I am well aware that no one to whom I am related likes French Toast as much as I do. My attempts to share this special breakfast dish with my children were viewed suspiciously as indoctrination into the foul and horrid. Even before I married and had children, breakfast was a meal one made for one's self, not a group event (my mother worked outside the home from the time I was about nine or ten). I developed French Toast for One when I was in college.
In France, FT is called pain perdu, or lost bread. It's an excellent way to use up stale bread that would otherwise go to the ducks or the landfill. But if you have plain old fresh bread, you can use that, too. Texas Toast is wonderful for the hearty eater, and just this morning I made FT using sliced Italian bread leftover from Sunday dinner. But sandwich bread suits just as well. Be aware that if your bread is thick, you will maybe have to double your recipe if you want more than two slices.
There are lots of ways to make FT, and I confess I really love the breakfast casserole style, letting the bread soak up the egg mixture overnight and then popping it into the oven--yum! But unless we're hosting a bunch of guests on holiday, how many of us know the night before that we want FT for breakfast, and can eat an entire 9x13 pan? Not me, kiddo. So this is an easier, smaller way to get that fried-egg-and-fried-bread goodness.
INGREDIENTS
1 large or extra-large egg, or 2 medium eggs
2-3 Tablespoons milk or cream (or more for thick bread)
1-2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon to taste (or spices of your choice, like nutmeg)
2-4 pieces of bread of your choice
Syrup, fruit, powdered sugar, or other toppings of your choice
METHOD
If you are using an iron skillet, start your preheating now. Remember you are not making eggs-over-easy, and cooking through is important here, so your skillet needs to be hot but not SuperHot.
Whisk together egg, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until well combined. I like to use a larger bowl so that the bread can sit flat in the batter, but a friend in college mixed her batter in a dinner plate with a fork. (Cinnamon floats. Be aware that the first piece of bread in the batter will grab a lot of it, and you may wish to add more cinnamon if you have more than two pieces.)
Dip slices of bread into the batter one or two at a time, depending on how wide your dish is and the size of your bread. Also depending on the thickness of the bread, give it a few seconds to soak in; then flip it over to coat and soak the other side. Thicker bread takes longer. However, you don't want to wait too long. The more batter a piece soaks in, the longer it takes to cook, and your outsides could be blackening while the insides are still mushy raw. When in doubt, keep the soaking time short.
In a greased skillet (I use Pam, but you can use butter, it tastes yummy that way), fry each piece until brown on brown on both sides and cooked through. This is a slower process than one thinks. Medium heat is what you want. Telling it's cooked through can be tricky. Sometimes the bread is just firm again, where it was a little mushy. Sometimes it puffs up. Stick a fork in it to check--you aren't making this for company, you're making it for you, and looks aren't everything. Sometimes I use the spatula to cut the slices in half while they're cooking, to make sure I get the middle just right.
Plate it and smother it with the toppings of your choice. My mother, in ancient days when she still made us breakfast, always served this with powdered sugar. This is not because it's the best way; it's because she hated maple flavoring. Personally, I love maple syrup. But it's good with cherries or peaches (toppings like what you'd put on top of cheesecake) and whipped cream, butter and syrup, powdered sugar and fresh strawberries, or whatever floats your boat.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Homemade Chicken Soup, even if you didn't roast a whole chicken yesterday
So sometimes you have to have chicken soup, and you don't have a carcass to render meat and broth for the endeavor. OR you are too sick to be doing major cooking. This is the case for me today. Olivia came over and made chicken soup for us, because we have the flu and can't do it ourselves. This is what she did:
* 3 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, still frozen
* 3 boneless-skinless chicken thighs, still frozen
* water to cover
* chicken bouillon cubes to make 4 cups (I use those 2-cup cubes, so 2)
a bag of frozen mise-en-place vegetable mix, or 1.5 cups each of diced frozen onions, celery, and carrots. You can really use any kind of soup veg mix, but I think carrots/celery/onion are indispensable to good chicken soup.
* a bay leaf
* seasoned salt and black pepper to taste
* more water if needed, or premade chicken stock
* 1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed with about 1/4 cup cold water
Put the chicken into a 4-quart saucepan with enough water to mostly cover it up, throw 2 bouillon cubes in there, put a lid on it and bring it to a boil. Cook it until the chicken is done, and can be easily shredded. Remove the chicken from the broth, reserving it, and shred the chicken up or dice it into small bite-sized pieces. (If you like the shred, and have a stand-mixer, the easiest way to shred cooked chicken is to toss it in the mixing bowl and use the white paddle attachment [not the whisk] on low-medium speed. Done in a minute. Otherwise, two forks will do the job, longer but more cost-effective than buying a Kitchenaid.)
Return the shredded chicken to the broth, add in your vegetables and the bay leaf, and evaluate whether you have enough broth for this soup. We had to add more water and bouillon cubes. I didn't think about the quart of frozen homemade chicken broth I have in the freezer, or we would have used that. (I'll put it in tomorrow when I heat up leftovers.) Bring it back to a boil. By using frozen vegetables, you reduce the length of time you need for this part of the soup. Basically you have to cook it until the veggies are done, which is basically heating it through.
At this point, evaluate whether you want a clear(ish)-broth soup, or a thicker, creamier soup. The cornstarch doesn't make it creamy, but it does make the broth more like a gravy. The amount listed up there doesn't make a HUGE difference in the broth, only enough to give it a little more body. You can do flour/water slurry, whisked into the broth, if you want a thicker broth.
Notes: So the broth of this soup lacks the depth that comes from boiling a whole carcass, because the bones and fat really add a lot of flavor. That said, this soup is still SO MUCH BETTER than canned, you will not be sorry you took the time here. It is still an acceptable level of quality, without the bones and fat.
* 3 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, still frozen
* 3 boneless-skinless chicken thighs, still frozen
* water to cover
* chicken bouillon cubes to make 4 cups (I use those 2-cup cubes, so 2)
a bag of frozen mise-en-place vegetable mix, or 1.5 cups each of diced frozen onions, celery, and carrots. You can really use any kind of soup veg mix, but I think carrots/celery/onion are indispensable to good chicken soup.
* a bay leaf
* seasoned salt and black pepper to taste
* more water if needed, or premade chicken stock
* 1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed with about 1/4 cup cold water
Put the chicken into a 4-quart saucepan with enough water to mostly cover it up, throw 2 bouillon cubes in there, put a lid on it and bring it to a boil. Cook it until the chicken is done, and can be easily shredded. Remove the chicken from the broth, reserving it, and shred the chicken up or dice it into small bite-sized pieces. (If you like the shred, and have a stand-mixer, the easiest way to shred cooked chicken is to toss it in the mixing bowl and use the white paddle attachment [not the whisk] on low-medium speed. Done in a minute. Otherwise, two forks will do the job, longer but more cost-effective than buying a Kitchenaid.)
Return the shredded chicken to the broth, add in your vegetables and the bay leaf, and evaluate whether you have enough broth for this soup. We had to add more water and bouillon cubes. I didn't think about the quart of frozen homemade chicken broth I have in the freezer, or we would have used that. (I'll put it in tomorrow when I heat up leftovers.) Bring it back to a boil. By using frozen vegetables, you reduce the length of time you need for this part of the soup. Basically you have to cook it until the veggies are done, which is basically heating it through.
At this point, evaluate whether you want a clear(ish)-broth soup, or a thicker, creamier soup. The cornstarch doesn't make it creamy, but it does make the broth more like a gravy. The amount listed up there doesn't make a HUGE difference in the broth, only enough to give it a little more body. You can do flour/water slurry, whisked into the broth, if you want a thicker broth.
Notes: So the broth of this soup lacks the depth that comes from boiling a whole carcass, because the bones and fat really add a lot of flavor. That said, this soup is still SO MUCH BETTER than canned, you will not be sorry you took the time here. It is still an acceptable level of quality, without the bones and fat.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Polynesian Chicken
This recipe came into my life at a church group for young couples called Ceiling 70 (the name meant that your combined ages as a couple should be 70 or less, although there were exceptions in the latter part of our membership). The lady who brought the recipe to the cooking committee had learned it at Weight Watchers. It's low in fat, but it isn't low in sugar or carbs (since it's served over rice). However, it IS delicious. The first half is the original recipe, and at the end is a version modified for the stove-top or campfire.
Polynesian Chicken (Baked)
Serves 8.
Prep-time: less than 10 minutes; cooking time: 1 hour.
