Living Dangerously While Eating

Daring Candy!

2011-08-31T14:48:00.001-05:00

The August 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge was hosted by Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drive and Mandy of What the Fruitcake?!. These two sugar mavens challenged us to make sinfully delicious candies! This was a special challenge for the Daring Bakers because the good folks at http://www.chocoley.com offered an amazing prize for the winner of the most creative and delicious candy!

I’m a few days tardy to post the candies I made for this challenge, but they’re done and I’m happy to share them here. This was a tough challenge in that I don’t make candy, not even for the holidays, so I took my time choosing recipes that would have easily accessible ingredients, yet use techniques somewhat new to me.

The first part of the challenge was to make something chocolate. I chose Chocolate Merlot Tarragon Truffles. I used tarragon from the garden and a cabernet/merlot blend wine, and decided to roll them in cocoa as a finish. The bitter cocoa balances the richness of the chocolate, and the tarragon adds just a hint of licorice sweet. In other words, they’re delicious! I read that these were made for Prince William and his new bride when they visited the U.S. in July.

I’ve made ganache before, but never truffles, and I always hesitate to have to use the double boiler. These were easy to make, yet they’re a rich and decadent treat.

The second part of the challenge could be anything and it took me a long time to decide on Spicy Cashew Brittle. I’ve never made any kind of brittle before, and frankly, avoid having to use a candy thermometer at all costs. This recipe intrigued me because it uses jalapeno peppers as the “spicy” component, and I have tons of them in my garden.

Now, I’m not a huge fan of hard, crunchy candy – I prefer soft, chewy, melty chocolate – but this brittle is so good! You can’t really taste the jalapeno, there’s just a “warmth” left on your palate when you finish a piece, and that takes the place of the sweetness that usually lingers. I cannot say there will be piles of truffles and brittle around here now, but having successfully completed this challenge was pretty sweet!

Chocolate Merlot Tarragon Truffles (recipe from Giada DeLaurentis)

1/3 cup heavy cream
1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli 1/3 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves
3 tablespoons Merlot wine
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place the cream and chocolate in a medium bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, which takes about six minutes.
Stir in the tarragon, wine and salt until smooth.
Refrigerate for two hours until firm. Let the mixture stand at room temperature until moldable, which takes about 45 minutes.
Using a melon scoop, scoop level amounts of the truffle mixture on to the prepared baking sheet. Roll into 1/2-inch balls.
Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Roll the truffles in the cocoa powder until coated.
Arrange on a platter and serve or refrigerate in an airtight container.

Spicy Cashew Brittle (recipe from Today’s Nest)

The ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
½ cup water
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups cashews (halves and pieces will do)
3 medium jalapeno peppers
1 teaspoon baking soda

The method:

Butter a large baking sheet.
Assemble all ingredients.
Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove pith and seeds.
Place sugar, corn syrup, water, and pepper halves in a large pot over medium heat.
Attach the thermometer to the side.
When mixture comes to a boil (about 5 minutes), add in butter. Stir occasionally.
When mixture reaches 230 (about 15 minutes) degrees remove peppers and begin stirring frequently.
Turn heat down slightly to medium low.
When mixture reaches 275 degrees (about 20 minutes) add cashews and stir constantly.
Turn heat back up to medium.
When mixture reaches 300 degrees (about 10 minutes) remove from heat and stir in baking soda.
Pour onto baking sheet and spread out with two forks while candy is still hot.
Place sheet on wire cooling rack and do not touch until it is cool.
Invert baking sheet and snap brittle into pieces.
Store in an airtight container.

Do You Dare?

2011-07-27T09:44:00.001-05:00

Try something new in the kitchen and join me – I am a Daring Baker!

This was my first Daring Baker challenge and I very much enjoyed making the chiffon cake and pastry cream as well as experimenting with infusing simple syrup with basil (yum!). I made the components of the recipe one day, then assembled and chilled it the next. I regret that I didn’t take photos during the process, but was really concentrating on each step of the recipe. There was lots of whipping and folding and heating and stirring. Ah, but the result was wonderful!

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

I used the lemon chiffon cake recipe, and infused the simple syrup with fresh basil. The pastry cream was smooth and not too sweet. This is a perfect summertime dessert, light, cool, and creamy.

Here’s the recipe:

Basic Chiffon Cake:

Ingredients:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably kosher
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
5 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to moderate 325°F.
Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly.
Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.
Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.
Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days.

To make Lemon Chiffon cake:

Reduce water to 1/4 cup, add 1/8 cup lemon juice
Increase lemon zest to 1½ teaspoon
Remove the vanilla from the recipe

Follow the directions, same as above, adding the lemon juice and zest to the oil, egg yolks and water in step 4

Pastry Cream Filling:

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt, preferably kosher
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon gelatin
1/2 tablespoon water
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine
Add the eggs to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.
Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.
Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.
Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for up to five days.
In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften.
Put two inches of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
Measure 1/4 cup of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit across the sauce pan with the simmering water, without touching the water.
Heat the cream until it is 120° F. Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove from the water bath, and whisk the remaining cold pastry cream in to incorporate in two batches.
In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Simple Syrup:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of sugar, flavored or white
1/3 cup of water

(I added three fresh basil leaves after removing from the heat, and left the leaves in overnight, removing them when ready to use the syrup)

Directions:

Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Stirring is not necessary, but will not harm the syrup.
Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly.
Transfer syrup to a lidded container or jar that can be stored in the refrigerator. Simple syrup can be stored for up to one month.

Fraisier Assembly:

Components:
1 baked 8 inch (20 cm) chiffon cake
1 recipe pastry cream filling
⅓ cup (80 ml) simple syrup or flavored syrup
2 lbs (900 g) strawberries
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
½ cup (120 ml) (5 oz/140 gm) almond paste

Directions:

Line the sides of a 8-inch (20 cm) spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom of the pan.
Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.
Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with the simple syrup. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to resemble a squishy sponge, you have enough.
Hull and slice in half enough strawberries to arrange around the sides of the cake pan. Place the cut side of the strawberry against the sides of the pan, point side up forming a ring.
Pipe cream in-between strawberries and a thin layer across the top of the cake.
Hull and quarter your remaining strawberries and place them in the middle of the cake. Cover the strawberries and entirely with the all but 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of the pastry cream.
Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To serve release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

New Favorite Cake

2010-10-11T10:57:00.001-05:00

Let’s talk cake today, shall we?

Hands down, chocolate is my favorite flavor in all the world, and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is the best snack or dessert (or breakfast!)anytime, anyplace.

There is much to be said for lemon, though. I love a sweet, tangy lemon cake with lemon icing. Yum – my mouth is watering just because I typed that last sentence. Others that I like are Italian Cream Cake (smooth and creamy and vanilla-y), Carrot Cake (a little spicy, nutty, and cream cheese frosting – yum).

A few weeks ago I found myself planning a few birthday cakes. The first, Brad’s, was easy – it had to be chocolate for his first birthday. We had buttercream frosting and fondant balls for decorations. It was festive, cute, and tasty.

The second, to celebrate my BIL Randy’s 50th birthday was easy-peasy. He got apple pies. I confess that I did bake those pies, but Marie Callander actually made them. They, too, were delicious.

The third cake was more of a challenge. I wanted something a little sophisticated for my FIL’s birthday, yet it needed to be easy and simple. I asked for ideas and was told “just not chocolate”. That was covered by Brad’s cake, so not a problem. What to make for a man from the South celebrating his 75th? There were a few more suggestions, but nothing that sounded “right”. On my way home from work just a few days before the party, it came to me – Maple Walnut! It would be autumnal and Southern and grown-up. Just what I was looking for.

As soon as I got home, I Googled for recipes, and when I found this blog with a recipe for cake with maple-flavored icing and walnuts decorating the sides, I knew the quest was over.

I made a 10” double layer plain white cake (yes, from a mix). The maple frosting mixed up easily. Oh, it was sweet and maple-y and so good!

Pressing the walnuts to the sides wasn’t quite so simple,but a little star border around the bottom took care of the “messies” I made. Next time I will chop the nuts a little finer and coat the top, instead.

There was none of this cake left after the birthday party and I got lots of compliments.

I’m including the frosting recipe as it was printed on that blog, but if you want the entire recipe for the cake and all, go visit The Well-Seasoned Cook.

American Buttercream Frosting (Maple)
[This is a standard recipe, using all butter and no trans-fat shortening. If you are not fond of the metallic gritty sweetness of confectioners sugar, you can use glazing sugar, a powdered sugar without cornstarch. King Arthur carries it.]
Ingredients
½ pound butter, softened to room temperature
1 pound confectioners sugar (or more)
¼ cup milk (or more)
1 Tablespoon natural maple extract (much more highly concentrated than maple syrup)
Method
In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy and fluffy. Add sugar one cup at a
time, beating well between additions. Keep beating until all the sugar is absorbed. Add extract and milk, and resume beating until frosting is smooth
and light. Frosting consistency is a matter of taste. You can easily add more sugar to thicken. You can also stretch your ingredients by adding more sugar and milk incrementally until you have doubled the volume. This is especially useful if you have a large cake to frost and don't want to increase an already high fat content. Keep frosting tightly covered until ready to use to prevent sugar crust. Buttercream does not have to be refrigerated, but should be kept in a cool place so it doesn't melt.
After filling and decorating the assembled layers, gently press approximately 1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts into the sides of cake. Cake
will develop a natural sugar crust while standing; this is perfectly harmless and adds to its character. Cover with a large inverted plastic bowl to keep it fresh.

Bring the Heat

2010-09-05T09:09:00.002-05:00

As usual, the jalapeno plants have produced a plethora of peppers again this summer, and they’re not done yet. We’ve pickled them, stuffed them, frozen them, and last week I tried a new-to-me recipe for jalapeno hot sauce. The recipe was shared on a Yahoo email list I belong to and I cooked some up within the hour of reading about it.

(Click on recipe title to see original.)

Jalapeno Hot Sauce

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Ready In: 45 Minutes

Servings: 16

"Jalapenos, garlic and onion sautéed and pureed into fresh homemade hot sauce."

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

20 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup minced onion

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar (I followed a suggestion of using just 2/3 cup)

Directions:

1. In a medium glass or enamel lined sauce pan over high heat, combine oil, peppers, garlic, onion and salt; sauté for 4 minutes. Add the water and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

2. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. With the processor running, slowly add the vinegar.

3. Pour into a sterilized jar with a tight lid. This sauce will keep for 6 months when stored in the refrigerator.

I got five 4 oz. jars and one half-pint jar from this recipe. There was a little bit leftover after filling the jars, and Jess scooped it up with some tortilla chips. She said it was “a bowl of deliciousness”.

So far we’ve just dipped chips into the jar and eaten it that way. I plan to make some enchiladas this week and will use this as a condiment.

A New Homemade Pizza

2010-08-24T06:41:00.000-05:00

We have very limited choices for carry-out pizza around here, and while we usually enjoy not having to cook, we really, really like homemade pizza. This is a recipe I found a few weeks ago on a blog, and I thought it sounded pretty delicious, and it was. Oh, it was…

Of course, I made a couple of changes, which I’ll note at the end of the recipe. Try this one. I mean it.

(Click on the recipe title to see the blog.)

Thin-Crust Chicken Bacon Artichoke Pizza

Thin crispy crust with a light garlic sauce, topped with grilled chicken, turkey bacon, mozzarella, baby spinach, marinated artichokes, and feta cheese

Yield:

8 large slices

Ingredients:

Crust Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water (115 degrees)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 teaspoon dry yeast

Garlic Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup light or fat free Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper

Toppings:

1/2 cup cubed or thinly sliced grilled or rotisserie chicken breast meat
1 cup (loosely measured) baby spinach leaves
1/3 to 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, blotted dry and cut into bite-size (small) pieces
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 slices turkey bacon ("fully cooked"), chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Green onion slices, optional
Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. To make crust, place warm water and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Add a cup of the flour and the yeast, and stir. Add remaining flour (1/3 cup) and stir or knead into a sticky dough, adding additional water if needed. Allow dough to rest, covered with a clean towel, for at least 10 minutes but up to 30-45 minutes.

If you have a bread machine, this first step can be done by putting all crust ingredients into the machine and using the dough cycle to knead for 10-15 minutes, until a soft, sticky dough is formed. Stop the machine and allow dough to rest for at least 10 minutes, or up to 30-45 minutes.

2. Liberally butter a 16-inch round pizza pan, and then with your clean buttery hands, spread dough thinly over the pan. Be gentle and have patience, as this does make a perfectly thin crust!

3. Combine the garlic sauce ingredients and spread the sauce over the dough/crust and allow to rest for 15 minutes or longer (up to 45 minutes).

4. Sprinkle toppings evenly over sauce in order listed.

5. Bake pizza in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 10 minutes or until top is browned and bubbly, and crust is slightly browned on the bottom. Watch carefully to avoid burning! :)

Cut pizza into 8 slices and serve hot, with parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!*My Notes: our crust was not crispy, and I know why. I did not ‘liberally butter’ the pizza pan and use my buttery hands to spread the crust. Next time I’ll use the stone and see if I can stay away from the butter, yet get that crispy crust.

I added sautéed mushrooms. Everything is better with mushrooms. Yes it is!

Only half the pizza got spinach. Some things I just cannot get him to like…

Surprisingly, I had no feta cheese in the house. We didn’t miss it, but it would add a little touch of tang.

I used sliced fresh mozzarella instead of shredded.

No green onions, but next time I think I’ll add thinly sliced red onion.

After she took one bite, Jessica told me, “I keep telling you, we could cater!” Hmmm… we?

Muffin Tin Monday

2010-08-23T05:00:00.001-05:00

I discovered Muffin Tin Monday (MTM) a long time ago, and think this is such a fun way for kids to have a special meal or snack. A couple of years ago I put one together for Taylor when she was staying here, but am just coming back to it again now with Bradley. Take a peek at Muffin Tin Mom’s blog and see what the other participants are putting together for fun meals with their kids. I’m so excited to find fun picks and things for when Bradley gets a bit older.

Speaking of Bradley, he is eating most all table food now (except for things he cannot have until he’s one or two for allergy reasons), so the other day I put together this fun plate for his lunch.

The theme for this week’s meals was “ABC” so instead of a muffin tin, I used this sweet compartmentalized ABC plate. (I picked it up at Target at the beginning of summer when it was on clearance for 75 cents.)

I used white cupcake papers to hold the food: avocadoes for “A”, blueberries for “B”, and cheese toast for “C”.

He’d been sick and wasn’t eating great quantities, so this looks pretty chintzy on food, but it was fine for him that day. In fact, he didn’t eat the blueberries until later. Of course, at 10 1/2 months old, there is no way he was leaving this plate and cupcake papers on his high chair tray and eating from it. To pre-empt the mess that would have been him tossing the plate, I showed it to him, then we dumped the avocado and the cheese toast on his tray so he could feed himself.

I hope this becomes a fun tradition he and I have together, and as he gets older he can help plan and prepare the MTM. I’d have loved to have done this on home visits when I was a family educator for Head Start. What a great way to get kids and parents together in the kitchen to create nutritious meals, and possibly try new foods!

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!

2010-08-10T09:01:00.001-05:00

Randy went fishing in South Dakota last month and brought home some walleye. This is a very flavorful and firm white fish and I was quite happy when he gave me a package of fillets to take home.

I did some recipe searching so we could make the most of our walleye, but pretty much it was just breading and frying, so that’s what we did. I first dredged the fillets in flour, then dipped in beaten egg, then covered them with panko crumbs. Greg fried them in some canola oil in a cast iron skillet and they came out golden brown and crispy on the outside, juicy and flavorful on the inside.

To go along with our delicious fish, we had zucchini fritters and sweet corn. I made two simple sauces, just mayonnaise and ketchup mixed together for one, and mayo with sweet pickle relish for the second.

I did email Randy after we finished eating and told him that if he should have any extra walleye hanging around, to please think of us!

Wrapping the Salmon

2010-08-08T20:46:00.002-05:00

Last week when Greg grilled our salmon for supper, I gave him an extra piece so I’d have leftovers. There was an idea in a Martha magazine for a wrap using salmon mixed with cream cheese and cilantro.

I didn’t have any cilantro, but was able to run out to the garden and snip some dill instead. Chopped that up, crumbled up the salmon, and mixed both with part of a brick of low-fat cream cheese.

After spreading the mixture onto a flour tortilla, I added thin-sliced tomato and avocado for a yummy lunch wrap.

I had enough mixture left for three more tortillas. Those were sliced into rounds for finger food at another lunch. Bradley loved them!

Mediterranean Herb Paste

2010-06-10T19:46:00.002-05:00

Supper tonight was a small pork loin on the grill. Greg does lots of rubs and we have a small selection of bbq sauces that we use often with pork, but I wanted something a little different to go with the brown & wild rice we were also having. A quick perusal of my recipe files found this herb paste that I think I got from the Herb Companion web site last summer.

Since we’re somewhat into our gardening season finally, I do have these fresh herbs growing in the back yard. As usual, it was a kick to go outside and cut the herbs as I needed them.

I had a 1.12 lb pork loin to cook on the grill. Just covered the top of the loin with some of this paste, then Greg grilled it for about 25 minutes over medium indirect heat.

Mediterranean Herb Paste
By Pat Crocker
Makes 3/4 cup
Make and use this in several different dishes in a week. It can form the
basis for a vinaigrette dressing, soup, dips, spreads and even be used as a
flavoring for savory muffins and scones.
. 10 garlic cloves
. ½ cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
. ½ cup fresh thyme leaves
. ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves, snipped
. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
. 1 tablespoon sea salt
. ¼ cup olive oil
. 1 tablespoon tarragon or white wine vinegar
1. Pulse garlic in food processor 3 or 4 times or until garlic is finely
chopped. Add sage, thyme and rosemary; pulse 3 or 4 times until finely
chopped. Add mustard and salt; pulse until blended.
2. Gradually add 3 tablespoons oil, processing until blended. Add vinegar
and remaining olive oil and process until blended.

