I hope your Thanksgiving was good, even if it was different during these strange times.
Ours is usually good. For my take on Thankgiving, check out Another Thanksgiving Come and Gone, followed by Yesterday's Meal - Another memory in the making. Then, check out Thanksgiving Stories and Meals. The point is, we all have memories of different holidays. Even if those memories aren't the fireworks-and-tons-of-merriment kind, but more subtle, they're still there for the making.
Okay, enough reminiscing. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Veggie Chili Cornbread Casserole and Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Enjoy!
LISBON CHOCOLATE CAKE
This comes from Dorie Greenspan on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, “On my first day in Lisbon, I became a statistic: I lost all my credit cards to a talented thief on the No. 28 tram. After ‘the incident,’ I wanted to leave Lisbon, but instead, my husband Michael and I decided to tackle our must-taste list. It was on our last day in Lisbon that we tasted the cake at Landeau Chocolate. It was intense, but not overwhelming; truly chocolate, but somehow each layer’s chocolateness was different. I returned home and made this cake, my version of the cake that cured my pickpocket blues. It’s a dense-but-not-heavy, brownielike cake topped with a whipped chocolate ganache (think: mousse) and a substantial dusting of cocoa. Because this cake is completely about the chocolate, choose one you love.”
Time: About 1 hour, plus cooling; Yield: One 9-inch cake (about 10 servings.
This recipe was featured in “The Chocolate Cake That Saved My Vacation”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020555-lisbon-chocolate-cake.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into chunks, plus more for greasing the pan
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, chilled
For the Ganache:
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the Topping:
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Preparation
Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line with parchment paper and butter the paper.
Sift together the cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend.
Put the 1/2 cup butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Scatter dark chocolate on top, and heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Remove the bowl from the pan, and stir in the sugar. One by one, energetically stir in the eggs, beating for 1 minute after the last egg is added. The mixture will look like pudding. Stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture into the cake pan, and give the pan a couple of good raps against the counter to settle the batter.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (or with only a tiny streak of chocolate). Transfer to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then unmold the cake. Peel off the paper, invert the cake and cool to room temperature. Wash and dry the cake pan.
Make the ganache: Pour 1 1/4 cups cream into a small saucepan; refrigerate the rest. Scald the cream over medium heat, turn off the heat and stir in the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate until fully incorporated. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate the ganache for 10 minutes, whisk it, then refrigerate again for 10 minutes. Repeat chilling and whisking steps until the ganache is thick enough to make tracks when you stir, 50 to 60 minutes.
Cut two 3-by-16-inch pieces of parchment or foil, and crisscross them in the cake pan. Carefully return the cake to the pan.
Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream until it holds medium peaks.
Using a whisk, gently beat the ganache until it’s soft and spreadable. With a spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Spread over the cake, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or cover and keep for up to 2 days). The cake is best served cool or at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving.
To finish, put the cocoa powder in a fine-mesh strainer, and shake it over the top of the cake. Run a table knife along the sides of the pan. Using the parchment or foil handles, carefully lift the cake out of the pan and onto a serving plate. Discard the strips. Cut the cake using a long knife that has been run under hot water and wiped dry between each cut.
MAQUE CHOUX
This is from Gabrielle Hamilton at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Gabrielle wrote, "This classic Cajun side dish is a sweet, hot, juicy, milky, buttery combination of corn, onions and peppers. It’s often cooked in rendered bacon fat and enriched with heavy cream, but this version relies upon only butter and a little water in their place, which allow the ingredients’ flavors to sing more clearly. While it is commonly understood that Fat Equals Flavor, there is a point at which too much fat actually masks complexities in flavors and dulls their vibrancy. Try the maque choux this way and see if you notice how bold and lively it tastes. If you miss the smokiness that bacon imparts, try instead a pinch of smoked paprika stirred in at the end."
Yield: About 1 generous quart; Time: 20 minutes
This was featured in "This Cajun Corn Dish Screams ‘Summer’", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021176-maque-choux.
Note: I highly recommend reading the article ("featured in" link, above). I read it in The New York Times Magazine on Sunday, June 21. Interesting reading.
Ingredients
3 fresh ears of corn, shucked
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 red onion, cut into small dice
2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
Kosher salt
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice
1 small poblano pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice
1 small serrano chile, very thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika (optional)
Preparation
Working with 1 corn cob at a time, set the ear of corn upright in a medium bowl. Shave the corn from the cob by slicing down the sides using the tip of a sharp chef’s knife, holding the knife almost vertical. (This gives you neat tablets of corn that land squarely in the bowl and keeps the kernels from scattering all over the counter.) Using the back of the knife, scrape each cob to release all the nibs and the “milk” of the kernels into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears of corn, then snap the cobs in half, and add them to the bowl.
In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery, and season with 1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt. Stir constantly until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bell pepper, poblano and serrano, and stir constantly, adding another pinch of kosher salt, letting the butter melt and the peppers soften and become translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. You will smell the peppers’ sweetness and their mild capsaicin releasing.
