I don't make chili very often - I've got a weird aversion to ground meat, especially ground beef. My brother sent me some turbo charged chile powder (New Mexico chiles with enough ghost chiles to give it a serious kick, aka green ghost powder) so I decided to make some. I opted to use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of ground meat. And, since I had canned black beans, I used those. It came out way better than I expected. The chicken fell apart into nice shreddy pieces and I am already planning on making it again soon.
Old Biddy's "No Pink Slime Plz" Chicken Chili
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 red bell peppers, chopped
Taco seasoning
olive oil for sauteeing
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ghost chile/New Mexico chile powder (this stuff is hot!)
3 cloves garlic
3 cans black beans
salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle taco seasoning on chicken cubes. Brown chicken and peppers and place in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients and a bit of water. Cook on high for several hours until chicken is falling apart and beans are soft.
Showing posts with label recipe geek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe geek. Show all posts
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Homemade caramels
I've been an anemic borderline low thyroid slug AND I've been on a diet. As a result I haven't baked or made any sweets in a while, and instead devoted what little energy I had in the evenings to watching "Game of Thrones" or Big Bang Theory reruns. A few days on iron pills and Zyrtek got me back to semi-normal. I'm going to wait a few more weeks and see if my energy level completely comes back; if it doesn't I'm going to be a honey badger about the thyroid thing.
Nonetheless, I now have enough energy to tire out the grad students during the day and exercise or cook after work. Last night it was both. I finally made a recipe for homemade caramels I'd been planning on making for more than a month.
I copied it from a post over at Bloatal Recall. There are some good pictures over there as well. I followed the recipe but didn't have any fleur de sel so I used a bit of kosher salt in the caramels and didn't sprinkle any on top at the end. If you don't have a candy thermometer, cook the syrup until it gets to the "hard ball" stage when dropped into cold water.
FLEUR DE SEL CARAMELS
Yield: 40-50
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fleur de sel*, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup (or light corn syrup)
1/4 cup water
*available at finer supermarkets and specialty foods shops and online
1. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.
2. Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.
3. Boil sugar, brown rice syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Carefully stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 250° F. on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into baking pan, sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel and cool for 2 hours.
5. Cut into 1-inch pieces, then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close.
They cooked up just as described. I poured the syrup into a greased pan and let it cool overnight. I then cut them into small pieces and wrapped them in wax paper. They were very tasty and rich - a lot better than the store bought ones. I will definitely make them again.
Nonetheless, I now have enough energy to tire out the grad students during the day and exercise or cook after work. Last night it was both. I finally made a recipe for homemade caramels I'd been planning on making for more than a month.
I copied it from a post over at Bloatal Recall. There are some good pictures over there as well. I followed the recipe but didn't have any fleur de sel so I used a bit of kosher salt in the caramels and didn't sprinkle any on top at the end. If you don't have a candy thermometer, cook the syrup until it gets to the "hard ball" stage when dropped into cold water.
FLEUR DE SEL CARAMELS
Yield: 40-50
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fleur de sel*, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup (or light corn syrup)
1/4 cup water
*available at finer supermarkets and specialty foods shops and online
1. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.
2. Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.
3. Boil sugar, brown rice syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Carefully stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 250° F. on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into baking pan, sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel and cool for 2 hours.
5. Cut into 1-inch pieces, then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close.
They cooked up just as described. I poured the syrup into a greased pan and let it cool overnight. I then cut them into small pieces and wrapped them in wax paper. They were very tasty and rich - a lot better than the store bought ones. I will definitely make them again.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Lazy Biddy Enchiladas
I get emails from the local grocery store, Wegmans. One recent email had a recipe for "New Mexico style enchiladas", in which the fillings and tortillas are layered instead of being rolled up. It also looked damned easy. Salsa, corn tortillas, frozen corn, canned black beans, and cheese are layered and baked. It doesn't get much easier than that.
I decided to add chicken to the recipe and cut down on the cheese, but I'm sure it would be quite tasty as is. The recipe below is my modifications. If you skip the chicken, I recommend adding an extra can of black beans. 12 oz of corn was a bit much, so don't use the whole amount if you don't feel like it. I'll probably go with 2 cans of beans and maybe 8 oz of corn next time.
New Mexico-Style Layered Enchiladas
Yield: 6 large servings
12 corn tortillas
Butter or light vegetable oil for sautéeing tortillas
1 ½ jars (22-24 ounces total) salsa, any flavor
1 can (14-15 ounces) cooked pinto beans or black beans, drained
1 bag (12 ounces) frozen corn (you can use it still frozen.)
8 oz grated cheese
3 - 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded*
Heat a little butter or oil in a small frying pan. Fry each tortilla on one side, then turn over and cook until it is getting limp and hot. Remove and stack on a plate. In a medium baking dish, layer the enchiladas, starting with enough salsa on the bottom to coat the dish lightly. Then add a layer of 4 corn tortillas. Sprinkle with corn and beans and half the grated cheese and chicken. Spread with a bit more salsa. Then add another layer of corn tortillas with the remaining chicken, corn, and beans. Cover with salsa. Top with the remaining 4 tortillas, a thick layer of salsa, and the remaining cheese.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
It was very fast to assemble. I popped it in the oven and baked it for 40 minutes. It was very tasty and filling, and certainly a lot easier than making traditional enchiladas.
* I cooked some chicken breasts in salsa in the crockpot and shredded them, but you could use a rotisserie chicken or leftovers.
I decided to add chicken to the recipe and cut down on the cheese, but I'm sure it would be quite tasty as is. The recipe below is my modifications. If you skip the chicken, I recommend adding an extra can of black beans. 12 oz of corn was a bit much, so don't use the whole amount if you don't feel like it. I'll probably go with 2 cans of beans and maybe 8 oz of corn next time.
New Mexico-Style Layered Enchiladas
Yield: 6 large servings
12 corn tortillas
Butter or light vegetable oil for sautéeing tortillas
1 ½ jars (22-24 ounces total) salsa, any flavor
1 can (14-15 ounces) cooked pinto beans or black beans, drained
1 bag (12 ounces) frozen corn (you can use it still frozen.)
8 oz grated cheese
3 - 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded*
Heat a little butter or oil in a small frying pan. Fry each tortilla on one side, then turn over and cook until it is getting limp and hot. Remove and stack on a plate. In a medium baking dish, layer the enchiladas, starting with enough salsa on the bottom to coat the dish lightly. Then add a layer of 4 corn tortillas. Sprinkle with corn and beans and half the grated cheese and chicken. Spread with a bit more salsa. Then add another layer of corn tortillas with the remaining chicken, corn, and beans. Cover with salsa. Top with the remaining 4 tortillas, a thick layer of salsa, and the remaining cheese.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
It was very fast to assemble. I popped it in the oven and baked it for 40 minutes. It was very tasty and filling, and certainly a lot easier than making traditional enchiladas.
* I cooked some chicken breasts in salsa in the crockpot and shredded them, but you could use a rotisserie chicken or leftovers.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Lazy pizza crust
When I was growing up, my mom was very frugal and we didn't eat out or get tasty junk food very often. She did, however, keep the cupboard well stocked with the basics, and teach us how to make stuff from scratch. This is perhaps one reason that my brother and I ended up as foodies who cook.
Like most kids, we wanted pizza all the time, and often had friends over for dinner. Somewhere along the line the Biddy family pizza 'recipe' was created by my mom and I; I don't remember exactly but I think it happened around the time that Price Club opened up and giant blocks of mozzarella and bags of yeast could be be purchased cheaply. Anyway, the recipe is something like this. (Lest you think there's not enough detail, this is how we roll when my mom cooks.)
