New Year Means a Better Way of Life

I started 2012 with a the thought to make this year one of the best.  It all started by hitting the gym harder this time around because this new year means a new me–literally. I have challenged myself to lose a few pounds, so I decided to do a cleanse but not by drinking lemon juice for two weeks. I love food way too much.  My cleanse began by eating more of the rainbow.  Seriously,  have you ever looked at your plate to see what the colors are? I sure did and wow! A what up call! I thought I was a healthy eater but the colors on my plate were all white and not enough green.  Since I am on the JLA cookbook committee I loathed about cooking a dish I couldn’t eat, but would watch in pure disdain as my husband thoroughly enjoyed the meal. I was wrong there is a god in the cookbook work.  I stumbled across Green Beans with Shallots and Red Peppers in Austin Entertains page 34. Now if that doesn’t shout rainbow on my plate then I don’t know what does.

The recipe called for blanching the green beans which is a great health tip but I opted to roast the beans.  I set my oven to 385 degrees.  Cleaned the beans and added, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and in the oven they go for about 30 minutes.  In a sauce pan, I added a dash of olive oil, garlic (I always add garlic even though the recipe didn’t call for it) and the julienned shallots.   They cooked on medium heat till they were almost brown and then I added the julienned red bell peppers. I started to smell something burning and realized the beans were ready so I took them out and wow talk about a transformed vegetable.   Blanched green beans no more.  I am roasting veggies from now on. I combined the beans in the pan with the red bell pepper and shallots and a delicious dish that even my husband wanted seconds of.  I think my 2012 is off to a good start. I just hope all of my cookbooks have a god that will have mercy on me as I embark on this new me.

Emily Doran, Cookbook and PR Committees

Sea Bass Habanero

Sea Bass Habanero on page 120 of Austin Entertains caught my eye as something simple but yet healthy and it didn’t disappoint one bit.  I whipped this recipe up one Sunday evening before one of the many awards shows this winter.  This recipe is quite easy, but I made a few adjustments along the way. First of all, I would suggest using coarse pepper when seasoning the seabass.  It adds so much more flavor.  I would sear the seabass a bit longer than 1 minute on each side–more like 3 minutes per side.  I added a little bit more lime than it called for.  I would also cook the seabass with the broth longer than the recipe calls.  This dish has incredible flavor and looks beautiful when plated up.  It’s a great dish for the winter time and something I would definitely cook again.  Bon Apetite!
Elizabeth Elias, Cookbook Committee

Thumbprint Cookies, Easy as 1-2-3

My biggest downfall as a Cookbook Chair is ignoring the Celebrates Children section in Austin Entertains.  Fortunately, upcoming issues of LeagueLines and CapitalLines will feature the section, which means I need to do my homework.

I must admit that the Celebrates Children section is a bit intimidating to me.  The closest thing I have to a child is my pink sock monkey and my imaginary child, Poppy Priestner.  (Many of you are familiar with Poppy.)  I do not consider myself a grown-up, believe I am child and enjoy the food that children love: pizza, queso, cookies and mac-n-cheese.  Why have I steered clear of the children’s section of Austin Entertains?  The recipes are allegedly simple and the food is very Holly-friendly.

Today, I made the thumbprint cookies and they were as easy as 1-2-3!  Since I am not a cook, I rarely have the right ingredients on hand, but I opened my pantry and found ALL of the ingredients for the thumbprint cookies: sugar, flour, butter and jelly, DONE!  Keep in mind, it mentions that one might roll the dough in pecans, but I am not a pecan eater so I decided against this step.

I mixed the ingredients, sampled the dough and popped the cookies in the oven for their first 5 minutes of baking.  One ball of dough baked a little too thin, but other than that, so far so good.  Next, I took a small spoon and made a “thumbprint” in each barely baked ball and dished cherry jelly into the center.  I returned the dough to the oven for an additional 12 minutes.  That’s it, they were done.  They didn’t look the way they should but I blame user error.
The cookies will be served to the Cookbook Committee at this evening’s meeting, along with La Crema Chardonnay.  It doesn’t get much better than this

Holly Priestner, Cookbook Chair

Cucumber and Salmon Sandwiches for any Occassion

When I first looked at this recipe, I simply glanced. I was a bit surprised when I read that the food needed to go in the food processor. I was originally thinking slices of cucumber and salmon on a sandwich…this is a little different. The taste of this dish is actually fantastic and light!

The recipe calls for watercress, which I left out because I forgot to put it on my grocery list. Oops! I also did not butter the edges to cut back on a few calories, but I did cut the crusts off and shaped into triangles. The first time I made this sandwich, I immediately spread it on the bread after food processing. The second batch I made was refrigerated for a couple of hours before spreading on bread. It made for less of a mess since it was a bit firmer.

I tried this out on my picky 19-month old before taking it to one our Cookbook Committee meetings. I was shocked when I saw her grab for a second one. In fact, I made another (smaller) batch the next week for a couple of her lunches. She loves this sandwich! Great sandwich to make for lunch, brunch, or a daytime party!

