My pantry is stocked with a lot of herbs and spices that I hardly use. Some herbs like tarragon, tomato powder, and lemongrass powder were bought for experimentation purposes. The lemongrass powder turned out to be a really good substitute for fresh lemongrass flavor in Asian meat dishes. I've come across a few chefs in the Pacific Northwest who regularly throw out jars of dried herbs for "freshness" reasons, but depending on the spice or herb. I recommend against that practice. What gives a dish it's unique flavor comes from the oils of an herb, which are more prevalent and potent in fresh or recently dried herbs. There are some ingredients that will last indefinitely if stored properly (clean, airtight glass jars) such as saffron, cardamom pods, dried hot peppers, cinnamon bark, etc.
Over the years, the food-related resolutions have evolved over a necessity to a) reduce food waste, b) cycle through pantry items in a reasonable manner before the expiration date, and c) keep cooking interesting.
The freezer has the resolution that no new meat may be bought until less than a week's worth of meals remains; although, I'll certainly buy seafood and/or meat if it's in season or on sale.
The refrigerator has a one-week eating period, meaning that any cooked foods not eaten within one week are tossed (to be composted in the yard, if non-meat). This is just to keep up with safer food practices. Also, since cheese is very perishable, unused cheese is frozen except for cheese used for sandwiches.
The pantry is on a one-year cycle, meaning that everything has to be cycled through within a year like canned goods, cereal, dried nuts, etc. Excluded from this cycle are dried beans, rice, dried noodles, dried mushrooms, etc. Canned and boxed goods within their expiration date but not used in a year are donated to food drives.
The food drives and food banks do not accept homemade jams, breads, or other food products unless they were made in a commercial kitchen. So that really begs the question of, what do I do with the jams and fruit butters that I make that I don't consume, other than shipping it out as gifts as currently do now. *ponder*
Roasted Game Hen
This is probably one of my favorite types of poultry to cook. It is really easy to carve up and quick to roast with the addition of basic pantry ingredients and herbs. The meat is usually enough to feed one to two people. In this recipe, I used marsala wine. You could also use a dry white wine or chicken broth. For the poultry seasoning, I used Mrs Dash's Salt-Free Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning blend.
Ingredients
One raw Cornish game hen, carved
1/2 c. marsala wine
1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
sea salt, to taste
poultry seasoning, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
1. In an 8" x 8" baking dish, toss chicken with olive oil, garlic, salt, lemon juice and zest. Place chicken pieces skin-side down. Sprinkle rosemary and poultry seasoning on top. Pour wine on top of chicken. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Serve while hot over rice, pasta, or with crusty bread.
Kitchen Note: Pricing a Cup of Soup
Pre-made soups can be pretty convenient when it comes to cooking for one. But, why would you want to? Most contain a large quantity of sodium, MSG, and a host of other questionable ingredients. And the "organic" labelled soups can get really costly after a while. Here's a simple cost breakdown of the most recent soup post, split pea soup with ham and bacon:
3 small red potatoes (~ 12 oz), $0.60
3 medium organic carrots, $0.50
spices, $0.02
2 strips of natural preservative-free bacon, $1.12
2 qts chicken broth, homemade, $0.00
2 garlic cloves, $0.06 (assuming $0.25/bulb and 8 cloves/bulb)
1/2 box Hormel natural lunch meat, $1.00
1 lb dried split peas, $1.00
Total ingredient cost: $4.30
I have the broth at $0 since I made it myself. You could always substitute it for water in any soup recipe. This particular batch made 2.5 quarts. Assume each serving is about a cup (8 oz) because that's what it is at restaurants, grocery stores, and food carts. This is roughly 10 cups of soup, or $0.43/serving.
Think about that the next time you order a half sandwich and cup of soup at a restaurant.
3 small red potatoes (~ 12 oz), $0.60
3 medium organic carrots, $0.50
spices, $0.02
2 strips of natural preservative-free bacon, $1.12
2 qts chicken broth, homemade, $0.00
2 garlic cloves, $0.06 (assuming $0.25/bulb and 8 cloves/bulb)
1/2 box Hormel natural lunch meat, $1.00
1 lb dried split peas, $1.00
Total ingredient cost: $4.30
I have the broth at $0 since I made it myself. You could always substitute it for water in any soup recipe. This particular batch made 2.5 quarts. Assume each serving is about a cup (8 oz) because that's what it is at restaurants, grocery stores, and food carts. This is roughly 10 cups of soup, or $0.43/serving.
Think about that the next time you order a half sandwich and cup of soup at a restaurant.
Split Pea Soup with (Ham) and Bacon
When I was a kid, my family would drive up the California coast to the now-touristy city of Solvang, a Danish settlement. Along that route was Pea Soup Andersen's. One of their billboard advertisements you could see along Highway 101 featured Happea and Pea Wee, two cartoon characters splitting peas.
With this recipe concoction a few things happened. First, I didn't fry up enough bacon. The two slices of bacon only yielded one tablespoon of liquid lard. Second, when it came to the immersion blender, I forgot to take out the bay leaf. And, even with the chopped bacon as a garnish, the base of the soup needs more salt. This is probably due to the fact that I only added a half teaspoon in the beginning. What is different about this recipe than the one used by Cook's Illustrated is that there are no onions nor celery in it; also, the 2.5 pound smoked ham bone.. well, that isn't in here either. I did, however, chop up some lunch meat (Hormel's natural honey baked ham) and tossed that in. *laugh* And fourth, when I rinsed the peas with cold water and set them aside in a colander, when the peas dried, they stuck like glue to the colander. I had to use a knife on the reverse side of the colander to get the peas out. Grrr.
Note to future self: Don't rinse dried peas until ready to use.
Ingredients
2 qt homemade chicken broth
1 lb dried split peas, picked over and rinsed (just before adding to pot)
3 small white, red, or Yukon gold potatoes
3 medium organic carrots, diced
1 c. cooked ham, diced
up to 2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
1 bay leaf, whole
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp powdered thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground paprika
sea salt, to taste (at least 1/2 tsp)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Directions
1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, fry bacon on low-medium heat until crispy. Take bacon out, chop, and set aside. Don't worry about the burnt bits of bacon stuck to the bottom, that will deglaze when the broth is added.
2. Add enough olive oil to bring the oil level in the pot up to 2 tbsp. Add carrots, garlic, salt, and spices. Saute vegetables until almost tender, 10-15 minutes. Add broth, peas, potatoes, ham, and bay leaf. Bring pot to a boil, then simmer on low and uncovered for 40 minutes. Stir soup occasionally.
3. Check the peas in the soup. If the peas look like they're about to disintegrate, turn the heat off. Remove bay leaf from pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. It'll be a little chunky and that's okay. It's not like you're serving this at a restaurant.
4. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped bacon.
