Clementine Sherbet: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/magazine/04food-t-001.html?_r=1&ref=magazine
*made with clementines instead of tangerines, would use a bit less salt next time, but amazingly delicious nonetheless.
Sugared Cranberries: http://blog.mychefonline.com/2011/12/sugared-cranberries/
*don't blend up sugar, superfine sugar is not needed, good old regular sugar works perfectly for dusting. We didn't use any spices. Next time save the syrup after soaking cranberries to flavor drinks or drizzle over something delicious. We couldn't stop eating these.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Cranberry Cake
It just wouldn't be Christmas without this cake.
6 T unsalted butter
2 c sugar
2 c evaporated milk
4 c flour
3 T baking powder
2 t salt
4 c whole cranberries, rinsed and picked over
Cream butter and sugar. Add evaporated milk. Add combined dry ingredients. Fold in cranberries. Smooth batter into a greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. *Batter is really thick! Don't be concerned.
Serve cake warm with hot butter sauce:
In a double boiler combine:
1 c unsalted butter
1 c sugar
3/4 c heavy cream
1 t vanilla
Heat through and then add vanilla. Serve immediately. You'll want a lot of this sauce on your cake.
6 T unsalted butter
2 c sugar
2 c evaporated milk
4 c flour
3 T baking powder
2 t salt
4 c whole cranberries, rinsed and picked over
Cream butter and sugar. Add evaporated milk. Add combined dry ingredients. Fold in cranberries. Smooth batter into a greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. *Batter is really thick! Don't be concerned.
Serve cake warm with hot butter sauce:
In a double boiler combine:
1 c unsalted butter
1 c sugar
3/4 c heavy cream
1 t vanilla
Heat through and then add vanilla. Serve immediately. You'll want a lot of this sauce on your cake.
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Shaffer Family Christmas Cookie
The majority of my favorite cookie recipes come from my Nana and Papa's hometown community cookbook. This gingersnap recipe is incredible. We think it should be renamed gingersoft because that is a more accurate description. The recipe makes a huge batch. Huge. Your house will smell like Christmas and you will have so many cookies that you can take up to half the batch into your closet and eat them one by one all by yourself and no one will suspect a thing.
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c shortening
1/2 c plus 2 T molasses
5 c flour
1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
2 t ginger
Sugar for rolling (I now use turbinado sugar to roll the dough because it gives it a crunch on the exterior and I like the contrast in textures, but regular granulated sugar is just fine)
Cream together sugar, eggs and shortening. Add molasses. Scrape down sides of bowl. Sift together other ingredients and combine with creamed mixture. Roll into smallish balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes.
Your cookies are done when they just begin to crack. Take them out and cool them on the sheet for a few minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to completely cool. They set up as they cool.
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c shortening
1/2 c plus 2 T molasses
5 c flour
1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
2 t ginger
Sugar for rolling (I now use turbinado sugar to roll the dough because it gives it a crunch on the exterior and I like the contrast in textures, but regular granulated sugar is just fine)
Cream together sugar, eggs and shortening. Add molasses. Scrape down sides of bowl. Sift together other ingredients and combine with creamed mixture. Roll into smallish balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes.
Your cookies are done when they just begin to crack. Take them out and cool them on the sheet for a few minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to completely cool. They set up as they cool.
The Peppermint Bark Cookie
Sunset magazine had a recipe for White Christmas Dream Drops that I tweaked due to a lack of ingredients and came up with this mound of deliciousness. Bryant doesn't like peppermint bark (weird) or meringue (even weirder) but loved these cookies. Go make some.
(I doubled the recipe. I may quadruple it next time because these are so very good.)
2 large egg whites, room temperature (if you forget to put your egg whites just put them in a bowl full of hot water and let sit for 5 minutes or so and it will do the trick)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar (didn't have, but if you do have it you might want to add it)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
4 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped (the original recipe calls for 1 c white chocolate chips - I think it would be fun to use both, but haven't tried it yet)
1/3 c crushed candy canes (crush it as fine as you want, I didn't want to bite into a huge chunk of candy cane so I crushed mine more on the fine end of the candy crushing spectrum)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and salt. With mixer on high speed add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time and beat for 10 to 15 seconds with each addition. Scrape sides of bowl and beat for another 15 seconds or until meringue is glossy and forms straight, stiff peaks. Fold in chocolate and crushed candy canes.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpat and drop meringue in rounded 1 T blobs, or if you want it to be fancy schmancy pipe them with a large star tip. Bake until they feel dry and set but are still pale in color, about 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Turn off oven, open door, and let cool in oven for 10 minutes. Remove pans from oven and let cool completely. You aren't supposed to eat them until they are completely cool, but I recommend eating 1 pan warm and 1 pan cool and then you will have the best of both worlds.
(I doubled the recipe. I may quadruple it next time because these are so very good.)
2 large egg whites, room temperature (if you forget to put your egg whites just put them in a bowl full of hot water and let sit for 5 minutes or so and it will do the trick)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar (didn't have, but if you do have it you might want to add it)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
4 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped (the original recipe calls for 1 c white chocolate chips - I think it would be fun to use both, but haven't tried it yet)
1/3 c crushed candy canes (crush it as fine as you want, I didn't want to bite into a huge chunk of candy cane so I crushed mine more on the fine end of the candy crushing spectrum)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and salt. With mixer on high speed add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time and beat for 10 to 15 seconds with each addition. Scrape sides of bowl and beat for another 15 seconds or until meringue is glossy and forms straight, stiff peaks. Fold in chocolate and crushed candy canes.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpat and drop meringue in rounded 1 T blobs, or if you want it to be fancy schmancy pipe them with a large star tip. Bake until they feel dry and set but are still pale in color, about 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Turn off oven, open door, and let cool in oven for 10 minutes. Remove pans from oven and let cool completely. You aren't supposed to eat them until they are completely cool, but I recommend eating 1 pan warm and 1 pan cool and then you will have the best of both worlds.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Creamed Corn: A True Story
Bryant and I had been dating for just a few months when Thanksgiving rolled around. He was scheduled to work that holiday and couldn't go home to Rexburg and wouldn't get off work in time to join my family for dinner. I was housesitting and decided to attempt to impress him by cooking an entire Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us. I asked him what his favorite dishes were from his version of Thanksgiving and he listed off apple pie (not a problem) and creamed corn. I had never heard of creamed corn. So I googled it and read recipe after recipe, finally settling on one from the Savvannah Chop House. Thanksgiving rolled around, the dinner was amazing, and when he tasted the creamed corn he was crazy impressed. And then he asked me what brand made it. I looked confused. Brand? It comes in a can?!? I had no idea, and have been making creamed corn at his request from scratch ever since.
2 10 oz pkgs frozen corn
1 c whipping cream
1 c milk
1 t salt
6 T sugar
2 T melted butter
2 T flour
Combine first 5 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Meanwhile, blend butter and flour in a seperate bowl and add to corn mixture and mix well until thickened.
2 10 oz pkgs frozen corn
1 c whipping cream
1 c milk
1 t salt
6 T sugar
2 T melted butter
2 T flour
Combine first 5 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Meanwhile, blend butter and flour in a seperate bowl and add to corn mixture and mix well until thickened.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Cheater Chocolate Mousse
This has been a busy cake month. At the beginning I made my sister's wedding cake which consisted of 3 tiers (which each had 4 layers) of devils food cake, brushed with salted caramel and filled with chocolate mousse (the real stuff) and then frosted with the mascarpone frosting. It was good.
My neighbor turned 40 this weekend and his wife asked if I would make him a chocolate cake for his birthday. So I used my no-fail Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe and did a cheater version of chocolate mousse that always gets rave reviews. It is really quite simple. Make the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate frosting. Whip 2 cups of cream (add sugar to taste) and fold the cream into the frosting. Everyone loves it. It is crazy easy. And then the cake was frosted with the regular frosting.
And I made a cake for one of my YW who recently turned 14 and left my class. She requested a German Chocolate cake so I used the same chocolate cake recipe, same frosting, and made the pecan coconut filling from scratch for the first time. Also really good. Let me know if you want the recipe.
My neighbor turned 40 this weekend and his wife asked if I would make him a chocolate cake for his birthday. So I used my no-fail Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe and did a cheater version of chocolate mousse that always gets rave reviews. It is really quite simple. Make the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate frosting. Whip 2 cups of cream (add sugar to taste) and fold the cream into the frosting. Everyone loves it. It is crazy easy. And then the cake was frosted with the regular frosting.
And I made a cake for one of my YW who recently turned 14 and left my class. She requested a German Chocolate cake so I used the same chocolate cake recipe, same frosting, and made the pecan coconut filling from scratch for the first time. Also really good. Let me know if you want the recipe.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Pumpkin Pie Alternative
I made (and loved) this recipe last night. It is quick and easy and delicious. I made a few changes:
I put the crust in a 9 inch tart pan and baked it at 325 degrees for 8 minutes.
I used half of the amount of butter on accident. But it worked just fine. I also added a bit of salt to the crust. I think next time I'll try halving the sugar called for in the crust too.
I doubled the amount of flavor called for - the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla.
I didn't have enough whipping cream, so I used some cream and some leftover mascarpone cheese. It was awesome. Next time I'll experiement with more mascarpone cheese.
No brandy in the house (shocker) so we didn't have any brandy whipped cream. I just served it plain.
We've eaten this for dessert, breakfast and lunch. It is really good and a great way to use canned pumpkin.