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1 packet onion soup mix
8 oz. Russian dressing
6 oz. peach preserves
1 regular-sized can of pineapple tidbits, mostly drained (a little juice or syrup is okay)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
cooked rice
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Arrange the chicken breasts in a 9x13 casserole. In a mixing bowl, combine the onion soup mix, dressing, preserves, pineapple, and onions thoroughly. Break the onion slices up a little bit.
Pour the mixture over the chicken. There's plenty to cover all of the chicken completely, so take the time to do that.
Bake for 1 hour. There's no skimping on this. If you crank up the heat, you'll burn the sauce before the chicken cooks through.
Serve over rice.
Polynesian Chicken (Stove-top)
Serves 8
Prep-time: less than 10 minutes; cooking time: 15-20 minutes
2 (12.5 oz) cans of white meat chicken, drained
1 packet onion soup mix
8 oz. Russian dressing
6 oz. peach preserves
1 regular-sized can of pineapple tidbits, mostly drained (a little juice or syrup is okay)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
cooked rice
Polynesian Chicken (Baked)
Serves 8.
Prep-time: less than 10 minutes; cooking time: 1 hour.
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1 packet onion soup mix
8 oz. Russian dressing
6 oz. peach preserves
1 regular-sized can of pineapple tidbits, mostly drained (a little juice or syrup is okay)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
cooked rice
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Arrange the chicken breasts in a 9x13 casserole. In a mixing bowl, combine the onion soup mix, dressing, preserves, pineapple, and onions thoroughly. Break the onion slices up a little bit.
Pour the mixture over the chicken. There's plenty to cover all of the chicken completely, so take the time to do that.
Bake for 1 hour. There's no skimping on this. If you crank up the heat, you'll burn the sauce before the chicken cooks through.
Serve over rice.
Polynesian Chicken (Stove-top)
Serves 8
Prep-time: less than 10 minutes; cooking time: 15-20 minutes
2 (12.5 oz) cans of white meat chicken, drained
1 packet onion soup mix
8 oz. Russian dressing
6 oz. peach preserves
1 regular-sized can of pineapple tidbits, mostly drained (a little juice or syrup is okay)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
cooked rice
In a saucepan, combine the onion soup mix, dressing, preserves, pineapple, and onions thoroughly. Break the onion slices up a little bit. Heat and cook until the onions turn translucent and limp. Stir in the chicken, and continue heating until everything is hot.
Serve over rice.
Notes:
The main difference between the two versions: What you save in time, you sacrifice in taste--at least a little. I don't particularly like canned chicken, but it works in this recipe well enough to make it a camp-out possibility. I prefer the portion-controlled whole piece of chicken, but if all I have is a propane stove or a campfire, canned chicken is great.
I haven't found Russian dressing in less than 16 oz bottles, nor peach preserves in smaller than 18 oz jars, so of course it's half of the dressing and one third of the preserves.
You can use regular-sized pineapple bits rather than the smaller tidbits (the size of the can is the same), but don't try to use crushed pineapple.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Chicken Hash
Chicken Hash
from We Make You Kindly
Welcome: Recipes from the Trustees’ House Daily Fare, Pleasant Hill, KY
This is one of Grace's favorites. I like it because it is made of things I normally keep in my pantry/freezer, I don't have to shop especially for it, and it can be made from shelf-stable items so I always have something I can make for dinner.
1 and 3/4 cups chicken broth (I often use bouillon
cubes, and end up with two cups of liquid. It doesn’t really make that much of
a difference, just a little more flour/water at the end)
1/4 cup chopped onion (can be fresh, frozen, or dried; if fresh, chop them fine so they cook through)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/16 teaspoon red pepper (cayenne)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 and 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded. (This can be a lot of chicken. If you don't have that much, don't worry about it too much. You'll just have more gravy.)
1/2 cup flour shaken with 1/2 cup cold water to make slurry
2 Tablespoons butter
Heat the broth and add the seasonings and the onions; taste
before adding the thickening and adjust accordingly.
Bring to boil; whisk in the flour slurry until the
consistency of gravy is reached. Remember it will thicken a little as it cooks,
so it’s better to add about half of it right off, see how it thickens, and then
you can add more. You may not need all your slurry, and if it’s too thick you
need to thin it with more broth or water.
Add the chicken pieces and then the butter.
Serve with corn bread or wide chow mein noodles. I usually
make corn muffins or hoe cakes. Those Jiffy cornbread mixes are great--six muffins or a mess of hoe cakes, and all you need is an egg and milk.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Gary's Favorite Hamburger Hotdish
In Wisconsin, casseroles are often called hotdish. This is a recipe from Grandma Lorraine Loomans, but its provenance prior to her is unknown. (This is not to say that she invented it; Lorraine does not profess to be especially creative in the kitchen.) It is indeed Gary's favorite, but I have not made it for years because of the carbs. Hans likes it, too.
Hamburger Hotdish
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1/2 a medium onion, chopped (optional)
1 lb Velveeta, sliced or cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of milk
8 oz wide or extra-wide noodles, cooked and drained
garnish (chow mein noodles, sliced almonds, or french-fried onions)
Process
1. Brown and drain the beef and onions (if you want them). Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare noodles as directed on package and drain.
3. While the noodles are cooking, make the sauce: over medium heat, blend milk and soups together, adding the cheese and stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.
4. Combine all into a large casserole or 9x13 baking dish. Heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes until hot through and bubbly. Sprinkle with garnish. If you go with almonds or fried onions, you can toast these an additional 5-10 minutes.
Notes
*Gary prefers chow mein noodles, and he likes them toasted on the top. I have found, however, that chow mein noodles do not make good leftovers. They get soggy. I have in the past sprinkled them over only half of the surface, since that was as much as I could plan on being eaten in one meal, and if additional cmnoodles were required, they could be added.
*You can use two cans of the same kind of soup. You can use any kind of cream soup, and the variation in flavor will only be slight.
*You can add steamed broccoli or cauliflower in the mix, if you wish to seen vegetables into your family's diet.
Hamburger Hotdish
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1/2 a medium onion, chopped (optional)
1 lb Velveeta, sliced or cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of milk
8 oz wide or extra-wide noodles, cooked and drained
garnish (chow mein noodles, sliced almonds, or french-fried onions)
Process
1. Brown and drain the beef and onions (if you want them). Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare noodles as directed on package and drain.
3. While the noodles are cooking, make the sauce: over medium heat, blend milk and soups together, adding the cheese and stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.
4. Combine all into a large casserole or 9x13 baking dish. Heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes until hot through and bubbly. Sprinkle with garnish. If you go with almonds or fried onions, you can toast these an additional 5-10 minutes.
Notes
*Gary prefers chow mein noodles, and he likes them toasted on the top. I have found, however, that chow mein noodles do not make good leftovers. They get soggy. I have in the past sprinkled them over only half of the surface, since that was as much as I could plan on being eaten in one meal, and if additional cmnoodles were required, they could be added.
*You can use two cans of the same kind of soup. You can use any kind of cream soup, and the variation in flavor will only be slight.
*You can add steamed broccoli or cauliflower in the mix, if you wish to seen vegetables into your family's diet.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Grandma Fish's Barbecue Chips 'n Chicken
This is one of my husband's favorites. To him, this is birthday-dinner stuff. Fancier than Hamburger Hot-dish, and a little healthier. I believe it was a special-occasion dish because the original recipe had a LOT more prep work and pre-cooking before you ever got to mixing up the casserole, and my mother in law was a good cook, but ain't nobody got time for that. I don't think she made up this recipe. I'm pretty sure that it came out of a magazine, or someone brought it to a potluck and she asked for it, or it was one of her sisters' specialties. Anyway, I'm going to write it out (mostly) as I was given it, and in parentheses I'm going to write what I actually DO. It's slightly different because we live in a more convenient world than my mother in law did when she was making this casserole for her hungry teenagers. I have left out ingredients that pertain solely to cooking bone-in chicken breasts. If you want the WHOLE shooting match, leave a comment, and I'll put the rest in.
Ingredients
5 (boneless-skinless) chicken breasts, cooked. (You can substitute canned chicken or the meat from a rotisserie bird. In the original recipe, there's a long and detailed set of directions for cooking and boning the chicken breasts, because it used to be that you couldn't buy boneless chicken. See how far we've come? In any case, you need about 3 or 4 cups, give or take. The vegetables and chips don't take up much space, so you need more chicken, rather than less.)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (if you can find frozen, this makes life really easy here)
1/3 cup finely chopped celery (ditto)
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 and 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup crushed cashews
1 cup crushed potato chips
1 cup crushed barbecue potato chips (you can use all bbq if you want. Pringles do not make an acceptable substitute. Just...no. Ew.)
