Leftovers schmeftovers

We don't get a lot of leftovers in this house. This is partly because however much I cook, it seems that the vast majority of it gets scarfed by those growing children who never seem to be sated. It is also because anything that IS leftover doesn't need repurposing, because it generally gets poured straight into a thermos for lunch boxes the following day - a necessity when you have children who are suspicious of sandwiches (seriously?!)

However, I was left with a big tub full of roasted turkey after Thanksgiving which gave me the chance to experience the leftover repurposing phenomenon for myself. And I'm kind of glad I gave this recipe a try, as it was truly delicious, so delicious in fact that I plan on doing it again using a rotisserie chicken, rather than waiting for leftovers to arise (which might be a long time in this house). I doubled the recipe below and it easily served all of us with enough remaining to fill those three thermos flasks today.

Turkey/chicken and Rice Soup with Lemon and Ginger
adapted from Cooking Light magazine
Serves 4

1 TBSP canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 TBSP finely grated fresh ginger root
1 TBSP white miso paste (you can find this in Asian markets)
8 oz sliced brown mushrooms
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, or leftover roasted turkey
3 cups chopped bok choy
1 can baby corn, drained and chopped
1 (8.5oz) package of precooked brown rice
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBSP grated lemon rind
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until softening. Add ginger and miso paste and sauté for a further 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to cook for 3 minutes until mushrooms start to release their liquid.
2. Add stock, chicken/turkey and bok choy and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
3. While soup simmers, prepare rice in microwave according to directions. Stir rice, baby corn, soy sauce, salt and pepper into soup, and cook for another 4 minutes until bok choy is tender.
4. Remove from heat and stir in lemon rind and juice before serving.

It's what's for dinner!

Aaaah, beef! I used to think that the only thing preventing me from becoming vegetarian was bacon, but as I have aged (yes, I know it doesn't look like I have, but really I have), I have grown more and more fond of meat. And particularly meat cooked long and low in the oven or slow-cooker so it is meltingly tender. This recipe is an example of just the kind of stew that goes down well in the Farrar house at this time of year. And if the idea of a beef stew doesn't float your tastebuds' boat, then how about a stew cooked in a large quantity of beer.... Mmmmmmmm! Satisfying both the carnivore and the beer-lover in one fell swoop!

This recipe comes from one of those random post-it notes I found at the bottom of my 'Must-Cook-This' file. I have no idea where it came from. But I'm keeping it.

Beef and Ale Hotpot
Serves 6

olive oil
2lbs lean braising beef, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3 TBSP flour
500ml/17 fluid oz brown ale (I used 'Arrogant Bastard', because, well, I like the name!)
4 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP tomato paste/puree
salt and pepper
400 ml/3/4 pt beef stock
14oz celeriac (celery root), peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/4lb baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 oz melted butter

1. Brown beef and onion with olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Add flour, stir to coat meat and onions, and then add in beer, mustard, sugar, tomato paste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to the boil, then add stock and return to boil.
4. Pour into slow cooker.
5. Arrange celeriac slices overlapping over the top of the beef mixture, then the potatoes over the top of that. Brush with melted butter.
6. Cook on high for 5-6 hours.

Heralding the coming of winter

It's getting dark around 5pm, we just turned the heating on, and this morning there was this weird wet stuff falling from the sky. Yep, winter has arrived. I know I can't complain, since the East of the country is languishing under feet of the white stuff, which is wet and cold. Nevertheless, even in California, our diet changes somewhat with the seasons, even if the change in the seasons isn't quite as drastic. It is at this time of year that I crave bowls of steaming stew and soup, and my slow cooker comes into its own. This week has been no exception, with a couple of great new recipes filling the Farrar bowls.

This one is a recipe which came originally from Skinnytaste, but I modified it a little since it wasn't as rich and spicy as I wanted it (spicy as in flavorful, rather than hot!). And I added extra vegetables, since I wanted it to be a complete meal in a bowl, with no sides required. Other than that, I stayed true to the original. It even made enough to feed my evidently starving family. So go put on a sweater, load up the crockpot, and then languish under a duvet while it bubbles away...or do a full day's work, the choice is yours :-)

Moroccan-style Turkey and Chickpea Stew
Serves 6

1 1/4lbs ground turkey
olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 poblano/pasilla pepper, finely chopped
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp ground turmeric
3 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp coarse sea salt
2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups chopped chard or spinach.
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
couscous to serve

1. In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey in some olive oil, breaking it up as you cook. Put the meat into the slow cooker stoneware.
2. Add more olive oil to the skillet if necessary and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery together until softened (about 8 minutes).
3. Transfer to the slow cooker, and add the tomatoes, broth, spices and chickpeas.
4. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
5. 15 minutes before serving, stir in the spinach or chard.
6. Just before serving, stir in the fresh parsley. Serve over couscous with mint sprinkled over the top.

Sweet sides

I have often waxed (un)lyrical about how hard I find it to put on a traditional roast dinner. The knowledge that I'm British, and therefore should be able to rustle up a hearty table full of roast beef and all the trimmings without breaking a sweat or a whimper, only serves to reinforce the depth of my shame. Sigh. Occasionally though, I have my moments, and usually they are moments resulting from the discovery of some nifty shortcuts. One such shortcut is the possibility of roasting a chicken in the slow-cooker. That was an eye-opener. And don't get me wrong, I am also not averse to the odd purchase of one of those ready-roasted rotisserie chickens from the supermarket. With either of these options, all I need worry about is the sides, the trimmings for my roast dinner. And there is no point to a roast without the trimmings. They are often my favorite bits.