Mix some warm water, a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of yeast. Let the yeast get activated, add a splash of olive oil and a dash of salt and then mix in flour until the dough is the right consistency. Knead it briefly and let rise for 45 minutes or so. While you're waiting for it to rise, grate some cheese and make tomato sauce. Flatten it out and stick it on a big cookie sheet that was dusted with a bit of flour and cornmeal, and top with tomato sauce*, lots of cheese (whatever kind you have), and whatever else you have and bake.
It wasn't the least bit gourmet. No one would pick it over a good slice of NY-style thin crust or CA style wood-fired pizza, or even Dominos. But it was better than no pizza, and, after 25 years of independent pizza testing, I would still pick it over most deep-dish pizzas, frozen pizzas, things with store bought pizza dough and anything from Pizza Hut. What can I say - I was deprived of processed food as a child and really don't like the taste of preservatives and dough conditioners...
I'm not dieting this weekend and I got an urge for pizza. I tested out the Cook's Illustrated thin crust pizza recipe and found it to be complementary to the Biddy family non-recipe recipe. The CI recipe is essentially the same recipe except with actual amounts given and has a different type of rise...and a lot more attention to detail. It is mixed in the food processor and stored in the fridge for 1-3 days (it will rise then). When you want it, bring it out, let it sit for an hour at room temperature and then shape it. If you want to kick it Mama Biddy style and not wait a day, use more yeast, skip the fridge, let it rise and then shape it. I don't have a food processor, so I used my stand mixer. I also used part whole wheat flour, doubled the recipe and divided the dough into 4 portions. I put two of the dough balls in the freezer, one in the fridge for later, and baked one. It was very easy to shape and didn't stick to the pizza board. I topped it with proscuitto and red mini bell peppers slices.
Lazy pizza dough a la Old Biddy
(makes 2 13 inch thin crust pizzas, or one large cookie sheet thicker crust pizza)
3 cups flour (I used 1 c whole wheat and 2 c white, but use what you have and like)
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tsp sugar
1/2-1 tsp yeast (1 packet)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
Mix water, sugar and yeast and let stand for 10 minutes. Add salt and oil, and then add flour. If you're using a stand mixer, let it mix for 10 minutes while you go drink a beer. If you don't have a stand mixer, knead it for a few minutes.
Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge overnight. Divide dough in half, let it rest at room temperature for an hour, and then shape, add toppings and bake @ 500F. If you don't want to wait, skip the refrigeration step, let dough rise for an hour or so, and then shape and bake.
* biddy family style sauce - tomato sauce, dried oregano, and garlic powder.
Like most kids, we wanted pizza all the time, and often had friends over for dinner. Somewhere along the line the Biddy family pizza 'recipe' was created by my mom and I; I don't remember exactly but I think it happened around the time that Price Club opened up and giant blocks of mozzarella and bags of yeast could be be purchased cheaply. Anyway, the recipe is something like this. (Lest you think there's not enough detail, this is how we roll when my mom cooks.)
Mix some warm water, a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of yeast. Let the yeast get activated, add a splash of olive oil and a dash of salt and then mix in flour until the dough is the right consistency. Knead it briefly and let rise for 45 minutes or so. While you're waiting for it to rise, grate some cheese and make tomato sauce. Flatten it out and stick it on a big cookie sheet that was dusted with a bit of flour and cornmeal, and top with tomato sauce*, lots of cheese (whatever kind you have), and whatever else you have and bake.
It wasn't the least bit gourmet. No one would pick it over a good slice of NY-style thin crust or CA style wood-fired pizza, or even Dominos. But it was better than no pizza, and, after 25 years of independent pizza testing, I would still pick it over most deep-dish pizzas, frozen pizzas, things with store bought pizza dough and anything from Pizza Hut. What can I say - I was deprived of processed food as a child and really don't like the taste of preservatives and dough conditioners...
I'm not dieting this weekend and I got an urge for pizza. I tested out the Cook's Illustrated thin crust pizza recipe and found it to be complementary to the Biddy family non-recipe recipe. The CI recipe is essentially the same recipe except with actual amounts given and has a different type of rise...and a lot more attention to detail. It is mixed in the food processor and stored in the fridge for 1-3 days (it will rise then). When you want it, bring it out, let it sit for an hour at room temperature and then shape it. If you want to kick it Mama Biddy style and not wait a day, use more yeast, skip the fridge, let it rise and then shape it. I don't have a food processor, so I used my stand mixer. I also used part whole wheat flour, doubled the recipe and divided the dough into 4 portions. I put two of the dough balls in the freezer, one in the fridge for later, and baked one. It was very easy to shape and didn't stick to the pizza board. I topped it with proscuitto and red mini bell peppers slices.
Lazy pizza dough a la Old Biddy
(makes 2 13 inch thin crust pizzas, or one large cookie sheet thicker crust pizza)
3 cups flour (I used 1 c whole wheat and 2 c white, but use what you have and like)
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tsp sugar
1/2-1 tsp yeast (1 packet)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
Mix water, sugar and yeast and let stand for 10 minutes. Add salt and oil, and then add flour. If you're using a stand mixer, let it mix for 10 minutes while you go drink a beer. If you don't have a stand mixer, knead it for a few minutes.
Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge overnight. Divide dough in half, let it rest at room temperature for an hour, and then shape, add toppings and bake @ 500F. If you don't want to wait, skip the refrigeration step, let dough rise for an hour or so, and then shape and bake.
* biddy family style sauce - tomato sauce, dried oregano, and garlic powder.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Honey Badger Meets Chicken Marbella
Like the honey badger, I had never heard of chicken marbella until recently. Apparently, it was a staple at the Silver Palate restuarant in NYC, and it's the 30th anniversary of the publishing of their cookbook. As a result, I started hearing about it at the various cooking sites I frequent.
I'm pretty sure that I've never had it. If I did, I would remember it. Chicken is marinated overnight in a combination of vinegar, oil, garlic, prunes, capers, green olives, and oregano. It is then topped with brown sugar and white wine and baked. You had me at capers, prunes and olives. I saw a blog post over at Bloatal Recall (go there for pics and fun commentary), which convinced me to try it, but the reviews over at Epicurious are what convinced me it's a winner before I had even tried it. Like the honey badger, chicken marbella really don't care. Scale up the recipe, scale it down, use chicken legs, breasts, with or without bones or skin, cut it up or not, tweak the ingredients, marinate it one day, two days, or freeze it in the marinade. Chicken marbella don't give a shit. It's all good. I was impressed by the number of people who make this all the time, and who've made it for really huge parties and weddings. Numerous people said that it tastes even better after a day or two, which is key for me since I like to cook larger quantities and package it up for the week. The only key thing is to marinate for at least a day.
I used the following recipe (adapted from Bloatal Recall). I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and marinated for two days, since I got home too late to cook it last night.
CHICKEN MARBELLA
Yield: 6-8 servings
4-5 lbs of your favorite chicken (I used boneless skinless breasts)
1/2 head garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste ( you might want a tiny bit of salt, but I left it out.)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pitted prunes (a.k.a dried plums)
1/4 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar (use a 1/4 - 1/3 cup if you want it less sweet)
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley or cilantro (optional - I skipped it)
1. In a Ziplock bag, combine chicken, garlic, oregano, pepper and salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight. Rotate the bag and mix the ingredients a few times. It's more like a paste than a juicy marinade.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.
3. Bake until done, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when it hits an internal temperature of 165F and juices run clear rather than red when pricked. Mine took about 45 minutes.
4. Serve with sauce. Many reviewers recommended rice or something else to soak up the sauce.
OMG! This stuff is the bomb! Sweet, savory, salty, relatively diet-friendly, and easy to make. I'd cook it for my regular weekday dinners or even for a fancier occasion such as a date or a neighborhood party.
