as directed above.

Kale is one of those kitchen firsts where I’ve eaten the stuff a thousand times, but never actually cooked it for myself. You see, I kind of always thought that I didn’t like kale, or that it was ok but not worth my time or effort to actually cook at home. But in the name of getting back on the kitchen firsts wagon before the end of the year, it seemed high time to go and get a bunch of kale, and little did we know we’d be back to the market the next day to get some more.

You see, we got a bit distracted with our first bunch of kale, but were too excited about the prospect of this pasta to wait to make it. So another bunch came home with us, and I’m so glad that it did because this pasta was a kale revelation! I was a little skeptical about it, even up to the very moment that I tossed all the parts of the dish together, because tasting the parts separately (the spicy breadcrumbs, braised kale, pasta, and parmesan) it really didn’t seem like anything to write home about. But it is way more than the sum of its parts, and I feel confident saying that this dish would appeal to kale-lovers and kale-haters alike– the kale becomes mild and tender as it braises, the cheese gives a little rich nuttiness, the lemon gives a nice lift, and the spicy, garlicky breadcrumbs provide a nice aromatic crunch. All in all, a very satisfying pasta for a late autumn dinner, and one you can feel good about eating too!

Pasta with Kale, Parmesan, and Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s Spaghetti with Braised Kale, and the Tuscan Kale Salad from 1o1 cookbooks
Makes 3 generous servings or 4 lighter servings

1 T butter or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cub fresh breadcrumbs or panko
scant 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large bunch tuscan or green kale (dish will work with anywhere between 1/2 lb and 1 lb)
2 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup water
1/2 lb pasta of your choice
1 T lemon juice
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Melt the tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the breadcrumbs or panko and red pepper flakes and stir, toasting gently until golden brown. Reserve. Wipe out pan. (If you taste the breadcrumbs by themselves, they will be quite spicy, but when mixed with the whole dish the spice level is perfect).

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring it to a boil for the pasta. Remove ribs from the kale by folding leaves in half lengthwise and sliding a knife along the ribs. Discard the ribs, then chop the leaves roughly into 1/2 inch strips. Rinse kale and leave to drain in a colander.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 2 T olive oil. Saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Take the kale from the colander, some water still clinging to it, and add it to the pan. Stir until wilted, about 2 or 3 minutes, then add the 1/3 cup water and cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is very tender, about 20 minutes (adding more water if the pan becomes dry). It’s ok (even tastier, I think) if the onions caramelize a little bit during this process, as long as you’re careful not to let them burn.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve a ladle of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the tender kale in the skillet and stir, then squeeze in the juice of half a lemon (about 1 T), and add pasta water to loosen if necessary. Add half of the parmesan, and stir to melt a bit. Serve the pasta, topping each bowl with additional parmesan and a generous handful of bread crumbs.

This dish, an amazing marriage of roasted brussels sprouts, savory sauteed mushrooms, parmesan, and crispy shallots, was probably the most successful new dish we tried at our fake Thanksgiving party this year. And that’s saying something, considering how happy we were with the turkey and stuffing! It manages to be everything that a homey green bean casserole is (comforting, traditional, delicious), but elevated to a new level by fresh mushrooms, homemade shallot rings, and the roasted sprouts. I love green beans, but the sprouts have a more complex flavor and texture that works well here, and even sprout-haters tend to like them in this dish. It’s miles away from any gloop-laden thing you’ve had from a can, but still somehow very close to home.

Besides tasting great, this dish is great for entertaining and holiday cooking because it is easy to prepare in advance. I was worried about the sprouts losing their roasty crispness if I prepared the dish early, but the final effect of the casserole manages to be soft and crunchy in all the right places even if you do make things a few hours in advance. The crispy shallots on top give things a nice crunchy finish, and the brussels sprouts mix up with the mushrooms to make a nice tender interior without losing that roasty flavor. As far as entertaining-friendly vegetable sides go, I think this will become my new go-to recipe!

One year ago: Sunday Dinner: Scaled Down Thanksgiving (roasted bone-in turkey breast, mom’s celery mushroom stuffing)

Brussels Sprout Casserole with Mushrooms and Fried Shallots
Adapted from Gourmet via epicurious.com
Serves 8-12

3 lbs brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
salt and pepper
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, for frying shallots
5 medium shallots, sliced 1/8 inch thick and separated into rings
1/2 stick butter plus 1 T butter, divided (5 T altogether)
2 lbs mixed mushrooms, sliced (we used crimini and a handful of chanterelles, but buttons, shiitakes, and oysters would all be great as well)
1/4 cup white wine
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Roast sprouts: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the trimmed and halved sprouts with the 1/4 cup oil, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets (in one layer). Roast the sprouts, stirring/tossing occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, until they are nicely browned and tender. I was worried I had overcooked mine, but a nice deep browning adds great depth– as long as the don’t look or taste burnt, you’re ok! When they are cooked, remove and set aside, uncovered, until ready to use. You can leave them for up to 5 or 6 hours at room temperature if you like, but do cover them, loosely, once they’ve cooled.