The two recipes below are awesome in the trimming department, mainly because any prep is done in advance, is reasonably limited, and then the cooking is done last minute in the oven, so there is no standing over a hot stove, wielding of basting brushes etc. You will notice that they can't easily be cooked simultaneously, since the cabbage cooks at a low temperature. However, the cabbage is very accommodating, and can easily be cooked in advance, and then left on a stove-top with the lid on to stay hot while the squash cooks, or simply reheated in fact. Both are dishes packed with great fall and winter flavors.

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples
from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course
Serves 8 as a side

2lb red cabbage, finely shredded
1 lb onions, finely chopped
1 lb sharp apples (e.g. Granny Smiths), peeled, cored and chopped small
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 whole nutmeg, grated
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 TBSP brown sugar
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/2 oz salted butter
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2.  In a large bowl, mix together the onions and apples with the spices and sugar.
3. In a large dutch oven or lidded casserole dish, place a layer of shredded cabbage, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cover this with a layer of the onion/apple mixture. Continue alternating these layers until all the ingredients are in the dish.
4. Sprinkle over the wine vinegar and dot the butter over the top.
5. Put the lid on and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring once or twice during the cooking time.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Onions and Bacon
adapted from EatingWell
Serves 6 as a side

2lbs delicate squash
1 large red onion, sliced
2 TBSP olive oil
4 oz pancetta/bacon, in small cubes
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise (do NOT peel), and scoop out the seeds. Cut squash into 1/2" thick slices. Toss with the onion, 1 TBSP oil and salt, and spread onto a large baking sheet in an even layer.
3. Roast until tender and starting to brown (about 30 minutes), stirring once during cooking time.
4. In the meantime, sauté the pancetta until crisp and brown.
5. Combine remaining 1 TBSP oil, rosemary, syrup and mustard in a small bowl.
6. Toss together the vegetables, dressing and bacon/pancetta and serve hot or warm.

Eat your heart out, Simon and Garfunkel

As I was cooking the other day, and chopping up deliciously copious quantities of fresh herbs, it occurred to me that there was, on my chopping board, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Of course, that meant that I started humming Scarborough Fair to myself, and then couldn't stop. And now, writing about it, I can feel the section of my brain dedicated to long lost song tunes and lyrics (which is a large section, from what I can surmise) starting to kick into gear again. When you're wandering around the house, or trying to focus on who is trying to kill whom in the latest episode of Scandal, or trying to get to sleep, you can thank me profusely, as you gently hum.... all together now: "Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...."

Seriously, there is nothing I like more than dishes containing a large selection of fresh herbs, and this is no exception. It is the first recipe I have tried from Martha Stewart's new book "One Pot". Don't worry, I am not going to go all Martha and start converting the spare bedroom into a gift-wrapping area, or making crafty gifts from old toilet rolls. Neither will any part of my house EVER look like ANYTHING seen in the pages of any of her magazines, (particularly Real Simple... I mean honestly, who can keep that tidy???). However, her recipes do often hit that spot, and this one certainly did. It isn't one for a quick crikey-I've-only-got-twenty-minutes-to-get-dinner-on-the-table weeknight, but it is worth the additional effort for day when you have a bit more time. Whilst it does claim to be a one-pot meal, if I didn't offer my boys some form of carbohydrate (and breadcrumbs do NOT count), then they would claim imminent starvation), so I served this with some Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous), which I cooked, and then stirred in some shredded spinach, to up the veggie quotient.

Chicken, Sausage and White Bean Casserole
Serves 8

1 1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1 TBSP + 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper
4 oz pancetta (or chopped bacon)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes (about 1 lb total)
1 1/2 lbs sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, 1 TBSP each parsley and thyme, 1 tsp rosemary and 1/2 tsp sage, and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a dutch oven, cook bacon/pancetta over medium heat with some oil spray until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to soak up some of fat.
4. Add chicken to pot and cook until browned (about 6 minutes). Transfer to a plate. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break it up, until browned (about 5 minutes). Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
5. If you have a lot of fat in your dutch oven at this point, drain all of it except for about 2 TBSP. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Stir in chicken, sausage, beans, tomatoes and broth, plus remaining 2 TBSP parsley, 1 tsp each rosemary and thyme and 1/2 tsp sage. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
7. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the top. Cover and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until bubbling. Uncover and continue to bake for a further 10 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle pancetta/bacon over the top and serve.

Salad days aren't over yet!

This time of year is confusing for us here in California: the evenings and mornings are chilly, but it can still reach into the 70s during the afternoon; you can get pretty sweaty running around outside or walking the dog in shirt sleeves, but the stores are full of winter sweaters or even ski gear. As for the supermarkets, they are full of root vegetables and squash and other such fall delights, and, alarmingly, some of them are already stocking eggnog and candy canes. Confusing indeed.

So, in order to embrace this season of mixed messages, here are two salad recipes - both of which are salady and cool enough to satisfy anyone still reeling from a warm afternoon and not up to sitting in front of a steaming bowl of wintery stew, but which also use classic fall ingredients, and therefore hark of the season to come.

