Citrus Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower with Queso Cotija Dressing

As soon as I saw Mexican chef Pati Jinich prepare this dish on her PBS show, I had to make it. 🙂 I bought beautiful purple cauliflower and purple broccoli at the farm stand to make it extra special. We ate it with Mexican-Style Chipotle-Lime Pork Cutlets.

The salty, cheesy sauce was absolutely incredible. I loved how the vegetables were sliced into steaks instead of florets as well. I trimmed the tough outer portion of each stem but would remove even more next time to make that portion more tender.

This recipe was adapted from Pati’s Mexican Table and patijinich.com, via kcet.org. It was on an episode featuring dishes inspired by Isla Mujeres. I substituted creme fraiche for the Mexican crema. I also modified the method and proportions. Amazing!

Yield: Serves 6

For the Vegetables:

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (I used 2 limes)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (I used 1 large naval orange)
• 3 chopped chiles de arbol or 1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing/drizzling
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds broccoli, cut into 1/4″ vertical slices, including thick part of stem (I used 2 large heads)
• 2 pounds cauliflower, cut into 1/4″ vertical slices, including thick part of stem (I used 1 large head)

For the Queso Cojita Dressing:

• 1/2 cup crumbled queso cotija
• 2/3 cup Mexican crema or creme fraîche
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola oil)
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar
• 2 T water
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

To Prepare the Vegetables:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. ( I set my oven to convection roast.)
2. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a glass measuring cup with a spout, mix the lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes (or chile de arbol), 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
4. Place the cauliflower and broccoli steaks on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer, making sure that they are not crowded.
5. Evenly pour the orange juice mixture all over the vegetables.
6. Place in the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until well roasted and considerably charred. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To Make the Dressing & To Serve:

1. While the vegetables are roasting, combine the queso cotija, Mexican crema (or creme fraîche), vegetable oil, sherry vinegar, water, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the jar of a blender or mixer. Puree until smooth. (I used a Vitamix.)
2. Serve the broccoli and cauliflower on a large platter and ladle the queso cotija right on top, or let your guests spoon sauce onto their plates and dip their vegetables in the sauce to their liking. (I served the sauce in a bowl on the side.)

Meyer Lemon & Orange Twist Bread

Happy Belated Easter! I made this elegant citrus twist bread for breakfast over Easter weekend. My daughter described it as similar to panettone but without the dried fruit. My son agreed but stated that this was much better. 🙂 It was very moist and tender.

This recipe was adapted from Food 52.com, contributed by Samantha Seneviratne. I used Meyer lemon zest and omitted the grapefruit zest. I also modified the method.

Because of the rise times, I prepared the dough through the first rise two days in advance and completed the second rise and baked it one day prior to serving. We ate it reheated- which was essential. The original recipe suggests sprinkling the top with confectioners’ sugar or drizzling it with glaze. I opted for the simple sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar but know it would also be delicious with the glaze. Lovely.

Yield: 8 servings

For the Dough:

• 1/3 cup warm whole milk (110°F) (I used whole milk)
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes

For the Filling and to Finish the Bread: 

• freshly grated orange zest from 3 to 4 oranges (about 3 tablespoons)
• freshly grated zest from 3 Meyer lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting, optional

To Make the Dough:

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, or a large bowl, combine the remaining sugar, flour, and salt.
3. With the mixer on low, add the yeast mixture, the egg, and the egg yolk, and mix until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, knead this mixture by hand on a clean work surface.) 
4. Add the butter, a bit at a time, and continue to mix or knead the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, another 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky. If you’re doing this by hand, you can use a bench scraper to help scoop the dough up as you knead it. It may look like it’s never going to incorporate, but keep kneading and it will.
5. Once the dough is fully incorporated, gather it into a neat ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours. (I used a proofing oven.) After the dough has doubled, you can punch it down, wrap it well and refrigerate for up to 2 to 3 days. (I refrigerated it overnight.)

