tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39081495502124833782024-03-05T08:59:11.589-05:00no reEATSJen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02557614428135265233noreply@blogger.comBlogger337125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-17262944968574895032012-04-09T12:11:00.000-04:002012-04-09T12:11:32.313-04:00Desserts for the Oscars<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pjs55ncahqGDmTqdTEeOPXZLJ3ma139PgcetVKqi5q7wqWySI9QtKkTHgX9ICA-gaF_oLYaQA2Y11M2WT2ZxaSSzF0zu3rYZHj-OYHRLwC2t8r_Tc5azvihKaBHKTfUUgq5g7xncSzU/s1600/minicheesecake.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714161039283055890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pjs55ncahqGDmTqdTEeOPXZLJ3ma139PgcetVKqi5q7wqWySI9QtKkTHgX9ICA-gaF_oLYaQA2Y11M2WT2ZxaSSzF0zu3rYZHj-OYHRLwC2t8r_Tc5azvihKaBHKTfUUgq5g7xncSzU/s400/minicheesecake.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 378px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 494px;" /></a> For our annual Oscar party this year, I wanted to make use of the kazillion mini-mason jars that are always clinking and tumbling around my cupboards and just calling out to be made into something pretty and delicious. So I decided on mini dulce de leche cheesecakes, mini coconut cream pies and trifles in a jar, with some s'mores on a stick on the side. Handy-dandy, individual, no-cook, make-ahead desserts that were hopefully gonna simplify my life and delight my guests. Assemble and chill; perfect for my busy weekend.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Last summer when I prepared similar desserts, I made the mistake of tamping down the graham-crumb bases too much and when they hardened it was nearly impossible to chisel them out with a small spoon. So this time around I gently laid the bases but just smoothed them out without using any pressure, and when they were refrigerated, they set perfectly. You can really adapt this dessert to any of your favourite cheesecake recipes and top with fruit or another favourite topping.... I just happen to love the creaminess of the dulce de leche combined with the crunch of the sugared nuts. I found that recipes that call for using 8 oz of cream cheese yield about 11 or 12 of these mini cheesecakes. If you use a recipe that uses more than a pound of cheese, you'll be doubling your final numbers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmdulnr7jffn9Yvma2FKSei2zfQNbLg0wjQ2L8Ki_RZZu6HPYiJPEKv-0bj9-GNWYxSShjV4EmBFIGqk1R38RhjlOuCq6MXYzQVAY3s5XQjAYK6V7gQBFQhDlyM_HIt_RGQXAzQ8hsPs/s1600/smoresonstick.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714160849031542882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmdulnr7jffn9Yvma2FKSei2zfQNbLg0wjQ2L8Ki_RZZu6HPYiJPEKv-0bj9-GNWYxSShjV4EmBFIGqk1R38RhjlOuCq6MXYzQVAY3s5XQjAYK6V7gQBFQhDlyM_HIt_RGQXAzQ8hsPs/s400/smoresonstick.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> These <a href="http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/07/21/smores-on-a-stick/">s'mores on a stick </a>were probably more a hit with the kiddie guests than the adults but still worth the (very little) effort.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv2gg8NGIUK2feXZirQ4u22bKn9a_Nkvrbzm6ka4w-kXXZxBO2lltLq-MbSrvnGXKR6lC0smoYxJZ76kXiRff5c8UCn3j2veWZvJKAJpTCO5jd2gOLHKiwggJaYNjMzdYixORSdbSoNw/s1600/minicoconutpies.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714160679829132706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv2gg8NGIUK2feXZirQ4u22bKn9a_Nkvrbzm6ka4w-kXXZxBO2lltLq-MbSrvnGXKR6lC0smoYxJZ76kXiRff5c8UCn3j2veWZvJKAJpTCO5jd2gOLHKiwggJaYNjMzdYixORSdbSoNw/s400/minicoconutpies.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> And these mini <a href="http://domesticgoddessadventures.blogspot.com/2009/11/triple-coconut-cream-pie.html">coconut cream pies </a>were pretty scrumptious too. I used chocolate cookie wafers combined with some shredded coconut for the bases and then topped with the coconut pastry cream, whipped cream and toasted coconut. </div><br />
<div></div><br />
<br />
<div><strong>Mini dulce de leche cheesecakes</strong></div><br />
<div></div><br />
<div>Combine 1 1/2 cups of graham crumbs with 1/2 cup melted butter. Stir together and then gently spoon about 2 tbsp or so of the mixture into the mini mason jars (about a dozen). Gently, very gently, smooth out but don't push it down too hard or your guests will have a hard time scooping it out. </div><br />
<div></div><br />
<br />
<div>Then, I chose an easy no-bake cheesecake recipe, using all of four basic ingredients (8 oz cream cheese at room temp, 1 can condensed milk, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp vanilla), stirred them all together until smooth and poured the mixture on top of the graham-crumb bases and then threw them in the fridge to set for at least two hours or up to a day ahead. Then, gently heat about a cup of dulce de leche with about 3 tbsp of whipping cream; mix well and pour on top. Chill again and top with sugared nuts.</div><br />
<div></div><br />
<br />
<div><br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div></div>Diannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675351704956351728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-46583130868092472322012-04-09T10:16:00.001-04:002012-04-09T12:09:05.063-04:00Maple Mustard Ham for Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIJrujGG7_yML5F6m_grzz6bnMDcy51nBkkav29dteSBl3WCKudlQrVQB2a92F-kZrGilcirdO5F1nX2lDxoJy3_1WJmiIxMSdjG_LHyOovw0QY2O8sZkL-lc2hZtLWSKa18QfuHfCLE/s1600/easter+dinner+3+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIJrujGG7_yML5F6m_grzz6bnMDcy51nBkkav29dteSBl3WCKudlQrVQB2a92F-kZrGilcirdO5F1nX2lDxoJy3_1WJmiIxMSdjG_LHyOovw0QY2O8sZkL-lc2hZtLWSKa18QfuHfCLE/s640/easter+dinner+3+(1+of+1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the first time in years, we did not go to my sister's house to celebrate Easter with family. There have been so many unsettling things going around here and none of us were up to straying too far from home this time so we decided to hang around the house and have dinner with The Neighbours, which is always a treat. Our upstairs neighbours are moving out after many, many years and it will be the last official building dinner which made it a bit sad but we are all exited for them as they go off on their next adventure and save up for a house of their own - in fact, they have promised to have all of us for dinner next Easter at their new house and we all look forward to that (although The Neighbours and I are bringing all the food because we love her dearly but cooking is not one of her strong suits).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuZE7SiGlZ-TstGP1oEQmojPsSzB_ykOgi4D5e3n1ToT2lFaW-Ed6RS5CVGGZOYlvnBEBPEodJEE4RoWWvXtpDkieuaMatjkr5xqUJB0ZNuJvYh7iV79m8k_erL5Q_36__gb7Z6CNwqo/s1600/easter+dinner+(4+of+4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuZE7SiGlZ-TstGP1oEQmojPsSzB_ykOgi4D5e3n1ToT2lFaW-Ed6RS5CVGGZOYlvnBEBPEodJEE4RoWWvXtpDkieuaMatjkr5xqUJB0ZNuJvYh7iV79m8k_erL5Q_36__gb7Z6CNwqo/s640/easter+dinner+(4+of+4).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They made a delicious turkey, all the sides and provided their beautiful home. The Upstairs Neighbours made up the table and decorated, complete with names on place cards and napkin rings and I was to bake the ham and make dessert, which was an incredible <a href="http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.ca/2012/04/easter-horror-stories-or-pavlova-with.html">Pavlova</a> of doom. Making it almost killed me but it was worth it so you should go have a look for yourself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2HudU2xboTvuWL4L156ISnwOiY8LI9Cw0M3C7OhhjyKJP9TNgwafN4qSRpe0Lu4ebtHmjtwyicry4GMB9CRRopnzl6GAJ_RwYJ1sFcRngOv6A5ppZW4dbDyV3AtsgM5u6Bu_pKiyVzw/s1600/easter+bunnies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2HudU2xboTvuWL4L156ISnwOiY8LI9Cw0M3C7OhhjyKJP9TNgwafN4qSRpe0Lu4ebtHmjtwyicry4GMB9CRRopnzl6GAJ_RwYJ1sFcRngOv6A5ppZW4dbDyV3AtsgM5u6Bu_pKiyVzw/s1600/easter+bunnies.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, I don't really bake ham myself. Hams are just too big for the three of us and when we do ham at my sisters, I whip up a glaze and hand it off to either Shack, who cooks it on the bbq or my sister who bakes it in the oven. This was the first time, at least in years, that I have baked a big, bone in ham myself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Neighbours generously provided the ham so I just had to come up with a glaze and cook it. The glaze was really great, not too sweet and a perfect compliment to the mildly salty ham - the ham itself was really nice - quite lean, not too salty and it stayed really moist and tender. I am making pea soup with the bone so stay tuned for that since it will most likely be my next post either here or on <a href="http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.com/">The Yum Yum Factor</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3k0KueXgqTb4p_xSoCWztK-UcxfelFwVDvluKhmIUhyphenhyphenyx2GqyD08NvPWS-F7V5S2CMPg_1HYpf00ZBCgbN8hzyd9spzuhWZjb4FS67ffEotJQJWR7ax6adTw1P3J1scJurvdEHclY3U/s1600/ham+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3k0KueXgqTb4p_xSoCWztK-UcxfelFwVDvluKhmIUhyphenhyphenyx2GqyD08NvPWS-F7V5S2CMPg_1HYpf00ZBCgbN8hzyd9spzuhWZjb4FS67ffEotJQJWR7ax6adTw1P3J1scJurvdEHclY3U/s640/ham+(1+of+1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Baked Ham with Honey Mustard Maple Glaze</b></span><br />
3 tbls Kozlik's Lime and Honey Mustard<br />
3 tbls maple syrup<br />
3 tbls melted butter<br />
tbls fresh thyme<br />
about 10 grinds of black pepper<br />
<br />
3.26 kg Boneless Ham<br />
<br />
<br />
Take the ham out of the fridge and let it sit out until it comes to room temperature, for at least an hour and up to 2 hours, depending on how big your ham is and how cold you have kept it.<br />
Mix all of the glaze ingredients together and set aside.<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 325F<br />
Put the ham, cut side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. If there is any fat on the outside, score it. Use about 1/3 of the glaze to coat the ham - I use a pastry brush. Put it in the oven and cook it for about 1 1/5 to 2 hrs. During the last hour, start basting it with the glaze. If, at any time, the glaze starts to look like it's getting burnt, cover the ham with a loose tent of foil. Basically, the ham is already cooked but you want to get it nice and hot so the internal temperature should be around 110 to 120F<br />
When it's done, remove the ham from the oven, baste it with the pan drippings, cover loosely with foil and let it sit about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-70507913839571587992012-04-05T10:42:00.001-04:002012-04-09T12:09:23.290-04:00Risotto With Beer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkl5DGHlk5UK2Rr80pq02ZOmUSrA6FmjeHd2wtMT9NYAMpq80oTOQPQqZUtWR0VbiCH8gyDTQVebb13JjzQ4JcbEJxxMRB3IYcKR3KkZiQcVGP-uhgYjTlUz9fsNIWfGJeQ2jXn_FHC4/s1600/beer+risotto+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkl5DGHlk5UK2Rr80pq02ZOmUSrA6FmjeHd2wtMT9NYAMpq80oTOQPQqZUtWR0VbiCH8gyDTQVebb13JjzQ4JcbEJxxMRB3IYcKR3KkZiQcVGP-uhgYjTlUz9fsNIWfGJeQ2jXn_FHC4/s1600/beer+risotto+(1+of+1).jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
It's not secret that The Kid loves him some risotto and we have had a tough few weeks so I thought he deserved a nice, big bowl of something he loves. I still want to make a risotto with sparkling wine and seared scallops but that would have meant a major shopping trip, which was not in the cards.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
What I did have on hand was beer and I see no reason to believe that beer wouldn't make a fine risotto. After some googling, it was clear that many people have had the same idea and used beer with great success Add in some really thin, young asparagus, pancetta and some huge spring onions from Texas and we were on our way. I used Stiegl Goldbrau and to be honest, it didn't taste all that different with beer replacing the wine - perhaps a bit less acidic and more mellow and smooth- but it was certainly tasty and it's nice to know that I can still make risotto even when I am out of white wine.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlE-iNdKl_dt5EvERXl4vXbSzwnQdt5QZXJRKXjdJlfqJ84nAvhYzs12yMPwQpdvEB_YNGQF0y97YNOGY8edYLU1ExgtHdzTZaR-BnP2kAINkGJLFu1VKv2k3r4sQx0AuXSoFuHODOyQ/s1600/beer+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlE-iNdKl_dt5EvERXl4vXbSzwnQdt5QZXJRKXjdJlfqJ84nAvhYzs12yMPwQpdvEB_YNGQF0y97YNOGY8edYLU1ExgtHdzTZaR-BnP2kAINkGJLFu1VKv2k3r4sQx0AuXSoFuHODOyQ/s400/beer+(1+of+1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Beer Risotto with Asparagus</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
3 cups chicken stock<br />
2 tbls chopped pancetta<br />
3 tbls butter<br />
1 tbls olive oil<br />
2 large spring onions, chopped fine<br />
1 clove garlic, chopped finely<br />
2 cups arborio rice<br />
1.5 cups <a href="http://www.stiegl.at/en/stieglat/enjoy-stiegl/stiegl-products/stiegl-goldbraeu-74/">beer</a><br />
1 bunch very thin asparagus<br />
1 orange bell pepper, chopped<br />
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese<br />
<br />
I like to put any vegetable scraps in my pot of stock, bring it to a boil and then turn it down until it is just barely simmering and let it steep while I get the rest of my ingredients ready. In this case, that meant the rough ends of the asparagus and any bits of spring onion that I would normally discard.<br />
<br />
So, with the pot of stock sitting on the back burner, melt 2 tbls butter and 1 tbls olive oil in a large, deep pan (large enough to accommodate double the volume of rice at least). Add the pancetta and cook for a few minutes until it just starts to crisp before you add the spring onions and garlic. Stir that around for a couple of minutes and then add the rice. Cook the rice, stirring constantly, until it turns opaque, about 2-3 more minutes. Now, add the beer and stir and stir, in a figure 8, until the liquid is almost all absorbed.<br />
<br />
At this point, you start ladling in the stock. With each addition, you keep stirring the rice, over med to med low heat until the stock is absorbed. Then you add the next ladle of stock. After about 10 minutes, add in the chopped, thin asparagus and the peppers (if your asparagus is not very, very thin and young, you can add it after about five minutes instead). Keep this addition of stock and stirring up until you have cooked the rice for about 20 minutes. The rice should be a bit al dente but not hard. It will have a nice creamy consistency - it it's still really soupy, keep stirring and cooking until it thickens up a bit.<br />
Now, you take it off the heat, add the last tablespoon of butter and the grated parmesan and stir it in more vigorously until it's totally incorporated.Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-48575393843094765632012-04-01T18:50:00.009-04:002012-04-09T12:09:38.563-04:00Gooey Caramel Butter Bars<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIVGtviWKNbr72NhIiKAW-XMgfaPa7wKoniZl_feylyiddhdkV-iJfXCVhrYUtezAnkpcZshHQzLcPk9coNFSWfiINw2YTuIEwpgaZMHoUvTmSOx2QlGnQrsTBFlIUmL5z5HM2FDtZ-o/s1600/caramelbar.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726568875220717698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIVGtviWKNbr72NhIiKAW-XMgfaPa7wKoniZl_feylyiddhdkV-iJfXCVhrYUtezAnkpcZshHQzLcPk9coNFSWfiINw2YTuIEwpgaZMHoUvTmSOx2QlGnQrsTBFlIUmL5z5HM2FDtZ-o/s400/caramelbar.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 355px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
