I've used my 1956 Woman's Home Companion recipe for pie crusts since I started making pie back when I was a teenager. This year, I tried a new one. Needless to say, the new one is far easier to make (it uses the food processor) and easier to work with. The recipe I loosely followed was from the King Arthur 200th Anniversary cookbook...those people at King Arthur have NEVER failed me.
Food Processor Pie Crust
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
approx. 6-8 Tbsp. ice cold water
Pulse all except water in food processor until mixture looks a bit like cornmeal. Add cold water slowly until dough pulls together. Roll out on floured wax paper/parchment. Can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated.
Monday, November 28, 2011
My quest in getting away from prepared foods - Lemon Meringue Pie
Most of you know that my mission is to stay as true to whole food eating as possible. It is something that I am passionate about - probably to a fault. I hate to buy things that I can make from scratch at home and if I am honest, this has turned me into a HUGE food snob. I know my friends make allowances for my craziness which makes me happy. I also try to remember that not everyone shares my passion about wholesome, chemically untreated food.
In any case, in my desire to get away from "boxed" items led me to this recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie. Up until this year, I've always bought the boxed mix for the lemon custard filling. I wish I had found this recipe sooner because in all honesty, I have NEVER tasted a better Lemon Meringue than this. The filling was tart, but not in a fake way. The balance was absolutely perfect. I was planning on taking this pie home with me from my in-laws, but there was none left. I guess that speaks for itself.
As always, I modified the recipe to fit my needs and without further adieu, here it is:
Lemon Meringue Pie ala Di
1 c. sugar
6 T. non-GMO cornstarch
3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
grated rind from two medium sized lemons
2/3 c. fresh lemon juice* (4-5 lemons)
pinch of salt
2 1/4 c. boiling water
2 T unsalted butter
Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Mix and add to slightly beaten egg yolks. Add grated lemon rind and juice, add boiling water. Mix well, then cook in saucepan stirring constantly over med. heat until thick and clear. (Like a typical cornstarch pudding, it is best to get to a boiling point being very careful not to let the bottom burn.) Add butter, stir, cool slightly. Stir again and turn into a pre-baked pie shell. Top with meringue.
*You can use a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice and the concentrate found in a bottle, but don't use all concentrate. The freshly squeezed juice really makes the filling.
Meringue
3 egg whites, room temp
2 T cold water
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp. baking powder
6 T sugar
pinch of salt
In a med. mixing bowl add egg whites, water, lemon juice, baking powder and salt. Beat until stiff peaks form and then add sugar gradually. Pile onto pie making sure to cover all the way to crust edge. Bake at 425 for a few minutes. Watch carefully as not to over-brown the top.
In any case, in my desire to get away from "boxed" items led me to this recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie. Up until this year, I've always bought the boxed mix for the lemon custard filling. I wish I had found this recipe sooner because in all honesty, I have NEVER tasted a better Lemon Meringue than this. The filling was tart, but not in a fake way. The balance was absolutely perfect. I was planning on taking this pie home with me from my in-laws, but there was none left. I guess that speaks for itself.
As always, I modified the recipe to fit my needs and without further adieu, here it is:
Lemon Meringue Pie ala Di
1 c. sugar
6 T. non-GMO cornstarch
3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
grated rind from two medium sized lemons
2/3 c. fresh lemon juice* (4-5 lemons)
pinch of salt
2 1/4 c. boiling water
2 T unsalted butter
Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Mix and add to slightly beaten egg yolks. Add grated lemon rind and juice, add boiling water. Mix well, then cook in saucepan stirring constantly over med. heat until thick and clear. (Like a typical cornstarch pudding, it is best to get to a boiling point being very careful not to let the bottom burn.) Add butter, stir, cool slightly. Stir again and turn into a pre-baked pie shell. Top with meringue.
*You can use a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice and the concentrate found in a bottle, but don't use all concentrate. The freshly squeezed juice really makes the filling.
Meringue
3 egg whites, room temp
2 T cold water
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp. baking powder
6 T sugar
pinch of salt
In a med. mixing bowl add egg whites, water, lemon juice, baking powder and salt. Beat until stiff peaks form and then add sugar gradually. Pile onto pie making sure to cover all the way to crust edge. Bake at 425 for a few minutes. Watch carefully as not to over-brown the top.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Nothing more I adore than chicken soup!
I have been feeling poorly and was diagnosed with a sinus infection on Monday. I figured the cure all (along with the abx) would be some homemade chicken soup.
I started with a whole, frozen approx. 4lb bird purchased at my sister-in-law's sister's farm (did you get that?). They are a bit smaller than store bought, but the taste cannot be beat. Nothing beats buying locally grown meat/poultry!
I placed it in a large stock pot, covered it with water and simmered it until it was cooked through. Then I removed the bird, strained the cooking liquid into a large bowl and put the pot back on the stove on med. high heat adding some EVOO to the bottom of the pan.
I added:
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 centers of organic celery hearts (leaves included), sliced
4 organic carrots, sliced
4 small locally farmed turnips
5 medium organic yukon gold potatoes
1 Tbsp. minced organic garlic
Once the veggies were a bit tender, I added in the strained cooking liquid and removed the meat from the bird that had now cooled enough to touch and added it back into the pot.
I then added enough water to bring the liquid up to close to the top of the pot (about 6 cups) and added in the following:
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (picked from my herb bucket outside my front door)
2 sprigs of lemon balm (which grows next to the rosemary)
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano (I probably would have used fresh, but was too lazy to walk to the garden plot)
freshly ground peppercorn
2 tsp. chicken base
I simmered this for about an hour and a half. Tasted the soup, added in salt and pepper to taste and then topped it with stew dumplings (a family favorite). I also served it with some Parmesan biscuits and leftover honey butter.
Stew Dumplings
1 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. cold unsalted organic butter
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
Mix together all the dry ingredients. Pinch in the butter until it is well blended. Add the milk and stir until soft dough comes together. Drop by spoonful onto gently boiling soup/stew, cover and let steam for about 20 minutes.
Baking Powder Biscuits
Preheat oven to 425
3 c. flour
4-6 Tbsp. cold organic unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
**I usually add in about a cup of cheese with the butter**
Mix together the dry ingredients. Pinch in the butter until all is well blended. Add in the milk, stir until dough comes together and then place on flour surface. Knead just until dough is mixed well and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on silpat lined baking sheet and bake at 425 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown)
Makes about 12 2" biscuits.
I started with a whole, frozen approx. 4lb bird purchased at my sister-in-law's sister's farm (did you get that?). They are a bit smaller than store bought, but the taste cannot be beat. Nothing beats buying locally grown meat/poultry!
I placed it in a large stock pot, covered it with water and simmered it until it was cooked through. Then I removed the bird, strained the cooking liquid into a large bowl and put the pot back on the stove on med. high heat adding some EVOO to the bottom of the pan.
I added:
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 centers of organic celery hearts (leaves included), sliced
4 organic carrots, sliced
4 small locally farmed turnips
5 medium organic yukon gold potatoes
1 Tbsp. minced organic garlic
Once the veggies were a bit tender, I added in the strained cooking liquid and removed the meat from the bird that had now cooled enough to touch and added it back into the pot.
I then added enough water to bring the liquid up to close to the top of the pot (about 6 cups) and added in the following:
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (picked from my herb bucket outside my front door)
2 sprigs of lemon balm (which grows next to the rosemary)
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano (I probably would have used fresh, but was too lazy to walk to the garden plot)
freshly ground peppercorn
2 tsp. chicken base
I simmered this for about an hour and a half. Tasted the soup, added in salt and pepper to taste and then topped it with stew dumplings (a family favorite). I also served it with some Parmesan biscuits and leftover honey butter.
Stew Dumplings
1 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. cold unsalted organic butter
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
Mix together all the dry ingredients. Pinch in the butter until it is well blended. Add the milk and stir until soft dough comes together. Drop by spoonful onto gently boiling soup/stew, cover and let steam for about 20 minutes.
Baking Powder Biscuits
Preheat oven to 425
3 c. flour
4-6 Tbsp. cold organic unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
**I usually add in about a cup of cheese with the butter**
Mix together the dry ingredients. Pinch in the butter until all is well blended. Add in the milk, stir until dough comes together and then place on flour surface. Knead just until dough is mixed well and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on silpat lined baking sheet and bake at 425 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown)
Makes about 12 2" biscuits.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Bagels?
Why yes I would, thanks.
My hubby and I love bagels. My kids love bagels. They do not last long in the house which is probably a good thing since when you make them yourself, they don't have preservatives to keep them fresh.
The best thing about making your own is you get to choose what type of flour (never bleached!!!) and what toppings. My all time favorite is a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan and some freshly ground pepper, but I often make sesame, poppy seed and onion.
My newest favorite topping for these babies is a triangle of Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco and Chipotle. The Garlic Herb isn't bad either!
Another thing we like to do with onion bagels is make tuna melts with them by cutting the bagel in half, spreading the bottom half thinly with cream cheese, a scoop of tuna salad with diced apples and a slice of cheese. Throw them into the oven under the broiler until the cheese starts to bubble and throwing the top on and enjoying. YUM!
BAGELS
makes 16 mini sized bagels
4 c. flour (all purpose, white whole wheat, whole wheat...any or a mixture of them all)
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tbsp. salt
Drizzle or two of EVOO
1 Tbsp yeast
1 - 2 c. warm water (around 110F, but no higher than 120F)
In a large stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Add in the honey and EVOO. Mix ingredients with the dough hook attachment. While the mixer is running, slowly add in the water until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides. You may add a bit more EVOO at this point (it makes the dough easier to handle.)