Fry shallots: While the sprouts roast, heat the 3/4 cup canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat (if you have a frying thermometer, it should read 250 degrees; if not, just let it heat up to medium and adjust heat if necessary as you fry). Working in a couple batches to avoid overcrowding, fry the shallots until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes per batch, turning and stirring occasionally. Watch closely, as they can go from not brown to burned quickly. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel with a slotted spoon, and leave them to drain and crisp up while you finish the rest. If you want to make these in advance, you can put the cooled rings in an airtight container lined with paper towels until you are ready to use them.

Saute mushrooms: When you’ve finished with the shallots, pour the oil out of the skillet, but don’t bother to wash it. Return it to medium high heat and add the 1/2 stick (4T) of butter. When the butter has melted, add the sliced mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and golden brown. Add the wine and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and stir as it bubbles until it reduces to just coat the mushrooms. Add the water and last tablespoon of butter, and stir until melted.

Assemble and bake: Transfer the mushroom mixture and the roasted brussels sprouts to a serving dish (13×9 or similar) and stir to combine. If you’re preparing the dish in advance, you can cover it loosely and set aside at room temp until ready to bake (I’d only recommend advancing to this stage a couple of hours in advance). When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 (up to 400 would be ok, if you’re using the oven for something else as well; just keep an eye on it). Sprinkle the top of the brussels sprouts and mushrooms with the grated parmesan, then top with the fried shallots. Pop the casserole into the oven for about 10-20 minutes (times may vary depending on how much you let your sprouts and mushrooms cool), or until cheese is melted and the dish is warmed through. Serve immediately!

I have a lot I could say about the origins of this recipe and the importance of stuffing, but I’m going to cut to the chase first. For me, this is The Best Stuffing Ever. The only recipe I’ll need from now on. The One.

This stuffing strata comes out so fragrant, moist, and flavorful, you would never know it hasn’t been cooked inside the turkey. But the fact that it hasn’t set up camp in a turkey means that you can shorten your turkey cooking time, and serve the stuffing to vegetarians without that out-of-place taste of vegetable broth that usually flavors vegetarian stuffing. Also, it’s a total snap to whip up; you can assemble it the day before and just pop it into your already-350-degree oven on the big day. It features all the traditional flavors of a really homey stuffing (sage, thyme, celery, and of course the bread) bound together by a magical mixture of egg, milk, wine, mustard, and gruyere cheese. The strata gets moistness and richness from the egg mixture, but doesn’t turn out soggy or taste of breakfast; essentially, it tastes like everything stuffing should be, but more…better!

Until I learned how to make a truly delicious turkey, stuffing was the indisputable king of the Thanksgiving table for me. Even now that I know my way around a turkey, I could still eat a vat of my mother’s traditional sagey, celery-laced breadstuff, to the exclusion of many of the other things on the table. Over the last couple of years we’ve tried stuffing variations that have certainly been tasty, but I almost always seem to migrate back to recipes that rely heavily on the bread, celery, sage, and thyme. I know some people swear by cornbread stuffing, or stuffing with apples and currants and crap, or stuffing with sausage in it, but I always want my stuffing to taste like it did when I was a kid.

Last year’s Thanksgiving edition of Bon Appetit featured a vegetarian main from Molly Wizenberg, a butternut squash and cheddar bread pudding that immediately caught my eye. It has butternut squash, kale, torn baguette, and extra sharp cheddar cheese held together with a white wine and dijon mustard eggy mixture, and it I’ve had it on my list of things to try since I spotted it. Yet somehow, whenever Thanksgiving (or fake Thanksgiving) rolls around for us, I don’t have the heart to make it instead of stuffing. It would be most definitely be a fabulous veggie main, but when you’re up to your earballs in turkey, it’s hard to imagine making more than one bread-related casserole, and regular stuffing always wins for me. But I’ve kept wondering if her bread pudding would be better than some of the stuffing recipes we’ve tried. Wanting to save myself this doubt in the future, I decided that on Thanksgiving, you shouldn’t have to choose between two amazing things, and a stuffing bread pudding was born.