Chicken, Pomegranate and Roasted Squash Salad
Serves  4

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
4oz crumbled soft goat cheese
5 cups baby spinach leaves
5 cups arugula (rocket) leaves
1 butternut squash, peeled, and cubed
oil spray
1 whole roasted chicken, stripped and shredded (you won't need the whole thing)
4 baby turnips, peeled and cut into thin strips (julienned)
1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Dressing:
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TBSP pomegranate vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put the butternut squash in a large rimmed baking tray sprayed with oil spray, spray the squash well with more oil spray, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes until soft and turning brown on the edges. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a leak-proof jar and shaking to combine.
3. Toss the leaves, cooled squash, chicken and turnip to combine. Pour over dressing and toss to coat.
4. Sprinkle goat cheese, pomegranate arils and pumpkin seeds over the top.

Kale, Hazelnut and Squash Salad
from Martha Stewart
Serves 6 as a side

1lb (about 4 cups) of cubed butternut squash
6 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper
4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 bunches of lacinato kale (the curly leaved kale)
4 oz crumbled soft goat cheese
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the butternut squash with 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil and salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet and then bake in the oven until soft and starting to brown (about 40 minutes). Set aside to cool.
2. Toss the sliced shallots on a separate baking sheet with another 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes (you may need to toss them in the middle of the cooking time). By this point, they will be golden brown and soft. Set aside to cool.
3. An hour before you want to eat, prepare the kale. Cut the long central spine out of each of the leaves, and then cut the remaining leaves into thin strips and put into a large bowl. Combine the lemon juice and remaining 3 TBSP olive oil with a whisk and pour over the kale. Use your hands to rub the dressing into the kale so that all the leaves are coated. You will feel the leaves start to tenderize. Cover the bowl and leave for at least 30 minutes, and up to one hour.
4. Toss the cheese, nuts, roasted squash and shallots with the kale and serve.

Pumpkin, how do I love thee..

...let me count the ways.

OK, confession time: I don't like pumpkin pie. I know, shock, horror, I realize it's amazing they agreed to grant me American citizenship. It's a texture thing, I think. Can't explain it, just don't like it. However, you can put pumpkin in pretty much anything else, and I will gobble it up, particularly given the usual blend of spices that go alongside our 'squashy' fall friend. It is an American custom I have 99% (the remaining 1% being the pie) adopted with a smile, so bring on the muffins, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, even the lattes (and yes, I know that they haven't been anywhere near a real pumpkin, and that Starbucks is the devil incarnate, yada yada yada. I can't help it if they still hit that spot).

You find pumpkin featuring more rarely in savory dishes though, it seems to me. This dish is an example of why we should probably allow our squashy friend to branch out more often. It is also a dish where the pumpkin lends a substance but not a strong flavor, making it very kid-friendly. In fact, I could easily have billed this dinner as a new recipe Mac 'n' cheese and certain tablemates would have never guessed they were eating pumpkin (helped no doubt by the fact that they eat so fast that the food can hardly touch the sides on the way down).

The original recipe came from one of those waiting-for-the-kids-again-in-the-car-so-I-may-as-well-read-recipes-online-on-my-phone moments. Its a quick fix for those among us like me who are cookbook-addicted, but miles away from their stash, our own emergency little nicotine patch, if you will. Creds for the untweaked version go to Cooking Light online - however, the tweaks are all mine.

Rotini with Pumpkin and Pancetta
Serves 6

1lb rotini
6oz pancetta or bacon in a small dice
4 TBSP finely chopped fresh sage
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling!)
1 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 TBSP heavy cream (double cream)
4 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain over a bowl, reserving 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook for 4 minutes or until nearly crisp. Add 2 TBSP of the sage and the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in pumpkin, parmesan, salt and pepper.
4. Add the pasta, reserved cooking liquid and cream and toss to combine.
5. Serve sprinkled with remaining sage and parsley.

The mysteries of root beer

I have often wondered who on earth invented root beer (and why, quite frankly). This is usually followed by a spell of wondering why it's existence is allowed to continue unchecked. My abhorrence for all things root beer is not simply random. The smell of the stuff makes me want to physically gag, so steering clear of it is a health issue for me and a public service. And I have my reasons, well one reason, specifically. In the UK, the most common brand of antiseptic cream is called 'Germolene'. It is vibrant pink in color, and all of us who grew up there would recognize the smell (and the color) instantly and be transported back to a youth of skinned knees and irritated insect bites. So imagine my horror when I moved to the US and discovered that one of the country's most popular beverages smells exactly (and I mean EXACTLY) like antiseptic cream. Except that you don't liberally rub it root beer over cuts and scrapes. Oh no, you drink it. Imagine pouring yourself a nice cold glass of Neosporin, and you will no doubt understand my reaction.

However, I am nothing if not open-minded, and have had to become all the more so, since one of my children, who were all born and bred in the US, seems to have developed a taste for drinking root beer, so I even have to allow it in my fridge from time to time. My interest in thinking more flexibly and being a tad less dogmatic (just a tad, mind you), was therefore piqued when I recently found a recipe for a chicken dish where the chicken is cooked in root beer. And I have to say, my interests were right to pique themselves, since this was a pretty good dish and a fun dinner for everyone around the table. If you didn't know that there was root beer in the recipe, you would probably find it hard to guess - it lends a sweetness and slight spiciness to the chicken, but isn't at all overwhelming and didn't make me feel like I was dining on antiseptic, which is always a good thing, I find! All in all, a dish that bears sharing and a repeat appearance in my kitchen.