This smells amazing! It was good on the loin – I think I would marinate the meat with it overnight next time so more of the flavor is absorbed.

There is about half of the recipe left, so I thought I’d mix it with some fresh mozzarella and slice some tomatoes for a salad. I’ll let you know how that goes…

Rhubarb Blueberry Jam

2010-05-31T08:40:00.002-05:00

I was gifted quite a bit of rhubarb recently, enough to make a few desserts and a double batch of this delicious jam. My son, Nick, just loves it, and he’s the pickiest eater we have.

Since it’s a freezer jam, there’s no pectin or hot water bath. Just follow the directions for cooking, pour into the jars, put on a lid, let cool, and pop into the freezer. We love it on toasted English muffins.

I don’t have my original recipe, but a quick internet search gave me several versions. This one is the closest to what I remember mine being. The only change I made is to use strawberry jello – I don’t care for raspberries.

RHUBARB BLUEBERRY JAM
Printed from COOKS.COM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 c. rhubarb, cut fine
1 c. water
5 c. sugar
1 c. blueberry pie filling
2 (3 oz.) pkgs. raspberry gelatin (I used strawberry)
Cook rhubarb in water until tender; add sugar and cook five more minutes.
Add pie filling and cook eight minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from
heat and stir gelatin in until completely dissolved. Pour into jars and
seal. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

**I used about med-high heat. The jars will cool on the counter for a few hours, then go into the frig, then the freezer. BE CAREFUL when you freeze glass. Freezing makes glass brittle and it should be handled with care.

Enjoy!

Chicken Kebab Salad

2010-05-30T17:35:00.001-05:00

One afternoon in March I was watching Food Network while rocking the baby to sleep, and Tyler Florence was making these yummy-looking chicken kebabs. I’ve had this recipe on my menu plan a couple of times, but couldn’t buy the fresh bay leaves until we were in Lincoln a few weeks ago. Then I needed a good grilling day when the wind wasn’t blowing 300 mph. Finally it happened last week. These were a snap to put together. Here’s the recipe as I took it from the Food Network web site, then I have some notes on what I actually did after that:

Chicken Kebab Salad
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2007
Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the kebabs:
a.. 8 links sweet Italian pork sausage
b.. 1 crusty baguette
c.. 2 to 3 medium, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
d.. 12 fresh bay leaves
e.. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
f.. 2 lemons
g.. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad and dressing:
a.. 2 anchovies
b.. 2 cloves garlic
c.. 1/2 lemon, juiced
d.. 2 egg yolks*
e.. 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus shavings for garnish
f.. 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
g.. 2 tablespoons water
h.. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
i.. 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
j.. Flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
k.. 2 lemons, cut into wedges, for garnish
Directions
Special equipment: 4 large foot-long skewers, metal or thick bamboo work
best, soaked in water for half an hour if using bamboo or wood.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
For the kebabs:
Slice chicken thinly, cut the baguette into 1/2-inch rounds, and cut the
sausage links up into chunks, alternating cuts at 45 degree angles for nice
triangular shapes.
Now prepare the kebabs. Take the skewers 1 at a time and begin threading the components alternately. Start with a piece of bread, then chicken, bay leaf, sausage, and bread; repeat this 3 times to fill the skewers, ending with bread.
Lay the prepared kebabs out on your board and drizzle liberally with
extra-virgin olive oil. Squeeze the lemon juice all over and season well
with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the prepared kebabs onto
preheated grill and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes per side, or until cooked
through.
While kebabs are roasting you can prepare the salad. In a blender combine
the anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, egg yolks and grated Parmesan. Pulse a
couple of times to combine, then add the water and blend again. With the
motor running, gradually pour the oil through the feed tube and continue to
blend until emulsified. Season, to taste, with salt and some freshly ground
black pepper.
In a large mixing bowl add the chopped romaine. When the kebabs are done, remove from the oven and slide the kebab components off the skewers directly into the bowl. Add some dressing and gently toss to combine.
To plate, garnish with parsley leaves, shaved Parmesan and fresh lemon
wedges.

**My notes: For the salad portion of this recipe, I cut up a couple of heads of Romaine, then just used Cardini’s Caesar Salad dressing.

For the kebabs, I added half mushrooms to the skewers after each sausage piece. I think my grill was a little too hot since some of the bread was burned. I did cook them for 7 minutes on each side, though, to make sure the chicken was fully cooked.

This was a light but flavorful supper. I think it could be made without the fresh bay leaves and still taste great. The bread chunks made for large croutons.

This is one I’ll make again when the weather is hot and no one wants a heavy meal.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

2010-05-16T20:35:00.001-05:00

Today is Greg’s birthday and he always likes to have German chocolate cake with caramel pecan frosting as his birthday cake. Jess baked the cake this afternoon (from a mix) and I whipped up some homemade frosting tonight after supper. Many years ago my friend Cindy gave me her recipe for homemade coconut pecan frosting and I’ve used it since. The tub frosting is thicker, but the homemade tastes so much better.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 C evaporated milk*

1 C sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 (1 stick) butter

1 tsp vanilla

Combine and cook until thickened (about 12 minutes).**

1 1/3 C coconut

1 C chopped pecans

Beat until thick enough to spread.

*I had no cans of evaporated milk in my cupboard, but a quick Google search had me mixing up 2/3 C dry milk w/ 3/4 C water to equal 1 C evaporated milk.

**It’s thicker than it started, but not frosting thickness. After 12 minutes it wasn’t getting any thicker, so I went ahead and took it off the heat to add the coconut and pecans. I let that cool a bit before beating.

It was still a little thin when I poured it over the cake, but I’m letting it sit awhile to cool a little more. It should thicken some more as it cools.

I love the way it seeps down to cover the sides of the cake.

It’s rich and sweet and oh-so-easy to make from scratch. You’ll never want to buy your frosting again.

Stuffed Pork Loin

2010-03-17T20:34:00.002-05:00

Greg’s been looking at barbecue web sites lately and they’ve inspired him to try something new. On Sunday afternoon, he whipped up this stuffed loin of pork and cooked it on the rotisserie on the grill.

He sliced the loin in kind of a circle pattern so it laid open flat, then layered it with prepared Stovetop stuffing (I know, but he loves it…). He didn’t tell me he was doing it, so I didn’t get a photo of that step, but I did see he was tying it up and putting the rotisserie hardware on, so I grabbed the camera. Here it is, ready to cook. Stuffed, then simply seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some paprika. According to Greg, the paprika gives the meat a nice color.

Here it is, sliced up and ready to feast on:

It was very tender and flavorful, and the stuffing added some moistness. I imagine we’ll be experimenting with different stuffing ingredients – he’s talking bleu cheese… I’d love to add some dried cranberries to the Stovetop (again, I know, but it was pretty good).

Any suggestions you want him to try?

Some Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

2010-03-13T19:29:00.002-06:00

Grace and I made these together this morning. It was our “project” for the day and she did a great job! Photos of her cupcakes will be posted on my other blog, but here’s the recipe from Family Fun. It was a bit more tedious than I expected, so next time we thought we’d use a pastry bag for each color rather than try to spoon it all out. We’ll see… They’re really very pretty when you break them in half.

Taste a Rainbow

Ingredients

White cake mix (we used an 18-1/4-ounce box)
Food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow)

Baking cups
Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.

RAINBOW COLOR
DROPS OF FOOD COLORING

Purple
9 red and 6 blue drops

Blue
12 drops

Green
12 drops

Yellow
12 drops

Orange
12 yellow and 4 red drops

Red
18 drops
Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.
Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.

Mmmm…

2010-03-06T14:38:00.001-06:00

I made turkey pot pie for supper yesterday, prepping the filling in the morning, so all I had to do at suppertime was throw on the biscuit topping and pop it in the oven. That left me some extra time to make a lil’ somethin’ for dessert. It needed to be simple, quick, use ingredients I already had in the house, and yes, it had to be chocolate.

Since I already had my Joy of Cooking cookbook out, I took a quick glance through the recipe index and decided on chocolate pudding. Only a few ingredients and it whipped up in a heartbeat. Well, several heartbeats, but it was fast.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding

1 3/4 C milk (I used skim)

1/2 C sugar

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/8 tsp. salt

Combine in a heavy saucepan. Heat over med-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted.

3 Tbs. cornstarch

1/4 C milk

Mix together until smooth. Stir slowly into hot milk mixture. Stirring constantly, heat over medium heat until mixture just comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.

Pour into 5 or 6 ounce serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the pudding. Chill for at least 2 hours. (Serves 4)

Have you ever had homemade pudding? Try this and you’ll never purchase that instant boxed stuff ever again! Enjoy!

(Oh, sorry, no photo. You think there’s anything left to take a picture of?)

Coconut Crème Brulee

2010-03-03T15:53:00.002-06:00

When we had our turkey dinner for lunch on Sunday, Greg was responsible for dessert. He thumbed through the current issue of Bon Appetit and found this recipe for coconut crème brulee.

Crème Brulee is really easy to make, plus there’s the fun of torching the sugar on top before eating. This particular dish had a very subtle coconut flavor, and was rich and smooth.

Coconut Crème Brulee (Bon Appetit, March 2010)

1 C sweetened flaked coconut, divided

3/4 C + 8 Tbs. sugar

7 large egg yolks

1 3/4 C heavy whipping cream

1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

2 Tbs. Malibu rum or other coconut flavored rum (we got one of those tiny bottles)

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spread 1/2 C flaked coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until light golden, stirring once, 10-12 minutes.

Whisk 3/4 C sugar and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Mix cream, coconut milk, toasted coconut, and remaining 1/2 C sweetened flaked coconut in heavy large saucepan. Bring just to simmer over med-hi heat, whisking occasionally. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Stir in rum and 1/2 tsp. salt. Strain custard through a fine strainer into medium pitcher, pressing on solids. Divide among eight 2/3-3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups.

Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Fill pan with enough hot water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake custards until edges are set, but centers move slightly when dishes are gently shaken, 45-50 minutes. Remove custards from water. Chill custards uncovered until cold, then cover and chill overnight.

Sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar over each custard. Using kitchen torch, heat sugar until melted and deep amber. (Alternatively, preheat broiler. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet and broil until sugar melts and turns deep amber, 1-2 minutes.) Chill until sugar hardens, about 15 minutes.

You can try to eat this quietly, but I bet there will be lots of “mmmm”s. :o)

Chile Verde Meatballs

2010-03-02T07:24:00.000-06:00

This recipe has been in my computer file for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t make note of where I found it, so I can’t share the source with you. It’s also been on my menu plan for a couple of weeks, but I finally was able to make it for supper, so I can share that with you!

This is so easy to whip up, and very tasty without being too spicy. I made my own meatballs (remember, I keep some in the freezer) instead of using purchased frozen ones. Even if you don’t have any meatballs in your freezer, they don’t take long to make (20 minutes in a 350 degree oven), so you, too, can avoid the icky, rubbery grocery store variety.

These were served with rice, refried beans, and warm flour tortillas. My original plan was to have black beans, but it turns out we didn’t have any in the cupboard. (Back to the freezer again for the homemade refried beans. Yea!)

This photo is Jessi’s plate, since I had gobbled down half of my meal before thinking of taking a picture. She really likes sour cream, so I thought I’d make note of that – I didn’t use quite that much. :o) The sour cream really does finish off the flavor of this dish, though, so make sure you have some for garnish.

Chile Verde Meatballs
SERVES 4 -6
1 large fresh onion, minced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa Verde
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs frozen meatballs
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish
Directions
- Into a large, heavy pot, add the onion, garlic, salsa Verde, broth, and the meatballs.
- Simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; add the ground cumin
and simmer for 15 minutes more.
- Serve with sour cream for garnish, along with rice and beans and
tortillas.
**Note: you can also make this in your crockpot on low for 4 hours, adding
in the cumin in the last 30 minutes.

Tuna Delicious

2010-02-26T07:36:00.000-06:00

Another new recipe, another with no photo. We ate it up too quickly!

Again I used the homemade mushroom soup. Again, it was a bit too runny. Now that I’ve used one entire bag of soup, I’ve decided I’ll thicken it with cornstarch when I use it in a recipe, for a creamier texture.

I had a few problems with the rest of this recipe, in that I had very little sour cream. I blame that on Jessi and Greg using it up the night before as dipping sauce for taquitos. Not on my lack of checking what I needed for the recipe before it was time to cook…

Since I fell woefully short on sour cream (and I did call Nanny to see if I could borrow some, but she was out, too), I added about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese at the end. That was fine, but I think the flavor would have been much better with the 8 ounces of sour cream. I’ll make this again with the correct amount of ingredients.

Even with the changes, Greg and Jessi gobbled this up. I don’t make tuna casserole very often (another instance of “I ate it so often when I was a kid, I don’t want it now”), but they really love it. When I do make it, I always use Kluski noodles. They’re firmer and we like the texture better in this dish.

This is another Allrecipes.com recipe. (When I was menu planning for this week, I went to Allrecipes and typed in mushroom soup under ingredients. I didn’t have any potatoes, so I typed that under the “don’t want” category, then clicked on ‘search’.)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tuna-Delicious/Detail.aspx
      Tuna Delicious
            Prep Time: 20 Minutes
            Cook Time: 15 Minutes   Ready In: 35 Minutes
            Servings: 4
Ingredients:
      1 (8 ounce) package egg noodles
      1 tablespoon vegetable oil
      1 onion, chopped

1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained (I used a 12 oz. can)

      1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream
      of mushroom soup
      1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
Directions:
      1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg
noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
      2. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry onion in oil until
browned. Mix in tuna and mushroom soup. Stir in sour cream and heat through.
Mix together the cooked egg noodles and sauce and serve.

I served this casserole with steamed frozen peas.

Creamy Mustard Pork Chops

2010-02-25T07:18:00.000-06:00

"Seasoned, browned pork chops simmer in a creamy mustard-laced mushroom sauce."

This is one of the new recipes I’m trying this week. I used some of the homemade cream of mushroom soup, which tastes pretty good, but isn’t very appetizing-looking (so I didn’t take a photo). It’s also much runnier than canned soup, so it needs some extra simmering time to reduce and thicken. Otherwise, the sauce is quite flavorful.

This recipe is from Allrecipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Mustard-Pork-Chops/Detail.aspx

      Creamy Mustard Pork Chops
      Submitted By: Campbell's Kitchen
      Cook Time: 25 Minutes Ready In: 25 Minutes
      Servings: 4
Ingredients:
      4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick
      1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
      1 tablespoon butter or margarine
      1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's®
      Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup or Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free
      Cream of Mushroom Soup
      1/2 cup milk
      1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
      1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
      1. Sprinkle chops with lemon pepper seasoning. Heat butter in skillet.
Cook chops 10 minutes or until browned.
      2. Add soup, milk and mustard. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low
heat 10 minutes or until chops are done. Sprinkle with parsley.

I served these with brown & wild rice and green beans.

Freezing Soupy Stuff

2010-02-24T18:05:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I made some homemade cream of mushroom soup and put it in the freezer. My container of choice was zipper bags. With bags, the food freezes flat, so it doesn’t take up as much room, and is easily stacked in the freezer.

One of the handy tips I share with people when they attend my freezer cooking class is how to fill those zipper bags with “soupy stuff” without making a huge mess.

1. You need freezer grade zipper bags and a deep container.

2. Tuck the open bag down into the container.

3. Choose a container that allows the top of the zipper bag to be folded down over the top edge. If the opening is too wide, the bag won’t fit. Fold the top of the bag over the edge of the container by about 1/2”.

Fill the bag using a ladle or small measuring cup. Stop filling at least 1/2” from the container top.

4. Pull the top of the bag up and seal the zipper. Then pull the bag out of the container. Remove the air from the bags (I open the bag a little bit and carefully push the air out.) Seal the zipper again.

5. The bags should be dated and labeled before filling, but if you forgot (ahem), use a Sharpie now. You can see how the bags are lying flat on a cookie sheet. This is how I transport them to the freezer in the garage, and I leave them on the cookie sheet until they are frozen. There are wire racks in the freezer and the contents of the bag would freeze around the wires if they weren’t on a solid surface. Don’t ask how I know that…

Sometimes with soupy or liquid contents, I double bag. Just slide the full bag into another freezer bag and seal. You can remove the double bag after freezing if you like. This is a great precaution to take in case the zipper fails on the first bag. Again, let’s not ask…

This method can also be used for less soupy dishes like casseroles or vegetable dishes. Again, make sure to squeeze out the air – frozen air takes up freezer space and compromises the quality of your yummy food!

Menu Monday

2010-02-15T20:08:00.002-06:00

I’m actually going to plan this week’s menu as I type…

Monday – Salmon, green pepper couscous (recipe to follow), green salad

Tuesday – Oatmeal pancakes, scrambled eggs, link sausages, fresh fruit cup

Wednesday – Fagioli soup, homemade bread

Thursday – Baked creamy chicken taquitos, black beans w/ cilantro, green salad

Friday – Homemade pizza, green salad

Salmon with couscous is one of my favorite meals. When I can’t grill it, I cook the salmon in the grill pan on the stove. Just dab with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and pepper, then cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (I like my salmon cooked all the way through, thank you.)

