Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Bacon Tip 2
Read this on the package of my bacon. Who knew the handy things they printed on there worked? This was just an easier way to separate your bacon without pulling and stretching and ripping it in pieces. Stick your spatule between the pieces as you slowly pull them apart. It worked like a charm. I was left with fully intact, long strips of bacon.
Mashers
Ingredients
2 lbs russet potatoes (rinsed, peeled,m and cut into 1/2 inch chunks)
2 lbs red "boiling" potatoes (rinsed, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch chunks)
2 tsp kosher salt (which I actually have from his Thanksgiving Turkey recipe)
3/4 cup buttermilk (You can use the last 1/4 cup for a chicken biscuit bake.)
1/4 cup heavy cream (You can use the last 2 3/4 cups of that for alfredo sauce.)
6 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed) I use my garlic smasher for this, since it specifies smashed, not chopped or minced.
Place all spud hunks in a 4-quart saucepan and add just enough cold tap water to cover. (You can put the potatoes in the water and refrigerate them for up to 8 hourse before cooking.) Add 1 tsp of the salt to the pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. (This will take about 15 minutes.)
Meanwhile, combine the buttermilk, cream, and garlic in a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over low heat, watching to make sure the mixture doesn't boil over. Keep the mixture barely bubbling until the potatoes are done.
When the spud water boils, ditch the lid, drop the heat to a simmer, and cook until the spuds are easily crushed with tongs, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pan and the heat. Toss and shake gently for 30 seconds or so to knock off any excess surface moisture. (The drier the spuds the better.)
Move the pan to a trivet (hot pad, towel) on the countertop and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp salt. Pour on about a quarter of the buttermilk mixture and start mashing.
As the spuds break down, add more of the buttermilk mixture until you're happy with the results. Remember, these are mashed potatoes, not whippe potatoes. If you over-mash them in an attempt to smooth ever piece you will inevitably rupture starch granules, which can and most likely will result in gummy potatoes.
Let me just say that I love the way Alton words things. He explains it in a way you can understand, and even adds a little science in there if you're following that part well enough. For the recipe, it was really great. Like I said, I'm new to the potato scene, but I really enjoyed these. They had a really nice, subtle flavor that made them not boring. I did half the recipe. I also took the time during naptime to cut my potatoes really small. (1/2 inch chunks is really quite small.) Then I stuck them in water in the fridge for a few hours. I felt like the small chopping really helped it cook faster. (Because that's not common knowledge, but still.) Overall, fab recipe. Expect more from Alton Brown's Good Eats in the future.
Playdoh!
Oh yes. Homemade playdoh. It is edible (though extremely salt) and yes, I ate it as a child. Still, a fun family favorite. And just for the sake of clarification, I am putting this on here for fun, not for a snack!
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 tbsp alum (in the seasonings section)
1 3/4 cup boiling water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Mix flour, salt, and alum. Add food coloring to water if desired. (or you can knead it in later if you want to split it into multiple colors.) Add water and oil to flour mixture. Mix well. Store in an air tight container or zip lock bag in your fridge. This stuff can last for a really long time as long as it's air tight.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 tbsp alum (in the seasonings section)
1 3/4 cup boiling water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Mix flour, salt, and alum. Add food coloring to water if desired. (or you can knead it in later if you want to split it into multiple colors.) Add water and oil to flour mixture. Mix well. Store in an air tight container or zip lock bag in your fridge. This stuff can last for a really long time as long as it's air tight.
Decadent Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake
I stole this recipe from the Reader's Digest. It's pretty decadent. But not really sweet. In the end, we liked that about it. It took a while to grow on me, but by the end, I was scraping it out of the pan with Aaron. So a definite yummy dessert, without feeling overly sweet or sugary.
Ingredients
18 chocolate graham cracker squares, finely crushed (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
2 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
peanuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 300. Combine crackers, melted butter, and 2 tbsp sugar. Press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside. (I bought a crust. I enjoy making them, but it was a slight time issue. Although each time I use a pre-made crust, I completely overflow it, even though I'm following the directions. So I'm making my own crust next time.)
In bowl, beat 1 package cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in peanut butter and 1/4 cup sugar until combined. Fold in 1 lightly beaten egg; set aside. In saucepan stir chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cube remaining cream cheese; add to choclate. Stir to combine. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 2 lightly beaten eggs. Spread half the chocolate mixture into pan. Carefully spread all the peanut butter mixture over layer. Evenly spread remaining chocolate mixture.