Turn out onto a slightly oiled and floured board (I use my MISTO oil sprayer and use only EVOO, but cooking spray would be fine). Knead until dough is smooth and silky. Separate into 16 equally shaped balls. (A food scale would be great for this, but I don't have one yet!) Let the dough rest covered for 10-20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, shape the dough balls into snakes and then pinch the two ends together into a bagel shape. Let the bagels rest for another 20 minutes.
While the bagels are resting, prepare your baking pans (1/2 sheet pans lined with Silpats work great, but you could also use a well greased cookie sheet/sheet pan). Also prepare your toppings (I use dried minced onions for our onion bagels because they have a stronger flavor. I just reconstitute them with a bit of warm water.)
Preheat your oven to 425F and start a large pot of water to boiling. Once bagels have rested the 2nd time, place them into the boiling water making sure you only put in a few at a time. Boil one minute on each side. Sometimes mine will turn themselves over and over again so I watch them and use my spider to make sure they all boil correctly.
After two minutes lift them out of the boiling water draining them the best you can before placing them onto your baking sheet. At this time, add your toppings. Repeat process until all your bagels are boiled and ready for the oven.
Bake at 425F for 10 minutes and then turn the bagels over and bake 10 more minutes. Cool slightly (if you can stand to wait) and ENJOY!
My hubby and I love bagels. My kids love bagels. They do not last long in the house which is probably a good thing since when you make them yourself, they don't have preservatives to keep them fresh.
The best thing about making your own is you get to choose what type of flour (never bleached!!!) and what toppings. My all time favorite is a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan and some freshly ground pepper, but I often make sesame, poppy seed and onion.
My newest favorite topping for these babies is a triangle of Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco and Chipotle. The Garlic Herb isn't bad either!
Another thing we like to do with onion bagels is make tuna melts with them by cutting the bagel in half, spreading the bottom half thinly with cream cheese, a scoop of tuna salad with diced apples and a slice of cheese. Throw them into the oven under the broiler until the cheese starts to bubble and throwing the top on and enjoying. YUM!
BAGELS
makes 16 mini sized bagels
4 c. flour (all purpose, white whole wheat, whole wheat...any or a mixture of them all)
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tbsp. salt
Drizzle or two of EVOO
1 Tbsp yeast
1 - 2 c. warm water (around 110F, but no higher than 120F)
In a large stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Add in the honey and EVOO. Mix ingredients with the dough hook attachment. While the mixer is running, slowly add in the water until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides. You may add a bit more EVOO at this point (it makes the dough easier to handle.)
Turn out onto a slightly oiled and floured board (I use my MISTO oil sprayer and use only EVOO, but cooking spray would be fine). Knead until dough is smooth and silky. Separate into 16 equally shaped balls. (A food scale would be great for this, but I don't have one yet!) Let the dough rest covered for 10-20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, shape the dough balls into snakes and then pinch the two ends together into a bagel shape. Let the bagels rest for another 20 minutes.
While the bagels are resting, prepare your baking pans (1/2 sheet pans lined with Silpats work great, but you could also use a well greased cookie sheet/sheet pan). Also prepare your toppings (I use dried minced onions for our onion bagels because they have a stronger flavor. I just reconstitute them with a bit of warm water.)
Preheat your oven to 425F and start a large pot of water to boiling. Once bagels have rested the 2nd time, place them into the boiling water making sure you only put in a few at a time. Boil one minute on each side. Sometimes mine will turn themselves over and over again so I watch them and use my spider to make sure they all boil correctly.
After two minutes lift them out of the boiling water draining them the best you can before placing them onto your baking sheet. At this time, add your toppings. Repeat process until all your bagels are boiled and ready for the oven.
Bake at 425F for 10 minutes and then turn the bagels over and bake 10 more minutes. Cool slightly (if you can stand to wait) and ENJOY!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Red Quinoa with roasted chicken breasts and veggies
I've had a box of red quinoa sitting in my pantry. I also bought a bag of heirloom red grains at the farmers' market a couple of weeks ago (the same time I bought the beautiful, black heirloom beluga lentils.) So this morning as I was thinking about what I would cook for dinner, I decided I was going to use quinoa.
I searched the 'net and came up with a recipe that spoke to me and then changed it to fit my family. This is what I came up with:
1 c. mixed red heirloom grains
1 c. red quinoa
4 c. water
mixture of basil, oregano, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, salt & pepper
1 tsp. chicken base
drizzle of EVOO
3-4 leaves fresh lemon balm
2-3 leaves fresh basil
Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low until water is gone and grains are puffed. Once the grains are cooked, add in lemon balm and basil.
While the grains are cooking, take 3 medium sized chicken breasts and cut thin cutlets (about three from each). Place on 1/4 sheet pan and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Drizzle lemon juice and EVOO and place in 400 degree oven to roast.
For the veggies, I used two large carrots that I trimmed, washed and grated, about 1 c. of frozen spinach and 1 c. of frozen peas. I placed them all in a pot with just enough water to cover the bottom and brought them to a quick boil and shut off the heat.
When the chicken was done, I drained the veggies, cut the chicken into strips, added in the chicken drippings and mixed everything all together and served. While it wasn't anyone's favorite dish, there were no complaints and most of us had seconds. I think that if I make it again, I will likely add in dried cranberries or something else with some "tang". I think that sort of addition would make it a favorite in my book.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Southwest Egg Rolls et al
One day I found a package of egg roll wrappers in my freezer leftover from a "Chinese" kick I was on for awhile in the kitchen. I had a party to go to and thought, "What could I fill these with?" My idea was simple and came with ingredients that I always have on hand! Since making these quite a few years ago, I've seen chain restaurants put them on their menus. Nice to know that I was making them before that.
Needless to say, I've also filled them with freshly picked diced apples fried up with a bit of butter and cinnamon and this past weekend I did some with a lemon blueberry cheese filling. People still prefer the Southwest ones, though, and more and more I'm thinking that I should just take two batches of those.
Southwest Egg Rolls
1 package prepared egg rolls (found in the produce dept.)
1 large - 12.5oz can 98% fat free chicken breast (you can use freshly roasted - just cut & shred well)
1 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. black beans
2 c. Mexican blend cheese
1/2 c. hot salsa
1 egg plus 1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 quarts peanut oil (for frying)
In a large bowl, combine chicken breast through salsa. Place egg and water in a small dish and whisk together until well combined.
Place peanut oil in large heavy fry pan and turn heat to medium.
Take egg rolls and turn them so that they are diamond shaped on your workspace. Use pastry brush to apply egg wash to all edges of the egg rolls. Place approx. 2 Tbsp. worth of filling in the lower area of the egg roll leaving enough room at the bottom edge to fold over. Bring bottom point of egg roll up and over the filling and then tuck sides in. Roll and seal top edge.
After egg rolls are all prepared, slowly drop 4-6 at a time (depending on size of fry pan) into the oil and allow to brown on both sides. A spider is a useful tool to use while frying these.
Remove from oil and drain on a wire rack placed over a sheet pan (do not place on paper towels or the egg rolls will get mushy). Allow to drain for a few minutes. Serve while warm with Ranch Salsa Sauce (recipe below).
Ranch Salsa Sauce
1/2 c. hot salsa, strained
1 c. plain yogurt, strained
1 heaping Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. dry Ranch seasoning (homemade recipe below)
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve with Southwest Egg rolls or even tortilla chips.
Ranch Seasoning Mix (dry)
1/2 c. dry buttermilk
1 tsp. dried dill
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. granulated garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the fridge. 1 Tbsp. = 1 Packet of Ranch
Needless to say, I've also filled them with freshly picked diced apples fried up with a bit of butter and cinnamon and this past weekend I did some with a lemon blueberry cheese filling. People still prefer the Southwest ones, though, and more and more I'm thinking that I should just take two batches of those.
Southwest Egg Rolls
1 package prepared egg rolls (found in the produce dept.)
1 large - 12.5oz can 98% fat free chicken breast (you can use freshly roasted - just cut & shred well)
1 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. black beans
2 c. Mexican blend cheese
1/2 c. hot salsa
1 egg plus 1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 quarts peanut oil (for frying)
In a large bowl, combine chicken breast through salsa. Place egg and water in a small dish and whisk together until well combined.
Place peanut oil in large heavy fry pan and turn heat to medium.
Take egg rolls and turn them so that they are diamond shaped on your workspace. Use pastry brush to apply egg wash to all edges of the egg rolls. Place approx. 2 Tbsp. worth of filling in the lower area of the egg roll leaving enough room at the bottom edge to fold over. Bring bottom point of egg roll up and over the filling and then tuck sides in. Roll and seal top edge.
After egg rolls are all prepared, slowly drop 4-6 at a time (depending on size of fry pan) into the oil and allow to brown on both sides. A spider is a useful tool to use while frying these.
Remove from oil and drain on a wire rack placed over a sheet pan (do not place on paper towels or the egg rolls will get mushy). Allow to drain for a few minutes. Serve while warm with Ranch Salsa Sauce (recipe below).
Ranch Salsa Sauce
1/2 c. hot salsa, strained
1 c. plain yogurt, strained
1 heaping Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. dry Ranch seasoning (homemade recipe below)
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve with Southwest Egg rolls or even tortilla chips.
Ranch Seasoning Mix (dry)
1/2 c. dry buttermilk
1 tsp. dried dill
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. granulated garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the fridge. 1 Tbsp. = 1 Packet of Ranch
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
By golly, I think I've got it!
One of my all time comfort foods is a thick, hearty split pea soup. I know so many people who turn their nose up at it, but I just can't understand why. It is sweet (from the peas and carrots) and smoky (from the ham). It makes me happy whether served with a crusty french loaf or even the Parmesan-rosemary biscuits that I serve warm from the oven.