With this recipe concoction a few things happened. First, I didn't fry up enough bacon. The two slices of bacon only yielded one tablespoon of liquid lard. Second, when it came to the immersion blender, I forgot to take out the bay leaf. And, even with the chopped bacon as a garnish, the base of the soup needs more salt. This is probably due to the fact that I only added a half teaspoon in the beginning. What is different about this recipe than the one used by Cook's Illustrated is that there are no onions nor celery in it; also, the 2.5 pound smoked ham bone.. well, that isn't in here either. I did, however, chop up some lunch meat (Hormel's natural honey baked ham) and tossed that in. *laugh* And fourth, when I rinsed the peas with cold water and set them aside in a colander, when the peas dried, they stuck like glue to the colander. I had to use a knife on the reverse side of the colander to get the peas out. Grrr.
 |
| Split Pea Soup with Ham and Bacon |
Note to future self: Don't rinse dried peas until ready to use.
Ingredients
2 qt homemade chicken broth
1 lb dried split peas, picked over and rinsed (just before adding to pot)
3 small white, red, or Yukon gold potatoes
3 medium organic carrots, diced
1 c. cooked ham, diced
up to 2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
1 bay leaf, whole
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp powdered thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground paprika
sea salt, to taste (at least 1/2 tsp)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Directions
1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, fry bacon on low-medium heat until crispy. Take bacon out, chop, and set aside. Don't worry about the burnt bits of bacon stuck to the bottom, that will deglaze when the broth is added.
2. Add enough olive oil to bring the oil level in the pot up to 2 tbsp. Add carrots, garlic, salt, and spices. Saute vegetables until almost tender, 10-15 minutes. Add broth, peas, potatoes, ham, and bay leaf. Bring pot to a boil, then simmer on low and uncovered for 40 minutes. Stir soup occasionally.
3. Check the peas in the soup. If the peas look like they're about to disintegrate, turn the heat off. Remove bay leaf from pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. It'll be a little chunky and that's okay. It's not like you're serving this at a restaurant.
4. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped bacon.
Sour Cream and Green Onion Dip, No Mayonnaise
I'm pretty sure Alton Brown adds mayonnaise to his version of this dip to put in an extra zing to it, but that style is just not for me. This recipe is from the New York Times and I added garlic powder to it because I like garlic. I'm sure you could just as well stir in some roasted garlic too, but that may overpower the onion element to the dip. For this batch, I used Darigold natural sour cream.
Ingredients
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 stalks green onions, minced
1 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp sea salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Directions
1. In a small pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and garlic powder and stir until green part of onion turns bright green. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes so the onions don't burn. If you're using ordinary white onions, you could cook the onions until they turn translucent. You could even caramelize the onions too if you wanted. It makes no difference in the recipe. Remove from heat, and strain oil out to another container for later use (later as in, not used in this recipe).
2. To a cup of sour cream, mix in green onion mixture until the onions are evenly distributed. Taste. If it isn't salty enough, add a little more salt. Cover the container the dip is in and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so that the onion/garlic flavor permeates the sour cream.
3. Serve with fresh vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, etc) or chips.
Ingredients
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 stalks green onions, minced
1 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp sea salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Directions
1. In a small pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and garlic powder and stir until green part of onion turns bright green. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes so the onions don't burn. If you're using ordinary white onions, you could cook the onions until they turn translucent. You could even caramelize the onions too if you wanted. It makes no difference in the recipe. Remove from heat, and strain oil out to another container for later use (later as in, not used in this recipe).
2. To a cup of sour cream, mix in green onion mixture until the onions are evenly distributed. Taste. If it isn't salty enough, add a little more salt. Cover the container the dip is in and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so that the onion/garlic flavor permeates the sour cream.
3. Serve with fresh vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, etc) or chips.
Creamy Tomato Soup
Last week my local Fred Meyer grocery store had a lot of soup on sale and there were even coupons in the weekly newspaper circular. Of course, aside from buying organic beef stock on sale, I tend to shy away from buying commercially made soups. But, I was curious about the can of basic FM tomato soup whose ingredients listed tomato paste, water, and some other trivial things like salt and spices. While I can't break even on the cost when FM soup is on sale (only $0.59), I can use higher quality ingredients to make an inexpensive tomato soup. A 6 oz can of organic tomato paste is only $0.99, and when purchased in bulk at Costco drops to roughly $0.65/can. With the availability of fresh sun-grown tomatoes months away (only imported and greenhouse grown are "in season"), using canned tomatoes might be the way to go during the winter.
To reconstitute a 6 oz can of tomato paste, the general ratio is about 2 cups of liquid. For a cream-based tomato soup, this generally means you are adding milk or cream at some step in the cooking process. For a regular tomato soup, you could just use broth or water for the liquid. In this recipe, sugar and baking soda help adjust the acidity of the tomatoes.
Ingredients
One 6 oz can of organic tomato paste
1 1/2 c. organic whole milk
3/4 c. filtered water or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp organic granulated cane sugar
up to 1/4 tsp baking soda (optional, only add to balance acidity)
Spices (see below)
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional spices: garlic powder, powdered/dried oregano (omit if using dried basil), dried basil (omit if using dried oregano), paprika (a little heat, but mostly for color), fresh parsley (for garnish) or dried parsley
Directions
1. Heat the milk separately from the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a separate pot, combine tomato paste, water, sugar, baking soda, and spices. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Gradually whisk the milk into the tomato soup.
Serves 2.
To reconstitute a 6 oz can of tomato paste, the general ratio is about 2 cups of liquid. For a cream-based tomato soup, this generally means you are adding milk or cream at some step in the cooking process. For a regular tomato soup, you could just use broth or water for the liquid. In this recipe, sugar and baking soda help adjust the acidity of the tomatoes.
Ingredients
One 6 oz can of organic tomato paste
1 1/2 c. organic whole milk
3/4 c. filtered water or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp organic granulated cane sugar
up to 1/4 tsp baking soda (optional, only add to balance acidity)
Spices (see below)
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional spices: garlic powder, powdered/dried oregano (omit if using dried basil), dried basil (omit if using dried oregano), paprika (a little heat, but mostly for color), fresh parsley (for garnish) or dried parsley
Directions
1. Heat the milk separately from the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a separate pot, combine tomato paste, water, sugar, baking soda, and spices. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Gradually whisk the milk into the tomato soup.
Serves 2.
Pea Pesto
Ingredients
1 (10 oz) package of frozen green peas, thawed
1 garlic clove
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp sea salt, to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 whole grain baguette, sliced
unsalted butter, softened
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a food processor, pulse together peas, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper. With the machine running, slowly add olive oil until well combined.
2. Slice baguette diagonally into equal portions. Spread butter onto the top of each slice and toast for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven.
3. Spread about a tablespoon of pea pesto on top of a baguette slice and top with a cherry tomato half.
Source: Giadia at Home
1 (10 oz) package of frozen green peas, thawed
1 garlic clove
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp sea salt, to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 whole grain baguette, sliced
unsalted butter, softened
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a food processor, pulse together peas, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper. With the machine running, slowly add olive oil until well combined.
