GAME DAY NACHOS

Inferior nachos shouldn't exist. Similar to salad, or ice cream sandwiches, nachos are good or bad based on the sum of their parts. So for a recipe perfect for Superbowl Sunday, I put together all of my favorite flavors to make some amazing nachos (see how I avoided a "touchdown" metaphor? That is some restraint right there).  You can add cooked ground beef to make these a meal, or keep them vegetarian as an appetizer. The trick is in mixing the spices with the cheese first, so there's amazing flavor in every bite. Enjoy!

For 2 large plates or 1 platter

1 14 oz bag tortilla chips

1 can black beans, drained

4 cups monterey jack, shredded

1 cup cotija, broken up

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 avocado, sliced

Hot sauce, to taste

Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Mix together the cheese, spices, and garlic.  Spread about half of the tortilla chips on an oven proof platter in an even layer. Sprinkle half of the beans, cheese mix, red onion, and cilantro evenly over the chips. Repeat with remaining chips and ingredients. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with avocado and your choice of toppings. Serve immediately.

VINTAGE INSPIRED FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

I always assumed my love of collecting kitchen tchotchkes and vintage cookbooks came from my dad, whose military insignia collection and bibliophilia borders on obsessive. However, I think my love of collecting vintage recipes may have a sweeter origin.

Tina and her cakes, Tina and her pies, Tina and her cookies: it’s hard for me to imagine my aunt Tina without picturing a baked good.  It’s because they belong to another time.  Her pies are fit to cool on an open windowsill, and her cakes are sometimes inspired by a vintage recipe.  I remember thumbing through some of her old cookbooks, (my favorite is "Cooking for Compliments"), admiring yellowed newspaper cutouts of favorite dishes, and talking, usually with my mouth full, about her delicious food.  I'm pretty sure this is where my fascination with vintage cookbooks started, and I'm so excited that I get to share some updates of my favorite recipes on the the show today.

Tina's Crackle Cake

This is another classic “Tina Cake” that pops up at some family gathering at least once a year.  Inspired by a cake she enjoyed as a special treat on outings to Blum's with her mother, this dessert is an absolute showstopper.  It looks insane, and tastes even better.  Light and airy but with a surprising crunch, you'll be embarrassed by how much you can eat.

You can make the delicious lemon scented sponge cake that Tina uses for the base of her crackle cake, or you can make a box sponge or angel food cake with a bit of lemon zest mixed in, either works.

A note from Tina:

The cake is a little tricky because it burns sometimes. You have to be careful and not cook it too long, it can go dry really quick.   But it what really makes a difference with this cake is the lemon rind in the cake. It gives an acid punch that works well with the sweet coffee crunch and whipped cream. that's what makes it addicting and it's light, it has no butter or oil.

Serves 10-12

Make in 3 10-inch cake pans lined with wax paper.

Cake:

1 3/4 cups cake flour, sifted then measured

2 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

9 egg yolks

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 cup egg whites (about 9 large eggs)

1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest, packed

Coffee crunch topping (there will be a little left over):

unflavored vegetable oil

2 tablespoon baking soda, sifted

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

3cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

Frosting:

5 cups heavy cream

5 tablespoons sugar

5 teaspoons vanilla

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350F. Adjust rack in the lower third of oven. 

Grease or spray 3 10 inch nonstick cake pans and line the bottom with wax paper.  Grease the paper as well.  Sift flour, half of the sugar (1 cup and 2 tablespoons), and salt into a bowl; set aside.

Whisk egg whites in bowl of a heavy-duty mixer just until frothy. Add cream of tartar; whisk until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cups sugar in a steady  stream, whisking until thicker, stiffer, glossy peaks form – about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Scoop white into a VERY large bowl (trust me, you'll need it) and set aside.

In the same bowl you used for the whites, beat the egg yolks with remaining sugar until thick and pale yellow, about 2-3 minutes. Add water and beat until thickened, about 4 minutes.  It should be very thick and pale. Pour yolk mixture over whites and gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture; fold to combine. Repeat two more times just until ingredients are incorporated. Gently pour batter into the pans and level tops with a spatula.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until top springs back slightly when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean. Invert pan onto a cooling rack, and cool for about 45 minutes.

