Artichokes Extraordinaire

Travelers through Central California inevitably learn the remarkable abundance of the artichoke. No ordinary plant, as I learned as a small child -- one of my favorites then and now.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says it is:

"1. A Mediterranean thistlelike plant (Cynara Scolymus) in the composite family, having pinnately divided leaves and large discoid heads of bluish flowers.

"2. The edible, immature flower head of this plant. Also called globe artichoke."

As you drive up California's Highway 1 through Moss Landing and Castroville you will see fields of these beautiful creations at every stage of growth, not to mention half a dozen roadside stands where you may purchase them. There are so many sizes of these gorgeous globes to choose from and so many different ways to serve them.

Back in the day in our house we had them the traditional way: Steamed or boiled and kind of waterlogged with a side of mayo or butter; you plucked the leaves from from the bud, and, using your bottom teeth, scraped the meat off each leaf, yielding tiny but delicious treats until you got to the choke, which was then removed by an adult as they would prick our tiny little fingers! And oh, the heart, now that was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so to speak, so sweet and savory that I would eat it as slowly as I could, all the while guarding it from my brother who I knew would eat his very quickly! No sharesies, bro! And so it was for many years.

Jump to the future, i.e., now, which I consider to be one of the most intriguing times ever for culinary exploration. If you read my post on the Los Angeles restaurant the Bazaar you'll agree there are now so many ways to cook everything from an arti to foie gras that it's nearly overwhelming. We have entered a gastronomic revolution where all bets are off! Anyway, this particular recipe was taken from a way I saw it cooked once, can't even recall where, only I prefer my way, doing it with very small artichokes. It was on my recent trip north that the recipe came to fruition and I must say is one of the best things I've ever eaten, absolutely!

Artichokes Extraordinaire:

To begin, steam in a large pot:

2 dozen baby artichokes. The bottoms should be chopped off at the tender point and the pointy tops chopped off in the same manner, peeling away the tough outside leaves to reveal the heart of the artichoke. As you cut out each heart, drop it into water with the juice of a lemon so as to avoid browning. (You could also use frozen, though not canned, artichoke hearts, but I would go the extra mile.)

When about half-way cooked (10-12 minutes) remove to let them cool. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

While the hearts are cooling, gather the rest of the ingredients:

1-1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

1-1/2 cups finely shredded Parmesan cheese

5 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced finely

1/2 stick butter, melted with the garlic. Don't cook it; I do it in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, in a cup or small bowl.

Cut the half-cooked and now cooled artichokes in half and place in a 13" x 9" x 2" inch well-oiled baking dish. Sprinkle alternately a few times with bread crumbs and cheese until they are all well-covered, and then spoon the melted garlic butter over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. If (like me) you like it almost burned around the edges, put it under the broiler for a minute or two -- but watch very closely. Remove and serve. Extraordinary!!!!

And as always, enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Ready-Fire Roasted Pasilla Peppers, Tomato and Chicken Enchiladas

I'm sure many of you recall "Dakota and Montana's Enchilada Pie for Girl's on the Go-Go", as a matter of fact it is still one of my most asked for recipes that have ever been posted, perfect for everyone with a very busy schedule, and that would be most of us. But that recipe was from a whole different time in my life, "that girl" who I always thought of myself as has changed in oh so many ways, I'm older and wiser, calmer and more collected, more grounded and real, but still a great person to have at your party, although now I'm known more for my cooking than my antics! This is a recipe for the real deal, kind of like me.
Anyways, that's a whole other post, so while on my visit to Central Cali. which I mentioned in my last post, I was cooking up a storm and had made a Rotisserie Chicken rubbed with all kinds of great stuff (coming soon to a Jenni's Dish near you!) and the next day wanted to roll over that meal into another, so off to "The Whole Enchilada Market Place" I went and picked out some gorgeous looking Pasilla Peppers, Tomato's and Onion which I took home and fire roasted on the Barby, and the idea of enchiladas was already on my mind from visiting this wonderful market place so many times, I'm sure they were sick of me by the time I left.
So this was a trip for total relaxation, which to me means cooking. But not the kind of cooking young Jenni did but the kind the new and revised version of myself would do, slowly and methodically, going the extra mile with the ingredients to bring out the very best flavors! I took a few shortcuts, let's face it who has all day? You won't find much use for a timer in this recipe just the need for a pleasant evening to dedicate to your culinary prowess! Take your sweet time with this, it will be worth  your while.