2. Slice baguette diagonally into equal portions. Spread butter onto the top of each slice and toast for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven.
3. Spread about a tablespoon of pea pesto on top of a baguette slice and top with a cherry tomato half.
Source: Giadia at Home
Lemon Pound Cake
I grew up eating the Sara Lee stuff and can probably still eat an entire loaf by myself. This ingredient ratio comes from Cooks Illustrated and becomes a pretty tasty dessert bread for guests who enjoy a more lemony than sweet flavor to this classic cake. The magazine would have you poke holes with a toothpick or skewer into the top side of the cake before drizzling on their lemon glaze, which really isn't quite a glaze at all but more like a lemon syrup. For a real glaze, you'd probably have to swap out the real granulated sugar with powdered sugar so that it sets up like a crust when it hardens.
If you don't stock cake flour, simply combine 1 cup all-purpose flour (minus 2 tbsp) with 2 tbsp cornstarch.
Ingredients: Cake
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1 c. (2 sticks; 16 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, diced
1 c. organic cane sugar
4 large eggs
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Optional additions to step 4:
For lemon poppy seed pound cake, stir in 1/2 c. poppy seeds, or
For lavender pound cake, stir in 1 1/2 tbsp dried lavender flowers
Ingredients: Lemon Glaze
1/2 c. powdered sugar
juice of a lemon
lemon zest (optional)
Bring sugar and lemon juice to a boil in a small pot, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool and set aside until ready to use.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Prepare a 9" x 5" loaf pan by using unsalted butter or olive oil to grease the pan, dust it with some flour, and tap out the excess.
2. In a food processor, pulse together sugar and lemon zest. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
3. In the same food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, salt, and butter.
4. Gently whisk flour mixture into wet ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the surface is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a rack before storing or serving.
If you don't stock cake flour, simply combine 1 cup all-purpose flour (minus 2 tbsp) with 2 tbsp cornstarch.
Ingredients: Cake
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1 c. (2 sticks; 16 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, diced
1 c. organic cane sugar
4 large eggs
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Optional additions to step 4:
For lemon poppy seed pound cake, stir in 1/2 c. poppy seeds, or
For lavender pound cake, stir in 1 1/2 tbsp dried lavender flowers
Ingredients: Lemon Glaze
1/2 c. powdered sugar
juice of a lemon
lemon zest (optional)
Bring sugar and lemon juice to a boil in a small pot, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool and set aside until ready to use.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Prepare a 9" x 5" loaf pan by using unsalted butter or olive oil to grease the pan, dust it with some flour, and tap out the excess.
2. In a food processor, pulse together sugar and lemon zest. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
3. In the same food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, salt, and butter.
4. Gently whisk flour mixture into wet ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the surface is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a rack before storing or serving.
Pomelo Marmalade
Wikipedia tells us that "marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water." The very statement suggests, no wait.. encourages, that any citrus fruit could be used as the added peel to a jam recipe. Say for example, a pomelo.
Why a pomelo? The fruit is very common to Chinese food festivals such as New Year's Day, the real one (Jan 23, 2012). I saw a pomelo recently and thought about what else one could do with a pomelo besides eating it like a grapefruit. I read a few grapefruit recipes and have cobbled this particular one together.
Here's how it would go down...
1 large pomelo
2 Meyer lemons
2 oranges (1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice)
2 c. water
4 c. granulated sugar
a pinch of Mexican saffron, optional (for color)
Some citrus peels have a high pectin content. This is what makes marmalade gel without added pectin.
1. Fill canner (or a very large pot) with water and bring it to a boil. Wash jars and lids. Put jars on a cookie sheet in the oven at 150 degrees until ready to use them. Put the lids in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
2. Wash fruits thoroughly.
3. Peel pomelo, lemons, and oranges with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Be sure to just remove the skin of the fruit, not the white pith. Julienne the pomelo, lemon, and orange rind into strips.
4. Separate the fruit from the membrane and discard the membrane and seeds. Chop the fruit wedges into small pieces and put them into a heavy bottomed pot.
5. Simmer rind, chopped fruit, saffron, fruit juices and water over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover pot and let it cool overnight.
6. Next day, add sugar to pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occassionally until the candy thermometer reads 215-220 degrees F. At 215 degrees F, the sugar syrup may be pulled into brittle threads between the fingers. I'm not sure why you'd want to test it this way since the sugar is very hot. At 220 degrees F, when a cool metal spoon is dipped into the syrup then raised, the syrup runs off in drops which merge to form a sheet. (Read more about the various boiling stages of sugar syrup).
7. Remove from heat. Skim foam off and ladle into sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4" inch head space. Wipe rims, seal jars, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
8. Remove jars from water bath. Let cool for 12 hours. Label and store in a cool, dark place.
Makes 4 half-pint jars.
Apple Coffee Cake
This particular recipe ratio is one of Emeril's and it is a good coffee cake recipe when you use a baking pan that allows the cake to bake evenly. I didn't make the brown sugar glaze since the streusel (crumb) topping was enough. I also managed to not do the ratio in order, but the recipe seemed to be very forgiving on that note. I added the butter last because I forgot to add it to the flour earlier. You can use any variety of apple for this. There is enough sugar to compensate for tart apples. Onto the recipe.
The cake:
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. braeburn and ginger gold apples, peeled/cored/chopped
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt (can substitute sour cream)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (or melted, if you forget)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb topping:
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Directions
1. In a food prep, pulse to combine dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon) and butter.
2. Add to food prep: yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
3. Pour out into a bowl and stir in chopped apples. Or, add the apples to everything in the food prep and pulse a few times. I did the latter because the food prep is fun to use.
4. Pour cake mixture into prepared (buttered) pans. For this ghastly experiment, I used a loaf pan (didn't cook through in the allotted time) and a round ring pan.
5. For the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a mini food prep and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle on top of cake mixture evenly. If you like nuts, you can add a half cup of chopped nuts to this step.
Emeril's recipe calls for a 9" x 13" baking pan and a cooking time of 35-40 minutes.
I used an 8" round coffee cake pan which cooked evenly in 40 minutes. Since the crumb topping was browning faster than I liked for the 9" x 5" loaf pan, I turned the heat down to 325 degrees F and baked the loaf pan for an additional 20 minutes.
Reheat for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
The cake:
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. braeburn and ginger gold apples, peeled/cored/chopped
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt (can substitute sour cream)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (or melted, if you forget)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb topping:
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Directions
1. In a food prep, pulse to combine dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon) and butter.
2. Add to food prep: yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
3. Pour out into a bowl and stir in chopped apples. Or, add the apples to everything in the food prep and pulse a few times. I did the latter because the food prep is fun to use.
4. Pour cake mixture into prepared (buttered) pans. For this ghastly experiment, I used a loaf pan (didn't cook through in the allotted time) and a round ring pan.
5. For the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a mini food prep and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle on top of cake mixture evenly. If you like nuts, you can add a half cup of chopped nuts to this step.
