April 13, 2022

Everything potato gratin

April 13, 2022/ Rebecca Davis

This easy side dish is the perfect way to make something that seems fancy (gratin!) while using all the shortcuts (barely any chopping!).

Take me to the recipe!

So, I used Jamie Oliver’s method for a quicker potato gratin. Gratin’s usually need up to an hour in the oven, but by combining cooking methods, you can get a creamy, crunchy, crispy dish in less than 30 minutes. Also, using everything bagel spice means that you don’t have to chop any onions or garlic or really measure much of anything.

Just a quick word of warning: Use oven mitts to secure the tin foil over your skillet or tin on the stove. You want a tight seal so that the potatoes steam a bit before going into the oven. ALSO, use caution when removing the foil as the steam is plentiful and HOT.

A note about SALT: I don’t add any in this recipe because most of the pre-made Everything Bagel spice mixes are pretty salty. Check your labels and then decide if you want to add more salt. I would recommend a sprinkle of sea salt over the top of the finished gratin if you feel like it needs more.

Everything Potato Gratin

1½ lbs russet potatoes (about 2 very large), peeled and sliced thinly
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup water
2½ Tbsp everything bagel spice, divided
5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
1½ cups grated cheese (mixture of gruyere, asiago, gouda)

Time: about 30 minutes, mostly active
Yield: 5 side servings

Preheat the oven to 425.

In a large oven-proof skillet or tin, spread the thinly sliced potatoes.

In a large measuring cup, combine the milk, water, and 1 1/2 Tbsp of everything bagel spice. Pour over the potatoes in the skillet. Add the fresh thyme and stir well to combine and to spread out the dried and fresh herbs.

Over a medium-high flame, bring the liquid to a boil. The liquid around the edges of the pan will boil quickly. Look for the first few bubbles in the middle of the pan and turn down the flame to medium-low.

Carefully wrap a piece of tin foil over the top of the skillet or tin. I wear oven mitts to do this because I want a tight seal, but I don’t want to burn myself. Let cook over a medium-low flame for 6 minutes.

Turn off the flame and CAREFULLY remove the foil being sure to wear oven mitts and to remove the foil away from you to avoid the hot steam.

Top evenly with the grated cheese.

Cook, uncovered, in the oven for 15 minutes. Top with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp of everything bagel spice.

Let cool slightly and serve.

December 20, 2021

Maitake mushroom salad

December 20, 2021/ Rebecca Davis

This warm, simple salad is so special thanks to the maitake mushrooms and the variety of textures and flavors. Made from expensive ingredients, this salad is meant for special occasions (or just the occasion of treating yourself), but I promise it’s worth it!

Take me to the recipe!

This salad is based on my best memories from a tiny little restaurant in Brooklyn called Little Dishes that I used to frequent with my husband before it tragically closed. I remember running to this place in the thick snow when someone was having a craving for their Mac and cheese. Their food was so simple, but so thoughtfully prepared that the dishes ended up being much greater than the sum of their humble parts.

Maitake mushrooms, sometimes called Hen of the Woods, are my absolute favorite variety. They’re meaty and slightly herby with a wee bit of forest floor funk. I state from the outset that this is an expensive salad because maitakes definitely don’t come cheap and I wouldn’t substitute any other mushroom variety here. I mean, you CAN, but your salad with end up fine, instead of ethereal.

The original recipe used a local cheese that was somewhere between parmesan and gruyere. Use either in this recipe or any other favorite cheese that falls in the nutty, slightly dry realm.

A couple of notes:

Cooking the mushrooms: I like to leave the mushrooms in slightly large pieces. It will feel awkward to cook them at first because they’re pretty stiff until they heat up somewhat. Once you sear them on one side, the mushrooms will get much floppier and easier to cook.
Cooking the radicchio: I seared half of the bitter lettuce and left the other half raw for a bit of textural difference, but you don’t strictly need to do this step. I left the lettuce in pretty large pieces for the photos, but definitely slice them much thinner for the real salad.

Maitake mushroom salad

2-3 large maitake mushrooms, each cut into about 4 large pieces
1 small head of radicchio, sliced into very thin wedges
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
4-5 cups arugula (1 small bag of pre-washed lettuce is perfect)
Shallot vinaigrette (recipe below), to taste
Parmesan or gruyere cheese, to taste

Shallot vinaigrette
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp minced shallot
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp mayonnaise
1 large pinch of salt

Heat the butter in a large skillet over a medium high flame. When the butter has begun to bubble and brown slightly, add the mushrooms and cook, turning every 1-2 minutes, until well browned on all sides and very floppy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the mushrooms to a plate and sprinkle with salt.

