Veg SF

I just found out today that my Valentine’s Day red velvet kisses were were mentioned at Apartment Therapy The Kitchn. I’m so proud.

Check it out

In the spirit of trying to use more in-season vegetables, I found this delicious stew recipe in my latest Bon Appetite magazine - Kale and White Bean Stew. I didn’t have all the ingredients that the recipe called for, so I modified slightly, but it was still delicious and I can imagine the original is as delicious.

Unfortunately, I somehow deleted the photo I took of this stew from my digital camera, so you’ll just have to use your imagination and make it for yourself!

Kale and White Bean Stew

• 1 1/2 pounds kale leaves, center ribs and stems removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped peeled carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped shallots (about 4)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 15-ounce cans white beans (preferably organic), drained
• 4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons assorted chopped fresh herbs (such as tarragon, parsley, and chives)

Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Squeeze out excess water. Coarsely chop kale.

Heat olive oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic; cook until soft, stirring, about 15 minutes (do not brown vegetables). Add white wine and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 7 minutes. Add white beans, 4 cups broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Add kale and simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Add more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin stew, if desired. Mix in Sherry wine vinegar and chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

I cry like a baby every time I start cutting onions. Some are more potent than others, but almost all of them make me cry to a certain degree. I’m lucky if I can roughly chop them much less ‘mince’ or do whatever else my recipes call for.

My sis and I discovered Onion Goggles when we were at a kitchen store the other day. For a whopping $20, we thought it was a bit outrageous just to prevent some tears while chopping. Especially when we had the idea that all you really need is some sort of sealing eyewear. Most likely you have something in your home already and don’t realize it. Swim goggles!

You can usually pick up a really cheap pair somewhere like target or a multi-pack at Costco. I tried it a week ago with the goggles I had stashed with all my other swim stuff. Works like a charm! I now have those goggles stashed with my kitchen tools.

My mom turned 60 a few days ago and requested lime meringue cupcakes from me. They were scrumptous! The vanilla cake was dense, just sweet enough, and with a nice warm vanilla flavor. The lime curd was delicious. I absolutely love lime curd anyway, so you won’t find me complaning when the curd is in a cupcake. And last, but not least, the meringue frosting was fabulous. It was a dense meringue - not too airy, but just fluffy enough. And it wasn’t overly sweet.

The best part about this recipe is that the curd used egg yolks, the meringue used the whites and I didn’t have any random whites or yolks leftover leaving me wondering what in the world I was going to do with them! Major kudos to whomever thought up this recipe and figured out how to not waste egg parts!

Speaking of kudos… I got all recipes from “Cupcakes” by Shelly Kaldunksi

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white at room temperature (save unused yolk for lime curd)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin/cupcake pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using ane lectic mixer on medium-high speed, beat the sugar and butter together until lighta nd fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well on low speed after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, laternationg with the milk in 2 addtisions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on medium-high speed until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not overbeat.
3. Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Leat cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 mins. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely.

Lime Curd

• 6 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 large egg yolks (safe 3 additional egg whites for meringue frosting)
• Pinch of salt
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1. In a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the lime juice, sugar, egg yolks, and salt. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking constantly and scraping the sides of the pan, until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-8 minutes; do not let the curd boil.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time until smooth. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Assembly

1. Cut each cupcake in half horizontally.
2. Spread about 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons lime curd onto the bottom layer of each cupcake. Place the tops back on and spread another 1 1/2-2 teaspoons lime curd over the top. Chill for about 30 mins.

Meringue Frosting

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large, heatproof bowl or top of a double boiler, combine egg whites, sugar, water and corn syrup. Set the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in a saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160 F), about minutes.
2. Remove the bowl or top of double boiler from the water. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the mixture until glossy and voluminous, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Place spoonfuls of frosting on each cupcake, forming peaks. Chill for 15-30 mins.
4. Brown the tops of each frosting sing either a kitchen torch or by placing in a pre-heated oven on high broil setting for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. If broiling, watch very closely so it does not burn.