Just look at how beautiful it is! I can't wait to start cooking out of this. You'll be seeing lots of recipes from this.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Julia and LuLu?
I asked for "Mastering The Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child for Christmas and my wonderful cousin got me this gorgeous two volume set! Ya, I opened it before Christmas. So what??
Just look at how beautiful it is! I can't wait to start cooking out of this. You'll be seeing lots of recipes from this.
Just look at how beautiful it is! I can't wait to start cooking out of this. You'll be seeing lots of recipes from this.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Holiday Pie Baking
Recently my friends, Holly and David, moved into a beautiful home with an especially beautiful kitchen. A kitchen of which I am very jealous. For the most part I love my apartment, but it's lacking in the kitchen department. I have roughly a foot of counter space. Holly and David, on the other hand, have what feels like a million feet of granite. My first reaction was "I would make so many pies if I lived here!" There's so much space to roll out dough. Thankfully they both love to cook so they took me up on it.
Yesterday we had an awesome day of pie baking, egg nog drinking and listening to Christmas music. Could I be happier? (Read that in Chandler voice.) David made all the crust from scratch and it was awesome. I've made scratch crusts before and they're fine but not spectacular. I've said before that I don't think they're that much better than store bought, so I gave it up. David may have swayed me back. I was always worried about over working the dough and making it tough. I learned from David that I wasn't working it at all. His crusts were so smooth and gorgeous, but still tender and flaky when baked. He also sold me on a french rolling pin. I always hated those ones with the handles so I quit using them. I'll confess I've been using a glass rum bottle. We made five pies and it was hard not to cut them all. It was such a lovely day and a wonderful addition to my holiday season. Thanks guys. xo
Yesterday we had an awesome day of pie baking, egg nog drinking and listening to Christmas music. Could I be happier? (Read that in Chandler voice.) David made all the crust from scratch and it was awesome. I've made scratch crusts before and they're fine but not spectacular. I've said before that I don't think they're that much better than store bought, so I gave it up. David may have swayed me back. I was always worried about over working the dough and making it tough. I learned from David that I wasn't working it at all. His crusts were so smooth and gorgeous, but still tender and flaky when baked. He also sold me on a french rolling pin. I always hated those ones with the handles so I quit using them. I'll confess I've been using a glass rum bottle. We made five pies and it was hard not to cut them all. It was such a lovely day and a wonderful addition to my holiday season. Thanks guys. xo
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| Classic apple. The perspective with my feet is ridiculous in this one. |
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| Apple Sausage. Totally over stuffed. David made homemade sausage for this. It was so much more delicious than store-bought and rather easy. I'll blog it soon. |
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| Toll House Pie. I had to walk away from this one so I didn't cut it too. |
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| Old Fashion Cream Pie. This a family recipe of Holly's. It blew my mind. You'll probably hear more about this too. |
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| And the coupe de gras...Cherry with a lattice top. I love making a lattice top and this one turned out so nicely. I was worried it wasn't full enough and look how much it overflowed! Oops. |
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Roasted Butternut Squash with Onions and Curry
The cut squash I had leftover from making the hummus was one of the few edible items in my fridge tonight which made it the obvious choice for dinner. These moments when you think "what can I throw together?" are when some of my favorite things are invented.
Butternut Squash Hummus
When I saw this recipe on Craft I knew I had to make it. It's a delightfully simple recipe from Delighted Momma. (see what I did there?) I had some friends over for dinner on Saturday and figured it was a great chance to try it. This is one of those recipes to add to the "ridiculously simple yet impressive" pile.
What you will need:
Slice the butternut squash into small pieces and boil for about 8-9 minutes or until soft. Throw all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth and creamy. I told you it was simple.
- 2 cups of butternut squash
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1/2 cup of tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- 2 cloves of garlic.
- The juice from half of a lemon
- A dash of cumin
- 3 dashes of cinnamon
- 3-4 dashes of pepper
It's very delicious and was a hit with my guests. My food processor is really little so I had to do it in batches. It's also not that great, so mine wasn't perfectly smooth. A better, larger food processor or a blender probably yields a smoother hummus, but mine was still yummy. I served it with soft pita triangles, but you could use it all the ways you use your favorite hummus now. I plan on putting it in a sandwich with veggies tomorrow. The jar of tahini was kind of expensive so I'm going to look for other recipes it can be used in.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Nutty Hot Cocoa
Ready for a delicious treat that is ridiculously easy? Great! So am I. You'll need almond milk and Nutella. It doesn't get simpler than this, people.
Heat a cup to 1 1/2 cups of almond milk per serving in a sauce pan over medium low heat. As the milk starts to warm, whisk in one tablespoon Nutella per serving. Then enjoy the heck out of it.
Ta-Da. I told you it was easy.
Heat a cup to 1 1/2 cups of almond milk per serving in a sauce pan over medium low heat. As the milk starts to warm, whisk in one tablespoon Nutella per serving. Then enjoy the heck out of it.
Ta-Da. I told you it was easy.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Quinoa Burgers
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is one of those food things that's hip right now. It's a delicious, nutty grain that cooks up easily like rice. I like swapping it out it for rice and you can make a mean porridge with it. I saw this burger recipe on Eating Well...Living Thin and knew I wanted to try them. They sounded easy and delicious. So here goes...