I'm pretty sure that I've never had it. If I did, I would remember it. Chicken is marinated overnight in a combination of vinegar, oil, garlic, prunes, capers, green olives, and oregano. It is then topped with brown sugar and white wine and baked. You had me at capers, prunes and olives. I saw a blog post over at Bloatal Recall (go there for pics and fun commentary), which convinced me to try it, but the reviews over at Epicurious are what convinced me it's a winner before I had even tried it. Like the honey badger, chicken marbella really don't care. Scale up the recipe, scale it down, use chicken legs, breasts, with or without bones or skin, cut it up or not, tweak the ingredients, marinate it one day, two days, or freeze it in the marinade. Chicken marbella don't give a shit. It's all good. I was impressed by the number of people who make this all the time, and who've made it for really huge parties and weddings. Numerous people said that it tastes even better after a day or two, which is key for me since I like to cook larger quantities and package it up for the week. The only key thing is to marinate for at least a day.
I used the following recipe (adapted from Bloatal Recall). I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and marinated for two days, since I got home too late to cook it last night.
CHICKEN MARBELLA
Yield: 6-8 servings
4-5 lbs of your favorite chicken (I used boneless skinless breasts)
1/2 head garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste ( you might want a tiny bit of salt, but I left it out.)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pitted prunes (a.k.a dried plums)
1/4 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar (use a 1/4 - 1/3 cup if you want it less sweet)
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley or cilantro (optional - I skipped it)
1. In a Ziplock bag, combine chicken, garlic, oregano, pepper and salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight. Rotate the bag and mix the ingredients a few times. It's more like a paste than a juicy marinade.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.
3. Bake until done, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when it hits an internal temperature of 165F and juices run clear rather than red when pricked. Mine took about 45 minutes.
4. Serve with sauce. Many reviewers recommended rice or something else to soak up the sauce.
OMG! This stuff is the bomb! Sweet, savory, salty, relatively diet-friendly, and easy to make. I'd cook it for my regular weekday dinners or even for a fancier occasion such as a date or a neighborhood party.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Carrot cake with coconut milk
Although I'm on a diet, I still bake occasionally. This week it was my turn to bring the birthday cake to group meeting. I asked the birthday boy if he had any requests, and he asked for carrot cake.
Carrot cake is not the most interesting thing to make, so I decided to mix it up a bit. I was inspired by my brother, who made mashed potatoes using coconut milk instead of milk + butter. I wondered if I could do the same with carrot cake. Sure enough, there were already some recipes online, including a relatively low fat one in which all of the oil is replaced by coconut milk, and a more traditional, high fat one in which some of the oil is replaced. I opted for the latter recipe.
As I learned when I was baking with heavy cream, the choice of fat has an effect on flavor and texture. Coconut oil is higher melting point than vegetable oil, so food baked with it will have a less greasy mouthfeel/texture. Normal carrot cake is made with only vegetable oil, which is a liquid at room temperature. The cake made with the mixture of oil and coconut milk was tender and less greasy than normal carrot cake. It had a very nice texture. I could smell the coconut when it was cooking but couldn't taste it in the final product. Even though I couldn't tell that it was coconut, the cake tasted somewhat different and better since the vegetable oil flavor was less pronounced.
The cats were a bit too interested in the coconut milk. Lucy got into it when I wasn't paying attention, and drank quite a bit of it. Fortunately, she didn't have any ill effects other than being completely lazy the rest of the evening.
Carrot cake is not the most interesting thing to make, so I decided to mix it up a bit. I was inspired by my brother, who made mashed potatoes using coconut milk instead of milk + butter. I wondered if I could do the same with carrot cake. Sure enough, there were already some recipes online, including a relatively low fat one in which all of the oil is replaced by coconut milk, and a more traditional, high fat one in which some of the oil is replaced. I opted for the latter recipe.
As I learned when I was baking with heavy cream, the choice of fat has an effect on flavor and texture. Coconut oil is higher melting point than vegetable oil, so food baked with it will have a less greasy mouthfeel/texture. Normal carrot cake is made with only vegetable oil, which is a liquid at room temperature. The cake made with the mixture of oil and coconut milk was tender and less greasy than normal carrot cake. It had a very nice texture. I could smell the coconut when it was cooking but couldn't taste it in the final product. Even though I couldn't tell that it was coconut, the cake tasted somewhat different and better since the vegetable oil flavor was less pronounced.
The cats were a bit too interested in the coconut milk. Lucy got into it when I wasn't paying attention, and drank quite a bit of it. Fortunately, she didn't have any ill effects other than being completely lazy the rest of the evening.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Dutch Oven Love: Braised Pork Chops with Apples, Rum and Cider
Back in the 80's, my mom picked up a bunch of Le Creuset cast iron pots at garage sales and proceeded to use them for almost everything, with the significant exception of everything else that was cooked in her electric skillets. My brother and I weren't foodies back then so we just thought these were very heavy, useful orange pots, rather than heavy, useful, and very expensive orange pots. Once we were adults we realized that they were expensive, and my mom was probably benefiting from peoples' wedding gifts that sat unused.
Around this time, everyone else realized that they were expensive, too, so my mom was not able to find any at garage sales for many years. Eventually I realized that I was just going to have to spend the money and buy new ones. By this time it was possible to find knock-offs at Costco, Sam's Club, etc. I bought a medium and a large round "french oven".
Naturally, once I had purchased mine, and moved across country, then my mom began to find them at garage sales again. She found a 9 1/2 quart (e.g. massive) dutch oven and a 5 quart "buffet casserole" (low pan with lid). They weren't officially part of my Christmas present, but I was more excited about them than anything else. She mailed them to me and they showed up this week. (The last part of the trifecta is a massive porcelain casserole dish from Williams Sonoma. It's still in transit.)
It is rather unfortunate that they showed up now that I am on a diet. Nonetheless, I can still find plenty of uses for them. Since I've never had a nice oven safe low pan with a cover, I tested that first.
I pulled out some center cut pork chops from the freezer and looked to see what else I had in the house that wasn't too fattening. The pork chops were boneless, center cut ones and had no visible fat. I'm sure I would've turned them into leather with any other cooking method, since that's what often happens when I cook pork. I used a recipe for braised pork cops with apples that I adapted slightly.
BRAISED PORK CHOPS W/ APPLES (and rum, and hard cider)
Serving Size= 4-6. Active time= about 10 minutes. Braise time= 15 minutes.
* 1 tbsp unsalted butter
* olive oil
* 4 thick cut pork chops (I used center cut ones. I'm sure it would be tastier with bone in ones)
* 2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon cumin powder
* salt/ pepper
* 5 apples, sliced into wedges
* 3/4 cup dark rum
* 1/2 cup hard cider (the recipe called for regular cider, but this is what I had)
1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) In a deep oven-safe pan (or dutch oven) over high heat, warm butter and olive oil (to barely coat bottom of pan).
3) While pan is warming, prepare the pork chops: Wash and fully dry the meat. Coat evenly on both sides with cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper. Carefully place meat in pan and sear both sides until thoroughly browned; about 4 minutes each side. This seals in the pork chop juices and allows you to properly continue the braising. Do not be afraid to really brown the chops in this step.
4) Remove the pork chops from pan and reduce heat to medium. Deglaze by adding rum and scraping bits that have stuck to the pan up and into the rum. Add cider and apples. Braise the apple wedges in the juices until they are limp and have absorbed some juice; about 4 minutes.
5) Return pork chops to pan and move apples around the meat to cover sides and top (some may remain under the chops).