I put the crust in a 9 inch tart pan and baked it at 325 degrees for 8 minutes.
I used half of the amount of butter on accident. But it worked just fine. I also added a bit of salt to the crust. I think next time I'll try halving the sugar called for in the crust too.
I doubled the amount of flavor called for - the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla.
I didn't have enough whipping cream, so I used some cream and some leftover mascarpone cheese. It was awesome. Next time I'll experiement with more mascarpone cheese.
No brandy in the house (shocker) so we didn't have any brandy whipped cream. I just served it plain.
We've eaten this for dessert, breakfast and lunch. It is really good and a great way to use canned pumpkin.
Chocolate Mousse
This recipe is from James Peterson's BAKING.
6 oz chocolate (he recommends bittersweet, I do half dark half milk)
1/4 c plus 2 T unsalted butter, cubed or sliced
4 egg yolks
3 T sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 c heavy cream and possibly more if needed to unseize chocolate
Chop the chocolate and combine it with butter in a double boiler (heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water) and stir until melted and smooth. Take off heat, but keep water simmering.
Combine egg yolks and sugar in another heatproof bowl and set over saucepan of simmering water for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until pale and slightly stiff. (It will thicken up.) Remove from heat.
Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and add the vanilla and stir until well mixed. If it becomes grainy at this point (it should be smooth and shiny) slowly add 1/4 c warmed cream, a little at a time, until it becomes shiny and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
Whip cream to soft peaks. Stir about 1/4 of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Then FOLD in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula.
If you are using as a layer in a cake use it right away, otherwise chill for at least 1 hour. If you are serving the mousse alone pour into individual glasses immediately and cover with plastic wrap (remember to press it against the surface) to keep a crust from forming.
This recipe makes 3 cups. The first time I made it the chocolate mixture seized, the second time it didn't. This is one of our favorite desserts.
6 oz chocolate (he recommends bittersweet, I do half dark half milk)
1/4 c plus 2 T unsalted butter, cubed or sliced
4 egg yolks
3 T sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 c heavy cream and possibly more if needed to unseize chocolate
Chop the chocolate and combine it with butter in a double boiler (heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water) and stir until melted and smooth. Take off heat, but keep water simmering.
Combine egg yolks and sugar in another heatproof bowl and set over saucepan of simmering water for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until pale and slightly stiff. (It will thicken up.) Remove from heat.
Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and add the vanilla and stir until well mixed. If it becomes grainy at this point (it should be smooth and shiny) slowly add 1/4 c warmed cream, a little at a time, until it becomes shiny and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
Whip cream to soft peaks. Stir about 1/4 of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Then FOLD in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula.
If you are using as a layer in a cake use it right away, otherwise chill for at least 1 hour. If you are serving the mousse alone pour into individual glasses immediately and cover with plastic wrap (remember to press it against the surface) to keep a crust from forming.
This recipe makes 3 cups. The first time I made it the chocolate mixture seized, the second time it didn't. This is one of our favorite desserts.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Barley Stew
This is quick and delicious. A true meal in a pot. All you need to add is dessert.
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion
1 lb (give or take) of chicken, cut up into bite size pieces
2 to 3 c mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch Italian kale, stems removed and leaves cut up into bite size pieces
3 c water (or chicken stock)
***1/4 to 1/2 c barley
1/4 c cream
1 t thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute onions until tender, add chicken (and salt) and saute until almost cooked through, add mushrooms and kale and saute until kale wilts. Add barley, water and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley and chicken are cooked. Stir in cream. Season to taste. Serve.
***I typed up this recipe and forgot to include the barley. And now I don't remember how much I used. Maybe to be safe just use 1/3 cup. Sorry!
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion
1 lb (give or take) of chicken, cut up into bite size pieces
2 to 3 c mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch Italian kale, stems removed and leaves cut up into bite size pieces
3 c water (or chicken stock)
***1/4 to 1/2 c barley
1/4 c cream
1 t thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute onions until tender, add chicken (and salt) and saute until almost cooked through, add mushrooms and kale and saute until kale wilts. Add barley, water and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley and chicken are cooked. Stir in cream. Season to taste. Serve.
***I typed up this recipe and forgot to include the barley. And now I don't remember how much I used. Maybe to be safe just use 1/3 cup. Sorry!
Peter & Heather's Wedding Cake
Recipes needed:
Roasted Pears (see below)
Caramel Sauce (scroll down to the bottom of post for recipe)
Caramel Mousse (see below)
Vanilla Butter Cake
Mascarpone Frosting (see below)
Roasted Pears
5 barely ripe pears
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter, sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel pears and remove stem, core, and cut in half lengthwise. Place pear halves, flat side up, in a heavy bottomed saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Sprinkle butter and sugar over them. Roast for 25 minutes to 1 hour, until butter sugar mixture is golden brown and pears are soft when you poke them with a knife. Remove pears, cool, and dice. (You can continue to caramelize the butter sugar mixture and toss a bit to coat the pears and use the rest for ice cream topping.) Fold the pears into the Vanilla Butter Cake batter just before pouring into the cake pans to bake.
Caramel Mousse
*This recipe was saved in my favorites before our luggage was lost/stolen and our laptop seemingly forever lost. I think I just folded the caramel sauce referenced above into stabilized whipped cream. This is then immediately poured in between the layers (you need to use a cake ring for this) and then refrigerated until set.
1 1/2 c caramel sauce
3 T water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 c chilled whipping cream
Pour 3 T water into a ramekin or small glass cup and sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften. Place ramekin in a small skillet of simmering water and stir until gelatin dissolves and mixture is clear. Mix into 1 1/2 c hot caramel. Cool just to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Beat chilled whipping cream in a large howl to medium-firm peaks. Gradually pour cooled caramel/gelatin mixture over cream, folding constantly but gently. Use immediately.
Mascarpone Frosting
12 oz mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
3 T sugar (or more to taste)
1 T vanilla extract
Beat all ingredients in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks. You will probably want to add more sugar, so be sure to taste the mixture at the beginning so you can add more if desired. You can used granulated or powdered sugar. This is a lovely, lovely frosting.
Doughnuts for Halloween
I used a new (and simpler) recipe this year and they ended up being fantastic. I halved the recipe on Sunday morning and made them for breakfast as a practice run, and then I doubled the recipe for Halloween. I only made holes because they fry up so much faster.
This recipe is adapted from Donna Hay.
2 t active dry yeast
1 1/2 T warm water
1/2 c lukewarm milk
4 T sugar
50 g butter, melted (I used my scale, sorry, this is from a British magazine)
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
2 eggs
Place yeast, water, milk, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl and set in a warm place for 10 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Add butter, eggs, flour and remaining sugar and stir with a large spoon until a sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and set in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Roll out to 1cm thick and cut out holes or donuts. (I used a glass baby bottle which made the perfect size). Place rounds on a lined baking tray and let rise for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat to 350 degrees. Cook in batches, turning frequently, until lightly golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Toss in sugar or glaze.
Maple Glaze (proportions are purely approximations)
1 to 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 to 1/3 c pure maple syrup
1/4 to 1/3 c heavy whipping cream
Combine and whisk until smooth.
Chocolate Glaze (proportions are purely approximations)
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 c butter
1/4 to 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
Melt chocolate with butter and cream in a double boiler until smooth. Whisk with sugar and vanilla. Add more cream or sugar to get desired consistency.
This recipe is adapted from Donna Hay.
2 t active dry yeast
1 1/2 T warm water
1/2 c lukewarm milk
4 T sugar
50 g butter, melted (I used my scale, sorry, this is from a British magazine)
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
2 eggs
Place yeast, water, milk, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl and set in a warm place for 10 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Add butter, eggs, flour and remaining sugar and stir with a large spoon until a sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and set in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Roll out to 1cm thick and cut out holes or donuts. (I used a glass baby bottle which made the perfect size). Place rounds on a lined baking tray and let rise for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat to 350 degrees. Cook in batches, turning frequently, until lightly golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Toss in sugar or glaze.
Maple Glaze (proportions are purely approximations)
1 to 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 to 1/3 c pure maple syrup
1/4 to 1/3 c heavy whipping cream
Combine and whisk until smooth.
Chocolate Glaze (proportions are purely approximations)
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 c butter
1/4 to 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
Melt chocolate with butter and cream in a double boiler until smooth. Whisk with sugar and vanilla. Add more cream or sugar to get desired consistency.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The loveliest corn chowder.
Last week we walked to a nearby greenhouse/market and came home with 8 lbs of freshly picked Honeycrisp apples (which were promptly eaten and turned into pie), and 5 ears of corn. I had a bag of small potatoes leftover from our last CSA pick up and decided to make a corn chowder. This is the perfect farewell to summer/welcome to fall soup.
5 ears corn, kernels cut off
7 or 8 small red potatoes, peeled and chopped or diced
1 small yellow onion, chopped or diced
1 to 2 T olive oil
Water
Whole milk, evaporated milk, half and half, or cream
1 to 3 t Chicken Better Than Bullion
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 huge and perfectly ripe heirloom tomato
Heat olive oil in a soup pot and saute onion with a bit of salt until tender. Add potatoes, bullion, and just cover with water and cook until potatoes are just tender. Add corn kernels and enough milk to give some creaminess and simmer until corn is warmed through. Remove a ladleful or two and puree in blender, then add back to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Serve soup topped with diced tomato. This just might be heaven in a bowl.