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a medium saucepan bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in the quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes. You can also use 2 cups cooked, leftover quinoa.
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 medium carrot, finely grated
3 eggs
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 green onions, including white parts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
olive oil for frying
Combine ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined.
Heat a couple teaspoons of oil over medium-low heat. Measure 1/4 cup and form into patties about 1/2" thick. Mixture will be slightly sticky. Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes each side. Makes approximately 10 burgers. (I got 13.)
I made a few tweaks. I didn't add sugar. I don't really get why it's in there. I also used one clove of grated garlic instead of garlic powder. My mixture was very wet so I added an extra tablespoon of flour. It was still pretty wet, but cooked up nicely. I would probably use only 2 eggs in the future. You could probably eliminate one or both of the cheeses and they'd still be good. I'd keep that extra egg if you do though.
The bottom line is that these are super delicious. They're a great all-year-round food. Not that I have them, but kids would probably eat these too. I served them (to myself) with brussels sprouts roasted with curry powder and it was a lovely 9 pm dinner. Give them a try.
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a medium saucepan bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in the quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes. You can also use 2 cups cooked, leftover quinoa.
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 medium carrot, finely grated
3 eggs
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 green onions, including white parts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
olive oil for frying
Combine ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined.
Heat a couple teaspoons of oil over medium-low heat. Measure 1/4 cup and form into patties about 1/2" thick. Mixture will be slightly sticky. Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes each side. Makes approximately 10 burgers. (I got 13.)
I made a few tweaks. I didn't add sugar. I don't really get why it's in there. I also used one clove of grated garlic instead of garlic powder. My mixture was very wet so I added an extra tablespoon of flour. It was still pretty wet, but cooked up nicely. I would probably use only 2 eggs in the future. You could probably eliminate one or both of the cheeses and they'd still be good. I'd keep that extra egg if you do though.
The bottom line is that these are super delicious. They're a great all-year-round food. Not that I have them, but kids would probably eat these too. I served them (to myself) with brussels sprouts roasted with curry powder and it was a lovely 9 pm dinner. Give them a try.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Apple Pie Cookies aka oh sweet god...
When I saw this recipe over on Smitten Kitchen I wanted to leave work immediately to make these. (Not that I look at the internet at work or something.) Thankfully I have awesome coworkers so I could leave work immediately to buy ingredients. I made them when I got home from school and I'm so glad I did. I hope my friends are too, because I'll probably bring them to every fall event this year. I took some short cuts from the original recipe, but they were still easier than I anticipated.
I used store bought pie crust. I know the purists out there are gasping right now, but it's 2011; store bought pie crust isn't that much different than crust from scratch.
I also used the mandolin to slice the apples and it was (as always) perfect. The recipe says to cut them 1/8" thick, which was a little thin to me. I set the mandolin half way between 1/8" and 1/4" and it was just right. I doubled up the thin apples when I made the cookies.
I recommend assembling them one at a time. I laid out the first batch and topped them all with apples then sealed all the tops and they get pretty sticky. The stickiest ones separated in the oven. Still delicious, but not as pretty. The second ones I did one whole cookie at a time and they turned out much better.
I used honey crisp apples and they were heavenly. Thank you Kristin Damstra for introducing me to those. Macintosh would probably be awesome, too. Speaking of which, I listened to Fleetwood Mac while I made these and it was a fantastic evening.
I used store bought pie crust. I know the purists out there are gasping right now, but it's 2011; store bought pie crust isn't that much different than crust from scratch.
I also used the mandolin to slice the apples and it was (as always) perfect. The recipe says to cut them 1/8" thick, which was a little thin to me. I set the mandolin half way between 1/8" and 1/4" and it was just right. I doubled up the thin apples when I made the cookies.
I recommend assembling them one at a time. I laid out the first batch and topped them all with apples then sealed all the tops and they get pretty sticky. The stickiest ones separated in the oven. Still delicious, but not as pretty. The second ones I did one whole cookie at a time and they turned out much better.
I used honey crisp apples and they were heavenly. Thank you Kristin Damstra for introducing me to those. Macintosh would probably be awesome, too. Speaking of which, I listened to Fleetwood Mac while I made these and it was a fantastic evening.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Eggplant Parmasan Ciabatta
When my sister was little, before I was even born, there was a brief phase when she carried an eggplant around like a baby and pushed it around in a stroller. She's always had an eye for beautiful things. I bought an eggplant this week just because they looked so good. I didn't have a recipe in mind. They just looked so beautiful at the store and I'm too old to push one around in a stroller. I figured I'd roast it but wasn't sure what to do from there. And then I realized the obvious choice. Eggplant Parm Sub. It's second only to a chicken finger sub for me. I classed it up a bit and made an awesome (if I do say so) sandwich on ciabatta.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
butternut squash soup with shrimp
Everyday Food is great with making recipes that repeat ingredients so that you use up all that you buy but without getting bored of the flavors. I love that. This used that left over butternut squash from the chicken recipe as well as the fresh sage. I also used what was left of the chicken stock I made. You're definitely going to want to try it.