Usually I just make plain couscous, using chicken broth instead of water. Tonight I wanted to add a little something to it, change up the flavor a bit, and a quick Google search brought me to this:

Green Pepper Couscous
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium green bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
4 medium cloves garlic, crushed through a press
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup precooked couscous
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Melt butter in a nonstick saucepan and add onion. Sauté gently for about 10
minutes, or until onion is golden. Add green peppers and garlic and sauté
for another 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous,
cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork
and add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: I only used half a bell pepper and two cloves of garlic, because Greg would like that better. Didn’t get a photo, but it was a pretty supper plate!

Surf, Turf, & Love

2010-02-14T20:43:00.001-06:00

We celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, but it’s usually understated and simple. Some flowers and a candlelit steak supper. This year was only a little different.

Yesterday we came across a “surf & turf” special at a big grocery store in Lincoln. This included two 5-ounce filet mignon steaks, and two 5-ounce lobster tails for one very reasonable price. I looked at Greg and said, “I haven’t bought you anything for Valentine’s Day yet, have you bought me anything?” He shook his head “no”, and I said, “So we get this and it’s ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ to us? He smiled and nodded.

We’ve eaten lobster many times, but only cooked it once, when Nick was a baby and there was a deal on them at a local grocery. That’s like, twenty-five years ago. Hmmmm…

So we thought we’d grill both the surf and the turf, but awoke this morning to a snowstorm, the wind howling, and freezing cold temperatures. Ack. No grilling outside today. We do have a cast iron grill pan, though, and that worked great for the filets. After doing some research online, we decided to boil the lobster tails. Instructions were for boiling salted water, and cooking for one minute per ounce of weight. Easy enough.

Greg grilled the steaks, then while they rested, he boiled the lobsters.

Five ounce tails, so they cooked for five minutes…

Sorry this last photo is a little blurry. By then, I’d had

a little bit of this:

(Columbia-Crest is one of the wineries we visited when we went to Seattle. This merlot-cabernet blend is perfect with beef.)

It was a lovely meal with twice-baked potatoes, garlic bread, and a fresh Caesar salad. I was too busy feasting to get a photo, though. :o)

I love when we work together and then enjoy the end results together. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

2010-02-09T17:05:00.002-06:00

We all know that homemade is fresher and more nutritious than processed, and that’s definitely true for canned “cream of …” soups. The other day I came across a recipe for cream of mushroom soup made in the Crockpot, and stored in the freezer, from A Year of Slow Cooking. This is right up my alley – and I’ll recommend this blog at my next Freezer Cooking class in April.

So yesterday I got the baby down for a nap, and headed to the kitchen. It just takes a few minutes to wipe off two pounds of mushrooms – looks like alot, huh? They filled up the Crockpot, too, after being cut into quarters. Throw in the spices and squeeze in the lemon juice, then add the broth and water, and walk away for eight hours. Can’t get too much easier, I think.

Here’s the recipe as it’s printed on the original blog, with my comments following:

Cream of Mushroom Soup (Crockpot)

“This recipe is for a LARGE Crockpot. Don't attempt these proportions in anything smaller than a 5qt.

--2 lbs mushrooms

--2 cups water

--2 cans (4 cups) vegetable broth

--1 qt of milk (to add later)

--juice of 1 lemon

--1/2 t salt

--1/2 t pepper

--1 T dried minced onion

--2 T Italian seasoning

The Directions:

Wash your mushrooms well and cut them into fourths. Put into your stoneware and add the spices and lemon juice. Pour in the vegetable broth and water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

CAREFULLY use an immersion hand blender and blend until soupy. If you don't have an immersion hand blender, very, very carefully blend in batches in a regular blender.

Stir in an entire quart of milk. I used fat free cow's milk. You can use any percentage you'd like; even cream.

Let cool on the counter for quite a few hours, then pour into freezer bags to store or plastic containers. I used 2 cups per bag--which is 16 fluid ounces. A can of cream-of-soup is 10 ounces.”

This smelled amazing while it was cooking! After I blended the mushrooms, the crock went into the frig overnight. This morning I added what was left of a pint of fat-free half & half and a little bit of heavy cream, then added skim milk to make the 4 cups. It’s bagged and in the freezer, and I think will add so much flavor to any recipe that calls for canned cream of mushroom soup. Yes, it’s runnier than the canned stuff, but could easily be thickened if desired.

I’m going to leave it in the freezer until next week, then will use it in a recipe. If it’s awesome, like I suspect, I’m going to make another batch just so I have plenty on hand.

Enjoy!

Menu Monday

2010-02-08T11:56:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I braved the Arctic air (the icy wind just takes my breath away) and did a quick inventory of the freezer so I could plan our meals this week. I didn’t purchase any groceries this weekend except for the few things that Greg and Jess each picked up when they were in town, so we’re working out of the freezer and pantry this week.

Sunday – Super Bowl food included steak quesadillas (thinly sliced a leftover grilled rib-eye from the frig), homemade “refried” beans (cooked in the Crockpot, then blended smooth), homemade salsa from the freezer, and tortilla chips. That one steak made enough quesadillas that we all ate our fill for supper, and there was plenty left for Greg and Jess to take for their lunches today. Jess whipped up some chocolate banana bread pudding for dessert. She got the recipe from a Williams Sonoma Desserts cookbook I picked up at the library.

Monday – Pork-fried rice (leftover pulled pork, plus a couple of pork chops from the freezer that need to be used) using a bag of frozen Asian veggies. I bet Greg would pick up an order of crab rangoons and eggrolls on his way home…

Tuesday – Turkey mignon, baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli, whole grain rolls

Wednesday – Crockpot Chicken w/ Black beans and cream cheese, green salad (I’ll use corn frozen last summer, and homemade salsa)

Thursday – Spaghetti w/ meat sauce (sauce made using homemade tomato sauce from the freezer), green salad, garlic bread

Friday – Southwest Burgers, chips, fresh veggies w/ dip

Menu Monday

2010-02-01T14:16:00.002-06:00

The weather wasn't half bad yesterday, so Greg fired up the grill and I thawed some steaks. Yum!
Sunday - Grilled rib eye w/ Pioneer Woman's bleu cheese and onion sauce (so good!). Greg had a baked potato, I had mashed cauliflower. We finished the leftover creamy mushrooms from last week.

Monday - Beef burritos, "refried" beans (from the crockpot), salsa & chips, green salad

Tuesday - Salmon, Creamy Rice Pilaf w/ peas, green salad, whole grain roll

Wednesday - Pulled pork (shoulder roast in the crockpot) sandwiches, coleslaw, sweet potato oven fries

Thursday - Cheesy chicken vegetable soup, homemade bread

Friday - Turkey/sage sliders, chips, veggies w/ dip

Beef Stew

2010-01-23T08:21:00.000-06:00

I don’t remember when I picked up a package of beef stew meat, but there it was, in the freezer, one of the last packages of beef anything I had in there. I had a can of potatoes and some carrots, celery, and mushrooms that needed to be used, so it all went together for this basic but comfortingly tasty dish.

To be honest, I didn’t save the recipe I used to my computer. About 3 p.m. I quickly Googled “beef stew” and found one that only took a few hours. I got the meat going in some beef broth and water with a couple of bay leaves, then Bradley and I went to his room and started cleaning out the closet. (Little tip: don’t leave the meat boiling and go off to clean a closet.) It didn’t burn, but was almost there when I realized what was happening, so the stew had a bit of a “smoky” flavor. We ate it anyway.

So after I added another couple of cups of water and the veggies, it simmered an hour or so on the stovetop before adding a little cornstarch to thicken it up. While that finished, I popped some biscuits in the oven to complete our meal.

I used the cast iron Dutch oven and could have made this dish in the oven if I’d been able to start it earlier in the day.

Sorry for not keeping the actual recipe, but I did want to post yet one more way I kept to the challenge and created a wholesome and delicious meal.

Back in the Kitchen

2010-01-22T19:59:00.001-06:00

Well, I never left it, really, but my computer was in the shop for a week, thus no blog posts. The pantry/freezer challenge was going pretty well, then this week was one of “those”, complete with a two-day migraine, so we had a couple of nights when I didn’t cook and everyone just ate whatever they came up with from the frig. Jess and I ate cereal and Greg made himself some eggs. Yippee.

The week before I used up a partial bag of scallops and a partial bag of shrimp from the freezer to make a seafood bisque recipe. Greg and I had seen Paula Deen make this using shrimp and lobster tails over the holidays. I did do the whole bread bowl thing to serve it in, then we tore it apart and ate it with our soup… (A day-old round loaf of sourdough purchased from the clearance shelf in the bakery section of the store. Cut out the top, pull out the inside. Brush w/ olive oil, sprinkle w/ salt and pepper, then toast in a 400 degree oven until brown.)

To cook the shrimp and scallops, I borrowed a technique from Ina Garten and roasted them in the oven with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. After they were cooked and cooled a little, I pulled off the shrimp tails and then chopped everything into bit-sized pieces.

In the interest of being heart healthy, I used olive oil instead of butter and fat-free half and half instead of regular. It was still plenty rich and oh, so tasty!

Creamy Shrimp Bisque

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2008

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 5 servings

Ingredients

2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green onion with tops, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half and half
3 1/2 cups fish stock (I used chicken stock – it’s what I had on hand)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces cooked shrimp or lobster meat, chopped

Directions

In a medium saucepan, add celery, onions and butter, stirring occasionally. When tender add garlic and mix together. Stir in flour and half and half. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in fish stock and parsley. Cook for 10 minutes until it thickens. Add shrimp meat and let simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through. Stir occasionally. Add salt, to taste. Enjoy!

Hollan-days

2010-01-10T16:49:00.001-06:00

Hollandaise: flavorful relish or dressing or topping served as an accompaniment to food

We usually cook from scratch as opposed to boxes and cans, and this pantry/freezer challenge is a great way to try some new things in the spirit of creativity. This morning Greg was going to make himself a “McMuffin-like thing” for breakfast when I asked if he’d want to try making Hollandaise sauce and having Eggs Benedict. His eyes lit up – that’s like his favorite thing for breakfast ever, and he watched “Julie and Julia” with me last weekend, so I knew he’d be open to trying something new.

Hollandaise is one of those things I’d never heard of before beginning my high school career as a waitress at Village Inn. (There were lots of things I learned out there, not all food related, but mostly all legal…) So I had my first ever order of Eggs Benedict, but that’s not the best way I’ve enjoyed Hollandaise. My co-worker and friend, Jill, taught me about using it as a sandwich dipping sauce. We’d order patty melts on rye with a cup of sauce on the side, then go to town. I haven’t eaten that in years, but I do always wish for a cup of Hollandaise whenever I have a patty melt.

So we looked up recipes and the seemingly easiest one was from Tyler Florence on the Food Network website. A few egg yolks, a stick of butter, some fresh lemon juice. No problem. We tag-teamed the entire dish, poaching eggs, whisking sauce, toasting English muffins. The sauce came out perfectly, buttery and lemony, and the eggs were perfectly poached with soft yolks that blended with the sauce for a rich, smooth feel in my mouth. I’m sorry that I enjoyed and gobbled this down without taking a photo. It was pretty. It was yummy. It was easy.

Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
Pinch cayenne
Pinch salt

Directions

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

EGGS BENEDICT
8 slices Canadian bacon
4 English muffins, split
2 teaspoons white vinegar
8 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hollandaise sauce, recipe above
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Brown the bacon in a medium skillet and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet under the broiler.

Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain. To assemble: Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with chopped parsley. Yield: 4 servings

Using up the Turkey

2010-01-09T19:55:00.001-06:00

I was able to follow my menus just as planned this past week, with the exception of last night (Friday). The day was long and busy and by suppertime I was “done”. We got sandwiches from the local cafe and they were delicious. However, I still have two one-gallon bags full of leftover turkey to use up.

Tonight’s supper was homemade turkey pot pie, using the recipe from Joy of Cooking, plus mushrooms. I used a little bit of the white meat that was left, plus a thigh and wing, so there is still plenty of turkey to use up. The celery and mushrooms were needing to be used, the carrots purchased fresh yesterday. I made the pastry dough, and while my pie crust is always flaky, and always tasty, it’s never pretty.

Since this recipe makes everything from scratch, it takes awhile to put together, but well worth the time. When Jess took her first bite tonight, and closed her eyes and sighed. That’s all the thanks I need.

Turkey Pot Pie (Joy of Cooking)

Basic Pie Dough (you will need 1/2 of this. I went ahead and made the entire recipe and put the second half in the freezer.)

Sift together: 2 1/2 C flour and 1 1/4 tsp salt

Add: 3/4 C chilled shortening and 3 TBS cold unsalted butter

Cut half the shortening and butter into the flour mixture (I used my hands), until the consistency of cornmeal. Add the second half of shortening and butter and work until dough is pea-sized.

Sprinkle the dough with 6 TBS ice water. Blend the water gently into the dough just until it all holds together. If necessary, add one teaspoon to one tablespoon more ice water.

Divide dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate while you make the pot pie filling.

Creamed Turkey

Melt 4 TBS butter in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add 1/2 C flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly for one minute. Remove pan from heat. Add in 2 C chicken stock and whisk til smooth. Whisk in 1 1/2 C milk or half and half. (I used about 1/2 C fat free half and half, and one C skim milk.)

Increase heat and bring mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook and whisk for one minute. Stir in cooked turkey, bring to simmer and cook one minute more. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Vegetables

In a large skillet, over med-high heat, melt 4 TBS butter (I used olive oil). Add in vegetables: 3 sliced carrots; 2 stalks celery, chopped; one medium chopped onion. I also added in 6 large, sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir the vegetables into the creamed turkey mixture, adding in 3/4 C frozen peas. Pour entire mixture into baking dish. Roll out pie dough to fit baking dish and place on top of filling. Tuck edges in and make several slits in dough. Brush dough with egg wash.

Bake 30-40 minutes, until dough is brown and sauce is bubbling.

Meatballs

2010-01-03T17:54:00.001-06:00

More than just a bad Bill Murray movie from 1979…

Whenever I buy a large quantity of ground beef (on sale), I always make a batch of meatballs to keep in the freezer for future recipes. By “a batch”, I mean triple or quadruple a regular recipe. Today I tripled this one for plain, basic meatballs, using ground sirloin, and ended up with 80 meatballs, about ping-pong ball size.

Some will be for supper tonight in the Meatball Minestrone Soup. The rest will be flash frozen and stored in a Ziplock bag. We’ll pop some in the crockpot with barbecue sauce for Super Bowl snacks, and Jessi is planning to co-host a baby shower in early February and I’m “catering” the event, so a few dozen will go for that. Perhaps a meal of spaghetti and meatballs or mashed potatoes with meatballs in brown gravy to use up the rest? We’ll just have to see…

I bake my meatballs on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. They take about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. When they come out of the oven, they go onto wire cooling racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. This batch didn’t have that issue (93% lean meat).

This recipe came from a Google search – you can click on the title to go to Recipezaar and see the original.

Easy Basic Meatballs

25 min | 5 min prep

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (we also use ground turkey)
1/2-2/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (can also use seasoned crumbs)
1/4 cup milk
1/4-3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, chopped (approx 1/4 c)
1 egg

Directions

Combine all ingredients and shape into 20-24 meatballs (1 to 1-1/2 inches each).
To oven bake: Place in ungreased 9x13 pan (you may want to line it with foil for easier clean-up).
Bake 20-25 min or until light brown and cooked through; turn meatballs halfway through, if desired, to help maintain a round shape.

Challenge

2009-12-30T21:35:00.002-06:00

During the month of January I’ve pledged to join a challenge to eat as much as possible from my pantry and freezer. You can check out the details here, then make your own goals for saving some cash at the grocery store this month.

So my own pantry is not really bulging with excess, but there are some things that have been there for awhile and once they’re used up, they won’t be replaced. Things like mixes and special baking items that were gifts or one-time purchases for a special recipe.

We have plenty of dry beans and rice. It'll be fun to find different ways to use those. I do have a really good recipe for red beans and rice that I haven’t made in awhile…

For the first couple of weeks, at least, I think we can get by with buying just some fresh produce and dairy. There are four (yes, four!) whole turkeys in the big freezer, along with a pork loin and a bag of chicken breasts. Yesterday I picked up just under 15 pounds of ground sirloin (good sale!) so we’ll have some meatballs and I’ll cook and bag the rest to use in soups, casseroles, and for taco meat.

So tomorrow I’ll go through the freezers and pantry and make a current inventory, then start planning menus. I don’t usually plan meals more than four or five days in advance, but a list of possibilities will make that even easier. I’ll be back with the gameplan in a day or two…

Chipotle Cranberry Sauce

2009-11-20T13:38:00.001-06:00

I’m doing some early prep for Thanksgiving and today I whipped up the cranberry sauce. This recipe comes from the November ‘09 edition of Bon Appetit magazine. Greg got a subscription through Wyatt’s magazine sales, and now we’re never gonna want to eat plain old food again… Well, we never want to eat “old” food, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, homemade cranberry sauce is about the easiest thing to make when preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Except for having to boil/soften the chiles, this recipe took 10 minutes.

The flavor is sweet/hot and I can’t wait to taste it again after it sits awhile.

CHIPOTLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients

2 dried chipotle chiles*
1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cumin

*Can be found at specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and Latin markets.

Preparation

Place chiles in medium saucepan filled with water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chiles are tender, adding more water if needed to keep chiles submerged, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on dryness of chiles. Drain.
Combine softened chipotles, cranberries, sugar, and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking until cranberries begin to pop, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cinnamon, and cumin. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly and flavors meld, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Cool.
Remove chipotles. Stem and seed. Mince chiles and return to cranberry sauce (my chiles pretty much fell apart during all the stirring. I fished out the pieces and didn’t bother mincing and putting them back in); stir to distribute. Cover and chill.
DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup

2009-11-17T14:51:00.001-06:00

‘Twas a cloudy, chilly, blustery day yesterday, a good soup day. I had some cooked chicken in the freezer and a bowl full of fresh veggies to use up. The perfect combination!