Root Beer Pulled Chicken with Rainbow Slaw
original recipe from Family Circle
Serves 6-8

2 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 12oz can root beer (not diet)
1 TBSP vegetable/canola oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 TBSP yellow mustard (not hot mustard!)
8 bread rolls (I used ciabatta rolls)

for the slaw:
2/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP vegetable/canola oil
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 oz broccoli slaw mix
1 cup shredded red cabbage

1. Coat slow cooker with oil spray and then place the chicken breasts on the base of the stoneware. Sprinkle with onion salt and garlic powder.
2. Pour over the root beer (holding nose if necessary!)
3. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
4. Meanwhile, heat vegetable/canola oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened and turning golden.
5. Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, molasses and mustard. Bring to the boil, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Make the slaw - whisk together the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, oil, sugar, celery salt and pepper. Add the broccoli slaw mix and shredded red cabbage and stir to combine.
7. When cooking time is up, remove chicken from slow cooker and use two forks to shred it. Take a half cup of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker and then discard the rest. Return the shredded chicken and reserved cooking liquid to the slow cooker and stir in the sauce.
7. Serve the chicken on the bread rolls and top with slaw.

Winging it

I am not the bravest of cooks. But I also rarely cook exactly to a recipe. My specialty is the 'tweak'. However, sometimes, I get all courageous, spurred on by some fabulous produce, some time on hand (yeah, like that happens often), or the guilt induced by the combination of not having enough time to go shopping, having a heretofore unseen combination of items available in my fridge AND having already subjected the family to take-out twice in the same week. Oh yes, I can do guilt, but sometimes, the plus side of my propensity for self-flagellation bears pretty fabulous results. Last night was one of those occasions, so I'm sharing the resulting culinary creation with you. And I don't mind if you pass it off as your own creation, and deny all knowledge of the recipe written out here. Consider it a gift from me :-)

The instigation for my creative burst were these:

Beautiful, aren't they? And they are called Tongue-of-Fire beans, which makes them even cooler!

Now, not so long ago, before I was used to venturing outside my narrow comfort zone in the vegetable department, I would have left these in the fridge until they were shriveled and foul-smelling before reluctantly throwing them out and promising to do better next time (probably in tandem with some more guilt). However, I'm a bit braver these days, so I thought, what the heck, and concocted the stew below, using pretty much all the things I could find in the fridge. No worries, if you don't happen to find these beautiful beans - you could easily substitute with a can of butterbeans or cannellini beans. Or, you could use raw lentils, in place of the ready cooked ones I used, and use them as the base at the beginning of the recipe, cooking them in the stock, in place of the beans. Go on, be brave!

Pancetta, Chard and Tongue-of-Fire Bean Stew
Serves 5

olive oil
6 oz raw cubed pancetta
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups of shelled beans
about 4 cups chicken stock
3 cups chopped red or green chard leaves (discard the stems)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (not the kind packed in oil)
3 TBSP sun-dried tomato pesto
1 cup ready-cooked green lentils
salt and pepper
cooked farro to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion and pancetta and sauté until pancetta is starting to brown.
2. Add the garlic and rosemary, and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Stir in the beans, and then add sufficient stock to cover the beans, with the level about 1" above the beans.
4. Bring to the boil, and then turn the heat down so that the mixture bubbles lightly - boiling it too vigorously will cause the beans to break apart and become mushy.
5. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender (about 40 minutes).
6. Stir in the chard leaves, sun-dried tomatoes and red bell pepper and cook for 5-10 minutes until the chard is wilted, the sun-dried tomatoes plumping up, and the bell pepper tender.
7. Stir in the pesto and the cooked lentils. Then taste the stew and add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
8. Serve on a bed of cooked farro (or cous-cous, or barley, or rice, or orzo...)

Aaaaaaah cheese

Seriously, is there anything better than cheese? This is a rhetorical question. Of course there isn't! As author, Avery Aames once wrote: "“Life is great. Cheese makes it better.”  (And you have to listen to Ms. Aames, because she wrote books called 'A Long Quiche Goodbye' and 'Lost and Fondue'. She is clearly a genius.) And when, to your cheese, you add some soft, gooey polenta, fresh chard and juicy little cherry tomatoes, that's a serious meal, right there.

I have but one complaint - one of the reasons I gave this recipe a whirl is that it is in a book called One Pot of the Day from Williams Sonoma. I am a huge fan of the one pot. Less work, less dishing up, less washing up. It's a win win win. However, technically this is not a one-pot dish. It's a slow cooker and a skillet dish. Still, it is definitely going to become a regular around here, if only for the wonderful marriage of a few of our favorite ingredients. Did I mention how much we love cheese?!