I don't know about you but Kraft caramels bring back vivid childhood memories of Halloween for me. Yes, the taste was memorable but even more so was the impossible-to-open challenge of trying to unwrap them without leaving any of the plastic stuck within the deep hard grooves of the little candy, only to be found as a slippery choking hazard in your mouth a few moments later. And you couldn't even try to do it quietly and surreptitiously under your desk during class... the crinkly crackliness would bust you each and every time. But always worth the wait and effort, once the hard caramel softened to a rich creaminess and kept your mouth busy for several happy minutes. None of the cheap no-name versions could ever compete with the real thing... throw them away with all the other Halloween knockoffs and just keep the Kraft originals. Unfortunately, during my teens I discovered the calorie count of one caramel and that pretty much ended my Kraft-caramel love affair for several years. Okay, decades.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
In the years since my kidhood, some bright pip at Kraft has obviously perfected the technology of caramel-making because when I bought a couple of bags recently for this recipe, I found that not only do the caramels now keep their perfect cube shape and are instantly soft, but the plastic also falls away easily like a second skin, no problemo. No more working so hard to get your final reward. Instant gratification. Unfortunately. So when I thought I was delegating the hard task of unwrapping 50 of these suckers to Q while he was watching TV on the couch, he had them done within mere seconds (and luckily could be trusted not to scoff down half the bunch since he's back in training for some upcoming godforsaken hard biking event). <br />
<br />
Now, fair warning: even though I'm loving <em>Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey</em>, I've quickly learned that most of the recipes in this cookbook list a pound (!) of butter as one of their first ingredients, and this one also needs 50 caramels to work its magic, so it's definitely one of those eat-some-give-most-away desserts and you'll make your friends, extended family or neighbours happy in the process. I decided to skip using the optional rum since kiddies would be eating these and in my experience they can be totally turned off by the whiff of the addition of any liquor... but added the pecans and they really added crunch and texture to the bars. Definitely worthwhile but your personal choice. If you're a shortbread lover, these will blow your socks off.<br />
<br />
<br />
Gooey Caramel Butter Bars<br />
from <em>Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey</em>, by Jill O'Connor<br />
<br />
makes 15 large or 30 small bars<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>For the crust</em><br />
<br />
1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted<br />
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>For the filling</em><br />
1 bag (14 oz) caramel candies, about 50 of them, unwrapped<br />
1/3 cup heavy cream<br />
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
1 to 2 tbsp dark rum (optional)<br />
pinch of salt<br />
<br />
1 cup pecans, walnuts or cashews (optional)<br />
<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter with both sugars. Beat together on medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla and salt, and then sift in the flour and beat on low speed until a soft dough forms.<br />
<br />
<br />
Butter a 9 inch by 13 inch pan and then press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Take the remaining two-thirds of the dough, pat it into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Set aside in the fridge for 30 mins.<br />
<br />
<br />
Pop the crust into the oven for 20 to 25 mins, until golden brown. Remove and let cool.<br />
<br />
<br />
In the meantime, place the caramels, cream, vanilla, rum (if using) and salt in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 1 min. Remove and stir; continue doing this in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Sprinkle the nuts over the cooled crust, pour the caramel mixture on top and spread evenly, then crumble the chilled shortbread on top. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the topping is firm and golden brown, about 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
<br />
When cooled, cut evenly into 15 large squares or cut squares diagonally into 30 triangles.<br />
<br />
<br />
Keep them tightly wrapped, at room temperature, and they'll be good for up to one week.Diannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675351704956351728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-79369240827996474522012-03-27T20:21:00.003-04:002012-04-09T12:09:59.747-04:00Porcupine Meatballs with Smoked Paprika<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH4BFy4EL9sxPEbhCJYOXefTHHg4JZlN8YNw42J9e5z5ODOIUy0Gh_K5vWqMkZMAxqU9gtiHPOzZLnHeiCKlnYLgItXp_WP7lij4cAotF1IREei3gaK22Z6TPn_NhM237kbNMsKJBEoc/s1600/porcupine+meatballs+cu+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH4BFy4EL9sxPEbhCJYOXefTHHg4JZlN8YNw42J9e5z5ODOIUy0Gh_K5vWqMkZMAxqU9gtiHPOzZLnHeiCKlnYLgItXp_WP7lij4cAotF1IREei3gaK22Z6TPn_NhM237kbNMsKJBEoc/s640/porcupine+meatballs+cu+(1+of+1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">When I was a kid, one of my brothers would always eat the meat stuffing out of my mom's cabbage rolls and leave all the delicious, tomato sauce napped cabbage untouched. I loved that cabbage so I always thought he was nuts but just last week, I made gemista and Shack and The Kid did the same thing. They both ate up the stuffing but didn't touch the delicious peppers that the stuffing was roasted in. Clearly, they really liked the meat and rice thing so it made sense to run with that and find another use for it and for some reason, I couldn't get porcupine meatballs out of my mind. It's not even like I have fond childhood memories of eating them like many of my friends. If my mom ever did make them, she would have used minute rice and cream of mushroom soup so if I she ever served them them I have blocked them out of my mind along with the reoccurring nightmare where everyone in my family turned into zombies and I had nowhere to run. Still, the idea of making them was intriguing but they would have to be different than a bland old meatball with rice on a toothpick.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Since I have been all about the smoked paprika lately, why not combine two different things I am loving right now - something kind of spanish tasting with smoked paprika and porcupine meatballs? </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">This dish was a rousing success if I do say so myself. We all love meatballs and adding the rice reminded me of the stuffing for the gemista, which we all enjoyed and the smoked paprika made sure they didn't taste like the regular italian meatballs I make all the time. They sauce ended up thickening up and coating the meatballs as opposed to sort of swim in sauce so if you like them really saucy, I would add a bit more stock and tomato puree to the baking pan.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">The Kid ate three helpings and then asked for a meatball sandwich to take to camp the next day. I'd say there will be more porcupine meatballs in our future and , dare I say, this may start a fun, retro trend. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3njNIqaD-7zxHDVCg61FcMhuRLgE4fcCC8bbMAY-jEy3UlzON5R3X5cuNW1K0Jas20jMjANe7K4XNnw1DmsGICbR1edLrnrzojxI3oXtGzQzC1gj8EP6yUUUxQMVbhz3MP5NSlLeL3IU/s1600/porcupine+meatballs+before+sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3njNIqaD-7zxHDVCg61FcMhuRLgE4fcCC8bbMAY-jEy3UlzON5R3X5cuNW1K0Jas20jMjANe7K4XNnw1DmsGICbR1edLrnrzojxI3oXtGzQzC1gj8EP6yUUUxQMVbhz3MP5NSlLeL3IU/s1600/porcupine+meatballs+before+sauce.jpg" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Porcupine Meatballs with Smoked Paprika</span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">inspired by these <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/823_hungarian_meatballs">hungarian meatballs on Food52</a> , <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/350622/slow-cooker-spanish-meatballs">slow cooker spanish meatballs from Martha</a> and this recipe for <a href="http://www.bos-bowl.com/2010/05/porcupine-meatballs.html">porcupine meatballs from Bo's Bowl</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 small onion diced</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2 clove garlic chopped</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 lb ground beef</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1/2 lb ground pork<br />
1/2 to 3/4 cup uncooked basmati rice</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1/2 cup chicken stock</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 tbls fresh thyme</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 tbls fresh rosemary</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 tbls sweet paprika</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 tbls smoked paprika </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">kosher salt and pepper to taste</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">pinch cayenne</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Olive oil</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl with your hands. You can use anywhere from 1/3 cup of rice to 3/4 cup of rice to be honest. With the maximum amount, the meatballs are really full of rice, which I liked but if you want only a bit of rice in there, use less just don't use more than 3/4 cup or the meatballs won't hold together as nicely.<br />
Only mix until everything is totally combined - over mixing leads to touch meatballs. Take a pinch of the mixture and cook it - either fry it quickly or pop it in the microwave- and taste it so you can adjust the spices accordingly. When you are happy with the taste, form into golf ball sized meatballs, put them on a baking tray and keep them in the fridge while you get the rest of the stuff for the sauce ready (longer is great too - it lets them firm up a bit)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a heavy oven proof pan and brown the meatballs in batches. Remove them to a dish until they are all done. If you don't have an oven proof pan, don't worry because you can bake them in a baking dish.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">sauce:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">olive oil</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 small onion, chopped</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2 cloves garlic, chopped</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2 tbls smoked paprika</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3 tbls brandy</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2 cups tomato puree</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 cup chicken stock</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">bunch rosemary and a bunch thyme</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">a handful of fresh, chopped parsley</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">salt and pepper</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Preheat the oven to 325F</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Wipe the bottom of the pan clean to get rid of all the burnt rice etc.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Add a bit more olive oil, and sauté the onion and garlic until they start to brown a bit and then add in the smoked paprika. Stir that around for a minute until it becomes really fragrant and then add the brandy and deglaze the pan with that before adding in the tomato, stock, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Let that come to a boil, taste, adjust seasonings to your liking (I always need salt because I use my own tomato puree and it has no salt in it) and then pour that over the meatballs in a baking dish</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">OR</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">you can just add the meatballs to your ovenproof pan that you have been using</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Either way, cover them and put them in the oven for about an hour and a half. Check them after an hour and see if the rice is cooked yet and if it is, you can take them out of course.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzyVj4225quW-TKXfqQnrqHHn6B2aOvJ2qufDmMxFE5_7M_Kkr6OftxO2BfLGVfNkRPZ0xbkJYujLoUicu_qVflQ4Xr4AxQwePq7-awd5Iqx1gSVP73jbz0t0dhTt2YBYLsDLkcG_808/s1600/porcupine+meatballs+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzyVj4225quW-TKXfqQnrqHHn6B2aOvJ2qufDmMxFE5_7M_Kkr6OftxO2BfLGVfNkRPZ0xbkJYujLoUicu_qVflQ4Xr4AxQwePq7-awd5Iqx1gSVP73jbz0t0dhTt2YBYLsDLkcG_808/s640/porcupine+meatballs+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-4760070973583574922012-03-13T10:03:00.001-04:002012-04-09T12:10:25.942-04:00Gemista - Greek Stuff Peppers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuRrxwbHjsyFv8vEo2Dqz5w1tMm9NgLy6Dik6HA3rF6HpvQSK5OnMqhl-E1p-Fs5MI566E2EjOfNjugDTJSWmnuk4rlNpw5fJcEmMRGJxPHl4h1yNXN-JGB_w26iyUamI2jyuOogkU6M/s1600/gemista.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuRrxwbHjsyFv8vEo2Dqz5w1tMm9NgLy6Dik6HA3rF6HpvQSK5OnMqhl-E1p-Fs5MI566E2EjOfNjugDTJSWmnuk4rlNpw5fJcEmMRGJxPHl4h1yNXN-JGB_w26iyUamI2jyuOogkU6M/s1600/gemista.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
There are so many things that I enjoy eating that I have never made myself and stuffed peppers are among those things. I know that Shack had not had them before would love to try them and yet, they have never been attempted in this house. For example, after 17 years of being asked to make veal parmesan , I have never made that for him either so, clearly, I am not really the fabulous, considerate person that I like to think I am.<br />
Regardless, I am making him stuffed peppers now so better late than never, right?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
A million years ago and in another life, I spent quite a bit of time living and working in Greece and so I have eaten my share of stuffed vegetables. To be perfectly honest, my memories of gemista eaten in Greece are not overly fond - they would usually let these things, along with the pastistio and moussaka, sit out on the counter all day in the sweltering heat and eat them at room temperature. Room temperature in June in Athens is about 340F and because I am a crazy Canadian, I don't really like to eat meat dishes that have sat out on the counter for a day or two in that sort of heat. Now, I have had great stuffed peppers in Toronto since we are lucky to have an excellent Greektown and I have also had them lovingly prepared by the grandmothers of various Greek friends over the years. It's not that the gemista served in Greece weren't tasty, they were just ticking time bombs of gastro intestinal armeggaddon and best avoided whenever possible.<br />
<br />
I didn't really follow a particular recipe either because they are pretty simple and I know what is supposed to go in there so I just read tons of recipes and then set out to make them. One thing I do remember from the time I spent living in Athens was that you allow for 2 tbls of rice per pepper. I am not sure who's grandmother told me that anymore but it gives a nice ratio of meat to rice so it must have been a real memory and not just a retsina fuelled food dream.<br />
<br />
The sauce is really oily, which is a very Greek thing so be prepared for that but it's olive oil so it's good for you. You can bathe in it, use it to moisturize your hair and your skin and so eating the odd dish that is heavy on the stuff has to be good for you from time to time. The potatoes are all olive oily and soft and delicious and are my favourite part of the dish.<br />
<br />
The funny thing was that Shack and The Kid said they liked them and would like them again but they ate all the meat and left the peppers which just meant more peppers for me - they are so weird.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_673qNRdXEA5G8LXxAHf67mQzK9gszIP03Hbhodwfgd27ZjlDe2aWZiEL3FEsVyy0RZbOzIl9s0Y00ssSHqVy1wCI-VsmTVMxwmwWlhN6vxUe3I6TqO-sgfSCZ3RwcBaqfKiUzG2ef8/s1600/gemista+(2+of+2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_673qNRdXEA5G8LXxAHf67mQzK9gszIP03Hbhodwfgd27ZjlDe2aWZiEL3FEsVyy0RZbOzIl9s0Y00ssSHqVy1wCI-VsmTVMxwmwWlhN6vxUe3I6TqO-sgfSCZ3RwcBaqfKiUzG2ef8/s640/gemista+(2+of+2).jpg" width="574" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Gemista</span></b><br />