To  remove cake from pan, slip a butter knife down one side of pan and slowly trace perimeter to release the cake. When sides are free, cover cake with a rack and invert.  Remove cake pan and the wax paper. Let the cakes cool completely.

For the coffee crunch topping:

Generously oil a large baking sheet or line with a silicon mat or parchment paper; sift baking soda onto a sheet of wax paper; set nearby.

Combine coffee, sugar and corn syrup in a heavy, 4-quart saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. When mixture is clear and begins to boil, increase heat to medium-high; cook until mixture reaches 290°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up intensely). While still foaming, pour out onto prepared baking sheet. Do not spread (this will compress it) and let it harden and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Crush into very small pieces using your hands or a knife. Store in an airtight container if using later.

For the frosting:

Combine cream, sugar and vanilla. Whisk until cream holds stiff peaks.

To assemble:

Place cake on a cake plate. Spread whipped cream between each layer about 1 inch thick and sprinkle with the smallest pieces and dust from the coffee crunch.  Carefully stack the layers, repeating the whipped cream and sprinkling the coffee crunch. Spread remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of cake and decorate with as much coffee crunch as possible. Refrigerate until serving.

Chicken Paprika with Egg Noodles

1 3.5 lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces

4 large onions, sliced

2 oz butter

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons hungarian paprika (sweet paprika)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup broth, hot

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sour cream

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and lightly season with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven over medium high heat, brown the chicken (about 5 minutes a side).  If you're cooking with chicken with skin on, they shouldn't stick, but if they do, add a bit of oil or butter to the pan.  It won't be cooked through, you just want a deep sear.  Remove the chicken and set aside.  Add the onions and butter over medium heat until pale yellow, about 10-15 minutes.  Add garlic, paprika, tomato paste, and the chicken.  Add 1 cup of broth and the salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.  Allow it to cool a bit and stir in the sour cream.  Serve with egg noodles.

Baked Chipotle Cannellini Beans with Spinach and Cotija Cheese

4 or 5 15 oz cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or cooked yourself)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes (if you like it extra spicy)

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers

2/3 cup spinach

1/2 cup Cotija Cheese (or crumbled feta if you can't find Cotija)

1 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Bring the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and minced garlic up to heat over a medium flame for about a minute. Stir in the tomatoes and the fresh oregano and bring to a gentle simmer.  Off the heat, add the adobo sauce and taste.  I added a little too much the first time I made this, so beware, adobo is powerful stuff. Salt and pepper to taste, but go easy on the salt, because I find that canned beans can be a touch salty.  Add the beans and spinach, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in the top-third of the oven for roughly twenty-five minutes, or until it is browned and bubbly on top.  Enjoy!

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK CAKE

Sweetened Condensed Milk is having a bit of a moment.  It has a lot of things going for it when it comes to food trend bingo: sweet, rich, vaguely nostalgic, cheap, found in a can. It also can be transformed into an amazing dulce de leche, just by boiling a can in water for 90 minutes. It's versatile and simple, and pulls at my heartstrings, as if it's nestled somewhere in my past.  But it's not.  My mom was more of a "golden syrup" lady, so sweetened condensed milk's charms are a new revelation to me.

This cake mirrors the simple loveliness of its star ingredient.  It's compact and dense, filled with not-too-sweet eggy flavor, but not a show stopper.  It's the cake that I devoured over the course of a day.  It's the cake I have to taste every time I walk passed it, because, I simply have to. You can serve it almost plain, with just a kiss of lemon zest and powdered sugar, like I did, or you could add a dark chocolate glaze or some whipped cream and berries to really make it impressive.

Ingredients:

For 1 Bundt Cake

2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk 

8 Eggs, room temperature

2 cup Flour 

1 teaspoon Baking powder 

4 oz unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Prepare your cake pan by brushing it with butter and spreading it with flour (flip and tap to remove excess flour) .

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and beat until pale yellow and smooth, then pour in the melted butter and salt, and beat until blended.  Sift together the flour and baking powder and with the mixer on low, add a little at a time until just incorporated. Pour into the greased bundt pan and bake for about 60 minutes.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and lemon zest to finish.