-Margaret Rigby, Cookbook Committee

Healthy Grilled Chicken with a Mango Salsa Twist

My husband and I enjoy eating healthy during the week, and trying new recipes out. So, when I came across this recipe I was uber excited to try it; not to mention, we love eating mangos and anything grilled is always a favorite.  The Grilled Mango Salsa on page 118, was a hit! The salsa was perfect as it was fresh and light (and included lots of veggies). Unfortunately, I forgot to marinate the chicken overnight, so we opted out of that part. Nonetheless, we improvised- we seasoned it per the recipe and put on the grill.  Once the chicken was ready, we added the salsa over it and paired it with grilled squash.  It was a fairly easy recipe (I probably should have read the prep time a bit better). This is an excellent dish for anyone looking for a healthy meal or a nice summer entrée.  I added sliced avocado to add extra zest!

-Cynthia Mattiza, Junior League Member

Hazelnut Raspberry Cookies

My confession: I love sugar. I love sweets. I love cookies. But, I rarely bake them. It’s not that I don’t make them; they just don’t usually make it to the oven. I know, I know, salmonella. Eeek! But if you had seen some of the poor excuses for cookies I have tried to bake before, you would settle for eating the dough right along with me.

The first task with this recipe was to toast the hazelnuts. I had to Google ‘How to Toast Hazelnuts,’ but I think the method I used worked out fine. 350 degrees. Sheet pan. 10-12 minutes. Then, transfer nuts to a clean tea towel, fold the towel around them, and scrunch (best word I can come up with). The idea is to rub the nuts against each other and the towel to remove the dark outer skin. I’ll be honest; this took longer than I thought it would. Scrunch for a while, then pull out the ones that have been successfully skinned. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

But the effort was worth it. The smell from the nuts is wonderfully rich and so familiar. It took me a while but I finally figured out that the rich hazelnut scent from the dough reminded me of those gold foil wrapped chocolate and hazelnut truffles. Ah . . . the satisfaction of finally figuring that out!

The recipe indicates you should roll the dough out to 1/8 of an inch and my poor estimation skills could be a reason my execution of the recipe only yielded 24 cookies and not 48. (It wasn’t because I ate half the dough, honest!) And, I think I used a 3 inch cookie cutter, but they seemed like awfully large cookies, especially once they were sandwiched together.

They are beautiful cookies and I think you could certainly used shaped cookie cutters and really any preserve besides raspberry. The recipe said that they keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator which might make them a great cookie to make around the holidays!

-Edie Binns, Cookbook Committee

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Dried Fig Pizza

To celebrate The Junior League of Austin Cookbook Committee, I invited our chair-elect, Martha Lynn Kale, and her husband, Trevor, for dinner.  Of course, preparing something from Austin Entertains was a “must.”  

Usually, my husband, Kevin, is the top chef in the Priestner household, but unfortunately, he was out of town for work and flying back just an hour before dinner.  To make matters worse, I had a very important bridal shower in San Antonio that day, so I knew the preparation would be tricky. In the spirit of relaxed fun, I planned to serve the Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Dried Fig Pizza along with the Basil Pesto and Roasted Pepper Pizza, both listed on page 70.  I would accompany the pizza with Trevor’s favorite Texas beer, Lone Star.

I woke early that morning and began making the dough.  It needed to rise, so I presumed it would rise while I was on my brief San Antonio jaunt.  Hmmmmm….I failed!  I returned home with just two hours to finish the pizza and set my table.  One container of dough had risen to a nice, round ball of yumminess.  The other container held a small, hard ball of sticky mess.  One pizza would not be enough for all four of us, so I decided to see what happens when you cook the small, hard ball of sticky mess.  I rolled the dough into two round circles and followed the rest of the recipe. 

The uncooked pizzas looked beautiful!  I set them aside until closer to the Kales’ arrival.  Kevin came home and raved about the appearance of the pizzas.  I was confident that they would be a home run.  About twenty minutes before the Kales’ arrived, I popped the pizzas in the oven and set the timer.  All was well, they arrived, we poured drinks, and settled into our usual chatter.  All of a sudden, there was an intense burning smell and smoke pouring forth from the oven.  Smoke alarms all over the house started to sound and Kevin looked at me in horror.  The small, hard ball of sticky mess resulted in a crispy burnt pizza.  We pulled the burnt pizza from the oven and left the other one to continue baking.  When the timer sounded, I removed the pizza and Kevin sliced it.  We sat down for dinner and started to eat.  The second pizza was also a disaster.  The fluffy dough did not cook all the way through, even though I set the timer for the time indicated on the recipe.  I must admit the toppings would have been delicious together if the dough had not been such a failure.  

There are many cooking morals to this story: 1) Austin has many delicious pizza options, so order in; 2) Do not plan on dinner guests when you are traveling most of the day; and (3) Trevor Kale is happy with anything if you give him enough Lone Star.  (He ate almost an entire pizza.)

Postscript: The Kales and Priestners subsequently gathered for another pizza dinner…at a restaurant.

-Holly Priestner, Cookbook Committee Chair

Eggplant Parmesan for everyone!