Add the olive oil to the pan and heat until very hot, but not smoking. Sear half of the radicchio on one side and then flip to the other side and sear again. If the pan is hot enough, this should take about 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with salt.

Add the mushrooms back to the pan with the radicchio to warm back up, but don’t turn the flame back on.

Add the arugula and the raw radicchio to a large plate or bowl. Add half of the dressing and toss well. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Top with the warm mushrooms and radicchio. Pour on more dressing to taste.

Add large flakes of the nutty, salty cheese on top to taste. Serve immediately.

June 21, 2021

Cauliflower Parmesan

June 21, 2021/ Rebecca Davis

Swap the meat and heavy breading with cauliflower and a crunchy, salty panko topping, and you have a hearty, satisfying pescatarian dish that’s quick, easy, and pleases everyone in the family. #meandthemoose #cauliflowerparmesan #lightercomfortfood … — Swap the meat and heavy breading with cauliflower and a crunchy, salty panko topping, and you have a hearty, satisfying pescatarian dish that’s quick, easy, and pleases everyone in the family. #meandthemoose #cauliflowerparmesan #lightercomfortfood #comfortfood #sheetpandinner #dinnerrecipes

This recipe replaces meat with cauliflower steaks and uses some crispy, briny, magical breadcrumbs to add a crunch that mimics breading without any dredging or frying necessary!

Take me to the recipe!

I put on real clothes for the first time post-pandemic and postpartum for a wedding last weekend and it felt…strange. Like, I’ve completely lost track of the parameters of my body. I ordered a couple of dresses that were all either wildly too big or wildly too small. Have clothes changed a lot in the past 23 months? Or do I need to add body dysmorpia to the list of fun things I have to deal with now???

Anyway, I need to get a grip on a lot of things. Firstly, clothes. Secondly, time. The pandemic made time seem both short and interminable. But one nice benefit to having my husband working from home for the past year was that I could hand him a baby monitor while Z napped or leave him with a barely moving infant while he worked so I could handle the 5-year-old. Now that Z is a one-toddler wrecking crew and Ethan will head back to the office soon, I have to account for the whereabouts of two children who are doing activities in the real world again. Ugh.

Well, this cauliflower parmesan sheet pan dinner solves both problems. Well, not SOLVES necessarily, but definitely fits the bill for a fast, light meal that everyone likes.

A couple of notes:

This recipe leaves a lot of wiggle room for more sauce, cheese, and breadcrumb topping to suit your tastes.
I use cauliflower here, but you could certainly use meat or any other vegetable you like topped with sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and magical breadcrumbs.
I find this meal really filling for something sans meat, but my husband always asks for a sausage or some leftovers from another meal to go with it, so use this guy as a side or a main as you see fit.
I barely salt the cauliflower. Usually, it needs a lot of seasoning, but since the breadcrumbs are so salty, I don’t want to overdo it. You can always add, but you can’t subtract.
The cooking time will depending on how thinly you slice the cauliflower. Check it after 10 minutes and stop roasting when the stems are just fork tender.

Cauliflower Parmesan

Time: About 30 minutes, all active
Yield: 2-3 mains or 4-5 sides

1 very large or 2 medium heads of cauliflower, stems intact
¼ cup olive oil
Pinch of salt
1½ -2 cup tomato sauce (plus extra for dipping)
1½ cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup shredded or grated parmesan
1 cup Magical breadcrumbs (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 425.

Remove the leaves at the bottom of the cauliflower, but leave the stem intact. Cut the cauliflower into 1-inch thick slices and spread on a baking sheet. Some may break into florets and that’s okay!

Spray or brush on half of the olive oil. Flip the cauliflower and spray or brush the other sides. Season one side of the cauliflower with a pinch of salt.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the stems of the cauliflower are fork tender. Start checking around 10 minutes.

While the cauliflower roasts, make the breadcrumbs (recipe below)

When cauliflower is fork tender, remove it from the oven and turn on the broiler.

While the broiler is heating, top the cauli steaks with 1 cup of the sauce and all of the mozzarella.