As of last night, I think I've found the recipe I will use from now on. SOOOO good. SOOOOO comforting - even on an evening that wasn't cold. Oh and it helps that most of the kids like this soup. The ones that don't even get through it without complaining...much. ;)
Di's Split Pea Soup
1 package green split peas (approx. 2 cups)
1 c. lentils (I used heirloom belugas, but whatever kind you can find is good.)
1 can Cannelini beans (I didn't have any dried beans or I would have used those - canned worked fine)
4 med. carrots, diced
4-5 celery heart stalks, diced
1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. kosher salt
1-2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 med. potatoes, diced (you can leave these out...I wanted to use them up)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. EVOO
1lb ham steak, bone in, cut into bite size pieces
10 c. water
Open peas and place on large sheet tray. Make sure there are no stones or debris. Do the same for the lentils. If using dried beans, do same and follow directions on package for soaking method.
In large stockpot over med-high heat add oil and butter until butter is melted. Add in onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute veggies until they are softened - about 10 minutes. Add in potatoes, ham pieces (throw the bone in as well), split peas, lentils, beans, salt, pepper and herbs. Pour 10 c. of water over all and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for a couple hours on low, stirring occasionally. Remove bone, bay leaf and stir well before serving.
Rosemary - Parmesan Biscuits
3 c. all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 Tbsp. fresh, minced rosemary
1 c. milk (approx.)
Preheat oven to 425.
In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cheese and rosemary. Add in butter. With a pastry cutter, two knives or your finger tips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse corn meal. Add enough milk to make a dough. Do NOT overwork - just mix until it comes together.
Turn dough out onto floured board and pat down to about 1" thickness. Cut with 2" biscuit cutter and place about an inch apart on a silpat lined sheet pan being careful not to overwork the dough. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Serve immediately with butter.
As of last night, I think I've found the recipe I will use from now on. SOOOO good. SOOOOO comforting - even on an evening that wasn't cold. Oh and it helps that most of the kids like this soup. The ones that don't even get through it without complaining...much. ;)
Di's Split Pea Soup
1 package green split peas (approx. 2 cups)
1 c. lentils (I used heirloom belugas, but whatever kind you can find is good.)
1 can Cannelini beans (I didn't have any dried beans or I would have used those - canned worked fine)
4 med. carrots, diced
4-5 celery heart stalks, diced
1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. kosher salt
1-2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 med. potatoes, diced (you can leave these out...I wanted to use them up)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. EVOO
1lb ham steak, bone in, cut into bite size pieces
10 c. water
Open peas and place on large sheet tray. Make sure there are no stones or debris. Do the same for the lentils. If using dried beans, do same and follow directions on package for soaking method.
In large stockpot over med-high heat add oil and butter until butter is melted. Add in onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute veggies until they are softened - about 10 minutes. Add in potatoes, ham pieces (throw the bone in as well), split peas, lentils, beans, salt, pepper and herbs. Pour 10 c. of water over all and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for a couple hours on low, stirring occasionally. Remove bone, bay leaf and stir well before serving.
Rosemary - Parmesan Biscuits
3 c. all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 Tbsp. fresh, minced rosemary
1 c. milk (approx.)
Preheat oven to 425.
In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cheese and rosemary. Add in butter. With a pastry cutter, two knives or your finger tips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse corn meal. Add enough milk to make a dough. Do NOT overwork - just mix until it comes together.
Turn dough out onto floured board and pat down to about 1" thickness. Cut with 2" biscuit cutter and place about an inch apart on a silpat lined sheet pan being careful not to overwork the dough. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Serve immediately with butter.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Typically, I'm not a menu planner, but....
For vacation purposes, I thought it would be best.
The camp we stay at has a very limited kitchen, but still very workable. In fact, that is one of the best things about vacation...less stuff. I bring up as much food as we can fit as the closest store is 30 mins. away and is quite expensive given how far up we are (unless you count Young's which not only sells a small selection of food, but bait, tackle and hunting/fishing licenses along with gas!) We generally take one day and travel to the Berlin area to hit the most beautiful and well laid out super EvilMart I've ever been to. Dude - it has a view of the White Mountains from its parking lot!
Breakfast and lunch each day are the same. For breakfast we have an assortment of dry cereals and I always make pancakes. This year I am bringing the waffle maker, too, as the boys are on a kick. I will bring up mixed dried ingredients for the pancakes and waffles and then add the eggs and milk/yogurt once we get there.
Lunch will be either sandwiches (am bringing quite a few loaves of homemade bread) or leftovers from the evening before depending on where our travels are taking us that day.
I also will be bringing some homemade cookies, homemade vanilla almond granola, blueberry lemon pound cake. banana bars and a new snack mix that doesn't make quite as much as my usual go to mix (it also doesn't cost an arm and a leg!)
So without further adieu, here is my menu. Being the crazy kind of person I am /grin/, I doubt this is the exact order of things, but you'll get the idea.
Friday - spaghetti w/red sauce, homemade french bread, mixed greens salad
Saturday-baked honey mustard chicken breasts, brown rice, veggies
Sunday -Slow cooked Pepperocini Beef Shank on grinder rolls, salad
Monday - Make your own wrap (lettuce, tomato, cheese, meats), melon
Tuesday - Nitrate free Chili dogs, salad, fruit
Wednesday - Turkey burgers, homemade potato buns, salad, fruit
Thursday - Takeout...likely Chinese as we tried a place last year that was fantastic or maybe pizza
Friday - Ground turkey Cooking Light Sloppy Joes on homemade potato rolls, salad
The camp we stay at has a very limited kitchen, but still very workable. In fact, that is one of the best things about vacation...less stuff. I bring up as much food as we can fit as the closest store is 30 mins. away and is quite expensive given how far up we are (unless you count Young's which not only sells a small selection of food, but bait, tackle and hunting/fishing licenses along with gas!) We generally take one day and travel to the Berlin area to hit the most beautiful and well laid out super EvilMart I've ever been to. Dude - it has a view of the White Mountains from its parking lot!
Breakfast and lunch each day are the same. For breakfast we have an assortment of dry cereals and I always make pancakes. This year I am bringing the waffle maker, too, as the boys are on a kick. I will bring up mixed dried ingredients for the pancakes and waffles and then add the eggs and milk/yogurt once we get there.
Lunch will be either sandwiches (am bringing quite a few loaves of homemade bread) or leftovers from the evening before depending on where our travels are taking us that day.
I also will be bringing some homemade cookies, homemade vanilla almond granola, blueberry lemon pound cake. banana bars and a new snack mix that doesn't make quite as much as my usual go to mix (it also doesn't cost an arm and a leg!)
So without further adieu, here is my menu. Being the crazy kind of person I am /grin/, I doubt this is the exact order of things, but you'll get the idea.
Friday - spaghetti w/red sauce, homemade french bread, mixed greens salad
Saturday-baked honey mustard chicken breasts, brown rice, veggies
Sunday -Slow cooked Pepperocini Beef Shank on grinder rolls, salad
Monday - Make your own wrap (lettuce, tomato, cheese, meats), melon
Tuesday - Nitrate free Chili dogs, salad, fruit
Wednesday - Turkey burgers, homemade potato buns, salad, fruit
Thursday - Takeout...likely Chinese as we tried a place last year that was fantastic or maybe pizza
Friday - Ground turkey Cooking Light Sloppy Joes on homemade potato rolls, salad
Friday, July 8, 2011
Purple Princess Cake with Almond flavored Ermine Frosting
It was the little girl's 5th birthday on Wednesday. I have typically made her a white cake with strawberries and blueberries because her birthday is so close to July 4th (red, white & blue). This year as I was browsing recipes for "berry cakes from scratch", I found a version of a Pink Lady cake that used pureed strawberries. Since she wanted strawberries and blueberries, I decided to call mine a Purple Princess Cake. As far as the frosting, my favorite is an Ermine frosting. SO light and not too sweet despite being pretty much butter and sugar.
This cake will make (3) 8" rounds although I baked mine in a large Longaberger lasagna pan.
Purple Princess Cake
4 1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp plus 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (3/4 c.)
1/2 c. coconut oil
2 c. sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen unsweetened)
1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen unsweetened)
1 overripe banana
4 eggs
2/3 c. plain yogurt
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour pan(s).
Puree the berries and banana in food processor.
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large mixer bowl. Add in butter, coconut oil and berry puree. Mix well. Add in eggs one at a time and then plain yogurt. Mix until well combined but do not overbeat.
Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about an hour for one large pan - probably about half that time for 8" pans).
Cool completely before frosting.
Almond flavored Ermine Frosting
3 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 c. sugar
1 c. confectioner's sugar (can leave this out)
Cook milk and flour in saucepan over medium heat until thickened. Add small pinch of salt, mix well and set aside to cool just a bit. Beat butter and sugar together. Add in slightly cooled flour mixture and beat until well incorporated. Add in extract and confectioners sugar to taste.
This cake will make (3) 8" rounds although I baked mine in a large Longaberger lasagna pan.
Purple Princess Cake
4 1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp plus 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (3/4 c.)
1/2 c. coconut oil
2 c. sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen unsweetened)
1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen unsweetened)
1 overripe banana
4 eggs
2/3 c. plain yogurt
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour pan(s).
Puree the berries and banana in food processor.
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large mixer bowl. Add in butter, coconut oil and berry puree. Mix well. Add in eggs one at a time and then plain yogurt. Mix until well combined but do not overbeat.
Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about an hour for one large pan - probably about half that time for 8" pans).
Cool completely before frosting.
Almond flavored Ermine Frosting
3 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 c. sugar
1 c. confectioner's sugar (can leave this out)
Cook milk and flour in saucepan over medium heat until thickened. Add small pinch of salt, mix well and set aside to cool just a bit. Beat butter and sugar together. Add in slightly cooled flour mixture and beat until well incorporated. Add in extract and confectioners sugar to taste.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuscan Style Cannellini Salad
This is one of the most used recipes I have from Cooking Light. I LOVE THIS SALAD! It is easy and yummy - two reasons it makes great summer fare.
