March ChefButler

So, I started subscribing to something called ChefButler. Every month, ChefButler assembles all the ingredients (except for meat, produce, and very basic pantry staples) needed to create a full meal for four people - a main dish, an appetizer or side, and a dessert. The theme changes each time, inspired by cuisine from around the world. Apparently, this sort of thing has been available in the States for a while, but this is one of the first available in Canada. Anyway, this month's theme was Pakistani food: Beef Qeema, Vegetable Biryani, and Coconut Ladoo.

Before I get into the box itself, I want to make a note of their great customer service. I realized (after I'd been sent a notice that my box was about to be shipped!) that I'd somehow messed up my address when I'd first signed up, using some sort of weird combination of my last and current address. I called ChefButler up, and the lady who talked to me was friendly and competent, assuring me that I'd called just in time to have it changed. And sure enough, I received a new shipping notice almost immediately, and my box arrived with no problems. As another side note, they also provide a tracking number, which is awesome for people like me who obsessively refresh the UPS tracking page every hour.

Now, on to the box itself:

First look.

I smelled spices the moment I opened the box, and for days, until I actually got around to cooking the meal, our apartment smelled like a Middle-Eastern marketplace. Everything is packed into a nice, solid silver box - great for re-use, as long as you don't mind the lingering scent of spices. I may send a package in it soon, actually.

Second look.

Everything in the envelope.

The envelope included an introduction, the recipes, and a shopping list for everything perishable required to make the meal. It felt very well thought-out, from the convenience of the shopping list, to the recipes being printed on cards, in a perfect size for a large recipe box (I may have to actually get one someday).

The edible contents: spices, coconut, apricots, condensed milk, and basmati rice.

Everything (except, obviously the can of sweetened condensed milk) was packaged individually in sealed plastic envelopes. Each was also labeled with the contents of the quantity included. ChefButler sends their spices freshly-ground for the best and most vibrant flavour, which explains the power of the aroma. I was a little afraid that the smell would have gotten into the coconut, but everything turned out fine.

The spices for the Beef Qeema main.

The spices for the Vegetable Biryani.

This was my first time cooking with either tumeric and un-ground cinnamon bark. I found that I loved the spicy sweetness of the cinnamon bark, which seems more intense than just ground cinnamon, and I'm considering trying to find some for the next time I make rice pudding. Maybe cinnamon sticks would work?

Vegetable Biryani, Beef Qeema, and naan bread.

I only remembered to take a picture of the finished product because my partner reminded me. Unfortunately, I hadn't staged it to look pretty, so this is the best I could do. The biryani is actually very attractive in real life. The qeema, not so much, but it tastes (and smells) incredible.

My partner and I both hate cooked peas, so I replaced them with zucchini (slices in the biryani, wedges in the qeema). Additionally, since the spices are packaged individually, I could choose to add only a little of the chili powder, thus sparing my partner's delicate palate from too much spiciness. The food was very reminiscent of Indian cuisine, which I must admit is the only variation of Middle-eastern/South Asian food I've tried before now. I love that the box gave me the opportunity to cook, well, outside the box, introducing me to recipes I might ordinarily be unlikely to try.

Everything needed for Coconut Ladoo.

The ladoo (ladoos? I kept pluralizing it to ladoos) were delicious! The cardamom isn't a spice I very seldom find in Western desserts - they were, again, something I would never have made on my own, but now I think I'll be adding them to my go-to recipe files. Unlike most desserts, which we tend to eat large servings of, it took only one small ball to satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. My partner's mother and sister, who were visiting a few days later, both liked them, too!

Aren't they beautiful?

I'm very pleased with my first ChefButler experience, and will be continuing the subscription. Being an impatient person, I wish I could find some sort of clue about what themes are coming (they usually provide only tiny hints via their Twitter), but I must admit that the surprise is part of the fun. I'm looking forward to the next month!

The ChefButler site can be found here. At this time, they deliver only to Canada, for C$35 (including shipping anywhere in Canada!) per month.

Quick Tortellini Soup

This is the first recipe I've improvised in a long time, especially since I'm trying to get some use out of all the cooking magazines I keep buying. It's very quick, simple, and delicious, exactly what's needed for a weekday night.

Tortellini Soup (for 4):

4 c. chicken broth (if you want to go vegetarian, replacing with vegetable broth will do so)

1 large package of tortellini

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 c. diced shallots or onions

1/2 c. diced tomatoes

4 generous handfuls of washed, chopped spinach

1/4 c. white wine

1 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)

generous pinch of pepper

For the croutons:

eight slices of day-old baguette

enough olive oil to brush over the tops of each slice

pinch of parmesan cheese per slice (about 1/4 c.)

1. Preheat oven to 300'C. While it does that, heat olive oil in large, heavy pot.

2. Add shallots to the oil, cook until beginning to turn translucent. Add garlic and cook a minute longer.

3. Deglaze pot with white wine; cook down for a minute.  Add broth and simmer for another minute. While it does so, prepare the croutons: place each slice of bread on a baking sheet. Brush the top of each with a bit of olive oil, then add a pinch of parmesan cheese. Place into the preheated oven.

