Vegetarian Country Captain

In five years subscribing to Cooking Light, we haven't once found a recipe that we didn't like at all. Until today, that is. The recipe in question is Vegetarian Country Captain, a vegetable "stew" from their January 2011 issue.

First of all, it's worth noting that this recipe was originally published with the wrong picture (!!), which gave us the impression that we'd be eating something much different than what we wound up with. This may have something to do with our misgivings about the recipe - but probably not.

What we actually wound up with was a curry-based dish with cauliflower and edamame. It took roughly 30 minutes to prepare and a whopping 17 ingredients, half of which needed to be chopped, diced, or toasted. The prep work didn't take very long, but for all that effort, the final dish was disappointing.

The recipe goes a little something like this: saute onions, add apples, add flour and seasoning. Add broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes on low heat until the mixture thickens. Incorporate the mango chutney, whipping cream, and kosher salt, then add cauliflower and edamame and cook for 8 minutes. Serve over the rice, using the remaining ingredients (almonds, currants, green onions, and cilantro) as toppings.

Beyond that, we just can't get too excited about recapping this recipe, it was that disappointing. Commenters on the recipe page seem a little more enthusiastic, but trust us when we say this was bland, boring, and kind of tiresome to eat. The part we were looking most forward to - the mango chutney - was just plain absent from the flavor profile.

Because we hate wasting food, we'll eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, but it will be under extreme duress! Cooking Light still has a great track record, as far as we're concerned, and we're excited to make another recipe from their pages as a palette cleanser.

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

Mr. Yuppie's favorite meal in the world is meatloaf, so we've tried our fair share of loaf-based recipes. When we saw Cooking Light's Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis (January 2011), we were intrigued enough by the cheese factor that we decided to give them a shot. Want to see how they went?

First, some substitution notes. We forgot parsley at the store, so we substituted a few dashes of dried parsley flakes instead. Also, because Mrs. Yuppie isn't a huge fan of concentrated volumes of cheese, we decided to grate our cheddar instead of cubing it. This may have had something to do with our results (more on that in a second), so if you try this recipe with cubed cheese, you'll have to let us know what you think!

The first two steps are probably optional depending on who you talk to. The breadcrumbs, which we made fresh using a spice and nut grinder and half a slice of wheat bread, are first toasted in a small, oil-less pan for a few minutes. Motion is key here; don't let the crumbs sit in one place too long or they'll begin to clump together. It's not terrible if they do, but clumping can lead to burning.

Next, the onions and garlic are sauteed in cooking spray for 3 minutes. No surprises here, but try to let them cool off a bit afterward. (You might even send them for a quick trip to the freezer to speed up the process.)

Finally, all ingredients save 1/4 cup of ketchup are combined in a single bowl. You can place the egg in the bowl first, beat it, then add everything else for the least possible messy dishes. This is also why we recommend cooling off the hot items; otherwise, they go into the cold egg and cheese and things start melting and cooking. It's a bad situation.

The meat mixture is shaped into loaves on a broiler pan, which goes in the oven on 425 for 25 minutes, giving us a total, start-to-finish time of 37 minutes, just as advertised!

These meatloaves came together quickly, but seemed a little too moist - seriously, we almost thought they were under-cooked! As we mentioned before, this might be because of our choice to grate the cheese, so be sure to let us know if you try it with different results. All in all, this was a quick, tasty dinner that's sure to please, even if it won't quite knock your socks off.

Pork Tenderloin with Red and Yellow Peppers

Well, friends, please forgive our recent absence, but it's been one heck of a busy week. Trying out new recipes took a backseat to working nights and weekends, but now we're back for good. (Or at least for a couple of days!)

We knew this week had a good chance of being as busy as last, so we've picked some quick and easy recipes to share with you guys. On today's menu: Pork Tenderloin with Red and Yellow Peppers (Cooking Light, January 2011).