Tonight I served it with BLT's made on our everyday bread and baby dill pickles. This dinner was a huge hit with everyone.
Tuscan Style Cannellini Salad
Serves 4
1 16oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed well
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. chopped vidalia or red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 basil leaves, chopped into ribbons (chiffonade)
2 Tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. Italian parsley
pinch of salt
2-3 turns ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients into a bowl. Place in fridge and let sit for an hour for flavors to marinade.
Tonight I served it with BLT's made on our everyday bread and baby dill pickles. This dinner was a huge hit with everyone.
Tuscan Style Cannellini Salad
Serves 4
1 16oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed well
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. chopped vidalia or red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 basil leaves, chopped into ribbons (chiffonade)
2 Tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. Italian parsley
pinch of salt
2-3 turns ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients into a bowl. Place in fridge and let sit for an hour for flavors to marinade.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Best breakfast ever
So I'm not usually a huge breakfast lover. I love my coffee and that's about it. Since I've decided to get serious about getting to a healthy weight and toning my middle aged body, I've had to seriously change how I view food. (Believe me, it's not easy.) I love food. I like to eat food. Food is sometimes how I comfort myself which is likely why my body looks the way it does. Anyway, this is my new breakfast routine. I may switch it up a little bit here and there, but it seems to be the perfect fit for me. (And it helps that all the ingredients are things that I always have on hand.)
Breakfast Blend
1/2 c. Stonyfield Farm lowfat French Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 c. Wyman's Frozen Wild Blueberries
2 Tbsp. toasted wheat germ
1/2 c. cereal (cheerios, rice crispies, etc. - even homemade granola is yummy)
Blend all ingredients in a bowl. Eat & enjoy!
Because I eat this while the blueberries are still frozen, it seems more like some kind of icy, creamy treat than a meal. I'm sure you could blend it up and make it into a smoothie as well if that is more your thing. In any case, it sure is yummy.
Breakfast Blend
1/2 c. Stonyfield Farm lowfat French Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 c. Wyman's Frozen Wild Blueberries
2 Tbsp. toasted wheat germ
1/2 c. cereal (cheerios, rice crispies, etc. - even homemade granola is yummy)
Blend all ingredients in a bowl. Eat & enjoy!
Because I eat this while the blueberries are still frozen, it seems more like some kind of icy, creamy treat than a meal. I'm sure you could blend it up and make it into a smoothie as well if that is more your thing. In any case, it sure is yummy.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Ground turkey & Orzo skillet
Picked up a couple of pounds of ground turkey today and then when it was time to cook, I wanted to find something easy. This is pretty good and you could change it up pretty easily to incorporate the things you like most. The best part? One large family sized skillet to clean. Even with the spinach and tomatoes, everyone had seconds - probably because it looked so pretty with the dark green of the spinach and deep red of the tomatoes.
This recipe is written to feed 8.
Ground Turkey & Orzo Skillet
2 lbs ground turkey
30 oz. diced tomatoes (approx. two cans or one box)
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. dried oregano, basil & rosemary
2 c. frozen spinach, thawed
2 c. chicken broth
1 lb orzo
salt & pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
In large skillet or pan, heat EVOO and add in turkey. Cook for a few minutes and then add in salt, pepper, garlic & onion. Cook mixture until turkey is fully cooked. Add in tomatoes, herbs, spinach and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then add in orzo. Cover and lower heat to simmer for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender. Serve with grated parmesan.
This recipe is written to feed 8.
Ground Turkey & Orzo Skillet
2 lbs ground turkey
30 oz. diced tomatoes (approx. two cans or one box)
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. dried oregano, basil & rosemary
2 c. frozen spinach, thawed
2 c. chicken broth
1 lb orzo
salt & pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
In large skillet or pan, heat EVOO and add in turkey. Cook for a few minutes and then add in salt, pepper, garlic & onion. Cook mixture until turkey is fully cooked. Add in tomatoes, herbs, spinach and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then add in orzo. Cover and lower heat to simmer for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender. Serve with grated parmesan.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Not a recipe - just an endorsement
Kettle brand Salt & Pepper Krinkle cut potato chips. Hubby looked at me skeptically when I picked them up. He is not skeptical anymore.
Yes, they are still potato chips and not a healthy meal option, but good for a once in awhile treat. This is what it says on the bag:
Our Natural Promise:
Absolutely NOTHING artificial
No Trans fats
No Preservatives
NON GMO ingredients or oils
Gluten Free
No MSG
Only Natural colors & flavors
Real Food Ingredients
Ingredients:
Potatoes, vegetable oil (safflower and/or sunflower oil), rice flour, salt, spices (black pepper, white pepper), yeast extract, garlic powder, onion powder, citric acid, spice extract (black pepper oil), jalapeno powder.
So yeah, unless you are going to make your own (which you can - my mother used to make them for my siblings), this is the brand to buy. A big shout out to Kettle brand for making real food for real people. They will be my choice from now on when I am in the market for chips.
Yes, they are still potato chips and not a healthy meal option, but good for a once in awhile treat. This is what it says on the bag:
Our Natural Promise:
Absolutely NOTHING artificial
No Trans fats
No Preservatives
NON GMO ingredients or oils
Gluten Free
No MSG
Only Natural colors & flavors
Real Food Ingredients
Ingredients:
Potatoes, vegetable oil (safflower and/or sunflower oil), rice flour, salt, spices (black pepper, white pepper), yeast extract, garlic powder, onion powder, citric acid, spice extract (black pepper oil), jalapeno powder.
So yeah, unless you are going to make your own (which you can - my mother used to make them for my siblings), this is the brand to buy. A big shout out to Kettle brand for making real food for real people. They will be my choice from now on when I am in the market for chips.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Potato Leek Soup
One of my most favorite parts of working outside my home was being able to eat something someone else prepared for lunch each day. Most days I ate a salad from the grocery store down the street or we picked up soup and salad from a restaurant. The best soup was always the potato leek. I have never made it up until this point, but in browsing the fresh veggies the leeks always seem to call to me. I finally gave in and bought them. After doing some research, this is the soup I ended up with. I don't use cream, half & half, milk or creme fraiche like many of the recipes I found online which makes it a bit less fatty. To cut down the fat even more, you could go with just the EVOO instead of the butter & EVOO.
Potato Leek Soup
2 med. leeks, trimmed of dark green leaves, sliced lengthwise & washed well (Save dark greens)
8-10 small-med. potatoes, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
minced garlic (4-5 cloves)
32 oz. vegetable stock*
salt & pepper
EVOO
2 Tbsp. butter
*I made my own vegetable stock using the dark greens & root pieces from the leeks, the carrot peelings & ends, celery leaves & ends along with some herbs, garlic and a large pinch of salt. Just add water enough to cover and then some (about 8-10 cups). Strain the mixture before using.*
Place potatoes into vegetable stock and cook until fork tender.
While potatoes are cooking, dice leeks and saute in a fry pan along with the carrot, celery & garlic in a mixture of EVOO & butter. Remove from heat once leeks become translucent and mixture is very fragrant.
Once potatoes are done, remove from the liquid (I use my spider skimmer) and place into food processor (or blender). Add just enough of the cooking liquid to make a thick, yet soupy base (about 6 cups). Place potato mixture back into the pot and add in the leek mixture. Cook low and slow for a couple of hours, stirring every so often to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan.
I served this with our homemade sandwich bread which was sliced thick, smeared with some butter and Parmesan and stuck under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes. (Just long enough to melt the cheese and brown the edges. It was a terrific accompaniment.
Potato Leek Soup
2 med. leeks, trimmed of dark green leaves, sliced lengthwise & washed well (Save dark greens)
8-10 small-med. potatoes, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
minced garlic (4-5 cloves)
32 oz. vegetable stock*
salt & pepper
EVOO
2 Tbsp. butter
*I made my own vegetable stock using the dark greens & root pieces from the leeks, the carrot peelings & ends, celery leaves & ends along with some herbs, garlic and a large pinch of salt. Just add water enough to cover and then some (about 8-10 cups). Strain the mixture before using.*
Place potatoes into vegetable stock and cook until fork tender.
While potatoes are cooking, dice leeks and saute in a fry pan along with the carrot, celery & garlic in a mixture of EVOO & butter. Remove from heat once leeks become translucent and mixture is very fragrant.
Once potatoes are done, remove from the liquid (I use my spider skimmer) and place into food processor (or blender). Add just enough of the cooking liquid to make a thick, yet soupy base (about 6 cups). Place potato mixture back into the pot and add in the leek mixture. Cook low and slow for a couple of hours, stirring every so often to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan.
I served this with our homemade sandwich bread which was sliced thick, smeared with some butter and Parmesan and stuck under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes. (Just long enough to melt the cheese and brown the edges. It was a terrific accompaniment.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Angel Food Cake & how to rid yourself of 12 egg yolks
***These recipes were published last fall under another birthday post, however, I made some very slight changes so I am leaving them. If you want to see the original post, click HERE.***
Yesterday our number 3 turned 12. His choice of meal consisted of chicken piccata, mac & cheese, salad and angel food cake with chocolate pudding in the middle & whipped cream for frosting.
When looking at the boxed mix for angel food cake at the grocery store, I noticed it had artificial flavors. For 20 cents more, I could buy a dozen eggs and make a homemade angel cake with no artificial flavors. A bit more labor intensive, but not difficult. So I bought the eggs.
Angel Food Cake
12 eggs whites, room temp.
1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. flour
Separate eggs making sure you don't get any yolks into the whites. (I use three bowls and my hands to separate. Break the egg and place into your palm with fingers parted just a little bit. The egg whites should slip through into the bowl below. 1 bowl for the yolks, one for the collective whites and the small bowl for the actual separating - this way if a yolk breaks, you haven't wasted all the other whites.) Allow the whites to come to room temp. (About 45 mins. - This is very important!)