Procedure
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook the chicken if you're starting raw. Cut it into 1-inch pieces, or shred it smallish.
Melt butter in a roomy skillet or large-ish saucepan (3- or 4-quart), and cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring. Add celery and cook until softened but not brown. Mix in the celery salt and the soup.
Add the chicken, seasoned salt, sour cream, nuts, plain chips and half the barbecue chips (reserve a half-cup of BBQ chips for topping), stir to combine. Put it in a sprayed or buttered 9x13 inch casserole dish and top with the remainder of the chips. Heat through at 375, about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
5 (boneless-skinless) chicken breasts, cooked. (You can substitute canned chicken or the meat from a rotisserie bird. In the original recipe, there's a long and detailed set of directions for cooking and boning the chicken breasts, because it used to be that you couldn't buy boneless chicken. See how far we've come? In any case, you need about 3 or 4 cups, give or take. The vegetables and chips don't take up much space, so you need more chicken, rather than less.)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (if you can find frozen, this makes life really easy here)
1/3 cup finely chopped celery (ditto)
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 and 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup crushed cashews
1 cup crushed potato chips
1 cup crushed barbecue potato chips (you can use all bbq if you want. Pringles do not make an acceptable substitute. Just...no. Ew.)
Procedure
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook the chicken if you're starting raw. Cut it into 1-inch pieces, or shred it smallish.
Melt butter in a roomy skillet or large-ish saucepan (3- or 4-quart), and cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring. Add celery and cook until softened but not brown. Mix in the celery salt and the soup.
Add the chicken, seasoned salt, sour cream, nuts, plain chips and half the barbecue chips (reserve a half-cup of BBQ chips for topping), stir to combine. Put it in a sprayed or buttered 9x13 inch casserole dish and top with the remainder of the chips. Heat through at 375, about 20 minutes.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Grandma Wendy's Fudge
For years I have held this recipe close. I showed my kids how to make it, let them help me, but I didn't write it down for them or encourage them to master it.
And today I asked myself, "What the heck is WRONG with you?"
My mother never intended this to be a secret. I'm sure it isn't an original recipe. (I think it's a Hershey's recipe from maybe the 30s. Or 50s.) I do in fact enjoy my status as maker of excellent fudge, but maybe I'm feeling my age (in my knees, principally) today. So in recognition of my own mortality, I am sharing Wendy's Fudge.
This isn't a straight-forward-any-idiot-can-make-it recipe. You can follow the directions and it will taste fine, but it probably won't set up right. It will either NEVER become solid (so you'll end up with a delicious ice-cream sauce), or it will set before you can get the peanut butter stirred in (and it will be hard and grainy as well).
But. You do not have to be a candy-savant to make it, either. A little information about candy-making in general, and a commitment to be single-minded in the making of this fudge, and you should be able to produce a reasonably delicious product.
A Word about Ingredients
The ingredients are simple, and there aren't that many of them. But you should be aware that not all sugar is equal. And for candy-making (and for creme brulee, too, for that matter), it is NECESSARY to have cane sugar. Do not use sugar from beets. (There is a minuscule difference in the chemical composition between the two, and that difference is the make-or-break of candy-making.) (On a side note, there is not currently any laws requiring producers to label the source of their sugar, but for purposes of purchasing, the rule is that if it doesn't SAY "cane," it probably isn't. Store brands which are not marked are most likely beet, so for the purpose of making candy, pony up and buy the national brand.) Sugar made from beets tends to burn at higher temperatures, rather than caramelize.
I have used non-Hershey cocoa powder with good results, so I don't believe that the name-brands are required here. If you have had bad luck with a certain brand, by all means, go with your heart and avoid it. I have used whole milk, 2%, and 1%, all with good results, and have used reconstituted evaporated milk as well (NOT to be confused with sweetened condensed milk, which would be a completely different recipe). If you use something besides table salt, be aware that measurements differ, and adjust accordingly. I use creamy store-brand peanut butter, not the natural or organic styles, nor do I use crunchy. It might confuse the issue at the end, when you're beating it to get it to set. But you could try it. In recent years I've turned into a little bit of a vanilla snob, so I don't buy imitation V anymore, but I did for ages and it works just as well.
Equipment
a 4-quart saucepan (anything smaller risks overflow during cooking)
a sturdy spoon with a comfortable grip
an accurate thermometer (you can test the accuracy of your thermometer by measuring boiling water, which is 212 degrees F) (If you don't have a thermometer for candy-making, you can approximate the correct cooking temperature by using the soft-ball test)
a saucer for soft-ball testing (optional)
a large pan or basin (for water or ice, to cool the candy more quickly) (you CAN do this in the sink, but you MUST be careful not to get water into the syrup)
waxed paper or parchment paper
a cake pan or brownie pan (to contain it while it sets)
Sursum ad summum, then.
Ingredients:
And today I asked myself, "What the heck is WRONG with you?"
My mother never intended this to be a secret. I'm sure it isn't an original recipe. (I think it's a Hershey's recipe from maybe the 30s. Or 50s.) I do in fact enjoy my status as maker of excellent fudge, but maybe I'm feeling my age (in my knees, principally) today. So in recognition of my own mortality, I am sharing Wendy's Fudge.
This isn't a straight-forward-any-idiot-can-make-it recipe. You can follow the directions and it will taste fine, but it probably won't set up right. It will either NEVER become solid (so you'll end up with a delicious ice-cream sauce), or it will set before you can get the peanut butter stirred in (and it will be hard and grainy as well).
But. You do not have to be a candy-savant to make it, either. A little information about candy-making in general, and a commitment to be single-minded in the making of this fudge, and you should be able to produce a reasonably delicious product.
A Word about Ingredients
The ingredients are simple, and there aren't that many of them. But you should be aware that not all sugar is equal. And for candy-making (and for creme brulee, too, for that matter), it is NECESSARY to have cane sugar. Do not use sugar from beets. (There is a minuscule difference in the chemical composition between the two, and that difference is the make-or-break of candy-making.) (On a side note, there is not currently any laws requiring producers to label the source of their sugar, but for purposes of purchasing, the rule is that if it doesn't SAY "cane," it probably isn't. Store brands which are not marked are most likely beet, so for the purpose of making candy, pony up and buy the national brand.) Sugar made from beets tends to burn at higher temperatures, rather than caramelize.
I have used non-Hershey cocoa powder with good results, so I don't believe that the name-brands are required here. If you have had bad luck with a certain brand, by all means, go with your heart and avoid it. I have used whole milk, 2%, and 1%, all with good results, and have used reconstituted evaporated milk as well (NOT to be confused with sweetened condensed milk, which would be a completely different recipe). If you use something besides table salt, be aware that measurements differ, and adjust accordingly. I use creamy store-brand peanut butter, not the natural or organic styles, nor do I use crunchy. It might confuse the issue at the end, when you're beating it to get it to set. But you could try it. In recent years I've turned into a little bit of a vanilla snob, so I don't buy imitation V anymore, but I did for ages and it works just as well.
Equipment
a 4-quart saucepan (anything smaller risks overflow during cooking)
a sturdy spoon with a comfortable grip
an accurate thermometer (you can test the accuracy of your thermometer by measuring boiling water, which is 212 degrees F) (If you don't have a thermometer for candy-making, you can approximate the correct cooking temperature by using the soft-ball test)
a saucer for soft-ball testing (optional)
a large pan or basin (for water or ice, to cool the candy more quickly) (you CAN do this in the sink, but you MUST be careful not to get water into the syrup)
waxed paper or parchment paper
a cake pan or brownie pan (to contain it while it sets)
Sursum ad summum, then.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups granulated cane sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter (my mom said "3 globs" or "3 forkfuls", so I'm estimating)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Line the brownie pan with waxed or parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Stir in the milk, and cook over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue to cook until the boiling level drops about an inch from its highest level.
- As the level nears this point, start testing the temperature. The syrup needs to be between 235 and 245 degrees F. From personal experience, I can tell you that it works better for all involved if you aim for the lower end of the range. (Alternately, you can use the soft-ball test by dropping a small amount of the boiling syrup into a saucer of cold water. Push the syrup together with your fingers and try to pick it up. The candy is the right temperature when the syrup can be pinched into a soft ball and picked up from the water. It holds together but is still squishy. If you need to repeat the test, get fresh water. Be very careful not to get water into the syrup.)
- Remove the pan from the heat and set it in a shallow pan of cold water or ice, once again being careful not to get water into the syrup. Add the peanut butter and the vanilla now.