also called Yemista<br />
<br />
1 lb ground beef<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
1/4 cup olive oil plus a couple of tbls for the sauce<br />
1/2 cup parsely, chopped<br />
greek oregano (about 1 tbls or to taste)<br />
3/4 cup cup tomato puree (1/2 cup for the rice/meat and 1/4 cup for the sauce)<br />
a heaping 1/2 cup arborio rice (10 tbls to be exact but a heaping 1/2 cup will do)<br />
salt and pepper<br />
2 yukon gold potatoes<br />
water<br />
feta<br />
<br />
5 peppers (I used three yellow and two red - I loathe cooked green peppers)<br />
<br />
Heat the olive oil over med low heat and cook the onions and garlic until they get really, really soft - about ten minutes. Add the meat and cook until no longer pink. Then throw in the parsley, oregano,1/2 cup tomato puree and the rice and let that simmer for another 5 minutes or so until some of the liquid evaporates and it thickens up just a bit. Remove from the heat and let it sit for about five minutes before stuffing the peppers. Taste and season as needed with salt, pepper, more oregano if you like.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, cut the top off of your peppers (if you can leave them connected on one side so you can flip it open and closed without completely cutting it off, that is best), scoop out all the seeds and membrane to prepare it for stuffing and set aside.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 375F<br />
<br />
Spoon the rice/meat mixture into the peppers and cover each one back up with the pepper lid.<br />
Put the peppers into a baking dish so that they fit snuggly in and hold each other up. Cut your potatoes into wedges and fit them in around the bottoms of the peppers.<br />
<br />
Mix the remaining 1/4 cup tomato puree with about 1/2 cup of water and a couple of tbls of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Pour that carefully around the bottom of the baking dish. You want the liquid to come up about an inch so if it's needed you can add a bit more water.<br />
<br />
Bake the stuffed peppers for between 75 to 90 minutes. Check at the 75 minute mark to see if the rice is cooked yet. They are done when the rice is nice and soft. I cooked mine for about an hour and 45 minutes and they were perfect.<br />
<br />
Serve with some of the delicious, silky potato wedges, flip back the pepper lid and sprinkle some feta over the top of each one.Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-90528438282351912682012-03-09T07:22:00.002-05:002012-04-09T12:10:51.648-04:00Brown Butter Soda Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbwxFNqzICOBWrajvqyILsI_UoHFJj-XF0gYpjO8SBmxvPDod2lzaeAPNyB1iqcBPk88SZrpc8nZyGnDN1SlTH8Ra6rvLjL2Aq5TlBJqYcndq1r_YtSp2ntowxnD6SezDC5Css7JcLgM/s1600/soda+bread+2+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbwxFNqzICOBWrajvqyILsI_UoHFJj-XF0gYpjO8SBmxvPDod2lzaeAPNyB1iqcBPk88SZrpc8nZyGnDN1SlTH8Ra6rvLjL2Aq5TlBJqYcndq1r_YtSp2ntowxnD6SezDC5Css7JcLgM/s640/soda+bread+2+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<br />
I guess I go backwards sometimes. After a lifetime of never making bread, I dove into the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day with gusto and spent two winters making all of our artisan loaves. I felt like a master baker, using yeast and not running scared out into the woods. Okay, I didn't have to knead it or do any other fancy bakery things to it but it was real bread and it was good.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
This week I was taking lunch to a friend's house and made some soup and at the last minute decided to try a new bread. I loved the sound of this brown butter soda bread I found on Epicurious, it got rave reviews and looked easy as pie. I made it exactly as written (one or two tiny changes) and it was so ridiculously easy that I can't believe I have never tried it before.<br />
<br />
The texture is more like a giant biscuit or scone than it is like a true bread, but you put some butter on a wedge of this baby while it's still a bit warm?<br />
Shut the front door.<br />
Honestly, now I know why my Irish fore bearers were never know for their svelte, willowy figures with bread like this every day.<br />
<br />
<br />
We at this crazy yummy bread with a<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> <a href="http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.com/2012/03/its-friday-it-must-be-soup-march-9.html">parsnip corn chowder</a> </span>and The Kid declared it perfect soup dunking bread, so there you have it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfeh2jd1D_X96_COBHbfBWWa3TTgWumrzC7SL_ahSVA20_lKxdAazDRFIZG2PoxpkSc8HDYDGwyK_CnYGInAaZSGfjV8u_918-LRYey0zuEVN43lnhUX091Wh2G1oKP5VKtRDB4712P8M/s1600/soda+bread+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfeh2jd1D_X96_COBHbfBWWa3TTgWumrzC7SL_ahSVA20_lKxdAazDRFIZG2PoxpkSc8HDYDGwyK_CnYGInAaZSGfjV8u_918-LRYey0zuEVN43lnhUX091Wh2G1oKP5VKtRDB4712P8M/s640/soda+bread+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Brown Butter Soda Bread</span></b><br />
from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brown-Butter-Soda-Bread-233910">Epicurious</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul class="ingredientsList" style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter</span></li>
</ul><ul class="ingredientsList" style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 1/2 cups all purpose flour</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 cup old-fashioned oats</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tablespoon sugar</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus more for topping</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 teaspoons baking powder</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper plus additional for topping</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 3/4 cups buttermilk</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<ul class="ingredientsList" style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 egg white, beaten to blend</span></li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 375F</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat and swirl it around until it turns golden brown (about 2-3 minutes) and remove it from the heat.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Put the flour, oats, sugar, rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, salt and a few grinds of black pepper (I didn't measure) in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Pour the buttermilk and the melted butter on top and stir it together until the flour is moistened - don't over stir. The recipe calls for using a fork but I used a silicone spatula and it worked really well.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead very gently until it feels likes it all mixed together - I did exactly 7 turns as instructed. Divide that in half, shape each half into a ball and flatten it. I put them on a parchment lined baking pan with lots of room in between them. Brush the tops with the egg white and sprinkle with a couple more grinds of black pepper and some more chopped rosemary. Using a knife, cut a nice, deep X into the top of each round.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bake until deep golden brown and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on racks for another 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgML5luBi376PdNzAUpfXhPHEOY_Vhlj64jXiAJ6Y_-R3qg1OutOljdBA-b_AA2FMUiR5WSn8CV9lUsyAFLci11RUtJxLyN8nf3w5Q_MgIjtAK267IEDc3pptORtRlGivVx48IXnietLN4/s1600/soda+bread+slice+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgML5luBi376PdNzAUpfXhPHEOY_Vhlj64jXiAJ6Y_-R3qg1OutOljdBA-b_AA2FMUiR5WSn8CV9lUsyAFLci11RUtJxLyN8nf3w5Q_MgIjtAK267IEDc3pptORtRlGivVx48IXnietLN4/s640/soda+bread+slice+(1+of+1).jpg" width="630" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span>Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-41039419541232392022012-02-28T14:07:00.001-05:002012-04-09T12:11:15.135-04:00Chili Beef Stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bFLK_IDAAsKOkAyu_b526RcNdORHnvl0X0VDUy714O3sGybFV0MhDBxJzAFNkWa8zxqYOamxKl2r76hRwKnVUK3YmNTsZ9D7t1-eW0sUekZkFQ9aof1wAkaifyZJ4-SJIyokZQJF2bI/s1600/chili+beef+stew+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bFLK_IDAAsKOkAyu_b526RcNdORHnvl0X0VDUy714O3sGybFV0MhDBxJzAFNkWa8zxqYOamxKl2r76hRwKnVUK3YmNTsZ9D7t1-eW0sUekZkFQ9aof1wAkaifyZJ4-SJIyokZQJF2bI/s640/chili+beef+stew+(1+of+1).jpg" width="605" /></a></div><br />
Last week was a crazy week that involved NO cooking at all. We had a long weekend away with family followed by a sick kid for two days and it wrapped up with two 13+ hour work days for me. Frankly, we are lucky to be alive at this point. We made a big pot of spaghetti sauce on the weekend for the freezer and I was anxiously awaiting Monday so I could be alone again and get back in my kitchen.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Even though this is basically chili, I would never <i>call </i>it that because I have enough friends from Texas who would never speak to me again if I advocated putting beans in there (even though I totally do) so I am on board with Smith and Ratliff and I agree that we will, instead, call this a stew. It tastes just like a good chili but the whole chunks of beef make it much heartier somehow. I went pretty light on the dried chills because it's the first time I have used these chilis that I brought back from my Xmas trip to mexico and I wasn't sure how much heat they would pack. Next time I will use more of them and I also might try a few other varieties in there as well.<br />
<br />
It's thicker than a beef stew, heartier than chili with ground beef and the addition of the masa harina at the end gives it a really nice, earthy flavour. It was a big hit with both of my menfolk so I will definitely be trying more variations on this stuff - maybe I will get all crazy and even leave the beans out next time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGvXZdlOxAGm49LU6yswVMqgMJz_ggK0aT84YwEKyBSSHQLrECzVgpOar765l9aXdJ6ER5_-1cpFCd_t1VuyYj7ph9c0uudlmwIy0SocbTfgtMcxuASfDFJzfSZPamSrFpAKZ1Motq8g/s1600/chili+beef+stew+cu+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGvXZdlOxAGm49LU6yswVMqgMJz_ggK0aT84YwEKyBSSHQLrECzVgpOar765l9aXdJ6ER5_-1cpFCd_t1VuyYj7ph9c0uudlmwIy0SocbTfgtMcxuASfDFJzfSZPamSrFpAKZ1Motq8g/s640/chili+beef+stew+cu+(1+of+1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Chili Beef Stew</span></b><br />
adapted from <a href="http://smithratliff.com/2012/01/19/beef-stew-and-cornbread/">Smith and Ratliff</a><br />
<br />
A glug of olive oil<br />
1 large onion, chopped<br />
3 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
2 lbs stew beef<br />
2 cans small mexican kidney beans<br />
2 cups tomato puree<br />
1 500ml can beer (2 cups)<br />
2 tbls chili powder<br />
1 tbls cumin<br />
1 dried pasilla chili<br />
1 dired ancho chili<br />
1 cup chicken stock<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 tbls masa harina<br />
fresh cilantro for garnish<br />
<br />
<br />
Heat a heavy frying pan over med heat (i like to use a cast iron skillet) put your dried chills in the dry pan and cook for a minute on each side until it puffs up a bit. Remove them to a bowl and cover them with hot water and set aside so they can soak for at least 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Heat a heavy pot over med heat and add a good glug of olive oil. Brown the meat, in batches. When that is done set the beef aside in a bowl and add the onion and garlic to the pot. Cook those for a few minutes until softened and then add the beef back into the pot.<br />
<br />
Throw in the tomatoes, the beans, the beer, chili powder, cumin and some salt to taste.<br />
<br />
Cut open your dried chills that have been soaking and remove the seeds unless you want maximum heat and in that case, leave the seeds and cut them up. Put the cut up chills (I just use kitchen shears - easier than trying to cut them with a knife) in a blender with a cup of chicken stock and whiz them up until they are pureed.<br />
Add the pureed chili and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a light simmer. Let that cook for a few hours over low heat, so it's just barely simmering. What I did was cook it for about an hour and a half on the stove and then, because I was called out for a couple of hours, I put the lid on and popped the pot into the oven at 285F for the rest of the afternoon and by the time I got home, it was perfect. It had really thickened up, the meat was falling apart and it was delicious. Because it had already thicker up perfectly but I still wanted the flavour of the masa harina, I added about 1/2 cup of chicken stock with the masa harina and simmered it on low for ten more minutes on the burner.<br />
<br />
If you cook the whole thing on the stove top, about 20 minutes before you are going to serve the stew, add the masa harina and stir thoroughly, letting that thicken it up a bit. It also gives it a really great flavour that you just don't get from using plain old flour.<br />
<br />
Serve with some fresh cilantro and even over rice if you like.Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-78003755930210125962012-02-17T07:41:00.006-05:002012-02-17T08:33:05.471-05:00Rocky Road Bars and One-Bowl Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp5Wq4nyVqWA_6QuzAUwFALMrFR9HIchyB-4aMJd47aO-hbXx0PcyJsTUoCJ1R9JpXOpmwPM1lCaOI1_uB9dFYInqic6Z9IyZjjxxQt1FurBatEQagT1QLUV6cRyF8k67iL8CLNiuGiI/s1600/rockyroad.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 527px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 449px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710084645170446530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp5Wq4nyVqWA_6QuzAUwFALMrFR9HIchyB-4aMJd47aO-hbXx0PcyJsTUoCJ1R9JpXOpmwPM1lCaOI1_uB9dFYInqic6Z9IyZjjxxQt1FurBatEQagT1QLUV6cRyF8k67iL8CLNiuGiI/s400/rockyroad.jpg" /></a>My new copy of <em>Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey</em> arrived in the mail this week (and <em>Sticky, Chewy, Messy Gooey Treats for Kids</em> is on its way) and I was hoping it'd be as good as <em>Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy</em>, which Carole gave me for Christmas two years ago, and which I totally love and go back to time and time again (spine is broken and pages are sticky... always good signs). Different authors and totally different looks to the books but obviously titles with delicious-sounding adjectives stacked one of top of the other appeal to me... great marketing idea! I'd been wanting to do some baking since The Eldest was coming home from university for reading week and that's as good an excuse as any to pull out the sugar and vanilla and get the kitchen smelling good.<br /><br />I first decided on making these Rocky Road Bars from Carole's book, but halfway through remembered that Corbin had sworn off anything marshmallowy years ago, following a particularly dramatic upchuck on the cobblestone streets of London after gobbling back a dime-bag of penny candy in our rental car. To be fair, Q's driving of a manual car generally gives us all motion sickness of some sort, but Corbin has held a personal grudge against marshmallows ever since. Sorry... too much information on our domestic affairs but this is only to explain why I ended up baking twice that afternoon, following up with the "best" choc chip cookies from my newest cookbook. Some ooey-gooey followed by some chewy-crispy. O'Connor's approach is to use melted butter and then to refrigerate the dough for an hour before cooking. The results were worth the extra time involved... and loved the addition of pecans, even though it ruled out taking cookies for school lunches. Bummer.