Emeril's recipe calls for a 9" x 13" baking pan and a cooking time of 35-40 minutes.
I used an 8" round coffee cake pan which cooked evenly in 40 minutes. Since the crumb topping was browning faster than I liked for the 9" x 5" loaf pan, I turned the heat down to 325 degrees F and baked the loaf pan for an additional 20 minutes.
Reheat for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Kitchen Note: Subtitutions
Most substitutions that are of the same food category are pretty decent. For example, yogurt instead of sour cream or buttermilk, soured milk (regular milk + lemon juice) instead of buttermilk, low fat milk instead of whole milk, milk and butter instead of half and half, etc.
There are some substitutions of dissimilar categories that work pretty well, such as apple sauce, tofu, or yogurt in place of vegetable oil in baked desserts.
There is a substitution, however, for lemon juice which calls for an equal amount of vinegar. I'm sure that the type of vinegar used impacts the taste quite a lot. I tried a more mild tasting vinegar (apple cider vinegar) as a substitute and well, the eggplant dip which relies on lemon juice to marry the flavors of the eggplant and tahini together came out tasting terrible.
Note to future self: do not use vinegar in place of lemon juice when making baba ganoush. Ugh, what a disaster.
There are some substitutions of dissimilar categories that work pretty well, such as apple sauce, tofu, or yogurt in place of vegetable oil in baked desserts.
There is a substitution, however, for lemon juice which calls for an equal amount of vinegar. I'm sure that the type of vinegar used impacts the taste quite a lot. I tried a more mild tasting vinegar (apple cider vinegar) as a substitute and well, the eggplant dip which relies on lemon juice to marry the flavors of the eggplant and tahini together came out tasting terrible.
Note to future self: do not use vinegar in place of lemon juice when making baba ganoush. Ugh, what a disaster.
Pumpkin Potage
"Potage (from Old French pottage; "potted dish") is a category of thick soups, stews, or porridges, in some of which meat and vegetables are boiled together with water until they form into a thick mush." --Wikipedia
This recipe comes from the Cooking with Dog video series on YouTube. It can be made in just under an hour, prep and cooking time; and it is really easy to make. I used a whole kabocha squash that was just under a pound. I also used turkey broth since it was available that day; you can also use chicken broth, water + a chicken bouillon cube, or vegetable stock.
Also called: kabocha squash soup
Ingredients
One medium kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and diced
One yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tbsp unsalted butter
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 c. broth
3/4 c. whole organic milk
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
Directions
1. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Carefully peel the green rind from the kabocha squash using a sharp knife and vegetable peeler. Cut squash into chunks.
2. In a skillet, add butter, onions, and squash. Sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are about to caramelize. Add broth and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
3. When the squash is fork-tender, use an immersion blender to blend the squash and onion into a thick mixture. Add milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Bring potage up to a boil over medium heat. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream.
Serve while hot.
This recipe comes from the Cooking with Dog video series on YouTube. It can be made in just under an hour, prep and cooking time; and it is really easy to make. I used a whole kabocha squash that was just under a pound. I also used turkey broth since it was available that day; you can also use chicken broth, water + a chicken bouillon cube, or vegetable stock.
Also called: kabocha squash soup
Ingredients
One medium kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and diced
One yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tbsp unsalted butter
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 c. broth
3/4 c. whole organic milk
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
Directions
1. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Carefully peel the green rind from the kabocha squash using a sharp knife and vegetable peeler. Cut squash into chunks.
2. In a skillet, add butter, onions, and squash. Sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are about to caramelize. Add broth and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
3. When the squash is fork-tender, use an immersion blender to blend the squash and onion into a thick mixture. Add milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Bring potage up to a boil over medium heat. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream.
Serve while hot.
Sun-dried tomato hummus (without tahini)
Ever since I tried making hummus from scratch (a culinary disaster), I have avoided the chickpea (commonly referred to as the garbanzo bean). That is, until now. This variant of hummus uses sun-dried tomatoes as its flavoring agent instead of ground sesame seeds. The recipe makes roughly two cups of hummus. It is almost enough for a standalone appetizer for a potluck. The ingredient ratio can be halved or doubled.
Use with: fresh pita bread or crackers
Ingredients
2 cans (15 oz each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
juice from 2 small lemons (about 1/3 cup)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. In a food prep: blend together garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
2. Add garbanzo beans and run the food prep until no bean chunks are visible.
3. Empty puréed mixture into a bowl suitable for dipping chips, crackers, or pita wedges. Can garnish (optional) with finely chopped fresh parsley, paprika, and/or a drizzle of olive oil.
Use with: fresh pita bread or crackers
Ingredients
2 cans (15 oz each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
juice from 2 small lemons (about 1/3 cup)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. In a food prep: blend together garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
2. Add garbanzo beans and run the food prep until no bean chunks are visible.
3. Empty puréed mixture into a bowl suitable for dipping chips, crackers, or pita wedges. Can garnish (optional) with finely chopped fresh parsley, paprika, and/or a drizzle of olive oil.
Sun-dried tomato spread
Made this one up as I was adding ingredients to a mini food prep. Some days I just want to eat chicken cold cuts with a sauce other than the one that soy sauce-based one I normally use. I used a lightly seasoned rice wine vinegar because it's not as sharp-tasting as balsamic vinegar. Anyhow, this came out tasting really good and now I'm finishing it off with those multi-seed flatbread crackers from Trader Joe's.
Ingredients
4 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
fresh thyme leaves (1 sprig)
fresh rosemary leaves (about 1 tsp)
Directions
In a mini foodprep, pulse together all ingredients until tomatoes are finely chopped and blended.
Ingredients
4 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
fresh thyme leaves (1 sprig)
fresh rosemary leaves (about 1 tsp)
Directions
In a mini foodprep, pulse together all ingredients until tomatoes are finely chopped and blended.
Rosemary Vinaigrette
Ingredients
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 oz olive oil (6 tbsp)
Directions
Combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, and rosemary in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 oz olive oil (6 tbsp)
Directions
Combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, and rosemary in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Haute spicy chocolate chip cookies
For the most part, this takes the simple dough ratio for chocolate chip cookies and adds more spices to it. By itself, cinnamon and chocolate chips don't taste that great together. But with a hint of cayenne pepper, the subtle element of heat is added to an otherwise benign sweet snack.
Ingredients
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a food prep, blend together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. Add eggs and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough comes together.
2. Empty food prep into a large mixing bowl and fold in chocolate chips.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Ingredients
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a food prep, blend together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. Add eggs and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough comes together.
2. Empty food prep into a large mixing bowl and fold in chocolate chips.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Curry Butternut Squash Soup
Autumn is when a lot of squash varieties are in season. Butternut squash is one of my favorites because it can be roasted pretty easily with brown sugar and olive oil, it can be deep fried as a vegetable (if it is sliced thinly enough), and it can be made into a nice and hearty soup.