Monday, September 26, 2011
braised chicken with butternut squash and cranberries
I subscribe to Everyday Food magazine and love it. I like it so much I've given as a gift. I found this delicious fall recipe in this month's issue. It's also a way to use that delicious chicken stock I made. Here's the good part:
1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken leg quarters (2 1/2 lbs) split into drumsticks and thighs
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dried cranberries
course salt and ground pepper
1. Cut half the squash into 1/2-inch pieces and refrigerate for another recipe you'll see another time. Cut remaining squash into 1" pieces and set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and, in two batches, cook, skin side down, until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate; pour off fat from pot.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil, reserved squash, and onion to pot and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add sage, flour, coriander and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add broth and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in squash mixture, add cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender 20-25 minutes.
Yum, right? I made a few tweaks. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and didn't have coriander. I also added a tiny dash of curry powder. I used the stock from a previous post, which had thyme, lemon and garlic in it, which would change the flavor of the final product some.
I covered mine fully, instead of partially, so it was more soupy than intended, but it was delicious! I loved this recipe and it's a great dish for fall. I will definitely make this one again. Thanks Martha!
1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken leg quarters (2 1/2 lbs) split into drumsticks and thighs
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dried cranberries
course salt and ground pepper
1. Cut half the squash into 1/2-inch pieces and refrigerate for another recipe you'll see another time. Cut remaining squash into 1" pieces and set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and, in two batches, cook, skin side down, until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate; pour off fat from pot.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil, reserved squash, and onion to pot and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add sage, flour, coriander and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add broth and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in squash mixture, add cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender 20-25 minutes.
Yum, right? I made a few tweaks. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and didn't have coriander. I also added a tiny dash of curry powder. I used the stock from a previous post, which had thyme, lemon and garlic in it, which would change the flavor of the final product some.
I covered mine fully, instead of partially, so it was more soupy than intended, but it was delicious! I loved this recipe and it's a great dish for fall. I will definitely make this one again. Thanks Martha!
Knives
Every so often my mom gives me a gift that hits the nail right on the head. A couple years ago she gave me a red Kuhn Rikon 6" chef's knife.
It rocked my world. It's so sharp and cuts like a dream. It even comes with a cover so that it doesn't get dull kicking around your utensil drawer. I decided I needed more and bought a couple on Amazon.
A yellow mini prep knife that rules vegetables like a boss. And a curved herb knife, in green, of course.
I used my herb knife for the first time tonight to chop sage. It was awesome. It worked just like I wanted it to and was super sharp. So sharp that a funny thing happened.
Oops! Got a little close on that one. Thankfully it just took my nail off and didn't cut my skin. And don't worry, I removed the bit of nail before I added the sage to the recipe. If you can learn from me and be careful, then I highly recommend these knives.
Use that chicken carcass to make stock.
A roasted chicken is beautiful and delicious. It's also especially frugal if you're not feeding a family. I usually get 4 or 5 meals out of one. But you can stretch it even further by making stock. It's also super easy. If you can boil water, literally, you can make stock. I cleaned most of the meat from the chicken I just roasted and put it back in the dutch oven. I didn't wash out the pot because of all the good browned bits on the bottom. Those make for great stock. Fill the pot with water until it just barely covers the chicken. Then let it simmer. Easy, right?
After I took that picture I decided the lemon rind may make the broth bitter. I took it out and squeezed the soft, cooked pulp into the broth but threw the rind away. When I make stock I let it simmer until it has a good color and full flavor, usually a couple hours. Once you're happy with it, take your pot of the heat and let it cool. Remove the bones and strain out the solids. I use a regular old colander. When it fully cools the fat will rise to the top. I usually put mine in the fridge so the fat solidifies, but I know not everyone does. Either way, use a slotted spoon to remove the fat from the top of the broth and you're good to go. You can make a multitude of things with it and it freezes very well. It also tastes WAY better and is healthier than store brands.
p.s. Can we talk about the color of that stock? Gorgeous!!
After I took that picture I decided the lemon rind may make the broth bitter. I took it out and squeezed the soft, cooked pulp into the broth but threw the rind away. When I make stock I let it simmer until it has a good color and full flavor, usually a couple hours. Once you're happy with it, take your pot of the heat and let it cool. Remove the bones and strain out the solids. I use a regular old colander. When it fully cools the fat will rise to the top. I usually put mine in the fridge so the fat solidifies, but I know not everyone does. Either way, use a slotted spoon to remove the fat from the top of the broth and you're good to go. You can make a multitude of things with it and it freezes very well. It also tastes WAY better and is healthier than store brands.
p.s. Can we talk about the color of that stock? Gorgeous!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Roasted chicken
One of the biggest reasons I wanted a french oven was for chicken. Specifically, for Julia Child's Coq au Vin recipe, but that's for later. For starters I wanted to do a basic roasted chicken with vegetables. I like the simplicity and flavors of Ina Garten's recipe. It's straight forward and uncomplicated while still sounding delicious. I also freaking love fennel and was pumped to try it like this. But alas, my local grocery store didn't have any. The only thing I changed out the recipe was swapping tiny red potatoes for fennel.