6) Cover pan and place in oven for 10-15 minutes until pork chops are juicy and succulent and liquid has reduced and holds a sweet, thick aroma. Serve with the apples crowning the meat and the sauce all around.
Anyway, I must say that this is a definite winner, and I'm not just saying it because I'm on a diet and everything tastes good. I'm also not just saying it because it's cold and snowy out and I was craving something warm and flavorful after a week of salads and cottage cheese, or because they have rum and hard cider in them. These really were a winner. Despite the questionable choice of boneless, lean pork, they were moist and relatively tender, perfectly done, and had great flavor from the apples and cinnamon. I used less fat than it suggested (maybe 1.5 tsp total) but that was almost too lean. Most of the alcohol boiled off during the braising so it didn't taste boozy. When I make them again I will probably use a bit more butter and add a bit of salt prior to putting it in the oven. If you're an onion fan, you could add a sliced onion in along with the apples. Or you could add a little bit of bacon. I'm sure that would be epic.
I served them with some quinoa. The original recipe suggested pairing it with polenta, which would probably be even better, but the quinoa was ok too.
Around this time, everyone else realized that they were expensive, too, so my mom was not able to find any at garage sales for many years. Eventually I realized that I was just going to have to spend the money and buy new ones. By this time it was possible to find knock-offs at Costco, Sam's Club, etc. I bought a medium and a large round "french oven".
Naturally, once I had purchased mine, and moved across country, then my mom began to find them at garage sales again. She found a 9 1/2 quart (e.g. massive) dutch oven and a 5 quart "buffet casserole" (low pan with lid). They weren't officially part of my Christmas present, but I was more excited about them than anything else. She mailed them to me and they showed up this week. (The last part of the trifecta is a massive porcelain casserole dish from Williams Sonoma. It's still in transit.)
It is rather unfortunate that they showed up now that I am on a diet. Nonetheless, I can still find plenty of uses for them. Since I've never had a nice oven safe low pan with a cover, I tested that first.
I pulled out some center cut pork chops from the freezer and looked to see what else I had in the house that wasn't too fattening. The pork chops were boneless, center cut ones and had no visible fat. I'm sure I would've turned them into leather with any other cooking method, since that's what often happens when I cook pork. I used a recipe for braised pork cops with apples that I adapted slightly.
BRAISED PORK CHOPS W/ APPLES (and rum, and hard cider)
Serving Size= 4-6. Active time= about 10 minutes. Braise time= 15 minutes.
* 1 tbsp unsalted butter
* olive oil
* 4 thick cut pork chops (I used center cut ones. I'm sure it would be tastier with bone in ones)
* 2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon cumin powder
* salt/ pepper
* 5 apples, sliced into wedges
* 3/4 cup dark rum
* 1/2 cup hard cider (the recipe called for regular cider, but this is what I had)
1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) In a deep oven-safe pan (or dutch oven) over high heat, warm butter and olive oil (to barely coat bottom of pan).
3) While pan is warming, prepare the pork chops: Wash and fully dry the meat. Coat evenly on both sides with cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper. Carefully place meat in pan and sear both sides until thoroughly browned; about 4 minutes each side. This seals in the pork chop juices and allows you to properly continue the braising. Do not be afraid to really brown the chops in this step.
4) Remove the pork chops from pan and reduce heat to medium. Deglaze by adding rum and scraping bits that have stuck to the pan up and into the rum. Add cider and apples. Braise the apple wedges in the juices until they are limp and have absorbed some juice; about 4 minutes.
5) Return pork chops to pan and move apples around the meat to cover sides and top (some may remain under the chops).
6) Cover pan and place in oven for 10-15 minutes until pork chops are juicy and succulent and liquid has reduced and holds a sweet, thick aroma. Serve with the apples crowning the meat and the sauce all around.
Anyway, I must say that this is a definite winner, and I'm not just saying it because I'm on a diet and everything tastes good. I'm also not just saying it because it's cold and snowy out and I was craving something warm and flavorful after a week of salads and cottage cheese, or because they have rum and hard cider in them. These really were a winner. Despite the questionable choice of boneless, lean pork, they were moist and relatively tender, perfectly done, and had great flavor from the apples and cinnamon. I used less fat than it suggested (maybe 1.5 tsp total) but that was almost too lean. Most of the alcohol boiled off during the braising so it didn't taste boozy. When I make them again I will probably use a bit more butter and add a bit of salt prior to putting it in the oven. If you're an onion fan, you could add a sliced onion in along with the apples. Or you could add a little bit of bacon. I'm sure that would be epic.
I served them with some quinoa. The original recipe suggested pairing it with polenta, which would probably be even better, but the quinoa was ok too.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Beet Craving
When I was a kid, my mom used to keep canned beets in the cupboard. Ever so often, usually at night, she would announce that she had a beet craving and open a can and chow down. I have no clue why she'd get beet cravings - perhaps a mineral deficiency? I can't say I get cravings for canned beets, but I do take after my mom and like beets.
There are several simple and foolproof ways that I prepare them.
Easy pickled beets
Peel beets and slice in half. Set them flat side down on the cutting board and cut them into very thin slices. Add balsamic vinegar and stir so that all the beets are coated. Store in fridge at least a day. Stir once or twice if you remember. The beets will tenderize up a bit. They are tasty by themselves or on top of a salad. Drizzle some of the beet flavored vinegar over the salad for added tastiness
Roasted beets
I never made these until last night. They're actually very easy. Wash beets well and trim off all but an inch or so of the greens. Place beets on a piece of foil and seal it up into a packet. Stick it on a cookie sheet and roast them in a 400F oven until they are tender - maybe an hour or so, depending on the size of the beet. Allow to cool and then remove skins (you may want to use a paper towel to do this so you don't stain you fingers.) Eat them as is, use them in salads or serve with flavorings of your choice.
There are several simple and foolproof ways that I prepare them.
Easy pickled beets
Peel beets and slice in half. Set them flat side down on the cutting board and cut them into very thin slices. Add balsamic vinegar and stir so that all the beets are coated. Store in fridge at least a day. Stir once or twice if you remember. The beets will tenderize up a bit. They are tasty by themselves or on top of a salad. Drizzle some of the beet flavored vinegar over the salad for added tastiness
Roasted beets
I never made these until last night. They're actually very easy. Wash beets well and trim off all but an inch or so of the greens. Place beets on a piece of foil and seal it up into a packet. Stick it on a cookie sheet and roast them in a 400F oven until they are tender - maybe an hour or so, depending on the size of the beet. Allow to cool and then remove skins (you may want to use a paper towel to do this so you don't stain you fingers.) Eat them as is, use them in salads or serve with flavorings of your choice.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Lemon, and Garlic
I originally wasn't going to blog about this recipe, since it's pretty simple and straight out of the Foodie, Formerly Fat cooking blog. It's one of those alchemical recipes in which the final dish is a lot greater than the sum of its parts. Garlic and cherry tomatoes are sauteed, and then broth, lemon juice, and basil are added. The sauce is then mixed with linguine. It was originally from a diet cookbook, but trust me - I will never make it when I am seriously dieting, because I can't stop eating it. There's something about the lemon that really makes it taste great. Anyway, without further ado, here's the recipe. I upped the amount of tomatoes and basil and decreased the amount of pasta relative to the amounts given here. If I am unable to resist its charms while I am on a diet, I will cook precisely one serving of pasta and mix it with the entire amount of the sauce, or have lots of dinner guests so that there are no leftovers.
Without further ado, here's the recipe. There are some nice pictures on the link if you are so inclined.
Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Lemon, and Garlic
1 lb of linguine
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
Juice of one lemon
1 lb cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes), halved
3/4 cup fresh basil
Instructions
Turn on the heat under a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, in a frying pan heat the oil, the garlic (crushed and minced), and the tomatoes. Saute gently over medium heat. When the pasta is just about halfway cooked, squeeze the lemon juice into the frying pan, add in the broth, and then toss in the basil. Stir to combine.
Under-cook the pasta just a tiny bit and toss it into the frying pan and allow it to soak up the liquid in the pan.
Serve hot with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Without further ado, here's the recipe. There are some nice pictures on the link if you are so inclined.
Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Lemon, and Garlic
1 lb of linguine
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
Juice of one lemon
1 lb cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes), halved
3/4 cup fresh basil
Instructions
Turn on the heat under a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, in a frying pan heat the oil, the garlic (crushed and minced), and the tomatoes. Saute gently over medium heat. When the pasta is just about halfway cooked, squeeze the lemon juice into the frying pan, add in the broth, and then toss in the basil. Stir to combine.
Under-cook the pasta just a tiny bit and toss it into the frying pan and allow it to soak up the liquid in the pan.
Serve hot with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Heavy Cream Two-fer: Chocolate Chip Scones and Cream Cake
One thing that's nice about living in upstate NY is that milk and cream are a lot cheaper than in CA. A gallon of milk is around $2. A quart container of heavy cream is $3.50-$4.00. I don't buy it often, but decided to get some for baking.
Biscuits and scones can be made with a mix of cream and butter, rather than all butter. This seems to be common in older recipes. I've never tried this before but now that I can get cream cheaply I decided to try it. I made some scones using a recipe from my favorite cookbook.
Chocolate Chip Cream Scones
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp cold butter
1/2 c chocolate chips (or currants, raisins, crystallized ginger, or blueberries)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425F
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add butter and cut into small pieces (the size of a pea or smaller). Add chocolate chips (or other chunky ingredients) and then add egg and cream. Mix until barely blended, and then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it briefly until it just starts to for, a rough ball. Shape it into a ball. At this point you can roll it out and cut it, but it is easier to just put it in a greased round pie or cake pan, flatten it out, and then cut it into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to a cookie and bake until golden, about 25 minutes.
The scones came out well. They were tender, flaky, and had a delicate flavor. Were they better than scones made with butter? Not really, but they were just as good. I felt like they stayed fresh a bit longer, but that might've also been due to the egg.
I liked the recipe better because I found the slightly wetter dough to be easier to work with. As some of you know, I'm not all that good at making biscuits, pie crusts, etc, because Idid not grow up in the South did not grow up eating them because my mom also lacks the biscuit gene. Any tricks to make the process easier are fine by me.
The second recipe I tried was a simple cake. Unlike the scone recipe, this one uses no butter at all. Eggs are beaten, sugar and vanilla are added, and then the dry ingredients and cream are added in portions, alternating between dry and wet. I followed the recipe, except that I added extra vanilla and about a teaspoon of almond extract. I also ran out of flour, so I was a little bit short on that.
The cake puffed up nicely and turned golden, but then deflated when I took it out of the oven. I suspect that the right amount of flour would help. Anyway, OM NOM NOM! I didn't share the first cake with the grad students. It's more like a pound cake than a typical layer cake, and is kind of dense, but it's nice and moist and has a very pure, clean flavor. It was even better the next day. It would be absolutely divine with strawberries and whipped cream.
I made the cake again. This time I doubled the recipe, used the proper amount of flour, and sprinkled slivered almonds on top. It did not deflate this time, and was a lot lighter, more like a traditional cake, but was slightly drier. I may lower the amount slightly the next time I make it. The almonds tasted really good on top. This time I shared it with the students.
This experiment reminded me that in baked goods, butter does impart a flavor, and at times this may detract or distract from the flavor of the item. In addition, extra eggs are often added to provide moisture and emulsifiers, and they too impart a flavor. It reminded me of when I was a little kid - I didn't like anything that was too eggy and buttery (I hated pound cake, believe it or not.) I will definitely try more cream-based baking in the future.
Biscuits and scones can be made with a mix of cream and butter, rather than all butter. This seems to be common in older recipes. I've never tried this before but now that I can get cream cheaply I decided to try it. I made some scones using a recipe from my favorite cookbook.
Chocolate Chip Cream Scones
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp cold butter
1/2 c chocolate chips (or currants, raisins, crystallized ginger, or blueberries)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425F
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add butter and cut into small pieces (the size of a pea or smaller). Add chocolate chips (or other chunky ingredients) and then add egg and cream. Mix until barely blended, and then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it briefly until it just starts to for, a rough ball. Shape it into a ball. At this point you can roll it out and cut it, but it is easier to just put it in a greased round pie or cake pan, flatten it out, and then cut it into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to a cookie and bake until golden, about 25 minutes.
The scones came out well. They were tender, flaky, and had a delicate flavor. Were they better than scones made with butter? Not really, but they were just as good. I felt like they stayed fresh a bit longer, but that might've also been due to the egg.
I liked the recipe better because I found the slightly wetter dough to be easier to work with. As some of you know, I'm not all that good at making biscuits, pie crusts, etc, because I
The second recipe I tried was a simple cake. Unlike the scone recipe, this one uses no butter at all. Eggs are beaten, sugar and vanilla are added, and then the dry ingredients and cream are added in portions, alternating between dry and wet. I followed the recipe, except that I added extra vanilla and about a teaspoon of almond extract. I also ran out of flour, so I was a little bit short on that.
The cake puffed up nicely and turned golden, but then deflated when I took it out of the oven. I suspect that the right amount of flour would help. Anyway, OM NOM NOM! I didn't share the first cake with the grad students. It's more like a pound cake than a typical layer cake, and is kind of dense, but it's nice and moist and has a very pure, clean flavor. It was even better the next day. It would be absolutely divine with strawberries and whipped cream.
I made the cake again. This time I doubled the recipe, used the proper amount of flour, and sprinkled slivered almonds on top. It did not deflate this time, and was a lot lighter, more like a traditional cake, but was slightly drier. I may lower the amount slightly the next time I make it. The almonds tasted really good on top. This time I shared it with the students.
This experiment reminded me that in baked goods, butter does impart a flavor, and at times this may detract or distract from the flavor of the item. In addition, extra eggs are often added to provide moisture and emulsifiers, and they too impart a flavor. It reminded me of when I was a little kid - I didn't like anything that was too eggy and buttery (I hated pound cake, believe it or not.) I will definitely try more cream-based baking in the future.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Remnants of Lee Twofer: Chocolate Chip Coffeecake and Rice Pudding
On Wednesday afternoon and evening we got hit with the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. It wasn't too bad here in Ithaca - there was flooding in the low-lying areas, and Cornell was closed on Thursday morning, but we got off really lightly compared to surrounding areas.
Anyway, it was dumping rain when I went home Wednesday night, and my fridge/freezer/cupboards were abnormally empty. Having a sore back for a week and a half folllowed by a trip to CA apparently had cut into my grocery shopping. I opted to go right home instead of going to Wegman's, since that area seems to flood.
Rainy or cold weather makes me want to cook, so I decided to bake a chocolate chip coffeecake for the students. I had in mind something like the Hobee's blueberry coffeecake, but with chocolate chips. I used a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. It was pretty simple - a sour creme coffeecake batter is layed with a mix of chocolate chips, sugar, and a bit of cinnamon. I was lazy and didn't separate the eggs, but other than that I followed the recipe.
It came out pretty well. My sense of taste is off due to a cold, and perhaps I was still imagining the really cinnamony Hobee's coffee cake, so it seemed chocolately but somewhat bland to me. If I make it again I'll add a lot more cinnamon. The students really liked it. They're an easy crowd, but this was definitely above-average to them. When I bake with chocolate I don't always share with them, so perhaps that is the reason for the compliments.