Fire Roasted Pasilla Pepper, Tomato and Chicken Enchiladas:

What you'll need:
Meat from a roast chicken, removed from bone and left in large pieces as it will come apart as it cooks down with the peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic (using leftover roasted garlic, gives a nice flavor), but raw will do the trick.

3-4 large pasilla peppers roasted peeled and sliced
3-4 tomatoes roasted peeled and cut into chunks (to make sure you retain the juices)  cut on a plate.
1 whole onion
4-5 lg cloves of garlic, sliced in large pieces
1 small can tomato sauce
Adobo salt and pepper to taste
2 packages shredded "mexican blend" cheese (they sell it right there at Ralph's)
2 lg. cans Enchilada Sauce, you can make this from scratch but they make such good ones now.....just don't be cheap and buy a good brand, you'll be adding the blended pepper mixture to the sauce.
1 cup pepper mixture (you will be setting aside)
Tortillas, I use flour, but use what you like!

So to fire roast your peppers and tomato, get the grill going to a high heat, if you don't have a grill available, you can also use a broiler for this but I'll warn ya, it won't take long and you'll need to watch this process closely no matter how you do it.
Keep turning as the peppers/tomatoes blister and slightly char, and once you have gotten most of the area done, remove and immediately place in a bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel, so they steam and any remaining skin will peel right off.

Saute the onion in a lg. pan over med high heat, when it begins to get a little color on the edges, add:
Garlic and saute a minute or to more then add:
Peppers
Tomato's and mix well, turning heat to med.
add:
Tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, and lower heat even more,  and add seasoning to taste, cover and
Let it simmer about 10-15 minutes and remove about a cup, and put in a blender,blend, set aside.
Add chicken and let simmer another 15-20 minutes, adding some liquid (water, boullion,tomato juice) if necessary, turn off heat and get ready to roll.

Mix about a can and a half enchilada sauce with the blended pepper mixture.

In a lg baking pan, cover the bottom of the pan, with sauce.

Roll each tortilla with a generous amount of chicken/pepper mixture and cheese, place it against one side of pan and repeat as necessary, until the pan is full, pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top, and then cheese it! Put into a 350ºF oven for about 20- 30 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Serve with Pico de Gallo or Salsa Fresca.

And as always, enjoy!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010 

Stuffed French Toast w/ Sauteed Ginger Mangos

On a recent visit to Central Cali I was having such a good time that I decided to go off my diet for a day or two . . . or three. Hey, you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out this mystery -- I went a little wild --okay, a lot wild!!! I was staying near Salinas, which is known as the "Salad Bowl of America." Now when I was growing up in Big Sur we would make weekly runs up the coast past Monterey to Moss Landing, a sleepy little beach and fishing community still to this day, to pick up produce, at about the only such market around, called the Thistle Hut. It's still in business today, but it ain't got nothin' on a newer place there called the Whole Enchilada Produce Market! This place is amazing; both the quality of the produce and rock bottom prices blew my mind, especially since I've been living in LA and shopping at Whole Foods -- do the math.

And it just so happens that the friend I was staying with is buds with the owner of that establishment! So it should come as no surprise that not just this recipe but another three or four more to come were made from the beautiful produce we purchased on our daily trips to the WEPM. I did not stop cooking for two days straight and everything came out so good I couldn't decide which one to post first! As you know I'm always on a diet and looking for clever ways in recipes to replace fat, sugar, etc. with healthier alternatives -- but I gotta warn you, none of the recipies from this trip are diet fare; we're talkin' 'bout "(This) Girl's Gone Wild (For Food)" -- no nudity involved aside from the ingredients! I had a blast, and this is what I'll start with: Breakfast!

Stuffed French Toast With Sauteed Ginger Mangoes:

Have ready a medium saute pan, and another to do the french toast in.