Ingredients
One butternut squash (approx 3 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" pieces
1 qt organic chicken broth
1 organic medium carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp curry powder
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. In a stockpot, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add carrot, garlic, squash and curry powder. Let vegetables sweat for a few minutes, then add the broth. Bring soup to a boil and simmer over medium heat until squash is tender, 20-25 minutes.
2. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, pureé the mixture until smooth. Season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve while hot.
Note: If you like onions, a medium chopped onion can be added when the garlic and carrots are added. Let the onions caramelize in the oil before adding the squash and curry powder.
Ingredients
One butternut squash (approx 3 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" pieces
1 qt organic chicken broth
1 organic medium carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp curry powder
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. In a stockpot, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add carrot, garlic, squash and curry powder. Let vegetables sweat for a few minutes, then add the broth. Bring soup to a boil and simmer over medium heat until squash is tender, 20-25 minutes.
2. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, pureé the mixture until smooth. Season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve while hot.
Note: If you like onions, a medium chopped onion can be added when the garlic and carrots are added. Let the onions caramelize in the oil before adding the squash and curry powder.
Simple Lemon Syrup
Makes about 1.5 cups
Ingredients
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about five minutes until sugar has dissolved.
Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool before using or storing.
Ingredients
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about five minutes until sugar has dissolved.
Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool before using or storing.
Sweetened Cream Scones
Once you have a decent base recipe, making additions to it is easy enough. This particular recipe calls for a lot of sugar. While it isn't as ludicrously sweet as the scones you can get at a Starbucks, it has a noticeable amount of sugar that is more than what you'd get out of a standard cream-based scone at an English tea shop. It can easily be turned into a savory scone (aka a biscuit) with the omission of the sugar. It's the combination of cold butter and cold heavy cream that make these scones light and crumbly. Moisture is a big deal in a scone like this. Depending on your climate (here it is very humid during the winter), you may not need an entire cup of cream.
Basic Cream Scone Ingredients
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
up to 1 c. organic heavy cream
This batch's additions:
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
strawberry jam
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a food prep, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and any additional fresh herbs until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. With the food prep running, slowly add heavy cream until the dough comes together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, turn dough out and knead into a ball. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour then roll out the dough to 1/2" thickness. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes and place them at least an inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
4. If using a fruit jam, make an indent in the center of the scone and put up to a half teaspoon of jam in the middle. I used a wine cork for this step; but you could easily use a thumb or index finger too.
5. Bake scones for 18 minutes. Let cool before storing. If you're using jam in this recipe, you should store the scones in a sealable container in single layers separated by wax paper. That way the jam doesn't bleed onto other scones.
 |
| Sweet Cream Scones with Rosemary and Strawberry Jam |
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
up to 1 c. organic heavy cream
This batch's additions:
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
strawberry jam
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a food prep, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and any additional fresh herbs until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. With the food prep running, slowly add heavy cream until the dough comes together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, turn dough out and knead into a ball. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour then roll out the dough to 1/2" thickness. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes and place them at least an inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
4. If using a fruit jam, make an indent in the center of the scone and put up to a half teaspoon of jam in the middle. I used a wine cork for this step; but you could easily use a thumb or index finger too.
5. Bake scones for 18 minutes. Let cool before storing. If you're using jam in this recipe, you should store the scones in a sealable container in single layers separated by wax paper. That way the jam doesn't bleed onto other scones.
Honey-Balsamic Chops
The ingredient ratio for this recipe is more like a finishing sauce than a how-to make the aforementioned title of this post. It combines the sweet, tart taste of balsamic vinegar with the smooth, silky sweetness of honey. It could be used on grilled pork or lamb chops, as well as some types of white-fleshed fish like cod or tilapia.
Makes 1 serving.
Ingredients
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp raw honey
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove
fresh black pepper, to taste
Himalayan pink salt (or sea salt), to taste
Directions
In a small food prep (1.5 c or 3 c), combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, honey, and freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Spoon over cooked meat.
If you're concerned about the honey lingering on the bottom of the food prep container and having to spatula it out, you could also whisk these ingredients together in a small bowl. You'll have to mince the garlic first though.
Giadia's original recipe calls for eight grilled lamb chops (serves 6-8 people) and has the following ingredient ratio:
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp honey
3/4 c vegetable or canola oil
The chops are drizzled with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkled with 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, then grilled for 2-3 minutes on each side.
This recipe ratio is adapted from the book Giadia at Home by Giada De Laurentiis.
Makes 1 serving.
Ingredients
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp raw honey
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove
fresh black pepper, to taste
Himalayan pink salt (or sea salt), to taste
Directions
In a small food prep (1.5 c or 3 c), combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, honey, and freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Spoon over cooked meat.
If you're concerned about the honey lingering on the bottom of the food prep container and having to spatula it out, you could also whisk these ingredients together in a small bowl. You'll have to mince the garlic first though.
Giadia's original recipe calls for eight grilled lamb chops (serves 6-8 people) and has the following ingredient ratio:
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp honey
3/4 c vegetable or canola oil
The chops are drizzled with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkled with 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, then grilled for 2-3 minutes on each side.
This recipe ratio is adapted from the book Giadia at Home by Giada De Laurentiis.
Chicken Soup
Autumn is in full force in the northwest with its overcast days and lots of rain. It's the perfect time to set the slow cooker (Crockpot) for a one-pot meal in the morning and come home to a piping hot bowl of soup full of hearty stock, meat, and vegetables. The flavor of this soup is more Italian by the herbs (thyme, parsley, garlic, bay leaf, and oregano) used, and the inclusion of traditional Italian vegetables in a soup such as carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. This batch used chicken thighs. This recipe has no added sugar or salt. The sweetness comes from the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and marsala wine; the salt comes from the canned tomatoes and beans.
Ingredients
1 lb chicken
1 qt chicken stock
One 14.5 oz can organic diced tomatoes
One 15 oz can organic black beans
1/4 c dry marsala wine
3 carrots, sliced
2 roasted sweet potatoes, diced
1 tbsp organic tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp basil, minced
Directions
1. In a skillet, brown sides of the chicken and let cook (covered) on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until most of the pink is gone. Transfer all in the skillet to slow cooker.
2. Deglaze skillet with wine to remove the crispy bits from the pan. Pour this liquid into the crockpot as well.
3. Except for the beans, add remaining ingredients and spices to crockpot and set on "high" for 6 hours. After three hours, the chicken will be cooked enough to fall off the bone (if using bone-in chicken parts). Remove chicken and shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Put chicken back into crockpot.
4. A half hour before you're ready to serve the soup, rinse and drain the beans and add those to the crockpot. If using canned beans, these are already cooked and this will just warm them up.
Ingredients
1 lb chicken
1 qt chicken stock
One 14.5 oz can organic diced tomatoes
One 15 oz can organic black beans
1/4 c dry marsala wine
3 carrots, sliced
2 roasted sweet potatoes, diced
1 tbsp organic tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp basil, minced
Directions
1. In a skillet, brown sides of the chicken and let cook (covered) on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until most of the pink is gone. Transfer all in the skillet to slow cooker.