This recipe came to me from my email friend, Robin. It lends well to improvisation and freezes great, just reheat slowly and stir it well.

Here’s the recipe, then I’ve added my notes at the end.

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup

2 C chicken broth

2 C diced chicken

1/2 C sliced carrots

1/2 C sliced celery

1/2 C frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 C chopped onions

1/4 C each, butter and flour

2 C milk

1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 C diced, cooked chicken

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, cook all prepared vegetables in the chicken broth until tender. DO NOT DRAIN. While vegetables are cooking, melt butter in a smaller pan. Add flour and let bubble for about 30 seconds, then whisk in milk. Let thicken, then stir in cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce into vegetables and broth. Add chicken and heat through. Season as desired. (Use more veggies and/or cheese if desired.)

My notes: I always double this recipe so we’ll have leftovers. Usually I use a whole bag of frozen Asian veggies in place of all of the vegetables. Last night I had fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and baby carrots that needed to be used up. I simply cut them into small pieces (probably 3+ cups of vegetables) and simmered them in the broth. I used a combination of butter and olive oil and before making the roux, I sautéed the onions in it. There were also mushrooms to use up, so I quartered those and cooked them with the onions before adding the flour.

I used a little Velveeta that was hiding in the back of the frig in place of part of the cheese. I generally always use more veggies and cheese than the recipe calls for, and I always use skim milk.

Turkey Cookies

2009-11-15T09:33:00.002-06:00

Ew. That title doesn’t sound too tasty, does it? Well, apparently the kids didn’t think so, either, because when I asked them yesterday if they wanted to make turkey cookies with me, there were no takers.

Okay, so we weren’t making cookies from turkey, rather, we were assembling cookie and candy “parts” to resemble a turkey. I went ahead and whipped one up, and when Wyatt saw it he got very excited, which excited the other two, and we were off and running.

This is a really simple version of the cookie turkey (hey! that sounds better, doesn’t it?). The most difficult part was being able to squeeze the tube of frosting hard enough to get it to come out.

Grace took photos as Wyatt and I worked on a couple of them, but we didn’t get step-by-step, so I’ll just tell you what we did and the photo of the finished products will probably answer any questions you may have.

The components we used were frosting, Oreo cookies, candy corn, and Whoppers. (The frosting we used was black Wilton decorator frosting in a tube that I got for 75 cents on clearance last summer. The Whoppers were leftovers from Halloween.)

First put a line of frosting down the middle of each candy corn. These are your feathers. Place the corns frosting side down onto one of the Oreo cookies. We were able to get four or five corns on the cookie, depending on placement.

On the second cookie, squeeze a thick, heavy blob of frosting toward one edge. Set the feathered cookie onto the frosting, and hold onto it until you get the head on. In front of the feathers, squeeze another blob of frosting and put the Whopper malted milk ball into that, right up next to the feathered cookie. It all should stick together now.

To finish it off, we bit off the end of the candy corn and used the small part as a beak, attaching it with a dot of frosting.

We left them to “dry” so they’d stick together well enough to survive the drive to their house. That might have been the hardest part, now that I think of it, because Wyatt sure did want to eat his. He asked me every five minutes or so if they were dry yet.

These would be fun table favors for Thanksgiving, and an easy way for the kids to have a part of preparing for the feast. You can Google for different instructions – there are dozens of ways to put these together.

The best part was working with the kids one on one and having them be so excited about what they made. They didn’t care about the corn feathers being crooked or when we got frosting on the wrong side. We all just enjoyed the process and that’s what they’ll remember. :o)

Freezer Cooking

2009-11-02T22:23:00.001-06:00

I should be crawling into bed right now, but I taught my Community Ed class on freezer cooking tonight, and need to unwind a little bit before I try to go to sleep. In order to do that, I was reading some blogs, and came across this Once A Month Cooking Festival at Moms In Need of Mercy. She invites us to post our favorite OAMC (or freezer cooking or cooking ahead) tips to share with everyone. I thought I’d share something I learned tonight from one of the ladies attending my class. We were talking about freezing recipes in single serving sizes and the best way to package those servings. One lady suggested using muffin tins – she uses a liner, fills it with the food, freezes the tin, then pops the frozen liners out, bags and freezes them. Specifically she was talking about sloppy joes, but this would work for many different recipes – casseroles, veggie side dishes, beans/rice/potato dishes.

One more tip I always pass on to my students: to make your own “refried” beans, sort and rinse one pound of pinto beans and put them in the crockpot. Add five cups of hot liquid (I use homemade chicken stock) and cook all day. Once the beans are cooked, I use the hand blender to process them until smooth. After they cool, portion them into quart-sized freezer zipper bags and freeze flat. I add a little salt, salsa and cheese when reheating. This method works well for ham and beans in the crockpot also.

Speaking of freezer cooking, tomorrow I’m going to make my pecan pies for Thanksgiving, and whip up some cookie dough for Christmas goodies. I’ll be back with the details.

Good night!

Rustic Apple Tart

2009-10-25T10:09:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago Randy loaded a big box of apples into the back of my car. They were fresh-picked from Leslie’s parent’s tree (Thanks Jim and Dee!). The box sat in my cool garage until last weekend when I finally had Greg bring it in the house, and I started looking for recipes.

This “Rustic Tart” is one that my good friend Google found for me. I didn’t save the web site, but I want to say it was cooks.com or some such place.

This went together easily and quickly, even though I had to make my dough the “old fashioned” way without a food processor. While baking, I could smell the butter and cinnamon-y apples. Yum.

To further the “rustic-ness” of the tart, I didn’t worry overmuch about fanning my apples in concentric circles. I made a circle, then just filled in the center with a big pile of apples.

The final step of brushing with melted preserves is optional, and I didn’t do that.

Doesn’t this look delicious? The crust is flaky and crispy, the apples tender and not overly sweet. It was wonderful served warm, but also good the next morning when I ate it cold for breakfast.

Rustic Apple Tart
Ingredients
1.. 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2.. Pinch of salt
3.. 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch
pieces, plus 2 tablespoons melted
4.. 1/3 cup ice water
5.. 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
6.. 4 large Golden Delicious apples-peeled, cored and cut into
1/4-inch-thick slices
7.. 2 tablespoons melted and strained apricot preserves
Directions
1.. In a food processor, pulse 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the salt. Add
the cold butter and process just until the butter is the size of peas, about
5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and process just until
moistened, about 5 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work
surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough
into a disk. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a
16- to 17-inch round about 1/4 inch thick.
2.. Line a large unrimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the
dough around the rolling pin and unroll it onto the prepared baking sheet.
3.. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the remaining
1 tablespoon of flour and sprinkle over the dough. Arrange the apple slices
on top in overlapping concentric circles to within 3 inches of the edge.
Fold the dough over the apples in a free-form fashion. Brush the apples with
the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of
sugar. Refrigerate the unbaked tart until slightly chilled, about 10
minutes.
4.. Preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the tart in the center of the oven for
1 hour, or until the apples are tender and golden and the crust is deep
golden and cooked through. Brush the apples with the melted preserves. Slide
the parchment onto a wire rack and let the tart cool slightly before
serving.
Make Ahead
The baked tart can be stored overnight at room temperature. Reheat in a
325° oven before serving.

I'm Just Peachy!

2009-09-06T05:40:00.006-05:00

I'm still putting away garden produce, roasting tomatoes and flash-freezing peppers, but then along came the Colorado peaches. A "lug" of the nicest peaches I think I've ever purchased. (They came from the local Lion's Club as part of their fund-raising efforts.) At first I didn't think there were very many in the box, nice as they were, then I started peeling them...

Blanching makes for easy peeling, but I only had time that morning to do part of the pile. Some of them were used for jam, some were frozen, and some were put in this:

Peach and Pecan Upside-Down Cake

Bon Appétit August 2009 by Cindy Mushet

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

For peach and pecan topping:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

40 (about) pecan halves (about 3 ounces)

2 medium peaches (about 7 ounces each), peeled, halved, pitted, each half cut into 6 wedges

For cake: 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup pecans

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream

Special equipment: 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides (I used a deep dish pie plate.)

Peach and Pecan Topping:

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; whisk until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.

Pour mixture into 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; spread evenly over bottom of pan (layer will be thin).

Arrange pecan halves, side by side with round sides down, in circle around outer edge of pan bottom. Arrange peach wedges, slightly overlapping, inside circle of pecans, covering pan bottom. Set aside while making cake batter. Cake:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F.

Combine first 6 ingredients in processor. Blend until nuts are finely ground. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until butter is pale in color, about 4 minutes. Whisk eggs and vanilla in small bowl until well blended. Add egg mixture to butter mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition.

Drop batter by large spoonfuls atop pecans and peaches in pan; spread evenly and gently with offset spatula or rubber spatula.

Bake cake until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

Transfer cake to rack; cool in pan 25 to 30 minutes (do not cool longer or peach layer may stick to pan).

Run small knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place serving platter atop cake pan. Using oven mitts, firmly hold cake pan and platter together and invert cake onto platter. Let cake rest 1 minute, then very slowly lift off pan. If necessary, rearrange any peach wedges or pecans that may have become dislodged.

Let cool to room temperature. Cut cake into wedges. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

You can tell by my photo that I did not follow the directions for placing the pecans and peaches - my pecans were the end of a bag, and many were in pieces, so I just sprinkled them all over. My peaches were large, so I had more than 12 slices and I just nestled in as many as possible, then popped the remaining couple in my mouth for sweet, juicy snack. :o)

I'll be sure to post the other recipes these peaches were used in, but until then, I'd love to hear about how you enjoy consuming these lovelies. Leave a comment and/or a link to your favorite peach recipe!

Preserving the Heat

2009-08-22T08:20:00.000-05:00

After a few very strong summer storms, only one jalapeno pepper plant remains in our little backyard garden. Fortunately it's a prolific one and I picked 15 fairly large peppers the other morning.
We have a couple of ways to preserve these for use later in the year, but the best way is to freeze them. After being frozen, they're good for cooking in soups and casseroles.
Here's how I flash froze my harvest that day:
First I washed all the peppers, then dried each with a paper towel. I dried them so that when I freeze them, the pieces won't have ice on them.
Cut off the stem end and slice down the middle of the pepper.
Use a spoon and scoop out the ribs and seeds. This removes most of the heat - I like the heat, but Greg's not a fan.

Now there is just the pepper shell. I sliced these length-wise into thin strips, then cut the strips into small pieces.

Doing that left me with a nice tray of diced jalapenos. Place a piece of waxed paper on a cookie sheet before spreading the pepper pieces into a single layer.

Now place the tray in the freezer for a few hours. When the pieces are frozen, you can put them in a Ziplock bag and store in the freezer for later use.

I would so love to show you a photo of my freezer bag full of goodness, but when I got the tray out of the freezer in the garage and was walking into the house, I dropped it and all my pretty frozen pepper pieces landed in the doorway - some inside the house on the floor, some on the porch. I didn't even say a bad word - I was speechless...

Like I said earlier, it's fortunate this is a prolific plant. I will be able to put some peppers in the freezer in another few days, and will definitely be more careful walking around with the tray.

Mexican Caviar

2009-08-21T05:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, another tomato recipe - 'tis the season! :o)
I actually made this several weeks ago when my sister and her family were visiting, so I had to use store-bought tomatoes. It was still tasty, but I think with fresh-from-the-garden fruits, the flavor would be amazing!

Mexican Caviar
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
5 green onions, chopped
3 TBS olive oil
3 1/2 TBS tarragon vinegar
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (2.25 oz) can chopped black olives
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp salt
In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight before serving.

Caprese Salad

2009-08-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

One the of the simplest, tastiest ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes and basil is the classic Caprese salad. Jess and I had this with our supper the other night, using the first ripe tomato and some fresh basil from the garden.

I like to chiffonade my basil and sprinkle over the top of the sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Add a little salt and pepper, then a quick drizzle of olive oil.

This was a fresh and flavorful side dish that we served with grilled chicken.

Tomato Time!

2009-08-19T19:43:00.003-05:00

It's time for tomatoes from our garden. They're several weeks late this year, but we haven't had an abundance of hot weather all summer, and that's what they need. Anyway, late ripeners they may be, but they're finally red and finally ready for feasting!
I've posted a couple of tomato recipes in the past couple of years, including Roasted Tomato Soup and cheese topped tomato slices. We'll make these again, but I'm also trying some new things. Tonight was this cheese and tomato tart from Our Best Bites. It was easy to whip up with a purchased pie crust that was in the frig needing to be used.
Cheese and Tomato Tart
1 recipe for pie crust (or just use a pre-made pie crust if you're short on time)3/4 c. light sour cream (I had to use part sour cream, part plain yogurt)
1/3 c. light mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
1 Tbsp. coarse grain or Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, minced

4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2-3 Tbsp. butter (I used 2 TBS olive oil, 1 TBS butter)

8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded

3-4 fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare pie crust and place in the bottom of a 9" pie plate. Set aside (preferably in the fridge).

Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until tender and fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese. Set aside. (This is where I added the onions/garlic mixture. The recipe didn't say when to add them in.)

Slice tomatoes about 1/4" thick and layer in the bottom of the pie plate.
Top with cheese/sour cream mixture.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the top is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to stand at least 30 minutes in order to set. Cut into 12 wedges and serve! This can be served by itself as an appetizer or with a spinach or Romaine salad with a light vinaigrette for brunch. Or a snack pretty much any time you want...

You can see that this was pretty wet, and not really set up when I cut it to serve for supper. Before putting it away in the frig, I did pour off some of the wetness, and hopefully it'll be firmer tomorrow.

It is very rich, so a small piece is a good idea. If I make this again, I'll add some fresh herbs to the cheese mixture.

Jessi's review: "It's different."

Hot Date

2009-07-21T07:56:00.000-05:00

The morning was beautiful - cool and low humidity, a perfect day to heat up the kitchen. Greg and I spent last Sunday canning vegetables. Some from Leslie, some from the farmer's market, and some from our own backyard garden. Yes, this was our "Hot Date".

I started the day with this: Blanche the corn for a few minutes in boiling water, then pop it into a sink of ice water to stop the cooking. While the first batch cooled in the water, the second batch was cooking. It didn't take long to get them all cooked and cooled. After that, out came the electric knife:

Yes, after I finished, Greg checked to make sure I still had all ten digits. I tend to have a little difficulty with sharp things in the kitchen...

The corn was bagged and frozen. Twenty-three ears of corn yielded six quart-sized bags with between 3 and four cups of corn in each.

This will probably be used in cornbread and casserole recipes. Greg works in corn every day, so we don't eat much of it at home, with the exception of sweet corn season. Yum!

Always label and date your freezer bags - obviously this is corn, so I saved some ink and just put the date on these.
Next up were the green beans. Oh, the green beans! It's amazing how huge a quantity a WalMart bag will hold. (Thanks Leslie!)
These were cleaned, trimmed of both ends, and snapped into pieces between 1 and 2" long.
I purchased a brand new pressure canner to do the beans - yeah, this year the garden isn't really saving much money... :o)
Neither Greg nor I have ever used a pressure canner, so Greg studied the user guide while I cleaned the beans. The first batch was a little tense, but with the successful sealing of all the jars, we relaxed a little bit.
The second batch went much smoother. We ended up with several pints and several quarts of beans. Just a spoonful of salt in each jar for flavor.

So while the last batch of beans cooked, we started on the pickles. Oh, the pickles! I had a small bag of cukes from Leslie, then Greg headed out to the garden and brought in a pile of our own. We used the same recipe I posted before, and there are now enough dill pickles to last the winter, I think. We'll be moving on to some different flavors next time.
Even though we both just melt, and we each have our opinions, I do enjoy having Greg help out with this canning process. There will be at least a few more hot dates in our kitchen in the next few weeks. :o)

Chipping Away at the Garden

2009-07-20T07:41:00.000-05:00

Leslie has been very generous with her garden bounty and it's been fun to play with recipes and new ways to enjoy favorite veggies. I think the red potatoes she grew have been particularly tasty.

As I made my menu plan for last week, I decided to add homemade potato chips for something a little different. Greg took on this task as I put together the beef and sage sliders for that meal.

He got out the Pampered Chef mandoline and cut the potato slices uber-thin, then fried them at 375 degrees F for a few minutes. After removing from the oil, he sprinkled some finely ground sea salt, and they were delicious!

Mini Beef and Sage Sliders with Gorgonzola

2009-07-15T19:04:00.002-05:00

Once again I headed to the garden and snipped some fresh herbs for supper. This time it was sage. The plant has a lovely earthy sweet scent. Sometimes I reach down and stir the leaves as I walk by, just to enjoy it.
So besides using it for Thanksgiving stuffing, what else is sage good for? This soup recipe is one of my favorites, and now these burgers can be added to the herb recipe collection:
Mini Beef and Sage Sliders with Gorgonzola
Rachael Ray
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
October 2006
MAKES TWELVE MINI SLIDERS
12 mini dinner rolls, split
1 garlic clove, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil for liberal drizzling
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups baby spinach, thinly sliced
3/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (I just bought a small container of blue cheese crumbles)
1. Preheat broiler to high. Place the rolls on a broiler pan and toast until golden. Rub with the garlic and drizzle with EVOO.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the beef with the Worcestershire sauce, sage, shallot and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal pieces and form 3 sliders from each piece, 12 mini sliders total.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of EVOO. Cook the sliders for 3 minutes on the first side and 1 to 2 minutes on the other side for medium.
4. Top each bun bottom with some spinach, a slider and a few cheese crumbles. Place under the broiler to melt the cheese a bit, about 30 seconds, then set the bun tops in place.