I also made some diet rice pudding. This one is a winner, even to my malfunctioning taste buds. It assumes you don't have any leftover rice on hand. (I rarely do since I don't cook it often) If you do use leftovers, skip right to the second step.) Here's the recipe, adapted from one I found on the internet.
Old Biddy's Diet Rice Pudding
1/2 cup short grain rice
2 cups water
2 cups milk
Splenda and vanilla (to taste)*
Raisins (optional)
Cook rice in water until all water is absorbed. Add milk and simmer on low heat until thick (about 30 minutes) (If you're going to use sugar and/or raisins, add it with the milk)*. Stir occasionally. Transfer to bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. Add in Splenda and vanilla.
Mmmm mmm mmm - so creamy! The texture is great. I'm not crazy about the artificial sweetener, though. Even so, it didn't last long. When I make it again I'm just going to use an absolute minimum of sugar. Continuing on the more spice theme, I'll probably add come spices (cinnamon + nutmeg, or throw a chai teabag in there while it cooks)
* I think that 1/3 to 1/2 cups sugar ought to be about right if you are going to use sugar rather than splenda.
Anyway, it was dumping rain when I went home Wednesday night, and my fridge/freezer/cupboards were abnormally empty. Having a sore back for a week and a half folllowed by a trip to CA apparently had cut into my grocery shopping. I opted to go right home instead of going to Wegman's, since that area seems to flood.
Rainy or cold weather makes me want to cook, so I decided to bake a chocolate chip coffeecake for the students. I had in mind something like the Hobee's blueberry coffeecake, but with chocolate chips. I used a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. It was pretty simple - a sour creme coffeecake batter is layed with a mix of chocolate chips, sugar, and a bit of cinnamon. I was lazy and didn't separate the eggs, but other than that I followed the recipe.
It came out pretty well. My sense of taste is off due to a cold, and perhaps I was still imagining the really cinnamony Hobee's coffee cake, so it seemed chocolately but somewhat bland to me. If I make it again I'll add a lot more cinnamon. The students really liked it. They're an easy crowd, but this was definitely above-average to them. When I bake with chocolate I don't always share with them, so perhaps that is the reason for the compliments.
I also made some diet rice pudding. This one is a winner, even to my malfunctioning taste buds. It assumes you don't have any leftover rice on hand. (I rarely do since I don't cook it often) If you do use leftovers, skip right to the second step.) Here's the recipe, adapted from one I found on the internet.
Old Biddy's Diet Rice Pudding
1/2 cup short grain rice
2 cups water
2 cups milk
Splenda and vanilla (to taste)*
Raisins (optional)
Cook rice in water until all water is absorbed. Add milk and simmer on low heat until thick (about 30 minutes) (If you're going to use sugar and/or raisins, add it with the milk)*. Stir occasionally. Transfer to bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. Add in Splenda and vanilla.
Mmmm mmm mmm - so creamy! The texture is great. I'm not crazy about the artificial sweetener, though. Even so, it didn't last long. When I make it again I'm just going to use an absolute minimum of sugar. Continuing on the more spice theme, I'll probably add come spices (cinnamon + nutmeg, or throw a chai teabag in there while it cooks)
* I think that 1/3 to 1/2 cups sugar ought to be about right if you are going to use sugar rather than splenda.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Hella easy crock pot burrito chicken
Today's recipe is that much sought after but rarely achieved combination of extremely easy, healthy, cheap and tasty. I've made it twice in the last few weeks. It comes out a lot more tender in the crockpot than when I've cooked it on the stovetop. It's good in burritos or by itself with a side of beans or rice.
Crock pot salsa chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 jar of your favorite salsa (I like the green kind)
any other seasonings you want
Cut chicken into large chunks. Put in crockpot. Add salsa.* Cook for about 4 hours or until chicken is soft and cooked though. It will be almost pull-apart tender.
Makes about 4-5 servings. Keeps well for tasty leftovers.
You don't need to cover the chicken with salsa - it will be too watery if you do. It's not a problem if it is, but I'd rather save some of the salsa for the burritos.
Crock pot salsa chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 jar of your favorite salsa (I like the green kind)
any other seasonings you want
Cut chicken into large chunks. Put in crockpot. Add salsa.* Cook for about 4 hours or until chicken is soft and cooked though. It will be almost pull-apart tender.
Makes about 4-5 servings. Keeps well for tasty leftovers.
You don't need to cover the chicken with salsa - it will be too watery if you do. It's not a problem if it is, but I'd rather save some of the salsa for the burritos.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Better living through chemistry: corked wine edition
What to do about wine that had got that musty bad cork odor? In the Old Biddy household, this is rarely a problem, since I only drink box wine and wine with screwcaps, and even when I don't, the quality control on "Two Buck Chuck" is pretty good, at least with regards to the cork problem.
However, if by chance you have a pricy bottle of wine that has gotten corked but you really want to get your drink on instead of returning it to the store, you can take advantage of some simple chemistry.
Take about a square foot of saran wrap and ball it up. Shove it down into the wine bottle. Let it sit for a while while you drink a different bottle of wine. The saran wrap is polyethylene, which is got a huge affinity for trichloroanisole, which is what causes the corky smell/flavor. The trichloroanisole will get absorbed into the polyethylene. Then, pour the wine out and drink it. It may not be perfect, but it will usually taste a lot better, especially since you've already started drinking.
I like this trick, mainly because for a large part of my career I have been making polyolefins such as polyethylene, and spend a lot of time thinking about them.
However, if by chance you have a pricy bottle of wine that has gotten corked but you really want to get your drink on instead of returning it to the store, you can take advantage of some simple chemistry.
Take about a square foot of saran wrap and ball it up. Shove it down into the wine bottle. Let it sit for a while while you drink a different bottle of wine. The saran wrap is polyethylene, which is got a huge affinity for trichloroanisole, which is what causes the corky smell/flavor. The trichloroanisole will get absorbed into the polyethylene. Then, pour the wine out and drink it. It may not be perfect, but it will usually taste a lot better, especially since you've already started drinking.
I like this trick, mainly because for a large part of my career I have been making polyolefins such as polyethylene, and spend a lot of time thinking about them.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Recipe Geek: Lemon Bars
My poor lemon tree at my CA house toppled over and had to be put out of its misery. My mom boxed up some of the lemons and sent them to me.
For those of you in the know, they're Meyer lemons, which grow well in CA and are a bit fruitier and less sour than standard lemons. According to wikipedia, they're a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. To me, they're just lemons and the grocery store breed is the outlier, just like Florida oranges taste strange to me since I am used to navel oranges. Anyway, hoity toity gourmets discovered Meyer lemons 10 or 15 years ago and now they're trendy.
Anyway, I had a drawer full of lemons in my fridge. I decided to make lemon bars. I made a batch for the students, and then made a second batch* last night for today's neighborhood party. I used the recipe over at Smitten Kitchen, and used an intermediate amount of lemon filling.
As always, the recipes on smitten kitchen tend to be on the sweet side, and these were no exception. They came out well and weren't overly gloppy like a lot of lemon bars. However, it is important not to bake them too long. The first batch came out nearly perfect, whereas the second batch was slightly overdone. Nonetheless, the recipe is easy and achieves the goal of a lemon layer on top of a buttery shortbread layer, but isn't too fussy in terms of the preparation.
*In a recipe geek first, I made a recipe twice before posting. Don't get too used to it, though.
For those of you in the know, they're Meyer lemons, which grow well in CA and are a bit fruitier and less sour than standard lemons. According to wikipedia, they're a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. To me, they're just lemons and the grocery store breed is the outlier, just like Florida oranges taste strange to me since I am used to navel oranges. Anyway, hoity toity gourmets discovered Meyer lemons 10 or 15 years ago and now they're trendy.