Polenta with Cheese, Garlic and Chard
Serves 6

6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups stone-ground polenta
salt and ground black pepper
1 bunch Swiss Chard (I used red chard)
2 TBSP olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
7oz fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
3 TBSP toasted pine nuts

1. In a slow cooker, stir together the broth, polenta, 1 tsp salt and several grindings of black pepper. Cover and cook on low for 3-3.5 hours, stirring two or three times if possible. By this point, the polenta should be thick and soft and no longer gritty.
2. About 20 minutes before the polenta is ready, removed the stems from the chard leaves and chop them cross-wise into small pieces like you would celery. Cut the leaves into fine strips also, but keep them separate from the stems.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add the chard stems and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are starting to soften. Add the garlic, tomatoes and chard leaves and season well with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook until the leaves are wilted and tender (about 4-5 minutes more).
4. About five minutes before the polenta is ready, stir in the parmesan and then sprinkle the fontina cubes over the top of the polenta. Recover, and then when the five minutes is up, open again and stir in the melted fontina. Serve the chard mixture over the polenta and garnish with pine nuts.

Pasta Night Y'all

Those of you who bother to read the headings will note the southern reference, and perhaps do a double-take. After all, I am from the south of the A country, just not the south of this country, where I believe 'y'all' to be in common parlance (based on the regular utterance thereof by a good Texan friend of mine). No, in Cornwall, where I grew up, I don't think 'y'all' is much in evidence, not that Cornwall doesn't have dialectal quirks of its own... but that is for another day.

I was surprised when I found myself buying a 'Special Collector's Edition' of 'Taste of Home', and no, it wasn't because I was sucked in by the incredibly prestigious thought of owning a 'Special Collector's Edition!' I thought you had to be born and bred south of the Mason-Dixon line and have Paula Deen on speed dial, to even consider buying Taste of Home. I kind of expected to be turned back at the cash register. I was wrong, it turns out, as Taste of Home seems to have a broader remit than just southern cooking. However, when I then opted to subscribe to the magazine, I was offered a deal on a companion subscription to 'Country Woman'. Yeah, that would be a step too far, I think.

I'm rather disappointed that I didn't overcome my misconceptions sooner, as the first dish I tried from my prestigious gold-plated Special Person's leather-bound edition was rather good.  If it is representative of the edition as a whole, then it is a good sign of great meals to come and, now that I have dispelled the southern myth I seem to have created all by myself, I don't even have to break out the poorer-than-poor impression of a Paula Deen accent each time I dig into another recipe. That's a relief all round, I'm sure.

Meaty Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
12 servings (no kidding, we have been eating this for lunch a lot lately!)

1 lb Italian sausage (pork - if you buy individual sausages, then remove casings)
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 jar (8oz) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), chopped
3 TBSP finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

1. In a large skillet sprayed with oil, cook the beef and sausage, onion, green pepper, celery and garlic over a medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.
2. Transfer to a slow cooker and stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (or high for 5-6). Discard bayleaf before serving over pasta (we had it with tortellini).

More florets please!

I get a weekly bag of seasonal vegetables from a local CSA, and recently cauliflower has been making an appearance. Now, I love nothing more than par-boiled cauliflower baked in a cheese sauce and topped with succulent tomatoes and crispy breadcrumbs. Why, I'm struggling not to dribble on my keyboard right now. But, as you know, I am also somewhat addicted to trying out new recipes, so when a Cooking Light recipe for Cauliflower Fritters hit my inbox, it was the kind of coincidence you might call 'fortuitous'.

I have to say, that despite the appearance of cauliflower in the recipe, the resulting morsels of crispy goodness don't taste strongly of cauliflower, which might make this dish useful to those trying to persuade reticent children to partake of a few florets. Whether overtly cauliflowery or not, these fritters were gobbled up by my family, who then nearly wept when they realized they were all gone. I kid you not. The original recipe calls 2 fritters a serving. Well, they haven't met my daughter, who polished off 5, hardly taking a breath between mouthfuls. Yes, this recipe is definitely a keeper, and definitely one for doubling (the recipe below gives original quantities - I made double this for my five mouths, and there was not even a crumb left). I hope your florets are just as appreciated around the dinner table.

Cauliflower Fritters with Yoghurt Sauce
Serves 4 (*see notes above!)

10 oz steamed cauliflower (don't boil it, or it will end up too wet)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 TBSP flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
3/4 cup refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes
2 oz shredded white cheddar cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup plain 2% fat Greek yoghurt
2 TBSP minced green onions (spring onions)
2 TBSP mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. Place the steamed cauliflower in a large bowl and mash with a potato-masher. Stir in onion, flour, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon rind, potatoes, cheese and eggs.
2. Form into 8 patties.
3. Heat a large skillet or griddle over a medium-high heat. Spray with oil spray. Cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side or until crispy and golden brown.
4. Combine yoghurt, green onions, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season to taste.
5. Serve fritters hot with yoghurt sauce.

Forgoing the cheese

If you follow this blog, then you will know that our post-holiday purges don't last long. The fact that I'm back to cooking pasta should make that perfectly clear. The simple truth is that I love to cook, and am tempted by the multiple cookbooks and magazine subscriptions to venture forth and do so with gusto (and butter, and cheese, and cream, and sugar....). Don't blame me - they put pictures next to the recipes. Resistance is futile.