5 ears corn, kernels cut off
7 or 8 small red potatoes, peeled and chopped or diced
1 small yellow onion, chopped or diced
1 to 2 T olive oil
Water
Whole milk, evaporated milk, half and half, or cream
1 to 3 t Chicken Better Than Bullion
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 huge and perfectly ripe heirloom tomato
Heat olive oil in a soup pot and saute onion with a bit of salt until tender. Add potatoes, bullion, and just cover with water and cook until potatoes are just tender. Add corn kernels and enough milk to give some creaminess and simmer until corn is warmed through. Remove a ladleful or two and puree in blender, then add back to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Serve soup topped with diced tomato. This just might be heaven in a bowl.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Honey Caramel Cardamom Pears
I need to get one of the cookbooks I used from the library (or buy myself a copy) before I can post Peter and Heather's wedding cake recipe. So sorry for the delay.
In the meantime, get some pears and make these. Be sure to use the hazlenuts, all of the flavors work together perfectly.
You don't have to pay attention to the temperature. We kept our caramel at a low boil (not a simmer) and used the cold water test to gauge when it had reached soft ball stage. Just drop some caramel in a cup of ice cold water and if you can roll it into a ball with your fingers you are at the right temperature. Let the caramel cool before dipping your pears or it will slide off, make sure you used chilled pears, and after dippin roll in the crushed and toasted hazlenuts. Happy fall.
In the meantime, get some pears and make these. Be sure to use the hazlenuts, all of the flavors work together perfectly.
You don't have to pay attention to the temperature. We kept our caramel at a low boil (not a simmer) and used the cold water test to gauge when it had reached soft ball stage. Just drop some caramel in a cup of ice cold water and if you can roll it into a ball with your fingers you are at the right temperature. Let the caramel cool before dipping your pears or it will slide off, make sure you used chilled pears, and after dippin roll in the crushed and toasted hazlenuts. Happy fall.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Just give me two more weeks.
I know many (3?) of you are waiting for the wedding cake recipe. And I will post it. After I get home from Seattle. Promise.
In the meantime, next time you make quinoa throw a sprig of rosemary and 1 or 2 crushed cloves of garlic into the quinoa water mixture before it boils. Remove rosemary before serving. It is delicious. And a great side to sauteed onion and squash with crumbled goat cheese. Connor licked his plate.
In the meantime, next time you make quinoa throw a sprig of rosemary and 1 or 2 crushed cloves of garlic into the quinoa water mixture before it boils. Remove rosemary before serving. It is delicious. And a great side to sauteed onion and squash with crumbled goat cheese. Connor licked his plate.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Cherry Tomatoes and Green Beans
Picking up my CSA loot this week was quite exciting. I really missed it. I was thrilled to see a beautiful pint of cherry tomatoes. I was less excited about the green beans. I like green beans, but they don't excite me with possibilities. I was flipping through Farm to Fork looking for something that featured green beans and found a great recipe for a salad with beans and tomatoes. I didn't have the majority of the ingredients, so this is what I did instead:
Green Beans, trimmed (I think I had somewhere between 1/2 and 1 lb)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt
Pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/6 c olive oil
1/6 c white wine vinegar
1 t sugar
Thai basil leaves, torn
Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt water and blanch green beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately drain and put in an ice bath (no ice so I just ran cold water over the beans until they were cool. Put beans in a large bowl with tomatoes.
Mix dressing ingredients: oil, vinegar, sugar, basil, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Toss vinaigrette with beans and tomatoes and add more salt if desired. Divide among 4 bowls and serve with crusty bread and goat cheese. We ate the beans with our fingers, tomatoes with a fork, and soaked up the dressing with the bread spread with goat cheese. Really good. Really filling. Really simple. Really.
Green Beans, trimmed (I think I had somewhere between 1/2 and 1 lb)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt
Pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/6 c olive oil
1/6 c white wine vinegar
1 t sugar
Thai basil leaves, torn
Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt water and blanch green beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately drain and put in an ice bath (no ice so I just ran cold water over the beans until they were cool. Put beans in a large bowl with tomatoes.
Mix dressing ingredients: oil, vinegar, sugar, basil, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Toss vinaigrette with beans and tomatoes and add more salt if desired. Divide among 4 bowls and serve with crusty bread and goat cheese. We ate the beans with our fingers, tomatoes with a fork, and soaked up the dressing with the bread spread with goat cheese. Really good. Really filling. Really simple. Really.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
A note on food storage.
I just made a huge purchase through Azure Standard (an organic bulk food source) and saved so much money compared to what I would have spent if I had purchased these things elsewhere. The only things I didn't buy through them were the quinoa (Costco), lentils (Co-op), applesauce (Costco), diced tomatoes (Costco), better than bullion (Costco), jam and peanut butter (Costco). I am ordering the masa through another site because it is really difficult to find organic/nonGMO masa. But it can be done.
Azure Standard will ship to your home (but shipping for my gigantic order would have been $187) or (and here is the best part) they had drop points along their trucking route in Idaho and Utah and you can pick it up at one of those drop points for only $4 or so. That is the option we chose. You have to create an account before you can see the prices. Their prices are really good. I placed our order on Friday and it will arrive on the 20th of this month. Then I can figure out my rotation schedule and we will be set.
Why masa? For pupusas and corn tortillas. If you haven't had a pupusa you need to become friends with someone from El Salvador.
Azure Standard will ship to your home (but shipping for my gigantic order would have been $187) or (and here is the best part) they had drop points along their trucking route in Idaho and Utah and you can pick it up at one of those drop points for only $4 or so. That is the option we chose. You have to create an account before you can see the prices. Their prices are really good. I placed our order on Friday and it will arrive on the 20th of this month. Then I can figure out my rotation schedule and we will be set.
Why masa? For pupusas and corn tortillas. If you haven't had a pupusa you need to become friends with someone from El Salvador.
Sunset Magazine S'mores
I thought I could just find this recipe online and link it to my blog but haven't had any luck. It is so delicious that I am going to take the time to type it all up. Just for you.
Step 1: Homemade Marshmallows
35 minutes to make, 2 hours to firm
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c powdered sugar
3 large egg whites (at room temperature)
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 c granulated sugar
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 t vanilla extract
Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Stir cornstarch and powdered sugar together in a bowl and dust pan with half of this mixture. Set remaining mixture aside.
Stir 1/4 c cool water and gelatin in a glass measuring cup and let soften.
Put egg whites in large bowl of mixer and beat on high until soft speaks form.
While egg whites are whipping stir granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 2/3 c water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until it reaches 240 degrees which will take 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and microwave gelatin until dissolved, about 30 seconds, and stir into syrup.
Pour about 3 T syrup at a time into egg white mixture (while beating on high) and beat each addition about 20 to 30 seconds. Continue to beat until soft peaks form and the underside of the bowl is completely cool. Beat in vanilla
Spread in pan and let stand 2 hours. Sprinkle with 2 T cornstarch mixture and then cut (scissors are easiest) into 12 rectangles. Toss in bowl with remaining cornstarch to coat.
Can be made up to 4 days in advance, kept chilled in an airtight container with plastic wrap between the layers. Coat with more cornstarch mixture if they get sticky.
Step 2: Homemade Graham Crackers
1 hour
3/4 c butter, room temperature
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 T honey
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
Beat butter, sugars, and honey in a large bowl until smooth. In another bowl combine the dry ingredients and then add to butter mixture and beat until blended. Divide dough in half and roll each half between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 10 by 12 inch rectangle. Slide onto a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Pull off top parchment and cut dough into 2 1/2 by 4 inch rectangles. Bake until deep golden brown, 13 to 18 minutes, swapping pans halfway through. Cut crackers again after baking.
Let cook on pans 2 to 3 minutes and then separate pieces and transfer to cooling racks.
Will keep 1 week in an airtight container or frozen up to 2 months.
Step 3: The Ultimate S'more
24 graham crackers
12 marshmallows
4 bars Lindt dark chocolate with almonds, each bar broken into 3 pieces
12 squares foil
Assemble each s'more on a square of foil and gently fold and crimp edges to seal. Place in a fire (or oven heated to 350) for 2 to 3 minutes. Or, first roast the marshmallow, then assemble, and heat in fire or oven.
Step 1: Homemade Marshmallows
35 minutes to make, 2 hours to firm
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c powdered sugar
3 large egg whites (at room temperature)
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 c granulated sugar
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 t vanilla extract
Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Stir cornstarch and powdered sugar together in a bowl and dust pan with half of this mixture. Set remaining mixture aside.
Stir 1/4 c cool water and gelatin in a glass measuring cup and let soften.
Put egg whites in large bowl of mixer and beat on high until soft speaks form.
While egg whites are whipping stir granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 2/3 c water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until it reaches 240 degrees which will take 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and microwave gelatin until dissolved, about 30 seconds, and stir into syrup.
Pour about 3 T syrup at a time into egg white mixture (while beating on high) and beat each addition about 20 to 30 seconds. Continue to beat until soft peaks form and the underside of the bowl is completely cool. Beat in vanilla
Spread in pan and let stand 2 hours. Sprinkle with 2 T cornstarch mixture and then cut (scissors are easiest) into 12 rectangles. Toss in bowl with remaining cornstarch to coat.
Can be made up to 4 days in advance, kept chilled in an airtight container with plastic wrap between the layers. Coat with more cornstarch mixture if they get sticky.