I am so pleased with the result! It was gorgeous and so flavorful. A roasted chicken is an economical, yet impressive way to serve guests. I would be proud to put this dish on the table.
The vegetables were so good. I could eat myself sick on roasted carrots. The onions from the bottom of pan poured over the chicken was amazing. I will absolutely try this the next time I see fennel in the store. I may try other vegetables like turnips or cauliflower.
I am so pleased with the result! It was gorgeous and so flavorful. A roasted chicken is an economical, yet impressive way to serve guests. I would be proud to put this dish on the table.
The vegetables were so good. I could eat myself sick on roasted carrots. The onions from the bottom of pan poured over the chicken was amazing. I will absolutely try this the next time I see fennel in the store. I may try other vegetables like turnips or cauliflower.
Swoon
I know, I know. It's been far too long since I've blogged, but I'm back. I've been trying to eat healthy and haven't been cooking much while I got into the swing of things. I'm getting better at making rich, flavorful foods that don't pack on the pounds and will be sharing some of those things with you. I also got a new kitchen item I'd like to share.
Dear Le Creuset French Oven, I've waited so long for you. You're just as gorgeous as I'd imagined. I hope we never part. Love, LuLu
I've honestly been dying for one of these for a good five years but couldn't bring myself to spend the money. Then I visited a Le Creuset outlet in Michigan which had all french ovens 40% off the outlet price. At first I only saw yellow, cream, black and kiwi. I hemmed and hawed and decided that I couldn't spend the money on a color I didn't want and was ready to leave the store empty handed. But when I turned to leave I saw a stack of teal ones tucked away on a shelf and wanted to start screaming. Exactly what I wanted for 60% off!! I roasted a chicken in it last night and it's amazing. You'll get to see it later. I'm going to roast stuff all winter long.
I also got a new cookbook that I'll be trying recipes from. "Tender: a cook and his vegetable patch" by Nigel Slater. I hadn't heard of him, but my darling sister in law had. Apparently he's big news in the UK. The book is thick like a dictionary and is laid out in alphabetical order by vegetable. There are absolutely stunning pictures of his garden, ingredients and dishes. There is also excellent information on growing said vegetables, but I won't be going that far. I'm looking forward to sharing recipes like "an extremely moist chocolate-beet cake with creme fraiche and poppy seeds," "carrot and cilantro fritters," and "a rich dish of sprouts and cheese for a very cold night."
Dear Le Creuset French Oven, I've waited so long for you. You're just as gorgeous as I'd imagined. I hope we never part. Love, LuLu
I've honestly been dying for one of these for a good five years but couldn't bring myself to spend the money. Then I visited a Le Creuset outlet in Michigan which had all french ovens 40% off the outlet price. At first I only saw yellow, cream, black and kiwi. I hemmed and hawed and decided that I couldn't spend the money on a color I didn't want and was ready to leave the store empty handed. But when I turned to leave I saw a stack of teal ones tucked away on a shelf and wanted to start screaming. Exactly what I wanted for 60% off!! I roasted a chicken in it last night and it's amazing. You'll get to see it later. I'm going to roast stuff all winter long.
I also got a new cookbook that I'll be trying recipes from. "Tender: a cook and his vegetable patch" by Nigel Slater. I hadn't heard of him, but my darling sister in law had. Apparently he's big news in the UK. The book is thick like a dictionary and is laid out in alphabetical order by vegetable. There are absolutely stunning pictures of his garden, ingredients and dishes. There is also excellent information on growing said vegetables, but I won't be going that far. I'm looking forward to sharing recipes like "an extremely moist chocolate-beet cake with creme fraiche and poppy seeds," "carrot and cilantro fritters," and "a rich dish of sprouts and cheese for a very cold night."
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Listen up, ladies!!
One of my favorite blogs, Oh Happy Day, is giving away a trip to PARIS!! 7 days for two. She's even hosting and playing tour guide! Ack. I can hardly stand it, in the good way. Visit her contest page to find out how to enter. If you win, you have to take me with you! Having just watched "Midnight in Paris" I'm dying to go back.
And, you can always reach her blog through mine. I highly recommend it.
And, you can always reach her blog through mine. I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Korean Smokeless BBQ
Do yourself a favor and go. You don't have to eat the kimchi but go. You won't be disappointed.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Madeira Cake
I saw this recipe over on Craft and it sounded delicious. The writer also said it's hard to mess up so I thought I'd give it a shot. In the picture, its a beautiful, tall, fluffy cake that I couldn't wait to taste.
The ingredients are basic and the recipe is fairly straight forward. The only issue for me was that the measurements are in ounces. I know chefs (Alton Brown) who prefer this method, but for the regular at-home "chef" it's annoying. I don't own a scale that measures in ounces, sorry. So I roughed it and estimated. I'm sure this contributed to my final product.
It was also the first baked good I made with my homemade butter, but let's just assume that wasn't the problem. Mine looked gorgeous when it came out of the oven but it wasn't the cake of my dreams when I cut into it.