We are not totally off the wagon yet though, as I did note with some small sense of pride, that last night's meal did not contain any cheese. Cheese is a staple around here - it is quite frankly, one of my favorite foods, and my apples did not fall far from my tree. Rarely is there a pasta dish in this house that does not contain, or is at least topped in abundance with, cheese of one kind or another. However, last night, there was no cheese on the plate. I'm not saying that this meal was a healthy one. I don't think I could possibly argue that, but I did try to exercise sense with portion control, and we ate it accompanied by a green salad (which wasn't over-dressed, I swear!).

Again, my over-zealous and rapid snipping means that I failed to note the source of this gem, but I do know it was a British magazine, since everything is in grams :-) I have tweaked a little (and reverted to ounces).

Penne with Sausage, Lemon and Mustard
Serves 7

1lb penne
2 lbs Italian chicken sausage (uncooked, if not bought bulk, then remove casings)
olive oil
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
300 ml (1 1/4 cups) white wine
3 TBSP grainy mustard
zest of 1 lemon
8 oz crème fraiche
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook the penne according to directions/preference, and when draining, reserve a few TBSP of the cooking liquid and set that aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it is no longer pink.
3. Add fennel seeds and cook for a further minute, before adding the wine. Let the wine get hot enough to bubble up, and then stir in the mustard, lemon zest and crème fraiche.
4. Bring the mixture back to boiling point and then simmer until it thickens. If it gets too thick, add some of the pasta cooking water.
5. Mix with cooked pasta and parsley and serve with a green salad.

Back with a salady vengeance

Yes, after a bit of a hiatus over the summer months, I am back. Two out of three kids are back in school (counting down the days until number 3 starts back on Monday...counting them by the second, with gritted teeth in fact!). Whilst my family has been eating, and hasn't starved over the summer (an injudicious step on the scale this morning is telling me quite the reverse, in fact), having all three kids at home seriously hampers one's blogging capabilities. We also had a month away from home, which while fabulous, meant that I didn't cook at all for nearly 4 weeks - yikes!

Now, however, normal service is resumed, by which I mean, normal post-holiday service, which must by definition include at least one Sheesh-how-could-I-have-eaten-so-much-must -purge-NOW salad. And here it is. Since our stomachs are used to way more than being fobbed off with a couple of lettuce leaves though, I wanted something that would fill up bellies, to keep the whining level down. And this recipe more than fit that bill.

The original recipe comes from Family Circle magazine. I can't quite believe that I am old enough to subscribe to this, since they have ads for meds to combat osteoporosis and for incontinence aids, but hey, they offered it to me for $5 for two years, so I could hardly say no! And the recipes are good!

Greek Chicken-Quinoa Salad
Serves 4

3 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 English cucumber (seedless), chopped into bitesize pieces
1 pint grape/cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 large red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
4 cooked chicken breasts, diced
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a small bowl, soak the red onion in some cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in cucumber, tomatoes, onion and dill. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Stir quinoa and chicken into the tomato mixture, divide among serving plates and top with feta.

Quinoa travels the world

It wasn’t so long ago that I had no idea what quinoa was, let alone how to pronounce it (we may first have been introduced to KWIN-OH-UH in this house, I’m afraid to say). However, it has fast become a staple, both as an alternative to pasta, rice or couscous (which, along with pasta, youngest son also eschews – how can you dislike couscous, for heavens sake?) underneath something stew-y and saucy, and as a base for salads for when the weather is too hot for something stew-y or saucy. This week we have had plenty of the latter, so I experimented with a new quinoa salad recipe I found.

I am always amused when a recipe starts with something like ‘Asian-style’ – it smacks of an amendment made by editors fearful of being sued for inaccuracy if the word ‘Asian’ is used without qualification. I always imagine hordes of Asians all ready to revolt and send in letters, only to see the appending ‘-style’ and stand reluctantly down, remaining ready for the next potential offender to arrive in print. And alongside this army of indignant warriors is another one of real Italians, Indians, Frenchmen, Mexicans, you name it, there’s an army, the wrath of which editors have to avoid inciting. Makes cooking ethnically diverse food all the more exciting, doesn’t it!

Anyway, I digress. This particular quinoa recipe gains its qualified moniker from the use of ingredients like sesame oil, oyster sauce and ginger in the dressing (although anyone truly hailing from Asia would probably be horrified at the addition to this dish of Canadian bacon and a seed originating from the Andes – yes, this quinoa is a world traveler indeed). The original recipe (from Grain Mains by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough) also has black bean chili sauce in it, but clearly that is all too Asian-style for my local supermarket, so I substituted this for a spot of regular chili sauce. You could equally well add some chili flakes if heat is your thing. I served it alongside the baby bok choi I blogged about earlier this month (see recipe here).

 

Asian-Style Quinoa with Canadian Bacon and Mushrooms

Serves 4

1 cup quinoa

2 TBSP toasted sesame oil
8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
8 oz canadian bacon/cooked ham, diced
4 scallions/green onions, finely chopped
2 TBSP oyster sauce
2 TBSP rice vinegar
1 tsp sambal oelek or 1 red chile finely chopped
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
 

1.       Cook quinoa according to directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process.

2.       Heat a large skillet over medium heat and sauté green onions and red chile in sesame oil. Add mushrooms and cook stirring often until mushrooms give off their liquid and most of it evaporates.

3.       Stir in drained quinoa and Canadian bacon/ham. Pour into a large bowl

4.       Whisk together the scallions, oyster sauce, rice vinegar and ginger, then pour into the bowl and toss with the quinoa to mix.