Name:  Taylor Kittrell

Recipe:  Eggplant Parmesan

Page #:  66

Occasion:  First Dinner Party at our new home!

What did you love about the recipe?  It tasted great and everyone loved it.  The men were raving about it which was a sigh of relief since I wasn’t sure how everyone felt about eggplant.  All of my guests came back for seconds and it was a huge crowd pleaser. The recipe was taken home by each of my guests….per their husbands request. 

What did you not love about it?  The only thing I didn’t like was that it probably wasn’t the healthiest dish in the world when you consider how much cheese is involved.

What did you pair it with?  A mixed salad, Italian bread with dipping sauce, and red wine. 

What would you change in the future?   I cut the eggplant lengthwise and next time I will cut it in circles so that it’s easier to dish out after it’s prepared.

 

Crab Cakes for Girls Night Out

I am a member of the Junior League of Austin and currently serve on the Cookbook Committee.  From 9-5 each day I serve as a showroom consultant for a kitchen & bath gallery.  My favorite time of the day is enjoying my life with a Captain and a Coach.  I cheer on the Coach, who is also my boyfriend, every Friday night at high school football games.  The Captain is my most adorable18 month old French Bulldog.  But don’t let their titles fool you….I call the plays in these relationships.

Recipe:  Crab Cakes w/Avocado Sauce

Page #: 26

Occasion: Girl’s Night Out

What did you love about the recipe?  It was fresh and easy.  I really enjoyed the flavor that the different peppers added to it.  The avocado sauce was easy and delicious! You could eat it alone.

What did you not love about it?  It was pretty messy and I had trouble forming the patties so that they didn’t break when I flipped them on the skillet.

What did you pair it with?  Broccoli and a spring salad w/olives and feta

What would you change in the future?  I will come up with a better way to form the patties next time and I’ll also leave them on the skillet longer so that they are crunchier.  I think next time I may add a jalapeno in the mix, also, as my family enjoys food with a kick!

Overall, everyone enjoyed the flavor of the crab cakes and LOVED the avocado sauce.  That sauce could be used on a number of different recipes and I intend on getting creative with what I can put it on next time.

Taylor Kittrell, Cookbook Committee

Quick and Easy Parmesan Mushrooms

Sunday is my day to cook for the week.  I try to prepare as many meals for the week that I can, and off they go into the freezer or refrigerator depending on what I have made.  I find this takes many of the “What do you want for dinner?” conversations out of the hectic day.  Today, I realized I signed up to take appetizers to cookbook meeting during a very busy work week (lack of planning on my part).  However, I found two recipes that (1) look delicious, (2) I can reheat at the meeting, and (3) came out of Austin Entertains and the Marshes to Mansions cookbook from Lake Charles, Louisiana.  Win win win.

 

The stuffed mushrooms recipe in Austin Entertains is delicious.  The recipe is on page 61 and is called parmesan mushrooms.  Instead of using regular button mushrooms, I used baby bellas.  They have a more “meaty” taste to go along with the sausage the recipe calls for.  To make this a quick fix, I strongly suggest preparing all of the ingredients before firing up the stove and preventing having too many pots on the stove at once.  First, dice the onion and set aside.  My “as seen on TV” slap-chop does an excellent job of finely dicing the onion so there are no big chunks.  Next, grate your parmesan with a cheese grater and then food process the bread into bread crumbs.  Remove the stems from the mushrooms and set aside, you can use them for another dish.  Finally, remove the sausage from the casing (spicy pork sausage in this case) and toss in the sausage to a preheated pan on the stove with a little drizzle of olive oil.  Add in the onion, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and oregano.  After it has had a chance to cook for a bit, throw in a splash of broth.  This really will help make the mixture easy to spoon into the caps.  Once the mixture has had a chance to thicken up, add in the parmesan for the extra creaminess.  Get a little teaspoon and fill each mushroom cap with the sausage mixture.  Bake in the oven at 325 ºF for 15 minutes.  It is really one of the more simple stuffed mushroom dishes I have made that even gets the hubby’s stamp of approval.

 

The second recipe came from the Marshes to Mansions cookbook from Lake Charles, La.  I think this recipe would even go over well for vegetarian night!  Once again, prep all of the ingredients.  Grate your gouda cheese, process the bread crumbs, dice the onion, peel and finely chop the apple.  For this recipe, I used regular button mushrooms, remove their stems and finely chop.  Preheat the stove to med-high heat, drizzle the olive oil, and add a tablespoon of butter.  Once heated, cook the diced onion and mushrooms and add some garlic with salt and pepper to taste.  After the onions and mushrooms have softened, remove from stove and add the diced apples, bread crumbs, and gouda.  Mix well and fill the mushroom caps.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 ºF and top with chopped walnuts.  These mushrooms are super yummy.  The apples bring a nice crunch and the gouda adds a surprising twist and creaminess.  Mmmmm!

 

Both of these recipes have now been fully cooked, but will only need a few minutes in the oven (fully warmed through) before serving.

– Melissa Nacol Yousefzadeh