Bake 45 minutes or until top is set when lightly shaken. Outer 2 inches of top will be slightly puffed and dry-looking; center will look darker and wet. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Use small sharp knife to loosen crust from sides; cool 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan (if using springform, which I don't have anyway.); cool completely on rack. Cover; chill 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with peanuts, if desired.
Ingredients
18 chocolate graham cracker squares, finely crushed (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
2 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
peanuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 300. Combine crackers, melted butter, and 2 tbsp sugar. Press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside. (I bought a crust. I enjoy making them, but it was a slight time issue. Although each time I use a pre-made crust, I completely overflow it, even though I'm following the directions. So I'm making my own crust next time.)
In bowl, beat 1 package cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in peanut butter and 1/4 cup sugar until combined. Fold in 1 lightly beaten egg; set aside. In saucepan stir chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cube remaining cream cheese; add to choclate. Stir to combine. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 2 lightly beaten eggs. Spread half the chocolate mixture into pan. Carefully spread all the peanut butter mixture over layer. Evenly spread remaining chocolate mixture.
Bake 45 minutes or until top is set when lightly shaken. Outer 2 inches of top will be slightly puffed and dry-looking; center will look darker and wet. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Use small sharp knife to loosen crust from sides; cool 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan (if using springform, which I don't have anyway.); cool completely on rack. Cover; chill 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with peanuts, if desired.
Like I said, at first I wasn't really into this (and the picture of mine isn't nearly as cool as the one from Reader's Digest.) but by the end, I was really enjoying it. That might be because I didn't chill it for 4 hours like it called for. I really liked it after we pulled it from the fridge. So I would recommend making sure you do that step. Overall, a really tasty treat that's not over sugary.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Black Bean and Sausage Soup
I thought for sure I'd done this already, but I hadn't. So good!
Ingredients
1 cup dry black beans (can use canned beans)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp salt
1/8 – ¼ tsp ground red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cooked, smoked turkey sausage or polish sausage, chopped
Dairy sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, fresh cilantro (optional)
Rinse beans. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine beans and 6 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans. Return beans to saucepan. Stir in 2 cups water, broth, onion, celery, coriander, salt, red pepper, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1-1 ½ hours or until beans are tender.
If desired, mash beans slightly. Stir in sausage; heat through. IF desired, serve topped with sour cream and cilantro. -OR-
Prepare as above through step 1. In crock pot combine chicken broth, 2 cups water, onion, celery, coriander, salt, red pepper, and garlic. Stir in beans. Cover and cook on high heat for 5-6 hours. If desired, mash beans slightly. Stir in sausage. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more.
Or just used canned beans like we do. Then you only have to cook it for like 30 minutes and then add the sausage. Just cook long enough to get your veggies the way you like them.
Ingredients
1 cup dry black beans (can use canned beans)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp salt
1/8 – ¼ tsp ground red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cooked, smoked turkey sausage or polish sausage, chopped
Dairy sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, fresh cilantro (optional)
Rinse beans. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine beans and 6 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans. Return beans to saucepan. Stir in 2 cups water, broth, onion, celery, coriander, salt, red pepper, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1-1 ½ hours or until beans are tender.
If desired, mash beans slightly. Stir in sausage; heat through. IF desired, serve topped with sour cream and cilantro. -OR-
Prepare as above through step 1. In crock pot combine chicken broth, 2 cups water, onion, celery, coriander, salt, red pepper, and garlic. Stir in beans. Cover and cook on high heat for 5-6 hours. If desired, mash beans slightly. Stir in sausage. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more.
Or just used canned beans like we do. Then you only have to cook it for like 30 minutes and then add the sausage. Just cook long enough to get your veggies the way you like them.
In this one, we added some leftover rice just for fun. It added just a little extra. But this is a great recipe. I highly recommend using the optional ingredients. They're fun and tasty to add.
Sneaky Bon-Bons
What a nice treat for the kiddos. And packed full of really good stuff too! I will say, I didn't think these were too great, but Joseph loved them!
Ingredients
1/4 cup sweet potato baby food
1/4 cup carrot baby food
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (They say not to use the quick oats, but that's all I have and it worked fine as far as I could tell.)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) I didn't use these, but if I had some really tiny chips, I would.