2. Deglaze skillet with wine to remove the crispy bits from the pan. Pour this liquid into the crockpot as well.
3. Except for the beans, add remaining ingredients and spices to crockpot and set on "high" for 6 hours. After three hours, the chicken will be cooked enough to fall off the bone (if using bone-in chicken parts). Remove chicken and shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Put chicken back into crockpot.
4. A half hour before you're ready to serve the soup, rinse and drain the beans and add those to the crockpot. If using canned beans, these are already cooked and this will just warm them up.
Almost Thai Coconut Chicken
What makes this dish "Thai" and not just a coconut chicken dish is its flavorings. And while I had a poorly planned meal ahead of me with quite a few unique flavors missing from the pantry, I still managed to hack together a recipe that works. I suppose that if I ate out more at authentic Thai restaurants I'd know what I was missing. Since I hardly eat out these days, a basic understanding of how flavors work together to become palatable will just have to do.
I don't see what the big deal is with people's aversion to animal fats. If you already chow down on bacon or whole eggs, you should have no problem adding the chicken skin or its accompanying fat to this recipe.
Ingredients
1 lb raw chicken (with skin), cut into small pieces
One 14 oz can of coconut milk
2 carrots, chopped
2 small white potatoes, diced
1/3 c. green onions, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing red rice wine
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp minced basil leaves
Directions
1. Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and marinate with red rice wine until ready to cook.
2. Pour coconut milk into a 2-cup measuring cup and stir in curry powder.
3. Heat a stainless steel skillet on medium heat before adding oil for frying. When the oil is hot, add carrots, half the green onions, and the potatoes. Fry until carrots start to sweat and potatoes start to brown. Add the marinated chicken and cook until nearly all the pink is gone from the chicken meat.
4. Add curry-coconut milk to the chicken. Stir until combined. Wait until mixture comes back up to a boil and add fish sauce, basil, garlic, and the remaining green onions. After five minutes or so the flavors should have cooked together enough so that one aroma doesn't overpower the others, as in, the pungent fish sauce is less pronounced.
5. Turn off heat and serve over hot steamed rice, noodles, or eat as is.
I don't see what the big deal is with people's aversion to animal fats. If you already chow down on bacon or whole eggs, you should have no problem adding the chicken skin or its accompanying fat to this recipe.
| Missing | Substitution |
| Jasmine rice | Fried short grain brown rice |
| Galangal root | Gingerroot |
| Lemongrass | Juice from half a lemon |
| Purple basil leaves | Two Dorot minced basil cubes |
Ingredients
1 lb raw chicken (with skin), cut into small pieces
One 14 oz can of coconut milk
2 carrots, chopped
2 small white potatoes, diced
1/3 c. green onions, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing red rice wine
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp minced basil leaves
Directions
1. Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and marinate with red rice wine until ready to cook.
2. Pour coconut milk into a 2-cup measuring cup and stir in curry powder.
3. Heat a stainless steel skillet on medium heat before adding oil for frying. When the oil is hot, add carrots, half the green onions, and the potatoes. Fry until carrots start to sweat and potatoes start to brown. Add the marinated chicken and cook until nearly all the pink is gone from the chicken meat.
4. Add curry-coconut milk to the chicken. Stir until combined. Wait until mixture comes back up to a boil and add fish sauce, basil, garlic, and the remaining green onions. After five minutes or so the flavors should have cooked together enough so that one aroma doesn't overpower the others, as in, the pungent fish sauce is less pronounced.
5. Turn off heat and serve over hot steamed rice, noodles, or eat as is.
Sun-dried tomato pesto
Rather than buy the $2.99 container of this stuff from Trader Joe's. I thought I'd try to make it since I already had all the ingredients listed on TJ's container label. After making this batch with grated Parmesan cheese, I think that the cheese is unnecessary. A large clove a garlic is too much of a garlic taste for one cup of pesto. This batch of the pesto came out pretty strong tasting. I wanted to eat it with lavash bread. If you like more basil in spreads like this, then use more basil. I used some basil leaves from a house plant I grew from seed this summer.
Optionals:
If you omit the cheese, the recipe is vegan-friendly.
If you enjoy nut flavors, pine nuts or walnuts are often combined with a tomato-based pesto.
Ingredients
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 medium garlic clove
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp EVOO
basil leaves, up to 1/2 cup packed (to taste)
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional, to taste)
Directions
1. In a food prep, blend together sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and fresh basil leaves.
2. Mix in grated cheese and serve. Makes 1 cup.
Usage: Combine with cooked pasta, as a cracker or flatbread spread, with cooked eggs, or in place of mustard/mayo on a sandwich.
Optionals:
If you omit the cheese, the recipe is vegan-friendly.
If you enjoy nut flavors, pine nuts or walnuts are often combined with a tomato-based pesto.
Ingredients
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 medium garlic clove
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp EVOO
basil leaves, up to 1/2 cup packed (to taste)
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional, to taste)
Directions
1. In a food prep, blend together sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and fresh basil leaves.
2. Mix in grated cheese and serve. Makes 1 cup.
Usage: Combine with cooked pasta, as a cracker or flatbread spread, with cooked eggs, or in place of mustard/mayo on a sandwich.
Kitchen Notes: Black Bean Preparation
I tried making black bean brownies again. This time from scratch. And golly, compared to precooked canned beans, preparing black beans was time consuming. Like zucchini and most summer squash, I really don't like the taste of beans (or zucchini) by themselves unless it is an ingredient of something else.
The prep cycle seemed longer than it should and went like this:
Soak beans for 8 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator. Discard bean liquid. Cook using 1 cup dry beans per 3 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil then simmer until tender. (so what's that? maybe 2 hours cook time?? Their site does not elaborate on the specifics.) A pressure cooker can shorten cook time to 1.5 hours.
What I have discovered using my method of cooking these beans for the flourless brownie recipe is that while the consistency is significantly more dry than using canned beans and you can almost taste the "bean" taste in the brownies, it is the perfect consistency for a steamed bun filling... such red bean buns. These could be black bean buns, which you really don't see at Asian bakeries. The mixture could use a touch more melted butter for a more moist texture.
The prep cycle seemed longer than it should and went like this:
- Wash/rinse 2/3 c. dry black beans
- Soak beans in enough water to cover them by an inch of water for 4 hours
- Drain beans (discard soaking liquid)
- Refill pot of beans with at least three cups of fresh water
- Boil for 30 minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit for 1 hour.
Soak beans for 8 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator. Discard bean liquid. Cook using 1 cup dry beans per 3 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil then simmer until tender. (so what's that? maybe 2 hours cook time?? Their site does not elaborate on the specifics.) A pressure cooker can shorten cook time to 1.5 hours.