MEATLESS MONDAY ON FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

I don't really understand why vegetarian food gets a bad rap as "boring."  I mean, boring food is boring, whether it's a pathetic, limp side salad or an under-seasoned burger. Dessert, believe it or not, can be boring.  Just a vast, overly sweet beige-ness.  My point is, it's not the ingredients that are boring, it's the chef. There is no excuse for flavorless food, and I'll always give points to places that over do it than under do it.  With the amount of ingredients, spices, and herbs available, you can turn almost anything into a delicious meal.  I'll offer up the potato as an example. With very little imagination, this bland, watery starch can be transformed into basically all of my favorite foods (french fries are at the top of that list).  So the next time you find yourself pushing your meal around with your fork, sighing heavily with ambivalence…reach for the hot sauce, or salt, or spice, or fresh herbs.   You won't regret it.

For today's episode, I brought the flavor in a big way.  Veggie burgers packed with mushrooms, sautéed onions, black beans, chili powder and spice make an addicting main course, and no burger would be complete without some fries.  To pair with the smokey and spicy chipotle aioli I made sweet potato fries sprinkled with cumin and paprika, creating a nice balance of sweet and heat. My Asian Broccoli slaw is a super fresh side, filled with crunchy textures, toasted sesame seeds, and a sweet and bright miso dressing.  To finish the meal, I made a vegetarian take on my FAVORITE soup: Tortilla soup. Served with slices of avocado and some cilantro, it's a delicious balance of bright, tart flavors, and toasted tortilla awesomeness.  Enjoy!

Mushroom Black Bean Burger with Chipotle Aioli

For 6-7 burgers

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking

1 yellow onion, chopped

8 oz cremini or shitake mushrooms, roughly choped

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained, rinsed, and dried on paper towels

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 tablespoon finely chopped canned beets

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg white (optional, to bind)

4 slices white cheddar cheese (optional)

Buns

butter lettuce

Sliced tomato

Chipotle Aioli

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan until very hot but not smoking. Cook the onions and mushrooms, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Combine mushrooms, onion, beets, and beans in food processor.  Pulse until combined and slightly broken down (you don't want mush). In a large bowl, combine the mushroom mixture with the brown rice. Stir in barbecue sauce and remaining ingredients -- through egg white. Form into four 6 oz patties. Veggie burgers have a habit of falling apart a bit, so don't sweat it if they don't make it to the pan in one piece.  You can always smoosh them together with your spatula and no one will ever know.  If you want to help them hold up a bit, let them rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

Heat olive oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium. Grill burgers for 2 minutes on one side. Turn and top with Monterey Jack and grill for another 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 yams, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch thick wedges and slices

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

Preheat oven to 425F. Slice up the yams place in a large bowl. Coat with oil, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder, mixing with your hands to dress. Spread the yam slices over one or two baking sheets (you want to make sure they aren't touching). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and tender.  If you want them quite crisp, turn on the broiler and broil for about 2-3 minutes, until the edges turn dark brown.

For the Chipotle Aioli:

1/2 cup mayo

1 tablespoon chipotle adobo sauce (from the can)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Makes 2 quarts

1/4 cup olive oil

3 corn tortillas, chopped

2 cups onions, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons. ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 quart veg stock

1 28 oz cans diced tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

For Garnish:

1/4 cup Grated Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Cilantro leaves

sour cream

2 Avocados, cubed

Tortilla pieces, fried crisp

     

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high until hot.  Add tortillas and fry until crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Add onions, cumin, chili powder, bell pepper, and garlic.  Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add stock and tomatoes and cook 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Puree in blender.  Add salt and pepper to desired taste.  Serve hot and add garnish as desired.

Asian Broccoli Slaw

For 6

2 head broccoli 

1/2 carrot, finely sliced into matchsticks

1/8 red cabbage, shredded (about 1 1/2 half cups, sliced thinly with a knife of mandoline) 

2 teaspoons white miso

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons sesame oil (I used the lightest sesame oil I could find, not the dark toasted oil.  If you can't find a lighter oil, mix the toasted oil with canola oil until desired intensity)

2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Chop broccoli into florets and blanche for 30 seconds (until bright green and a little tender) and immediately dunk in an ice bath.  Combine with carrots and cabbage.