To Make the Filling and to Finish the Bread:

1. In a small bowl, combine the citrus zest, sugar, and salt together using your fingers to release some of the citrus oils. Add the butter and mix until well combined. (I reserved the soft room-temperature butter and spread it over the rolled out dough instead.)
2. Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead it once or twice to expel the air. Roll it out into an 8-inch by 17-inch rectangle.
3. Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the bread.
4. Starting from one of the long ends, roll the dough up into a tight coil. Pinch the ends to seal the roll.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise.
6. Transfer the two pieces of dough to a piece of parchment paper, cut sides up. Pinch the two pieces together at one end and then carefully twist the two pieces of dough together. Take care not to stretch the dough and to keep the cut sides up.
7. Coil the twist around to make a wreath and connect the ends, making sure to continue the twisting pattern.
8. Transfer the wreath, on the parchment, to a rimmed baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise. (I used a proofing oven.) It could take up to 2 hours for the wreath to puff so it’s better to keep an eye on the dough rather than the clock. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks puffed and and it rises back slowly when you gently press it with your finger.
9. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 375°F, preferably on convection.
10. Carefully brush the wreath with the egg wash.
11. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 18 minutes, on convection, or up to 30 minutes in a standard oven. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the bread should register between 190°F and 200°F.
12. Transfer the wreath to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Notes:

The twist bread can also be drizzled with a simple glaze of room temperature cream cheese mixed with some warm milk and confectioners’ sugar.

The bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Meyer Lemon Pielets with Brown Butter Press-In Cookie Crust

I have my own Meyer lemon tree but I did have to purchase the lemons for this special treat- this year anyway. My tree is very sparse at the moment- and not that happy. 😦 Hopefully it will have many lemons sometime in the future! Anyway, I love individual desserts. These were silky, creamy and delicious.

This recipe was adapted from The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies by Erin Jeanne McDowell. Such a beautiful and informational book. The lemon zest and juice can be replaced with Key lime zest and juice for a lime version. Alternate press-in cookie crust variations are included below as well. Very nice.

Yield: 12 mini pies

For the Brown Butter Press-In Cookie Crust:

• 113g / 4 oz / 8 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 50 g / 1/4 cup / 4 T granulated sugar
• 21 g / 1 large egg yolk
• 5 g / 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 210 g / 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 g / 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 15 g / 1 T water

For the Pielets:

• 1 recipe Brown Butter Press-In Cookie Crust (ingredients above)
• 99g / 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• 288g / 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 60g / 1/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
• 2g / 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1g / 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream, for serving, optional
• Meyer lemon zest, for garnish, optional

To Make the Crusts:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter begins to simmer and foam, the milk solids turn brown, and the butter smells toasty, about 10 minutes.
3. Cool the butter to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the cooled brown butter and sugar on medium-low speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix on medium speed to combine. Scrape the bowl well.
6. Add the flour and salt and mix on low-speed until fully incorporated, 45 seconds to 1 minute.
7. Add the water and mix just until the dough is smooth, about 1 minute more.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C with a rack in the center.
9. Grease the cavities of a muffin pan with nonstick spray.
10. Divide the dough into 12 even rations in each cavity. (I used cookie scoops of various sizes.)
11. Use your fingers to press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of each cavity.
12. Use a small fork or tip of a paring knife to dock the dough all over.
13. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.
14. Bake the crusts until they are lightly golden at the edges and appear set all over, 14 to 18 minutes. If the dough puffs up during baking, prick it with a fork when you remove the crusts from the oven so it lies flat again.
15. Cool crusts completely. Then, use an offset spatula to gently unfold the cooled crusts onto a baking sheet. They should release easily. (I found that rotating them helped release them from the pan- the top edges of my crusts did crumble a bit though- still delicious.)

To Make the Filling and Serve:

1. In a small pot, rub the sugar and the lemon zest together to combine.
2. Add the cream and heat over medium-low heat, whisking, to dissolve the sugar. Do NOT let the cream come to a boil.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large container with a pour spout and whisk in the lime juice, vanilla, and salt.
4. Carefully pour the custard into the cooled crusts, filling each one just over 3/4 full.
5. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is set, at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
6. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream and garnish with additional zest, if desired, and serve.

Notes:

• The pielets can be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container.
• Any leftover filling can be chilled in a ramekin for a baker’s treat. 🙂

Alternate Press-In Crusts:

To Make an Oatmeal Press-In Cookie Crust: Replace the brown butter with room temperature butter. Replace the granulated sugar with 53 g / 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar. Replace 30 g / 1/4 cup of the flour with 74 g / 3/4 cup rolled oats.

To Make a Coconut Press-In Cookie Crust: Replace the brown butter with room temperature butter. Replace the granulated sugar with 53 g / 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar. Add 50 g / 2/3 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut with the flour.