Anyway, I had a drawer full of lemons in my fridge. I decided to make lemon bars. I made a batch for the students, and then made a second batch* last night for today's neighborhood party. I used the recipe over at Smitten Kitchen, and used an intermediate amount of lemon filling.
As always, the recipes on smitten kitchen tend to be on the sweet side, and these were no exception. They came out well and weren't overly gloppy like a lot of lemon bars. However, it is important not to bake them too long. The first batch came out nearly perfect, whereas the second batch was slightly overdone. Nonetheless, the recipe is easy and achieves the goal of a lemon layer on top of a buttery shortbread layer, but isn't too fussy in terms of the preparation.
*In a recipe geek first, I made a recipe twice before posting. Don't get too used to it, though.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Rhubarb Extravaganza: Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
I still had a lot of rhubarb left, even after I froze 5 lbs of it. Tonight I made a crumble, using a recipe I adapted from my new Ithaca Farmer's Market Cookbook. For the record, none of the ingredients actually came from the Farmer's Market - it's still too early for strawberries here, the rhubarb was from the roadside stand, and the lemon came from my sadly departed California lemon tree, which toppled over last week and my mom sent me some of the lemons.
Anyway, here's the recipe as I made it.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
3 cups quartered strawberries
3 cups diced rhubarb
3/4 c sugar
dash of cinnamon
zest of 1 lemon
combine and spread on a cookie sheet or glass casserole dish. Heat oven to 350F
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
combine butter and dry ingredients. Rub butter pieces between your fingers until they are very small and are well incorporated into the flour mix. Spread over fruit mixture. Bake at 350F for an hour or until fruit is bubbly.
Mmm. This is definitely my favorite use of rhubarb so far. The house smelled great while it was baking and it was quite tasty, especially when warm. It would've been even better with some ice cream. The crumble didn't solidify quite the way I expected - I'm not sure if I should've mixed it in more with the fruit, or use a different recipe. In any case, this was more of a texture than a taste issue.
Anyway, here's the recipe as I made it.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
3 cups quartered strawberries
3 cups diced rhubarb
3/4 c sugar
dash of cinnamon
zest of 1 lemon
combine and spread on a cookie sheet or glass casserole dish. Heat oven to 350F
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
combine butter and dry ingredients. Rub butter pieces between your fingers until they are very small and are well incorporated into the flour mix. Spread over fruit mixture. Bake at 350F for an hour or until fruit is bubbly.
Mmm. This is definitely my favorite use of rhubarb so far. The house smelled great while it was baking and it was quite tasty, especially when warm. It would've been even better with some ice cream. The crumble didn't solidify quite the way I expected - I'm not sure if I should've mixed it in more with the fruit, or use a different recipe. In any case, this was more of a texture than a taste issue.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Recipe Geek: the Ithaca Tornado
Last summer my neighbors introduced me to a drink called the "Dark and Stormy". It's ginger beer with some rum and a garnish of crystalized ginger. If you don't have ginger beer, you can also use ginger ale. It's pure, clear-your-sinuses gingery goodness.
I bought some ginger liqueur the other day and did a head to head comparison of the standard Dark and Stormy with the same drink using ginger liqueur rather than rum. I then retired to my back porch to sit in my old biddy rocking chair at dusk and drink my concoctions. I saw a bat, and some of the first fireflies of the summer.
The ginger liqueur won out hands down, since it upped the ginger content to awe-inspiring levels and was sweeeter. So, here it is, named after both the Dark and Stormy and the tornado that touched down across the street from my house.
the Ithaca Tornado
Ginger beer or ginger ale
Ginger liqueur (to taste - I use one or two shots for a 12 oz bottle of soda)
Ice
Crystallized ginger
Mix soda, ginger liqueur and ice together. Garnish glass with slice of crystallized ginger. Sit outside and enjoy.
I bought some ginger liqueur the other day and did a head to head comparison of the standard Dark and Stormy with the same drink using ginger liqueur rather than rum. I then retired to my back porch to sit in my old biddy rocking chair at dusk and drink my concoctions. I saw a bat, and some of the first fireflies of the summer.
The ginger liqueur won out hands down, since it upped the ginger content to awe-inspiring levels and was sweeeter. So, here it is, named after both the Dark and Stormy and the tornado that touched down across the street from my house.
the Ithaca Tornado
Ginger beer or ginger ale
Ginger liqueur (to taste - I use one or two shots for a 12 oz bottle of soda)
Ice
Crystallized ginger
Mix soda, ginger liqueur and ice together. Garnish glass with slice of crystallized ginger. Sit outside and enjoy.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Rhubarb Extravaganza, Part 2: Old Biddy Rhubarb Cake
The rhubarb fest continues. I bought 2 more bunches of rhubarb on the way back from the airport. Tonight I made a rhubarb coffee cake that I found at allrecipes.com. I'm changing the name, though. The style of cake, although not common in modern American recipes, is well known to me since it is identical to the world-famous Mama Biddy Apple cake = thick cake batter + lots of chopped apples + streusel. My mom used to make it, or had me make it, when she had a lot of apples that she needed to get rid of.
Old Biddy Ruhubarb Cake
Ingredients
* 1 cups white sugar
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup sour cream
* 4 cups diced rhubarb
* 1 tsp vanilla
Streusel
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, salt and 2 cups flour. Stir in the eggs and sour cream until smooth, then fold in the rhubarb. Pour into the prepared dish and spread evenly. In a smaller bowl, stir together the remaining 1 cup brown sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake then dust lightly with cinnamon (optional).
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
The recipe was easy to make and baked up exactly as described. I forgot the cinnamon, unfortunately, but it was fine without it. Anyway, it was a moist, almost gooey coffee cake style cake, but wasn't too rich. In taste and in spirit it was very similar to Mama Biddy's Apple Cake. I took it into work, where the grad students polished it off.
Next up: strawberry rhubarb crumble recipe from the new Ithaca Farmers' Market Cookbook.
Old Biddy Ruhubarb Cake
Ingredients
* 1 cups white sugar
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup sour cream
* 4 cups diced rhubarb
* 1 tsp vanilla
Streusel
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, salt and 2 cups flour. Stir in the eggs and sour cream until smooth, then fold in the rhubarb. Pour into the prepared dish and spread evenly. In a smaller bowl, stir together the remaining 1 cup brown sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake then dust lightly with cinnamon (optional).
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
The recipe was easy to make and baked up exactly as described. I forgot the cinnamon, unfortunately, but it was fine without it. Anyway, it was a moist, almost gooey coffee cake style cake, but wasn't too rich. In taste and in spirit it was very similar to Mama Biddy's Apple Cake. I took it into work, where the grad students polished it off.
Next up: strawberry rhubarb crumble recipe from the new Ithaca Farmers' Market Cookbook.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Rhubarb Extravaganza, Part 1: Basic Stewed Rhubarb with Lemon and Crystallized Ginger
Yes, it's true. I like old fashioned produce like rutabagas, parsnips, and rhubarb. Now, how does a California girl acquire a taste for those things? Well, my mom is the queen of weird midwestern produce and I picked that habit up from her.
Anyway, it's rhubarb season here in CNY. I saw some a few weeks ago at the farmer's market, but it was $5/lb so I didn't get any. Inspired by this, I bought some plants the next day, but I don't think they'll produce much this year. However, this weekend I noticed a roadside stand outside of Ithaca. It was $3/bunch and you paid on the honor system. I bought two bunches, which was about 6 lbs.