- When the pan is cool enough to handle, remove it from the water and dry the bottom, and using your sturdy spoon, start beating the fudge. You want to mix the peanut butter and vanilla in, and to start beating air in. If you've overcooked it, the fudge will set immediately, and will be hard and grainy. If you haven't cooked it enough, it will never set completely. On days of high humidity, the window between too much and not enough is even narrower. The longer you beat it, the smoother it will be. Beat the fudge until it loses its glossy appearance, and the trail of the spoon through the mix holds its shape and doesn't disappear. If you want to add nuts, this is the place to do it, but you have to be quick.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it out a little if possible. Let it cool. (You do not need to refrigerate it.) Lick the spoon and scrape out the pan while waiting for it to set.
Notes:
- I have, on occasion, tried beating it with an electric mixer. If the humidity is high and the fudge does not want to set, this can help you get it to a more solid state, though it may never set completely and might need to be refrigerated.
- My mother spoke of listening to the syrup while it cooked, and being able to hear a change in its pitch when it was ready. In 45 years of observing and making this candy, I have heard it change pitch twice. I believe this is because I am unaccustomed to listening to the tone of something not overtly musical, so I have a harder time. Also, there's a lot of noise in the kitchen in the winter.
- The pan I use and have always used is a Revere Ware copper-bottom 4 quart stainless steel saucepan. I do not recommend making this in an iron pot, simply because it would be very difficult to cool down quickly.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Buttery Honey Beer Bread
I found this on cookiemonstercooking.com a couple years ago, and I have been very impressed by it. The reason I like it so much is that it's a quick-bread (no rising, kneading, proofing, waiting) with the texture of a yeast bread. It's also really forgiving: you don't have to have cake flour (I never have cake flour), and you don't have to use expensive beer. I almost always have the ingredients to make this bread. It takes a few minutes to mix up, and then 50-60 minutes to make, it doesn't have to cool completely before cutting it (though that's certainly easier), and it tastes delicious. This recipe makes 1 loaf, around one pound in weight.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour *
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 1 bottle (12 oz) of your favorite beer
- 4 Tablespoons butter (the original recipe specifies unsalted, but I generally use all my unsalted butter in scones and shortbread, and I like the salt in this bread) melted and slightly cooled
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter or shortening.
- In a large bowl, whisk together both kinds of flour, the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the honey and beer, and mix until just combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. (It says batter, but it's more of a stick dough, it's very thick.) Pour the melted butter over the top of the batter. (Occasionally I screw up and melt a whole stick of butter instead of half, but this has only ever made the bread yummier.)
- Transfer the pan to the oven and place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any butter that may drip. (This has never happened to me, maybe because the baking powder native to self-rising flour is less than what is called for here, and if you follow the recipe exactly you may get more rise than I usually do. However, I do not neglect to place that cookie sheet there, just in case.)
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake-tester inserted into the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack for cooling. This will give it a harder, crunchier crust. You can serve it warm, but be advised it's more difficult to slice.
Cheddar Cheese Soup Supreme
I found this recipe in the newspaper. For those of you too young to remember those, they were actual paper sheets, printed with the latest news, folded together and wedged into a plastic bag and thrown somewhere near your driveway every morning. This was before news agencies stopped caring about whether something was true or not, versus it being a sensational tidbit that would increase their readership. [Steps down from rant-box.] Ahem. In any case, on Wednesdays they had a food section, and (aside from the comics) it was my favorite part of the paper.
In any case, this soup is a favorite at our house. It underwent a brief period of exile when we were counting calories and not carbs, which will tell you that this is NOT diet food. But it's low-carb (not NO-carb), so we're eating it again. Once you start the cooking, you generally have to stay with it until it's finished. This is not a simmering soup. But it's worth the commitment.
Ingredients:
Procedure:
In any case, this soup is a favorite at our house. It underwent a brief period of exile when we were counting calories and not carbs, which will tell you that this is NOT diet food. But it's low-carb (not NO-carb), so we're eating it again. Once you start the cooking, you generally have to stay with it until it's finished. This is not a simmering soup. But it's worth the commitment.
Ingredients:
- 4 Tablespoons butter (you can use margarine if you want)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion (generally I just use one small to medium, but you can use frozen chopped onion if you have it, or you can reconstitute dried onions to make 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper (I use one whole pepper, unless it's enormous, because what am I going to do with the other half?)
- 5 Tablespoons flour (all purpose or self-rising, it doesn't matter)
- 3 (10.5 oz) cans of condensed chicken broth (except I usually just use 2 cans of regular broth equalling about 30 oz. of liquid, or I make up broth out of bouillon, or I use homemade broth) (you can substitute vegetable broth here if you want to make this vegetarian)
- 3 cups grated sharp cheddar
- 2 cups milk (whole, 2%, 1%, skim, whatever you like, but the richer the milk, the richer the flavor of your finished product)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
- 1/2 cup croutons (we like the big ones, but whatever you have on hand)
- chopped parsley for garnish
Procedure:
- Do your chopping first, if you're using fresh vegetables. If you have to make up the broth from bouillon, you should do that before you light the fire, because this soup really isn't something you can walk away from while it cooks. I like to measure stuff out before starting, too, so I have the flour, broth, milk, and cheese all ready to go.
- Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan and cook the onion and green pepper for 6-10 minutes, stirring frequently so they don't scorch. You want then to be pretty soft.
- Remove from heat and stir in the flour. Mix it well and return it to the heat, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. It will be pasty. (Don't skip cooking the flour; you can taste it if it's not cooked enough.)
- Add the broth to the vegetable mixture and bring it to a boil, stirring to thoroughly blend, break up clumps.
- Reduce the heat to medium or medium-high. Add the cheese, a handful at a time, stirring each addition to melt it. Keep stirring so it doesn't scorch. Gradually add the milk while stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Bring just up to boiling, but do not boil. The milk might curdle.
- Serve with croutons and sprinkle with parsley (it can be fresh or dried).
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Stout Chili
The original name of this recipe is "Stout Beer Chili," which is a little redundant.
The first time I made this, I doubled it, though I shorted the chili powder because I didn't have an entire cup of chili powder. 8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup, though I don't know why they didn't use that measure) is a lot of spice, and double that... well. It was quite hot enough with the approximately 3/4 cup I had, so much so that Gary got heartburn pretty badly that evening. The next day, it was more bearable, but I don't know if that's because we just put more sour cream in it, or if it toned itself down. You may want to go light if you don't like a lot of heat, and then taste to adjust.
The first time I made this, I doubled it, though I shorted the chili powder because I didn't have an entire cup of chili powder. 8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup, though I don't know why they didn't use that measure) is a lot of spice, and double that... well. It was quite hot enough with the approximately 3/4 cup I had, so much so that Gary got heartburn pretty badly that evening. The next day, it was more bearable, but I don't know if that's because we just put more sour cream in it, or if it toned itself down. You may want to go light if you don't like a lot of heat, and then taste to adjust.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 lb ground beef
2 t salt
2 t pepper
1 large onion, diced
30 oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 T cumin
1 T paprika
1 T red pepper flakes
8 T chili powder
1/4 cup water
14.9 oz can of stout
In a dutch oven, brown the beef with salt and pepper in olive oil. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon (I skipped this and browned the beef a little before dumping in the onions to cook with it; saved me a dish to wash), and cook the diced onion in the grease until softened. Return the beef to the pot (if in fact you removed it) and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover and
simmer for 1 hour.
Serve with grated cheddar and sour cream.
Notes:
I like using a dutch oven for this. I have a lovely cast-iron dutch oven (thank you again, Grant!) that held the doubled amounts quite well, and I didn't have to stir it during the simmer because I wasn't afraid it would scorch. If your dutch oven isn't thick-bottomed, or if you have to use a regular pot, give it a stir and check the heat periodically (every 10-15 minutes) to avoid burning your soup.
I am guessing, because the original recipe (which was a Buzz-feed video) didn't mention servings, that this recipe serves 6-8. Since I doubled it, and after dishing out about 10 bowls, I still have at least 4 bowls-full left.
And like many soups and stews, it's better the next day!
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Spaghetti Carbonara (II)
This is one of those recipes I don't make very often anymore
because of the evil-carb nature of all pasta, but it was requested for a
birthday dinner recently, and I thought it would be a good addition to this
list. I found this on allrecipes.com,
and I'll post it here with the modifications I normally make noted as
such. Hats off to the original
poster, Sabrinatee!