What I have discovered using my method of cooking these beans for the flourless brownie recipe is that while the consistency is significantly more dry than using canned beans and you can almost taste the "bean" taste in the brownies, it is the perfect consistency for a steamed bun filling... such red bean buns. These could be black bean buns, which you really don't see at Asian bakeries. The mixture could use a touch more melted butter for a more moist texture.
Flourless Chocolate Brownies
These brownies were surprisingly moist and very tasty, despite lacking wheat flour. This recipe is adapted from the Whole Foods recipe archive. I have never known chocolate chips to contain grain-based gluten (seeing how it is a dairy product) which makes me a bit puzzled about how Whole Foods lists its ingredients. It's a lot like seeing "gluten free" prominently displayed on a can of tomatoes, for example. Ridiculous. This type of buzz word packaging does little to promote the health benefits of the actual food item. Anyhow, on to the recipe.
These are also called black bean brownies. I suspect that a variant could also be made using red lentils. There are two methods. One is to use canned black beans; and the other method is to prepare dry black beans for this recipe. Neither method uses additional salt, but if you use the latter method, you could add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness. Before you consider looking at ratio tables for dry beans to cooked beans, keep in mind that beans have different sizes and weighs, and thus different cooking times.
For black beans, use 2/3 cup dry black beans to make an equivalent of one 15 oz can of cooked beans. While I have both dry and canned black beans, I am using the can method for this recipe. My particular can o' beans came with salt so I didn't add any salt to the recipe.
Ingredients
One (15 oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate (cocoa powder)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Butter an 8" x 8" baking dish and set aside.
2. Pureé together in a food processor: black beans, eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sugar, and butter.
3. As the mixture is poured into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle in the chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center has set. Let cool before cutting into squares.
Kitchen tip: If your honey has crystallized in its jar, you can put the honey jar in the oven (when turned off and cooling). When the oven has cooled down, the honey will be liquefied again. Pretty neat, huh?
Related info:
Black beans, nutritional info
Whole Foods - About Black Beans
These are also called black bean brownies. I suspect that a variant could also be made using red lentils. There are two methods. One is to use canned black beans; and the other method is to prepare dry black beans for this recipe. Neither method uses additional salt, but if you use the latter method, you could add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness. Before you consider looking at ratio tables for dry beans to cooked beans, keep in mind that beans have different sizes and weighs, and thus different cooking times.
For black beans, use 2/3 cup dry black beans to make an equivalent of one 15 oz can of cooked beans. While I have both dry and canned black beans, I am using the can method for this recipe. My particular can o' beans came with salt so I didn't add any salt to the recipe.
Ingredients
One (15 oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate (cocoa powder)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Butter an 8" x 8" baking dish and set aside.
2. Pureé together in a food processor: black beans, eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sugar, and butter.
3. As the mixture is poured into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle in the chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center has set. Let cool before cutting into squares.
Kitchen tip: If your honey has crystallized in its jar, you can put the honey jar in the oven (when turned off and cooling). When the oven has cooled down, the honey will be liquefied again. Pretty neat, huh?
Related info:
Black beans, nutritional info
Whole Foods - About Black Beans
Velvet Acres Gardens
Vancouver metro and its neighboring towns are home to a variety of farms that produce a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy, eggs, honey, and meat products. Most prices are cheaper than the farmers market or the grocery store, except for some weather-impacted crops like peaches, and are fresher tasting than produce that is trucked in from central Washington or Oregon for regional farmers markets.
I found this farm through Craigslist. It looks like most farms with lots of plants growing in rows in the fields with a gigantic barn and a farm store in its front. This is probably where I'll go to get sugar pumpkins in October. If you're unfamiliar with the rural parts of Vancouver, it is easy to get lost. NE 182nd Ave is not a marked street (no street sign) at its intersection with NE Fourth Plain Blvd. While on NE 182nd, hang a right at the split in the road. Farm is on the right.
On my last visit, I picked up fresh corn, cucumbers, a pint of grape tomatoes, an acorn squash. The farm grows a wide variety of vegetables with broccoli, summer squash, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, etc. Next month, I'm told that they'll have brussel sprouts and pumpkins.
Farm Store Hours:
July--September
M -- Fri. 9 a.m. -- 6 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m.-- 5 p.m.
Sunday - Closed
October
M -- Fri. 11 a.m. -- 5 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. -- 5 p.m.
Sunday - Closed
Open Last Sunday in Oct.
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: 18905 NE 83rd Street, Vancouver, WA 98682
Website: Velvet Acres Gardens
I found this farm through Craigslist. It looks like most farms with lots of plants growing in rows in the fields with a gigantic barn and a farm store in its front. This is probably where I'll go to get sugar pumpkins in October. If you're unfamiliar with the rural parts of Vancouver, it is easy to get lost. NE 182nd Ave is not a marked street (no street sign) at its intersection with NE Fourth Plain Blvd. While on NE 182nd, hang a right at the split in the road. Farm is on the right.
On my last visit, I picked up fresh corn, cucumbers, a pint of grape tomatoes, an acorn squash. The farm grows a wide variety of vegetables with broccoli, summer squash, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, etc. Next month, I'm told that they'll have brussel sprouts and pumpkins.
Farm Store Hours:
July--September
M -- Fri. 9 a.m. -- 6 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m.-- 5 p.m.
Sunday - Closed
October
M -- Fri. 11 a.m. -- 5 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. -- 5 p.m.
Sunday - Closed
Open Last Sunday in Oct.
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: 18905 NE 83rd Street, Vancouver, WA 98682
Website: Velvet Acres Gardens
Kitchen Notes: Ingredient Sourcing Tips
The latest news articles about hunger in America and the rise in food stamp usage among gainfully employed citizens in the US makes me wonder if the larger problem is due to rising commodity prices for whole grains, increased production in crop-based biofuels, and/or the lack of nutrition and food preparation knowledge. The cheapest calorie-dense foods are usually pre-packaged ones that are high in fat, sodium, and artificial ingredients. Keeping food costs down without reliance on food stamps or subsidies means that you should learn to be a better consumer (and buyer).
Chinese Chicken Salad
In my youth, my mom used to joke about spaghetti's origins saying that the dish was from China. I asked, How so? She replied, because a Chinese person made it. Although, noodles did originate from China and this pretext has nothing to do with the post.
Despite not being an authentic Chinese dish and having its origins in California, this salad makes its summer-time rounds at restaurants and picnics alike. I wouldn't skimp out on the sugar. Part of the appeal this salad has over others is its sweet and savory dressing. It's roughly 1/2 c. cooked chicken per serving, so adjust the recipe accordingly to accommodate more people.
Serves 4.
The basic salad
CCS uses romaine lettuce and/or napa cabbage leaves as its salad base. You could use other types of lettuce, but they simply won't hold up against the dressing over several hours. You'll want to use a lighter-tasting vegetable oil, so olive oil or coconut oil have to sit this out. You could chop or shred the lettuce leaves. Home cooks tend to shred the salad (like how cabbage for coleslaw is cut), and most retail packages have 1" pieces of lettuce leaves--largely this is so that the salad has a longer shelf life.