<br /><br />Rocky Road Bars<br />from Alice Medrich's <em>Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy</em><br />makes 16 2-inch bars<br /><br />6 tbsp (3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted<br />1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />1 cup walnut halves or large pieces<br />12 regular marshmallows, quartered<br />1 cup milk or semisweet chocolate chips<br /><br />Line an 8-inch square pan with foil (bottom and all sides). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br /><br />Mix the butter with the graham cracker crumbs and sugar until all of the crumbs are moistened. (I screwed up here and used 3/4 cup of butter instead of 3/4 stick so I had to add more graham crumbs. Made for a thicker crust but no complaints.) Scatter half the nuts on top and pop in the oven for 10 mins until crust starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven (turn up heat to 375 degrees) and scatter the remaining nuts, marshmallows and chocolate on top. Pop back in the oven on the top shelf and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely and then cut into bars.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit299Seus3rYqFJtDbEYPMP6n3-Nm6Gr4WJ1ofXk1t1VPetK_upelRdhRpJKYtsw-gvCbGJYm0Dk26At1Ps-Dnlb3hHu0xLRRKT5UWNaHNEaNlAyP_EteyMqFQHX0k7iniJuaWcSYqbb4/s1600/chocpecancookies.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 349px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 469px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710084391305511746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit299Seus3rYqFJtDbEYPMP6n3-Nm6Gr4WJ1ofXk1t1VPetK_upelRdhRpJKYtsw-gvCbGJYm0Dk26At1Ps-Dnlb3hHu0xLRRKT5UWNaHNEaNlAyP_EteyMqFQHX0k7iniJuaWcSYqbb4/s400/chocpecancookies.jpg" /></a> The Best One-Bowl Chocolate Chunk-Pecan Cookies<br />from Jill O'Connor's <em>Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey</em><br /><br /><div>makes 3 dozen cookies</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>2 cups pecan halves</div><br /><div>1 cup unsalted butter (melted)</div><br /><div>3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar</div><br /><div>3/4 cup granulated sugar</div><br /><div>1 tsp salt</div><br /><div>2 tsp pure vanilla</div><br /><div>2 large eggs</div><br /><div>2 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour</div><br /><div>1/2 tsp baking soda</div><br /><div>1/4 tsp baking powder</div><br /><div>2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans for 6 to 9 minutes; remove and allow to cool. Turn off the oven.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Stir together the melted butter and the two sugars. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and stir until smooth. Add in the flour, baking soda and baking powder, and stir until until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate and pecans. Transfer the batter to the fridge and refrigerate for an hour. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 1-inch ice-cream scoop, place the dough balls on parchment lined trays and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. </div>Diannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675351704956351728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-68498709776862351222012-02-15T14:14:00.000-05:002012-02-15T14:14:56.513-05:00Vietnamese BBQ Lemongrass Pork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP_16A8r7V87mijlnUELvgzJcJJ2387-XbBlQmckp9J56VgVPI7O54WYdcf6S85HoCPLQEqIIQps6k9nwqWuKdD-7rKx1CECG65sgzNwnblT4wCrnNVBG0_PSe_WousULLmJKynnKHtE/s1600/bbq+pork+cu+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP_16A8r7V87mijlnUELvgzJcJJ2387-XbBlQmckp9J56VgVPI7O54WYdcf6S85HoCPLQEqIIQps6k9nwqWuKdD-7rKx1CECG65sgzNwnblT4wCrnNVBG0_PSe_WousULLmJKynnKHtE/s640/bbq+pork+cu+(1+of+1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Although I like chinese bbq pork, nothing beats vietnamese bbq for me and I order a side of it almost every time I go out for pho. It's like pork candy.<br />
<br />
I didn't actually bbq this because it's winter but I will most certainly do that ASAP because this stuff is the bomb. Sticky, sweet pork is always my friend and even without the charred bits that it gets from grilling over charcoal, this stuff is delicious. After much searching around and needing a new recipe to try, I settled on this recipe from The Ravenous Couple.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCsFE4-Dq5bqjfC9y_AykYVph9Xi4zaxezZ_HH2Y8K6vzR6S5z2LCBCIrGn4uL0VZXsbU2QSmg9M5nbenoXdCvZfe2vEgGR7oPuFiNX443RX72FWGR3f7UqocZExwaVO8CFkctVZwnG4/s1600/bbq+pork++%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCsFE4-Dq5bqjfC9y_AykYVph9Xi4zaxezZ_HH2Y8K6vzR6S5z2LCBCIrGn4uL0VZXsbU2QSmg9M5nbenoXdCvZfe2vEgGR7oPuFiNX443RX72FWGR3f7UqocZExwaVO8CFkctVZwnG4/s640/bbq+pork++%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Vietnamese BBQ Lemongrass Pork</span></b><br />
adapted from <a href="http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2009/05/bun-thit-nuong-vietnamese-grilled-pork-with-vermicelli.html">the ravenous couple</a><br />
<br />
2 pork tenderloins<br />
1/4 cup minced lemongrass<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
2 tbls fish sauce<br />
few grinds of black pepper<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
3 tbls sesame oil<br />
1 tbls kecap manis ( i am not sure what thick soy sauce is but this is what I use)<br />
3 tbls toasted sesame seeds<br />
<br />
I chopped up 3" of lemongrass stalk and then whizzed it up in the bullet - do enough that you end up with 1/4 cup of the minced lemongrass.<br />
Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the sesame seeds, to your food processor or blender or bullet and whiz it up until its completely blended.<br />
<br />
Slice the pork into thin slices, probably about 1/4" or so and then pour the marinade all over the pork, mix it well making sure that every inch of each piece of pork is coated. Cover and put it in the fridge for at least an hour up to 24 hrs.<br />
<br />
You can heat a grill pan (or just a heavy sauté pan if you don't have a grill pan) over medium high heat and grill the pork for a couple of minutes per side. You could also broil it. If you want charred bits but want to cook it on the stove top you can just throw it under a really hot broiler for a minute before you serve it.<br />
Luckily for me, The Neighbour has a gas BBQ so I threaded the meat on skewers and we grilled it over med high heat for a few minutes per side. It gets nice and caramelized when you grill it so I was happy to share our meal with them - they have the bbq lol.<br />
We ate it with rice this time.Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-13919356813415467162012-02-09T08:13:00.000-05:002012-02-09T08:13:28.003-05:00Smoked Paprika Roast Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoXE03inNWhoPyKc2yMp0tP2Ar23cHNGshglfSzfj8mzTg3p7qqN2Nh_17pop6_nQ8G85Ztye05-xH5hCTi3OIfWt3yfC9B0vxb0QbczNEMlc8VJ6ZKm1F04W-xK8PAsadz-BPbJs0-w/s1600/paprika+roast+chicken+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoXE03inNWhoPyKc2yMp0tP2Ar23cHNGshglfSzfj8mzTg3p7qqN2Nh_17pop6_nQ8G85Ztye05-xH5hCTi3OIfWt3yfC9B0vxb0QbczNEMlc8VJ6ZKm1F04W-xK8PAsadz-BPbJs0-w/s640/paprika+roast+chicken+(1+of+1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
My first dish of the new year was <a href="http://noreeats.blogspot.com/2012/01/im-back-with-my-first-new-dish-of-2012.html">roasted paprika chicken breast with tomatoes and chick peas</a> . I used bone in chicken breasts that time and I fell so in love with the oil that I have been using it for lots of other things like some roasted some cauliflower and a batch of peppers, zucchini and red onion. This stuff is the bomb.<br />
<br />
Tonight I wanted to roast a chicken and so what could be more perfect than a slathering of the paprika oil on a whole chicken? It is very similar to the original but I think adapting the dish to a whole chicken and changing up the veg makes it new enough for me. As a change from my sticky rotisserie method that I usually use, I roasted the bird at high heat. So simple. It really is cooking for dummies and since I have a no good, terrible head cold and can't even remember my own name right now, that made it a perfect dish. The skin was beautifully crispy and the smoked paprika flavour really shines through.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Smoked Paprika Roast Chicken</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://noreeats.blogspot.com/2012/01/im-back-with-my-first-new-dish-of-2012.html">smoked paprika oil</a><br />
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />
1 tbls smoked paprika<br />
1 tsp cumin<br />
<br />
<br />
1 3 lb roasting chicken<br />
kosher salt<br />
<br />
3 yellow fleshed potatoes<br />
handful of brussels sprouts, washed and ends trimmed but left whole<br />
<br />
mix up the paprika oil<br />
<br />
Rub some of the paprika oil on the chicken, making sure you get every spot covered.If you can do it earlier in the day and leave it, uncovered, in the fridge that would be great but I am sure it would still be good if you can't do that.<br />
Preheat the oven to 450F<br />
<br />
Cut the potatoes into big chunks and toss them, along with the brussel sprouts, in a small drizzle of the paprika oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat well.<br />
<br />
Place your chicken in a roasting pan and surround it with the potatoes and brussels sprouts, sprinkle the bird with some kosher salt and roast it on the second to bottom level in your oven for about 1 hr. I put the other rack on the top spot and lay a piece of foil on that so that the fat won't splatter up onto the upper element and make it smoke like crazy.<br />
<br />
That's it. I didn't baste it or stir the vegetables or anything.<br />
I took it out after an hour, carved the chicken, put the veggies in a bowl.Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-76358800659697343462012-02-07T05:36:00.004-05:002012-02-07T06:27:45.143-05:00Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips and Apple/Cheddar Quick Bread<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGhfd1fzrrKdPFA2QCKaPenUX9C9Q9xIAmfapP6yXx1zeVsgujHFIzewWFwjw6qg0XGUiwVvtDHBwWSyyhBHNfX5OB8nYj97ed0cJTGFlYu-X1M0CNfKubRIcgP69TnUxHnPFPgDUwMo/s1600/carrotparsnipsoup.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 483px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 326px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706345120561556722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGhfd1fzrrKdPFA2QCKaPenUX9C9Q9xIAmfapP6yXx1zeVsgujHFIzewWFwjw6qg0XGUiwVvtDHBwWSyyhBHNfX5OB8nYj97ed0cJTGFlYu-X1M0CNfKubRIcgP69TnUxHnPFPgDUwMo/s400/carrotparsnipsoup.jpg" /></a> After eating away from home so much lately, I was craving some veggies and comfort food, so what better than a nice bowl of soup and some cheesy bread alongside? Maddie ain't a big fan of parsnips but I figured the carrots would hide their existence... and who could resist the crispy parsnip chips on top? Apparently she could. At first she asked if this was my "burnt carrot" soup (aka roasted carrots that I guess she thinks get overly browned in the oven) and then she was highly suspicious that another ingredient was being kept from her. But she was the only non-believer. Austin and I were busy popping back the parsnip chips so quickly before dinner, I wish I'd made double the amount. Total yum. And the quick bread was quick, easy and delish. When I saw that it had no spices, I was concerned that it might be really bland but instead it allowed the tang of both the apples and the cheese to shine through... in fact, it would have complicated things to add another flavour. And kids have already asked to take for lunch tomorrow... a hit for sure.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.cookingwiththebigdogs.com/2012/01/carrot-and-parsnip-soup-with-parsnip-chips.html"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 473px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 340px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706344940754307442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBSn_m8ktqxwD_3rwR-AKhaUGrQamsCmciu_1C93A6gLnwyIlmG64k-9pvEGyFteUlopfuL_jnY9ADV88qDJucsi0LlRZnv0eaxKCbHi2xDE2021ko-LN-FjaeoMQReZJx8bNaOnkVwM/s400/applecheese.jpg" />Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>2 tbsp olive oil, divided</div><br /><div>2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions</div><br /><div>3 cups coarsely chopped parsnips (about 1 lb)</div><br /><div>2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrots (about 1 lb)</div><br /><div>3 cups water</div><br /><div>2 (14-oz) cans fat-free, low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth</div><br /><div>1 cup thinly sliced parsnip</div><br /><div>1 tbsp chopped fresh chives</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender (about 10 mins). Add the parsnip, carrot, watter and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 50 mins or until veggies are tender. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 mins. Use a handheld blender to process until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the parsnip slices; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle chips and chives over soup.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/2011/10/slice-into-fall-apple-cheddar-quick-bread/">Apple and Cheddar Quick Bread</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>1 3/4 cups all purpose flour</div><br /><div>2 1/2 tsp baking powder</div><br /><div>1/2 tsp salt</div><br /><div>3/4 cup milk plus 2 tbsp</div><br /><div>1/3 cup canola oil</div><br /><div>1 egg</div><br /><div>2 tbsp brown sugar</div><br /><div>1 cup finely diced apples</div><br /><div>1 cup strong cheddar cheese, grated</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>3 tbsp cheddar cheese, grated</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep your loaf pan by lightly greasing it with butter and then use a mixture of cornmeal and flour to dust the insides. About a spoonful of each will do.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, oil, egg and brown sugar until well blended. Pour in the diced apples and stir in the flour mixture. Add in the cheese in 3 handfuls--stirring between each. Dump the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45-50 mins. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and cook for 10 mins longer until the cheese melts and the bread is cooked all the way through--use a wooden skewer in the middle to test doneness.<br /><br /></div><br /><div></div>Diannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675351704956351728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-873521511376542212012-01-26T10:45:00.001-05:002015-04-25T08:38:30.433-04:00Greek Stuffed Pork Roast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQffGuziZny1QDrCjgkek6wWREjicPo90R-liOcrNkUdnheG5lLXcOdhr5bOT7YjVXDWz9x2fOoG8GXxOyNM84bOYjEtU_KVkWfeZkmzUOhW1jNTw1XtTcRLIOKAcc0zimWYDmKTILnGU/s1600/greek+pork+cu+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQffGuziZny1QDrCjgkek6wWREjicPo90R-liOcrNkUdnheG5lLXcOdhr5bOT7YjVXDWz9x2fOoG8GXxOyNM84bOYjEtU_KVkWfeZkmzUOhW1jNTw1XtTcRLIOKAcc0zimWYDmKTILnGU/s640/greek+pork+cu+(1+of+1).jpg" height="590" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It was a rare night where both of my men were going to be home for dinner so I kindly asked them if they would like to put in any requests. I got a "whatever you want to make" from The Kid and a very emphatic "I don't want any curried anything and nothing stir fried" as Shack stomped out the door.<br />
Well, okay then. Somebody has been working and living off catering for too long I think. It was time for a manly meal of roast meat.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