Mine wasn't moist and amazing. It had a texture like corn bread. That's great for corn bread, but not what I'm looking for in a cake. I cut a slice and ate part of it. When it was baking and I could smell it I thought I might have trouble not eating the whole thing. I didn't finish one piece and won't have another. BUT let me say, I think it's my fault, not the recipe's. The pictures from the recipe make it look amazing the author raves about it and says its his favorite birthday cake. I'm sure when its measured correctly that it's wonderful. On the up side, I think I'm going to make cake truffles with it, so stay tuned.
The ingredients are basic and the recipe is fairly straight forward. The only issue for me was that the measurements are in ounces. I know chefs (Alton Brown) who prefer this method, but for the regular at-home "chef" it's annoying. I don't own a scale that measures in ounces, sorry. So I roughed it and estimated. I'm sure this contributed to my final product.
It was also the first baked good I made with my homemade butter, but let's just assume that wasn't the problem. Mine looked gorgeous when it came out of the oven but it wasn't the cake of my dreams when I cut into it.
Mine wasn't moist and amazing. It had a texture like corn bread. That's great for corn bread, but not what I'm looking for in a cake. I cut a slice and ate part of it. When it was baking and I could smell it I thought I might have trouble not eating the whole thing. I didn't finish one piece and won't have another. BUT let me say, I think it's my fault, not the recipe's. The pictures from the recipe make it look amazing the author raves about it and says its his favorite birthday cake. I'm sure when its measured correctly that it's wonderful. On the up side, I think I'm going to make cake truffles with it, so stay tuned.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Corn puddin'
Last year I had the best birthday celebration EVER! A group of friends went with me to the Shady Maple Smorgasbord in East Earl, PA. When I stood at the end of the buffet I literally couldn't see the other end. It was glorious. 5 different kinds of Icee. Something like 15 different kinds of pie. Anything you could think of. I highly recommend going.
I had some traditional Amish foods for the first time while I was there. The two I liked best were pickled eggs and corn pudding. If you know me, you know my love of corn. I can confidently say it's my favorite vegetable. I was looking forward to trying corn pudding and loved it. I was browsing an issue of AARP Magazine at work one day (ya, you heard me) and found a recipe and knew I had to make it for you.
Sweet Bourbon Corn Pudding (AARP Magazine Nov/Dec 2010)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 cups creamed corn
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons bourbon mixed in
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
3. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.
I made a few changes, mostly based on what I had on hand. I had Jameson, which is whiskey, but not bourbon, and used that instead of true bourbon. I used light brown instead of dark brown sugar. I also added a small can of green chiles because I thought it would be delicious.
Overall, I liked it. It was more like a custard than what Shady Maple served me and I like the breadier version there better. It's kind of a trick because it looks like corn bread when you take it out of the oven. But you definitely have to scoop it out rather than cut it.
This was good, but it is definitely sweet. Next time I would omit the nutmeg and may use cayenne pepper instead. I like a little spice in things. Give it a try and see what you think.
I had some traditional Amish foods for the first time while I was there. The two I liked best were pickled eggs and corn pudding. If you know me, you know my love of corn. I can confidently say it's my favorite vegetable. I was looking forward to trying corn pudding and loved it. I was browsing an issue of AARP Magazine at work one day (ya, you heard me) and found a recipe and knew I had to make it for you.
Sweet Bourbon Corn Pudding (AARP Magazine Nov/Dec 2010)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 cups creamed corn
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons bourbon mixed in
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
3. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.
I made a few changes, mostly based on what I had on hand. I had Jameson, which is whiskey, but not bourbon, and used that instead of true bourbon. I used light brown instead of dark brown sugar. I also added a small can of green chiles because I thought it would be delicious.
Overall, I liked it. It was more like a custard than what Shady Maple served me and I like the breadier version there better. It's kind of a trick because it looks like corn bread when you take it out of the oven. But you definitely have to scoop it out rather than cut it.
This was good, but it is definitely sweet. Next time I would omit the nutmeg and may use cayenne pepper instead. I like a little spice in things. Give it a try and see what you think.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Orecchiette and Kale
Kale is the new "cool" vegetable that people are talking about. I wasn't sold on it until I had the kale salad with preserved lemon vinaigrette at Watkins Drinkery. It was delicious. I bought a head of kale at the grocery store but was unsure what to do with it. I ended up making a delicious pasta dish. Here's how.
Start a pot of salted water to boil on the stove. When water comes to a full rolling boil, add one lb orecchiette or your favorite pasta. Cook until al dente.
While the water comes to a boil, chop the kale into thin strips, discarding the stems. Then heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Grate or mince two cloves of garlic and add to oil. I use a citrus zester to grate mine right into the oil. Add the chopped kale and saute until wilted.
Drain the pasta and return it to your pasta pot. Add a jar of tomato sauce, or your homemade sauce. Stir in sauteed kale. Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese.
Kale can tend to be bitter, as can garlic, but paired with a sweet tomato sauce it was delicious. The kale, although sauteed, adds a really nice texture to the pasta. I will definitely make this dish again.