Mix together the flour and 3/4 c. sugar in a small bowl with a wire whisk or fork.
Place the whites into a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the salt & flavorings. Whip until frothy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the top and begin to whip. Slowly add 3/4 c. of sugar while whipping. Whip until the eggs whites are stiff.
Gently fold in the flour & sugar into the egg white mixture. Spoon into an angel food cake pan and bake at 325 for about an hour or until the top is a deep golden brown. Do not under cook!
Turn over and cool for about 2 hours. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Being as frugal as I am, I couldn't waste the 12 yolks and while there are endless possibilities of ways to use them, I choose the whole wheat Golden Angel Food cake from King Arthur Flour's 200 Anniversary cookbook. Totally different taste & texture, but yummy just the same. I prepared it with the chocolate pudding the middle and whipped cream frosting just as the other.
Golden Angel Food Cake
12 egg yolks
3/4 c. boiling water
Zest of one large orange
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 325. Grease only the removable bottom of the angel food pan or line with parchment.
Beat the yolks until thick and lemon colored. Slowly add in the boiling water and continue beating. (I use the whisk attachment on my stand mixer for this). Slowly add in the orange zest and sugar (do not stop beating).
In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add in the flour mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan (not bundt) and bake for approx. 45 mins. or until cake springs back when you press lightly on it. Cool upside down for about an hour and a half before removing it from pan.
Yesterday our number 3 turned 12. His choice of meal consisted of chicken piccata, mac & cheese, salad and angel food cake with chocolate pudding in the middle & whipped cream for frosting.
When looking at the boxed mix for angel food cake at the grocery store, I noticed it had artificial flavors. For 20 cents more, I could buy a dozen eggs and make a homemade angel cake with no artificial flavors. A bit more labor intensive, but not difficult. So I bought the eggs.
Angel Food Cake
12 eggs whites, room temp.
1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. flour
Separate eggs making sure you don't get any yolks into the whites. (I use three bowls and my hands to separate. Break the egg and place into your palm with fingers parted just a little bit. The egg whites should slip through into the bowl below. 1 bowl for the yolks, one for the collective whites and the small bowl for the actual separating - this way if a yolk breaks, you haven't wasted all the other whites.) Allow the whites to come to room temp. (About 45 mins. - This is very important!)
Mix together the flour and 3/4 c. sugar in a small bowl with a wire whisk or fork.
Place the whites into a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the salt & flavorings. Whip until frothy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the top and begin to whip. Slowly add 3/4 c. of sugar while whipping. Whip until the eggs whites are stiff.
Gently fold in the flour & sugar into the egg white mixture. Spoon into an angel food cake pan and bake at 325 for about an hour or until the top is a deep golden brown. Do not under cook!
Turn over and cool for about 2 hours. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Being as frugal as I am, I couldn't waste the 12 yolks and while there are endless possibilities of ways to use them, I choose the whole wheat Golden Angel Food cake from King Arthur Flour's 200 Anniversary cookbook. Totally different taste & texture, but yummy just the same. I prepared it with the chocolate pudding the middle and whipped cream frosting just as the other.
Golden Angel Food Cake
12 egg yolks
3/4 c. boiling water
Zest of one large orange
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 325. Grease only the removable bottom of the angel food pan or line with parchment.
Beat the yolks until thick and lemon colored. Slowly add in the boiling water and continue beating. (I use the whisk attachment on my stand mixer for this). Slowly add in the orange zest and sugar (do not stop beating).
In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add in the flour mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan (not bundt) and bake for approx. 45 mins. or until cake springs back when you press lightly on it. Cool upside down for about an hour and a half before removing it from pan.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Whole wheat oatmeal bread
This bread is number 5's favorite for making sandwiches. My hubby says this bread makes the absolute best toast. The heels of this bread are yummy in french toast casserole. It is wonderful served with a little honey butter and a hearty soup. I would say that is pretty versatile, no?
The original recipe I started using came from my sister-in-law (Hi Shanny!), but I also found a similar one in my 1956 Woman's Home Companion. I've changed it just a little bit by cutting out the brown sugar & butter, adding in cinnamon (Hi Shanny!) and using whole wheat flour.
1 c. whole oats
1/4 c. molasses
1/8 c. honey
1/8 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. boiling water
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and let sit until temp reaches lukewarm (or about 110 F). Usually I just let it rest on the counter, but sometimes I will speed up the process by using the fridge or freezer. BE DILIGENT if you use those methods!
Add oat mixture into warmed stand mixer bowl (a bit of hot water will do that trick) and add in:
approx. 4 c. flour (whole wheat, white whole wheat or even just all purpose) and 1 Tbsp. of instant yeast (mix the yeast in with the flour). If you prefer to proof your yeast beforehand, use 1/2 c. warm water, 1 tsp. sugar - this may increase the amount of flour you have to add.
Blend with dough hook adding just enough flour for the dough to pull away from the sides.
Knead until dough is no longer sticky on a floured board or counter and turn into a lightly oiled bowl. Let sit covered until doubled in size (poking a finger into the dough will result in the finger mark not filling in).
Once it rises, punch down and either cut into two and place each piece in an oiled loaf pan or shape into two rounds. Cover and let rise for another 30-50 minutes. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Helpful hint: Sometimes our house is not at an optimal temp for getting the dough to rise. Simply heat your oven on 400F for 1 minute and turn it off. This should result in a "warm & draft free" place for your dough.
The original recipe I started using came from my sister-in-law (Hi Shanny!), but I also found a similar one in my 1956 Woman's Home Companion. I've changed it just a little bit by cutting out the brown sugar & butter, adding in cinnamon (Hi Shanny!) and using whole wheat flour.
1 c. whole oats
1/4 c. molasses
1/8 c. honey
1/8 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. boiling water
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and let sit until temp reaches lukewarm (or about 110 F). Usually I just let it rest on the counter, but sometimes I will speed up the process by using the fridge or freezer. BE DILIGENT if you use those methods!
Add oat mixture into warmed stand mixer bowl (a bit of hot water will do that trick) and add in:
approx. 4 c. flour (whole wheat, white whole wheat or even just all purpose) and 1 Tbsp. of instant yeast (mix the yeast in with the flour). If you prefer to proof your yeast beforehand, use 1/2 c. warm water, 1 tsp. sugar - this may increase the amount of flour you have to add.
Blend with dough hook adding just enough flour for the dough to pull away from the sides.
Knead until dough is no longer sticky on a floured board or counter and turn into a lightly oiled bowl. Let sit covered until doubled in size (poking a finger into the dough will result in the finger mark not filling in).
Once it rises, punch down and either cut into two and place each piece in an oiled loaf pan or shape into two rounds. Cover and let rise for another 30-50 minutes. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Helpful hint: Sometimes our house is not at an optimal temp for getting the dough to rise. Simply heat your oven on 400F for 1 minute and turn it off. This should result in a "warm & draft free" place for your dough.
Custard
I don't know what it is about custard that makes it so appealing to me. I know that the texture often turns people away from it (like my hubby). I think it tastes like home. It is simple, yet elegant and reminds me of my grandmother and mother. In any case, it is a fairly easy thing to make and calls for very simple ingredients. I make maple custard here at home and I cook individual portions in my Pampered Chef 1 cup Prep-Bowl set. You don't need to use the syrup at all or you can use honey, coffee, chocolate sauce or even a caramel syrup. This recipe serves 6.
Maple Custard
4 eggs
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
2 1/2 c. milk (can use half evaporated mixed w/half water, but generally I use 1%)
Freshly grated nutmeg
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 9x13 glass pan with a large cloth or dishtowel and place custard cups inside.
Add one Tbsp. of syrup to the bottom of each custard cup.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and milk. Spoon mixture into custard cups and grate nutmeg lightly over the tops. Very carefully pour boiling water into the 9x13 pan until it reaches almost the whole way up the custard cups and place it into the preheated oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool. Can be inverted onto plate or eaten out of cup.
Maple Custard
4 eggs
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
2 1/2 c. milk (can use half evaporated mixed w/half water, but generally I use 1%)
Freshly grated nutmeg
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 9x13 glass pan with a large cloth or dishtowel and place custard cups inside.
Add one Tbsp. of syrup to the bottom of each custard cup.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and milk. Spoon mixture into custard cups and grate nutmeg lightly over the tops. Very carefully pour boiling water into the 9x13 pan until it reaches almost the whole way up the custard cups and place it into the preheated oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool. Can be inverted onto plate or eaten out of cup.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Almond Coconut Oatmeal cookies
These are my all time favorite cookies. I love oatmeal cookies in general, but to add toasted coconut and toasted sliced almonds to them, it is pure bliss for me.
Almond Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. oats
1 c. coconut
1 c. sliced (or slivered) almonds
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Place coconut & almonds in a 1/4 sheet pan and place in oven. Turn oven to 350 and toast for about 20 mins. or until coconut is brown making sure you stir every few minutes to prevent burning.
In a large mixing bowl blend butter & sugars together. Add in eggs & vanilla beating well. In a small bowl mix together oats, flour, soda, salt & cooled toasted almonds & coconut. Blend well into butter mixture.
Place cookies on silpat lined 1/2 sheet pans and bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges (350). Cool for a minute on the sheets and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Almond Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. oats
1 c. coconut
1 c. sliced (or slivered) almonds
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Place coconut & almonds in a 1/4 sheet pan and place in oven. Turn oven to 350 and toast for about 20 mins. or until coconut is brown making sure you stir every few minutes to prevent burning.
In a large mixing bowl blend butter & sugars together. Add in eggs & vanilla beating well. In a small bowl mix together oats, flour, soda, salt & cooled toasted almonds & coconut. Blend well into butter mixture.