This recipe doesn't require much chopping or prepping - just sliced bell peppers, some chopped rosemary, and a pork loin. We should note that this recipe calls for a rather unconventional ingredient, too: anchovies. (Cue the fifth grade chorus of "Ewwwww!") Luckily, the notes mentioned that 3 tablespoons of chopped olives would make a suitable substitute, and so we got straight to chopping!

Once you've sliced the pork into medallions, heat the oil and throw the pork in the pan with some kosher salt and pepper. We noticed that our pork gave off some water that prevented our pork from browning nicely like Cooking Light's image. If you want to achieve that nice, dark roasted look, draw away any water that accumulates as the pork is cooked.

When the pork looks good enough for the table, then add the bell peppers, garlic, olives, and most of the chopped rosemary. These will cook for seven minutes, until the peppers are crisp-tender, at which point you'll drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the top, add the remaining rosemary, and serve.

We admired the quickness with which this dinner came together (20 minutes, start to finish), and while it didn't quite resemble the image from the magazine, at least it tasted good! And although not revolutionary, it's forced us to take a new approach to preparing pork. (Usually we just throw a tenderloin in the oven and focus on sides.)

Versatility is also high here, as any sturdy vegetable could be substituted for the peppers, and additional flavor added through spice mixtures. As a rut-clearing dish, this one takes the cake - just keep your expectations low.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo

Our city had some uncharacteristically crummy winter weather last weekend, which was all the motivation we needed to stay in and cook up some Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. This recipe comes from one of our favorite celebrity chefs, John Besh. You may remember Chef Besh from last week's king cake, and this is one of our other favorites from his NOLA cooking bible, My New Orleans.

This is another one of those low-maintenance, leisurely meals, so if you're looking for something quick, click elsewhere! The sense of satisfaction you'll get from the first spoonful, however, is worth it. Your guests will rave about its rich, smoky flavor and plentiful carnage - and by the way, invite a crowd, because this recipe serves 10-12 hungry people.

If you're intimidated by Besh's use of a cut whole chicken in this recipe, don't be. For one thing, the gumbo cooks so long that the meat falls directly off the bone - yeah, we had visions of our guests fishing drippy drumsticks out of the stock pot, too! And if you're put off by the thought of portioning a whole chicken, just go buy a package of breasts, a package of thighs, and a package of legs.

The first step is to prepare a roux, which, for the uninitiated, is an oil and flour mixture that forms the silky basis for many rich Cajun dishes. A cup of oil and a cup of all-purpose flour are combined in a very large, heavy stock pot and are whisked continuously for 15 minutes over medium-high to high heat.

Your roux will take on a luxurious dark brown color as it's heated. If at any point in your whisking the mixture begins to smell burned, move immediately to the next step, which is to add 2 large, diced onions and dial the heat back to medium low for 10 minutes. The onions will introduce some moisture back into the roux, which, along with the reduced temperatures, will keep it from scorching.

While the onions are simmering in the roux, the chicken can be seasoned. Besh recommends his signature blend of Cajun spices, which we make periodically and store in an airtight container in our pantry. If you don't have time to blend these, or aren't sure if you like them, some Tony Chachere's or any other bottled Cajun spice mixture will work just fine.

Sprinkle the chicken with your choice of spices and incorporate it into the roux, allowing each piece of chicken to brown along the bottom of the pot.

Next, add the smoked sausage, celery, bell

peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Allow those flavors to meld for 3 minutes before adding the thyme, chicken stock, and bay leaves. (The photo at left is pre-chicken stock.) Raise the heat and bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and allow the gumbo to simmer for 45 minutes.

As the gumbo cooks, bits of the chicken skin will begin to float to the surface. No one wants to eat soggy chicken skin (well, no one we know, at least!), so drag your spoon through the mixture periodically, fishing out the fat and skin.

When the 45 minutes is up, you can incorporate the andouille, okra, and Worchestershire sauce. Andouille isn't something that most stores around the country keep stocked, so any sort of smoked or pre-cooked pork sausage should suffice.