Step 2: Homemade Graham Crackers
1 hour
3/4 c butter, room temperature
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 T honey
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
Beat butter, sugars, and honey in a large bowl until smooth. In another bowl combine the dry ingredients and then add to butter mixture and beat until blended. Divide dough in half and roll each half between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 10 by 12 inch rectangle. Slide onto a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Pull off top parchment and cut dough into 2 1/2 by 4 inch rectangles. Bake until deep golden brown, 13 to 18 minutes, swapping pans halfway through. Cut crackers again after baking.
Let cook on pans 2 to 3 minutes and then separate pieces and transfer to cooling racks.
Will keep 1 week in an airtight container or frozen up to 2 months.
Step 3: The Ultimate S'more
24 graham crackers
12 marshmallows
4 bars Lindt dark chocolate with almonds, each bar broken into 3 pieces
12 squares foil
Assemble each s'more on a square of foil and gently fold and crimp edges to seal. Place in a fire (or oven heated to 350) for 2 to 3 minutes. Or, first roast the marshmallow, then assemble, and heat in fire or oven.
Tortillas and Pita Bread
My farmers went on vacation this past week which meant no CSA pick up for me. And it kind of ruined my life. I hadn't fully appreciated how much the CSA had simplified my menu planning, so meals have been more random and sporadic than usual. Last night I decided to do fish tacos (this decision was solely based on the fact that I had fish and a mango) and so I made tortillas for the first time. And they were amazing. And easy. Promise.
2 c flour (preferably pastry either white or whole wheat)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 t vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
3/4 c water or milk
Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle oil over the flour mixture and work with your fingers until evenly combined. Stir in the water and work with your fingers to form a sticky ball.
Flour your counter and turn out dough and knead vigorously until smooth and soft for about a minute. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the dough and let rest for 15 minutes if you used pastry flour or 30 minutes if you used all-purpose. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll each one into a circle, making it as thin as possible but also handling it as little as possible. (Some of mine were way too thick, but still tasted great).
Heat an ungreased griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Once hot cook each tortilla for 40 seconds on the first side and 40 to 60 seconds on the second side. Wrap tortillas in a towel to keep warm.
Tonight we are grilling chicken and red onion (seriously lacking in the veg department right now) and wrapping it in pita bread. This is my favorite recipe:
1 1/2 c warm water
2 1/4 t active dry yeast (1 envelop)
1 t honey
1 3/4 t salt
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour or 1 c whole wheat flour mixed with 1/2 c wheat germ or bran
2 c bread flour (I just use all-purpose)
Put water in a mixing bowl and stir in yeast and honey and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the salt and olive oil and then beat in the whole wheat flour and germ or bran (if using) until smooth. Add remaining flour in small increments until the dough is too heavy to stir. Turn out onto a counter and knead until it is smooth and supple, adding more flour if required. Put in an oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover and set aside until doubled for about an hour.
Punch down dough and divide into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and cover with a damp towel. Preheat oven to 475 degrees with a baking stone or baking sheet. After dough has rested for 15 minutes roll each into a circle a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Drop the rounds of dough directly onto the stone or heated pans and bake for 3 minutes. They should be completely puffed. Remove from the oven and cover with a towel to help them deflate.
Both of these recipes are from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for everyone.
2 c flour (preferably pastry either white or whole wheat)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 t vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
3/4 c water or milk
Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle oil over the flour mixture and work with your fingers until evenly combined. Stir in the water and work with your fingers to form a sticky ball.
Flour your counter and turn out dough and knead vigorously until smooth and soft for about a minute. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the dough and let rest for 15 minutes if you used pastry flour or 30 minutes if you used all-purpose. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll each one into a circle, making it as thin as possible but also handling it as little as possible. (Some of mine were way too thick, but still tasted great).
Heat an ungreased griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Once hot cook each tortilla for 40 seconds on the first side and 40 to 60 seconds on the second side. Wrap tortillas in a towel to keep warm.
Tonight we are grilling chicken and red onion (seriously lacking in the veg department right now) and wrapping it in pita bread. This is my favorite recipe:
1 1/2 c warm water
2 1/4 t active dry yeast (1 envelop)
1 t honey
1 3/4 t salt
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour or 1 c whole wheat flour mixed with 1/2 c wheat germ or bran
2 c bread flour (I just use all-purpose)
Put water in a mixing bowl and stir in yeast and honey and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the salt and olive oil and then beat in the whole wheat flour and germ or bran (if using) until smooth. Add remaining flour in small increments until the dough is too heavy to stir. Turn out onto a counter and knead until it is smooth and supple, adding more flour if required. Put in an oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover and set aside until doubled for about an hour.
Punch down dough and divide into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and cover with a damp towel. Preheat oven to 475 degrees with a baking stone or baking sheet. After dough has rested for 15 minutes roll each into a circle a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Drop the rounds of dough directly onto the stone or heated pans and bake for 3 minutes. They should be completely puffed. Remove from the oven and cover with a towel to help them deflate.
Both of these recipes are from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for everyone.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Dear Lauren,
You should know that I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about food. Don't get overwhelmed or intimidated as you try to incorporate new foods and way of cooking. Think of it as a form of play, a delicious form. Sometimes things don't work or taste good and that is okay, just throw it away and have dessert instead. I usually spend from 3p to 6p every afternoon/evening cooking/eating/and cleaning up dinner. It is a huge chunk of time, but I really like to eat good food. I realized the other day that the reason I feel like I never have anything to wear or look put together is because in order to dress well you have to spend time thinking about and shopping for clothes. I spend my time with food. So there you go.
I have thought and thought about the whole 3 month food storage thing and finally decided that if I had to live off of my food storage for 3 months my goal was to have food that was nutrient dense and food that I already use on a regular basis. I store very little in the way of canned fruit or vegetables because in my opinion they really don't have any nutritive value and they taste terrible (except for the fruit, but that is because it is usually packed in a sugar syrup) so the only produce-y stuff I store includes canned tomatoes, sweet potato puree and applesauce. So here is my list:
Steel Cut Oats (50 lbs)
Rolled Oats (25 lbs)
Wheat (75 lbs)
French Green Lentils (10 lbs)
Quinoa (15 lbs)
Dried Pinto Beans (25 lbs)
Masa Harina (10 lbs)
Pasta (12 lbs)
Applesauce (30 3-lb jars)
Tomatoes, diced (24 12-oz cans)
Tomato Sauce (24 12-oz cans)
Tomatoes, whole (12 28-oz cans)
Sweet Potato Puree (24 12-0z cans)
Tomatillo salsa/enchilada sauce (12 10 oz jars)
Organic Chicken Better than Bullion (3 jars)
Olive Oil (3 bottles)
Balsamic Vinegar (2 bottles)
Honey (5 lbs)
Maple Syrup (64 ounces)
Strawberry Jam (60 oz)
Peanut Butter (24 jars)
Yeast (6 jars)
Vanilla (3 bottles)
Organic Valley Powdered Milk (25 lbs)
Brown Sugar (5 lbs)
Sugar (10 lbs)
Kosher Salt
Sea Salt
A bunch of spices (garlic, onion, basil, sage, rosemary, cumin, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon are my basic basics)
Hope this helps.
I have thought and thought about the whole 3 month food storage thing and finally decided that if I had to live off of my food storage for 3 months my goal was to have food that was nutrient dense and food that I already use on a regular basis. I store very little in the way of canned fruit or vegetables because in my opinion they really don't have any nutritive value and they taste terrible (except for the fruit, but that is because it is usually packed in a sugar syrup) so the only produce-y stuff I store includes canned tomatoes, sweet potato puree and applesauce. So here is my list:
Steel Cut Oats (50 lbs)
Rolled Oats (25 lbs)
Wheat (75 lbs)
French Green Lentils (10 lbs)
Quinoa (15 lbs)
Dried Pinto Beans (25 lbs)
Masa Harina (10 lbs)
Pasta (12 lbs)
Applesauce (30 3-lb jars)
Tomatoes, diced (24 12-oz cans)
Tomato Sauce (24 12-oz cans)
Tomatoes, whole (12 28-oz cans)
Sweet Potato Puree (24 12-0z cans)
Tomatillo salsa/enchilada sauce (12 10 oz jars)
Organic Chicken Better than Bullion (3 jars)
Olive Oil (3 bottles)
Balsamic Vinegar (2 bottles)
Honey (5 lbs)
Maple Syrup (64 ounces)
Strawberry Jam (60 oz)
Peanut Butter (24 jars)
Yeast (6 jars)
Vanilla (3 bottles)
Organic Valley Powdered Milk (25 lbs)
Brown Sugar (5 lbs)
Sugar (10 lbs)
Kosher Salt
Sea Salt
A bunch of spices (garlic, onion, basil, sage, rosemary, cumin, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon are my basic basics)
Hope this helps.
Swiss Chard Sandwhiches
I made bread today and realized I was too exhausted to do anything complicated for dinner. These sandwiches were quite tasty.
1 loaf baguette style bread, cut into fourths and then sliced lengthwise
4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into 4 1-oz slices
1 bunch Swiss Chard, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 T olive oil
pinch of salt
2 to 3 T cream
4 slices of bacon
1 T brown sugar
Put bacon on baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add onion and sauteed until softened. Season with salt. Add chard and cook until wilted, then add cream and simmer until tender and sweet.
Place a slice of mozzarella on the bottom piece of bread, top with chard/onion mixture and a slice of bacon and add the top slice of bread. We ate this with fresh blueberries with a bit of cream for dessert.