For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients, except for the sesame seeds in a container.  With a fork, break up the miso.  Pop the lid on and shake to emulsify/combine.  Pour over the broccoli mixture and top with the sesame seeds and salt and pepper to taste.  Combine until everything is coated.

CAPPUCCINO CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Callie is a special person to me.  She was my first official helper/confidante/friend, and I'd always get a little uncomfortable acknowledging her as an employee.  Can't she just be my super helpful friend whom I pay? "My friend Callie just loves grocery shopping, you guys. I'm just providing an outlet for her passion." I've known her forever, as the little sister of one of my sister's classmates, and when she Facebook messaged me two years ago asking if I needed an intern…I didn't really know what to think. So I invited her over to investigate this intern business, and we ended up spending the whole time talking about stroopwafel and cappuccino muffins.  She had just spent a semester and change abroad in Amersterdam, and returned with a passion for all things baked, warm, gooey, and sprinkled in cinnamon.  I'm pretty sure I just described the inside of Callie's soul, forgetting to mention of course the "and everything nice" quotient.  

I would constantly tease Callie that she coos like a baby when she laughs (she does), may or may not have been a fluffy bunny in her former life, and would mercilessly question her love of oatmeal.  I understand liking it, but loving? We spent a year in the kitchen, testing, tasting, devouring, and laughing, listening to her really reeeeaaaaalllllly mellow singer/song writer, possible banjo, boy/girl duet music.  Imagine Sarah McLachlan + The Civil Wars + Muscle Relaxers. And of course, now that she's a college grad, living the bohemian life of a young twenty-something in Pasadena, having parted professional ways, I now decide to make those cappuccino muffins. They were warm, sweet, and chocolate chip studded, just like Callie's heart.

So these little muffins are dedicated to one of my favorite persons, and friends, Miss Callie. xoxox

For 12 cupcake sized muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup  brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons espresso powder

4 oz unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Pre heat oven to 375 F

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine milk and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved. Add the butter, egg and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. 

TACO NIGHT FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

Growing up in southern California, tacos were a constant fixture in my house.  And not the ground beef, hard shell kind either. I'm talking norteno style carne asada, bright and spicy pico de gallo, and mountains of avocados from the tree in our back yard.  My dog, Spike, would wander around with a green snout and full belly from devouring the fallen avocados.  He might've gotten chubby, but man was his fur silky. 

Even though I'm lucky enough to live only 4 hours away from the taco's home turf, it's unsurprising how accessible and popular tacos have become in every corner of the country.  I guess that's because tacos aren't really a recipe, like a philly cheese steak or a crawfish boil; tacos are a format.  When something is a format, meaning, it's defined by it's composition rather than the ingredients themselves, the possibilities are endless. How many types sandwiches have you had?   How many different pies? The burger seems to have fared pretty well. All of these recipes travel so well because every family can find ingredients they love and put them between two slices of bread or inside of a tortilla.  It allows for flexibility and adaptation to anyone's palette.  So for today's episode, I put together some of my favorite tacos: a super traditional version of carne asada with pico de gallo, and then a very un-boring veggie taco made with black bean corn salsa.  I call it a "salsa" but honestly, if you served in a large bowl with a spoon, it would make an amazing side salad.  It's hearty, filled with flavor, and perfect inside a tortilla.  To go with our tacos, I makes another classic filled with flavor: Mexican Rice.  Enjoy!

Carne Asada

For 4-6

Ingredients:

2 pounds flank or skirt steak

Olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Marinade:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 limes, juiced

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Lay the flank steak in a large non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure each piece is well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

Preheat your grill over medium-high flame (you can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat for stove-top cooking). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade. If you are cooking indoors, you may want to brush off excess marinade as the bits may burn and smoke on the hot pan.

Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes only, on each side, depending on how thin they are, until medium rare to well done, to your preference. You may need to work in batches. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal. For tacos, cut them into bite sized cubes.

For the Pico de Gallo:

4 cups tomato (from 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb) finely diced

1 cup red onion, finely diced

1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced

Juice of one lime

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Taste. If the jalapeño make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the jalapeño.  Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.