Making Pickles

2009-07-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

When we were planning the raised beds and this year's veggie garden, Greg made a point of asking for cucumbers to make pickles. I made sure we were both on the same page with that - if he wanted pickles, he'd be making them. Last night was his first canning lesson as we worked together and made our first batch of dill pickles. The cucumbers and dill came from our garden. Greg used the Pampered Chef mandoline to make some wavy hamburger slices, and I cut some short spears. These are half-pint jars, because I don't like huge jars in the frig, and I think they'll work great for getting eaten before the contents gets old. I will pick up some larger jars, though, so we can have some longer spears. We won't be able to taste them for a few weeks, as they need time to develop their flavor. I'll definitely post a review when we're able to sample them!

This recipe came from Allrecipes.com. We did not do the hot water bath, but if you read the feedback, you find that the original recipe did not include those directions. Also, the original recipe was for 64 servings - I used the recalculation function on the web site and pared that down to 12 servings. For the eight half-pint jars we put up, we had to make two batches of brine, then ended up with about half of the second batch leftover. I'll readjust the servings depending on the quantity of cucumbers each time we make this recipe.

Dill Pickles
Servings: 12
"This recipe for Kosher style dills was given to me 25 years ago by a farmers wife who grew cucumbers and it has never let me down. The two things I have found critical to crisp dill pickles are soaking the cukes in ice water for at least 2 hours and ensuring the brine is at a full boil when poured over the dills."
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers
3/4 cup white vinegar
2-1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1-1/2 sprigs fresh dill weed
1-1/2 heads fresh dill weed
Directions:
You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (12). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (64).
1. Wash cucumbers, and place in the sink with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required.
Sterilize 8 (1 quart ) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.
3. In each jar, place 2 half-cloves of garlic, one head of dill, then enough cucumbers to fill the jar (about 1 pound). Then add 2 more garlic halves, and 1 sprig of dill. Fill jars with hot brine. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue.
4. Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath. Process quart jars for 15 minutes.
5. Store pickles for a minimum of 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place.

Using up the Herbs

2009-07-08T20:38:00.004-05:00

The few herbs that are planted in the garden and in the pots on the porch, are thriving in the summer heat. Yesterday I picked quite a lot of basil, and this morning I grabbed some thyme and rosemary. Then I went web-surfing for herb bread recipes.

This is the first of the three recipes I saved to try. I made it in the bread machine, and did have to add several spoonsful of flour during the second kneading cycle.

It got rave reviews from Jessica and an enthusiastic nod from Greg. :o)

I'm thinking it will make for a delicious sandwich for my lunch tomorrow.

*Unfortunately I did not make note of where this recipe came from. I'll keep trying to find it again and will make sure I credit the source.

Herb Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 beaten egg
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried rosemary, or use 2 tablespoons fresh, crumbled
(I used all fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, and basil)
1 tsp each dried oregano and basil (or 1 tbsp each fresh)
3 c flour
2 tsp bread machine yeast
Place in machine according to machine instructions (or if you make bread by hand, you already know what to do). A few minutes into kneading, check that the dough is the consistency that you want, add any flour or extra water that you need (I usually find I need a little bit of flour).
Bake on large loaf, light crust. This herb combination smells heavenly, and goes great with chicken or pasta or on picnics. You can use any combination of herbs you like, and adjust it to complement the meal you are serving if you like.
Another favorite combination for us is dill and onion bread. Just omit the herbs in the recipe above and add 1/4 c finely chopped onion and 1 tbsp dried dill leaf (or three tbsp fresh).

Mini Man Burgers

2009-07-03T06:53:00.002-05:00

Sliders have become a popular appetizer on restaurant menus, so I recently searched for a recipe to make them at home. I came up with a couple versions of beef sliders, and have made this one twice for supper. Last night we had them with baked beans and corn on the cob - a perfect summer meal. I doubled the recipe so we'd have leftovers for the freezer. I'll pop each onto a bun (without mayo) and put two in each sandwich Ziplock, then all of the sandwich bags into a freezer bag. These will microwave easily for Greg's lunch.

Mini Man Burgers

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound ground chuck

8 (3-inch) buns or rolls, split in half

2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees F. (I used our cast iron grill pan)

Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Line a jellyroll or sheet pan with parchment paper, and place the ground chuck in the middle of the pan. Cover the meat with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Roll meat with a rolling pin until it covers the surface of the pan; it should be very thin.

Remove the plastic wrap, and sprinkle the meat with the seasoning mixture. Fold the meat in half, from side to side, using the parchment paper.

Use a pizza wheel to cut the meat into 8 even squares.

Wrap the buns in foil and place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the burgers on the griddle and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Remove the buns from the oven. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on each bun and top with the burger and any other condiments, as desired.

Serve immediately.

Reaping the Garden Bounty

2009-07-02T12:26:00.002-05:00

A few days ago Leslie gave me some red potatoes and some fresh green beans from her huge garden. I decided to make potato salad for supper yesterday, but was out of dill pickles for the recipe my mom taught me to make, so I searched for a recipe that used what I had in the cupboards and frig. I found one that used the green beans as well and we all really liked it. (Sorry, no photo - we ate it before I remembered to snap one.)
The recipe came from about.com - I just googled "potato salad recipe". My comments are in red.

Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad
Ingredients:
4 cups sliced potatoes
2 cups fresh trimmed green beans, cut in 1/2-inch lengths
4 to 6 slices bacon [I was out of bacon, so just skipped this - it was still delicious]
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup vinegar (wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar are good) [I used red wine vinegar]
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
dash garlic powder
Preparation: Peel potatoes, halve then slice in 1/4-inch thickness. Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover and boil for 5 minutes; add green beans and more water to cover, if necessary. Boil for about 10 more minutes.
Fry bacon and drain; set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings.
In a small bowl, whisk olive oil and bacon drippings slowly into the vinegar; add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour over vegetables.
Crumble bacon over and toss gently.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve warm or room temperature. [I made this a couple of hours before we had supper, and just covered the bowl and let it sit on the counter until we ate.]
Serves 4 to 6.

Fish and Chips

2009-06-14T08:55:00.000-05:00

We've been buying the packages of cod loins from Sam's Club for a few months now. They're a nice size for making this Fish and Chips recipe from Emeril. Well, we make the fish, our "chips" are usually from the freezer.

I didn't get many photos - he's a tough subject. :o)

This time Greg made onion rings to go with the fish. He sliced a sweet onion, dipped the rings in the batter, and fried them up before he did the fish.
Here's the batter recipe:

Ingredients
6 to 8 cups peanut oil, for frying (we used canola oil)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces amber beer (he usually uses Sam Adams)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
Directions
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1 cup rice flour (he uses regular all-purpose)
2 pounds haddock or other firm, white flesh fish cut into 4-ounce strips

Lemon slices or pepper vinegar (we like malt vinegar)
Heat oil in large pot or in an electric deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, beer, eggs and half of the salt, pepper, and Essence. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Dredge the fish in the rice flour. Working in small batches, submerge the fish in the batter and carefully place into the hot oil. Fry the fish until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until golden on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove the fish from the fryer and transfer to a wire rack positioned over paper towels or newspaper so that the fish can drain. Season, to taste, with some of the remaining salt, pepper, and Essence. Repeat the process for the remaining of the fish.
Serve the fish and chips with slices of lemon or pepper vinegar.
I also make our tartar sauce using real mayonnaise, a little finely diced onion, and sweet pickle relish. Mix to taste, and refrigerate to blend flavors.

We had some leftovers this time, and I had them for lunch several days later. When warming fried food, you need to use the oven so they will crisp up again. Several minutes in the toaster oven made for a very delicious lunch!

Flavor-full Burger

2009-06-13T05:44:00.001-05:00

While having our lunch on a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, Greg turned on the TV to Food Network. Giada was making some chicken burgers, which I thought sounded delicious, but she mentioned that this recipe could be made using any kind of meat. Well, Greg's blood is red, so when I decided to make these for supper that night, there was no question that we'd be using ground beef. (I will make these again for lunch when Jessi's here, and I'll use turkey.)

Since it's gardening season here, there is fresh rosemary growing in my backyard (you KNOW I love having an herb garden in the backyard!), so I was able to just step outside and clip a couple of stalks for this recipe. I was out of fresh garlic, but had a jar of roasted garlic in the frig that I subbed in. Oh, and only use real mayonnaise, please. No fat-free or salad dressing - it has too much sugar and tastes very different. Real mayo is made with soy oil which is good for you.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients:

Mayonnaise - 1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 clove garlic, minced
Burgers:

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 sandwich rolls or burger buns

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup arugula, divided (I used fresh spinach)
Directions:

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.

For the burgers:

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture.

Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties.

Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.

To assemble the burgers:

Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

Okay, these were SO GOOD they left me craving more. I'm anxious to try them again, using the turkey.

Poached Pears for Dessert

2009-05-31T05:26:00.001-05:00

One evening in April Greg was watching Good Eats (Alton is his hero...) and this recipe was featured. I had purchased some vanilla beans from Penzeys Spices well over a year ago and knew this would be a wonderful use for them. Unfortunately, they were pretty dried up (I stored them too long), so I couldn't really scrape the insides, but I still cut it in half and tossed the whole thing in the pot. We really liked the pears, so I will try this again with fresh beans.
Vanilla Poached Pears
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 55 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 (750-ml) bottle white wine, Riesling or Viognier (I used Chateau St. Michelle Riesling)
1 cup water c.
5 ounces vanilla sugar, approximately 3/4 cup
1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped
4 firm Bartlett, Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled leaving the stem intact (mine are Bosc)
Directions:
Place the white wine, water, sugar and vanilla bean and pulp into a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Core the pears from the bottom.
Decrease the heat to medium low and place the pears into the liquid, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the pears are tender but not falling apart. Maintain a gentle simmer.
Remove the pears to a serving dish, standing them upright, and place in the refrigerator.
Remove the vanilla bean from the saucepan, increase the heat to high and reduce the syrup to approximately 1 cup of liquid, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Do not allow the syrup to turn brown.
Place the syrup in a heatproof container and place in the refrigerator until cool, approximately 1 hour.
Remove the pears from the refrigerator, spoon the sauce over the pears and serve.

Tuna

2009-05-30T17:06:00.004-05:00

I didn't realize it had been a couple of weeks since I wrote a post here. I have been cooking a little bit here and there, but did have a week when I was sick and we had take-out for a few days. Before that happened, however, I made some grilled tuna for supper one night. It is very difficult to find fresh tuna here on the Great Plains, so when I came across a package of vacuum sealed pieces several months ago, I snapped it up. I only purchased one, since my two previous experiences with fresh tuna were less than tasty, but I wanted to try again. Now I wish I'd grabbed two or three more.

This was so simple - just a dab of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then grilled. It was way too windy that day for the outside grill, so the cast-iron grill pan saved the day for us. It just took 4 minutes per side and we had perfectly cooked and moist tuna. This was served with the cucumber and black-eyed pea salad recipe I linked to in my last post. They worked wonderfully together and it made a nice light supper.

I really hope I can find this again, and I'm really glad to have had a good experience with fresh tuna. :o)

Eating Well on Menu Monday

2009-05-18T19:04:00.005-05:00

Eating Well magazine is one of my favorites, and I spent some time last week thumbing through a few old issues. I was looking for a specific recipe, but came across a few others to try this week.

Monday - Chicken and Asparagus w/ Melted Gruyere, whole grain medly
Tuesday - Grilled tuna, cucumber and black-eyed pea salad, focaccia
Wednesday - Stuffed turkey burgers, sweet corn, green salad
Thursday - Loaded Twice-baked potatoes, Ceaser salad
Friday - Jessi's choice - she'll be home by suppertime (yea!)

So tonight I made the chicken recipe and it was so good! If my table manners hadn't been refined by years of maturity, I might have licked my plate. Now I didn't have fresh tarragon, and I checked around town to no avail. I always recommend using fresh if possible.

Chicken & Asparagus with Melted Gruyere
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

⅔ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons plus ¼ cup all-purpose flour, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1 ¼ pounds), trimmed

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

½ cup white wine (I buy those 4-packs of tiny bottles of white wine to use in my cooking. There is just a tad more than half a cup in those, and it's pretty decent wine.)

⅓ cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

2 teaspoons lemon juice

⅔ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (This costs about a zillion dollars a pound, so I think a Swiss or Parmesan would be an acceptable substitute.)

1. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and steam for 3 minutes. Uncover, remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Whisk broth and 2 teaspoons flour in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

3. Place the remaining 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and dredge both sides in the flour, shaking off any excess.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adjusting heat as needed to prevent scorching. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

5. Add shallot, wine and the reserved broth mixture to the pan; cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in sour cream, tarragon, lemon juice and the reserved asparagus until combined.
Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top of each piece of chicken, cover and continue cooking until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 306 calories; 15 g fat (6 g sat, 6 g mono); 91 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 298 mg sodium; 343 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (36% daily value), Calcium (25% dv).
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 4 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche or a variation thereof...

2009-05-13T10:20:00.002-05:00

This week I'm deciding our menu on a day-to-day schedule, depending on the weather. Here's what's happened so far:
Monday - Ground beef sliders, fresh veggies, chips
Tuesday - Parmesan crusted chicken, creamed peas and potatoes (including mushrooms)
Wednesday - Quiche, green salad, rolls

I have this wonderful recipe for a low-carb quiche that can be tweaked to include any ingredients you wish. The original title is "Moonchild's Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche" and I found the recipe years ago here. You can make any variation of this that you like, using a different meat, different cheese, adding veggies, tweaking to your family's taste. It's a great way to use up little bits of this and that in your frig.
Tonight ours will be made with browned ground beef from the freezer, fresh steamed broccoli, mushrooms, and grated mozzarella cheese. I might have a piece of cooked bacon to chop up and sprinkle on top.
This is one of those dishes that is still wonderful the next day for lunch, and it freezes well, too.

MOONCHILD'S BACON CHEESEBURGER QUICHE
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped, 2 1/2 ounces
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cheddar or Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Brown the hamburger with the onion and bacon; drain the fat. Season to taste. Spread in a greased pie plate.
Whisk all of the remaining ingredients except the cheese.
Mix about 1/3 of the cheese into the hamburger mixture and arrange the rest over the meat.
Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Makes 6-8 servings
Can be frozen
Per 1/6 Recipe: 394 Calories; 35g Fat; 17g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Per 1/8 Recipe: 296 Calories; 26g Fat; 13g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

Mushroom Tart

2009-04-19T18:36:00.003-05:00

Awhile back I ran across this interesting recipe for a mushroom tart. We like the flavor and texture that mushrooms add to a dish, and use them often. While
I really liked this tart, Greg wasn't as enthusiastic, but he did eat it. The recipe comes from Designs by Gollum where she hosts a Foodie Friday event each week. Lots of yummy things to check out.
Here's the recipe as she wrote it with my comments in red:
Mushroom Tart
Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets -- 2 I used just one and made a small tart - it was plenty for the two of us for supper, and lunch for me the next day.
mushrooms (shitake, etc) 1 box shitakes, 1 box button mushrooms. I used a box of crimini mushrooms.
shredded swiss cheese -- 1 c, more if you like it cheesier
rosemary -- sprigs for garnishing and 2 sprigs (cut with scissors) to scatter over the tart
chopped onions 1/4 c.
leftover vegetables (peas) 1/2 c I used steamed fresh broccoli cut into small pieces.
Sautee onions in butter. Add mushrooms, plus a little red wine (1 T) . Fold in peas. Line a deep pan with a thawed puff pastry sheet. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle with cheese. Place remaining sheet on top of mushroom mixture. Crimp edges. Wash pastry with 1 egg plus a little water (whip with fork).
Bake at 400 degrees 20 minutes or until pastry puffs and browns.
Garnish the tart with rosemary. But let it cool, or your rosemary will blacken in a flash. I didn't have any fresh rosemary, so just skipped this step. Next time I'll make sure I have it, since I think it would add a nice touch to the finished tart.

Menu review

2009-04-06T20:15:00.003-05:00

No Menu Monday this week since I won't be cooking here all week. Tonight we ate deli meat sandwiches and chips after having lunch at an Italian restaurant in Lincoln. Tomorrow afternoon I leave for Sioux City for the rest of the week, so Greg will be having frozen pizzas and who-knows-what-else from the freezer aisle at the store. And he's okay with that - in fact, I think he looks forward to it whenever I'm gone for a few days.

I did want to talk a little bit about a couple of the recipes I made last week. Pecan-crusted pork chops was a new recipe, and it was wonderful! If you follow the link in that post, and read the reviews, you'll see that several people felt the coating needed some brown sugar or honey. I don't particulary like a sweet glaze on my meat, except for K.C. Masterpiece BBQ sauce, so I made the recipe as it was printed. The chops were juicy and flavorful, and I like the texture the nuts provide. Neither of us thought it needed sugar.

The other hit of the week was the chicken ceaser pita sandwiches. I grilled the chicken instead of poaching it, and used the herbs for a rub before grilling. The pitas were whole wheat, and I popped them into the toaster before filling with the salad mixture. We only used a couple of pieces of bacon instead of half a pound. Oy! There was a little bit of chicken and half a piece of bacon leftover, so I made the sandwich again for myself for lunch the next day. We'll have this quite often over the summer, I think. The brand of Ceasar dressing we use is Cardini's.