My first impulse was to do a pork tenderloin with a nice mustard, creamy pan sauce but that is how I usually make pork. I realized the one thing I never do is to cook a pork loin roast and I certainly never butterfly it and stuff it. The Kid is turning into a hungry teenager and the days of 1 pork tenderloin feeding all three of us for dinner are behind us so it's time for me to start getting used to different cuts of meat. Greek roasted potatoes were already on the menu so it made sense to do the pork with flavours to compliment them. Spinach, feta, garlic, oregano and lemon was perfect to stuff the roast and a nice port pan sauce finished it off nicely.<br />
<br />
If you like this, pop on over to my blog, <a href="http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.ca/">The Yum Yum Factor</a> for more!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGLmlaAXmLgsUfNueNXW9HqnBUMfmRCpM-IUKrvkoeCST15AVNQpLleYD26fdB8MJgODu75mRuQ1_vAVl8YIG2knhDA9NxuYGpdx2BZYN5yCPVwGR_S9AewnHSYE4fjpvzQvw5gxFPdI/s1600/greek+pork+raw+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGLmlaAXmLgsUfNueNXW9HqnBUMfmRCpM-IUKrvkoeCST15AVNQpLleYD26fdB8MJgODu75mRuQ1_vAVl8YIG2knhDA9NxuYGpdx2BZYN5yCPVwGR_S9AewnHSYE4fjpvzQvw5gxFPdI/s640/greek+pork+raw+(1+of+1).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Greek Stuffed Pork Loin</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
1 2lb pork loin roast<br />
olive oil<br />
salt and pepper<br />
oregano<br />
cotton kitchen string<br />
<br />
olive oil<br />
1/2 red onion, chopped finely<br />
1 clove garlic, chopped<br />
1/4 cup finely diced, seeded tomato<br />
zest from one lemon<br />
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped<br />
salt and pepper<br />
100g feta cheese, crumbled<br />
1 slice fresh bread buzzed into crumbs<br />
<br />
2 tbls oregano<br />
zest from 1 lemon<br />
pinch kosher salt<br />
<br />
sauce:<br />
1 small shallot, minced<br />
1/2 cup port<br />
1/2 cup chicken stock<br />
1 tbls cold butter<br />
<br />
Butterfly your pork roast - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz391Urnk30">here is a video</a> showing you both methods - just butterfly it unless you want to make yourself all crazy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2ASAfguTzV3F40EU35MJj1-m1uzGyIQaT_Y04bb8VtOhccU1ebOPvUaR2XU1nXrJea9R0E0BvUIbpABnOo4ebN1ajFXq6S5aNyCRJa6j48Z_lAa77tA9V2X5GVDVt84r91xfgMe93XU/s1600/greek+pork+stuffing+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2ASAfguTzV3F40EU35MJj1-m1uzGyIQaT_Y04bb8VtOhccU1ebOPvUaR2XU1nXrJea9R0E0BvUIbpABnOo4ebN1ajFXq6S5aNyCRJa6j48Z_lAa77tA9V2X5GVDVt84r91xfgMe93XU/s320/greek+pork+stuffing+(1+of+1).jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
to make the stuffing, heat up a small glug of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute the red onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the tomato and the spinach and stir it around until the spinach is wilted. Take it off the heat, add the lemon zest, stir again and taste and salt and pepper to taste. Let it cool to room temperature before you add the feta and the bread crumbs.<br />
<br />
spread the stuffing evenly over the butterflied pork loin and then fold it back over like a book.<br />
Mix together the oregano, zest and salt and rub that all over the top of the pork roast (fat side up).Now tie that thing together with kitchen twine (the video shows you how to do the twine. Honestly, as long as you tie it up nice and tight and don't care about it looking pretty, just do what you can).<br />
<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 425F<br />
<br />
heat an oven proof skillet or pan over med heat with a bit of olive oil. Put the pork roast in the pan, fat side down and brown it for a few minutes before turning it over, fat side up again and put it in the oven. After about 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 325F and continue to roast until the internal temp of the pork is about 155F (that took about another 45 min). Take it out and let it sit for another 10 to 15 minutes while you make a pan sauce to serve with it if you like.<br />
<br />
For pan sauce: In the pan you roasted the pork in, sauté the shallot in the drippings over med heat for a few minutes. Add the port and simmer for a minute, scraping up all the bits from the pan before you add the chicken stock. Let that simmer and reduce by half or for about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in a tbls of cold butter.<br />
Slice your pork roast and drizzle the sauce over it.<br />
YUM<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ai82wWNB-P6HY1CqjOCCTemmtWvxEAWJg69AaCcYQATcFW8wiPOf01ta5TQ_BIrnvQBsuO2mF8X9PjrWZdNYZny7m_iaFjQZvz-hU7VpfIYY8WoRIRAtfRkqW9AdRN6HKdBjV9aiFRU/s1600/greek+pork+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ai82wWNB-P6HY1CqjOCCTemmtWvxEAWJg69AaCcYQATcFW8wiPOf01ta5TQ_BIrnvQBsuO2mF8X9PjrWZdNYZny7m_iaFjQZvz-hU7VpfIYY8WoRIRAtfRkqW9AdRN6HKdBjV9aiFRU/s640/greek+pork+(1+of+1).jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-55821558008150178922012-01-22T09:26:00.005-05:002012-01-22T10:05:24.843-05:00Toblerone Shortbread Cookies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTA-8Q5a5UKVlznqvvPb_cNKS7VGnYjqK2LpOKbDMSQDnPT53ChQgVTj2i5q8cVu1A04HPX8poNLz9Mahx6F6FEzfunq1U9r5CgLNZ8if8qewvqcLc3HSXl8PmiRXfajhKe7tSgJxzq0k/s1600/tobleronecookies.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 509px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 384px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700467348185540578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTA-8Q5a5UKVlznqvvPb_cNKS7VGnYjqK2LpOKbDMSQDnPT53ChQgVTj2i5q8cVu1A04HPX8poNLz9Mahx6F6FEzfunq1U9r5CgLNZ8if8qewvqcLc3HSXl8PmiRXfajhKe7tSgJxzq0k/s400/tobleronecookies.jpg" /></a> It's been a hairy few weeks and we've all been flying by the seat of our pants in terms of food... as a result, unfortunately there's been nothing of interest to post--not even baking! It must be bad! Work has been crazy so it's been a relief to be able to return to old favourites and, more importantly, to repeat them and eat them as leftovers. The kiddies have also been pitching in and, as is always the case when I'm swamped, Q promptly got on a plane and left town. The timing is uncanny and somewhat suspicious but I guess I can't really question a conference in Whistler in January. He's a smart guy, after all, and who's going to turn down that opportunity? Just bad timing for the rest of us remaining on the homefront.<br />Anyway, back to domestic issues. I thought I'd at least buy some goodwill from the young 'uns by doing some baking over the weekend. After all, if the cookie jar is full, they must know that their mom at least remembers they exist, even if they're not seeing her very often. Three Toblerones had been sitting on the kitchen countertop for the past week and they were driving Austin and Maddie to distraction. They begged to open them; I refused because I knew they'd be gone as soon as we had a bite. Instead, I was determined to bake with them, and since we hadn't made any shortbread over the Christmas season, chunky Toblerone shortbread cookies seemed like the perfect solution. With just a handful of ingredients and a couple of quick steps, they were minutes in the making and a huge hit for kids who'd been neglected for too long. I've seen some Toblerone cookies with the chocolate triangle embedded on top, but I've never had a lot of success with that technique. Either the chocolate burns or turns white or runs over the sides, so I figured hiding chunks inside was probably the safer bet and so far the critics haven't registered any complaints.<br /><br /><strong>Toblerone Shortbread Cookies</strong><br />1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature<br />1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp icing sugar<br />1/4 cup cornstarch or rice flour<br />1 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />1/2 tsp vanilla<br />2 100-gram bars Toblerone, coarsely chopped<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Sift in icing sugar and beat again until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Sift in cornstarch or rice flour and blend in. Sift in all purpose flour and salt, and mix until dough comes together (it'll be soft). Stir in vanilla and chunks of Toblerone.<br />Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop, spoon cooking dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 9 minutes, turn cookie sheets, and bake for another 9 minutes until bottoms brown lightly.<br />Remove from oven and allow to cool on racks. Makes about 28 cookies.Diannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675351704956351728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-23519176229479552142012-01-17T12:15:00.000-05:002012-01-17T12:15:43.230-05:00Third week of January and it's time for Chili with Pork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzO3qnNI7mliEEYLrD0E1GKL5YpPOrbACLG0ziRQUloYsp7qKvbDUwI_Hf6jSfQeTSfG85XTYaYHSaTSFOPZgM8SEnbLcLdauchdw9aFitw1Zjr0IQg9lvQ6CAtRjeyMom9dZ16Anp6x8/s1600/pork+chili+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzO3qnNI7mliEEYLrD0E1GKL5YpPOrbACLG0ziRQUloYsp7qKvbDUwI_Hf6jSfQeTSfG85XTYaYHSaTSFOPZgM8SEnbLcLdauchdw9aFitw1Zjr0IQg9lvQ6CAtRjeyMom9dZ16Anp6x8/s640/pork+chili+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
It was a drizzly, miserable morning and so comfort food was certainly on the menu. Poor Shack is back on set and so I am trying to make things that he can heat up and eat when he gets home later in the evening because even though they do feed him on set, he doesn't always have the time to eat much. Some movies have better catering than others as well, so it becomes even more important to try to make sure he has yummy food at home to even out the endless parade of chicken dishes they serve at work.<br />
<br />
We all love chili and we although we are dying for all of our old favourites again, in the spirit of adventure and trying new things, I thought I would make a different kind of chili. Thinking I had a container of leftover canned poblano chills in the fridge, I foolish planned it around those without actually looking at them first. I went out and bought some ground pork, PC tomatillo salsa and a can of black beans, thinking I would do a chili version of our favourite pork stew, chili verde.<br />
<br />
Once I got my ingredients ready, I realized that my poblanos had gone bad but I was already committed so I had to forge ahead anyway. I was also out of beer so clearly this was not going to be my regular chili verde with ground pork instead of chunks of pork. I really need to take inventory BEFORE I go shopping.<br />
In the end, I just made it up as I went along and the end result was very tasty indeed. The brand of tomatillo salsa you use will determine how spicy the end product will be so keep that in mind. I am, once again, quite thankful for this blog because this is the kind of thing I would normally whip up on the spot but then I would have forgotten how I made it. Now that I actually have to measure and write everything down, I can make this again whenever I want.<br />
Actually, now I can make it again and again and again and again!<br />
<br />
Oh, and Dianne has not disappeared but after her christmas break with her family, she had to dive straight into a huge work project and is most likely living on deli sandwiches and diet coke.<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpDkSmfk1CjBFqop-NPfgt_CKgzirj-Xd6jYM4YbDtp8e4aqzeJhhTLqK0RkXLfHw2WbGpco_evI5KyS2aRTnNBelvilBZRKFjEl-5Yb81LXZDj9zpXYb8HXUHxQ-HXe1MpmjNcoTxqA/s1600/pork+chili+2+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpDkSmfk1CjBFqop-NPfgt_CKgzirj-Xd6jYM4YbDtp8e4aqzeJhhTLqK0RkXLfHw2WbGpco_evI5KyS2aRTnNBelvilBZRKFjEl-5Yb81LXZDj9zpXYb8HXUHxQ-HXe1MpmjNcoTxqA/s640/pork+chili+2+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Chili with Pork</span></b><br />
<br />
500g ( 1 lb) ground lean pork<br />
glug of olive oil<br />
1 onion, finely chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />
1 stalk celery, small dice<br />
2 cups tomato puree<br />
3/4 cup chicken stock (or beer but I didn't have any)<br />
1 540 ml can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 cup tomatillo salsa<br />
salt and pepper<br />
1 tbls mexican oregano<br />
1 tbls ground cumin<br />
1 tbls chili powder<br />
cilantro<br />
l tbl lime juice<br />
<br />
Heat a heavy pot over med heat. Add a small glug of oil and brown the ground pork. When it's cooked, remove it to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set it aside. If there is more than a tbls or so of fat in the bottom of the pot, get rid of enough to leave you with about a tbls. Throw the onions, garlic and celery into the pot and sauté until softened, about five minutes. At that point, add the pork back in and stir to mix well. Add the tomato puree, the salsa, the chicken stock, black beans, oregano, cumin and chili powder and bring to a light simmer. Lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about an hour or so. It's chili so it can certainly simmer a bit longer than an hour but not less that that. During the last ten minutes of cooking add a handful of chopped cilantro and the lime juice, stir and let it simmer for ten minutes before taking it off the heat.<br />
Chili is always better after it sits so if you can make it in the morning and then reheat it for supper that's great but it will be even tastier the next day.<br />
<br />
Of course, you could also throw the whole think in a slow cooker after the meat and the onion/garlic/celery have been done and let it cook on low all day too.<br />
<br />
<br />
serve with more cilantro, a wedge of lime, whatever things you like on your chili - we do sour cream or crema and some tortilla chipsCarole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-72843503733534985142012-01-12T11:11:00.001-05:002012-01-12T11:18:47.106-05:00I'm back with my first new dish of 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zn_2TDHjChpjpshm-nzHM9obPAI1_lCmUJOAabbmVzIjORjZFAtLnlYi36B4Z6j_-MtEJjFTuUEW4tRnqPxkr15aNfgZnuQdOJ1r4FCmlJk7uCak-wZIBzUFMtCsqJyUdEXj5zMBE6c/s1600/paprika+chicken+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zn_2TDHjChpjpshm-nzHM9obPAI1_lCmUJOAabbmVzIjORjZFAtLnlYi36B4Z6j_-MtEJjFTuUEW4tRnqPxkr15aNfgZnuQdOJ1r4FCmlJk7uCak-wZIBzUFMtCsqJyUdEXj5zMBE6c/s640/paprika+chicken+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I have been thoroughly enjoying either eating out OR eating the same thing for a couple of nights in a row since New Year's and I don't feel one ounce of guilt about that. It was a long year and we all enjoyed our spaghetti and meatballs two nights in a row at last. We would have made it three nights but we ate it all in two to be honest but it was time to find my new dish of the week.<br />
<br />
I bought some nice looking chicken breasts and was just going to do my greek roast chicken but the need to try out something new was nagging at me. I found this dish on bon appetite and was very intrigued by the spiced oil. I just ate at Pizzeria Libretto on The Danforth in Toronto where they have an addictive spiced chili oil that I basically drank out of the bottle and so flavoured, spicy oil is very much on my mind right now. For some reason, I didn't like the idea of throwing the chick peas in there and was just going to just steal the oil/chicken breast part and that alone made this an obvious dish for my first of the new year. The fact that I would NEVER add chickpeas to this chicken was the very reason that I MUST add the chickpeas.<br />
<br />
The oil is delicious and I think I can see myself making this to use on other dishes or as a beverage, I mean, condiment all the time. I mixed the tomatoes, chickpeas and cilantro with the oil prior to adding it to the roasting pan and it would have made a delicious cold dish on it's own, served raw just like that. Add some slivered red onion and maybe a bit of crumbled feta and you have yourself a really great salad for dinner next time.<br />
<br />
