By Estella Tullgren • Photographed by Deb Peterson
When Deb Peterson told me one of the themes of this issue is the things we learn from our mothers, I thought it would be easy to relate to cooking. But I soon realized the things my mother taught me were immeasurable. I would probably still be trying to convert all her recipes to a measurable ingredient list. Without a set of ingredients, she taught us make German Potato Salad, salad dressings, Rouladen, and sauteed red cabbage along with savory sauces and gravies. She taught us how to chop ingredients and complete tasks that may seem mundane—she always said no task was too small to make something taste flavorful. But more importantly, my mother taught us the fun in cooking and creating dishes for our family and friends. Thanks Oma.
Smashed Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4
These little goodies go with practically every dish. They are especially easy to pop on the grill for all your summer cooking. Try adding different herbs to the oil mixture. My favorite addition is fresh chopped basil.
15-18 small round potatoes (I like the Baby Dutch Yellow)
4 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until they are fork tender; then drain. Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet leaving room between each potato. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it is slightly mashed.
Whisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Then brush the tops of each crushed potato with the oil mixture.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Green Beans with Lemon and Browned Garlic
Serves 6
A very fresh tasting recipe—great to have on your Easter dinner table this year.
1 cup water
1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 ½ teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions: Bring water to a boil in a large skillet. Add green beans and cook 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Over medium high heat, heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and let it sauté until light tan, then add green beans and sauté 1 minute. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper and sauté another minute. Serve warm.
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic and Wine Thyme Sauce
This dish is fabulous—the sauce is wonderful. Don’t be afraid of 40 cloves of garlic—the garlic becomes soft and sweet after being cooked in this very flavorful sauce.
3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
1 ½ cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 – 1 ½ a tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions: Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.
Rinse chicken and then dry with paper towels. Season both sides of chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, sauté the chicken in the fat, skin side down first until nicely browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to sauté all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken piece to the plate and then add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and sauté for 5-10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. In a small bowl whisk together ½ cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce and garlic pieces over the chicken and serve hot. Note: I have also put all chicken pieces into the pot with the sauce and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes before serving.
Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Makes 20 standard muffin-sized cupcakes or 40-50 mini cupcakes
These are fabulous…light and fluffy. I really like making mini-cupcakes—just the right amount for a little bit of sweetness after dinner.
For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 ¼ cup sour cream
2 ½ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
For the buttercream frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons milk
1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-count standard-size muffin tins with 20 cupcake liners. If you prefer to make mini cakes, prep enough for 40-48 cupcakes.
For the cupcakes: Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; then the vanilla, almond extract, and sour cream until combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
With mixer on low, add the flour mixture into the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. Make sure no lumps remain. Divide batter among the 20 cupcake liners (or minis) and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check standard sized cupcakes at 15 minutes to test for doneness.
(Bake 8-9 minutes for minis). Remove from oven, set on a rack, and allow to cool.
For the buttercream frosting: Put slightly softened butter into a medium-sized bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin, or milk if the frosting is too thick.
Frost cooled cupcakes. There may be leftover frosting depending on how much you use on each cupcake. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 7 days. M! April/May 2014
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