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Port Glaze

2009-04-02T17:49:00.003-05:00

When we vacationed in Seattle, we made a side trip to some wineries near Woodinville. Our favorite was Chateau St. Michelle, and we brought home several bottles of wine after enjoying a generous tasting session. One of those bottles was a port - a sweet, dark red dessert wine. This wasn't supposed to be included in the tasting, but the gentleman who was pouring was kind of flirting with this one woman who was giggly and flirting back, so we all benefited from his trying to impress her. It worked - on us, anyway. We spent more on this one bottle than all the others combined, it was that tasty. It was so good, in fact, that Greg wouldn't open it after we got home. It was tucked away and all but forgotten.
Last week he was perusing the Gourmet magazine web site and came across this tart recipe with a port glaze. He thought it sounded good, and apparently this was impetus enough to warrant the opening of the special bottle. Oh, and it was yummy!
We followed the recipe as it is written. The crust is very flavorful - we used vanilla from Mexico, and the house smelled so good while it baked.

The mascarpone filling was tasty, but I don't think we need to spend the $$ for mascarpone next time. Regular cream cheese will work fine, considering the price difference.

The strawberries were from Sam's club, a pretty decent price, but they weren't real sweet. Next time I would cut them a bit smaller.

The port glaze was syrupy and reminded me of grapes. Go figure, huh?

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Port Glaze

Serves 8

Active time:30 min

Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr (includes cooling)

For tart shell:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Rounded 1/4 tsp salt

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons cold water

For filling:

1 1/2 lb strawberries (about 1 1/2 qt), trimmed and halved lengthwise

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup ruby Port

1 lb mascarpone (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Equipment: a 10-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom (we used a regular Springform pan); pie weights or dried beans

Make tart shell:

Blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.

Beat together yolk, vanilla, lemon juice, and water with a fork, then drizzle over flour mixture and stir with fork (or pulse) until mixture comes together. Gently knead with floured hands on a lightly floured surface until a dough forms, then gently knead 4 or 5 times. Press into a 5-inch disk. Place in center of tart pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using your fingers and bottom of a flat-bottomed measuring cup, spread and push dough to evenly cover bottom and side of pan. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until shell is deep golden all over, about 20 minutes more. Cool in pan, about 45 minutes.

Make Filling While Tart Shell Cools:

Stir together strawberries and granulated sugar in a bowl and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Strain in a sieve set over a small saucepan, reserving berries. Add Port to liquid in saucepan and boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk together mascarpone, confectioners sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until stiff. (We found a wooden spoon worked better than a whisk with the texture of the mascarpone.)

Assemble Tart: Spread mascarpone mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, then top with strawberries. Drizzle Port glaze all over tart.

Cooks' note: Tart shell can be baked 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.

Menu Monday

2009-03-30T14:15:00.003-05:00

Another winter/spring week ahead, so I'm using the oven, the crockpot, and the grill depending the weather du jour.
Sunday - grilled bratwurst, baked beans, strawberry/mascarpone tart
Monday - chicken francese, brown rice, steamed broccoli, strawberry tart
Tuesday - Beef tips (crockpot), egg noodles, green beans
Wednesday - Pecan crusted pork chops, baked sweet potato, steamed asparagus
Thursday - Chicken ceasar pita sandwiches, sun chips, fruit salad
Friday - grilled burgers, green salad, cottage cheese, chips

Chicken Francese
Recipe from Once in a Blue Moon

thin cut chicken breasts, pounded flat (I will butterfly two regular breasts, then pound them)
coat in flour, dip in egg, parmesan, and parsley
brown in olive oil, then remove to a warm oven

1/2 C white wine
1 C chicken broth
5 lemon slices
2 Tbs. butter (I'll use half butter, half olive oil)
cook down to thick sauce and spoon over chicken

Edited after I cooked this: The chicken was really good. The sauce, not so much. I don't know what I was thinking, but I cooked it in a cast iron skillet - never make a lemon sauce in cast iron... At least there was enough chicken with no sauce that Greg got a nice sandwich from it - he was happy. :o)

Country-Style Chicken Pot Pie

2009-03-24T19:54:00.004-05:00

This recipe came to me from the wife of an interim pastor we had many years ago. I think she got it from a Country Woman magazine or cookbook.
I used the leftover rotisserie chicken from Sunday's lunch, including boiling the carcass to make the broth. (I love having homemade broth in the freezer.)
This makes so much filling that I put about a third of it in the frig for Greg's lunch later.

Country-Style Chicken Pot Pie
3 TBS butter (I used part butter, part olive oil)
3 TBS flour
2 C chicken broth
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2-1 can cream of chicken soup (I use Healthy Request)
3 carrots, cooked and diced
frozen green peas, cooked (I steamed the carrots and peas together in a zip 'n steam bag)
1/8 tsp curry & pepper, mixed
1 tsp salt
2 large potatoes, cooked and diced (I had a can of potatoes, used those)
chicken, cooked and cut up
Melt the butter. Add flour and allow to bubble one minute. Add broth and stir w/ wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and soup. Drain veggies, add to sauce (by steaming, there was nothing to drain), add seasonings and chicken. Pour into a deep 2 quart casserole. Top with biscuits or crescents.
Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes.

I didn't have any biscuits or crescents, so I dug out an old recipe by Mollie Katzan in a Moosewood cookbook:
Baking Powder Biscuits
3 C flour
scat 1/2 tsp sal
1 TBS baking powder
6 TBS cold butter
3/4 C buttermilk, yogurt, or sour milk
Preheat oven to 450. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Put dry ingredients in a food processor bowl w/ a steel blade. Cut in butter until uniformly integrated and mixture has texture of coarse meal
Add buttermilk/yogurt/sourmilk and process for a few more seconds (til dough holds together).
Turn out and knead briefly. Roll out to 1/2-3/4" thickness. Arrange close together on baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes.
To freeze: Roll dough into a log shape. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze.
To use: Let sit at room temp 5-10 minutes. Slice 1/2-3/4" thick and bake.

Chicken Piccata

2009-03-02T20:35:00.004-06:00

It's been several years since I first used capers in a recipe and discovered how much I like them. Chicken piccata makes wonderful use of these flavorful little flower buds.This is a lighter version of the traditional dish and comes from an old South Beach Diet newsletter.
So sorry I didn't get a photo - I wasn't feeling well and was happy to just get supper on the table. :o)

Serves 2

IngredientsNote: Omit the brown rice, and this is a Phase 1 recipe.

3/4 pound whole skinless boneless chicken breast, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons trans-free margarine

1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Pound the chicken pieces to flatten them slightly. Season them with salt and pepper to taste. Heat an empty pan on high heat, then add the oil and one tablespoon of the margarine and allow that to get hot (but not smoking), then carefully add the chicken, making sure the oil doesn't splatter. Doing this process will prevent the chicken from sticking. If you heat the oil and pan together, or if the pan isn't hot enough, the chicken will stick.

Sauté the chicken pieces for 1 minute on each side, or until they are cooked through. Transfer the chicken with tongs to a platter and cover it loosely to keep it warm.

Pour off any remaining fat and oil from the skillet. Return it to the stovetop and add the remaining 1 tablespoon margarine, the sherry, and the lemon juice, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the capers, the parsley, the paprika, and salt and pepper to taste, and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

Serve with 1/2 cup brown rice per person.

Menu Monday & recipes

2009-03-02T20:13:00.005-06:00

While planning menus this morning, I kept in mind some things in the frig that needed to be used up, and which meats I already have in the freezer. Grocery shopping will be minimal this week, and that's always a good thing.
Monday: Green salad w/ warm goat cheese and stuffed mushrooms (recipes at the end of this post). I meant to make bread this afternoon to go with this, but got busy around the house and forgot until it was too late.

Tuesday: chicken piccata, angel hair pasta, steamed broccoli, focaccia bread

Wednesday: grilled steak and shrimp kabobs, couscous, grilled veggies

Thursday: grilled burgers, baked beans, fresh veggies w/ dip

Friday: crock pot pot roast w/ veggies, homemade artisan bread

Recipes for tonight's supper:

Salad w/ Warm Goat Cheese

(adapted from Ina Garten)

1 (11 oz.) log plain or herbed Montrachet (I used plain goat cheese)
2 extra large egg whites, beaten w/ 1 TBS water

fresh white bread crumbs (I don't buy white bread, so mine were wheat bread crumbs - no big deal)

Slice the Montrachet into 12 (1/2" thick) slices (use dental floss). Dip each slice into the beaten egg whites, then the bread crumbs, being sure the cheese is thoroughly coated. Place the slices on a rack and chill them for at least 15 minutes.

Melt 1 TBS oil and 1 TBS butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat and just under smoking. Cook the goat cheese rounds quickly on both sides until browned on the outside, but not melted inside. Top each salad with 2 warm rounds and serve. (I used only one round per salad.)

I used a combination of romaine lettuce and mixed baby greens, tossed with a low-cal balsamic vinaigrette.

Stuffed Mushrooms

(Allrecipes "Andie's Stuffed Mushrooms")

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 pounds fresh mushrooms-stems removed,
chopped and reserved
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup soft bread crumbs
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

(I add a little salt and pepper, too)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine and stir in the mushroom stems, green bell peppers, garlic, parsley and basil.

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, mushroom stem mixture, dry bread crumbs, soft bread crumbs and Cheddar cheese.

Place the mushroom caps, upside down, on a large baking pan. Generously stuff each cap with the mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is golden brown.

Cube Steaks w/ Onion Gravy

2009-03-02T20:13:00.000-06:00

We scarfed these down before I thought to take a photo. The cube steaks weren't as tender as they could have been - perhaps simmering a little longer than 5 minutes in the sauce would help - but this was still a tasty dish. One change I made was adding thick-sliced mushrooms to the pan while cooking the onions.

(From "Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way" by Leanne Ely)

4 cube steaks

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp thyme

2 TBS olive oil, divided

1 large onion, sliced

1 C beef broth, divided

1 TBS whole-wheat flour

Season steaks w/ salt, pepper, and thyme on both sides. In a large skillet, heat half the olive oil over med-hi heat. Brown the steaks on both sides, about 3 minutes each. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add the remaining olive oil, heat, then add the onion. Cook until the onion becomes translucent; add half the broth, deglaze the pan w/ a wire whisk andlet simmer about 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Place the steaks on top of the onion, cover, and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Remove beef and onion and keep warm. Turn up the heat and continue heating remaining liquid in the pan.

Take the remaining beef broth and mix w/ the flour. Pour into the sauce, stirring till thickened. To serve, place steak on the plate, top w/ onion, then ladle gravy over the top.

4 servings

296 calories per serving

Fat Tuesday's Pancakes

2009-02-23T18:53:00.003-06:00

We don't have a tradition of celebrating Fat Tuesday, but it was a good chance to have breakfast for supper. :o)

When I was in high school, I worked as a waitress/hostess at the Village Inn Pancake House out on the I-80/Hwy 81 interchange. It was there that I first tasted real maple syrup. I worked ther for four and a half years, and it took several years after that before I could stand the thought of eating pancakes or smelling maple syrup again. I will admit that VI has THE BEST pancakes of anyplace. I've never tried to replicate them, but can tell you that the secret to their lightness is whipped egg whites. Oh, and I only buy real maple syrup.

Once the kids were born, I started making Bisquick pancakes. After having the best pancakes of anyplace, these left a lot to be desired. Eventually I dug out the Betty Crocker cookbook I purchased a few weeks after we were married, and started making them from scratch. They were much better than Bisquick.

Several years ago when I started changing many of our foods to the muli or whole grain versions, and started using this variation of the BC pancake recipe. They're a bit denser than regular pancakes, really soak up the syrup, and are especially good with chopped pecans in the middle.

Oatmeal Pancakes (I call them multi-grain...)

1 egg

1/2 C quick cooking oats (I've also used regular oats and it was fine)

1/2 C whole wheat flour

3/4 C milk

2 TBS veg oil

1 TBS honey

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat egg w/ mixer til fluffy; beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth. Grease heated griddle if necessary. (I use a cast iron skillet, but I do spray it the first time w/ cooking spray.)

Pour batter onto hot griddle and cook until puffed and dry around the edges. If adding fruit or nuts, sprinkle them on as soon as you pour the batter.

Turn and cook other side until golden brown.

Most usually when I make these, I at least double the recipe (it triples and quadruples well, too) and cool, then freeze the leftover pancakes, 2 to a freezer zipper bag. They reheat in the toaster or microwave quite nicely.

Serve with real maple syrup. (Really - it's worth the cost.)

Menu Monday

2009-02-23T18:42:00.002-06:00

This morning I prepped everything for supper tonight, so all I had to do was grill the chicken, saute the veggies, and warm the tortillas.
Monday - chicken fajitas, homemade refried beans
Fajita marinade (printed from Allrecipes in 2001):
1/4 Cup lime juice
1/3 Cup water
2 TBS. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 dashes liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (this time I used a dried chipotle pepper instead)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients in a zipper bag. Add meat and store in refrigerator overnight, or at least 2 hours. I've used this with beef, chicken, and shrimp.

Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) - whole grain pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage patties
Wednesday - Cube steaks w/ onion gravy, baked potato, green salad, ciabatta buns
Thursday - Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, steamed broccoli, mandarin oranges, garlic bread
Friday - Homemade mac 'n cheese, grilled chicken, green beans, pears

Valentine's Day Dessert

2009-02-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

As promised, here is the recipe for the dessert I made to finish our Valentine's Day supper. A couple of years ago we went on a cruise where we were treated to gourmet dining each evening in the dining room. Since six of us went together on the cruise, we each ordered something different each evening, and then passed plates around to share. (Yeah, it was gourmet dining and we were passing plates around. You can take us out of the prairie, but...)
Anyway, this dessert was inspired by one we had on the ship. I didn't order it since the title of it had something to do with espresso. I don't drink coffee, and don't normally enjoy coffee-flavored food. Greg did order this dessert, though, and gobbled down the entire thing himself. He refused to let me have a taste. Leslie let me have a bite of hers. After all, we were there to experience new things, so I took a chance. I fell in love. That's when I looked to Greg to share his portion, and he moved his dish away from me and said, "No." No amount of pouting would change his mind. I came home and started a search for this yummy treat, and here's what I found at the Epcurious website. No espresso, but it's pretty close to what we had.
(I halved the recipe; my notes will be in red.)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Phyllo Purses
Bon Appétit March 2001
Each elegant phyllo "purse" contains a flourless brownie topped with peanut butter and chocolate ganache.

Yield: Makes 6 servings
Flourless chocolate brownies:

9 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
4 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar
Chocolate ganache:

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

4 teaspoons sugar

6 17x13-inch sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla ice cream
For brownies:

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.

(I used an 8x8" pan)

Melt chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until thick and pale. Stir chocolate mixture into yolk mixture.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.

Carefully fold egg whites into chocolate mixture.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Press down edges until even with middle of brownies. Cool completely. Using 2 1/4-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.) (I just cut them into squares.)

For ganache:

Bring 1/4 cup whipping cream and vanilla extract to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.

Remove from heat.

Add chopped chocolate and whisk until completely melted.

Refrigerate ganache until firm, about 1 hour. (Ganache can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Lightly butter rimmed baking sheet.

Stir peanut butter and 4 teaspoons sugar in small bowl to blend.

Cut each phyllo sheet in half crosswise to form twelve 13x81/2-inch strips. Place 1 phyllo strip vertically on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Place second phyllo strip horizontally across first, forming cross; brush with butter.

Stack 2 brownies in center of pastry. Top brownies with 1 tablespoon ganache, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter mixture. Gather ends of phyllo strips together over brownies to form purse. Twist ends closed. (I had a little trouble with my phyllo tearing, so I didn't get to make them into a "purse". When I made these last time, it worked great and looks really neat.)

Brush purse with melted butter and place on prepared baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining ingredients to form total of 6 purses. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

These freeze nicely. I just thaw them before baking.

I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of the inside of the "purse" after baking. We gobbled them down too quickly. :o) The phyllo is crispy and chewy, the brownies just sort of melt with the ganache and the peanut butter. The first time I made these, I omitted the peanut butter, and I don't think they were any better or any worse. You decide if you want it or not.

A Handy Tip

2009-02-17T04:40:00.000-06:00

I've been making our own bread the past few weeks using the bread machine. The kind I like to buy was approaching $3.50 a loaf, and I don't care how much fiber it has per slice, that is just ridiculous. So I dug out the bread machine (was going to shorten that to b.m., but that just looked wrong...) and found the recipe booklet that came with it, and got busy. Actually, you don't have to get very busy to use the bread machine, but you know what I mean.

It takes 3 hours and 40 minutes to bake a regular loaf of bread in the machine after you press the "start" button. It only takes me about 15 minutes to haul out the ingredients and throw it all together, but sometimes I just don't want go to all the trouble of dragging in all out and putting it all away. I know, how hard it is it, really?

However, I prefer to get it going asap when I decide to make a loaf, so I'll tell you what I did as a shortcut. On Friday morning (during the 40-hundred inches snowstorm) I put a loaf in the machine to bake, then while I had the mess on the counter, I made up "kits" of the dry ingredients in quart-sized zipper bags. Now all I have to do for the next seven loaves I bake is grab a zipper bag, add my wet stuff, butter, and yeast, and I'm set.

Here you can see I went ahead and poured my flours, dry milk, and salt into bowls to make it easier to scoop. (The yeast is sitting there, but I put it away before assembling the rest of the ingredients. Oh, and pay no attention to the balsamic vinegars and olive oil in the background. That's just where they live.)

Here's a handy tip-within-a-tip: when you want to fill baggies and not make a mess, put the bag down into a container, then fold the top of the bag down over the edge. You can fill it up, fold the top up, pull it out of the container, and zip closed without having stuff all over the top. Here, I've filled it and folded the top back up. Make sure you squeeze all the extra air out of your bag while zipping it closed, too.

Make sure you label the bags in case someone else in your household gets the breadbaking bug and wants to help out. What? It could happen...