Topping options: cinnamon sugar, sprinkles
*Purees can be used interchangeably, as long as it totales 1/2 cup.
In a mixing bowl, combine baby food and peanut butter. Mix in whaet germ, oats, and chocolate chips, if using. Scoop up heaping teaspoon-size amounts of batter, and roll into balls with your hands. Roll balls into topping to coat completely. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to refrigerate or freeze.
Ingredients
1/4 cup sweet potato baby food
1/4 cup carrot baby food
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (They say not to use the quick oats, but that's all I have and it worked fine as far as I could tell.)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) I didn't use these, but if I had some really tiny chips, I would.
Topping options: cinnamon sugar, sprinkles
*Purees can be used interchangeably, as long as it totales 1/2 cup.
In a mixing bowl, combine baby food and peanut butter. Mix in whaet germ, oats, and chocolate chips, if using. Scoop up heaping teaspoon-size amounts of batter, and roll into balls with your hands. Roll balls into topping to coat completely. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to refrigerate or freeze.
Like I said, Joseph really liked these. I think if it had the chocolate, I would've enjoyed them more. These are not deceptively delicious, but I'm going to label it with them since it uses purees. Definitely a must try for your kiddos if you're looking for a snack alternative.
Stir Fry
Or, you can call it Hu-Hot if you want. This is our middle of the line version. We've done it more authentic, but this is a lot easier and simpler to make for a whole family.
Ingredients
chopped carrots
chopped celery
chopped garlic
chopped onion
chopped bell pepper
other options: olives, mushrooms, corn, black beans, broccoli (I highly recommend broccoli. So great in stir fry.)
Chicken, cut in 1-2 inch cubes
*You can really use whatever vegetables you want, and in the quantities you choose. That's the beauty of it.
Cooked rice
*optional: Cooked spaghetti noodles
Sauces: Hoison Sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, General Tsao's, Black bean and Garlic sauce, hot chili and garlic, any sauce you find in your asian foods section at the store. (You can easily sprinkle flaxseed on your plate, or just add it to your sauces.)
Prepare vegetables and chicken (you can use whatever type of meat you want, or multiple types together.) In one pan, saute the vegetables. In another, begin cooking the meat. When mostly cooked, add your choices of sauce to your meat. It's meant to be saucy, so keep adding! Mix and match, or if you're not familiar with them, try them one at a time. (Meaning, for one meal, use one sauce to get familiar with it. Then when you're more confident, begin making combination sauces.) Let it heat through and combine the sauces if necessary. Then when the vegetables are sauteed to your liking, add it to the meat and sauces and combine thoroughly. I like to go heavy on the vegetables. The flavor is still great, so it's such an easy way to get your veggies. Serve on fresh rice, or with a combo rice and noodles. It's quite good if you've never tried it.
Ingredients
chopped carrots
chopped celery
chopped garlic
chopped onion
chopped bell pepper
other options: olives, mushrooms, corn, black beans, broccoli (I highly recommend broccoli. So great in stir fry.)
Chicken, cut in 1-2 inch cubes
*You can really use whatever vegetables you want, and in the quantities you choose. That's the beauty of it.
Cooked rice
*optional: Cooked spaghetti noodles
Sauces: Hoison Sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, General Tsao's, Black bean and Garlic sauce, hot chili and garlic, any sauce you find in your asian foods section at the store. (You can easily sprinkle flaxseed on your plate, or just add it to your sauces.)
Prepare vegetables and chicken (you can use whatever type of meat you want, or multiple types together.) In one pan, saute the vegetables. In another, begin cooking the meat. When mostly cooked, add your choices of sauce to your meat. It's meant to be saucy, so keep adding! Mix and match, or if you're not familiar with them, try them one at a time. (Meaning, for one meal, use one sauce to get familiar with it. Then when you're more confident, begin making combination sauces.) Let it heat through and combine the sauces if necessary. Then when the vegetables are sauteed to your liking, add it to the meat and sauces and combine thoroughly. I like to go heavy on the vegetables. The flavor is still great, so it's such an easy way to get your veggies. Serve on fresh rice, or with a combo rice and noodles. It's quite good if you've never tried it.
This has easily become a family favorite for us. It's different every time, you use the quantities you want and are comfortable with. You can feel good about it because it's packed full of veggies and it just tastes really good!
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