Start a pot of salted water to boil on the stove. When water comes to a full rolling boil, add one lb orecchiette or your favorite pasta. Cook until al dente.
While the water comes to a boil, chop the kale into thin strips, discarding the stems. Then heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Grate or mince two cloves of garlic and add to oil. I use a citrus zester to grate mine right into the oil. Add the chopped kale and saute until wilted.
Drain the pasta and return it to your pasta pot. Add a jar of tomato sauce, or your homemade sauce. Stir in sauteed kale. Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese.
Kale can tend to be bitter, as can garlic, but paired with a sweet tomato sauce it was delicious. The kale, although sauteed, adds a really nice texture to the pasta. I will definitely make this dish again.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Got leftover ham? Make ham salad.
If you have ever come to my house for dinner, you know I cannot stop myself from making too much. I always worry we won't have enough and over-prepare. I come by it honestly and my family is worse than I am. I swear. I tried to learn the lesson from Thanksgiving when I made a 19 lb turkey and 7 lbs of mashed potatoes. WAY too much. So I tried to buy a small Easter ham. It was one of those tiny, unimpressive ones. I thought I did good until we only ate half of it. I can only eat so many ham sandwiches myself. I considered making split pea soup, since I love it, but it was way too many steps for my "taking care of me" weekend. A co-worker suggested ham salad and it sounded good to me.
My grandma used to make us ham salad sandwiches when I was little and we'd go out on the boat. She never went out on the water but she waited on the dock and had sandwiches ready when we got back. I can picture her, sitting in a lawn chair with a hardcover book from the library. She looked up from reading and wave as we got closer. She probably also had celery sticks with peanut butter. <3
But anyway, back to the ham salad. It's super easy. I chopped up the remaining ham and some pickles. Most of the recipes I looked at called for pickle relish, but that's just chopped up pickles anyway. I threw those in the food processor with some black pepper. I pulsed it 5 or 6 times, then added some mayonnaise. The proportions are up to you. It's all about consistency. I don't like a lot of mayonnaise, but maybe you do. Pulse it a few more times and you've got ham salad. It's weird, but I like it. What I had left made enough for about 3 sandwiches and that's probably all I'll be able to stand.
My grandma used to make us ham salad sandwiches when I was little and we'd go out on the boat. She never went out on the water but she waited on the dock and had sandwiches ready when we got back. I can picture her, sitting in a lawn chair with a hardcover book from the library. She looked up from reading and wave as we got closer. She probably also had celery sticks with peanut butter. <3
But anyway, back to the ham salad. It's super easy. I chopped up the remaining ham and some pickles. Most of the recipes I looked at called for pickle relish, but that's just chopped up pickles anyway. I threw those in the food processor with some black pepper. I pulsed it 5 or 6 times, then added some mayonnaise. The proportions are up to you. It's all about consistency. I don't like a lot of mayonnaise, but maybe you do. Pulse it a few more times and you've got ham salad. It's weird, but I like it. What I had left made enough for about 3 sandwiches and that's probably all I'll be able to stand.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Butter attempt 2
I made a second round of butter today in preparation for Easter dinner. The first time I tried it I felt like my cream was still a little too cold. This time I took the cream out of the fridge about 5 hours before I made the butter. It really made a difference! It gives the cream time to "ripen" a little and increases the acidity. The end product is creamier and has a fuller flavor. I also poured off the initial buttermilk and beat the butter for a little longer in the KitchenAid to get some more of the liquid out. I cut down the time it takes to press it. I can't wait to make spicy butter for corn. It's going to be so good....
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Cadbury Cupcakes
Easter is upon us which means some good treats. I saw these today and nearly fainted. It's a Cadbury Creme Egg baked inside a cupcake. Just imagine this warm out of the oven while the center is still gooey.
You can get the details and more Easter-centric treats over at Craft.
You can get the details and more Easter-centric treats over at Craft.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Homemade butter
I read a post over on Design Sponge about homemade butter and got inspired. This is another thing that I knew could be made, but never occurred to me to do. I'm sorry, but I'm not spending an hour shaking a jar or standing over a butter churn. I'll walk to the store and buy it there, thank you very much. But Ashley at Design Sponge made hers in a food processor. That sounds way easier and doable, but my food processor is teeny tiny. I read in the comments and learned that you can use the Kitchen Aid and that's what sold me.
I started with a pint of heavy whipping cream and beat it on low with the paddle attachment of my mixer. You could probably just start on high, but that's going to get messy quick. On started on low and turned it up as it started to thicken. For a long time it was just cream sloshing around in the bowl and I kept thinking it wouldn't work. After about 10 minutes, it got to a thick, whipped cream stage. I turned it up a notch and walked away to fold laundry. Two minutes later I heard the buttermilk splashing over the sides of the bowl. Very quickly it went from the whipped cream stage to separated butter and buttermilk. I poured the buttermilk off and froze it. I'll probably make biscuits or red velvet with it. Then you press the remaining liquid out of the butter and you're done. In about 20 minutes you've got beautiful delicious butter. And you're really only doing something for 5 of those minutes. It's a whole lot easier than I expected.