This isn't a difficult dish, but once you have the onions
cooked, it goes very quickly, so the mise en place process of getting
everything prepared and measured beforehand is your friend. So I chop the onion
and beat the eggs, and if I'm lucky enough to have a block of Parmesan, I grate
it first. Then I cook the bacon, and about halfway through that process, I put
the water on to boil. When the bacon is all done and crumbled, you can move
very quickly through the rest of the process.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. spaghetti (I usually only use 1/2 lb.)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
8 slices to 1 lb. bacon, diced (I usually just cook the
bacon then chop it up)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION:
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, then
drain and toss with 1 T olive oil, and set aside.
While waiting for the water to boil, fry the bacon to just
crisp and then drain on paper towels. Empty out the rendered grease, reserving
some for cooking the onions and garlic (the original recipe says 2 Tablespoons,
but I generally use 4 or 5). I just fry the bacon without chopping it up first,
and after it's all cooked I give it a rough chop to make it all bite-sized.
Add the remaining olive oil and the reserved bacon grease to
the same skillet, and cook the onions over medium to medium-high heat until
translucent. (I use an electric food chopper to make the onion bits pretty
small, but they can be any size you choose.) Add the minced garlic (I usually do 3-4 cloves of garlic
because we like the flavor) and cook for 1 minute. If you are using the white
wine, add it and cook one more minute.
Return the bacon to the pan, and add the cooked and drained
spaghetti. Toss well to coat with the oils and to mix the bacon and
onion-garlic mixture into the pasta. Add more olive oil and/or bacon grease if
the pasta seems too dry or is sticking together.
Working quickly, pour in the beaten eggs and mix, tossing
thoroughly, until the eggs are cooked. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and
toss again. Season with salt and pepper, but remember that Parmesan and bacon
are very salty in themselves.
Serve immediately with fresh chopped parsley and extra
Parmesan.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
A long time ago, when Hans was in preschool, our class put together a cookbook of favorite recipes, just sharing among the 15 families represented in the class. This one came from Melissa Lozier, who coincidentally used to be on staff at CURE (pre-CityCURE, pre-City Gospel Mission). She left CURE to get married, and it was her leaving that precipitated Gary going on staff there.
This recipe has become one of those things that it just isn't Christmas without, and Grace has taken it over as her specialty. I've never tried them in a regular muffin pan, and have never had to use muffin papers in the cups, so I don't know the variables involved. I've also included a table, of sorts, for increases in all amounts for doubling and tripling the recipe.
This recipe has become one of those things that it just isn't Christmas without, and Grace has taken it over as her specialty. I've never tried them in a regular muffin pan, and have never had to use muffin papers in the cups, so I don't know the variables involved. I've also included a table, of sorts, for increases in all amounts for doubling and tripling the recipe.
Mini Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
makes 3.5 to 4 dozen mini muffins
o 1
2/3 cups flour (if using self-rising flour, you may omit the salt and baking powder, but do not omit the baking soda)
o 1
cup sugar
o
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie
spice (OR 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground
cloves)
o
1 teaspoon baking soda
o
1/4 teaspoon baking
powder
o
1/4 teaspoon salt
o
2 large eggs
o
1/4 cup melted margarine
or butter (4 Tablespoons)
o
1 cup canned pumpkin
(NOT pumpkin pie filling)
o
1 cup chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350
degrees F.
2. Sift or stir dry
ingredients together.
3. In a large bowl, blend
eggs, melted butter or margarine, and pumpkin together until smooth.
4. Add dry ingredients and
mix until everything’s blended. Don’t over-mix.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Spray mini muffin pan
with Pam, and fill each cup about 2/3 full. (We have found that the medium
cookie scoop is perfect, which is about 1 Tablespoon.)
7. Bake at 350 degrees F
for 15 minutes each. Cool on wire racks or tea towels.
They freeze well, if you
ever have any left over. This has never happened to me.
Some notes about canned
pumpkin: a) There is no appreciable taste difference between homemade pumpkin
puree and canned pumpkin. There is a BIG difference in the amount of work involved. It's completely up to you how long you want to slave over this part. b) You can’t buy a 1-cup can of pumpkin. I think they
come in 14 or 15 ounce cans, in the smallest size. If you double the recipe,
you can use the whole can without having leftover pumpkin or throwing any away.
The less-than-full amount still makes perfectly lovely muffins.
Doubled and Tripled:
3 1/3 or 5
cups flour
2 or 3
cups sugar
2 T or 3
T pumpkin pie spice (or 3 OR 4 1/2 t cinnamon, 1 1/2 OR 2 1/4 t ginger, 1 OR 1
1/2 t cloves)
2 or 3
t baking soda
1/2 or 3/4
t baking powder
1/2 or 3/4
t salt
4 or 6
large eggs
1/2 or 3/4
cup melted margarine
2 or 3
cups pumpkin
2 or 3
cups chocolate chips
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Moroccan Tagine
I found this recipe at allrecipes.com before they went all "mobile-app" and were still actually useful. I had a butternut squash for some reason, which at that point was not something I would have bought on purpose (I think someone gave it to me). So I was on allrecipes.com looking for things with butternut squash in them, and most of them sounded as revolting as I thought squash was at the time, but then I happened on this one, and I liked everything else in it, preparation didn't seem too onerous (silly me!), so I tried it. Everyone else liked it pretty well, and it helped that you serve it over couscous (which, as our friends Aaron and Marcus tell us, is a food so nice they named it twice), and it's pretty much yum. This recipe serves 6, and I have not tried freezing it, but it would probably do okay. And the ingredients are verbatim off the allrecipes site, but this is a recipe you can play with proportions a little--maybe your squash isn't small, or you want to feed 8 people and 3 chicken breasts feels a bit skimpy. Be advised it's pretty mild, so you'll probably want to increase the seasonings if you increase one of the main ingredients.
Ingredients:
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and cook the chicken and onions until browned, about 15 minutes, adding the garlic a minute or two before the end so you don't scorch it. (You can cheat a little on the time, cooking it just until the chicken isn't pink anymore, and the onions are translucent. It doesn't hurt the flavor, and if you're rushed for time this is the corner to cut.)
2. Mix everything else in with the chicken mixture, including the seasonings. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce it to a high simmer and cook 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Serve with couscous.
NOTES: You can easily make this vegan by leaving out the chicken and making sure you use vegetable broth. Adding tofu is unnecessary (and yucky) (sorry, I'm not a fan).
The hardest part of this recipe is peeling the squash. There is no easy way to do it. Be careful, whether you pare the rind off with a knife or use a potato peeler. The skin is very hard, and the vegetable is very firm. Allow yourself enough time to do this. I have read that microwaving the squash briefly or blanching it makes it easier to peel, but I haven't tried this yet. Maybe next time.
The prep can be done ahead, but be aware that this squash kind of sweats its juice when cut. No big deal, don't freak out. It isn't gone bad or anything like that.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or more) for frying
- 2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces (this is the onerous part that I hinted at above: peeling the squash and cutting it up)
- 1 (15-ish ounce) can of garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chick peas), drained and rinsed
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped (I chop up a handful of baby carrots)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes (do not drain them, throw the juice in with the fruit at the right time)
- 1 (14 ounce) can of vegetable broth (or chicken, if you want)
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- dash or two of cayenne pepper
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and cook the chicken and onions until browned, about 15 minutes, adding the garlic a minute or two before the end so you don't scorch it. (You can cheat a little on the time, cooking it just until the chicken isn't pink anymore, and the onions are translucent. It doesn't hurt the flavor, and if you're rushed for time this is the corner to cut.)
2. Mix everything else in with the chicken mixture, including the seasonings. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce it to a high simmer and cook 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Serve with couscous.
NOTES: You can easily make this vegan by leaving out the chicken and making sure you use vegetable broth. Adding tofu is unnecessary (and yucky) (sorry, I'm not a fan).
The hardest part of this recipe is peeling the squash. There is no easy way to do it. Be careful, whether you pare the rind off with a knife or use a potato peeler. The skin is very hard, and the vegetable is very firm. Allow yourself enough time to do this. I have read that microwaving the squash briefly or blanching it makes it easier to peel, but I haven't tried this yet. Maybe next time.
The prep can be done ahead, but be aware that this squash kind of sweats its juice when cut. No big deal, don't freak out. It isn't gone bad or anything like that.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Apple Dumplings
I want to give Pioneer Woman full credit for this recipe. I have modified it a little, but I would never have thought this up on my own.
Ingredients:
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish. (You can also use Pam spray.)
Peel, core, and slice the apples.