Meyer Lemon Bars with Lemon Shortbread Crust

I love Meyer lemons! I am even dreaming of having a Meyer lemon tree in my house. 🙂

This dessert recipe was adapted from ViewfromtheGreatIsland.com. They are made with an entire Meyer lemon- minus the seeds. The crust incorporates the zest from another entire lemon which made them packed with flavor. It was essential to eat them cold, after being chilled for four hours to overnight, so they must be made in advance.

Yield: about 12 servings (one 9×9-inch pan)

For the Crust:

• zest from one Meyer lemon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces

For the Filling:

• 1 whole Meyer lemon, about 4-6 ounces
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 T cornstarch
• pinch of coarse salt

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Grease and line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper.

To Make the Crust:

1. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, peel the zest from one Meyer lemon, taking only the yellow part, with little to none of the white part, which is bitter.
2. Put the zest and sugar into a food processor and process until the two are well combined and the zest has completely incorporated into the sugar. You will still see tiny specks of zest, but no big pieces. Keep processing until you get to that stage.
3. Add the flour, and cold butter to the bowl and pulse/process until the mixture is moist, crumbly, and almost comes together into a lump.
4. Sprinkle the crust mixture into your prepared baking pan and pat down firmly and evenly. You should have a layer of even thickenss.
5. Bake for about 17 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

To Make the Filling:

1. Thinly slice the second Meyer lemon and remove any seeds. Tip: do this over a bowl so you don’t lose any juice.
2. Put the lemon and accumulated juice into a high speed blender like Vitamix or a food processor.
3. Add the sugar to the lemon and puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the container, if necessary, to get a smooth puree.
4. Add the eggs, cornstarch, and salt, and purée briefly until well combined.
5. Pour the filling mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps or bubbles.
6. Pour the strained filling onto the hot crust immediately after it comes out of the oven.
7. Put the lemon bars back into the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm and just starting to take on some golden color. Don’t over bake.
8. Let the bars cool completely on a rack, then put them in the refrigerator to chill for 4 hours or up to overnight.
9. When cold, remove the bars using the parchment paper “handles,” and slice into squares.
10. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Sesame-Citrus Soy Chicken with Garlicky Bok Choy

Oh my, this dish has been waiting in the wings for quite some time. After my last post featuring my bounty of bok choy, it’s finally the perfect time to share it.

I paired this chicken dish with the sautéed bok choy. Both recipes were adapted from Bon Appetit. The chicken dish was contributed by Chris Morocco. The original chicken recipe was intended for kebabs on the grill; I modified to cook whole pieces under a broiler. The bok choy dish was contributed by Sara Dickerman and Marissa Lippert. I increased the garlic. Nice!

Yield: Serves 4

For the Sesame-Citrus Sprinkle:

• 2 T toasted white and/or black sesame seeds
• 1 T thinly sliced chives or 2 scallions
• 1 tsp Aleppo-style pepper or other mild red pepper flakes (I used Ancho Chile Powder)
• ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
• coarse salt

For the Chicken And Assembly:

• ⅓ cup (packed) light brown sugars
• ⅓ cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
• ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used 5 thighs)
• coarse salt

Make the Sesame-Citrus Sprinkle:

1. Mix sesame seeds, chives, Aleppo-style pepper, and lemon zest in a small bowl to combine; season with salt.

Prepare the Chicken:

1. Combine brown sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and vinegar in a small saucepan.
2. Transfer ¼ cup mixture to a large resealable plastic bag.
3. Add chicken thighs to bag with marinade and massage marinade into chicken. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
4. Meanwhile, bring remaining marinade to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half and slightly thickened (just shy of syrupy), 8–10 minutes. Remove glaze from heat.
5. Preheat a broiler. (I set mine to Convection Broil +Max at 500 degrees.) (Alternatively, Prepare a grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Oil grates.)
6. Lightly season the chicken with salt and place under the broiler, until browned and beginning to char in spots, about 4 minutes. Turn over, baste with additional glaze, and cook until the other side is also beginning to char, about 4 to 5 additional minutes.
7. Serve chicken topped with sesame-citrus sprinkle.

Do Ahead: Glaze can be made 12 hours ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

For the Bok Choy:

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed, cut into quarters, with core intact (I used 4 baby bok choy)
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
2. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add bok choy, soy sauce, and 2 T water and cover immediately. Cook 1 minute.
4. Uncover and toss, then cover and cook until bok choy is tender at the core, about 3 more minutes.

One Year Ago:

• Scallops & Polenta

Two Years Ago:

• Roasted Vegetable Moussaka

Three Years Ago:

• Pork Sausage & Broccoli in Hard-Cider Sauce