In the end, this was DELICIOUS! All plates were licked clean and this is definitely going into the regular rotation. As frustrating and difficult as the year was, this recipe is the reason I am happy to devote a day a week to the cause because this is something I would have never made on my own. The very idea of the roasted chickpeas and tomato was just completely unappealing to me and it ended up being my favourite part.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNb__FAphOOu3KsEuVq8k_GSJexr73Hs9xZW-7HR8Uz16-Wb3wt4aqf4dTCVEEKcJ1pHF5zk7OSLxiUXNfm3mInfk2fQFIUi0T_a-4uakhWdrLKFKGlhq__8RjoYLsK4TXB-7gZnaN_s4/s1600/paprika+chicken+cu+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNb__FAphOOu3KsEuVq8k_GSJexr73Hs9xZW-7HR8Uz16-Wb3wt4aqf4dTCVEEKcJ1pHF5zk7OSLxiUXNfm3mInfk2fQFIUi0T_a-4uakhWdrLKFKGlhq__8RjoYLsK4TXB-7gZnaN_s4/s640/paprika+chicken+cu+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">roast chicken with chick peas, tomatoes and smoked paprika</span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2008/05/roast_chicken_breasts_with_garbanzo_beans_tomatoes_and_paprika"> from bon appetite</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1/4</span> <span class="unit">cup</span> <span class="name"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/extra_virgin_olive_oil" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">extra-virgin olive oil</a></span></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">4</span> <span class="name"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/garlic" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">garlic</a> cloves, <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/tools/2008/04/garlic_press" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">pressed</a></span></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1</span> <span class="unit">tablespoon</span> <span class="name"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/hot_smoked_spanish_paprika" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">smoked paprika</a></span></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1</span> <span class="unit">teaspoon</span> <span class="name">ground <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/cumin" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">cumin</a></span></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1/2</span> <span class="unit">teaspoon</span> <span class="name"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/dried_crushed_red_pepper" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">dried crushed red pepper</a></span></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1/2</span> <span class="unit">cup</span> <span class="name"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/11/greek_yogurt" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Greek yogurt</a></span></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">4</span> <span class="name"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/chicken_breasts" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">chicken breast halves</a>, bone in and skin on</span><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/chicken_breasts" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"></a></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/chicken_breasts" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/chicken_breasts" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1</span> <span class="name">15-ounce can </span></span></a>chickpeas , drained</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1</span> <span class="name">350g container red and orange <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/cherry_tomatoes" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">cherry tomatoes</a></span></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1</span> <span class="unit">cup</span> <span class="name"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/tips/2008/04/how_to_chop_herbs" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">chopped</a> fresh <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/cilantro" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">cilantro</a>, divided</span></span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 450F.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">Mix the olive oil with the garlic, paprika, cumin and dried crushed red pepper and set aside. I did this in the morning and let it sit all day. Whisk a generous tsp into the greek yogurt and set aside to serve with the finished dish.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">Place the chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan (I always use my huge cast iron skillet). Rub 2 tbls of the spicy oil mixture over the four chicken breasts. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">Mix together the remaining oil, the chick peas, the tomatoes and about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and pour that around the chicken. Salt pepper the whole shebang.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">Roast until the chicken is cooked through, anywhere from about 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your breasts. To serve, sprinkle each portion of chicken and tomato/beans with a bit more cilantro and serve with the yogurt sauce.</span>Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-59946171068796144952011-12-29T11:08:00.001-05:002015-12-17T11:08:54.631-05:00My Last Post of 2011 - Pozole Verde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRLftGCh8Gx7x1frSUunfRpDEOrLIqBWk_pjp_uQYGOGEUii6faPxwK7RJD9WsKdsXjVimv_7KxCGB5WIieRHWhBbfSw6WDqTI8qgShv2JJtISmsq3mU11ADwM-rvfnXQHfKLBpvpWyM/s1600/pozole++%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRLftGCh8Gx7x1frSUunfRpDEOrLIqBWk_pjp_uQYGOGEUii6faPxwK7RJD9WsKdsXjVimv_7KxCGB5WIieRHWhBbfSw6WDqTI8qgShv2JJtISmsq3mU11ADwM-rvfnXQHfKLBpvpWyM/s640/pozole++%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We had a great trip to Mexico ( I HATE the term Mayan Riveria but that is where we were) but because it seems that everyone needed more rest than usual, we didn't leave the resort all that much - so unlike us. We usually jump in the jeep every morning after breakfast and go do stuff and that also means we look for great stuff to eat while we are out and about. Breakfast is always good at these resorts because you can load up on a huge plate of tropical fruits like papaya and mango, have some yogurt with granola, a nice cappuccino, maybe a pastry and be on your way. This time, because we hung out on the beach and read and swam and only really went on on big outing to Coba to climb the ruins, we came home tanned and happy but feeling very unsatisfied in the eating department. Even the resorts with the best food get kind of boring and repetitive after a few days if you stay on site and eat all of your meals there. This means I have lots of things I have to make to make us all happy and the first thing I chose to make is Pozole Verde. I love to make chili verde with pork and was going to just do that but I have never made pozole so I thought it the perfect dish to ring out my year of making new things.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
I am happy to report that both boys loved the pozole as much as they love chili verde. I will probably make chili verde more often because it's much easier and this dish is more labour intensive but it is worth a bit more effort if you make a nice, big batch that you can freeze for enjoying at a later date. If you have never had pozole or hominy, you need to get out and find a mexican market and make this stuff because it is really very tasty and the green sauce with the pumpkin seeds gives it a very distinct flavour and texture, unlike any other stew.<br />
<br />
You know, I understand that these resorts are catering to picky eaters from all over the world. I have watched terrified Brits wandering around the buffet looking for something that looks familiar so I get that they want sun and beach and margaritas but they don't want to eat anything "weird" and would probably just as happy in Florida, to be honest. I get all that but I find it frustrating that they would rather eat a disappointing facsimile of white people food made by people who have no real frame of reference for making this stuff than to eat really delicious regional mexican food that the cooks know inside out and could really take pride in preparing for their guests.<br />
<br />
One funny story about the "japanese" restaurant. We don't go in expecting fabulous japanese food so we are okay with whatever comes our way. We order okay looking nigiri sushi as our apps and it comes and apart from super vinegary rice and fish sliced way too thin, we are all pleasantly surprised. It came without ginger, wasabi or soy but that was okay too. After our lovely waiter whisks our empty plates away for us, he proudly puts down a beautiful tray full of all of those condiments plus a tasty sesame seed sauce. We just laughed and laughed because how is he supposed to know that those condiments are to be served WITH the sushi? It was all done with such care and seriousness and flourish that we didn't have the heart to break it to him. We tipped him well and went on our way wishing that we could have had a nice, steaming bowl of pozole instead and I bet the staff wished that they could be cooking that instead.<br />
<br />
<br />
It's kind of ironic that I had to come home to make this to really "feel" Mexico after spending a week there, no?<br />
<br />
This is my last official post of this year long challenge although Dianne and I will be continue to make one brand new dish a week and share them here on the blog. I have had some really frustrating moments, there have been tears and arguments but, in the end, I am really happy that we did this. Even for the best of home cooks, we all find ourselves getting into ruts. Things I discovered during this year:<br />
<br />
1. We eat out waaaaaaaaay more than I would have ever admitted to<br />
<br />
2. We eat waaaaaaaay too much pasta as a fall back dinner<br />
<br />
3. The Kid and I are creatures of habit and although we are both very adventurous eaters, we are also both happy to eat the very same thing day after day before we get bored with it - this made things particularly difficult this summer when it was just the two of us eating at home<br />
<br />
4. I am very, very lucky to have a kid who will pretty much try anything I put in front of him and when he doesn't like something, he doesn't declare it gross or disgusting, he makes no terrible gagging noises and there is no drama. He will simply take a bite and say that he doesn't really care for this and that's that. Thank you god responsible for gracing parents with non picky eaters who are also decent about it when they don't like what they have been served.<br />
<br />
5. That said, The Kid and Shack are still way pickier than they think they are and I, on the other hand, will clearly eat anything put in front of me, even when I don't like it all that much.<br />
<br />
6. I am pretty resourceful<br />
<br />
7. We used to waste way too much food and way too many leftovers that could have been fashioned into a pretty tasty second meal were thrown out.<br />
<br />
All in all, it's been a challenging year but it's been fun and we have all found some new favourites that were born out of the desperation to make something different AGAIN. Beet risotto is now one of The Kid's favourite new things, for instance and it's something I never made before because I just thought it wouldn't be all that great, and once I was forced to make it we discovered that it IS that great.<br />
<br />
Happy New Year and if you are not ready to commit to an entire year of no reEATS, why not join us for 2012 in choosing one day a week where you commit to making a brand new dish that you have never tried before?<br />
<br />
See you in January! (except for the one day a week I am committing to no reEATS, I plan to make the exact same dinner every night for the entire month - Shack says it should be spaghetti bolognese, The Kid wants plain risotto with peas and pancetta, and I want green curry anything at this point. Maybe I will give everyone a week just to be nice)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7qRBQEtIiy0/TvyQWshBH9I/AAAAAAAABq4/3IwaWvNaLP4/s1600/pozole++cu+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7qRBQEtIiy0/TvyQWshBH9I/AAAAAAAABq4/3IwaWvNaLP4/s640/pozole++cu+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Pozole Verde</span></b><br />
<br />
1 onion<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1 tbls mexican oregano<br />
pinch cumin seed<br />
pinch peppercorns<br />
2 lbs pork shoulder butt<br />
<br />
<br />
1/2 cups pumpkin seeds<br />
28 oz or approx 800g tomatillos, drained<br />
1/2 cup chopped, canned poblano peppers<br />
small sprig cilantro<br />
2 or 3 cloves garlic<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
kosher salt<br />
freshly ground black pepper<br />
a couple of tbls of vegetable oil<br />
<br />
2 or 3 red potatoes, 1/2" dice<br />
36.5 oz or 1 kg can hominy, drained<br />
the pork cooking stock and any additional water or chicken stock to bring it to about 5 cups<br />
<br />
<br />
garnish:<br />
thinly sliced radish, deep fried corn tortilla strips, fresh lime wedges, raw red onion sliced really thinly, mexican oregano if you can find it<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Put the pork butt, onion, cumin seed, peppercorns and garlic in a heavy pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer, half covered, for about three hours or until the pork is falling apart tender.<br />
Remove the pork from the liquid and set aside to cool a bit. You can do this the day before and let the strained stock sit in the fridge overnight so you can get rid of most of the fat (don't get rid of all of it because it's really tasty and this isn't the time to worry about your diet). If you aren't making it the next day, strain it and let it sit and then do your best to remove the thick layer of fat on the top of the stock.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat in a dry skillet until they swell up and start to pop and then remove and set aside. Drain the tomatillos and the peppers.<br />
When the pumpkin seeds cool down, put them in a blender or food processor and grind to a fine powder. Then add the tomatillos, peppers, salt and pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro and process until completely smooth (you might have to add up to 1/2 cup of the pork stock if it's too thick to process)<br />
<br />
Heat a couple of tbls of veg oil in the same heavy pot you cooked the pork in over med high heat and pour in the green pumpkin seed/tomatillo puree and cook it until the colour deepens at a nice simmer, about 15 to 25 minutes. It will thicken and the colour will become darker and richer.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, shred up the pork, discard the fat and set aside. Wash and chop the potatoes without peeling them and set those aside too.<br />
<br />
After the green sauce has cooked for about 20 minutes, add the shredded pork,drained hominy and the potatoes. Add enough of the pork broth that it is a nice, soupy consistency but not a thin soup. Use your judgement - it's between a soup and a stew. I added about 5 cups of stock and the constancy was perfect.<br />
<br />
Let that continue to simmer for another 20 minutes or more, until the potatoes are cooked. Squeeze in the juice of a lime and serve in shallow bowls.<br />
<br />