Once those ingredients are incorporated, more seasoning is added - because if there's one thing good Cajuns do, it's add flavor! (Now do you understand why we're such flavor snobs when we review dishes?)

After the seasoning is added, the gumbo must simmer for another 45 minutes. (It can go even longer than that if you need it to.) While you're waiting, it's a good time to prepare the rice over which you're going to serve your wonderful feast. Besh offers his own special recipe for Basic White Rice in his book, but any long grain white rice will work just fine.

Get a load of that gumbo, will you? We dare you to eat just one bowl, it's that good. Perfect for a rainy (or snowy) weekend day, and it should yield some great lunch leftovers, too!

Usually we don't offer the Yuppie Test Kitchen Favorites crown to dishes that take a long time to prepare, but for this masterpiece we're comfortable making an exception. The truth is, as much as we love quick and easy cooking, we love plain old cooking even more, and learning from the masters is sometimes worth a little extra effort.

We suppose you could make a quick "gumbo" somehow, or let one simmer all day in a crock pot, but you probably wouldn't be able to taste the love that comes with a good roux.

Mardi Gras King Cake

Mardi Gras season is just around the corner, and when we saw our friends begin posting Facebook statuses about king cake last week, we knew it was time to make one ourselves!

King cake is an addictive, multi-colored confection that takes a number of forms: cinnamon roll-style, donut-like, cream cheese-filled. This particular version is more of a bread dough accented with cinnamon and other spices, and it comes from a personal favorite, Chef John Besh. You can find it in his book, My New Orleans, but the Louisiana State Tourism Board has helpfully posted it for us on its website.

Those taking on this king cake should be aware that the dough requires a lot of resting time. You'd be best to save this for a lazier day or evening so that you can take your time and enjoy the process!

We begin by making the dough, which employs not one, but two sticks of melted butter. (We're kickin' it Paula Deen style, y'all!) The milk is warmed, then the sugar, yeast, and a tablespoon of flour are whisked in until the yeast is dissolved and the mixture begins to bubble. Then, the butter, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest are mixed in, and, finally, the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg) are combined and folded in as well.

Once the dough is combined, find yourself someone who's experiencing some pent up aggression, because it's time for the dirty work. You'll need to knead the dough on a floured surface for 15 minutes, which doesn't sound like a long time until you actually start doing it. We looked at the clock after what seemed like an eternity to find that only 2 minutes had passed.

After kneading, form the dough back into a large ball, place it back into your mixing bowl, cover it, and walk away, because the dough will require one and a half hours for this first rising.

When the dough has doubled in size, dust off your old friendship bracelet skills, because it's time to braid! You'll shape the dough into three ropes of equal length and width, then braid them together into a large circular "loaf".

The dough will have some elasticity to it, so don't get frustrated when, just as you have the perfect dough-braid, it begins to shrink up on you. Just keep pulling at it and eventually you'll have a beautiful looking wreath of dough. (And if you don't, no worries - the icing will hide it well!)

It's probably for the best, after that frustrating experience, that you once again have to take a hiatus and allow the dough to rise. This time, it's only thirty minutes, so go take a bubble bath or do some tai chi to calm yourself down, because you've made it through the labor-intensive part!

When you return, your king cake will be about twice as thick as before, and ready for the oven. In case you're skeptical and wondering where you went wrong when you see your initial, paltry braid, the image at left shows our cake about to serve time in the oven. It's astonishing how much the dough fluffs up!

The cake is baked at 375 degrees for just 30 minutes, then cooled on a wire rack for another 30 minutes, which should provide you with ample time to assemble the icing.

One of the hallmarks of king cake is that it sports the carnival colors: purple, green, and gold. If you don't want to invest in pricey decorative sugars, you could always try your hand at tinting the icing with food coloring in those shades.