Add the final 3 tablespoons butter and the corn mixture from the bowl, cobs included, and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir constantly to coat with the butter and combine thoroughly.
When everything starts to hiss and sound hot, but isn’t cooking so hard as to take color, add 1/2 cup water and a healthy few grinds of black pepper, and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam/shallow braise the mixture.
Remove the lid, and stir well, noticing the corn releasing its liquid and the kernels softening, and the cobs turning somewhat translucent, if however vague. You will notice a general softening and melding together. Return the lid, and let cook a few more minutes, noticing the water evaporating and the remaining liquid reducing and gaining some “body” and gloss. Discard the corn cobs, but do suck them before tossing — those buttery juices make a nice cook’s treat.
Taste for salt, and serve. It should be sweet, spicy, a bit wet and surprisingly complex, given the few ingredients and their ordinariness. If you want a smoky taste, add a good pinch of smoked paprika.
QUICK AND EASY GAME TIME NACHOS
This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Serve up these Quick and Easy Game Time Nachos while you and your family get your game on this fall. Stir Old El Paso™ Taco Seasoning Mix into your cheese to add some flavor and serve up over crispy corn tortilla chips with tomatoes and cilantro. Salty, crunchy, cheesy and spicy, all in one bite. These nachos are always a winner for your game day fun."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Makes 8 servings
You can view this online at https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/quick-and-easy-game-time-nachos.
Ingredients
6 oz light prepared cheese product, cut into cubes (from 16 oz loaf)
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (1 oz)
3 tablespoons fat-free (skim) milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Old El Paso™ 40% Less-Sodium taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz package)
3 oz baked bite-size tortilla chips (about 64 chips)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped plum (Roma) tomatoes (about 5 medium)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
In 1-quart saucepan, heat cheese product, Cheddar cheese, milk and taco seasoning mix over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth.
Meanwhile, arrange chips on large serving platter. Pour warm cheese mixture over chips. Top with tomatoes and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
For a fun presentation, vary the color of tortilla chips you use. Choose among red, green white, yellow and blue tortilla chips.
SPICY PUMPKIN AND COLLARDS
This is from the Food Network. Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
You can view this online at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/spicy-pumpkin-and-collards-recipe-2108870.
Ingredients
2 2-to-3-pound sugar pumpkins
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
1 plum tomato, diced
1 Scotch bonnet chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 pound frozen chopped collard greens, thawed
Kosher salt
1 cup evaporated milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs (preferably panko)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice off the top 1 1/2 inches of the pumpkins and discard. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, tomato, chile pepper, thyme and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the scallions and collard greens, add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, until the greens are slightly tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and nutmeg and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, the cheddar cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts and the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Put the pumpkins in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and fill evenly with the collard greens mixture.
Toss the remaining 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs with the parmesan. Sprinkle over the filling. Add 1 inch of boiling water to the baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the pumpkins are tender, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until browned and bubbly on top, about 30 more minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then scrape the pumpkin flesh and serve with the collards.
VEGGIE CHILI CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
This comes from Taylerand20 at Allrecipes. Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Additional Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes; Servings: 10
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/270846/veggie-chili-cornbread-casserole/.
Ingredients
Chili:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon lime juice
Cornbread:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped
Garnish:
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Mix to combine and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and corn to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Pour in broth and lime juice; stir to combine. Increase heat to high and bring chili to a boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk milk and egg together in a large bowl until well combined.
Combine cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Add melted butter and stir to combine. Add jalapeno and stir to incorporate into the cornbread batter.
Remove Dutch oven from the stove. Pour batter over the chili in the Dutch oven. Use a spatula to cover chili completely and smooth the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Garnish cornbread casserole with sliced jalapeno and cilantro.
SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO
This is from Katherine Gillen, a contributor to PureWow. She wrote, "There are nights when we want to pull out all the stops on a fancy mac and cheese, and there are nights when we’ll do almost anything to not make dinner. Spaghetti aglio e olio is for those nights. Our version of the traditional Neapolitan pasta dish takes just 20 minutes to make (and calls for only five ingredients).
"A few tips come dinnertime: One, you’ll want to use a good quality olive oil, since it’s one of the stars of this recipe. And two, cook the oil-garlic mixture in a large, high-sided skillet (or better yet, a Dutch oven) so you’re free to toss vigorously when you add the noodles. It’ll make achieving a glossy sauce *that much* easier."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.purewow.com/recipes/spaghetti-aglio-e-olio.
Ingredients
Kosher salt
12 ounces long strand pasta (such as spaghetti, bucatini or linguine)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more as needed
Finely grated Parmesan cheese, fresh chopped parsley and flaky salt, to garnish (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with kosher salt. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente (about 2 minutes less than the package directions). Use a liquid measuring cup to reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is sizzling and golden, about 3 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer the pasta from the water directly into the olive oil and garlic mixture. Add about 1/2 of the reserved pasta water, and cook, tossing vigorously, until the sauce lightly coats the pasta. (You can add more pasta water as needed.)
Divide the pasta among four bowls, and garnish with more pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, parsley and flaky salt, if using.