For my first attempt at cooking rhubarb, I made some simple stewed rhubard like my mom used to make. I jazzed it up with some lemon zest and chopped up crystallized ginger.
It tasted just like I remember, except for the addition of the ginger. It also looked like gelatinous vomit, which is also exactly how it's supposed to look. I'll spare you a picture of it. Since it is in many ways similar to cranberry sauce, I served it with some grilled chicken. It was a tasty side dish, but the leftovers will also be good on its own for dessert or with some yogurt for breakfast. If I were paying $5/lb for it, I'd save it for "value-added" dishes like pies or cakes which don't need as much, but for $1/lb I wanted to take a trip down memory lane.
Anyway, here's the recipe.
Stewed Rhubarb with Lemon Zest and Crystallized Ginger
2 1/2 lbs rhubarb, washed and cut into 1" slices
1 cup sugar (or to taste. Next time I'll use less and/or substitute Splenda)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs water (the rhubarb will sweat a lot so it you don't need to add much liquid.)
2 tbs crystallized ginger, diced. (optional)
In a big pot, cook the rhubarb until it is soft and stringy and the mixture has thickened. Cool and enjoy.
Stay tuned for the next installment of rhubarb extravaganza, where I will make a rhubarb cake or some muffins, or maybe even combine it with some strawberries.
For everything you ever wanted to know about rhubarb and more, go to The Rhubarb Compendium.
Anyway, it's rhubarb season here in CNY. I saw some a few weeks ago at the farmer's market, but it was $5/lb so I didn't get any. Inspired by this, I bought some plants the next day, but I don't think they'll produce much this year. However, this weekend I noticed a roadside stand outside of Ithaca. It was $3/bunch and you paid on the honor system. I bought two bunches, which was about 6 lbs.
For my first attempt at cooking rhubarb, I made some simple stewed rhubard like my mom used to make. I jazzed it up with some lemon zest and chopped up crystallized ginger.
It tasted just like I remember, except for the addition of the ginger. It also looked like gelatinous vomit, which is also exactly how it's supposed to look. I'll spare you a picture of it. Since it is in many ways similar to cranberry sauce, I served it with some grilled chicken. It was a tasty side dish, but the leftovers will also be good on its own for dessert or with some yogurt for breakfast. If I were paying $5/lb for it, I'd save it for "value-added" dishes like pies or cakes which don't need as much, but for $1/lb I wanted to take a trip down memory lane.
Anyway, here's the recipe.
Stewed Rhubarb with Lemon Zest and Crystallized Ginger
2 1/2 lbs rhubarb, washed and cut into 1" slices
1 cup sugar (or to taste. Next time I'll use less and/or substitute Splenda)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs water (the rhubarb will sweat a lot so it you don't need to add much liquid.)
2 tbs crystallized ginger, diced. (optional)
In a big pot, cook the rhubarb until it is soft and stringy and the mixture has thickened. Cool and enjoy.
Stay tuned for the next installment of rhubarb extravaganza, where I will make a rhubarb cake or some muffins, or maybe even combine it with some strawberries.
For everything you ever wanted to know about rhubarb and more, go to The Rhubarb Compendium.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Kale with Walnuts and Sausage
Kale is omnipresent in Ithaca. I think it is one of the few things that grows really well here. While it is considered an early spring vegetable in most areas, it must like the cool and cloudy Ithaca weather. It's the first green vegetable ready in the spring and one of the last ones still available in the fall. People who get a CSA produce box each week get very tired of kale since there's always a huge bunch every week.
I went to the farmer's market today. It just reopened for the season and there isn't much produce yet. I saw beets, onions, potatoes, carrots, a few greens, and, of course, kale. I bought a bag of baby kale.
I'm not hugely experienced with it. It's an odd green. It has a lot of chlorophyll and wil leave your dishwater very green. One serving will also provide you with 1300% of the RDA of vitamin K, and it is considered one of the detoxifying foods. However, you won't find me going on a kale/wheat grass smoothie kick any time soon.
I looked at a few recipes online and decided to modify a recipe for kale with pan-fried walnuts. I chopped up the kale a little bit and boiled it until it was tender. While it was boiling, I sauteed some leftover chicken Italian sausage and then drained it on a paper towel. I then toasted the walnuts in a little bit of oil, added the garlic at the very end, and then dumped in the drained kale and the sausage and sauteed the mixture briefly. It was easy, and it was tasty. If you wanted to modify it, you could leave out the sausage, add different nuts, sliced apples, etc. If you happen to find yourself with an abundance of kale, I highly recommend it.
I went to the farmer's market today. It just reopened for the season and there isn't much produce yet. I saw beets, onions, potatoes, carrots, a few greens, and, of course, kale. I bought a bag of baby kale.
I'm not hugely experienced with it. It's an odd green. It has a lot of chlorophyll and wil leave your dishwater very green. One serving will also provide you with 1300% of the RDA of vitamin K, and it is considered one of the detoxifying foods. However, you won't find me going on a kale/wheat grass smoothie kick any time soon.
I looked at a few recipes online and decided to modify a recipe for kale with pan-fried walnuts. I chopped up the kale a little bit and boiled it until it was tender. While it was boiling, I sauteed some leftover chicken Italian sausage and then drained it on a paper towel. I then toasted the walnuts in a little bit of oil, added the garlic at the very end, and then dumped in the drained kale and the sausage and sauteed the mixture briefly. It was easy, and it was tasty. If you wanted to modify it, you could leave out the sausage, add different nuts, sliced apples, etc. If you happen to find yourself with an abundance of kale, I highly recommend it.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Recipe Geek Family Reunion: sous vide cooking
As I mentioned in a previous post, my brother is now the proud owner of a sous vide cooker. It's a temperature controlled water bath. You seal up stuff in vacuum-seal bags and cook it very slowly.
He had the cooker in action this weekend. He cooked up 9 lbs of meat for Italian Beef sandwiches, which are sort of like a spicy French Dip sandwiches. It took about two days to cook. It came out very tender and moist, even though it was a cheap, fairly lean cut of meat. He sliced it up and delegated the broth making duties to me. This was perhaps a bad idea, since I have never eaten the real thing and sort of randomly added spices from Herb's spice cabinet (wordplay intended!) and then put some pickled peppers in there. It was a bit hotter than intended but I liked it. The sliced beef and broth were then transported to the tailgate and reheated in a tray over a Sterno. It was very popular and there were no leftovers.
The next day he cooked chicken breasts. Those only took a few hours. Once again, it was very moist and tender.
For things that have a browned crust, the meat is browned after cooking in the sous vide. A lot of high end restaurants use it for steaks.
Anyway, I was pretty impressed. Will I be buying one in the near future? I don't know. It's hard to justify for just me. My brother at least has Herb to help eat all the leftovers.
He had the cooker in action this weekend. He cooked up 9 lbs of meat for Italian Beef sandwiches, which are sort of like a spicy French Dip sandwiches. It took about two days to cook. It came out very tender and moist, even though it was a cheap, fairly lean cut of meat. He sliced it up and delegated the broth making duties to me. This was perhaps a bad idea, since I have never eaten the real thing and sort of randomly added spices from Herb's spice cabinet (wordplay intended!) and then put some pickled peppers in there. It was a bit hotter than intended but I liked it. The sliced beef and broth were then transported to the tailgate and reheated in a tray over a Sterno. It was very popular and there were no leftovers.
The next day he cooked chicken breasts. Those only took a few hours. Once again, it was very moist and tender.
For things that have a browned crust, the meat is browned after cooking in the sous vide. A lot of high end restaurants use it for steaks.
Anyway, I was pretty impressed. Will I be buying one in the near future? I don't know. It's hard to justify for just me. My brother at least has Herb to help eat all the leftovers.
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