Here's what you'll need:

1 stick butter

1 loaf sourdough bread

1 package cream cheese -- don't even think about the reduced fat kind but do not use whipped

3 eggs

A dash of whole milk to put in the eggs

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Ground Ginger4-5 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut off the pit in 1-1/2 inch pieces

4 tbs. brown sugar

4 tbs. honey

Powdered sugar

Put a little dash of sea salt in the eggs and the mangoes because a small amount of salt makes sweet stuff really POP! (I told you I went a little crazy, right?)

Okay, so make the cream cheese sandwiches ahead of time and set aside, so that when the mangoes are almost done, you are ready to rock and roll.

Whip the eggs and milk together with a dash of each spice, then set aside.

In the saute pan melt 1/2 a stick of butter over medium heat and add mangoes.

Saute for a minute or three and add:

Sugar

Honey

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 or 2 tsps ground ginger

and a dash of sea saltBring to a nice simmer for 3-4 minutes, and turn to the lowest heat.

Next do the sandwiches in batches if necessary using 1 tbs. of butter for each batch you do,

over medium high heat to get a nice golden brown.

Spoon the mangoe mixture over the sandwiches, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

OMG!! Yum!!!

And as always, enjoy!!!

LIVE,LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Fettucini Alfredo "Lite" w/ Asparagus, Baby Bellas,Chicken and Basil

Ah, dear dear Alfredo my old friend! We had quite the love affair -- that is, until last year when I went on my diet and sadly had to cut him off. My poor heart was breaking at the thought of bidding adieu to this oh-so-attractive creamy, dreamy and steamy man-dish. Watching the cheese melt into the sauce was always my favorite part (down, girl!) . . . yet alas, no cheese was on my diet. With a giant tear streaming down my cheek (hey, every single bit of weight lost counts!), I kissed "Alfie" farewell.

Jump forward one year: I've lost the weight and now feel there is a comfort zone for me to eat whatever I want as long as I do it in small portions -- and maybe also lighten up on the excess fat that typically goes into such meals. I.e., where there's a will there's a way!!! So I put my talents to the test last night in the hopes of bringing back an Alfie that would neither devastate my diet nor insult my palate. I knew I could make this taste as good as the real deal, and by switching out a few ingredients, reducing some others and adding some new ones, I came up with a dish that was just "loverly," if I do say so myself!

First up: Bechamel (what most cream sauces are based on) is just butter, flour and cream with a little salt pepper and a dash of nutmeg, so I chose to concoct a sauce based around chicken stock instead. The trick was to add baby bella mushrooms for a little extra flavor. (This needs to be done in the same pan to get all that flavor into the sauce.) I swapped the heavy cream for some half and half, reduced the butter by half, and used plenty of fresh basil -- distractions are soooo important to remove focus from the fact that a lot of the fat has been eliminated!!!

Fettucine Alfredo "Lite" With Asparagus, Baby Bellas, Chicken and Basil:

1 roast chicken, I used the taken off bone, skin removed, cut into bite sized pieces

1 package fettucine, cooked

1 package fresh basil, chopped

2 bunches asparagus, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

2 packages baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 cup chicken stock

1 2-cup carton half and half

8 oz Italian cheese, shredded (I used a pre-mixed package of Mozzerella, Provolone, Parmesan, and Romano)

1 package Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 cup flour


1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Adobo Seasoning

Cook pasta to package directions, retaining a little starchy pasta water and tossing the pasta with that and a little olive oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside.

Take chicken off the bone and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Saute the 'shrooms and set aside.

Saute asparagus and set aside.

Add all these plus basil to pasta pot, cover loosely. In same pan that you used to saute the above, add 1/2 stick unsalted butter. Melt over medium heat and add the flour slowly, stirring constantly with a whisk  until it starts to smell nutty.

Then add chicken stock slowly, stirring constantly,with a whisk. Add half and half , and nutmeg while stirring and lowering the heat, and then add the 8-oz package of cheese plus 4 tbs. of shredded parmesan cheese to the sauce, stirring and making sure it doesn't stick.

Season with a little salt, pepper(if needed),  and Adobo to taste. Pour sauce over the pasta and the veggie/chicken/basil mixture, toss well and put over very low heat covered tightly.

Meanwhile, slice some fresh French bread and set it on the table with olive oil or butter. Turn off pasta and put in a large family style bowl for serving.

And as always, enjoy!!!

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!

© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

"Kooky Cookies" w/ Hershey's Special Dark Pieces, Walnuts, and Pretzels

What was it like growing up in Big Sur in the early '70s? Well, I learned how to invent and innovate as I had to find things with which to entertain myself without much help from grown-ups, who were far too busy being inventive themselves, doing stuff such as envisioning ways to harness alternative energy sources like solar power, growing and raising their own organic produce and of course dedicating some time for mind expansion and not a few wild parties to reap the benefits of all that hard work! A hard job but somebody had to do it. In fact, when you think about it they foreshadowed trends regarded today as forward-looking and progressive; anyone who glibly dismisses the hippie movement as a silly fad will be in for a massive re-think after a stroll down the aisles of Whole Foods!

That setting was truly productive in the long run. But for those of us kids who were there at the time, in some ways it was a pretty rugged row to hoe, between the whole home schooling thing and having to be disciplined enough to keep plugging away at it, and the continual search for things to keep us entertained. Hey, it's not just that there was no Internet -- there wasn't even any TV (no reception and pre-VCRs)!

One thing we did have was radio, although it didn't come in except sometimes very late at night we could get a channel on my little blue AM transistor jobbie and tune into "Mystery Theater," which much to our delight came in about the time we were going to bed! And then of course there was reading, which luckily hasn't gone out of style . . . yet. Not Kindle, but real bunches of bound paper. Sometimes it was slim pickin's, but for me any book was a good book, sometimes several times over; if I ran out of new selections I'd just start re-reading the pile. One such book which sticks out in my mind is still one of my all-time favorites: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," penned in 1964 (coincidentally, that was the year I was born) by British author Roahl Dahl. And there is no doubt in my mind that my "Kooky Cookies" clearly were influenced by that book . . . although, other than that, I have no clue as to how/why my mind came up with these -- it does work in mysterious ways (my mind, that is). And, to bottom-line it, these cookies were so good they were gone in no time.

Kooky Cookies:
Preheat oven to 375º F and have ready 2 ungreased cookie sheets.

Mix together
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
and set aside.

 In another bowl cream together
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter softened
until light and fluffy, add,
1 lg. egg at room temp
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
until well combined, add,
Flour mixture to butter mixture until combined, then add
1 cup Hershey's Special Dark Pieces
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup broken pretzels


Chill for 1/2 hr., then drop by teaspoonfuls on to cookie sheet about 2" apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool on a rack and devour. Awesome!

And as always, enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Spicy Chicken Sausage and Shrimp Pasta for Avery

I love to write about my family -- I love them and they are very cool people to write about.

On top of which I can't tell you how great it is getting to know all my nieces and nephews as adults. There was a lot of lost time between my family and myself, but sobriety has allowed a similar but in some ways very different version of me to emerge, for them to get to know in ways that weren't possible before. I hope they all know that I will always make myself available to them now -- kids, just know that Aunt Jen loves you!!!

Recently one nephew in particular has been a standout for me, namely Avery Louis Green Rosin, avid eater of all things pasta!!! He is just the most pasta-eatin'-est boy you ever could lay your eyes on, and he's in fantastic shape so he can afford the carbs, unlike the rest of us who are constantly dieting. So when the rest of the family has other plans and everyone disappears from the premises except for Avy and me, the first thing we must discuss isn't whether or not we will eat pasta -- that's a given. It's more like, what kind of sauce and what meat (if any) we will include, and then further details and preferences. And so it goes until the lovely pot is brimming with one of my ever-present wild ideas overflowing from the depths of my culinary psyche!!!

The thing is, Avery's presence in the house seems to have a incredibly calming effect on all who pass through the front door, especially the family who live in these walls, like someone is smiling at you at whom it is simply quite impossible to not smile back. He's a very cool guy and reminds me of a mixture of so many different aspects of both his parents, his aunts and uncles, his grandparents -- he embodies all of their very best traits!! Yet somehow he is very much his own man, and going to college (at UPenn, I might add) has brought that out in him even more!!!
And coincidentally, talking to him and hanging out with him makes me feel like I just ate a big bowl of pasta, all mellow and happy!!!

Enjoy, this recipe -- it's super fast and easy, as all recipes for college students should be!!!