I had the fresh butter on a bagel that night and have been using it for a little over a week. I've sauteed with it and used it in mac and cheese and it's all great. I've noticed a few differences. On toast it tastes more "buttery" than store butter, but when you cook with it the flavor blends better. It also melts faster than store butter. Plus think of all the things you can make with it; herbed butters, honey butter, spicy butters. I think I'm going to make sage butter to rub on the Thanksgiving turkey, a long way off I know, and spicy butter with chili powder for corn on the cob this summer.
I'll admit that I might be a convert. I'm not going to rush out and buy butter molds just yet, but I think I'm going to try out homemade over store-bought for a while. It's about half the cost of buying equal measures of butter and buttermilk. One pint of cream yields a cup of butter and a cup of buttermilk. This round I just got the crappy ACME store brand cream as a test. I plan on getting good organic cream for the next batch. I'll let you know if it's different.
I started with a pint of heavy whipping cream and beat it on low with the paddle attachment of my mixer. You could probably just start on high, but that's going to get messy quick. On started on low and turned it up as it started to thicken. For a long time it was just cream sloshing around in the bowl and I kept thinking it wouldn't work. After about 10 minutes, it got to a thick, whipped cream stage. I turned it up a notch and walked away to fold laundry. Two minutes later I heard the buttermilk splashing over the sides of the bowl. Very quickly it went from the whipped cream stage to separated butter and buttermilk. I poured the buttermilk off and froze it. I'll probably make biscuits or red velvet with it. Then you press the remaining liquid out of the butter and you're done. In about 20 minutes you've got beautiful delicious butter. And you're really only doing something for 5 of those minutes. It's a whole lot easier than I expected.
I had the fresh butter on a bagel that night and have been using it for a little over a week. I've sauteed with it and used it in mac and cheese and it's all great. I've noticed a few differences. On toast it tastes more "buttery" than store butter, but when you cook with it the flavor blends better. It also melts faster than store butter. Plus think of all the things you can make with it; herbed butters, honey butter, spicy butters. I think I'm going to make sage butter to rub on the Thanksgiving turkey, a long way off I know, and spicy butter with chili powder for corn on the cob this summer.
I'll admit that I might be a convert. I'm not going to rush out and buy butter molds just yet, but I think I'm going to try out homemade over store-bought for a while. It's about half the cost of buying equal measures of butter and buttermilk. One pint of cream yields a cup of butter and a cup of buttermilk. This round I just got the crappy ACME store brand cream as a test. I plan on getting good organic cream for the next batch. I'll let you know if it's different.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Chocolate Pudding, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow cookies (!!!)
Did you read that title? When I saw this recipe on Taste and Tell I knew I had to make them. First off, a cookie batter that contains chocolate pudding?? That's combining two of my favorite things. Then you add peanut butter chips and marshmallows? Ok, great. I'm sold.
It's a quick, easy cookie with ingredients you can find in any grocery store. I agree with Debbie, the author of Taste and Tell, that they aren't the prettiest cookies, but man are they delicious. The marshmallow gets a little crazy and melty. I found if you rolled them in a ball, so most of the marshmallow was on the inside, it's pretty ok. Or just let them be ugly and like it. And let's be honest: the batter itself is damn good. Yes, I will scrape the bowl clean, thank you.
I will definitely make these again, and I will probably experiment with this cookie dough base, adding other things. Debbie suggested graham cracker pieces instead of peanut butter chips to make a s'more cookie. I think I might try oats, chocolate chips and walnuts. Check back to find out.
It's a quick, easy cookie with ingredients you can find in any grocery store. I agree with Debbie, the author of Taste and Tell, that they aren't the prettiest cookies, but man are they delicious. The marshmallow gets a little crazy and melty. I found if you rolled them in a ball, so most of the marshmallow was on the inside, it's pretty ok. Or just let them be ugly and like it. And let's be honest: the batter itself is damn good. Yes, I will scrape the bowl clean, thank you.
I will definitely make these again, and I will probably experiment with this cookie dough base, adding other things. Debbie suggested graham cracker pieces instead of peanut butter chips to make a s'more cookie. I think I might try oats, chocolate chips and walnuts. Check back to find out.
Nutella Meringues
I've been baking, but not blogging, and I'm getting caught up today. I saw this recipe online, at Cream Puffs In Venice, and thought it looked amazing. Nutella+meringue? Yes, please. Plus they're pretty simple and only take 3 egg whites. It made more cookies than I expected. Basically, you melt Nutella in a double boiler, make a meringue, fold in the cooled Nutella and bake.
My family makes "mint meringues" every year Christmas which is just meringue cookies with green food coloring and mint chocolate chips. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I like them better. I suspect my meringue was too stiff when I stirred in the Nutella, which was a bit too hot still. So mine came out flat, too crunchy (in my opinion) but sticky where the Nutella was. She also bakes hers differently than my grandmother taught me.
The author of the recipe instructs you to bake these on parchment-lined baking sheets. My grandmother always baked meringues on brown-paper-grocery-bag-lined baking sheets. I used a silicone baking mat. All of them do essentially the same thing, which is give you a flexible, less adherent surface. You would never get whole cookies off the sheet otherwise. If you enjoy baking, do yourself the favor and buy a silicone baking mat. They're wonderful and nothing in the world sticks to them.