Place cookies on silpat lined 1/2 sheet pans and bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges (350). Cool for a minute on the sheets and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Traditional New England Boiled Dinner
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I am from New England and also have Irish blood in my veins. My husband is half Irish. Needless to say, we go big on St. Patrick's Day and have a party with my husband's family each year which includes Irish Coffee (the only day of the year that I drink whiskey) and a traditional New England Boiled Dinner and plenty of Irish Soda bread. The boiled dinner recipe goes by a timetable rather than an ingredient list, but I will list the ingredients I'm cooking this year afterward. The soda bread is a recipe I found online and have been using for years. I've received SOOO many compliments on it that I won't use any other recipe ever again.
Traditional New England Boiled Dinner
Noon: Rinse 4lbs corned beef in water and place in the bottom of a large kettle (I use my lobster/canning pot). Cover well with cold water. Add 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. pickling spice and 2 bay leaves. Bring to boiling point and boil 5 minutes. Skim scum off top, turn down heat and simmer covered until tender.
2:30pm: Scrub fresh beets and add to kettle, leaving skin and a good 4 inches of stem on each beet to prevent bleeding...any cuts in the beets will result in bleeding...leave the long root piece on too!
3pm: Add peeled turnips, cut coarsely (I have parsnips instead)
4pm: Add peeled carrots and onions and a medium-large cabbage cut into quarters. Add water as necessary to keep water level up.
4:30pm: Add peeled, cut up potatoes.
5pm: All should be cooked by now. Peel beets and arrange dinner on one large platter. Serve with Irish Soda bread & plenty of butter.
Ingredient list for our boiled dinner:
3 bunches of beets (6 large)
1 lb. carrots
4-5 potatoes
4lbs corned beef, flat cut
1 lb. parsnips
med-lg. green cabbage
2-3 yellow onions
Pickling spice
Bay Leaves
Sugar
Irish Soda Bread
1/2 c. sugar
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 c. raisins
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 c. soured milk (I use lemon juice, not vinegar)
1 c. plain lowfat yogurt
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" round cake pan or cast iron skillet. In a mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients. In another bowl combine all the dry ingredients plus the raisins and caraway seeds. Add the two together until everything is combined. Dough will be VERY sticky & wet. Place dough in the prepared pan and bake for just over an hour or until it is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before removing from pan.
**This dough has a habit of weeping over the sides of a shallow cake pan so it is best to use a sheet pan underneath if you are using one. It still will taste fabulous even if it weeps over and then you'll have some to nibble on before dinner!**
I am from New England and also have Irish blood in my veins. My husband is half Irish. Needless to say, we go big on St. Patrick's Day and have a party with my husband's family each year which includes Irish Coffee (the only day of the year that I drink whiskey) and a traditional New England Boiled Dinner and plenty of Irish Soda bread. The boiled dinner recipe goes by a timetable rather than an ingredient list, but I will list the ingredients I'm cooking this year afterward. The soda bread is a recipe I found online and have been using for years. I've received SOOO many compliments on it that I won't use any other recipe ever again.
Traditional New England Boiled Dinner
Noon: Rinse 4lbs corned beef in water and place in the bottom of a large kettle (I use my lobster/canning pot). Cover well with cold water. Add 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. pickling spice and 2 bay leaves. Bring to boiling point and boil 5 minutes. Skim scum off top, turn down heat and simmer covered until tender.
2:30pm: Scrub fresh beets and add to kettle, leaving skin and a good 4 inches of stem on each beet to prevent bleeding...any cuts in the beets will result in bleeding...leave the long root piece on too!
3pm: Add peeled turnips, cut coarsely (I have parsnips instead)
4pm: Add peeled carrots and onions and a medium-large cabbage cut into quarters. Add water as necessary to keep water level up.
4:30pm: Add peeled, cut up potatoes.
5pm: All should be cooked by now. Peel beets and arrange dinner on one large platter. Serve with Irish Soda bread & plenty of butter.
Ingredient list for our boiled dinner:
3 bunches of beets (6 large)
1 lb. carrots
4-5 potatoes
4lbs corned beef, flat cut
1 lb. parsnips
med-lg. green cabbage
2-3 yellow onions
Pickling spice
Bay Leaves
Sugar
Irish Soda Bread
1/2 c. sugar
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 c. raisins
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 c. soured milk (I use lemon juice, not vinegar)
1 c. plain lowfat yogurt
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" round cake pan or cast iron skillet. In a mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients. In another bowl combine all the dry ingredients plus the raisins and caraway seeds. Add the two together until everything is combined. Dough will be VERY sticky & wet. Place dough in the prepared pan and bake for just over an hour or until it is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before removing from pan.
**This dough has a habit of weeping over the sides of a shallow cake pan so it is best to use a sheet pan underneath if you are using one. It still will taste fabulous even if it weeps over and then you'll have some to nibble on before dinner!**
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A Cheap (and not totally unhealthy) Way to Feed 8
Let's face it, feeding 8 people (sometimes 9 or 10) is not cheap especially when doing it on a daily basis. Here is a meal that is standard in our home. Perhaps not the most dazzling, but it fills the belly and is a winner with everyone here.
Chicken Casserole with Biscuit Topping
Casserole:
4 frozen chicken thighs
1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed well
2 c. frozen peas
2 c. frozen corn
2 c. frozen cut green beans
1 1/2 c. frozen broccoli florets
3 Tbsp. butter
3-4 Tbsp. flour
3 1/2 c. liquid (milk and/or chicken broth-stock)
Biscuit Topping:
2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 large pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. basil & oregano
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 c. grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small squares
3/4 c. milk
Casserole:
Place thighs in a pan and add cold water to cover. Boil until cooked (about 1/2 hour).
Once thighs are cooked, remove from pan to cool. Remove skin and bone. Cut meat into bite sized pieces and place in large bowl with veggies & beans (this is a good way to use leftover veggies if you have them). Drain broth out of pot (either sieve & save it for the casserole sauce or you can toss it...I save it - waste not, want not.).
Heat oven to 450.
In large pot, melt butter over med. high heat. Add in flour and mix into a roux. Add in liquid a little at a time and heat until it is thickened (this will be about the thickness of heavy cream or so...if you want it thicker, add in more flour). Pour over the chicken & veggie mixture and place into a very large greased casserole.
Biscuit topping:
Place flour through Parmesan into bowl and mix well. Add in EVOO and butter and pinch butter into flour (using just your finger tips, pinch each piece of butter with some flour making sure the cut pieces are all "pinched"). Add in milk and work into a dough. Knead for a minute or so and then roll out on lightly floured surface large enough to cover casserole. Cover the casserole loosely making sure the edges of the biscuit dough are tucked inside the pan.
Place casserole in preheated 450 oven and bake for approx. 30 mins. (if your oven runs hot, run it at 400-425...I have a convection oven and I know it cooks differently than standard ovens.) The casserole should be bubbly around the edges and the biscuit topping should be golden brown.
***This casserole fed 10 of us (8 adult servings/2 kid servings) last evening although I did serve some homemade white bread slices on the side. It will easily serve 8 without any extras.***
Chicken Casserole with Biscuit Topping
Casserole:
4 frozen chicken thighs
1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed well
2 c. frozen peas
2 c. frozen corn
2 c. frozen cut green beans
1 1/2 c. frozen broccoli florets
3 Tbsp. butter
3-4 Tbsp. flour
3 1/2 c. liquid (milk and/or chicken broth-stock)
Biscuit Topping:
2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 large pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. basil & oregano
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 c. grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small squares
3/4 c. milk
Casserole:
Place thighs in a pan and add cold water to cover. Boil until cooked (about 1/2 hour).
Once thighs are cooked, remove from pan to cool. Remove skin and bone. Cut meat into bite sized pieces and place in large bowl with veggies & beans (this is a good way to use leftover veggies if you have them). Drain broth out of pot (either sieve & save it for the casserole sauce or you can toss it...I save it - waste not, want not.).
Heat oven to 450.
In large pot, melt butter over med. high heat. Add in flour and mix into a roux. Add in liquid a little at a time and heat until it is thickened (this will be about the thickness of heavy cream or so...if you want it thicker, add in more flour). Pour over the chicken & veggie mixture and place into a very large greased casserole.
Biscuit topping:
Place flour through Parmesan into bowl and mix well. Add in EVOO and butter and pinch butter into flour (using just your finger tips, pinch each piece of butter with some flour making sure the cut pieces are all "pinched"). Add in milk and work into a dough. Knead for a minute or so and then roll out on lightly floured surface large enough to cover casserole. Cover the casserole loosely making sure the edges of the biscuit dough are tucked inside the pan.
Place casserole in preheated 450 oven and bake for approx. 30 mins. (if your oven runs hot, run it at 400-425...I have a convection oven and I know it cooks differently than standard ovens.) The casserole should be bubbly around the edges and the biscuit topping should be golden brown.
***This casserole fed 10 of us (8 adult servings/2 kid servings) last evening although I did serve some homemade white bread slices on the side. It will easily serve 8 without any extras.***
Friday, March 11, 2011
Amazing Fajitas
When I think about Tex-Mex food, I always forget fajitas. It's a darn shame really. What could be better than marinated meats and veggies grilled and served on warm homemade wheat tortillas with sides of cheese, guacamole, plain yogurt, tomatoes, salsa, lettuce...heck - whatever floats your boat.
I took a standard marinade that I found in many places on the web and used it to marinate a couple of smallish London broil steaks. The flavor was absolutely AMAZING. And who doesn't love the sweetness of red & green peppers, onions & mushrooms that have been grilled? My mouth is drooling already.
As a side, I took a fresh pineapple, cored it, sliced it and grilled it along side the meat and veggies. I tried some on my fajita and that was awesome too! Great easy meal that is pretty healthy as well.