1 loaf baguette style bread, cut into fourths and then sliced lengthwise
4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into 4 1-oz slices
1 bunch Swiss Chard, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 T olive oil
pinch of salt
2 to 3 T cream
4 slices of bacon
1 T brown sugar
Put bacon on baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add onion and sauteed until softened. Season with salt. Add chard and cook until wilted, then add cream and simmer until tender and sweet.
Place a slice of mozzarella on the bottom piece of bread, top with chard/onion mixture and a slice of bacon and add the top slice of bread. We ate this with fresh blueberries with a bit of cream for dessert.
Lovely hot fudge sauce.
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (I didn't read the recipe correctly and used semi-sweet chocolate and it was delicious)
4 oz (8 T) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c half-and-half
1 1/2 c sugar
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water. Whisk until smooth. Pour in the half-and-half in a steady stream, whisking as you pour. Slowly add 1/2 c sugar in a steady stream, whisking as you pour. Continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved and isn't grainy, about 30 seconds. Add another 1/2 c of sugar and again stir until it is dissolved and no longer grainy. Add the remaining 1/2 c sugar in the same manner.
Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes glossy and thickens slightly, about 25 minutes.
Serve warm. Makes 2 delicious cups. This gets chewy and fudgy when it hits the ice cream.
*Last night I made vanilla ice cream, this hot fudge, and caramel sauce for dessert. A good tip to remember when making caramel - be sure to heat your cream in the microwave so that it isn't cold when you add it to your caramelized sugar! If you add cold cream it can cause your melted sugar to seize and crystallize, which is exactly what happened last night.
4 oz (8 T) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c half-and-half
1 1/2 c sugar
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water. Whisk until smooth. Pour in the half-and-half in a steady stream, whisking as you pour. Slowly add 1/2 c sugar in a steady stream, whisking as you pour. Continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved and isn't grainy, about 30 seconds. Add another 1/2 c of sugar and again stir until it is dissolved and no longer grainy. Add the remaining 1/2 c sugar in the same manner.
Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes glossy and thickens slightly, about 25 minutes.
Serve warm. Makes 2 delicious cups. This gets chewy and fudgy when it hits the ice cream.
*Last night I made vanilla ice cream, this hot fudge, and caramel sauce for dessert. A good tip to remember when making caramel - be sure to heat your cream in the microwave so that it isn't cold when you add it to your caramelized sugar! If you add cold cream it can cause your melted sugar to seize and crystallize, which is exactly what happened last night.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Grocery List for Lauren
Okay Lauren. This is what I purchased for groceries;
Red Star Yeast (2.16)*
Quick Oats (1.52)*
Blackberries (4.99)
Orecchiette (2.85)*
Rigatoni (2.85)*
Pappardale (2.85)*
Garlic (0.84)
Linguine (2.85)*
Spinach (3.79)
2 dozen eggs (6.39)
Coastal Cheddar Cheese (6.99)
Fresh Mozzarella (7.29)
Goat Cheese (6.29)
Chicken Breasts (16.59)
Apple Sauce (8.99)*
Cocoa Powder (5.99)*
Strawberry Jam (6.79)*
Chocolate Chips (9.79)*
2 32 oz Plain Yogurt (5.00)
1 32 oz Vanilla Yogurt (2.50)
2 gallons 1% milk (10.00)
2 pints raspberries (5.00)
1 pkg strawberries (2.50)
1 bunch bananas (2.59)
Buttermilk (2.50)
5 lbs all-purpose flour (4.99)*
8 oz bacon (4.99)
Pasta Sauce (3.99)
The asterisk indicates an item that I keep in my food storage that I am replenishing. Do you want my food storage list?
So with tax I have spent about $152.50. I lost 2 of my receipts and tried to remember everything that I purchased, but this is everything I could remember. Everything on the list with the exception of the buttermilk was organic. When I do huge food things as social events I take that money out of entertainment, not our grocery fund, so for that dessert party I spent another $45 or so on ingredients and there is no way I can pull that out of our weekly money. Last week's CSA pick up included: 1 bag red potatoes, 1 bunch basil, 2 onions, 1 bunch swiss chard, 1 bunch carrots, a bag of green beans, 4 Anaheim peppers, 1 crookneck squash. I just remembered I also purchased some hummus, so that was another $3 or so.
Dinners the past few nights have included:
Chicken breasts stuffed with mozzarella and basil served with oven roasted purple potatoes and mascarpone cheese (leftover from another week), homemade pita bread and hummus, margherita pizzas, pasta and marinara sauce, and some crazy vegetable pasta dish I made with orzo, green beans, crookneck squash, and carrot.
Red Star Yeast (2.16)*
Quick Oats (1.52)*
Blackberries (4.99)
Orecchiette (2.85)*
Rigatoni (2.85)*
Pappardale (2.85)*
Garlic (0.84)
Linguine (2.85)*
Spinach (3.79)
2 dozen eggs (6.39)
Coastal Cheddar Cheese (6.99)
Fresh Mozzarella (7.29)
Goat Cheese (6.29)
Chicken Breasts (16.59)
Apple Sauce (8.99)*
Cocoa Powder (5.99)*
Strawberry Jam (6.79)*
Chocolate Chips (9.79)*
2 32 oz Plain Yogurt (5.00)
1 32 oz Vanilla Yogurt (2.50)
2 gallons 1% milk (10.00)
2 pints raspberries (5.00)
1 pkg strawberries (2.50)
1 bunch bananas (2.59)
Buttermilk (2.50)
5 lbs all-purpose flour (4.99)*
8 oz bacon (4.99)
Pasta Sauce (3.99)
The asterisk indicates an item that I keep in my food storage that I am replenishing. Do you want my food storage list?
So with tax I have spent about $152.50. I lost 2 of my receipts and tried to remember everything that I purchased, but this is everything I could remember. Everything on the list with the exception of the buttermilk was organic. When I do huge food things as social events I take that money out of entertainment, not our grocery fund, so for that dessert party I spent another $45 or so on ingredients and there is no way I can pull that out of our weekly money. Last week's CSA pick up included: 1 bag red potatoes, 1 bunch basil, 2 onions, 1 bunch swiss chard, 1 bunch carrots, a bag of green beans, 4 Anaheim peppers, 1 crookneck squash. I just remembered I also purchased some hummus, so that was another $3 or so.
Dinners the past few nights have included:
Chicken breasts stuffed with mozzarella and basil served with oven roasted purple potatoes and mascarpone cheese (leftover from another week), homemade pita bread and hummus, margherita pizzas, pasta and marinara sauce, and some crazy vegetable pasta dish I made with orzo, green beans, crookneck squash, and carrot.
Monday, August 1, 2011
A dessert party. And dinner.
I teach the 12 and 13 year old girls at my church and they were recently invited to bring a friend with them to church. As an extra incentive I promised them a dessert extravaganza if they complied. Bribery works wonders. We ate chocolate chip cookies, vanilla vanilla cupcakes, caramel panna cotta, homemade (not from a box) chocolate pudding with whipped cream, orange cheesecake with gingersnap crust, and vegan chocolate orange cupcakes for our one vegan in attendance. It was a success. I am going to be fat.Dinner for Lauren: another pasta dish because I was in a rush. I just sliced one of the onions and sauteed it with a chicken breast that I cut up into pieces in a bit of olive oil. When almost cooked I added spinach until wilted, tossed it with cooked pasta and served it topped with some crumbled goat cheese.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Kale Chips
Cut the center rib out of the kale and roughly cut up leaves. Toss leaves with olive oil and season with salt and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until crispy, about 8 to 12 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve. The only way to eat kale in my book.
Crazy Green Globe Squash Pasta
Tonight I cooked 2 slices of bacon, which I removed from the pan once crisp and then added the cubed green squash (some type of zucchini maybe?) and some marjoram (went out to get oregano but couldn't find it) from my little herb garden. Once the squash was tender I added back the bacon and 3 oz of cubed fresh mozzarella, tossed it with cooked pasta, and served it up in bowls.
Emeril's Braised Kohlrabi with Fennel and Leeks
*I didn't have leeks so I just used a yellow onion. I also don't buy alcohol so I used water instead of white wine.
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
3 large heads kohlrabi, cut into 1/2-inch-thick-wedges
1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 c water
3 c chicken stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh fennel fronds
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
Combine olive oil and butter in a large deep saute pan. Once butter has melted and foam has subsided add kohlrabi, onion and fennel and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, browning kohlrabi on each side (mine did not brown). Add water and cook until it has reduced by half. Add stock, thyme, and fennel fronds and season with salt and pepper. Cook partially covered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp. Remove thyme sprigs and fennel fronds before serving.
I spooned the polenta into a bowl and then topped it with the braised veggies, including the braising liquid. Connor drank the liquid after eating his food. It was that good.
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
3 large heads kohlrabi, cut into 1/2-inch-thick-wedges
1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 c water
3 c chicken stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh fennel fronds
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
Combine olive oil and butter in a large deep saute pan. Once butter has melted and foam has subsided add kohlrabi, onion and fennel and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, browning kohlrabi on each side (mine did not brown). Add water and cook until it has reduced by half. Add stock, thyme, and fennel fronds and season with salt and pepper. Cook partially covered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp. Remove thyme sprigs and fennel fronds before serving.
I spooned the polenta into a bowl and then topped it with the braised veggies, including the braising liquid. Connor drank the liquid after eating his food. It was that good.
Emeril's Creamy Polenta
This is heaven on a spoon. You have been warned
4 c whole milk (I didn't have any milk so I just used evaporated milk which turned out to be quite lovely. I want to try making this with skim milk too.)