Maybe I'd make these again, if someone wanted them, but probably not for myself. Truthfully, I'm not sure I like Nutella as much as I think I do. I feel like I love it but then I'm underwhelmed when I eat it. I say, try these for yourself and let me know what you think.
My family makes "mint meringues" every year Christmas which is just meringue cookies with green food coloring and mint chocolate chips. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I like them better. I suspect my meringue was too stiff when I stirred in the Nutella, which was a bit too hot still. So mine came out flat, too crunchy (in my opinion) but sticky where the Nutella was. She also bakes hers differently than my grandmother taught me.
Maybe I'd make these again, if someone wanted them, but probably not for myself. Truthfully, I'm not sure I like Nutella as much as I think I do. I feel like I love it but then I'm underwhelmed when I eat it. I say, try these for yourself and let me know what you think.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Vegetarian pockets
I'm going to level with you guys. I love puff pastry. I shouldn't, but I do. It's all Martha Stewart's fault. She has all these recipes for tarts made with frozen puff pastry and she got me hooked. I made a few tarts and they were delicious. I moved on to jelly filled turnovers. Also good. Then I thought about making a version of a hand-pie with puffy pastry. I started with breakfast pockets with eggs, crumbled sausage and cheese. Love 'em. I made this dinner option one weekend, loved it and thought I'd share it with you.
Ingredients:
-frozen puff pastry sheets
-tofu crumble
-baby portabellas, chopped
-medium onion, chopped
-frozen peas
-fontina cheese
-one egg
Fontina is a tangy, buttery cheese that's pretty soft. Stick in the freezer while you prepare and it will be easier to shred later. Take the puff pastry out of the box and let it thaw on the counter. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Start by chopping your mushrooms and onions. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil, if you prefer) in a pan and add mushrooms and onion. Saute until softened. Stir in tofu crumbles until heated through. I find the tofu crumble to be very salty so I don't add any additional salt. Take the cheese out of the freezer, shred about 2/3 of it. Remove your pan from the heat and stir into the cheese. Let the mixture come to room temperature and stir in as many peas as you'd like. Season to taste. Sometimes I add a little cayenne pepper. Make an egg wash with one beaten egg and a splash of warm water. Take the puff pastry out of the wrapper and unfold it. Press the seams so that they don't split and cut into four equal squares. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of one square so that they'll stick. Fold the long sides together and press the bottom shut like so...
Now you can fill it with your tofu mixture and seal the other three edges. Brush the outside with egg wash so it will be nice and golden when it comes out of the oven. I bake mine on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat, which I recommend, but you'd probably be ok with a non-stick cookie sheet. Continue until you've filled all your pastry squares. You can get 8 out of the two sheets of puff pastry included in one box. I always have leftover mixture that's awesome stirred into pasta. But you could make a second batch of pockets if you'd like.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffy. You can turn them over half way through if you'd like. They end up crispier that way, but I don't always remember to do it. Let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before you plate them. Personally I like mine with a little ketchup on the side.
Have fun and experiment! You can put anything you want inside a pocket. I've made these with prepared pie dough, and they're good, but I definitely prefer puff pastry to traditional pastry for these.
Ingredients:
-frozen puff pastry sheets
-tofu crumble
-baby portabellas, chopped
-medium onion, chopped
-frozen peas
-fontina cheese
-one egg
Fontina is a tangy, buttery cheese that's pretty soft. Stick in the freezer while you prepare and it will be easier to shred later. Take the puff pastry out of the box and let it thaw on the counter. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Start by chopping your mushrooms and onions. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil, if you prefer) in a pan and add mushrooms and onion. Saute until softened. Stir in tofu crumbles until heated through. I find the tofu crumble to be very salty so I don't add any additional salt. Take the cheese out of the freezer, shred about 2/3 of it. Remove your pan from the heat and stir into the cheese. Let the mixture come to room temperature and stir in as many peas as you'd like. Season to taste. Sometimes I add a little cayenne pepper. Make an egg wash with one beaten egg and a splash of warm water. Take the puff pastry out of the wrapper and unfold it. Press the seams so that they don't split and cut into four equal squares. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of one square so that they'll stick. Fold the long sides together and press the bottom shut like so...
Now you can fill it with your tofu mixture and seal the other three edges. Brush the outside with egg wash so it will be nice and golden when it comes out of the oven. I bake mine on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat, which I recommend, but you'd probably be ok with a non-stick cookie sheet. Continue until you've filled all your pastry squares. You can get 8 out of the two sheets of puff pastry included in one box. I always have leftover mixture that's awesome stirred into pasta. But you could make a second batch of pockets if you'd like.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffy. You can turn them over half way through if you'd like. They end up crispier that way, but I don't always remember to do it. Let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before you plate them. Personally I like mine with a little ketchup on the side.
Have fun and experiment! You can put anything you want inside a pocket. I've made these with prepared pie dough, and they're good, but I definitely prefer puff pastry to traditional pastry for these.
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