just a little rain

What a miserable four days we’ve had with all this wind and rain. There’s not much you can do other than read or cook; I went for cooking. I have company coming this weekend and I wanted to stock up on some breakfast treats for my guests. One of the things I made is British-style Currant Scones from America’s Test Kitchen. They are similar to the tea biscuits that were available years ago at a local bakery. I’m not sure they still offer them. I also made Pumpkin-Ginger Oat Scones from Genevieve Ko from The New York Times.
 
Several months ago, I needed crystallized ginger for a recipe. It just so happens that this is the same ingredient needed for these scones and I had just the right amount left. You’ll also need all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cold unsalted butter, canned pumpkin and eggs. My luck ran out as I only had one teaspoon of pumpkin spice left and I needed 2. Fortunately, one of the comments contained a recipe to make your own mixture. It consists of cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and nutmeg. I’ll include the proportions below. The recipe takes 45 minutes from start to finish. The dry ingredients are whisked separately in a bowl and then butter is cut into the flour with your fingers or pastry cutter. This is followed by adding finely chopped crystallized ginger. The eggs and pumpkin purée are mixed separately in a bowl then added to the dry ingredients. Make sure not to over mix; mix until there is no dry flour left.

Onto a lightly floured parchment lined sheet pan, divide dough into two piles. With dampened hands, pat into a 6-inch round, 3/4-inch-thick circle. Place in either the refrigerator or freezer to stiffen up.  Afterwards, you’ll cut each round into 6 even wedges, bake at 425° for 20 to 22 minutes until cooked through and golden-brown outside.
 
What a tasty snack. It had the subtle flavor of the ginger, lightly sweet and tender crumb…delicious. These would be great with a cup of chai or English breakfast tea.
 
With the weather being so damp and dreary this past weekend, I decided to prepare a recipe that my son-in-law sent me, Quick Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Stew, which he found online at the “Woman’s Day Magazine” website. For the recipe you’ll need olive oil, fully cooked Italian sausage, fresh garlic, dry white wine, 32-ounces chicken stock (boxed or homemade), ditalini pasta (or other soup pasta), one can cannellini or other white beans, a 5-ounce bag of spinach and Parmesan cheese.
 
I had in my freezer hot Italian sausage from Palmer’s Quality Meats in Neptune, that my son-in-law gave me. I sliced the sausage into 1-inch pieces and cooked until browned on both sides. Next, a few cloves of garlic were sautéed and the pan was deglazed with white wine. The stock and pasta is added and cooked until the pasta is al dente. I had some kale from my recent Dreyer Farm’s CSA and added that at the same time.
 
Once the pasta was cooked, the beans and sausage were added and cooked until reheated. I seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper and topped with Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmesan.
 
I found the end product to be more of a soup than stew, but it was delicious. The Palmer’s hot Italian sausage gave the broth a nice kick of heat, the kale was tender and the Pecorino Romano, which is creamier and tangier than the nutty Parmesan, worked well against the spicy sausage. It’s the perfect meal for chilly fall days.
 
My husband was just asking for chicken patty burgers when I told him he was in luck, I was making them last evening. The recipe, Smashed Chicken Burgers with Cheddar and Parsley, is from The New York Times column “Five Dishes to Cook This Week” by Yasmin Fahr. For the recipe you’ll need mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, two limes, flat leaf parsley, cheddar cheese, a shallot, ground chicken, neutral oil, olive oil, butter or Boston lettuce, ripe avocado and burger buns.
 
The mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, salt and pepper are the spread for the burger buns. The ground chicken is flavored with chopped parsley, grated cheddar cheese, shallot, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes and a tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture.
 
To cook, the ground chicken is shaped into large meatballs, placed in a very hot preheated cast iron fry pan with some oil and then smashed into 1/2-inch-thick patties. They’re cooked until the patties develop a dark brown crust and flip to cook the other side. Just before they’re done, top with a slice of cheddar cheese and cook until melted.
 
Before the burgers are done, you’ll prepare a light salad to go on top. In a bowl whisk lime juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Add torn lettuce leaves, cubed avocado, chopped parsley and cubed cheddar cheese. Toss all ingredients to combine.
 
I toasted my hamburger buns in a frying pan with a little melted butter. I schmeared them mayonnaise spread, followed by the burger and topped with the lettuce mixture. Yum! What a delightful burger. The burgers were light tasting and the topping added not only another layer of flavor but some texture. Overall, my husband and I were quite pleased with the burgers.
 