Open a can of crescent rolls, and separate the dough triangles. (I did one can at a time, since the dough expands out of the can and gets stickier, so for ease of handling, one at a time.) Wrap each slice of apple in a triangle of dough and snuggle them all up in the casserole dish. It fits nicely with 8 on each side. Sprinkle cinnamon over all.
In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter. It seems like a lot of butter, but don't skimp. It's necessary. When melted, stir in the sugar and vanilla. You don't need to boil it, or stir it until the sugar dissolves. You want it to be kind of grainy. All that is necessary is to stir it until the sugar and vanilla are all wet and mixed in. Then pour it over the apple-in-a-blanket things you made. I took the trouble to get a spoon and make sure all the pastry had some of this syrup over it.
Bake in your 350-degree oven for 40 minutes. I nearly over-baked it (too many other things happening, and I didn't get to it the moment the timer went off), and the pastry on the end dumplings was a bit chewy. But still yummy and delicious. Serve with ice cream, pan sauce, and bask in the compliments and proposals of marriage.
If you want to see photos of the process and the finished product, google Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings.
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of crescent rolls
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 8 slices each
- 2 sticks of salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups of sugar (I used 1 cup of brown sugar because I was almost out of white sugar, and I am probably NEVER going to try this without brown sugar EVER, because caramel.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- cinnamon to taste
- 1 can (12 oz) of Mountain Dew (I used a 7.5 oz tiny can, and the sauce may have been a little bit skimpy, but there was still plenty)
- Vanilla ice cream or sweet whipped cream for serving
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish. (You can also use Pam spray.)
Peel, core, and slice the apples.
Open a can of crescent rolls, and separate the dough triangles. (I did one can at a time, since the dough expands out of the can and gets stickier, so for ease of handling, one at a time.) Wrap each slice of apple in a triangle of dough and snuggle them all up in the casserole dish. It fits nicely with 8 on each side. Sprinkle cinnamon over all.
In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter. It seems like a lot of butter, but don't skimp. It's necessary. When melted, stir in the sugar and vanilla. You don't need to boil it, or stir it until the sugar dissolves. You want it to be kind of grainy. All that is necessary is to stir it until the sugar and vanilla are all wet and mixed in. Then pour it over the apple-in-a-blanket things you made. I took the trouble to get a spoon and make sure all the pastry had some of this syrup over it.
Bake in your 350-degree oven for 40 minutes. I nearly over-baked it (too many other things happening, and I didn't get to it the moment the timer went off), and the pastry on the end dumplings was a bit chewy. But still yummy and delicious. Serve with ice cream, pan sauce, and bask in the compliments and proposals of marriage.
If you want to see photos of the process and the finished product, google Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Easy Basil Chicken
I saw this on Facebook, actually. I'm not proud of it, except it really makes fantastic chicken. There are no amounts, proportions, or ratios listed, so you can make 1 serving or 100.
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange the chicken in a baking dish (I did spray mine with Pam), spread pesto over each piece, layer on tomatoes, then cover with cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes.
There you have it: a terrific Italian-flavored dish with no pasta. (You can have pasta, but it doesn't need it.) Serve it with garlic bread, tossed salad, and Bellissimo!
Ingredients:
- boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- enough basil pesto to put about 1-2 tablespoons on each breast
- sliced tomatoes (I didn't have fresh, so I used canned diced tomatoes, drained)
- mozzarella cheese (I used shredded, but you could also use sliced, just make sure you can cover each piece of chicken)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange the chicken in a baking dish (I did spray mine with Pam), spread pesto over each piece, layer on tomatoes, then cover with cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes.
There you have it: a terrific Italian-flavored dish with no pasta. (You can have pasta, but it doesn't need it.) Serve it with garlic bread, tossed salad, and Bellissimo!
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
I am pretty sure this comes from some edition of the Hershey Cocoa Cookbook. I learned it from my mother. It's one of those recipes that she tended to make on winter nights when she was craving chocolate but couldn't get out to the store, because all of the ingredients were always on hand at our house. Generally I mix it up while waiting for the last things to cook, and get it into the oven just before serving dinner. Then it's hot out of the oven when it's time for dessert.
Batter:
Batter:
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons melted shortening
- 1/2 cup milk
Pudding:
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups hot tap water
Mix the ingredients for the batter. Spread it in a 7x11 rectangle pan. (9x13 is too big, but if you don't have a 7x11, you can use a square cake pan or a smaller oval.) You do not have to grease the pan. In fact, DON'T grease the pan.
Mix the brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the batter. Then pour the hot water over that.
Transfer it carefully into the preheated oven. Bake 45 minutes. Serve it hot! (You can get 8 servings out of a rectangle pan if you keep them small.)
Some people swear by vanilla ice cream to accompany hot fudge pudding cake. Some like lightly sweetened whipped cream. Cool Whip or Redi-whip is delicious on this. Personally I like it without any topping at all.
I can't really advise you on how to store leftovers, because it's always gone by nightfall, or breakfast latest. In theory, I guess I would portion it out in individual servings and refrigerate it, then microwave it for about 30 seconds before serving.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
White Chicken Chili
I found this on howto-simplify.com. It's really pretty easy, and you can make it hot or mild, however you like it.
2. Add the chicken shreds, beans, corn, green chiles (with the juice from the can), cumin, and oregano to the large pot. Stir to combine everything, and then add the broth.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the broth to reduce. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the juice of one lime. (If you like cilantro, you can add 1/2 cup chopped fresh at this time, or you can serve it as a topping on the side.
4. You can simmer the chili until you're ready to serve.
5. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips or corn muffins.
Notes:
*I might have mentioned before that if you use frozen boneless-skinless chicken breasts for your shredded chicken, an easy way to prepare it is to boil them, right out of the freezer, in water to just cover, and a few cubes of chicken bouillon. Boil them until cooked. Remove them from the water and let them rest a couple minutes, and then toss them in the bowl of your stand-mixer, and use the paddle attachment to reduce them to shreds. It only takes less than a minute.
*You can use black beans or pinto beans, as well. It reduces the whiteness of the chili, but it doesn't change the taste.
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded *(see notes)
- 2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed *(see notes)
- 1 can corn, drained
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 box (32 oz) chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- the juice of one lime
2. Add the chicken shreds, beans, corn, green chiles (with the juice from the can), cumin, and oregano to the large pot. Stir to combine everything, and then add the broth.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the broth to reduce. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the juice of one lime. (If you like cilantro, you can add 1/2 cup chopped fresh at this time, or you can serve it as a topping on the side.
4. You can simmer the chili until you're ready to serve.
5. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips or corn muffins.
Notes:
*I might have mentioned before that if you use frozen boneless-skinless chicken breasts for your shredded chicken, an easy way to prepare it is to boil them, right out of the freezer, in water to just cover, and a few cubes of chicken bouillon. Boil them until cooked. Remove them from the water and let them rest a couple minutes, and then toss them in the bowl of your stand-mixer, and use the paddle attachment to reduce them to shreds. It only takes less than a minute.
*You can use black beans or pinto beans, as well. It reduces the whiteness of the chili, but it doesn't change the taste.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Chinese Cabbage Salad
I saw this on Pinterest (http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/08/chinese-cabbage-salad/), and it was similar to a recipe I got from a friend years ago, so I gave it a try. (I'll include the first version as a variation at the end.) It's Gary's and Hans' favorite. This is slightly different than the site I've listed, as I go ahead with the peanut butter even if I have peanut oil. We just like the flavor.
Slice your green onions and add them to your bowl.
Open up your packages of Ramen Noodles. For this recipe, put the flavor packets aside. If you're making the variation, save them for the dressing. Take the noodles and place them in a gallon sized freezer zip lock bag and pound them into small pieces with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin or iron skillet or heavy book, whatever totes your goats.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Melt your butter and then add your almonds, sesame seeds, and ramen noodles. (IMPORTANT NOTE: I seldom use the butter. I just toast my mixture in a dry hot pan, and it works fine without the fat. ALSO: Toast your stuff in stages, doing the ramen noodles first, then the almonds, and then add the sesame seeds at the end. If you put them all in at the same time, the sesame seeds will burn, the almonds will mostly burn, and the ramen will still be white. That is the voice of experience. Learn from my culinary tragedy!)
Cook the mixture over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until everything turns a nice toasty brown. Set the crunchy mixture aside to cool.
Place 3 T of peanut butter into a glass measuring cup pour oil into the cup, right over the top of the peanut butter. Your total measurement with the peanut butter and oil should be 3/4 C. (I have also done it where I forgot about displacing the pb in the oil and I just used 3 T of pb and 3/4 cup oil, and no one but me knew the difference.)