2 c chicken stock (I used 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons Better Than Bullion Chicken Stock which I buy on the baking aisle at Costco)
4 T butter
2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 3/4 c stone-ground polenta
1/4 c mascarpone cheese (his recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I used less)
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (his recipe calls for 1 cup but I just grated some on top when it was served)
Combine milk, chicken stock, butter, salt and pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in polenta and stir until it begins to thicken, then reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until creamy and tender. *His recipe indicates this will take 30 minutes, mine was done in about 8 minutes. I used regular polenta, not instant, so I don't know why mine cooked so quickly.
Remove from heat and add mascarpone cheese and stir to blend. Serve immediately with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese sprinkled on top.
Leftover polenta can be reheated just be sure to add a little water or milk to soften it.
4 c whole milk (I didn't have any milk so I just used evaporated milk which turned out to be quite lovely. I want to try making this with skim milk too.)
2 c chicken stock (I used 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons Better Than Bullion Chicken Stock which I buy on the baking aisle at Costco)
4 T butter
2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 3/4 c stone-ground polenta
1/4 c mascarpone cheese (his recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I used less)
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (his recipe calls for 1 cup but I just grated some on top when it was served)
Combine milk, chicken stock, butter, salt and pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in polenta and stir until it begins to thicken, then reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until creamy and tender. *His recipe indicates this will take 30 minutes, mine was done in about 8 minutes. I used regular polenta, not instant, so I don't know why mine cooked so quickly.
Remove from heat and add mascarpone cheese and stir to blend. Serve immediately with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese sprinkled on top.
Leftover polenta can be reheated just be sure to add a little water or milk to soften it.
Jamie Oliver's Perfect Pesto
small handful pinenuts (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 a clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 good handfuls fresh basil leaves, picked and chopped
a good handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil
*The first step is to put your pinenuts on a baking sheet and pop them under the broiler for a minute to warm them, but I skipped this step. I also made this in a blender, but you can do it in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Here's my method:
Place pinenuts, garlic, basil and a tablespoon or two of olive oil in the blender and pulse. Add more olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Add Parmesan cheese and blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When you reach the consistency and taste you like it is done. I kept mine in the fridge for a week and a half in an airtight glass container.
1/2 a clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 good handfuls fresh basil leaves, picked and chopped
a good handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil
*The first step is to put your pinenuts on a baking sheet and pop them under the broiler for a minute to warm them, but I skipped this step. I also made this in a blender, but you can do it in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Here's my method:
Place pinenuts, garlic, basil and a tablespoon or two of olive oil in the blender and pulse. Add more olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Add Parmesan cheese and blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When you reach the consistency and taste you like it is done. I kept mine in the fridge for a week and a half in an airtight glass container.
Ellie Giobbi's Italian-Style Bread
I found this recipe in yet another DI cookbook that sat on my mom's shelf and then my shelf for some time. It is our new favorite bread. This recipe makes 8 loaves (20 inches long and 3 inches wide) and I wrap each loaf in foil and keep it in the freezer. Each day I just take it out and set it on the counter to defrost and then save the foil for my next batch. Or if you want it hot just heat your oven to 500 degrees and put the bread in, wrapped in the foil, for 15 minutes.
2 T active dry yeast
8 c warm water
about 16 c flour*
2 T kosher salt or 1 1/4 T table salt
*I used 2/3 whole wheat (which I ground myself, aren't I just so domestic) and 1/3 all purpose. I ended up adding a bit more than 16 cups, I think I used 18, but my dough was still sticky and wet and it worked perfectly. Don't add too much flour!
Mix the yeast and water together and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add most of the flour and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the yeast water gradually, stirring as you pour. Work dough into a manageable ball and turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Knead until elastic, adding more flour as necessary, for about 10 minutes.
Oil the bottom and sides of a clean bowl and turn dough to coat, cover with a towel, and place in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Turn dough out and punch down. Divide into 8 pieces and form each piece into a long loaf - about 18 inches long and 2 inches wide. Place on an oiled baking sheet (I fit 4 per pan) and cover and let double in bulk, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bread in oven on baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes, spritzing with water a few times during the first 15 minutes of baking to get a crisp crust. Remove bread from trays, turn them over, lower heat to 350 degrees, and bake 10 to 20 more minutes until done. Cool on racks.
I baked 2 pans at a time, and rotated them when I lowered the heat. They didn't need much more time to bake, about 6 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees. This bread has a great taste and a tender crumb and freezes well. Eight loaves may seem like a lot but they disappeared fast in our house.
2 T active dry yeast
8 c warm water
about 16 c flour*
2 T kosher salt or 1 1/4 T table salt
*I used 2/3 whole wheat (which I ground myself, aren't I just so domestic) and 1/3 all purpose. I ended up adding a bit more than 16 cups, I think I used 18, but my dough was still sticky and wet and it worked perfectly. Don't add too much flour!
Mix the yeast and water together and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add most of the flour and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the yeast water gradually, stirring as you pour. Work dough into a manageable ball and turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Knead until elastic, adding more flour as necessary, for about 10 minutes.
Oil the bottom and sides of a clean bowl and turn dough to coat, cover with a towel, and place in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Turn dough out and punch down. Divide into 8 pieces and form each piece into a long loaf - about 18 inches long and 2 inches wide. Place on an oiled baking sheet (I fit 4 per pan) and cover and let double in bulk, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bread in oven on baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes, spritzing with water a few times during the first 15 minutes of baking to get a crisp crust. Remove bread from trays, turn them over, lower heat to 350 degrees, and bake 10 to 20 more minutes until done. Cool on racks.
I baked 2 pans at a time, and rotated them when I lowered the heat. They didn't need much more time to bake, about 6 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees. This bread has a great taste and a tender crumb and freezes well. Eight loaves may seem like a lot but they disappeared fast in our house.
Friday, July 29, 2011
CSA pick up.
This week I received:
2 heads kohlrabi (still had one left over from last week which made 3 in the fridge)
1 bunch beets
1 bunch carrots
1 yellow squash
1 crazy green globe squash (not sure what kind)
2 onions
1 bunch kale
1 bag red potatoes
1 bulb fennel
So far we've eaten:
Grilled veggie sandwiches: homemade baguette (recipe to come - it is pretty awesome), leftover pesto mixed with goat cheese, grilled yellow squash and grilled onion with some salt and pepper and Kale chips. Confession: I am not a huge fan of kale because it takes forever to cook to an edible state, but now I have discovered kale chips and they are simple to make and very tasty. Hooray. Bryant said this was the best meat free sandwich of his life. Ten points for me.
Braised kohlrabi, fennel, and onion with melt in your mouth deliciousness polenta. (Both recipes from Farm to Fork with a few adjustments)
Pasta with lovely cheese sauce and spinach. The spinach came from Costco.
Do you want the recipes? Let me know. Shopping list and amount spent to come.
2 heads kohlrabi (still had one left over from last week which made 3 in the fridge)
1 bunch beets
1 bunch carrots
1 yellow squash
1 crazy green globe squash (not sure what kind)
2 onions
1 bunch kale
1 bag red potatoes
1 bulb fennel
So far we've eaten:
Grilled veggie sandwiches: homemade baguette (recipe to come - it is pretty awesome), leftover pesto mixed with goat cheese, grilled yellow squash and grilled onion with some salt and pepper and Kale chips. Confession: I am not a huge fan of kale because it takes forever to cook to an edible state, but now I have discovered kale chips and they are simple to make and very tasty. Hooray. Bryant said this was the best meat free sandwich of his life. Ten points for me.
Braised kohlrabi, fennel, and onion with melt in your mouth deliciousness polenta. (Both recipes from Farm to Fork with a few adjustments)
Pasta with lovely cheese sauce and spinach. The spinach came from Costco.
Do you want the recipes? Let me know. Shopping list and amount spent to come.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Pizza on the grill.
We waited to purchase a grill until we could buy a Traeger because once I tasted the deliciousness made by its wood-pellet burning self I couldn't settle for anything less. Completely worth the wait. (Costco has a Traeger special twice a year by the way.) A few weeks ago I taught 14 12 and 13 year olds how to make homemade pizza and sauce. I tried out some new recipes and combined a few to come up with what is now my favorite of favorites. Absolutely delicious. We just made them with mozzarella on top but you can do anything you want.
I didn't plan anything for dessert and we had some dough left over so we rolled it out, grilled it, and then topped it with melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and sweetened whipped cream. It was also amazing.
When I grill pizza I first grill my crust lightly on both sides, then remove and add toppings and return to the grill until it is done. I grill them at 450 degrees. I roll my crust very thin and use semolina to dust my rolling surface. I know the pre-grilling is done when my dough starts to puff up. Here's the recipe:
Pizza Dough
Combine the following in a bowl and stir until dissolved;
¼ c chicken stock (this doesn't taste odd in the dessert version by the way)
¾ c warm water
1 pkg dry yeast
1 T honey
1 T olive oil
Add and mix with a wooden spoon;
1 c flour
Add 2 more cups of flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until dough is smooth and firm. Grease a bowl with 1 T olive oil and then place dough in bowl, turning to coat with oil, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Pizza Sauce28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (drain but reserve ¼ c liquid)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
¼ to ½ t salt
1/8 to ¼ t freshly ground black pepper
1 t brown sugar
3 T tomato paste
2 t dried oregano
1 t dried thyme (ground if you are bothered by texture)
¼ to ½ t fennel seed, ground
Heat olive oil in a NON REACTIVE pot just over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add all other dry ingredients and stir until fragrant. Add tomatoes and stir to coat with oil mixture and let cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and ¼ c reserved tomato liquid. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, smashing tomatoes and stirring occasionally. This recipe is easily doubled and is even better the next day.