Serve it with your additions so people can add whatever they want to the top of their pozole. You can also serve it with chopped avocado, shredded cabbage or lettuce but we didn't this time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYC7c9kWl1jRBovP-0mfhQ1iyX4W8AlZBP9zhRIzuEy8uaaGWmJF2z8jM96QW1DJOgitgnl3_98OZFb8XUPTQTsLo7u2LkJQsW1_eFbRiaYeAvYXqzzg8V3RcK0xSX4mInFwz7MXCyqg/s1600/pozole+cond+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYC7c9kWl1jRBovP-0mfhQ1iyX4W8AlZBP9zhRIzuEy8uaaGWmJF2z8jM96QW1DJOgitgnl3_98OZFb8XUPTQTsLo7u2LkJQsW1_eFbRiaYeAvYXqzzg8V3RcK0xSX4mInFwz7MXCyqg/s640/pozole+cond+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-73916693240472371672011-12-28T12:35:00.000-05:002011-12-28T12:35:51.492-05:00Still No Cooking - Urge Taquitos in Tulum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWDVHhVBYUbqglpHkSd4Kpgp-BiEIay7PZ6efVfD35ayPL-juNxSRP1H5zSH3q-6lqQPqPdHV-292-qJwbwsu_8G_OGms0Kkbcz2Kk-gTKeErsz7YJTW5ril-Xnpzx7I44eYor_RqvIg/s1600/IMG_5176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWDVHhVBYUbqglpHkSd4Kpgp-BiEIay7PZ6efVfD35ayPL-juNxSRP1H5zSH3q-6lqQPqPdHV-292-qJwbwsu_8G_OGms0Kkbcz2Kk-gTKeErsz7YJTW5ril-Xnpzx7I44eYor_RqvIg/s640/IMG_5176.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This should have been my Monday post but I had to turn around and go back out of town as soon as we got home to visit with my sister and her family, so better late than never, right?<br />
<br />
I kind of feel terrible that after all of the hard work , I am ending my official year of no reEATS with nothing to share. We got back from our holiday in Mexico at about 3am Xmas morning and we had Xmas dinner with my father in law and his family and it was lovely but I didn't cook anything at all. Now, it's boxing day and we are on our way to visit my sister and so, clearly I have nothing to share again. I promise that even if I have nothing for Thursday that I will share one last dinner before NYE. As I wrote earlier, Dianne and I are going to continue on with the blog but only devote one day a week to making something brand new so the content will slow down to a steady twice weekly entry but we are exited to keep going and hope we will inspire others to break out of their comfort zones and explore new things.<br />
I will share the best meal we had in Mexico - actually, it was the only great meal we had. We usually stay at a resort but after eating breakfast there, we go off in the jeep to have adventures all day and we eat endless delicious things while we are out and about but this time we all needed a serious restful week and we only ventured out a few times. That means that most of our food was eaten on the resort and so that also means that 95% of what we ate was unmemorable.<br />
<br />
The day before we left we drove down to Tulum and ate at Urge Taquitos for fish tacos and ceviche. They basically make fish and chips battered fish or shrimp and they have a big selection of delicious salsas and condiments like shredded cabbage, a great chipotle tamarind sauce, super spicy avocado sauce etc. If you go to the area, you MUST seek this place out for a nice cold beer, some great tacos and one of the yummiest shrimp/fish ceviches ever.<br />
<br />
For my final no reEATS of the year, I will be making pozole because for the first time ever, this trip held no food love apart from this meal and I am left with unmet cravings that I am going to have to fill myself over the next few weeks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwq_PCR2Ytjd73fe7hD-PwOa3zm4zmSyX-7V9jDYA25_ZaRk6QuPgMaK46_5IGPmgP4Ne8CZPjUXAon7bfINzCZa002-uch5KtF0kNuNlR1XWE2GMAKCm0dj9zpbHCWzU3KHPFDOGsmuc/s1600/IMG_5184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwq_PCR2Ytjd73fe7hD-PwOa3zm4zmSyX-7V9jDYA25_ZaRk6QuPgMaK46_5IGPmgP4Ne8CZPjUXAon7bfINzCZa002-uch5KtF0kNuNlR1XWE2GMAKCm0dj9zpbHCWzU3KHPFDOGsmuc/s640/IMG_5184.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I swear to god that there is some deep fried fish under all of those condiments</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQBQWmryCO44TmZpHRLQZCyPD_ZXX4O8EPLPHzYn29k_ZvrGO9RwNbJGf3AqOKiU4xbaC6EBpBIHSoo2xz3nJ2VwaPvJ1z2gccIDcSlVQOs_SDEL2UMRBuWy8830VqRe3B7qgvUv0hiU/s1600/IMG_5177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQBQWmryCO44TmZpHRLQZCyPD_ZXX4O8EPLPHzYn29k_ZvrGO9RwNbJGf3AqOKiU4xbaC6EBpBIHSoo2xz3nJ2VwaPvJ1z2gccIDcSlVQOs_SDEL2UMRBuWy8830VqRe3B7qgvUv0hiU/s640/IMG_5177.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeAaupBPmvTfXSsrE6dEak1GjpE0VnyZtZE7tmzTJoT1xZE_X2jTgq85e-eDuXmCGaW0zUlTlRFJvWTlJkbKwSWldw14h4bk0ZsNRVLMOn48tZgfE3zcjNIlKGt6O1cNQkASiv7NA3oY/s1600/IMG_5187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeAaupBPmvTfXSsrE6dEak1GjpE0VnyZtZE7tmzTJoT1xZE_X2jTgq85e-eDuXmCGaW0zUlTlRFJvWTlJkbKwSWldw14h4bk0ZsNRVLMOn48tZgfE3zcjNIlKGt6O1cNQkASiv7NA3oY/s640/IMG_5187.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can never decide and end up using all of them</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXf3zfl029DTtYTw4iow81jxUYjmVSJ9lsa66ifsCiRc5vlPz-XQ_WZ2TffGji4_bI6qdFxTl4QuvbmPOVW19blgiQ42mlTIjY7iZ6RGlS8k4M49pt92DPd1EQ65fBE_BDIZO9lYToB_k/s1600/IMG_5182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXf3zfl029DTtYTw4iow81jxUYjmVSJ9lsa66ifsCiRc5vlPz-XQ_WZ2TffGji4_bI6qdFxTl4QuvbmPOVW19blgiQ42mlTIjY7iZ6RGlS8k4M49pt92DPd1EQ65fBE_BDIZO9lYToB_k/s640/IMG_5182.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this ceviche is ripe with lime juice and salt and so much black pepper that it will make you a bit sneezy but only in the best way possible</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tp18-agnCTjpgwvqw-VKnzflyGSOiaDA03gVKCeBp7rUbG7I63_xhLNvkJJB6Ar5P9JutFz8H7Zy2ywLtlU8NO7t2V6iWqwU-Py5Xu5umBsW03QGoqZJMR3V9o3X0qHVkuFi_bGgpJQ/s1600/IMG_5183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tp18-agnCTjpgwvqw-VKnzflyGSOiaDA03gVKCeBp7rUbG7I63_xhLNvkJJB6Ar5P9JutFz8H7Zy2ywLtlU8NO7t2V6iWqwU-Py5Xu5umBsW03QGoqZJMR3V9o3X0qHVkuFi_bGgpJQ/s640/IMG_5183.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">until you have eaten resort guacamole, you don't realize that there is such a thing as bad guacamole. THIS is not that.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfvMC-U2Cq6zBF8mrorXx-clabsa0jNEInMGixs-DFAeYNHRTBAohSVEouREl_Q0tjPgHKsqrHrRHpynosUtDfXng20tq3o4RdoVt_NZzpttHjatqBGpXFwFAaRnljkAjVK1jIrnDg1A/s1600/IMG_5186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfvMC-U2Cq6zBF8mrorXx-clabsa0jNEInMGixs-DFAeYNHRTBAohSVEouREl_Q0tjPgHKsqrHrRHpynosUtDfXng20tq3o4RdoVt_NZzpttHjatqBGpXFwFAaRnljkAjVK1jIrnDg1A/s640/IMG_5186.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crazy habernero sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFLqlED3eiH_3nj2L8vDjnB0KrbIyELtcXMW0x3X58a-vhHe-bvb9_WbmQ6mh7ZVV_qmRLo7uLpXkSfWPto86uA6DiBhhyP4CW81S6lSngAuiKIihc75kbLjosrh97ETz9aPPMZn0k0Y/s1600/IMG_5189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFLqlED3eiH_3nj2L8vDjnB0KrbIyELtcXMW0x3X58a-vhHe-bvb9_WbmQ6mh7ZVV_qmRLo7uLpXkSfWPto86uA6DiBhhyP4CW81S6lSngAuiKIihc75kbLjosrh97ETz9aPPMZn0k0Y/s640/IMG_5189.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the carnage</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9lbhrn-OLwa8DMx5fBy2kyfCUCPlPh-Jdm7KFhgzR0kk4Qi-XaW7lgAcc23T7hLl5E_bZdHtNWrGQFNh2D5j6U4UbTUbH0VAMNF7O0NaIfct4IUtocG2eBn1HNdls8zDps5vK9gfFhk/s1600/IMG_5192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9lbhrn-OLwa8DMx5fBy2kyfCUCPlPh-Jdm7KFhgzR0kk4Qi-XaW7lgAcc23T7hLl5E_bZdHtNWrGQFNh2D5j6U4UbTUbH0VAMNF7O0NaIfct4IUtocG2eBn1HNdls8zDps5vK9gfFhk/s640/IMG_5192.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite taco joint in Tulum, by far</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span id="goog_1037926304"></span><span id="goog_1037926305"></span>Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-20208677313514013712011-12-22T22:49:00.001-05:002011-12-22T22:49:59.481-05:00No cooking down Mexico wayI had a long, detailed post complete with pictures but it won't post. Long story short, I am on vacation and not cooking and enjoying a week of not thinking about cooking.<br />We come home Xmas day, eat Xmas dinner at my father in law's and then go to my sister's for dinner boxing day so I might have nothing to share Monday as well. I feel a bit guilty for shirking cooking duties at the end of this<br /><br /><center><a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/10609172@N04/6557378679/'><img src='http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6557378679_f2b884bba4_z.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /> year but I am very happy to be with my boys in Mexico. <br />Merry Xmas, happy holidays and eat well and often my friends!<br /><br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Mexico%4020.368989%2C-87.331459&z=10'>Mexico</a></p>Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-86285356189841859612011-12-20T16:49:00.007-05:002011-12-20T21:09:21.077-05:00Squash Baked Macaroni<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlJ4FNv0KjGr0GO65otXA9LdZc1D9xnTqMvhX4iyou9rCyauOq6wuEB1X0zXU6Hq49osJFHvvj6EIOT3uwxAkP773UHpzmOR5qKJqnY4R5j4I-Pz7rObUvNqcgPyV2t1wzKGcfjHedgM/s1600/squashmac.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 363px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 474px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688331408507717106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlJ4FNv0KjGr0GO65otXA9LdZc1D9xnTqMvhX4iyou9rCyauOq6wuEB1X0zXU6Hq49osJFHvvj6EIOT3uwxAkP773UHpzmOR5qKJqnY4R5j4I-Pz7rObUvNqcgPyV2t1wzKGcfjHedgM/s400/squashmac.jpg" /></a><strong></strong><br />I was looking for variations on macaroni and cheese this week, but most of them were overly rich and also pretty "adult," with additions of pancetta and mushrooms and the like (probably unlikely to be a hit with the kiddies). So when I came across this hidden-squash version, I thought it might be worth a try, even though Maddie hates the stuff. If I could fool her by slipping it into her fave meal, it'd be a success. Austin and Q loved it, with full vegetable disclosure, but we did the blind test with the little missus who, despite being able to taste the offending veg from her first bite, liked it regardless. Am I showing my age if I say, "Hey Mikey, she likes it!" (anyone over 40 will relate...). She said that I should write in my blog that any moms whose kids hate squash and yet they want to secretly get it into their tummies should try this recipe. The perfect endorsement as far as I'm concerned.<br /><br /><strong>Squash Baked Macaroni </strong><br />(adapted from Martha Stewart)<br />serves 4<br /><br />2 tbsp olive oil<br />1 medium butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded<br />1 medium acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded<br />1 tbsp butter<br />1 lb macaroni or pasta of your choice<br />1/2 cup light cream<br />1/2 cup milk<br />pinch nutmeg<br />1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese<br />1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese<br />1/4 cup mascarpone cheese<br />1/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese<br />1/2 cup breadcrumbs<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squashes on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil. Toss squashes until evenly coated and rub the cut sides and the cavities of the squashes with the butter and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down and bake until very soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Do not turn off oven.<br /><br />When cool, use a large spoon to scoop the flesh of the squash into the bowl of a food processor. Add cream and milk, and puree until smooth. Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Process until well combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.<br /><br />Cook pasta to al dente in boiling salted water. Drain and add to bowl with squash mixture along with the cheeses. Top with breadcrumbs and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.<br /><br /><strong>Rest of the week</strong><br />Dec 17 Pizza night for girls' sleepover<br />Dec 18 Family Xmas get-together<br />Dec 19 Salmon hash<br />Dec 20 Squash mac 'n' cheese with broccoliDiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675351704956351728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-66773336360899803482011-12-19T13:43:00.001-05:002011-12-19T13:43:01.360-05:00Dec 15- 19 Salmon Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDlRWjk1Xptryo4Kw7lHwMDPUdYdSpMOU5Yg_yCb6-TYpIjIxJfFf-bvWElpbkiyrdWLf3i4vwJFcOD05EL06-gExWYk-PROCvvfG9QCsu_UWeum5Z-3y60jaVlzxHq-7ESgWjWm45Zg/s1600/salmon+cake+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDlRWjk1Xptryo4Kw7lHwMDPUdYdSpMOU5Yg_yCb6-TYpIjIxJfFf-bvWElpbkiyrdWLf3i4vwJFcOD05EL06-gExWYk-PROCvvfG9QCsu_UWeum5Z-3y60jaVlzxHq-7ESgWjWm45Zg/s640/salmon+cake+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Dec 15 Salmon Cakes<br />
Dec 16 <br />
Dec 17<br />
Dec 18<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I spent the entire day on Thursday baking and making candy because on Wednesday night we decided we would go to Mexico and we had to leave on Saturday. That suddenly meant that I would have to have all of my baking done by Friday morning so I could package up treats for The Kid's teachers etc. Since I spent the entire day working with nothing but chocolate, sugar, butter and more sugar, I wanted something really simple and quick and light and I didn't want to have to do a big grocery shop so I had to turn to the pantry. It was either salmon cakes or a can of pork and beans with toast and although the can of beans was tempting me like nobodies' business, I couldn't really write about that, now could I? Not now, after lasting for 11 months and two weeks of endeavouring to make not just something different every night but something kind of worth talking about. Not that salmon cakes are the most exiting thing in the world but it's better than heating a can of beans, right?<br />
<br />
Sorry for the bad iPhone photo but The Kid ate the extra salmon cake I had tried to sneak into the fridge so I could take a pretty picture tomorrow in the daylight.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Salmon Cakes</span></b><br />
<br />
1 213g can pacific wild salmon<br />
1/4 cup panko and then another 1/4 cup or so for dredging<br />
1/2 tsp grated ginger<br />
1 clove garlic, finely chopped<br />
1/3 shallot, finely chopped<br />
1 heaping tbls of kewpie mayonnaise if you have it or regular if you don't<br />
1 tbls black sesame seeds<br />
a squeeze of lemon (i squeezed in half of a meyer lemon)<br />
the zest from half of the lemon<br />
kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper to taste<br />
1 egg yolk (I would normally use a whole egg but I had yolks leftover from making meringues)<br />
<br />
<br />
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. I put it in the fridge for about 45 minutes to firm up and then I take it out and form my little hockey puck sized patties. Dredge them on both sides with more panko.<br />
<br />
Heat a frying pan over med heat and add a bit of oil. Fry them for about 4 or 5 minutes per side so they get nice and crispy.<br />
<br />