The icing is comprised of just three ingredients: powdered sugar, condensed milk, and a bit of lemon juice. Now, we've used this recipe twice before, and every time we have some trouble with the consistency of the icing. It just seems like the powdered sugar-to-condensed milk ratio is a little off, resulting in an icing that's just too thick to mix, let alone spread. We usually (slowly!) incorporate a few tablespoons of 1% milk as we go, which seems to help things along.

If you end up with icing that's too runny, you can always add more powdered sugar. We also recommend pouring the icing over the cake while it's still in the jelly roll pan, then, after it's firmed up some, transferring the completed cake to a serving platter.

While the icing is wet, it's time to dust it with your (beautiful!) decorative sugars. (Or tinted icing, if that's the way you roll.) You'll want to work somewhat fast for maximum icing-to-sugar adherence.

Pick a color to start - we always seem to go for green for some reason, which probably says something about us. Imagine your cake is a clock, and spread the first color sugar at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 positions; the second at the 1, 4, 7, and 10; and the third at positions 2, 5, 8, and 11.

If you want to get really authentic, make sure you tuck a plastic baby (or an uncooked fava bean) up underneath the cake and into the dough before icing it. Tradition dictates that he who finds the baby (or bean) is king (or queen!) for the day, so make sure you aim that section of the cake at someone you like! (We kid!!)

Now that's some beautiful baking, huh?! We love this recipe for a winter weekend because even though the total time is a little long, there are plenty of opportunities to sneak off and do household chores. Or just be lazy and watch TV - you've totally earned it!

Williams Sonoma Slow-Cooker Meals

You sure can learn things from following Williams Sonoma on Twitter. Today, they alerted us to some new (and some old) slow-cooker recipes.

We already have our eye on Chicken Marsala. What should we try?

Curried Dal with Basmati-Raisin Pilaf

You already know we love incorporating world cuisine into our weekly repertoire, and last night's culinary journey was to India. We clipped a recipe for Curried Dal with Basmati-Raisin Pilaf out of the October 2008 issue of Cooking Light and have come *this close* to using it a number of times but could never commit. Last night we finally got an opportunity to prepare it, and with great results.

Dal is a vegetarian dish of lentils, and this particular recipe include instructions for fragrant basmati rice to accompany it. Because it's really two dishes, you might be intimidated by the army of ingredients it sports, but don't fret - this meal comes together astonishingly quickly.

This is a recipe where we absolutely recommend chopping and measuring everything out ahead of time, because the rice and dal are cooked simultaneously, and each for only 15 minutes. We started by taking out all of our ingredients, looking ahead in the recipe to see which items "went together", and measuring them together into small bowls representing each step.

The rice is easy to begin first, because all 8 of its component go into the saucepan together - water, rice, and aromatics and seasonings. If you're having trouble finding cardamom pods (those two little seeds laying at the right front corner of our cutting board in the picture), you can either omit them or substitute 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom. We bought our cardamom pods in the bulk section of our grocery store, because a bottle of them was marked at a mind-blowing $9.99! (About 20 of them in bulk were just 80 cents.)

While you wait for the rice to boil, heat the olive oil over medium high heat, then sautee the onions for 5 minutes. When the rice comes to a boil, stir it once, cover it, and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes until it's nice and fluffy. You'll die when you smell this rice - it's so sweetly fragrant! The cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, and cardamom pods can be discarded, then remove the rice from the heat and keep warm.

Turning our attention back to the dal, when the onions have sauteed, the spices, ginger, and garlic are incorporated into the onion mixture for 30 seconds, then the water and all other ingredients (except the cilantro!) are added. That mixture is also brought to a boil, then covered and simmered over medium low for 15 minutes, after which the cilantro is stirred in. Then it's time for dinner!