Put the peanut butter/oil mixture into the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds. Stir it all around until the peanut butter dissolves. (You can put this into the sauce pan and heat it there if you don't have a heat-proof measuring cup. Or if you have to do dishes by hand and don't want to wash ANOTHER thing.)
Into a medium sized sauce pan, pour the sugar, peanut butter/oil mixture, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Mix it thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Let it boil hard for one minute. Then set it aside to cool. If you do not cool the dressing first, it will wilt even the heartiest greens. You can put it in the fridge or freezer to hurry it along.
Time: 40 minutes Yield:
15 servings
2 1/2 pounds nappa cabbage
5 green onions
3 packages ramen noodles, chicken flavor if you use the variation recipe
1/2 C butter
1/4 C sliced almonds
1/4 C sesame seeds
Dressing:
3 T peanut butter + peanut or canola oil to equal
3/4 C
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C rice vinegar
2 T soy sauce
Cut the tail end off of your cabbage and toss it in the
trash. Thinly slice the rest of the cabbage and place it into a large bowl. (NOTE: This is actually the way to chaos. Start at the opposite end, slice the cabbage off the stem in thin slices. The stem holds it all together. I don't know about you, but my hands are not large enough to hold that thing together once it comes off the thing that holds it together AND still slice through it with a large knife. So just slice it until you're about 3 inches from the end, where the leaves are really thick, and then throw the end away. This is the voice of experience.)
Slice your green onions and add them to your bowl.
Open up your packages of Ramen Noodles. For this recipe, put the flavor packets aside. If you're making the variation, save them for the dressing. Take the noodles and place them in a gallon sized freezer zip lock bag and pound them into small pieces with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin or iron skillet or heavy book, whatever totes your goats.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Melt your butter and then add your almonds, sesame seeds, and ramen noodles. (IMPORTANT NOTE: I seldom use the butter. I just toast my mixture in a dry hot pan, and it works fine without the fat. ALSO: Toast your stuff in stages, doing the ramen noodles first, then the almonds, and then add the sesame seeds at the end. If you put them all in at the same time, the sesame seeds will burn, the almonds will mostly burn, and the ramen will still be white. That is the voice of experience. Learn from my culinary tragedy!)
Cook the mixture over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until everything turns a nice toasty brown. Set the crunchy mixture aside to cool.
Place 3 T of peanut butter into a glass measuring cup pour oil into the cup, right over the top of the peanut butter. Your total measurement with the peanut butter and oil should be 3/4 C. (I have also done it where I forgot about displacing the pb in the oil and I just used 3 T of pb and 3/4 cup oil, and no one but me knew the difference.)
Put the peanut butter/oil mixture into the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds. Stir it all around until the peanut butter dissolves. (You can put this into the sauce pan and heat it there if you don't have a heat-proof measuring cup. Or if you have to do dishes by hand and don't want to wash ANOTHER thing.)
Into a medium sized sauce pan, pour the sugar, peanut butter/oil mixture, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Mix it thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Let it boil hard for one minute. Then set it aside to cool. If you do not cool the dressing first, it will wilt even the heartiest greens. You can put it in the fridge or freezer to hurry it along.
When you are ready to serve, toss the cabbage and green
onions with the crunchy ramen mixture, and pour the dressing over the top to
coat. Serve immediately.
VARIATION: You can use romaine lettuce if you can't get nappa cabbage. If you don't like peanut butter or are allergic, you can use regular vegetable oil and use the chicken flavor packets instead of peanut butter. You can also use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
ONE LAST NOTE: When I make this for a large dinner or potluck (It's a Large Salad), I do mix everything together. When it's just my family or a small dinner party, I out the greens in the bowl and pass the toppings and dressing separately. This is because the crunchies will not be crunchy as leftovers, and they are very unappetizing when they are uncrunchy. This recipe makes more crunchies than people tend to put on their own salads, and less dressing than people tend to put on their own salads.
ONE LAST NOTE: When I make this for a large dinner or potluck (It's a Large Salad), I do mix everything together. When it's just my family or a small dinner party, I out the greens in the bowl and pass the toppings and dressing separately. This is because the crunchies will not be crunchy as leftovers, and they are very unappetizing when they are uncrunchy. This recipe makes more crunchies than people tend to put on their own salads, and less dressing than people tend to put on their own salads.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Grandma Fish's Lemonade
Our kids, when they were little, didn't pay much attention to last names, so their grandparents had nicknames. My parents were Grandma and Grandpa Barn, because they had a barn in their back yard. Gary's parents were Grandma and Grandpa Fish, because they had aquariums and tropical fish.
When Olivia decided to serve lemonade at her wedding reception, I went in search of recipes that would be easy, inexpensive, and make lots of delicious beverage. Everybody wants me to boil a simple syrup! What is up with that? Why would I want to COOK it? So I decided that squeezing 60 lemons and 30 oranges was what I really wanted to do anyway, and it would taste better in the long run. (And we were right! We made 15 gallons, and after the reception was over there was less than one gallon left.)
This recipe is so easy, and yet it makes an amazing pitcher of lemonade.
INGREDIENTS
2 lemons
1 orange
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
water to make 2 quarts of lemonade
PROCEDURE
Do I really need to write this? Apparently. I don't want anyone to think they have to boil something.
Juice the two lemons and one orange into a 2-quart pitcher. Add the sugar and enough water to make 2 quarts, and stir until dissolved. Taste it to see if it's sweet enough. (When we made this for the wedding reception, I thought 3/4 cup would be enough, but it wasn't. But everyone has different tastes.) Serve over ice, refrigerate leftovers. (If there are any. There probably won't be. Don't count on it.)
When Olivia decided to serve lemonade at her wedding reception, I went in search of recipes that would be easy, inexpensive, and make lots of delicious beverage. Everybody wants me to boil a simple syrup! What is up with that? Why would I want to COOK it? So I decided that squeezing 60 lemons and 30 oranges was what I really wanted to do anyway, and it would taste better in the long run. (And we were right! We made 15 gallons, and after the reception was over there was less than one gallon left.)
This recipe is so easy, and yet it makes an amazing pitcher of lemonade.
INGREDIENTS
2 lemons
1 orange
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
water to make 2 quarts of lemonade
PROCEDURE
Do I really need to write this? Apparently. I don't want anyone to think they have to boil something.
Juice the two lemons and one orange into a 2-quart pitcher. Add the sugar and enough water to make 2 quarts, and stir until dissolved. Taste it to see if it's sweet enough. (When we made this for the wedding reception, I thought 3/4 cup would be enough, but it wasn't. But everyone has different tastes.) Serve over ice, refrigerate leftovers. (If there are any. There probably won't be. Don't count on it.)
Monday, May 11, 2015
Homemade Laundry Detergent
I started making laundry detergent at a time when money was seriously tight. Gary asked me to spend less money on the household budget, and food seemed non-negotiable, so I started looking for ways to cut out really expensive portions of that budget. Household cleaners seemed to be SO expensive, and they just kept going up. So I gave it a try, and was so impressed with the results that I kept on making it.
There are LOTS of formulae for homemade laundry detergent. Mine is not necessarily original, but it is the one that seems to work best for us (it cleans well, vs. Gary and Grace are both mildly allergic to certain brands) and doesn't have fancy ingredients to jack up the price.
EQUIPMENT:
grater or food processor that you don't mind grinding soap in
4-quart saucepan
stove top
5 gallon bucket with lid
sifter or mesh strainer
long-handled spoon (long enough to stir the bottom of your 5-gallon bucket with 4 gallons of liquid in it)
1 cup dry measuring cup
gallon or half-gallon pitcher
long latex or nitrile gloves
About this stuff: Some people have designated soap-making equipment. I guess they are afraid of cross-contamination or something. If you have serious sensitivities to chemicals, I can see that it would be an issue. Otherwise, here's my take on it: It's SOAP. It rinses off. So I use the same box-grater that I have owned since the last century, the same 4-quart pan I make fudge in, the same measuring cups... you get the picture.
You need a big bucket, and it needs a lid. Your detergent has to rest 24 hours after making it. You may want to store your soap in this bucket as well, and only fill up an old detergent bottle to go to the laundromat, or to make it easier/less messy to pour and measure.
I use a flour sifter for two reasons: boxes of detergent and cleaning powders are not plastic-lined, and if they're stored in a dampish place, or if there is high humidity, the contents clump up. I sift all three powdered ingredients for this reason, and also because sifting them into the water is easier than pouring water on top of them and trying to get them to dissolve. Borax particularly clumps together in hot water, and the clumps are really hard.