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Pumpkin-Ginger Oat Scones
By Genevieve Ko
The New York Times/NYT Cooking
 
Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12 scones
 
Ingredients
2¼ cups/290 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
½ cup/50 grams old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling
½ cup/100 grams sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ cup/115 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
¾ cup/90 grams finely chopped crystallized ginger
¾ cup/170 grams canned pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
 
Preparation

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt and spice.
2. Add the butter and toss to coat with the dry ingredients. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, press and cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form and some peanut-size pieces remain. Toss in the ginger until evenly coated.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin and eggs until smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until no dry bits remain and mixture forms a mass.
4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly flour. Divide the dough mass into two even pieces in the bowl and dump each piece onto the prepared sheet on opposite sides. Dampen your hands and press each piece into ¾-inch-thick rounds (about 6 inches in diameter). Refrigerate or freeze until stiff.
5. Heat oven to 425 degrees. When the oven is ready, take out the dough and cut each round into 6 even wedges using a sharp knife or bench scraper. Nudge the wedges about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops with oats.
6. Bake until golden brown and firm when gently pressed, 20 to 22 minutes. To see if they’re cooked through, tear one open immediately to make sure there’s no wetness in the center. If there is, return the pan to the oven for a few minutes.
7. Cool on the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature, wrapped in a napkin to eat out of hand.

 
“TIP - The cut scone dough can be frozen for up to 2 days before baking straight from the freezer. Increase baking time by 5 minutes or so. The baked scones will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They’ll taste better if refreshed in a toaster oven before serving. The scones can be frozen until stiff after cooling, then transferred to freezer plastic bags and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw and then reheat in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes before serving.

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Quick Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Stew
By Woman’s Day Kitchen
 
 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. fully cooked Italian chicken sausage
4 clove garlic
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 container low-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. ditalini pasta or other soup pasta (about 1 cup)
1 can cannellini or other white beans
black pepper
1 bag spinach
1 oz. Parmesan
 
DIRECTIONS

1. the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate.
2. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown). Add the wine and simmer, scraping up any brown bits, for 1 minute.
3. Add the broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
4.  4Add the beans, sausage and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the spinach, stirring gently until it begins to wilt. Serve with the Parmesan.

 
“Tips & Techniques
Pick up packages of cooked proteins like chicken sausage and kielbasa on sale—they keep for up to 3 months! Opt for spinach in a bag with holes that ventilate decay-causing moisture—it’ll last up to 2 weeks (bunches only last 3 days).

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​Smashed Chicken Burgers with Cheddar and Parsley
By Yasmin Fahr
The New York Times/NYT Cooking
 
Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 limes, 1 juiced (about 2 tablespoons), 1 cut into wedges
1¼ packed cups flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
⅓ cup grated Cheddar, plus ¼ cup cubed, plus 8 slices for topping
1 small shallot, minced (about ¼ cup)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola oil, or ghee
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large head butter or Boston lettuce, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1 ripe Hass avocado, diced
4 brioche or burger buns, lightly toasted
 
Preparation

1. In a small serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon mustard. Season to taste with salt and the juice of 1 lime wedge.
2. In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine 1 cup parsley with the grated cheese, shallot, garlic, cumin and red-pepper flakes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the Dijon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and gently combine. Form into 4 large, round balls.
3. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high until very hot, 1½ to 2 minutes. Add the neutral oil or ghee, then add the chicken meatballs, spacing them out in the pan. Use a metal spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to press them until they form ½-inch thick patties. Cook without moving for 3 to 4 minutes, until a deep golden crust has formed on the bottom and they easily release from the pan. Flip the patties using a sturdy spatula and cook until cooked through with a nice crust on both sides, about 3 minutes more. If the patties need more time, you can cover the pan and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to avoid scorching. A minute or two before they’re done, set 2 slices of Cheddar cheese on top of each patty to melt.
4. While the burgers are cooking, in the bottom of a serving bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons lime juice with the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard; whisk in the olive oil until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Add the torn lettuce leaves, avocado, remaining parsley and cubed Cheddar, and toss to coat with the dressing.
5. Place the burgers on the buns, slather with Dijon mayonnaise, and top with a little of the greens and avocado from the salad. Serve with the salad, plus the lime wedges and any remaining Dijon mayonnaise on the side.

 

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