5.       Allow to cool and then refrigerate until ready to serve (should be served cold).

Chicken nuggets and fries redux

I went to college with a woman who had previously had a summer job at a chicken nugget factory. The stories she told were not pretty. In fact, I’m kind of amazed that I listened to her and we remain friends to this day. It was soul-destroying, to anyone who appreciates crispy, greasy, chicken goodness with a pot of ketchup on the side (and don’t start telling me what they do to tomatoes to make ketchup – I can’t take it). To be honest, anyone with an even vaguely sensitive disposition would have been put off chicken nuggets for life by Julie’s tales of what’s really in those nuggets, and feel righteous in their subsequent life of self-denial. But why do they make them so delicious, dammit?! They are crispy, greasy, and chickeny – the golden trifecta. Sheesh.

Now I wish I could tell you that I have come up with a way of creating the same trifecta of deilciousness and made it take only as much effort as it takes to drive up the window, place your order, hand over some crinkled bills and then indulge in some finger-licking munchery. Not quite. Although, let’s be honest: most drive-through take-out trips seem to involve a long queue, an intercom that makes the person on either end sound like a drunk with a heavy foreign accent, minimal English, and an anger problem, resulting in placing your order at least 5 times, and then not being entirely sure that you’re going to get what you wanted, AND the obligatory ketchup down the front of the shirt and ensuing session in the laundry room with a bottle of Zout and a Tide Pen,  so it isn’t exactly time-saving, is it. If you add up all of this time expended, then the recipe below seems quite speedy to put together, now doesn’t it?

And what to have with your chicken? Well, you’ve got to have fries, if for no other reason than to make your car smell like a deep fat fryer for the next few weeks, and to leave a greasy fingerprint trail all over the steering wheel. Ah the joys of drive-through! Well, fries are all very well, but I am going to go out on a limb here and claim that the potato recipe below is way tastier. And all you need to go alongside these two dishes is a green salad and something to dip the chicken in. Now, you could go all traditional , ignore the stories about those poor mistreated tomatoes in factory farms, and bring out the ketchup, but personally, I love this chicken when dipped in a dollop of ranch dip on the side.

Crispy Chicken Strips
Adapted from Doris Christopher’s Stoneware Sensations from Pampered Chef
Serves 5

2 cups seasoned croutons, crushed to small crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 TBSP finely chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
2 egg whites
1 TBSP water
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
Prepared ranch dip

1.       Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). NB, if you are cooking this alongside the potatoes below, then 400 degrees is fine for both, just cook the chicken for 5-10 minutes longer at the lower temperature.

2.       Cut each chicken breast into 3-4 pieces, and then place pieces, one by one, between two pieces of plastic/cling wrap and pound to ½” thickness.

3.       Put the egg whites and the water into a bowl and whisk to combine.

4.       In another bowl, mix together the crouton crumbs, cheese, parsley, onion and garlic powder.

5.       Dip each chicken piece first into the egg white mixture, and then into the crumb coating, patting them so that the coating sticks all over.

6.       Place the chicken pieces on to a baking sheet sprayed with oil spray.

7.       Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

 

Roasted Potato Salad with Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine
Serves 6

3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½” wedges
3 TBSP olive oil, divided
3 large garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp white wine vinegar
2 TBSP finely chopped shallots
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh tarragon

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2.       In a large bowl, combine potatoes, 1 ½ TBSP oil, garlic, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and thyme so that potatoes are coated.

3.       Arrange potatoes on a large baking sheet, and bake in oven for 30 minutes or until brown and tender, turning once after 20 minutes.

4.       Combine remaining 1 ½ TBSP oil, remaining ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper, vinegar, shallots, mustard and tarragon with a whisk in a small bowl.

5.       Drizzle dressing over cooked potatoes and toss to coat.

Spicing up the grill...just a little!

I am sure I have waxed lyrical (and indeed tunelessly) about my children’s abhorrence of the word ‘spicy’ and the heat that it so often connotes. I live in hope that they may one day learn to appreciate a curry with more than half a chile in it. In the meantime, however, I try to find recipes which satisfy their need to be protected from any sensation of tongue-burning heat, AND meet my need for food with a rich taste and substantial flavor. This dish fit the bill perfectly – it is delicately spiced with Indian-style flavors, and yet is about as far as you can get from Vindaloo-style heat short of just giving up and ordering a cheese pizza.

The original recipe comes from a fabulous book that (in a fit of sheer altruistic and completely selfless generosity… obviously) I bought for my husband last year for Father’s Day. Every recipe we have tried from this book has been fabulous, and I highly recommend it: The World of Kebabs  by Aband Prakash. I decided it needed some chutney because….well, I like sauce, so the recipe below is for a simple, delicious, and only slightly hot (!) chutney that was delicious dolloped on top (the original for which, I found on Allrecipes.com)

I served these kebabs accompanied by a couscous salad I have blogged about before (click here), but I left out the feta cheese, since it just didn’t seem to go, somehow. And alongside that, I served the Indian-style Collard Greens I just blogged about here. All in all, a delicious meal, and one which the spice-lovers and spice-averse all enjoyed – miracle!