We've noticed in our years of preparing Cooking Light dishes that their spiciness is often overstated. We were expecting a little more heat based on the incorporation of serrano chiles into the dal and were slightly disappointed this time. Sure, it was delicious, but we were hoping for a little more kick. So, to our Southern friends, who are always adding Tony's and Tabasco to everything, we recommend grabbing 2 or 3 of those chiles and going with gusto!

To recap:

• Buy your cardamom pods in bulk.
• Measure out everything ahead of time for a stress-free cooking experience.
• Turn up the heat!

Spicy Asian Marinated Flank Steak

We love finding a quick, low-maintenance recipe, and we sure did find it in yesterday's Spicy Asian Marinated Flank Steak (Cooking Light, June 2010).

This recipe does require some advance preparation, because the steak needs to be marinated for 24 hours. It also has a barrage of ingredients, most of which are pantry staples that you will have already. (Yes, we have bottled ginger at all times - why do you ask?)

The first step is to combine almost all of the ingredients (the first 10) in a ziplock bag. Place it in the fridge for 24 hours, remembering to turn it...well, whenever you remember. That part's not essential.

When you get home in the evening, transfer the marinated steak to the grill or a grill pan, coating whichever you choose with a heavy dose of cooking spray. Grill the meat for 4 minutes on each side, or until you're comfortable with the degree of doneness.

We accidentally deleted our action shot of the steak being grilled, but we did grab a picture with the finished product, all dressed up! This is the meat with a side of steamed rice and some sugar snow peas, red bell peppers, and red onions, which we sauteed for about 5 minutes in toasted sesame oil and a dash of sea salt.

Between the quick-cooking steak, the easy side, and our good friend, the rice cooker, this dinner was a cinch to put together. The meat was flavorful but not overwhelming, with the grilled pineapple adding a touch of sweetness. This dish could become a staple for us, especially if we start working in new spices and flavors with the same standard formula. (Next time we're thinking jalapeno peppers and a dash of sriracha rooster sauce!)

Chicken and Corn Chowder

Our first foray into Williams-Sonoma's Month of 30-Minute Meals feature is Chicken and Corn Chowder.

We had to make a few substitutions this time because our grocer had run out of required ingredients:

• We used chicken tenders instead of boneless, skinless chicken thighs


• We subbed in 1 tablespoon of dried thyme instead of fresh

We should also point out that the carton of half-and-half we used provided us with only 2 cups worth, whereas the recipe calls for 2.5 cups. We didn't notice anything wrong with the texture of the chowder, though, so it was a great way to save ourselves a few calories.

The recipe called for dry white wine, and because we're often at a loss for what that means, we did some research. Savignon blanc and chardonnay are the most notable of the dry whites; pinot grigio and riesling are considered "medium-dry" whites, and can also be used. We had two bottles of savignon blanc hanging out in our wine cabinet, so we went with that.

First, the bacon is prepared in a large stock pot or dutch oven and set aside. Three tablespoons of the bacon fat are retained in the pot and are used to sautee the potatoes, corn, and red bell pepper. (Those with an aversion to bacon fat could substitute an equal quantity of canola or extra virgin olive oil.) We happen to love all things bacon, so we stuck to the recipe there.

After sauteeing the vegetables at medium heat for 5 minutes, the broth and wine are added and the mixture is brought to a boil. Once boiling, the pot is covered and cooked for 5 more minutes.

Then, the chicken is added and cooked, covered, for 5-7 more minutes.

The green onions, half and half, thyme, salt, and pepper are added, and the mixture is brought to a simmer, at which point the heat is reduced to medium low and cooked for one last 3-minute segment. The chowder can then be ladled into bowls and topped with (delicious) bacon.

Although advertised as a 30-minute meal, this took slightly longer (45 minutes) to prepare. Still, it was a low-maintenance dish and perfect for a weeknight meal. It received rave reviews from our tasters, and is definitely something we'd look to make again (although not very often - it's so rich that we're sure it's not waistline friendly!). All-in-all, a solid, easy to prepare dish to fend off the winter blues!