Broil until the cheese is golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Top with the parmesan and magical breadcrumbs to taste.

Magical breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
2 whole anchovy filets (or 4 split filets depending on how your anchovies are canned)*
1 heaping cup panko
2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 Tbsp)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-low flame. Add the anchovies and cook, breaking them up with a wooden spoon or spatula until they’re completely dissolved, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the panko and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. If the breadcrumbs start to darken, turn the flame down.

Add the garlic and stir well. Let the mixture cook, untouched for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom of the breadcrumbs start to turn golden. Turn off the flame and mix the breadcrumbs. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before using.

If saving for later, let the breadcrumbs cool completely and then store, covered loosely, in the fridge for up to 4 days.

March 15, 2021

Browned butter and leek mashed potatoes

March 15, 2021/ Rebecca Davis

What’s better on your Easter or Passover table than some decadent (browned butter! cream!), spring-y (leeks!) mashed potatoes?

Take me to the spuds!

Spring holidays are the best. They feel like a gateway to blue skies, warmer weather, and, this year, like we’re one step closer to some sense of safety and normalcy. Maybe that’s overstating it, but last year’s holidays were SO WEIRD, right?. I was about 5 minutes postpartum with Z, so I’m sure everything felt worse in that state, but I remember being so afraid. We knew so little about Covid and how it spread. We wiped down our groceries with BLEACH. I was afraid to go in our front yard. We left our mail outside for WEEKS. WHAT THE FUCK.

Anyway, this year has been wild. I was actually imagining talking about it in the future. It’s going to be one of those conversations where the other people all went through the same thing, but we all need to talk about it like we were the only ones.

Anyway, about the potatoes. These are so quick and easy, but a little fancy and extra, which is what I like on a holiday table.

But let’s talk about ricing your mashed potatoes for a sec, shall we? I’m an avowed lazy cook/cleaner. I think it was years of dishwasher-less NYC kitchens that conditioned me to avoid extra dishes at any cost, so I really resisted using a ricer for a long time (and I still don’t use it unless it’s a special occasion). Some people are ricer devotees for achieving those ultra fluffy, creamy potatoes. And when you’re making straight-up, unadorned mashed potatoes, I do think the ricer makes a difference.

However, there are going to be lumps in these potatoes because we’re adding leeks, so I recommend skipping it and saving yourself some time and dishes.

Want to make these extra decadent and fancy? Add a drizzle of cream on top of the potatoes along with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and some Aleppo pepper to finish it off. It’s *chef’s kiss*.

Brown butter and leek mashed potatoes

Time: 20 minutes, all active
Yield: About 4-6 side servings

1 lb Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup heavy cream + more for drizzling
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
4 Tbsp butter
1 small leek, trimmed, quartered and sliced
¼ tsp pepper
Pinch of Aleppo pepper (optional)

In a medium soup pot, cover the peeled and chopped potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil over a high flame. Once boiling, continue cooking at a rolling boil (you may need to turn the flame down if the water threatens to boil over) for 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the potatoes are boiling, clean and chop your leeks and set aside.

Add the butter to a small pan or pot and heat over a medium flame until the butter has melted and begins to bubble vigorously and pop slightly. If the popping is too much or too dangerous, turn the flame down slightly, but you want to maintain the bubbling. Let the butter cook for 1-2 minutes and check to see if little brown bits are separating and falling to the bottom of the pan beneath the bubbles. The butter should smell nutty. This may take a few minutes longer depending on your pan and how cold your butter was to start, so keep checking regularly.

Once the browning has begun, add the leeks and ¼ tsp salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the leeks also begin to brown. If the browning happens too quickly, turn down the flame.

Drain the potatoes and add ¼ tsp salt. Mash well.

Add ¼ cup heavy cream to the mashed potatoes and whip vigorously with a spatula or whisk. When the leeks and butter are sufficiently browned, add them to the potatoes. Season with the remaining ½ tsp of kosher salt and ¼ tsp of pepper, or more to taste.

November 15, 2020

Magical breadcrumbs with mushrooms and scallions

November 15, 2020/ Rebecca Davis

Make these easy, quick, and delicious magical breadcrumbs to top these mushrooms and scallions and then use them to add breading and crunch to literally anything. #meandthemoose #easysidedishes #sidedishes #pescatarian #recipes #easyrecipes

The breadcrumbs are the star of this show, but don’t sleep on the mushrooms and scallions either. A simple, make-ahead side dish that’s fast, easy, and relatively healthy, but seems just the opposite!