The filled bags are packed into a plastic container and stored in the pantry cupboard in the kitchen. You could store them in the freezer for long-term storage, but make sure the ingredients have come to room temperature before you assemble your recipe.

My particular recipe calls for 1 1/2 C bread flour, 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 TBS. brown sugar (packed), and 1 1/2 TBS. dry milk. Those are the ingredients I put into the bags. Then when I'm ready to bake I put 8 oz. +1 TBS warm water and 1 TBS. honey into the pan, pour the contents of the baggie on top of that, dot 2 TBS. of butter into the corners, and put 2 tsp. of yeast in the center.

Very little mess and I just tuck away the empty baggie for the next time I make up the "kits".

Valentine's Dinner

2009-02-15T13:07:00.006-06:00

As promised, Greg grilled a rib eye steak and some sea scallops for our Valentine's Day dinner. As a little "something extra", he sprinkled some crumbled Maytag blue cheese atop the steak. It added a little creamy sharpness and tang to the meat that went well with the garlic mashed potatoes. Maytag is a very strong cheese, so a little bit went a long way.
The scallops were perfectly done, still tender and moist.
We split the steak and divvied up the scallops - but I don't think I got quite half of either...
Our wine was a merlot from Canyon Oaks, California. I can't find a website for the vineyard, but there are lots of positive reviews for their wines. This was a bottle that was given to Greg by a vendor from work. It's not an expensive wine, but it was very good. Lots of fullness and flavor.

Dessert was labor-intensive, but delicious, and of course, chocolate. Check back later this week for that one - it's worth the wait. :o)

Stuffed Pork Sandwiches

2009-01-22T20:45:00.010-06:00

The pork chops I made Monday for supper came from a large package so I only cooked a few of them and saved the rest for a couple more meals. One of those meals was stuffed pork sandwiches that I made tonight. The recipe comes from the February 09 issue of Eating Well:

Stuffed Pork Sandwiches
Per serving: 353 calories, 15 g fat, 25 g carbs

4 4 oz. boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
2 thin slices Swiss cheese, cut in half
4 dill pickle sandwich slices
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 TBS canola oil
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted (I used ciabatta buns)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard (we used a little mayo instead)
4 slices tomato
2 Romaine lettuce leaves, halved
Cut each pork chop in half horizontally, stopping short of the opposite side. (I sliced mine when they were still partially frozen.)
Open each chop and place between pieces of plastic wrap. (I put them inside a zipper bag.) Pound with a meat mallet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/4 - 1/8". Place a slice of cheese and a pickle on one half of each chop.

Fold the other side of the chop over, like a book, and press closed. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add the stuffed chops, reduce heat to medium, and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 -5 minutes on each side.

To assemble sandwiches, spread the toasted buns with mustard and top each with a pork chop, tomato slice, and lettuce.

Greg doesn't "do" fresh tomatoes, so I just left the lettuce and tomato off. Instead, he added a bit of the coleslaw to his sandwich and said it was very good.

I also served whole grain Sun Chips on the side.

This was a very tasty and quick supper since I had the chops sliced ahead of time, and used a bag of shredded cabbage. I also had the dressing for the coleslaw made ahead.

This sandwich is a lighter version of a Cuban sandwich. If you've not had one of those, go find one and prepare to fall a little bit in love.

There is one large pork chop left from that package that I'll cook up this weekend and combine with the rest of the cabbage and some eggroll wrappers. Yum.

Pork Chops au Poivre

2009-01-19T19:00:00.012-06:00

This was a new recipe for pork chops - simple cooking process, tasty sauce. I'll make this again.

Pork Chops au Poivre
(Eating Well magazine, Feb 09)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt, divided

4 4-oz boneless pork chops, 1/2" thick, trimmed

3 TBS all-purpose flour

2 TBS olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1/2 C brandy

1/4 C sour cream

1.) Combine pepper and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Pat the mixture onto both sides of each pork chop.
Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge the chops, shaking off any excess.

2.) Heat oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add the chops, reduce heat to medium and cook until browned and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate and tent w/ foil to keep warm.

Here is the minced shallot - a small, mild onion. The one I used was about the size of a golf ball.

3.) Reduce heat to med-low. Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring until softened, about 1 minute.

Add brandy and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1-2 minutes.

Here it is just after adding the liquid:

After reducing by about half:Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and remaining 1/4 tsp of salt.

Serve the pork chops with the sauce.

Per serving: 299 calories, 15 g fat, 3 g carbs

These were served with roasted sweet potato slices and steamed broccoli.

I simply washed the sweet potato and sliced about 1/2" thick, put them in a zipper bag with a TBS or so of olive oil, a little salt, and a little pepper. Seal the bag and smoosh them all around so every slice gets oil and seasoning. Then I put them in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. This is about the only way I like sweet potatoes. They went great with the chops!
For the broccoli, I used a zip 'n steam bag in the microwave.

To make this a "cook ahead" or "freezer" dish, here's what I'd do: cook the pork chops as directed, cool, and bag. Make the sauce as directed, but do not add the sour cream. Bag the sauce mixture with the chops. When you're ready to serve the meal, thaw everything and warm the chops in the oven (only enough to heat them through). Heat the sauce mixture, then add the sour cream before serving.

There was one "oops", when I made this. I thought I had a bottle of brandy in the cupboard, but when I went to gather my ingredients this afternoon, there wasn't one. Greg stopped at the liquor store on the way home and got me what I call a "little airplane bottle" of brandy. I was thinking I only needed 2 TBS. so I only had him get one. I should have had two. So the brandy got watered down a little to make 1/2 cup. The sauce will be even better next time when I use the correct amount of booze. :o)

*Tonight's prep for tomorrow's supper: soak beans, thaw roast*

Roasted Cauliflower

2009-01-18T18:11:00.004-06:00

This was served with a green salad, alongside some yummy salmon. A delicious and nutritious supper!

Roasted Cauliflower

(A Veggie Venture)

Hands-on time: 5 minutes + occasional stirring

Time to table: 50 minutes

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 head cauliflower, cut in small florets

Set oven to 425F. Stir together all ingredients in large bowl until cauliflower is uniformly coated with oil. Transfer to baking sheet in single layer (use a second sheet if needed). Roast 35 – 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes for last 15 minutes, until cauliflower is dark brown but not burnt.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 112 Cal (56% from Fat); 4 g Protein; 8 g Tot Fat; 9 g Carb; 6 g Fiber; 37 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 329 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 2 points

Black Beans w/ Cilantro

2009-01-18T18:07:00.002-06:00

I served these with Southwestern Pot Roast and they were wonderful! Usually we have canned black beans, which are good, but making them fresh was so much better.
I didn't get a photo - we ate late and I was tired and hungry and didn't think about it. Just make them. Then you'll see how yummy they look!

Black Beans with Cilantro

(a Crockpot recipe, about 8 side dish servings)

4 cups dried black beans (must be soaked overnight)

6 cups chicken stock (either homemade or canned)

2 T dried cilantro

1 T garlic powder (or use 2 T chopped fresh garlic)

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (measure after chopping)

The night before you plan to cook this, rinse beans and pick out broken pieces. Place beans in a large pot, cover with cold water by several inches, and soak overnight.

The next morning, drain beans, then place beans, chicken stock, dried cilantro, and garlic powder or fresh chopped garlic in Crockpot slow cooker. Cook all day on low, 8-10 hours. (If you don't have a Crockpot, combine ingredient in a large, heavy pan and simmer on low for about 2 hours.)Wash fresh cilantro and dry well. (I used a salad spinner.) Chop enough cilantro to measure one cup. When beans are well softened, turn off Crockpot and stir in fresh cilantro. Serve immediately, garnished with additional chopped cilantro if desired.

Soup Day

2009-01-14T17:17:00.003-06:00

I recently started reading a new food blog, Stop and Smell the Chocolates, and this is Soup Week over there. I linked to a couple of my soup posts: Meatball Minestrone and Soup Day part 1 where I posted recipes for White Bean Chicken Chili and Tuscan White Bean.
You can click on the button to on the left-hand sidebar to see lots more recipes!

When the Man Has Too Much Time...

2009-01-04T07:50:00.005-06:00

Greg's been off work since Christmas Eve, and has had some time to play around - in the kitchen.
I came home one day to bread baking. Nice.
And he's made supper a couple of nights, and the other day had tomato soup and grilled cheeses ready for lunch when I worked extra hours and got home later than usual.
The other day when we were exploring the new HyVee in Lincoln, he picked up some French bread and was asking me if I had evaporated milk and condensed milk, and did I have raisins? Um, yes, I had all of those things, but why? Oh, he thought he'd make some bread pudding. Hmmm - okay.
This came a little out of the blue, but he's had time to surf the 'net for random recipes, so I wasn't too surprised. He was a little surprised, though, when I told him I was going to photograph the process and put it on the blog. He cooperated pretty well early on, but it wasn't long before he asked me to leave. I ignored him. :o)
Here he's checking the recipe on his laptop that he brought to the kitchen. He first set it next to the kitchen sink, where he was mixing things. Hello? I advised that he move it to the other counter and he ignored me. Then he tried to work with it in the way. Then he moved it. I smiled. He told me to go away. First he cut up the French bread. This bread was very fresh when we bought it, but it was extremely dry by the next day. He said that was the way it was supposed to be, and I shouldn't worry about it. And didn't I have something else to do?

So the bread is sliced and measured and put to the side in the large bowl, and it's time to make the custard. That started out with heated milk and butter. Notice his sophisticated stirring utensil. Yep, a butter knife. Whatever works, I guess!
Next he mixed up the brown sugar, eggs, and spices.

When the milk had cooled a little - he set it outside on the deck rail, then I stood out there and guarded it from a neighborhood cat - he combined it with the egg/sugar/spice mixture. We had vanilla from Mexico and he grated fresh nutmeg, and the custard smelled wonderful.

Spray your baking dish, then arrange the bread chunks in dish. The recipe calls for a casserole, but we chose to use an 8 x 8" pan. .
He sprinkled raisins ancd chopped pecans over the whole thing, then poured the custard all over.

He was thorough and made sure each piece of bread was covered.

Into the oven while we cleaned up the kitchen.

When it was time to dig in, he first whipped up the quick sauce from the original recipe, and I suspect he added something from one of the little bottles in the high-up kitchen cupboard. I was banned from taking any more photos, in fact, banned from the kitchen, so I don't know for sure. But I think so. Just a touch.
What I do know is that he brought me a dish filled with warm, yummy goodness that was a wonderful way to snuggle up on a cold winter's night.

He found the recipe he used here.

Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar (white or brown, depending on taste preference) [we used brown]

3 eggs

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (french bread works best)

1/2 cup raisins (optional) [we also added chopped pecans]
Directions:
1. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.
2. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture.
3. Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.
4. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

If you make the sauce to put on top of your bread pudding, adjust the sugar in the bread pudding recipe, change it to 1/3 cups sugar (the sauce has the other 1/3 cup in it).

Bread Pudding Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk

2 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. flour

dash of salt
Directions:
Mix everything together and bring to a boil for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside for 5 minutes, then pour on warm bread pudding.

Enjoy!

P.S. BTW, remember he was asking me about evaporated and condensed milk? There's none in this recipe, but there was in another one, and he wasn't sure which one he was going to use, so he wanted to make sure we had all the ingredients for both recipes. Just fyi.

Simple Little Dessert

2009-01-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is a recipe I read about a few years ago, but wasn't able to find the chocolate wafer cookies until recently. It's a light dessert that goes together quickly. I used the recipe off the back of the cookie package, but threw that away, so I'm typing from memory...

Chocolate Wafer Dessert 1 box thin chocolate wafers
1 container Cool Whip (or you can make whipped cream)
1 tsp. vanilla
chocolate shavings or cocoaMix the vanilla into the Cool Whip. Put about a Tablespoon of Cool Whip on each cookie.
Adhere to the next cookie, making a "log". (I only used about a third of the package of cookies and it made plenty for the two of us.)

Frost the entire thing with more Cool Whip. Pop into the frig for a few hours, let sit on the counter for a little while before serving.

Garnish with chocolate curls or a dusting of cocoa. To serve, slice the "log" on a 45 degree angle. (I must not have taken a photo of it sliced, but it's very pretty!)
I think this would make a nice summertime dessert when you want something easy and light.

Chicken Paprikash

2009-01-01T17:01:00.009-06:00

Okay, I don't know how to pronounce it, but I know it sure tastes good!

This recipe for chicken paprikash is from my email friend, Joanne. It's an old family recipe that her grandmother used to prepare.
Traditionally this dish uses bone-in chicken pieces. The night I made it, I was using what was on-hand, so it boneless, skinless breasts it was. A few other adaptations were made, and I'll note those, but the final dish was delicious.

CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
Chicken pieces (boneless, skinless breasts)

Sweet Hungarian paprika (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) (Spanish paprika - all I had)

Butter (about 1/4 cup) (olive oil w/ little bit of butter)

Onion (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup minced)

Water (about 1 to 2 cups) (homemade chicken stock - no bouillion cube)

Chicken bouillon cube

Flour (about 2 tablespoons)

Sour cream (about 1 cup)
Melt the butter in a pan and brown the chicken parts on both sides.

Add the onion and paprika and turn the chicken pieces to cover all sides with the paprika.

Add the water and the bouillon cube.

Cover the pan and simmer on a low heat until the chicken is very tender (we usually like it when it almost falls apart when you touch it, but that's how my grandmother's always was so it's what we're used to). I think I usually leave it cooking about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add more paprika and salt to taste, and add more water during cooking if it seems to be getting too dry and sticking to the pan.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add a small amount of water to the flour to form a paste and add this to the liquid in the pan. Heat and stir until thickened. Add the sour cream and stir to heat.

Add the chicken back to the pan, stir all together, and serve over noodles or rice.

Cleaning out the T'Day Leftovers

2008-12-06T07:50:00.004-06:00

This is not the usual Turkey soup or stuffing casserole use of the Thanksgiving leftovers post. I bagged most of the leftovers and tossed them in the freezer - Greg will enjoy a small Thanksgiving feast again one busy night during the holidays, and I'll be glad I froze it!
One thing I didn't freeze was the leftover mashed potatoes. I just don't like the texture of them when they're thawed. So we ate them a few times last week, but I put a different twist on the last couple of servings.
I remembered when I was a kid and stayed with Grandma Regier over the Christmas break from school. She always had leftover mashed potatoes from our big family dinner, and would make them into potato pancakes for breakfast. So that's what I did, only these were a side for our supper of baked steak one night, then breakfast-for-supper the next.
They're pretty simple - just mix a raw egg into your potatoes, then plop them into a hot skillet with a little oil. They take several minutes to crisp up enough to be able to turn them. Just wait for it. If you try to flip them too soon, your pancake will fall apart. Then cook them several minutes on the other side. You want them nice and crispy.
For a little flavor, I added some roasted garlic to the potatoes and then garnished them with green onion the first night. The second night I just went ahead and stirred the green onion into the potatoes before I cooked them.
Now lest you think I tortured Greg by serving these two nights in a row, he actually asked to have them again. :o)

Soup Day! (part 3)

2008-11-10T14:02:00.003-06:00

I had two meatless soup recipes that were new to us that I wanted to try.
Both looked good for the freezer as all ingredients freeze well, but since they were new recipes, I only made a single batch of each. Good thing.
The first is a pumpkin soup from Emeril. Greg was channel-surfing one night last week (don't you hate that?! Just pick and show and watch it, for Pete's sake!) and found Emeril making a fairly healthy Thanksgiving meal on the "green" channel. He humored me and left the TV alone while I watched the program. After seeing him make this pumpkin soup, I asked Greg if he would try it if I made some. He said he'd "try" it. That meant he was pretty sure he wouldn't like it, but again, he'd humor me.
So last night for supper I thawed some turkey mignons and warmed up some green bean casserole, along with a crunchy focaccia bread. While Greg grilled the turkey, I whipped up the pumpkin soup.
Emeril's Wegmeyer Farms Pumpkin Soup
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) pumpkin, halved and seeds removed and saved
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 plus a pinch freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
31/2 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil
15 to 20 small sage leaves, fried
Method:Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the pumpkin cut side up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Invert to the cut side down, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place in the oven and roast until the skin is golden brown and the pumpkin is tender, 50 to 60 minutes.
Spread the pumpkin seeds on a foil lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in the oven with the pumpkins for the last 15 minutes of baking time, stirring once to prevent sticking.
Remove pumpkins and seeds from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the pumpkin flesh from its skin and set pumpkin aside until ready to use. Discard the skin. Set seeds aside for garnish.
Set a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and, when hot, add the cinnamon and allspice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the onions, carrots, celery and ginger, to the pan. Saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, reserved pumpkin and vegetable stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook the soup for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Remove the soup from the heat and process with an immersion blender (*or in batches in a blender) until smooth. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper.

I could tell immediately it had too much allspice, but I like to follow a recipe the way it's written the first time I make it, then I know what modifications to make next time. I did try to "doctor" soup with a few drops of white truffle oil in each bowl, but that didn't really help.
If you click on the link above the recipe, you'll be able to view a video of Emeril making this soup and see what he does differently from what's printed in the recipe. I should have watched it last night. The show this recipe was featured on will be aired again tomorrow night on the Planet Green channel.

Now for a much more successful recipe, Creamy Asparagus Soup. To get this recipe I simply Googled for it and looked at three or four before settling on this one.
Creamy Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
2 lbs asparagus
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
5 cups chicken broth
Leaves of 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp dry vermouth
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Method
1 Cut tips from 12 asparagus 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish. Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
2 Cook onion in butter in a 4 or 6-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth, thyme, and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3 While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
4 Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth. If you want a very creamy texture, you can put the purée through a food mill or press it through a sieve. Transfer to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. (The hand blender meant I didn't have to transfer hot soup from pan to bowl to pan. I didn't strain or use the food mill at first, but after a few bites of strings from the asparagus, I changed my mind.)
Stir in cream. Stir in vermouth and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I did add the vermouth and lemon juice, but it's really good without it, so I'm going to say those ingredients are optional.)
Garnish with asparagus tips. Serves 4-6.
Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet magazine.