If you cannot grill your pizzas, try this trick;
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium high heat and precook your rolled out dough on each side until golden brown spots appear. Let cool and then top with sauce and toppings and bake in 500 degree oven until done.
For Lauren - Cookbooks
So here's the truth. I use my sweet cookbooks much much more than my savory cookbooks. Finding 5 to suggest for actual meals rather than meals composed of desserts was difficult. But here are four I use on a regular basis:
The Savory Way by Deborah Madison
My mom found this at DI years ago and it sat on her shelf. She gave it to me 2 years ago and it sat on my shelf. Now I use it all of the time.
Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver
I have 5 or so of his cookbooks but I use this one the most. His pesto recipe is perfect and we've eaten pesto pasta for 4 days in a row (because my CSA included a huge bouquet of basil last week) which is amazing considering Bryant has never liked pesto. But he loves this recipe.
Farm to Fork by Emeril Lagasse
I love his recipes. I love the ideas I get from seeing the different flavors he combines.
Sarabeth's Bakery by Sarabeth Levine
Yes, this is a dessert book. But is a recent discovery that I wish I had found years ago because she explains tricks and techniques so perfectly.
I use www.tastespotting.com the most for finding recipes. Especially now that I have a weekly CSA subscription. A few weeks ago I had 2 heads of napa cabbage that I didn't no what to do with so I just went to the website, typed napa cabbage into the search engine, and found a bunch of recipes to look through that I eventually narrowed down to two that we used later in the week.
When we lived in Nebraska and I had nothing to do and free cable I watched the Food Network a lot. And that was a great help because it exposed me to new food ideas and combinations and ingredients I hadn't heard of before. I am finally to the point where I am comfortable making up my own dishes, and I do a lot, but these are the resources I depend on.
I pick up my CSA on Wednesday and payday is Friday so the menu planning/budgeting post is to come. In the meantime here is the perfect pizza.
The Savory Way by Deborah Madison
My mom found this at DI years ago and it sat on her shelf. She gave it to me 2 years ago and it sat on my shelf. Now I use it all of the time.
Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver
I have 5 or so of his cookbooks but I use this one the most. His pesto recipe is perfect and we've eaten pesto pasta for 4 days in a row (because my CSA included a huge bouquet of basil last week) which is amazing considering Bryant has never liked pesto. But he loves this recipe.
Farm to Fork by Emeril Lagasse
I love his recipes. I love the ideas I get from seeing the different flavors he combines.
Sarabeth's Bakery by Sarabeth Levine
Yes, this is a dessert book. But is a recent discovery that I wish I had found years ago because she explains tricks and techniques so perfectly.
I use www.tastespotting.com the most for finding recipes. Especially now that I have a weekly CSA subscription. A few weeks ago I had 2 heads of napa cabbage that I didn't no what to do with so I just went to the website, typed napa cabbage into the search engine, and found a bunch of recipes to look through that I eventually narrowed down to two that we used later in the week.
When we lived in Nebraska and I had nothing to do and free cable I watched the Food Network a lot. And that was a great help because it exposed me to new food ideas and combinations and ingredients I hadn't heard of before. I am finally to the point where I am comfortable making up my own dishes, and I do a lot, but these are the resources I depend on.
I pick up my CSA on Wednesday and payday is Friday so the menu planning/budgeting post is to come. In the meantime here is the perfect pizza.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Pea Shoot Salad
More seasonal eating - I have pea shoots galore. Tonight we grilled some trout and served it with a simple salad of mixed greens, pea shoots, and thinly sliced radishes with this dressing:
3 T seasoned rice vinegar
1 T sesame oil
1 T honey or brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
Juice squeezed from half a lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Connor drank the dressing from his bowl.
3 T seasoned rice vinegar
1 T sesame oil
1 T honey or brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
Juice squeezed from half a lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Connor drank the dressing from his bowl.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Seasonal Eating
I thought I did a pretty good job eating seasonally. I never bought tomatoes, berries, grapes, or peppers out of season. But this spring we joined a CSA and I quickly learned that my attempts at seasonal eating were pathetic. I have never eaten so many greens in my life. This past week my CSA share included mustard greens, rabe, kale, spinach, arugula, bok choy, pea shoots, and radishes. I still had baby turnips left over from the previous week so I decided to make a green soup. It was surprisingly delicious. I adapted a recipe from Deborah Madison's The Savory Way.
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
8 baby turnips, peeled and chopped or 2 medium red skin potatoes diced
1 small onion, chopped, or 2 to 3 medium leeks, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 good pinches dried thyme
2 c spinach, chopped
1 c mustard greens, stems removed and chopped
1 c rabe, stems removed and chopped
2 c kale, stems removed and chopped
2 c arugula, chopped
2 qts chicken stock (I used water + better than bullion)
1/4 c cream or evaporated milk
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1 T maple syrup
Warm oil and butter in a wide soup pot. Add the turnips, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme and some salt. Stir to coat, cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the greens and allow them to gradually wilt down, stirring every few minutes.
When they have wilted add the stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer about 20 minutes. ***You can puree the soup at this point but Bryant hates pureed soups so I just left this consistency and added bacon.
While the soup is simmering fry the bacon is a dry frying pan until crispy. Add to soup with cream or evaporated milk and stir to combine. Serve with good bread.
The only way we've been able to make it through the mountain of bok choy we've received is by eating stir fry. I use quinoa cooked in chicken stock instead of rice and I chop the stems of the bok choy and tear the leaves and stir fry it with onion, garlic, ginger, shredded carrot, mushrooms, salt and pepper. I serve it with chopped peanuts or almonds, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper. Even Connor devours it.
Happy Spring.
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
8 baby turnips, peeled and chopped or 2 medium red skin potatoes diced
1 small onion, chopped, or 2 to 3 medium leeks, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 good pinches dried thyme
2 c spinach, chopped
1 c mustard greens, stems removed and chopped
1 c rabe, stems removed and chopped
2 c kale, stems removed and chopped
2 c arugula, chopped
2 qts chicken stock (I used water + better than bullion)
1/4 c cream or evaporated milk
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1 T maple syrup
Warm oil and butter in a wide soup pot. Add the turnips, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme and some salt. Stir to coat, cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the greens and allow them to gradually wilt down, stirring every few minutes.
When they have wilted add the stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer about 20 minutes. ***You can puree the soup at this point but Bryant hates pureed soups so I just left this consistency and added bacon.
While the soup is simmering fry the bacon is a dry frying pan until crispy. Add to soup with cream or evaporated milk and stir to combine. Serve with good bread.
The only way we've been able to make it through the mountain of bok choy we've received is by eating stir fry. I use quinoa cooked in chicken stock instead of rice and I chop the stems of the bok choy and tear the leaves and stir fry it with onion, garlic, ginger, shredded carrot, mushrooms, salt and pepper. I serve it with chopped peanuts or almonds, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper. Even Connor devours it.
Happy Spring.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Carrot Gnocchi and Bread
I have had one life changing gnocchi experience, one really good gnocchi experience, and many terrible gnocchi experiences. The life changing one occurred at a completely legit Italian restaurant in San Francisco where their Italian accents were still so pronounced that I could barely understand their English when they spoke to us. The really good gnocchi was at Pizzeria 712 in Orem, UT and it was a ricotta gnocchi with a creamy goat cheese sauce.
Tonight I made this gnocchi. Here are my tips:
*It says it serves 4 but I doubled the recipe and it just fed the three in our household who have advanced past baby food.
*I didn't have any Parmesan cheese so I didn't use it. I also didn't have fresh sage.
*WHEN I make this again I will make the dough in the morning instead of doing it all at once.
*I don't know why it says to boil them for 6 to 7 seconds, mine took much longer.
I made a coconut sauce to accompany them and I just made a roux with some butter, flour and Better than Bullion chicken stock mix (about 1 tsp) and once that was combined and cooked I added about 1/2 a can of light coconut milk. Once it had thickened I added just a bit of cinnamon and ginger.
I also made this bread which can be made in less than 2 hours. I made one loaf instead of three.
We rounded out our meal with some of the wilted maple spinach. Great dinner. My kitchen is now a mess.
Tonight I made this gnocchi. Here are my tips:
*It says it serves 4 but I doubled the recipe and it just fed the three in our household who have advanced past baby food.
*I didn't have any Parmesan cheese so I didn't use it. I also didn't have fresh sage.
*WHEN I make this again I will make the dough in the morning instead of doing it all at once.
*I don't know why it says to boil them for 6 to 7 seconds, mine took much longer.
I made a coconut sauce to accompany them and I just made a roux with some butter, flour and Better than Bullion chicken stock mix (about 1 tsp) and once that was combined and cooked I added about 1/2 a can of light coconut milk. Once it had thickened I added just a bit of cinnamon and ginger.
I also made this bread which can be made in less than 2 hours. I made one loaf instead of three.
We rounded out our meal with some of the wilted maple spinach. Great dinner. My kitchen is now a mess.
Pinto Bean Soup
This soup doesn't sound like much, but it is very good. You just need to remember to soak your beans.