Take me to the recipe!

First things first, we have to talk about these magical breadcrumbs. What could be so great about a humble breadcrumb, you might ask? I’ll tell you!

They’re crunchy, salty, briny, and aromatic and elevate anything they top. Using panko maximizes the crispiness while the anchovies add a salty, funky note and the garlic lends a spicy bite. We bathe everything in a little olive oil or butter to mildly tame the funk and the bite while increasing the crunch. The results: magical.

There are other fantastic things about these breadcrumbs too: Sub them in for breading or croutons and they make any dish lighter and easier to prepare. They also stay crispy in the fridge for up to 4 days, so make them in advance and top any side dish just before serving.

For this dish, I’ve used the breadcrumbs to top this umami bomb of mushrooms, scallions, butter, and soy sauce. Each time I’ve made these mushrooms, we’ve INHALED them. This dish is simple, quick, and tastes so much more complex than its humble ingredients would suggest.

A quick note: This is a relatively small recipe because I’m guessing (hoping, encouraging, BEGGING) that we’re all having small Thanksgiving meals this year, but if you’re cooking for a (socially distanced) crowd, definitely increase the mushroom portion of this recipe. You’ll have more than enough breadcrumbs with the measurements given.

Also: Be judicious with the salt in this recipe. We are SALT LOVERS in this house, but the anchovies are so salty that we didn’t really need much more than the big pinch of sea salt that I add while cooking the mushrooms. But you do you.

Magical breadcrumbs with mushrooms and scallions

Time: 10 minutes for the breadcrumbs, 12 minutes for the mushrooms, all active
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs (depending upon how “heaping” your cup of panko is), 3 adult side servings of mushrooms (but to be fair, I’ve eaten all of the mushrooms in one sitting topped with a runny egg for lunch)

Mushrooms and scallions:
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz mushrooms (any variety, about two containers)
Large pinch of salt
4 large scallions, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1/2-1 tsp soy sauce, to taste
1/4- 1/2 cup Magical breadcrumbs (recipe below), to taste
Flaky sea salt, to taste

Heat the olive oil over a medium flame. When hot, sear the mushrooms on one side and then shake the pan and sear the other side. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mushrooms turn a darker, golden color, about 5 minutes. If cooking too fast, turn down the heat. Season with a large pinch of salt.

Add the scallions and cook until they begin to wilt and soften, about 4-5 minutes.

If, during the cooking of the mushrooms and scallions, the pan feels too dry or the veggies start to stick, add a little bit more olive oil. But keep in mind that the mushrooms may release their juices as they cook more."**

**Depending on the type of mushrooms you use, they may release a lot of water. If this happens, you can either turn up the flame and cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until the liquid has evaporated. Or, if your mushrooms and scallions are nearly cooked and there’s still a lot of water in the pan, drain it before adding the butter.

When the mushrooms and scallions are cooked, turn the flame all the way down. Add the butter. When it’s melted, add the soy sauce and stir to coat. Turn off the flame. Taste and add more soy sauce if necessary.

Top with breadcrumbs (recipe below) and flaky sea salt if necessary, just before serving.

Magical breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
2 whole anchovy filets (or 4 1/2 filets depending on how your anchovies are canned)*
1 heaping cup panko
2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 Tbsp)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-low flame. Add the anchovies and cook, breaking them up with a wooden spoon or spatula until they’re completely dissolved, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the panko and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. If the breadcrumbs start to darken, turn the flame down.

If saving for later, let the breadcrumbs cool completely and then store, covered loosely, in the fridge for up to 4 days.

*A quick note about anchovies: Sometimes they’re cleaned and the two sides are left connected when they’re canned. I consider that a “whole” anchovy. If they two sides are separated, I consider that 1/2 of a filet)

Me & The Moose

Me & The Moose

Elevated family food

Me & The Moose

Everything potato gratin

Everything Potato Gratin

Maitake mushroom salad

Maitake mushroom salad

Cauliflower Parmesan

Browned butter and leek mashed potatoes

Brown butter and leek mashed potatoes

Magical breadcrumbs with mushrooms and scallions

Me & The Moose