After the first time I measured 3 gallons of water into my bucket (which in a former life was a cat-litter bucket), I took a paring knife and scratched a mark inside at the water level, so I didn't have to measure that again. (The bucket is square, so I marked it on all four sides. If your bucket is round, consider marking it under the handle hinges. Sharpie marker isn't a good tool to use for this, because they don't like water and the mark will come off, no matter how permanent it might seem.) If you have joy in filling a pitcher 3 or 6 times, you need not mark the inside of your bucket. To me, it's really boring and I lose track of the number.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bar of soap (I use Fels Naptha, but I have, in a pinch, used 2 bars of Ivory or 1 Lever 2000)
6-8 cups water
and
3 gallons hot water
1 cup 20 Mule-Team Borax
2 cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup baking soda
PROCEDURE
Grate the bar of soap into the saucepan. Sometimes the soap is soft, sometimes it's really hard and dry. In general, if it's soft I use the side of the grater with big holes. If it's hard, I use the side of the grater that has the pointy sticky-outy surface like you'd grate a nutmeg on. If the soap is soft, it will melt pretty well, but if it's hard, the smaller the better. You can use a food processor on hard soap to great effect, but you lose some of the softer soap on your equipment.
Add 6-8 cups of water and set on heat to simmer. (I usually pour the water over the grater into the pan to get all the soap I can.) Stir it occasionally. You don't actually want it to boil. The heat helps the soap melt faster. If you were trying to do this with zero energy consumption, you can dissolve the soap in water without heat, but it takes a lot longer.
While the soap is dissolving, put 3 gallons of hot tap water into your bucket. Once again, the heat just helps things dissolve faster. Into this, stirring after each addition, sift 1 cup of borax, 2 cups of super washing soda, and 1 cup of baking soda. Stir until dissolved.
When the soap is melted, pour it into the bucket and mix well. Put a lid on it and let it sit for 24 hours.
The next day, your soap will be a fairly hard gel. It may have a thin layer of water on top. Use your long-handled spoon to cut it into chunks, and wear the gloves to squeeze the chunks with your hands. You can also refine it with a wire whisk. The reason I go to this length is that high-efficiency machines don't use a lot of water, and large lumps of detergent don't always dissolve in the course of the cycle (which means white streaks on your clothes, it's a mess, don't do it). I don't recommend a blender for this process. It put too much air into the mixture, and it's just generally messy. You can use a hand mixer at a low speed, being careful not to submerge any electrical motors, and you can use an emersion blender which adds little to no air.
When your soap is reasonably lump-free, you can transfer it to smaller containers for portability, or just store it in the lidded bucket (which is what I do, but I don't have to travel to do laundry).
Use 1/2 to 3/4 cup per large load, depending on how dirty your laundry is.
The detergent is low-sudsing, so don't freak out if you can't see bubbles. It works well in h-e machines, as long as there are no lumps. It rinses clean, and doesn't have a strong odor in and of itself. It cleans well (I still have to treat protein-stains and grease stains, but I'd have to do that if I was using Tide). It makes 4 gallons, approximately. Using 1/2 cup per load, that is 128 loads per batch. Googling each ingredient and taking the price that seems most like what I would pay at Kroger, buying all the ingredients costs about $10.30, and it makes several batches. (For the sake of comparison, a 64-load bottle of Tide costs $11.97.)
For powdered detergent fans, you can put these ingredients together without the water, and use about 1 to 2 tablespoons per load. I have done it, but I tend to use too much in this form (just can't stop myself), so it's not as economical for me.
There are LOTS of formulae for homemade laundry detergent. Mine is not necessarily original, but it is the one that seems to work best for us (it cleans well, vs. Gary and Grace are both mildly allergic to certain brands) and doesn't have fancy ingredients to jack up the price.
EQUIPMENT:
grater or food processor that you don't mind grinding soap in
4-quart saucepan
stove top
5 gallon bucket with lid
sifter or mesh strainer
long-handled spoon (long enough to stir the bottom of your 5-gallon bucket with 4 gallons of liquid in it)
1 cup dry measuring cup
gallon or half-gallon pitcher
long latex or nitrile gloves
About this stuff: Some people have designated soap-making equipment. I guess they are afraid of cross-contamination or something. If you have serious sensitivities to chemicals, I can see that it would be an issue. Otherwise, here's my take on it: It's SOAP. It rinses off. So I use the same box-grater that I have owned since the last century, the same 4-quart pan I make fudge in, the same measuring cups... you get the picture.
You need a big bucket, and it needs a lid. Your detergent has to rest 24 hours after making it. You may want to store your soap in this bucket as well, and only fill up an old detergent bottle to go to the laundromat, or to make it easier/less messy to pour and measure.
I use a flour sifter for two reasons: boxes of detergent and cleaning powders are not plastic-lined, and if they're stored in a dampish place, or if there is high humidity, the contents clump up. I sift all three powdered ingredients for this reason, and also because sifting them into the water is easier than pouring water on top of them and trying to get them to dissolve. Borax particularly clumps together in hot water, and the clumps are really hard.
After the first time I measured 3 gallons of water into my bucket (which in a former life was a cat-litter bucket), I took a paring knife and scratched a mark inside at the water level, so I didn't have to measure that again. (The bucket is square, so I marked it on all four sides. If your bucket is round, consider marking it under the handle hinges. Sharpie marker isn't a good tool to use for this, because they don't like water and the mark will come off, no matter how permanent it might seem.) If you have joy in filling a pitcher 3 or 6 times, you need not mark the inside of your bucket. To me, it's really boring and I lose track of the number.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bar of soap (I use Fels Naptha, but I have, in a pinch, used 2 bars of Ivory or 1 Lever 2000)
6-8 cups water
and
3 gallons hot water
1 cup 20 Mule-Team Borax
2 cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup baking soda
PROCEDURE
Grate the bar of soap into the saucepan. Sometimes the soap is soft, sometimes it's really hard and dry. In general, if it's soft I use the side of the grater with big holes. If it's hard, I use the side of the grater that has the pointy sticky-outy surface like you'd grate a nutmeg on. If the soap is soft, it will melt pretty well, but if it's hard, the smaller the better. You can use a food processor on hard soap to great effect, but you lose some of the softer soap on your equipment.
Add 6-8 cups of water and set on heat to simmer. (I usually pour the water over the grater into the pan to get all the soap I can.) Stir it occasionally. You don't actually want it to boil. The heat helps the soap melt faster. If you were trying to do this with zero energy consumption, you can dissolve the soap in water without heat, but it takes a lot longer.
While the soap is dissolving, put 3 gallons of hot tap water into your bucket. Once again, the heat just helps things dissolve faster. Into this, stirring after each addition, sift 1 cup of borax, 2 cups of super washing soda, and 1 cup of baking soda. Stir until dissolved.
When the soap is melted, pour it into the bucket and mix well. Put a lid on it and let it sit for 24 hours.
The next day, your soap will be a fairly hard gel. It may have a thin layer of water on top. Use your long-handled spoon to cut it into chunks, and wear the gloves to squeeze the chunks with your hands. You can also refine it with a wire whisk. The reason I go to this length is that high-efficiency machines don't use a lot of water, and large lumps of detergent don't always dissolve in the course of the cycle (which means white streaks on your clothes, it's a mess, don't do it). I don't recommend a blender for this process. It put too much air into the mixture, and it's just generally messy. You can use a hand mixer at a low speed, being careful not to submerge any electrical motors, and you can use an emersion blender which adds little to no air.
When your soap is reasonably lump-free, you can transfer it to smaller containers for portability, or just store it in the lidded bucket (which is what I do, but I don't have to travel to do laundry).
Use 1/2 to 3/4 cup per large load, depending on how dirty your laundry is.
The detergent is low-sudsing, so don't freak out if you can't see bubbles. It works well in h-e machines, as long as there are no lumps. It rinses clean, and doesn't have a strong odor in and of itself. It cleans well (I still have to treat protein-stains and grease stains, but I'd have to do that if I was using Tide). It makes 4 gallons, approximately. Using 1/2 cup per load, that is 128 loads per batch. Googling each ingredient and taking the price that seems most like what I would pay at Kroger, buying all the ingredients costs about $10.30, and it makes several batches. (For the sake of comparison, a 64-load bottle of Tide costs $11.97.)
For powdered detergent fans, you can put these ingredients together without the water, and use about 1 to 2 tablespoons per load. I have done it, but I tend to use too much in this form (just can't stop myself), so it's not as economical for me.
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