We ate them with a salad with a japanese sesame dressing. I also put them on a nest of really thin rice vermicelli and if you want to do that you just put the nest of dry noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for about 3-5 minutes until it's softened and then drain it and rinse it under cold water and let sit and drain in a strainer while you get the salad ready.Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-85082530156305827792011-12-16T18:55:00.004-05:002011-12-16T20:59:18.954-05:00Quick and Easy Borscht<a href="http://www.nataliemaclean.com/recipes/view/quick-and-easy-borscht/458"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 379px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 471px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686879427146982130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vN3fHKv7LDot9VuUZWxmNb8c0wjtrr7TWzmUdsGm498WyCs82_oj5zL3_QSseIQmE4h8ix83hKp-C8yTFJZZ46CKSIfPhy7R6sqDHCnByKez9Op7yNT4b20FrMYaUXcblX7xVJmxU4Q/s400/borscht.jpg" /></a><br />Ever since Carole posted her beet risotto a week or so ago, I've been wanting to make something beet related. I'm not sure if it's all in my imagination, but I always feel stronger after eating beets. Yes, I know they're chockful of all sorts of nutrients and vitamins, but someone long ago told me they're especially great for your blood, and after fainting recently and feeling a bit lightheaded/dizzy at times, I figured I had nothing to lose and hopefully everything to gain. Borscht isn't something I've ever made before, or even wanted to, for that matter, but what better time to try it than in the final stretch of our all-new journey. Easy enough to roast up the beets and prep the soup. A bit harder to find someone to eat it alongside me since the boyfolk are all away and Maddie took one look at the vivid jewel tones of the final product and headed straight out the door with an empty stomach instead of having to partake. As for me, I loved it, feel stronger for it and will repeat again sometime next year.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nataliemaclean.com/recipes/view/quick-and-easy-borscht/458">Quick and Easy Borscht</a><br />serves 4 to 6<br /><br />6 medium beets plus tops and stems<br />4 medium carrots, peeled and grated<br />1 medium bunch kale, trimmed stems, then coarsely chopped<br />1/2 28-oz can plum tomatoes, with juice, coarsely chopped<br />2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />2 red onions, medium diced<br />2 tbsp white wine vinegar<br />2 tsp sugar<br />2 bay leaves<br />3 chopped dill fronds<br />1/2 tsp caraway seeds<br />3 to 4 cups water<br /><br />Roast beets in foil for 40 minutes at 425 degrees. Cool, peel and medium chop along with stems and leaves. In a large soup pot, heat 1 tsp oil over medium heat and then add onions, garlic, caraway seeds, dill and bay leaf and saute briefly. Add rest of the vegetables (except tomatoes), cover and saute briefly. Add tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, juice and water; stir, cover loosely and simmer for approximately one hour until flavours blend and vegetables are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br /><br /><strong>Rest of week</strong><br />Dec 14 Hors d'oeuvres a la Daniel et Daniel at Q's work party<br />Dec 15 Dinner propped up at the bar of The Keg w Maddie<br />Dec 16 Borscht with crusty loafDiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675351704956351728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-90091888110035258132011-12-15T11:27:00.000-05:002011-12-15T11:27:30.787-05:00Dec 12-14 Crock Pot Fennel Roast Beef<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5UTe98s9ugUzPq4L6wOjOJtDjiZLAqIMgE7BzgNStQ3w5ABSuzcnWBiKpIsk5FtS628oee20_bSEnnQskogD1xbyF3ysbEu9HQlDy3j8TWV64B6aHN4spGaS3Zd4cHrJnaUHpE18M9A/s1600/fennel+beef+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5UTe98s9ugUzPq4L6wOjOJtDjiZLAqIMgE7BzgNStQ3w5ABSuzcnWBiKpIsk5FtS628oee20_bSEnnQskogD1xbyF3ysbEu9HQlDy3j8TWV64B6aHN4spGaS3Zd4cHrJnaUHpE18M9A/s640/fennel+beef+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Dec 12 </b> chicken green bean stir fry<br />
<b>Dec 13</b> meatloaf sandwiches<br />
<b>Dec 14</b> Crock Pot Fennel Roast Beef with pasta<br />
<br />
<br />
I truly had no idea what I was going to make for dinner on Wednesday night until I went to the grocery store and they had eye of round roasts on sale so I grabbed one and walked around the store getting all of my baking stuff trying to figure out what to do with it. I actually don't like roast beef. I don't like prime rib or standing rib roast or any of that stuff. The only way I enjoy a big chunk of beef is if it is falling apart so I pretty much only braise them or cook them in my handy dandy crock pot (or as we like to call it, my crotch pot). I was either going to go beer, mustard beef on mashed potatoes or a more italian beef served over pasta.<br />
Clearly I chose to go the Italian over pasta route. I might just pick up another one at this price and make it with beer next week now that I think about it.<br />
<br />
I will have a post for next Monday but I am leaving this Saturday for a week of christmas beach and sand and will be be back until christmas day. Clearly I am not going to be cooking anything myself but I will post next thursday with photos of some of the delicious things we will be eating and then that only leaves <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">ONE LAST WEEK UNTIL THIS NO REEATS CHALLENGE IS FINISHED!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
Clearly, we lost our third partner, Jen, somewhere around the end of October when her work schedule sent her into a black hole but I am pretty thrilled that Dianne and I have made it to the bitter end. We have both decided that although neither of us wants to do this again for another year, we do like being forced to step out of our comfort zones and make things that we would not normally make. We will continue with the blog but we will each just take one day a week where we have to make something completely new and we will share that with you. I plan to make exactly the same thing the other six nights of the week just for sport.<br />
If there is anyone out there who is crazy enough and would like to take the year long challenge, you are welcome to get in touch and let us know and maybe you could join our crazy train.<br />
With that, I give you:<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Crock Pot Fennel Roast Beef </span></b><br />
1 lb (about 600g) beef eye of round roast<br />
kosher salt and pepper<br />
glug olive oil<br />
*tbls of <a href="http://www.laurasanttini.com/umami.html">#5 Umamai paste </a><br />
1 cup tomato puree<br />
3/4 cup of chicken stock<br />
fresh thyme, at least a small handful or to taste<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1 fennel bulb, sliced<br />
<br />
serve with any hearty pasta - I like it with paperadelle but it's good with rigatoni or something like that<br />
<br />
Slice the fennel bulb like this:<br />
<br />
Put the fennel and the garlic into the crock pot. Mix in the tomato and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and the thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste ( I have to salt because I use my own tomatoes that were preserved without salt).<br />
<br />
Heat a frying pan over med heat, add a little glug of oil and then liberally salt and pepper your roast before putting in in the hot pan to sear on all sides until nice and brown.<br />
Put the browned meat on top of the fennel and push it around until the fennel is surrounding the meat and the meat is partially submerged.<br />
In the hot pan you just seared the meat, add the umami paste and then the last 1/4 cup of chicken stock and let that bubble up. Take it off the heat immediately and use a spatula to scrape all of the goodness into the crockpot over the meat.<br />
Put the lid on, turn it onto high and walk away.<br />
<br />
I cook it all day on low or if you don't have all day, you can do it for about 4 or 5 hours on high but the longer you let it sit, the softer the meat gets and the easier it is to shred it up.<br />
When it's done, as your pasta is cooking, open the lid and take two forks and start shredding the meat up until it looks like pulled pork.<br />
Ladle the meat, the fennel and some of the liquid over pasta and grate lots of fresh parmesan on top. Of course, I like to sprinkle lots of hot chili flake on mine. You can also eat it over rice or mashed potatoes of course.<br />
<br />
*about this #5 umami paste, I am LOVING it. It adds a really nice depth of flavour, a hit of salty, briny goodness and I will make sure I always have a tube of this in my pantry. In Canada, you can get it at Loblaws as part of their new Black Lable line and it looks like it's widely available at fine food stores like Dean and De Luca in the States. If you don't have it, you can just use some tomato paste for thickness but it won't bump up the flavourCarole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-87424260827127997032011-12-13T05:23:00.007-05:002011-12-13T06:05:13.840-05:00Quinoa-Crusted Chicken or Salmon with Sage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sMLn56KA3EazgLtXUVipjELjohkHKn0769tYZV1wbjIOfyDfGU-V0R9ILI3ecG2qBuZJ17uYx1kH32KCLHpDRhfCtPKD8sFEnoNzxjH3NBnxiI96RK6ytbaaYhP8G1-McCLOUeH8UY4/s1600/quinoasalmon.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 455px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 322px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685557320418145122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sMLn56KA3EazgLtXUVipjELjohkHKn0769tYZV1wbjIOfyDfGU-V0R9ILI3ecG2qBuZJ17uYx1kH32KCLHpDRhfCtPKD8sFEnoNzxjH3NBnxiI96RK6ytbaaYhP8G1-McCLOUeH8UY4/s400/quinoasalmon.jpg" /></a><br />I found myself leafing through <em>Quinoa 365 </em>again this week, looking for a salmon recipe, and this simple weeknight Quinoa-Crusted Chicken with Sage sounded light, fresh and delicious--and I figured I could adapt it to salmon for three of us, while the remaining holdout from anything fishy could enjoy her chicken alone. The recipe called for a gouda cheese sauce to go alongside the chicken but since I don't really like gouda and I didn't want a heavy sauce, I wasn't tempted to make it and I was also pretty sure that none of us would miss it anyway. And they didn't. Then again, I didn't tell them that it even existed so who knows, it might have been a hit since nobody in this family ever turns down anything cheesy.<br />Since I didn't have the quinoa flakes that were listed, I just used my regular quinoa and it worked perfectly... grainy, nutty and light, with a zing from the Dijon and the freshness of the sage... a nice change from normal breading of any kind. No complaints from anyone, neither fish nor fowl camps, and that's often the highest praise since my food critics are feeling the fatigue of providing positive feedback after more than a year of new stuff. Just quiet acceptance is enough for all of us right now and I'm grateful for that.<br /><br />Quinoa-Crusted Chicken with Sage<br />adapted from <em>Quinoa 365</em><br />serves 4<br /><br />3 tbsp milk<br />3 tsp Dijon mustard<br />1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic<br />3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce<br />1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese<br />1/2 cup quinoa flakes<br />6 tsp finely chopped fresh sage<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br /><br />cheese sauce<br />1/4 cup milk<br />2 tsp quinoa flour<br />1/4 cup grated Gouda cheese<br /><br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.<br /><br />Mix the milk and 2 tsp of the mustard in a small, shallow bowl. Add the garlic and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Set aside.<br />Combine the parmesan, quinoa, 2 tsp of the sage and the salt and place in a shallow bowl. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, dip evenly into the milk mixture, then place in the bowl and coat with the quinoa mixture.<br />Place the chicken breasts on the baking sheet and bake on the centre rack for about 20 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear.<br />To make the sauce, heat the milk and quinoa flour in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring frequently. Whisk in the cheese with the remaining 4 tsp sage and 1 tsp Dijon. Heat the mixture until it thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes, whisking frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.<br /><strong>Rest of the week</strong><br /><br />Dec 10 Dinner with family at golf club<br /><br />Dec 11 Busy day so ordered in from Vivetha<br /><br />Dec 12 Quinoa-crusted salmon with tossed saladDiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675351704956351728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908149550212483378.post-65031654985099283572011-12-12T10:57:00.000-05:002011-12-12T10:57:31.061-05:00Dec 8-11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1M_NDd2rxOaWgUDv6OLWxilWaTJelG4eQsrWNxbZCoR6Lkz1qX84AH4L8H0bNRXbyVQ8_sLdTk83lacRmY9Paqq_9puh9TGcKA6Qr-GXZ8uWnAR_fDu_sdC1eGH9bJIiGrW5lFaWaLQ/s1600/meatloaf+sq+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1M_NDd2rxOaWgUDv6OLWxilWaTJelG4eQsrWNxbZCoR6Lkz1qX84AH4L8H0bNRXbyVQ8_sLdTk83lacRmY9Paqq_9puh9TGcKA6Qr-GXZ8uWnAR_fDu_sdC1eGH9bJIiGrW5lFaWaLQ/s640/meatloaf+sq+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Dec 8 <a href="http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.com/2011/12/its-friday-so-it-must-be-soup-creamy.html">Creamy Tomato Fennel Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons</a><br />
Dec 9 We had to be out and didn't really eat dinner<br />
Dec 10 ordered in Thai<br />
Dec 11 Meatloaf<br />
<br />
<br />
This ended up being a bit of a stressful end to the week for various reasons so we either weren't home to eat or too spent to think about cooking. Thankfully I had made a fabulous tomato soup and The Kid was happy with two big bowls full of grilled cheese croutons for Thursday because he certainly didn't get any real dinner on Friday night.<br />
Sunday came along and Shack had to work so I felt like I should make something that the boys would find really comforting. It was time to whip out a basic meatloaf. I have been holding back on a couple of winter staples so that I could make them this last month of this challenge to make it all go by a bit faster. They really enjoyed the turkey meatloaf but they both love a good, solid meatloaf so much and it was the perfect meal to end a not so good week.<br />
It's not like anyone is actively counting the days until I no longer have to stick to this crazy challenge or anything.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Kid's Favourite Meatloaf</span></b><br />
makes 2 meatloaves, serves 6 to 8<br />
<br />
1 onion, chopped fine<br />
1 stalk celery, chopped fine<br />
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine<br />
olive oil<br />
600 g ground pork<br />
600 g lean ground beef<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
1 slice whole grain bread<br />
1/2 cup of your favourite bbq sauce<br />
about a tbls each fresh thyme, sage and rosemary chopped fine<br />
2 eggs, beaten<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp dry hot chinese mustard<br />
<br />
glaze:<br />
1/4 cup bbq sauce<br />
1 tbls chipotle chili in adobo<br />
1/4 red onion sliced really thinly<br />
<br />
<br />
heat a sauté pan over med heat with a small glug of olive oil and sauté the onion, celery and garlic for about five minutes until it's softened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.<br />
Preheat oven to 400F<br />
<br />
Put the slice of bread in the food processor and grind up into crumbs. Add the milk and let sit and put aside. Put the beef, pork, bbq sauce, eggs, herbs, salt and chinese mustard in a big bowl. Add the bread crumbs that you soaked in milk and mix with your hands for about a minute. Don't over mix or your meatloaf will be tough.<br />
<br />
Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Divide the meat mixture into halves and form each half into a loaf shape on the parchment lined pan. Mix the glaze ingredients and then brush each of the two meatloaves with the glaze. Scatter the red onion slices over each meatloaf.<br />
Put the baking tray in your hot oven and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hr. Check after 45 minutes and the internal temp should be at least 160F. Take it out of the oven and let it sit for about ten minutes to settle before slicing and serving.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA6SXj3hv9bRGVmYKAREpBCdH9X10GAS6AckjnAsA9X3cxpRH1coX0RTAJJEiNyN-vJHvIFdnp0q9J04n5EKG5mJ7WNT-reaKOVtLgMtT6Pd1Picgeju8ht-cSwx52-pNFTW_reJytlM/s1600/meatloaf++%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA6SXj3hv9bRGVmYKAREpBCdH9X10GAS6AckjnAsA9X3cxpRH1coX0RTAJJEiNyN-vJHvIFdnp0q9J04n5EKG5mJ7WNT-reaKOVtLgMtT6Pd1Picgeju8ht-cSwx52-pNFTW_reJytlM/s640/meatloaf++%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Carole Nelson Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14320316695358896672noreply@blogger.com2