Tomatoes Gratin

I saw a recipe from Ina Garten and thought it sounded easy and like a great side. I modified it a bit to make little miniature ramekins. They were tart and sweet and the crispy bread crumbs were a great contrast. Super easy, too.

Ingredients:
2 big handfulls grape tomatoes, halved
1 piece of bread
1 clove garlic
olive oil
pinch of thyme
olive oil

Directions:
Heat oven to 400. Pulse the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add piece of bread and pulse to get course crumbs. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and pulse. Add a tsp or so of olive oil to the bottom of the ramekins along with the thyme and a big pinch of salt.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I'm a fan of just roasting brussels sprouts tossed with olive oil and lots of salt at high temperatures, but I tried Ina's recipe with bacon - yum! The brussels sprouts get really caramelized and sweet and the bacon is salty. I didn't have balsamic so I drizzled them at the end with a little of rice vinegar. I'm sure the balsamic is better, but honestly, it was great with the rice vinegar too. This is a great side dish!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half or in quarters if they're really big
4 oz thick bacon or pancetta, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and add Brussels sprouts, pancetta, olive oil,  1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Toss thoroughly and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 20-30 minutes tossing once or twice, until sprouts are tender and the browned and the bacon is cooked. Remove from the oven, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and toss. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Pea Soup (another Ina)

Another Ina recipe here. I wanted a simple but homemade lunch for us on Sunday and this looked great. It's easy and a great lunch (I've been eating leftovers for days).

Serves 6
Ingredients:
Good olive oil
2 lb frozen peas
4 cups chicken stock
2 large shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices prosciutto or serrano ham

Directions:
In a big pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium and add shallots, sautéing for 3-5 minutes until soft and starting for brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add stock, peas, 2 tsp salt, and 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Ina's Easy Sole Meuniere

This Ina recipe is from her cookbook "Back to Basics," another Christmas present (this one from my lovely sister-in-law, Katie - everyone seems to know the way to my heart). It's easy enough that I'm going to teach it to my novice-cook friend Alice, and it's so rich and tart and great. It serves two, but with some hearty sides it can serve four.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 fresh sole fillets, 3-4 oz each
1 tsp lemon zest
6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh parsley
6 tbsp butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 and have 2 heat-proof plates ready.

Lobster Corn Fritters

...or the Best Hors d'Oeuvres Ever. Yum! These are amazing. I made them for Jamie to start out a special dinner. They taste like summer. The lobster is rich, the corn is sweet, and the spicy mayo is the perfect accompaniment. They're definitely a treat and a little pricey, but tooootally worth it! Ina is just the best. (These are from her new cookbook, Foolproof, a wonderful Christmas present from my mother-in-law - thanks, Cindy!)

I halved the recipe because there were just two of us, but I will definitely be making it again another time in full force. This recipe makes 12-14 fritters and served 4-6.

Ingredients:
6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups fresh corn (I used frozen)
12 oz freshly cooked lobster meat, 1/4-inch diced
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tbsp Old Bay
Kosher salt
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup half and half

Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

The batter bowl after Jamie snacked on it

I love Ina Garten and have probably watched all of the Barefoot Contessa episodes. She and Mario Batali are my favorite Food Network chefs because their recipes are always great. I saw these brownies on her show a while ago and have always wanted to make them. I got a craving for some super chocolaty, home-made brownies the other day, so I whipped these up. It's a labor of love - much more time consuming that boxed brownies, but sooo tasty. I might cut back on the butter next time (they were a little crumbly) but they were so chocolaty and rich. Jamie and I each brought them into our offices - big hit. The coffee really makes the chocolate flavor stand out (a great Ina trick).

Outrageous Brownies
Ingredients:
1 lb butter (4 sticks)
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.