All 4 younger kids took seconds or thirds...that, my friends, is a sign of a good meal!
Marinade
1/4 c. EVOO
1/4 c. lime juice (I used lemon because I forgot to get lime juice)
2 Tbsp. tequila
a boatload of minced garlic (maybe 5-6 cloves or more?)
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. oregano (Mexican preferably)
Couple shakes of some cayenne pepper (of course, add more if you like the heat)
Mix it all together - throw your steaks, chicken, shrimp...whatever...in I will say that shrimp and chicken should probably NOT be left in for a very long time as they will be cooked, but I left our steaks in for about 5 hours with really good results.
As far as the veggies, I just did standard salt, pepper and EVOO although I'm sure you could marinate them if you'd like.
I took a standard marinade that I found in many places on the web and used it to marinate a couple of smallish London broil steaks. The flavor was absolutely AMAZING. And who doesn't love the sweetness of red & green peppers, onions & mushrooms that have been grilled? My mouth is drooling already.
As a side, I took a fresh pineapple, cored it, sliced it and grilled it along side the meat and veggies. I tried some on my fajita and that was awesome too! Great easy meal that is pretty healthy as well.
All 4 younger kids took seconds or thirds...that, my friends, is a sign of a good meal!
Marinade
1/4 c. EVOO
1/4 c. lime juice (I used lemon because I forgot to get lime juice)
2 Tbsp. tequila
a boatload of minced garlic (maybe 5-6 cloves or more?)
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. oregano (Mexican preferably)
Couple shakes of some cayenne pepper (of course, add more if you like the heat)
Mix it all together - throw your steaks, chicken, shrimp...whatever...in I will say that shrimp and chicken should probably NOT be left in for a very long time as they will be cooked, but I left our steaks in for about 5 hours with really good results.
As far as the veggies, I just did standard salt, pepper and EVOO although I'm sure you could marinate them if you'd like.
Black bean & Corn chowder
This was a huge hit with the kids and so very simple. I served it with some homemade oatmeal bread.
Black Bean & Corn Chowder
2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 medium onions diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large celery stick, diced
1/4 cup turkey bacon, diced finely
3-4 Tbsp. flour
10 c. liquid (I used 4 c. chicken broth and the rest water, but added some chicken base)
2 cans black beans, rinsed
3 c. frozen corn
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Oregano
Chili powder
Red pepper flakes
Heat the EVOO & butter in a large stock pot. Add in onion, celery & garlic and cook for a few minutes stirring occasionally. Add in turkey and heat thoroughly. Add in flour, mixing well. Once roux is formed add in liquid (stirring well to avoid lumps). Add in beans, corn and spices/herbs to taste. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for at least 20 minutes or so.
Black Bean & Corn Chowder
2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 medium onions diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large celery stick, diced
1/4 cup turkey bacon, diced finely
3-4 Tbsp. flour
10 c. liquid (I used 4 c. chicken broth and the rest water, but added some chicken base)
2 cans black beans, rinsed
3 c. frozen corn
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Oregano
Chili powder
Red pepper flakes
Heat the EVOO & butter in a large stock pot. Add in onion, celery & garlic and cook for a few minutes stirring occasionally. Add in turkey and heat thoroughly. Add in flour, mixing well. Once roux is formed add in liquid (stirring well to avoid lumps). Add in beans, corn and spices/herbs to taste. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for at least 20 minutes or so.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wheat Tortillas
This is a very simple recipe for wheat tortillas.
In the past, I've made it with whole wheat flour and have added in flax & wheat germ. When making it that way, you may want to make enchiladas or something else that is smothered. I love them as quesadillas, but I find whole wheat things to be more flavorful while the rest of the family doesn't share my love or enthusiasm.
Tonight I used some white whole wheat flour to make them and left out the flax and wheat germ (hubby is not a fan of flax when he is out working...hahaha). They were really good and the best part? The kids had no idea.
I have also used standard all purpose flour with very good results. Heck, I say, use whatever you like!!
Wheat Tortillas
2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. warm water
Mix together the dry ingredients and the oil. Add in 1/2 c. warm water. If more water is needed, add it one teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together as a ball. Let rest for 10-15 mins.
Pinch into balls a little bigger than a walnut (this will make an approximately 6-7" circle) and roll out as thin as possible. Cook tortillas in a dry fry pan over med. high heat. It takes just a few seconds on each side to brown lightly. After cooking place them on a plate or platter pressing them down if they develop air bubbles. Use immediately or wrap in foil to keep warm (they will keep for a few hours like that). Place any leftovers into airtight packaging. Makes approx. 10 tortillas.
I'm not sure how long they will keep as I make just enough for our dinner usually.
In the past, I've made it with whole wheat flour and have added in flax & wheat germ. When making it that way, you may want to make enchiladas or something else that is smothered. I love them as quesadillas, but I find whole wheat things to be more flavorful while the rest of the family doesn't share my love or enthusiasm.
Tonight I used some white whole wheat flour to make them and left out the flax and wheat germ (hubby is not a fan of flax when he is out working...hahaha). They were really good and the best part? The kids had no idea.
I have also used standard all purpose flour with very good results. Heck, I say, use whatever you like!!
Wheat Tortillas
2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. warm water
Mix together the dry ingredients and the oil. Add in 1/2 c. warm water. If more water is needed, add it one teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together as a ball. Let rest for 10-15 mins.
Pinch into balls a little bigger than a walnut (this will make an approximately 6-7" circle) and roll out as thin as possible. Cook tortillas in a dry fry pan over med. high heat. It takes just a few seconds on each side to brown lightly. After cooking place them on a plate or platter pressing them down if they develop air bubbles. Use immediately or wrap in foil to keep warm (they will keep for a few hours like that). Place any leftovers into airtight packaging. Makes approx. 10 tortillas.
I'm not sure how long they will keep as I make just enough for our dinner usually.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
What to do with Chuck Steaks
So some of the cuts of beef I am unfamiliar with - especially the non-tender variety. My total beef buying before buying this beef in bulk consisted of mainly tenderloin or NY Strip/Porterhouse cuts (with the occasional package of stew beef in the winter).
Chuck is basically the term used for the shoulder/arm part of the cow. It is very flavorful meat, but is full of connective tissue which can make it tough and chewy. One of the reasons why I love my 1956 Woman's Home Companion cookbook is because it shows the different cuts of meats and tells you how they are best cooked. Most chuck is best braised. Braising is basically browning the cut of meat on all sides and then cooking it low and slow with a small amount of liquid.
Today I chose to make Swiss Steak with the chuck steaks I pulled from the freezer. First off, I cut out the bones and wrapped them in foil so I could make stock with them later this week.
I then rubbed the meat with seasoned flour. Basically I used approx. 1 c. flour for my two steaks (about 2lbs). I mixed the flour with a homemade seasoned salt and some pepper. I rubbed the flour into both sides of the meat and then I took my mallet and beat the crap out of the beef with the side that has "teeth".
I then took out my cast iron skillet, added EVOO and a pat of unsalted butter, heated the pan until just about smoking and browned all the beef placing it into a large casserole on top of a few carrots & celery stalks cut into chunks. I turned off the burner and de-glazed the pan with a can of diced tomatoes and then added those plus some onion and garlic over the top. At this point, I added about 1/4 c. of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, covered it with foil and stuck it into a slow oven (300F) for about 3 hours.
Can I just say that this meat pretty much melted in my mouth? It had great flavor and had a nice thin gravy once it was cooked. I served it with creamed spinach & cheese, peas and mashed potatoes. For dessert, I made a Chocolate Pudding cake which came from the King Arthur cookbook that has become my go to book for anything to do with flour(s).
Here are the recipes for both the Swiss Steak & the cake:
2 lbs. beef (chuck, round or rump)
1/3 c. seasoned flour (I used more & you can season it however you'd like)
2 carrots, cut into pieces
1 med. yellow onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c. diced tomatoes, undrained (I used a 14 oz. can of ready prepared, but fresh Romas would work well)
1 large stalk celery, cut into pieces
EVOO/unsalted butter for browning
1/8-1/4 c. Pomegranate juice or red wine
Grease casserole dish and add cut carrots and celery into bottom. Rub beef on all sides with seasoned flour. With mallet, beat beef both sides (it should flatten out some and become less firm). Brown on med. high heat in large skillet with EVOO/butter mixture. Remove to casserole. Pour tomatoes, onions & garlic over the top adding a bit of juice or wine over the meat. Cover with foil and cook at 300 for about 3 hours. (You can also do this on the stove top with a dutch oven - simmering gently for about 2 hours. Just add in the veggies, etc. after browning the meat.)
__________________________________________________________________________
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
6-8 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. sugar (I used half brown/half white)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. vegetable oil or unsalted butter, softened
2 c. water
1 c. total, choc. chips and/or coconut, pecans, walnuts....or none of these things
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8" square cake pan. Mix together all dry ingredients. Pour oil and vanilla into dry ingredients. Pour water over all and mix well. Fold in chips/nuts. Pour batter into well greased pan and cook for 45 minutes. (The center will not be totally set when cake comes out.) Served warm, this cake will be like a molten cake. Served cooled, it will seem like there is pudding mixed in with the cake.
It is a very RICH cake. I added some milk into mine, but it would be great served with some vanilla ice cream or some freshly whipped cream.
Chuck is basically the term used for the shoulder/arm part of the cow. It is very flavorful meat, but is full of connective tissue which can make it tough and chewy. One of the reasons why I love my 1956 Woman's Home Companion cookbook is because it shows the different cuts of meats and tells you how they are best cooked. Most chuck is best braised. Braising is basically browning the cut of meat on all sides and then cooking it low and slow with a small amount of liquid.