1 1/2 c dried pinto beans, soaked in water for 8 hours or overnight
Drain beans and put in a pot with 2 quarts (I never measure this) of water and slowly bring to a boil. Skim the scum off the surface and reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add 1/4 c chopped onion and some salt and simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until tender. Using an immersion blender if you are fancy like that or just a plain old blender if you haven't gotten around to purchasing an immersion blender yet (someday, someday) blend this mixture to your desired consistency. We like ours with some puree and some roughly chopped beans. Sidenote - I never use all of the liquid when I blend the soup because I think it makes it too runny. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with:
A good dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream in each bowl
Chopped green onions
Pine Nuts (don't forget these)
Candied Bacon
Candied Bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put your bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven to cool and then crumble. You will never make bacon again without brown sugar.
1 1/2 c dried pinto beans, soaked in water for 8 hours or overnight
Drain beans and put in a pot with 2 quarts (I never measure this) of water and slowly bring to a boil. Skim the scum off the surface and reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add 1/4 c chopped onion and some salt and simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until tender. Using an immersion blender if you are fancy like that or just a plain old blender if you haven't gotten around to purchasing an immersion blender yet (someday, someday) blend this mixture to your desired consistency. We like ours with some puree and some roughly chopped beans. Sidenote - I never use all of the liquid when I blend the soup because I think it makes it too runny. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with:
A good dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream in each bowl
Chopped green onions
Pine Nuts (don't forget these)
Candied Bacon
Candied Bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put your bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven to cool and then crumble. You will never make bacon again without brown sugar.
Sweet Potato Pancakes
Prepare:
3/4 lb sweet potato - peeled, chopped, and cooked until tender in boiling water for about 15 min
Combine in a medium bowl:
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c cornmeal
3 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger
Combine in another bowl or large measuring cup:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 to 2 c milk
2 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla
Mashed/cooked sweet potato
Blend wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Make pancakes. Serve with coconut caramel sauce or maple syrup.
3/4 lb sweet potato - peeled, chopped, and cooked until tender in boiling water for about 15 min
Combine in a medium bowl:
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c cornmeal
3 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger
Combine in another bowl or large measuring cup:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 to 2 c milk
2 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla
Mashed/cooked sweet potato
Blend wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Make pancakes. Serve with coconut caramel sauce or maple syrup.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A few good links.
Best pie crust. Ever.
You can make caramel sauce with coconut milk. It is amazing with sweet potato pancakes. Or on a spoon.
Our version of Easter eggs.
Anyone interested in a recipe for sweet potato pancakes? Pinto bean soup with bacon, pine nuts, and green onions? Let me know.
You can make caramel sauce with coconut milk. It is amazing with sweet potato pancakes. Or on a spoon.
Our version of Easter eggs.
Anyone interested in a recipe for sweet potato pancakes? Pinto bean soup with bacon, pine nuts, and green onions? Let me know.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Mind-blowingly good spinach. Who knew?
I did not realize that spinach could be amazing. But it can. And it is easy. I put this on top of cottage cheese on top of a baked potato for a quick meal.
Heat some olive oil (just a bit) in a large skillet over medium-ish heat. Add fresh spinach, 1 clove minced garlic, some salt and pepper, and REAL maple syrup. Perhaps a tablespoon or two. Stir until evenly wilted, remove from heat and add just a bit of cream.
That's it. It is very, very good.
Heat some olive oil (just a bit) in a large skillet over medium-ish heat. Add fresh spinach, 1 clove minced garlic, some salt and pepper, and REAL maple syrup. Perhaps a tablespoon or two. Stir until evenly wilted, remove from heat and add just a bit of cream.
That's it. It is very, very good.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Lavender Vanilla Sugar Cookies
1 T lavender
2/3 c sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
1/8 t salt
Grind lavender and sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor. Combine with butter in a medium sized bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and combine. Add flour and salt and carefully carefully mix until just combined. Dough should be soft but not sticky, and guess what? No eggs. So go ahead and eat it without fear of illness. Form dough into two balls and flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and place on prepared sheet. I sprinkled them with white sugar crystals at this point. Put back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie. You want these underdone so that they are still soft. Let cool completely. No frosting needed.
2/3 c sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
1/8 t salt
Grind lavender and sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor. Combine with butter in a medium sized bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and combine. Add flour and salt and carefully carefully mix until just combined. Dough should be soft but not sticky, and guess what? No eggs. So go ahead and eat it without fear of illness. Form dough into two balls and flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and place on prepared sheet. I sprinkled them with white sugar crystals at this point. Put back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie. You want these underdone so that they are still soft. Let cool completely. No frosting needed.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Homemade Chocolate Pudding
Okay folks. This recipe is a must. It is amazing warm or cold. It is just amazing. I use 3 different cocoa powders that I buy every time I am in SLC at Tony Caputo's, but you can just use whatever cocoa powder you have on hand.
2 T cornstarch
1/8 t salt
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/2 c sugar
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 c milk (I've used skim, I've used half and half)
2 T butter
2 t vanilla extract
handful of chocolate chips (I used Nestle semi-sweet)
In a medium saucepan whisk together the cornstarch, salt, cocoa powder and sugar. In a bowl combine the milk and egg yolks and slowly add to the mixture in the saucepan, whisking until combined. Set over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and boils for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and chocolate chips until smooth. Eat immediately or later. If chilling be sure to put a piece of plastic wrap pressed on to the pudding to prevent a skim from forming. ENJOY.
2 T cornstarch
1/8 t salt
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/2 c sugar
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 c milk (I've used skim, I've used half and half)
2 T butter
2 t vanilla extract
handful of chocolate chips (I used Nestle semi-sweet)
In a medium saucepan whisk together the cornstarch, salt, cocoa powder and sugar. In a bowl combine the milk and egg yolks and slowly add to the mixture in the saucepan, whisking until combined. Set over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and boils for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and chocolate chips until smooth. Eat immediately or later. If chilling be sure to put a piece of plastic wrap pressed on to the pudding to prevent a skim from forming. ENJOY.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Dessert in 30 seconds or less.
I realize I am odd and normal people do not have chocolate ganache and mascarpone cheese in their fridge on a regular basis, but you should because then you can make this crazy easy amazingly good dessert. You also need dried figs. Here's how it works:
Take a fig and slice it lengthwise. I use brown Turkish figs because I think they taste the best. But that's just me.
Take a scoop of ganache and put it on your plate or in a bowl. Take a scoop of mascarpone cheese and mix it into the ganache. Put a large dollop on each fig half. Pop the entire thing in your mouth and close your eyes. It's that good.
Take a fig and slice it lengthwise. I use brown Turkish figs because I think they taste the best. But that's just me.
Take a scoop of ganache and put it on your plate or in a bowl. Take a scoop of mascarpone cheese and mix it into the ganache. Put a large dollop on each fig half. Pop the entire thing in your mouth and close your eyes. It's that good.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
More cake.
This is now my favorite white cake recipe. Buy the vanilla bean, it is worth it. This recipe is from Organic and Chic by Sarah Magid. The only change I made was using a whole vanilla bean rather than a half.Vanilla Bean Butter Cake
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 c white sugar
4 eggs
1 c whole milk
1 T vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out and reserved
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 8-inch (I used 6 inch) round cake pans (I also lined them with parchment paper) or place liners in muffin pans for 24 cupcakes.
Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time.
In a small bowl combine the milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Set aside.
In another bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.
With mixer on low speed alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, starting and ending with the flour. When almost combined turn off the mixer and scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Finish mixing the batter by hand with a rubber spatula. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or 24 to 30 minutes for cupcakes. Let cool in pans for 15 minutes then invert on a wire rack and cool completely.
Vanilla Whipped Buttercream
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 c whole milk
1/4 c all-purpose four
1 1/2 T vanilla extract
In a small saucepan combine 1/4 c of the milk with the flour and vanilla and whisk until completely smooth. Over medium heat slowly add the remaining heat and whisk constantly until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat and keep stirring. Cool in an ice bath to room temperature.
Cream the butter on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low slowly add the thickened and cooled milk mixture and increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
100th Post - Connor's Divine Birthday Cake
I bought The Silver Spoon for Children cookbook for Connor several months ago and decided to try out the recipes for his birthday. We chose the Orange Cake because Connor is obsessed with oranges, and it is now my new favorite cake. It is easy and delicious. So delicious. Completely amazing. Make it tonight.Orange Cake
7 T unsalted butter, plus a bit more for greasing the pan
1 orange
2 barnyard eggs (yep, that's what it calls for)
1/2 c supgerfine sugar (we used granulated because that is what we had)
scant 1 c confectioner's sugar
scant 1 c self-rising flour
1/2 t baking powder
Orange Glaze
scant 1 c confectioner's guar
1 orange (we used both the zest and the juice)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper.
Melt butter and let cool. In a medium bowl combine the eggs, superfine sugar, and confectioner's sugar with a whisk until light and fluffy. Stir in melted butter. Sfit the flour and baking powder onto the egg mixutre and pour in 6 T orange juice. Carefully mix tovether and pour into pan.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool in pan and then turn out on cooling rack. Place on cakestand and poke holes all over the cake with a toothipick or a fork. Whisk together juice from 1 orange, zest, and confectioner's sugar to make the glaze. Spread glaze all over cake, letting it seap into the holes until it is completelyl absorbed by the cake.
Top with sweetened whipped cream with a bit of vanilla and a thinly sliced orange sprinkled with sugar if you would like for decoration.
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