I hope everyone survived the blizzard and has been plowed
out by now. As I write this on Tuesday afternoon,
the Fairfax County Public Schools are closed Wednesday, so here’s hoping we can
have class Thursday. I will email tomorrow should class be cancelled again. Because of the cancellation last week,
the class has been extended to this and the following Thursday; details are
below.
While snowed in, besides dong some Sumi-e painting, I was
able to try out a few new recipes for my Quick Weeknight Dinners class in March
(1, 8, and 15). I made an Orange
Tarragon Chicken, Pork Chops with Apricot Miso Glaze, and Roasted Panko
Potatoes. And since it would not be snow
storm cooking without cookies, I made Cocoa Spritz Cookies, whose recipe I
found in the December Food Network
Magazine.
Orange Tarragon
Chicken
For this dish I used thin chicken breasts, sprinkled on salt
and pepper and dredged through flour. In
a non-stick skillet I melted one tablespoon of unsalted butter at low heat,
then increased the heat to medium and added 3 tablespoons of Orange Juice and
two teaspoons of Orange Zest to the pan.
I sprinkled Tarragon Flakes onto the chicken then cooked about 2 minutes
per side. Even with the zesting and
juicing of the orange, total time to table should be around 30 minutes, so this
will be a good candidate to add to the quick Weeknight Dinners.
Pork Chops with
Apricot Miso Glaze
This may not be a good candidate for quick Weeknight Dinners because of the several steps involved; maybe more likely for a weekend meal. The glaze consists of ½ cup low sodium chicken broth, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of apricot preserves, and 2 tablespoons of red miso paste. On my first try I used 3 tablespoons of miso and it sort of took over the dish, so 2 will be better. I whisked the ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat until the preserves and miso dissolved, then set heat to medium low and cooked until sauce thickened.
For the pork chops I just salted and peppered them, the
cooked them for 2 minutes a side in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in an over proof skillet. I then drained off the oil, spread the glaze
on both sides of the chops, and finished in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Roasted Panko
Potatoes
For this quick recipe, I used 2 medium/large russet potatoes
and set the oven a 400 degrees with a rack on the medium level. The first time I made it I peeled the potatoes,
the second time I did not. I cut the
potatoes into ¼ inch rounds, sprinkled salt and pepper on one side, then
brushed olive oil on both sides and sprinkled Italian Panko bread crumbs on the
side facing up. I cooked them on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven for 15
minutes. They were quite good, but I
started thinking about ways to enhance them even more. My wife Teresa suggested
Rosemary, so last night I made a batch and to one half I added dried Crushed
Rosemary and to the other half Crushed Red Pepper. Both were excellent, with the red pepper ones
having a bit of a kick. There are many
other spice possibilities here, so when I write up the recipe I’ll include the
spices I used but leave it open ended for whatever preferences the cook may
have.
Cocoa Spritz Cookies
I had never made these spritz cookies before and they provided
a nice change of pace from the savory dishes above. I found the recipe in the December Food
Network Magazine, one of many for holiday cookies. The recipe calls for a cookie press, which I
do not have, so I used a piping bag instead, but wished I had the press as the
dough is very thick. They came out very
well. Here is the link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/cocoa-spritz-cookies.html
Cooking Basics 101 at
Herndon High School Continues – new schedule
Due to the snow, the rest of the class will be moved ahead
one week. The second session of this class
meets this Thursday evening, January 28, at 6:30 and the final session will be
on Thursday February 4.
This week we will be making a Waldorf Salad Wrap, a slightly
different (and healthier) take on the traditional Waldorf salad; a baked
Tilapia Italiana with Sautéed Broccoli; and a no bake Marscapone Strawberry
Dessert. We will be discussing how long
to keep spices and the various types of salt.
Last week with knife skills we practiced chopping and a
chiffonade. This week we will be doing
mincing and a rough chop. We will also
be hulling strawberries using a technique we did with tomatoes last week, as
well as reviewing the Essential Kitchen Equipment and Spices lists, discussing
different types of salt, and how long to keep dried spices and herbs.
Reminder - Instagam
Follow me on Instagram at #senseichef. I look forward to your comments on my posts.
Upcoming Classes
Here are my upcoming classes for the winter term. Spring catalogue will be out soon.
February 12, 19, and 26 – Friday Evening – Cooking Basics
101 – Plum Center (Wait List)
March 1, 8, and 15 – Tuesday Evening – Quick Weeknight
Dinners – Plum Center
March 4, 11, and 18 – Friday Evening – Cooking Basics: One
Step Further – Plum Center
To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes,
please go to:
http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll
down to the Culinary section
While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses
offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.
Till next time, keep cooking.
Contact Chef Kevin at:
KJBrady@fcps.edu