Today I chose to make Swiss Steak with the chuck steaks I pulled from the freezer. First off, I cut out the bones and wrapped them in foil so I could make stock with them later this week.
I then rubbed the meat with seasoned flour. Basically I used approx. 1 c. flour for my two steaks (about 2lbs). I mixed the flour with a homemade seasoned salt and some pepper. I rubbed the flour into both sides of the meat and then I took my mallet and beat the crap out of the beef with the side that has "teeth".
I then took out my cast iron skillet, added EVOO and a pat of unsalted butter, heated the pan until just about smoking and browned all the beef placing it into a large casserole on top of a few carrots & celery stalks cut into chunks. I turned off the burner and de-glazed the pan with a can of diced tomatoes and then added those plus some onion and garlic over the top. At this point, I added about 1/4 c. of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, covered it with foil and stuck it into a slow oven (300F) for about 3 hours.
Can I just say that this meat pretty much melted in my mouth? It had great flavor and had a nice thin gravy once it was cooked. I served it with creamed spinach & cheese, peas and mashed potatoes. For dessert, I made a Chocolate Pudding cake which came from the King Arthur cookbook that has become my go to book for anything to do with flour(s).
Here are the recipes for both the Swiss Steak & the cake:
2 lbs. beef (chuck, round or rump)
1/3 c. seasoned flour (I used more & you can season it however you'd like)
2 carrots, cut into pieces
1 med. yellow onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c. diced tomatoes, undrained (I used a 14 oz. can of ready prepared, but fresh Romas would work well)
1 large stalk celery, cut into pieces
EVOO/unsalted butter for browning
1/8-1/4 c. Pomegranate juice or red wine
Grease casserole dish and add cut carrots and celery into bottom. Rub beef on all sides with seasoned flour. With mallet, beat beef both sides (it should flatten out some and become less firm). Brown on med. high heat in large skillet with EVOO/butter mixture. Remove to casserole. Pour tomatoes, onions & garlic over the top adding a bit of juice or wine over the meat. Cover with foil and cook at 300 for about 3 hours. (You can also do this on the stove top with a dutch oven - simmering gently for about 2 hours. Just add in the veggies, etc. after browning the meat.)
__________________________________________________________________________
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
6-8 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. sugar (I used half brown/half white)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. vegetable oil or unsalted butter, softened
2 c. water
1 c. total, choc. chips and/or coconut, pecans, walnuts....or none of these things
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8" square cake pan. Mix together all dry ingredients. Pour oil and vanilla into dry ingredients. Pour water over all and mix well. Fold in chips/nuts. Pour batter into well greased pan and cook for 45 minutes. (The center will not be totally set when cake comes out.) Served warm, this cake will be like a molten cake. Served cooled, it will seem like there is pudding mixed in with the cake.
It is a very RICH cake. I added some milk into mine, but it would be great served with some vanilla ice cream or some freshly whipped cream.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Dear Mr. Sands, YOU ROCK!
I am in love with your basic white bread.
My children are in love with your basic white bread.
My husband is in love with your basic white bread (and told me this evening that if I said I would be baking this bread and not ever buying store bread again, he'd be ok with that).
For anyone who is reading this, TRY THIS BREAD! Even if you haven't made bread before, this bread is worth it.
It is my new favorite "sandwich" loaf. AND I didn't make any changes. NONE. (Ok, well, just a minor one.)
Walter Sands'* Basic White Bread
(copied from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook)
1 c. milk plus 1 c. hot water (should equal 2 c. warm milky water)
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast (1 envelope)
2 Tbsp. softened butter or oil (I've used both butter & EVOO with good results)
5-6 cups white flour (Of course, this is where I tell you to use King Arthur Flour...hahaha)
1 Tbsp. salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a large Kitchen Aid mixer bowl adding just enough flour so it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl - usually around 5 1/2 c. (If you don't have a stand mixer, don't fret. Mix everything in a large mixing bowl with a spoon. You will likely want to use your hands when the spoon mixing becomes uncomfortable. The stand mixer just makes things easier!) Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth & pliable (this dough should feel silky smooth...it really is a joy to knead!)
Grease a bowl (or your mixing bowl), place dough in and coat with oil. Allow to rise covered in a warm, draft free place until double in size (about an hour). A finger poked into the dough should leave an impression and not fill in. Knead dough again removing as many air bubbles as possible. Cut dough into halves and shape into a loaf. Place each half into a well greased loaf pan. Allow to rise again covered for about an hour. 15 mins. before you are ready to bake the bread, preheat oven to 350. Bake for about 40 mins or until tops are golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
*This is the bread that Frank Sands' father, Walter, President of Sands, Taylor & Wood Co., from 1941 to 1968, made faithfully once a week for years. Because of his arthritic hands, he used a bread bucket with a crank which kneaded hundreds of loaves of this fragrant bread with all its happy associations.*
Cooks Notes:
My in laws have a bread bucket and my father in law used to use it all the time to make bread. A good replacement for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Also - Sands, Taylor & Wood Co. is the company that distributes King Arthur Flour and they are located in Norwich, VT.
For those that want to know, the only minor change I made was to add a full cup of milk. The original recipe called for 2 c. warm water and 1/2 c. of dry milk powder with all other ingredients & measurements the same.
My children are in love with your basic white bread.
My husband is in love with your basic white bread (and told me this evening that if I said I would be baking this bread and not ever buying store bread again, he'd be ok with that).
For anyone who is reading this, TRY THIS BREAD! Even if you haven't made bread before, this bread is worth it.
It is my new favorite "sandwich" loaf. AND I didn't make any changes. NONE. (Ok, well, just a minor one.)
Walter Sands'* Basic White Bread
(copied from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook)
1 c. milk plus 1 c. hot water (should equal 2 c. warm milky water)
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast (1 envelope)
2 Tbsp. softened butter or oil (I've used both butter & EVOO with good results)
5-6 cups white flour (Of course, this is where I tell you to use King Arthur Flour...hahaha)
1 Tbsp. salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a large Kitchen Aid mixer bowl adding just enough flour so it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl - usually around 5 1/2 c. (If you don't have a stand mixer, don't fret. Mix everything in a large mixing bowl with a spoon. You will likely want to use your hands when the spoon mixing becomes uncomfortable. The stand mixer just makes things easier!) Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth & pliable (this dough should feel silky smooth...it really is a joy to knead!)
Grease a bowl (or your mixing bowl), place dough in and coat with oil. Allow to rise covered in a warm, draft free place until double in size (about an hour). A finger poked into the dough should leave an impression and not fill in. Knead dough again removing as many air bubbles as possible. Cut dough into halves and shape into a loaf. Place each half into a well greased loaf pan. Allow to rise again covered for about an hour. 15 mins. before you are ready to bake the bread, preheat oven to 350. Bake for about 40 mins or until tops are golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
*This is the bread that Frank Sands' father, Walter, President of Sands, Taylor & Wood Co., from 1941 to 1968, made faithfully once a week for years. Because of his arthritic hands, he used a bread bucket with a crank which kneaded hundreds of loaves of this fragrant bread with all its happy associations.*
Cooks Notes:
My in laws have a bread bucket and my father in law used to use it all the time to make bread. A good replacement for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Also - Sands, Taylor & Wood Co. is the company that distributes King Arthur Flour and they are located in Norwich, VT.
For those that want to know, the only minor change I made was to add a full cup of milk. The original recipe called for 2 c. warm water and 1/2 c. of dry milk powder with all other ingredients & measurements the same.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Cream cheese frosting
These are some of the BEST carrot cake cupcakes I have ever eaten. They are relatively low fat/good fat and you can cut down on the sugar if you want to make them even healthier. Of course, the frosting is what makes them over the top yummy and unfortunately, less healthy. Even though I have eaten a couple of them sans frosting, perhaps a light confectioners glaze over the top would work for those who are trying to watch what they eat. The recipe I loosely followed was on the Joy of Baking site. Here is my version:
Cake:
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil (I used canola)
1/2 c. granny smith applesauce (I use two 4oz. prepackaged cups - regular applesauce will be fine, but won't impart the same bold flavor as the granny smith)
1 scant c. sugar (betcha brown sugar would be really good in this recipe...may have to try it or even cutting down on the white sugar and adding some molasses.)
4 eggs (egg substitute would be just fine in this recipe)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. grated apples
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together oil, applesauce & sugar. Add in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla, apples & carrots.
Add in flour mixture beating slowly and mix until just blended. Drop into lined muffin tins (about 2/3 full) and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (or cake pops back up lightly pressed).
Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese (I use light)
3 c. confectioners sugar
Beat together the butter and cream cheese until well blended and fluffy. Add in the sugar one cup at a time until it is all well blended and frosting is smooth. Frost in swirls with a large rose tip or use a small knife to spread the frosting on.
Cupcakes will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge. (or if your house is a busy as mine, they will be gone before 24 hours is over.)
Cake:
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil (I used canola)
1/2 c. granny smith applesauce (I use two 4oz. prepackaged cups - regular applesauce will be fine, but won't impart the same bold flavor as the granny smith)
1 scant c. sugar (betcha brown sugar would be really good in this recipe...may have to try it or even cutting down on the white sugar and adding some molasses.)
4 eggs (egg substitute would be just fine in this recipe)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. grated apples
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together oil, applesauce & sugar. Add in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla, apples & carrots.
Add in flour mixture beating slowly and mix until just blended. Drop into lined muffin tins (about 2/3 full) and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (or cake pops back up lightly pressed).
Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese (I use light)
3 c. confectioners sugar
Beat together the butter and cream cheese until well blended and fluffy. Add in the sugar one cup at a time until it is all well blended and frosting is smooth. Frost in swirls with a large rose tip or use a small knife to spread the frosting on.
Cupcakes will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge. (or if your house is a busy as mine, they will be gone before 24 hours is over.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