If there is some key ingredient in your family’s Thanksgiving stuffing that is not featured in the recipe below, I still urge you to try this strata-fied take on stuffing. With a strata, the task at hand is essentially to soak the bread in the magic egg mixture, grate some cheese, and then put a layer of whatever else you want between the layers of bread and cheese. You could take out the mushrooms if they’re not your cup of tea, or add apples or bacon or something green, like spinach, to the mixture. You could add a layer of chopped hazelnuts for a woodsy, nutty effect (we’ve tried this and it’s delicious), or perhaps add sausage if you like. Basically you just need to pre-cook your filling, whatever it is, and layer it between the bread and cheese, so do expand and play with the blueprint below! I expect that if you try it, you will never cook stuffing inside a turkey again.

Oh, and P.S. (I’m really excited to be able to start doing this, even though it means I’ll have to link back to some potentially embarrassing early posts):
One year ago: Tortas

Savory Stuffing Strata
Inspired by Molly Wizenberg’s Butternut Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding, via Bon Appetit
Serves 8

7 eggs
2 cups milk or half and half
1/3 cup white wine
1.5 tsp dijon mustard
1.5 tsp salt
1 loaf day old french bread or baguette, torn into roughly 1-inch pieces
3 T butter
3 medium shallots, chopped, or 2 large leeks (white parts only), chopped
1.5 lbs mushrooms, sliced
1.5 cups celery, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1 cup grated gruyere cheese (about .2 lbs)

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, wine, mustard, and salt. Add the bread pieces, stir to combine, and allow to soak for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When it’s melted, add the shallots and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, celery, sage, and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender and the mushroom liquid has mostly evaporated, about 2o minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and butter a 13×9 baking dish. Transfer half of the soaked bread cubes to the baking dish and spread them evenly over the bottom. Then spread half of the mushroom-celery mixture over the bread, and sprinkle with half of the grated gruyere. Spoon the second half of the bread on top of the cheese, followed by the second half of the mushrooms and celery, and then the last of the cheese. If there is any egg juice left in the bread soaking bowl, pour it over the top of the pudding and cover the whole dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the custard is set and the bread feels springy, about 25 minutes longer.

If desired, turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese browns slightly, about 2 or 3 minutes, then remove and serve!

In one year there have been 93 posts including over 100 recipes, and (as of this morning) there’ve been about 13,150 hits, averaging out to a little over 1000 views per month. I am painfully aware of how minuscule these numbers are in the grand scheme of the internet or even the food blogoscape, but for a silly little hobbyist blogger I feel pretty good about it! I have to attribute the much-more-consistent-than-expected writing of posts to the fact that I’d much rather document what we eat than do the dishes, but the hits I attribute almost entirely to luck and to my lovely helpful readers who are nice enough to help me pass my link around the nets from time to time!

I am not going to do a huge reflective post today, but I will say a quick few words about my plans for the blog and share some of the highlights from the year. I’d love to hear if you have any favorite posts in the comments!

First I want to take a quick look back at the juiciest bits: the food! According to WordPress, the top posts are as follows: oatmeal french breakfast muffins, indoor pulled pork, mexican chocolate souffles, feta packets, broccolini and sausage pasta, korean bbq burgers, homemade horseradish potato salad, crispy baked salmon with sweet hot mustard, and the watercress and pea shoot salad with avocado dressing. Some of this list surprises me (like the muffin post being at the top, or the broccolini and sausage pasta post from way back when making the top ten at all– it was really yummy, but it’s just a weeknight pasta!), but it also features some of our favorites, like the pulled pork, feta packets, and that amazing pea shoot salad.

What’s left out by that top ten? A couple of my favorite underdog posts: brussels sprouts with creamy bacon horseradish sauce, seven flavor beef, fresh pea and pea shoot pasta carbonara, tartiflette toast, and of course MOS burgers, to name a few. And then of course there are lots of recipes that are super tasty, but don’t make the greatest hits cut; I’m excited, especially now that we’re entering holiday cooking season, to see what culinary delights we can discover for next year’s best of!

So, plans for the year to come– let’s ignore the fact that many of the goals I laid out in my six-month check-up are not fully accomplished yet, and focus on what’s still on the docket!

• Investing in some more photography-related supplies. We have already acquired an awesome tripod in the last couple of months, and I try to use natural light as much as possible, but I’d like to develop a setup to make the best of the light when I cook at night (which is most of the time), and I’d like to get my hands on some nice staging accessories– photogenic silverware, plates, napkins, backdrops, etc.
• Moving toward storing my photographs on a flickr account
• Purchasing my domain name and some custom CSS changes
• Taking better care of my index page

Anyway, I think that’s all for now. I’m think I’m going to celebrate the day by baking some cookies, and maybe buying the blog a little present. Thanks for tuning in! Here’s to another year.