Folks, this is good! I garnished my lunchtime bowl with a dollop of sour cream. Yum! If you click on the link above the recipe, there are photos, too.

That's it for "Soup Day" for now. The freezer is well-stocked against these chilly and wet days we're having every week. As I sat and sipped my hot soup for lunch, I laughed at the rain!

Soup Day (part 2)

2008-11-07T17:07:00.003-06:00

The other two soups I made ysterday are tomato/beef-based, but very different in flavors from each other.
The first one I put together was Meatball Minestrone. I got this recipe from Taste of Home or Country Woman (I don't remember which) many years ago. I finally made it for the first time last April. If you click on the name of the soup, you'll go to the post with the recipe. It is really good! This time I more than doubled the spices and that seemed right for us.

The other recipe is Fagioli Soup. This one came from a forum on a website, but I printed it 3 years ago, so I don't know if it's even available online anymore. I'm sorry I can't credit the person who posted it...
This soup is the one that Greg took to work for his lunch, and the other guys asked him to get the recipe from me for their wives. It smells awesome! At first I was reluctant to mix the Mexican spices with the Italian spices, but it really works.
Fagioli Soup
2 lb lean ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey)
2 lg onions
3 bell peppers (any color works fine - this time I used all green)
3 stalks celery
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1 banana pepper (optional)
3 small cans tomato sauce
2 cans Ro-tel tomatoes (I used mild)
2 Tbs. olive oil
8 beef bouillion cubes (I use a Tbs. or so of Beef Base)
4 C water
salt, pepper to taste
1 Tbs. cumin
1 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 Tbs. Italian seasoning (I was out of this, so instead used some dried thyme, basil from the freezer, and a little extra oregano)
1/2 Tbs. dried oregano
3 cans undrained red kidney beans or 2 cans red beans and 1 can white (I used 3 cans of black beans)
Saute onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in olive oil. Add ground meat and brown (I brown the meat separately,drain, rinse, then add to the veggies.)
Add Ro-tel, tomato sauce, spices, water, and bouillion cubes. Heat to simmer. Add beans and cook 30 minutes. Serve.

There are a couple more recipes I didn't get to, but plan to make this weekend. Tune in next week for "part 3". :o)

Soup Day! (part 1)

2008-11-06T12:44:00.005-06:00

The weather is chilly, blustery, and sometimes a little rainy today. It's perfect Fall weather. For making soup. So I did. Make soup.
I made a few old favorites and some new recipes, all of them destined for the freezer. Today I'll share the chicken recipes.
First up was Tuscan Chicken and White Bean. I got this one from an internet friend who posted it on a Yahoo group. I think it came from the Feb/Mar 2005 issue of Fast and Easy magazine.
This is a quick one to throw together, but it's really important to use fresh sage. I happened to still have quite a bit of sage out in the garden that I cut this morning.
(I know! Fresh herbs still in the garden in NOVEMBER! A little happy dance went on! Hope none of the neighbors were looking...)
If you don't have a fresh sage plant available, try to find it in the grocery. It's expensive, but makes all the difference in this soup.
There are leeks in this recipe, too. Leeks are usually gritty and sandy - make sure you pop those slices into a bowl of cold water for a little while so the icky stuff falls to the bottom.
Here's the recipe:

Tuscan Chicken and White Bean Soup
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts, cut into 1/4" rounds (2 cups)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage (I use 2 Tbs.), or 1/4 tsp. dried sage
2-14 oz. cans reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used my homemade stock)
2 C water
1-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 lb. roasted chicken, skin discarded, meat removed from bones and shredded

Heat the oil in a soup pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and continue cooking until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and water, increase heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Add beans and chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
6 Servings, 1 1/2 cups each
Per serving: 208 calories; 6 g fat; 15 g carbs; 3 g fiber

The next recipe was easy, but not nearly as quick to put together. This is the first time I've made it, but it's pretty tasty, and I'm sure will freeze great. This is a Paula Deen recipe - that explains the butter...

White Bean Chili
1 pound dried navy beans
5 C chicken stock (again, I used my homemade, but canned is fine)
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) butter
1 Tbs. minced garlic
3/4 C diced onion
1 1/2 C chopped green chiles (fresh or canned) (I only used 2 small cans since Greg's not a huge fan of green chiles in large quantities.)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped (I used pre-cooked chicken.)
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 to 2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper (I omitted - just don't have any)
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped (I'll add when I reheat)
Rinse beans well, cover w/ cool water and soak for 2 hours. Drain. Place beans in a large pot w/ chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and chiles and saute for 5 minutes. Add chile mixture to pot w/ beans. Add chicken, cumin, oregano, peppers, pepper flakes, and cilantro. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Serve w/ cornbread, if desired.

The reason I saved the cilantro to add later when I serve this soup is because I've never frozen fresh cilantro in a recipe. My instinct tells me this is best added fresh.
This soup has great flavor even without the cilantro, and I suspect will get better after sitting in the frig for a day.

Okay, so while I typed this, it started snowing outside. I picked fresh herbs from my garden this morning, and now it's snowing. Only in Nebraska...

Cream Cheese Mints

2008-10-30T15:09:00.018-05:00

One of my favorite tasty tidbits to go along with wedding cake is cream cheese mints. We're having anniversary cake this weekend, so this week I made three batches of dough, and one afternoon, Greg's mom, Jan, and her friend, Rose came over to make mints.
They're really easy to make, and it doesn't take long to have several hundred done. Here's how we did it:
1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese (do not use reduced fat or fat-free)

2 pounds confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/4 tsp. flavoring (I used peppermint. If you use flavored oils, use lots less.)

To mix the dough, I used my kitchen mixer and dough hook. Start out on the very slowest speed and keep a spatula handy to use to keep the powdered sugar inside the bowl. It will want to spill over the edge.

When the dough starts to come together, you can increase the speed of the mixer.

Once there is no more loose powdered sugar, I stop the mixer and turn the dough out onto the counter. Knead briefly.
Now it's time to color the dough. You want to use paste/gel coloring. The liquid will make your dough sticky. Use a toothpick to put the coloring on the dough. Remember that like paint, food coloring gets darker as it dries.

Knead in the color until all streaks disappear. (I wore gloves to keep my hands from being colored, too.)

Once you're happy with the color, put the dough in an airtight container and chill in the frig. (I left it while I ate a little lunch and worked on another craft for an hour or so.)
Now it's time to mold the mints. You'll need granulated sugar and mint molds. (The gray molds in this photo are the same ones used for my wedding mints 27 1/2 years ago.)

Pinch off a small piece of dough. Try to make it approximately the size of the mold, but you can always add a little more, or pull some off if necessary.

Roll the ball in the sugar, this will keep the dough from sticking.

Then press into the mold.

I like to push it in, then use my thumbs to smooth out the bottom of the mint.

Turn the mint out onto waxed paper.Let dry for several hours, then turn over and let the underside dry for a few more hours.Pack in an airtight container, between layers of waxed paper. These freeze well.

Now go make some and enjoy!

Parle Vous...

2008-09-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Cassoulet?

Cassoulet (from Occitan caçolet [kasuˈlet]) is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the southwest of France , containing meat (typically pork sausages , pork , goose , duck and sometimes mutton ), pork skin (couennes) and white haricot beans .

Awhile back I came across this recipe online, printed it out, and added it to my ever-growing stack of "recipes to try". Finally, last winter, I made it for the first time. Greg and I both really liked it, so it went into the "keep" pile. I have no idea who posted this recipe. I think it was someone on a freezer cooking email group I used to belong to, so my apologies for not being able to credit anyone.

This is a hearty dish, good for Fall and Winter. It's easy and cooks in the crockpot, so there's little effort or mess. Perfect for a busy day. And the leftovers freeze well.

Cassoulet
Layer the following ingredients in a crockpot that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Don't stir. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8-9 hours.

1 onion, sliced

3 carrots, sliced (I chopped up several baby carrots)

3 cloves, garlic, minced

3 cans Great Northern white beans with liquid

3 tsp. chicken boullion granules (I don't have that, so I used a very generous teaspoon of chicken base.)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp powdered thyme (I ran out to my herb garden and cut some fresh. Just throw the whole thing in - the leaves will fall off and the stems will be fished out later.)

3 sirloin pork chops, cut in half (I used 2 large-ish bone-in regular chops from a 'family-sized' package)
1/2 lb. smoked garlic sausage, cut in pieces (I used lean turkey sausage. Not as strong a flavor, but a little healthier)
1/4 lb. bacon, cut in small pieces (I used about half that much, and cooked it first)

Now put the lid on your crockpot and walk away. Don't stir this until you're ready to eat. And you'll be wanting to eat, since it smells so good as it cooks!

I'll use this as a one-dish meal since everything is included. That's the beauty of it. Only one crock to wash. We all love that!

Comfort Cooking

2008-09-09T18:40:00.008-05:00

Goulash
*(Goulash is a dish, originally from Hungary, usually made of beef, red onions, vegetables and paprika powder.[1] The name comes from the Hungarian gulyás (pronounced goo-yash), the word for a cattle stockman or herdsman.) Wikipedia

My mom was a very basic cook - a good cook, but she pretty much made only simple, mostly fast, easy, and economical dishes. She was feeding a family of seven on a limited budget, so we had lots of inexpensive hamburger, macaroni, potatoes, and chicken.

This dish, goulash, was a staple in our home. It's one of the first things I learned to cook, and when it was my turn to plan and prepare meals for the week, it was always on the menu.

There are tons of recipes for goulash, but this is how my mom taught me:

*Put water on to boil for macaroni. Cook pasta as soon as it boils, while the meat is browning. I used ziti here, but we always used macaroni when I was a kid.

*Dice onion and brown with the hamburger. I used about a pound of 90/10 ground sirloin here. I also added a big clove of garlic. (Mom never used cloves of garlic, though she did eventually discover garlic salt, and I always added a little of that.) While the meat cooks, stir and chop it into small pieces. When it is thoroughly cooked, pour into a strainer and drain the fat. Is there anything that smells like my childhood more than hamburger and onion browning on the stove? I think not.

*Drain the pasta and add to the cooked hamburger in the skillet. Oh yeah, we always made goulash in the skillet.

*Now add one can of tomato soup. Yes, I have sometimes made it with tomato sauce instead, but it's not the same. Use the soup.

*Next, I put in a dollop of yellow mustard and a squirt of ketchup. Yep, a dollop and a squirt. This is a recipe you make to taste, so start small and add more if you think it needs it.

I put in a little bit of salt, not much, since I'm using canned soup. Lots of fresh ground black pepper. Stir up, cook on low until heated through, and then enjoy.

When I was high school, I started putting my own personal twists on the traditional dishes Mom had taught me to make. Sometimes really good, other times not so much. One of the favorite changes I made to goulash was to add cheese. Just before serving, I'd put a few slices of Kraft American cheese in the pan and mix it up. Dad and the boys loved it. Tonight I simply shredded a little sharp cheddar over the top. Oh, and I added some chopped chives (from my garden, Tonita).

I don't know what made me decide this afternoon to make goulash for supper. I haven't made it in probably 10 or 12 years, but I'm glad I did. There was a hearty, hot meal on the stove when Greg got home from work.

It was served with fresh cucumber in Ranch on the side. (Mom would have sliced the cucumber and put it in white vinegar with sliced white onion. Yum. But Greg doesn't like the tang of vinegar, so he gets Ranch.)

I know many of my Adams cousins who read this blog have their own personal memories of Mom and goulash. There are tales of her telling stories about gypsies and such in relation to this meal. I don't know about that, but to all of us, goulash reminds us of our childhood.

An Apple A Day

2008-08-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Recently I was gifted with a huge canner-full of "harvest" apples. I don't know what kind those are, but boy-howdy, they are tart!

You can see in the photo how they were not the prettiest apples in the world, and in truth, I did have to discard several whole fruits along with major pieces of many others. In the interest of "waste not", I did take the time to dig out bad spots and save as much as possible. I am, after all, Elsie's granddaughter. (I remember trying to toss out a very ripe strawberry once. Hoo! Never tried that again!)

Anyway, insects and spoilage aside, I got 8 1/2 cups of applesauce, to which was added about 1/4 cup of sugar to make it palatable. This will mostly be used to replace part of the oil in some baking recipe. (Note: Food mill = good investment)

I also got 14 cups of sliced apples to make into pies. Those are in bags in the freezer. The apples, not the pies.

But I will make pies with them.

Someday.

In the future.

More Zucchini Love

2008-08-13T15:39:00.008-05:00

Last night I made lasagna, but instead of pasta noodles I used strips of zucchini. It'd been quite a long time since I did this last, so I worried if Greg would remember he'd liked it before. Guess so - he had two helpings. :o)
This is not so much a recipe as a technique for using the zucchini in place of noodles. Here's how it went: First, a giant zucchini. I've placed the regular-sized jar of spaghetti sauce next to it so you can see how bit the monster is. To the left you can see a little bit of the biggest knife I own. It, too, is huge.

Ah, the giant knife and a strainer-full of zucchini "noodles". If you click on the photo to enlarge you'll see the kosher salt I sprinkled liberally all over them. This draws out the water, thus the strainer. I only left these about 15 minutes - next time I'll prepare them earlier in the day and let them drain lots longer. The finished product was still a bet wet.

Here I have rinsed the salt from the noodles and am patting them dry. See how perfectly sliced they are? No? Well, neither are my fingers, which is what would have happened had I striven for perfection. Believe me. I have scars to prove it.

Ah, the final layer. Here is where you just use your favorite lasagna recipe and assemble as instructed, though obviously using the zucchini instead of pasta.

(Have I mentioned often enough so far that we're using the zucchini in place of noodles?)

And here it is, folks! It was yummy and juicy and I really liked the texture of the noodles, but it didn't have a "squashy" taste.

Let me know if you try it - I'd be interested to hear what you think.

Holy Mexican Caviar, Batman!

2008-08-13T12:29:00.006-05:00

This post was written in August 2008 and never published. I must've been wanting a photo of the finished product. Here you go anyway - put this on your list of stuff to make next summer! (Feb. 1, 2011)

With all the rain we had in the Spring (and my procrastination), the tomatoes and jalapenos were planted a bit late and are just now, today, giving forth of their fruits. And look how many fruits they put forth!

I've been patiently waiting for these lovelies and I know just what I'm doing with part of this first batch. Wanna hear? Yes? Good - because I'm telling you. :o)

When our families were here for supper one Saturday night a few weeks ago, I made a new-to-me recipe that was a huge hit, and I'm making it again.

It's called "Mexican Caviar" and it is deee-licious:

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 6 Hours 10 Minutes

Yields: 32 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

5 green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

1 (2.25 ounce) can chopped black olives

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Light Supper

2008-08-04T20:20:00.002-05:00

It's been so hot here that it's tough to think about cooking in the late afternoon. Last week I came across this recipe and thought it'd make a nice light supper. The only change I made was to use some leftover pork meat instead of the ground turkey. Next time I'll leave out the salt - didn't need it with the teryaki sauce.
(I'm not able to load the photo right now - I'll try again tomorrow...)

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup finely chopped onion
1 lb ground turkey breast
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 12 oz bag of broccoli slaw
1 small can drained water chestnuts
½ Cup Yoshida's Teriyaki Sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Approximately 15 Butter Lettuce leaves (you can also use iceberg lettuce leaves)
Directions:
1. Place oil into a large 5 qt skillet or other large pan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Brown and crumble until cooked through.
2. When turkey is cooked, stir in broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve. Serve spoonfuls inside lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

I Dream of Zucchini

2008-07-29T21:23:00.000-05:00

So far I've picked 6 zucchini from my garden. Six mutant zucchinis. One day they're just little babies, a few inches long. Two days later they're the size of a small child. Okay, maybe not that big, but these puppies are BIG. The first two were sliced lengthwise and frozen - I'll use them in place of noodles for lasagna. Yes, Greg eats it. Yes, he likes it.

The last four of the monsters plucked from the mother ship were shredded and bagged for the freezer. TWENTY-SIX cups of shredded zucchini. We'll be enjoying that in breads and muffins for quite awhile.

I did save a few slices of the last zucchini so I could make this recipe from Tyler Florence. Obviously we like zucchini in baked goods and in place of pasta, but I'd never had it raw, so I only made a tiny version of Tyler's dish and had it for supper last night before I left for work. Okay, now I can't wait to make it again, and to serve it to Greg.

Even with my love for Tyler Florence and his delicious recipes, I did make a couple of minor changes in my version, and I know what I'll do different next time. Those notes are in parentheses in the recipe.

Enjoy!

Carpaccio of Raw Zucchini

2 zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds total), sliced into paper-thin rounds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 young leek, white and light green parts only, sliced paper-thin into rings and thoroughly cleaned (I used thin slices of red onion because that is what I had.)

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as chervil, dill, chives, and chive blossoms (I used dill and chives - cut from my garden. Yea!)

1 cup ricotta cheese

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish, optional

Shingle the zucchini slices in a single overlapping layer on a platter. Dust with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a 3-count of olive oil and the lemon juice. Put that into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to give the flavors a chance to get into the zucchini. Now scatter the leeks over. Sprinkle with the herbs. (I mixed the herbs with the ricotta cheese. Next time I'll just scatter the herbs over, and forget the ricotta altogether. It wasn't necessary.)

Garnish garnish with the ricotta cheese and mint leaves, if using; serve.

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