Spicy Chicken Sausage and Shrimp Pasta:
1 package pasta of choice (we had spagettini) cooked to package directions
1 jar Rao's Marinara (or any marinara will do -- Rao's is a favorite of Avy's)
1 package spicy chicken sausage, sliced
1 package frozen shrimp (peeled and thawed)
2 cloves minced garlic
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta and set aside, drizzle with a little olive oil so it doesn't stick to itself.
Saute over medium high heat sliced sausage until it gets a little color on it. Add shrimp, garlic, and marinara, heat through to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low for about two more minutes add pasta and season with garlic salt and pepper to taste, cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes, serve with parmesan.

And as always, enjoy!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!

Braised Short Ribs and Fennel w/ Thyme

One day I woke up craving these ribs, which is great except I had never had them prepared this way! So don't ask me where this recipe came from -- it's a mystery to me, as most things are lately . . .

Just thinking of the remains of this dish sitting downstairs in the fridge right now is enough to make me drool. And during the preparation I had a extremely captive audience: One of my very close friends, Elsa, was mesmerized as I gathered the ingredients at Whole Foods like I knew exactly what I was doing, although at the time I still no clue that I was consciously aware of. All the same, one by one the components of this concoction made their way into the cart, 'til I was standing in the check-out line wondering "What on earth am I thinking? This is just like Italian pot roast but with short ribs, and thyme, and no wine, and -- okay it's exactly the same but totally different!!! And everything and nothing made sense, which is when I just accepted it: Here we go again off to the races as another groovy recipe forms in my fast-thinking yet always slightly off-kilter (and sometimes wildly-running) mind.

The first thing to remember with these cuts of meat, meaning anything on the tough side, is regarding what acid is going to do the tenderizing. In this case it's the tomato's acidity which will do the job, along with the long slow cooking process of braising which --very important!! -- is always done in a real or make-shift dutch oven. Even before you get there, the washing and DRYING of the meat (before the flour and browning in oil) must be done in a very thick, heavy bottomed cast iron pan, for the proper color during browning. These first steps can make or break this meal, so be careful and really watch your heat levels during this portion of the cooking. Over-browning can result in a burnt taste which is not where this beautiful journey in culinary wonderland is going! So shall we? Let's!!!

Short Ribs à la Jenni

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Get yourself:

4 lbs short ribs of beef (or 2 per person depending on size), washed and dried.

Flour seasoned with salt and pepper and paprika

Several tbs of olive oil in a heavy cast iron (or equivalent) pan (I used my beautiful Le Creuset, which was a present from my bro Bill and his wife Sharon!! Best pan I ever owned!!!

Flour and brown all ribs on all sides, in batches is usually best or they get over-crowded. Set them in a large pan lined with foil. In the same pan that you browned the ribs in add:

1 cup fennel bulbs (tops discarded or saved for a delicious addition to a stock pot!), chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

Saute for 5-10 minutes and add:

4 cloves garlic, minced

5-7 sprigs of thyme

2 large bay leaves

1 28 oz. can tomatoes (crushed)

2 -3 cups beef broth, the amount depending on how thick you want your mixture (remember it reduces and thickens during cooking)

Season with:

Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning

Goya Adobo Seasoning

Garlic salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Season TO TASTE, which (I'll say it again) actually means TASTE IT!!! The broth can be salty and so can the canned tomatoes, so add seasoning carefully. Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer about 2-3 minutes to incorporate flavors. Spoon or ladle the veggie/liquid mixture over the ribs in the pan until the ribs are about halfway submerged in liquid. Cover tightly and bake for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, checking after about 2 hours for tenderness, and since you happen to be right there, spoon some liquid over the ribs!

After they are ready -- I think the technical jargon is, fall-off-the-bone tender -- which usually is right at 3 hours, remove from oven and place the ribs on a platter, discarding any stray bones, and use a large spoon or one of those handy-dandy fat separators, (the ones I always forget to buy before making this type of dish or at Thanksgiving for the turkey gravy!) to skim the fat from the veggie/liquid mixture. Once the fat has been removed and discarded, spoon the mixture over the ribs, cover loosely and put back in the now-turned-off oven until you are ready to serve them. These are so good I would highly recommend them for a change of pace holiday dish or any special event!!!

© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

And as always, enjoy!!!

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!

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