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 c vegetable oil (grapeseed, peanut, or canola)
Optional ingredients:
fresh snow peas, trimmed
mandarin orange slices, fresh or canned
deep fried wonton skins (cut into 1/4" strips and deep fried in 375 degree F oil)
toasted sesame seeds
toasted sliced almonds
crunchy noodles
fresh bean sprouts
bean thread noodles or thin rice noodles, cooked and drained
Despite not being an authentic Chinese dish and having its origins in California, this salad makes its summer-time rounds at restaurants and picnics alike. I wouldn't skimp out on the sugar. Part of the appeal this salad has over others is its sweet and savory dressing. It's roughly 1/2 c. cooked chicken per serving, so adjust the recipe accordingly to accommodate more people.
Serves 4.
The basic salad
CCS uses romaine lettuce and/or napa cabbage leaves as its salad base. You could use other types of lettuce, but they simply won't hold up against the dressing over several hours. You'll want to use a lighter-tasting vegetable oil, so olive oil or coconut oil have to sit this out. You could chop or shred the lettuce leaves. Home cooks tend to shred the salad (like how cabbage for coleslaw is cut), and most retail packages have 1" pieces of lettuce leaves--largely this is so that the salad has a longer shelf life.
1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded or cut into 1" pieces
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, shredded or cut into 1" pieces
2 c. shredded or cubed cooked chicken breast
3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
The dressing:
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 c vegetable oil (grapeseed, peanut, or canola)
Optional ingredients:
fresh snow peas, trimmed
mandarin orange slices, fresh or canned
deep fried wonton skins (cut into 1/4" strips and deep fried in 375 degree F oil)
toasted sesame seeds
toasted sliced almonds
crunchy noodles
fresh bean sprouts
bean thread noodles or thin rice noodles, cooked and drained
Kitchen Notes: brewing a good cuppa joe
Let's face a basic fact about coffee. Call it what you want, java, cup of Joe, mocha, mud, or battery acid; your body simply does not care how it gets its daily caffeine fix. Your taste buds, on the other hand, seem to care a lot if the coffee tastes good and isn't weak, bland, burnt, or stale.
The beans:
Affluent coffee drinkers (and Food Network chefs) will tell you that you should skip the convenience of instant or pre-ground coffee for a DIY grind and brew. This is awfully time-consuming and why alternatives exist.
The grind:
fine - drip-styled, unbleached or gold mesh filters
medium or coarse - French press
The method:
Most electric coffee filter machines recommend 1 level tablespoon (i.e., that plastic spoon that comes with the machine is just that) per 6 oz of finely ground coffee. It's a good start, but if you grind whole beans for this purpose, you may find that this ratio produces a pretty weak cup of coffee.
Today I am drinking a medium grind cup (8 oz) of coffee created from 16 grams of whole roasted coffee beans (Stumptown house blend) plus 1 tsp organic granulated sugar and about one ounce of organic whole milk. Basically, a cup of coffee with milk and sugar. To me, this tastes about right, or what I would expect from a medium roast at a coffee retailer.
The beans:
Affluent coffee drinkers (and Food Network chefs) will tell you that you should skip the convenience of instant or pre-ground coffee for a DIY grind and brew. This is awfully time-consuming and why alternatives exist.
The grind:
fine - drip-styled, unbleached or gold mesh filters
medium or coarse - French press
The method:
Most electric coffee filter machines recommend 1 level tablespoon (i.e., that plastic spoon that comes with the machine is just that) per 6 oz of finely ground coffee. It's a good start, but if you grind whole beans for this purpose, you may find that this ratio produces a pretty weak cup of coffee.
Today I am drinking a medium grind cup (8 oz) of coffee created from 16 grams of whole roasted coffee beans (Stumptown house blend) plus 1 tsp organic granulated sugar and about one ounce of organic whole milk. Basically, a cup of coffee with milk and sugar. To me, this tastes about right, or what I would expect from a medium roast at a coffee retailer.
Corn Pudding in a Cast Iron Skillet
I made this for a "camping food" themed potluck on Saturday. To make this, you first need a completed batch of cornbread. This recipe comes from the "Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook
".
Ingredients
1 batch of cornbread, cubed
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. half and half (or 1/4 c heavy cream + 1/4 c milk)
3/4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
2/3 c. fresh or frozen cut corn
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Cut the cornbread into 1" cubes and place in a single layer in a 12" diameter cast iron skillet.
2. Whisk together until combined: eggs, sour cream, half and half, salt, black pepper and corn kernels. Pour mixture on top of cornbread.
3. In a small sauté pan over low-medium heat, brown and caramelize onions.
4. Scatter onions and grated cheese on top of cornbread.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the mixture has set.
".Ingredients
1 batch of cornbread, cubed
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. half and half (or 1/4 c heavy cream + 1/4 c milk)
3/4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
2/3 c. fresh or frozen cut corn
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Cut the cornbread into 1" cubes and place in a single layer in a 12" diameter cast iron skillet.
2. Whisk together until combined: eggs, sour cream, half and half, salt, black pepper and corn kernels. Pour mixture on top of cornbread.
3. In a small sauté pan over low-medium heat, brown and caramelize onions.
4. Scatter onions and grated cheese on top of cornbread.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the mixture has set.
Seasonal Ingredient Map
Epicurious.com has an online tool that allows you to select a “month” and “state” from a U.S. map. Once a location has been selected, a list pops up of all the produce that’s in season.
Rustic Bean Soup
"Rustic" implies simplicity and charm that is typical of the countryside. When the wind isn't blowing in the right directions, I can smell the cows from a nearby dairy farm. That's probably as close to the country as I'm going to get. Those folks have it rough not being close to modern amenities like grocery and hardware stores, farmers markets, museums, food cartopia, freeways, etc.
Ingredients
1 qt organic chicken stock
3 chicken sausages, cooked and sliced (or crumbled)
3 organic carrots, sliced
1 c. dry small white beans, soaked
One 14.5 oz can organic diced tomatoes
2 medium yukon potatoes, cubed
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 c. red rice wine
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp herbs de provence or Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
Directions
1. Soak beans in a bowl overnight. Discard soaking liquid and refill bowl with water until ready to use. Discard liquid before adding beans to crockpot.
2. In a crockpot, add all the ingredients. Set to "low" for 8 hours.
3. Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve with homemade bread.
Ingredients
1 qt organic chicken stock
3 chicken sausages, cooked and sliced (or crumbled)
3 organic carrots, sliced
1 c. dry small white beans, soaked
One 14.5 oz can organic diced tomatoes
2 medium yukon potatoes, cubed
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 c. red rice wine
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp herbs de provence or Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
Directions
1. Soak beans in a bowl overnight. Discard soaking liquid and refill bowl with water until ready to use. Discard liquid before adding beans to crockpot.
2. In a crockpot, add all the ingredients. Set to "low" for 8 hours.
3. Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve with homemade bread.
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