4. Add tomatoes to the broth. Simmer another minute, then add the tortellini. Cook according to the time indicated on the packaging.

5. Taste the broth. Add the salt, adjusting to taste, then add the pepper. Take the soup off of the heat and add the spinach immediately and all at once, stirring in thoroughly.

6. Ladle soup into four bowls. Remove croutons from the oven (they should be crisp and lightly golden brown) and place two atop the soup in each bowl. If desired, garnish with a bit of extra parmesan.

Enjoy!

Note: this soup makes tasty leftovers, too!

Mushroom and Thyme French Toast

Thyme for dinner.

This recipe is from a copy of the Fall 2013 Cuisine Tonight magazine. It's amazingly filling! I always end up with leftovers, which are just as delicious (maybe more?) reheated the next day.

For the toast:

- 4 slices challah (or any light, egg-based bread - I usually use German egg braid)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- salt and back pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter

For the sauce:

- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3.5 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 c. sliced onion
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
- 2 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c. dry sherry
- 3/4 c. low-sodium vegetable broth (or, if you aren't going for vegetarian, chicken broth works very nicely)
- 2 tbsp. cream cheese
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1. Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from element.

2. Broil the bread until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes. Let bread cool.

3. Whisk eggs, cream, and 2 tsp. thyme in a shallow dish; season with salt and pepper. Add bread; soak 10 minutes, turning often.

Pro tip: be more efficient at mealtimes by utilizing a thyme vortex!

4. Saute mushrooms in oil in a saute pan until browned, 6-7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Saute onion in the same pan in 2 tbsp. butter, 1-2 minutes.

5. Stir in tomato paste and flour; cook 1 minute. Whisk in sherry until thickened. Stir in broth and mushrooms and cook about 2 minutes. Whisk in cream cheese and 1 tsp. thyme; keep warm.

6. Fry bread in 1 tbsp butter in skillet until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Serve French toast with mushroom sauce.

I like to fry the toast in the same pan I cooked the sauce in - more flavor, less washing up.

Enjoy!

Spinach Salad with Honey Bacon Dressing

The Salad.

After the heavy dinner we had on Valentine's Day, I decided to make something a litter fresher and lighter the next evening. This is our favourite salad. I adapted the dressing from Alton Brown's Warm Bacon Dressing - I found his version a little to vinegary for me, so I cut the vinegar down a bit and replaced the sugar with a generous dollop of sweet, warming honey.

This recipe feeds two people pretty well all on it's own. With the addition of fresh bread with butter and a side like soup or sliced chicken breast, it could easily be extended to feed four.

The Salad:

- about four loose handfuls' worth of spinach, leaves washed and stems trimmed

- 6 strawberries, sliced (3 strawberries per portion)

- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced (one egg per portion)

- 6 strips of thick-cut bacon, diced

Nice additions: in the past I've added sliced chicken breast and avocado. Really, with salad, almost anything goes. I imagine toasted almonds would blend nicely with the honey in the dressing.

The Dressing:

- 3 tbsp of warm bacon grease
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp honey, warmed
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste

The smell of freshly-sliced strawberries is Summer to me.

1. Start frying the bacon. While it fries, slice strawberries and eggs in preparation for salad assembly. Warm
the honey in the microwave (15-20 seconds should do) just before bacon is finished.

2. Once bacon is done, remove with a slotted spoon and place in a paper-towel lined dish. Remove pan from heat and carefully measure out 3 tbsp of the grease. Be sure to scrape up and include as many cracklings as you can - that's where the majority of the flavour is.

Yummy yummy cracklings.

3. In a bowl, combine the bacon grease, vinegar, and mustard. Whisk thoroughly. Whisk in the honey, beginning with 2 tbsp, and adding more until it is to your taste. I usually end up with 3 tbsp, since I like a sweet vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper.

It should look like this. But if it doesn't, don't worry, I'm sure it's still delicious!

4. Assemble salad ingredients however you like, and drizzle the dressing over top. Enjoy!

And in case you weren't hungry yet...

Lobster

So, as I mentioned in 'What's The Plan?', I wanted to make lobster for Valentine's Day. And I did! Unfortunately, I neglected to take pictures.

Anyway, it was... okay? I followed the directions and boiled the frozen lobster tails for about 4 or 5 minutes. They really were very pretty afterwards. I served them along with twice-baked potatoes and teriyaki steak. And then, my partner announces that they have never had lobster before. And, it turns out that my partner does not, in fact, actually like lobster.

To be fair, though, it wasn't amazing lobster. Like I said, it was just okay. The middle had the sweet mild flesh I love, but most of it was a bit dry and tasteless - maybe I boiled it for too long? The melted garlic butter I served it with helped save it, but evidently it wasn't tasty enough to convert my partner to lobster (my partner does not, apparently, like crab either, so maybe that's just that).

However, the steak was a big hit!