For the tacos:

Carne Asada, thinly cut

Pico de Gallo

Small flour tortillas, warm

Directions:

To put the tacos together, warm the tortillas by holding on at a time over an open flame with tongs, and then wrapping them in a clean dish towel to keep them warm (or you can microwave them instead).  Take a tortilla and fill with carne asada, pico de gallo, and any other ingredients you like!

Black Bean Corn Salsa Tacos

For the Black Bean Corn Salsa:

1-2 ears corn (you'll want 1 cup of kernels)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup canned black beans, drained

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ancho chili powder

1 lime, juiced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Dress the corn with oil and grill over high heat until grill marks form.  If you don't have a grill, slice off the kernels and sauté until golden brown.  If grilling, cut the kernels off of the ear of corn (you should have about a cup) and combine with all of the other ingredients in a bowl.

Ingredients for Toppings:

Sliced avocado

Black bean corn salsa

Tomatoes, diced

Cheese, shredded

Lettuce, shredded

Directions:

To put the tacos together, warm the tortillas by holding on at a time over an open flame with tongs, and then wrapping them in a clean dish towel to keep them warm (or you can microwave them instead).  Take a tortilla and fill with black bean corn salsa and any other ingredients you like!

Simple Mexican Rice

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 fresh poblano chili, stems and seeds removed, and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

1 cup rice, preferably long grain

1 cup diced white onion

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 cup tomato puree

1/2 cup diced carrot

1 cup frozen peas, blanched

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, plus extra for garnish

Salt 

Directions

In a pan, add the oil and heat over medium. Add the rice, onion, and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is opaque looking and the onion is starting to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer. Add the tomato puree and stir for a moment.

Add the broth and chopped chili, carrots, and (still frozen) peas to the pan, stir once, scrape down any rice kernels clinging to the side of the pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and check a grain of rice: It should be nearly cooked through. If the rice is just about ready, turn off the heat, re-cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes longer to complete the cooking. 

Fluff with a fork, scoop into a warm serving dish, decorate with cilantro sprigs and it's ready to serve.

ROSEMARY POTATO KALE TART

I love making, serving, and eating savory tarts.  Perfect as make ahead dishes, they can be served room temp, and they taste delicious too. Plus, you can put practically anything in them.  

I felt like snacking on a big bowl of salty homemade potato chips today, but didn't want to deal with the guilt and mess of dragging out my deep pot, filling it with oil, and dropping paper thin slices of potato into the golden roil. I figured that if I at least turned potato chips into a viable dinner option, it would be worth the effort and lost belt notch.  So here we have a hearty little tart, filled with kale, ricotta, and sautéed onions, and topped with paper thin potato slices that crisp up beautifully in the oven. 

The trick here is in how thin you can get your potatoes.  I used a hand mandoline (I found mine in the kitchen utensil aisle next to things like avocado slicers and garlic presses), and put it on the thinest setting, so I could see light coming through the potato slices.

Crispy and golden brown on top, hearty and filling inside, all nestled in a flakey, tender tart crust.  Potato chips? Bah! Sign me up for a savory tart instead.







Rosemary Potato Kale Tart
For one 9 inch tart

Ingredients:

3 or 4 small rose potatoes, sliced paper thin (I used a mandoline)

3 sprigs rosemary, two with leaves pulled off, one finely chopped

olive oil

1/2 cup parm

1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup ricotta

salt and pepper

1/2 pie dough recipe

Savory Pie Dough recipe:

(This is a double crust recipe, so you will only be using one for the tart.  Refrigerate or freeze the other one for future use)

2 1/2 cups flour

8 oz (two sticks) unsalted butter

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tblsp sugar

1/4-1/2 cup ice water

For the pie crust, in a food processor or quickly using your fingertips, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter until the chunks of butter are broken down to the size of peas and the flour feels like wet sand. Add the first 1/4 cup of water and mix until the dough comes together easily. It's too dry if it immediately clumps apart. Add two tablespoons of water at a time, you can always add more water but not more flour, so careful not to add too much! Bring the dough into two balls and plop them on top of two sheets of plastic wrap. Loosely wrap up the ball and press down, smooshing the ball into a disc about an inch thick. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes while you busy yourself with the other stuff.