Creamy Chicken Kebabs – Murgh Malai Kabab
Serves 6 as an entrée

½ cup heavy cream
2 TBSP lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground nutmeg
24 chicken breast tenders
24 presoaked bamboo skewers
melted butter for basting

1.       Measure the first 8 ingredients into a large bowl (up to and including nutmeg), and stir to combine.

2.       Add the chicken tenders and stir to coat.

3.       Set aside and refrigerate for 5-6 hours

4.       Insert wooden skewers along the length of each chicken tender (weave the skewer in and out like a rough running stitch).

5.       Grill over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, basting with melted butter.

6.       Serve with mint and cilantro chutney (see below)

 

Mint and Cilantro Chutney

2 cups fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 ½ cups fresh mint leaves
1 green chile pepper (jalapeno), seeds removed and roughly chopped
½ tsp salt
2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 TBSP lemon juice
up to ¼ cup water

1.    In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients except the water. Process until they form a fine paste.

2. Add water gradually until desired consistency is reached

A little summer on the side

I’ll let you into a secret – I love salad (that isn’t the secret). Really I do, and my kids eat it too, which I know makes me luckier than average. While I don’t underestimate the value of these two facts, particularly during the summer months, my secret is that I get bored when I can’t cook. I know, earth-shattering. Salad is all very well, but the fun of making salads is limited to a spot of stirring cold ingredients together. This just isn’t as satisfying as creating the kind of scientific transformation that can be achieved with the addition of a stove-top flame or an oven. Yes, I know it’s hot out there, but sometimes, you just got to cook.

So sometimes, even if the main part of our dinner is grilled, or even cold, I like to at least make a cooked side to exercise my cooking chops, lest they get rusty before fall arrives. The two sides below are good examples of sides that require cooking, but which don’t require an excruciatingly long wait, watching over a hot stove or allowing your oven to heat the house. No, on the contrary, they are reasonably quick, delicious and will pair marvelously with that beautifully grilled filet, the smell of which is driving all your neighbors (and their dogs) wild J

 

Indian-style Collard Greens and Spinach
Serves 5 as a side

1 TBSP canola/vegetable oil
½ tsp whole mustard seeds
½ tsp finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green jalapeno chile, finely chopped
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
pinch ground nutmeg
1 bunch collard greens (around 8 large leaves), spines removed, rolled up and then finely sliced
3 cups finely chopped baby spinach
lemon wedges to serve

1.       Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2.       Add mustard seeds, and cook stirring, until they start to pop.

3.       Add shallots, garlic and chile to the pan and cook, stirring until onion is softened. Add turmeric, garam masala and nutmeg and continue to cook for a further minute.

4.       Add collard greens and stir to coat. Cook stirring until starting to wilt. Add spinach, stir to combine and continue to cook just until spinach is wilted.

5.       Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

 

Zucchini Parmesan Chips
Serves 6 as a side

Canola oil spray
4 zucchini/courgette/summer squash, sliced into ¼” thick rounds
2 TBSP olive oil
¼ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1.       Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C)

2.       Put zucchini slices in a large bowl, and toss with olive oil to coat.

3.       In a wide bowl, mix together parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt, paprika and black pepper.

4.       Dip zucchini slices into breadcrumb mixture to coat on both sides, and then place (not overlapping) on a large baking sheet coated with canola oil spray.

5.       Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

 

I cooked it, I never said I could pronounce it...

I recently started ordering one of those CSA boxes. For those of you in the UK, I'm not sure if this is an American idea, so I'll explain. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. An interested consumer (e.g me), can buy a membership to a local organic farm's CSA program and pick up a box of whatever is in season, being picked, etc each week. And you never know what you're going to get until you pick it up. My aim here was to branch out of our comfort zone. To be honest, I wander around the grocery department in our local supermarket, and despite my good intentions to shop seasonally and buy a large variety of different vegetables, I tend to gravitate towards what I know we like, and thus seem to eat every week. So I do like the idea of getting a box of farm fresh goodies each week, and not knowing what will be in there. Thanks to the Age of Google, you can always find something to do with them, and it forces me to be a bit creative. This week was no exception when I discovered a bunch of Mei Quin Choi in my box. Hmmmm... Don't ask me how to pronounce it, but I bought it, so by heck, I had to do something with it.

Don't get too excited, Mei Quin Choi isn't that 'off the wall'. It looked like the baby bok choy, I've seen in stores (and never bought...) and a brief search in the land of Wikipedia confirmed that it is a variant of that. So, given that I'm a baby bok choy 'virgin', I went looking for a good recipe. Seriously, I don't know what people did before google. I am not the bravest of cooks - I rarely invent a new recipe from scratch, but give me a starting point, and I'll tweak it around until it fits our palates and the ingredients we have available. And thus was born the following dish:

Sherry and Lemon Roasted Baby Bok Choy (or Mei Quin Choi)
Serves 4-6 as a side

3-4 heads of baby bok choy or mei quin choi
4 tsp canola oil/vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 tsp dry sherry
pinch of golden caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Cut off the base of each bok choy head and pull the leaves apart to separate.
3. Arrange in a large baking tin.
4. Toss in the oil, salt and garlic.
5. Bake in oven for 8 minutes by which time it should be wilted and starting to brown on the edges.
6. In the meantime, whisk together the lemon zest, juice, sherry, sugar and pepper in a small bowl.
7. Pour the sherry and lemon dressing over the hot bok choy and toss to coat.