Pre heat oven to 425 F. Unwrap and place one of the doughs on a well floured surface.  Sprinkle with flour, and roll out with a rolling pin (turning often to get an even thickness) until the dough is about a 1/4 inch thick and about 11 inches wide. Place the dough into a tart pan (with a removable bottom) and press in the sides. Trim off the top of the dough, place a small sheet of parchment paper on top of the bottom of the tart, and fill with pie weights or beans.  this will prevent the dough from rising and will keep the sides from shrinking down.  

Bake on the center rack for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 375 F, remove the parchment and weights/beans and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove the tart from the oven. It doesn't have to be cool to continue.

Set oven back to 425 F.

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and add onions. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute, then add kale and drizzle. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of chili flake.  Cook for 5-10 minutes, until kale is wilted.  Take off heat and mix in ricotta and chopped rosemary.  Top with a layer of thinly sliced potatoes.  Drizzle with olive oil (you want the potatoes well coated, as this will make them crisp) top with rosemary leaves and parm. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top.

Bake for 20 minutes and then broil for one minute, or until golden brown and crispy on top.

SPICY CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH SUGO ALL'ARRABIATA

"Meatball" is probably the least sexy name possible for something this delicious. It's efficient, but lacks any lyricism.  In China, they're called Lion's head, in Spain, albóndigas, and in Italy, polpettine.  All of these words, playful and rhythmic to the unfamiliar ear, are descriptions of the shape rather than the content of meatballs.  But then again, maybe something too fanciful goes against their nature, their "stick to the ribs" - ness.

But this humble dish is ready to break out of the confines of its comfort food mold, or perhaps already has in Santa Monica.  Two of my favorite local spots have started dressing up the Sunday night classic (R&D Kitchen and Milo and Olive).  Their meatballs are light but with a bit of heat and served without a strand of spaghetti in sight.  They also share more than a little in common: both are chicken meatballs, both are served in a tomato sauce, and both are ladled over arugula.  I don't know whose idea it was first, and frankly, it doesn't matter too much to me, because like most good ideas, they're destined to be copied, and tweaked, and re-made again and again.

For my version of my new favorite dinner, I paired my spicy chicken meatballs (made meltingly tender with some not-so-secret ingredients: milk and a light touch) with an equally spicy tomato sauce: arrabiata, which means "angry" in Italian. How do you know it's mad? Well, with a base of garlic and red chili, the sauce is certainly making some kind of statement.  Topped with fresh basil, bitter arugula, pungent red onion, and of course, a little parm, this dish is perfect by itself, but if you want to push it into hearty territory, serve it over some spaghetti.  Add some to an Italian roll for an epic sandwich the next day.  Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Meatballs with Sugo all'Arrabiata 

For Meatballs:

For 12 large meatballs

1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp tomato paste

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tblsp parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup parm, finely grated

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 lb ground chicken (dark meat)

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

To make sure all of the ingredients are evenly distributed, mix together all of the dry ingredients, then add the chicken, milk, and egg.  Gently blend the ingredients together using your finger tips, and then form into 2 inch balls.  You don't want to compact the meatballs too much, then they'll be dense and dry. 

Heat up a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to coat, and then drop in the meatballs.  Cook each side (there'll be about 4) for about 2-3 minutes until a deep golden brown.  It's ok if they're not fully cooked through, as they'll fully cook in the sauce.  If you're not cooking them in the sauce, then cook them over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.

For finished dish:

12 meatballs

2-3 cups arrabiata sauce

1/2 cup parm, finely grated

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch arugula (about 6 oz)

Pour about 2 cups of the hot arrabiata into the pan with the meatballs.  Turn heat down to medium-low, cover, and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through.

Top with red onions and parm, and ladle on top of a handful of arugula in a bowl. Enjoy!

For Arrabiata:

For 4 cups

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

28-ounce cans whole tomatoes

1 tsp tomato paste 

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, 1/4 cup reserved

Salt and pepper to taste 

Heat up oil, add garlic and chili. Cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and wine. Cook 5 min, add basil and cook another 5.  Using an immersion blender (or just pour the mixture into a blender), puree the sauce. Season to taste.