Lemon and Lychee

Irish Soda Bread

2008-03-17T13:05:00.001-07:00

In celebration of St. Patty's Day, here is a yummy festive recipe for you from my mother's recipe box.

-4 C. flour, sifted
-1/4 C. sugar
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. baking powder
-2 Tbls. caraway seeds
-1/4 C butter
-2 C. raisins
-1 1/3 C. buttermilk
-1 egg
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 beaten egg yolk

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix.
2. Add caraway seeds and cut in butter. Mix until contents are "grainy".
3. Add raisins.
4. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, and baking soda. Stir into the dry mix.
5. Turn dough out onto floured board or counter and knead until smooth. Shape into a round ball.
6. Grease a 2 qt. casserole dish (bonus points if it has a lid). Score the top of the ball with a cross and brush the beaten egg yolk across the top.
7. Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.
8. Cool bread for 10 minutes in pot or pan, and then cool on rack.

Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding

2008-03-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

This is really a apple cinnamon risotto, but that sounds less appetizing than rice pudding. This risotto makes a great and healthy dessert, and doubles as a tasty winter breakfast if you're so inclined. The rice will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, in a tightly sealed container.

And as always, the key to a super-creamy risotto is constant stirring. Enlist a helper.

-2 Tbls butter
-1 1/2 C. arborio rice
-1/2 C. apple wine (optional)
-3 to 4 C. apple cider or juice
-3 granny smith (or other tart variety) apples
-2 to 4 tsp. cinnamon (to taste)
-2 Tbls brown sugar
-pinch sea salt

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the rice and stir constantly over medium-high heat until fragrant; about 2 minutes.
2. Pour in the apple wine, or if omitted, pour in 1/2 C. apple cider/juice. Stir as the wine cooks off and when the rice is dry, add 1 C. apple cider. Turn heat to medium. Stir constantly to allow the rice to soak up the liquid and release gooey starch.
3. Have your helper peel, core, and finely chop (1/4" cubes) the apples. Add to the skillet with the rice.
4. When rice is dry again, pour in another cup of cider. Continue stirring until liquid is absorbed, adding more liquid, stirring until absorbed, etc. until all the cider has been absorbed into the dish and rice is chewy/no longer hard in the middle.
5. Add cinnamon, brown sugar, and sea salt and stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste and season with more salt or sugar if necessary. Don't put too much sugar in, though, or the sweet overwhelms the apple.
6. Serve warm next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
7. Groan in ecstasy.

Curried Salmon on a bed of Morrocan Couscous

2008-03-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

Using wild salmon is imperative--if you're lucky enough to have a fishmonger (or access to the internet) you can ask/look for Yukon King Salmon. Yukon River salmon has the highest fat content of all salmon--nearly 35% of the fish is oil. Salmon, and their fat in particular, are so good for you; they're full of Omega oil, which is beneficial for hearts and brains.

If you're not a fan of couscous, you can substitute any fragrant whole grain such as brown basmati rice or farro.

The recipe will make enough couscous for leftovers. You can add shredded rotisserie chicken to it for another filling, healthy meal.

-1 Lb salmon steak, cut into two portions
-2 tsp. curry powder of your choosing
-4 to 5 handfuls of large pearl couscous
-1 Tbls. rock salt
-1 carrot, washed and grated
-1 1/2 C. golden raisins
-1/2 C. sliced almonds
-1/2 sweet or red onion, finely diced
-1 C. to 1 1/2 C. full fat plain yogurt (a mild yogurt works well here, I used Brown Cow)
-3 to 4 tsp. curry powder (more or less to taste)

1. Preheat your oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Fill large heavy bottomed dutch oven 2/3 full of hot water. Add rock salt and bring to rolling boil. Add couscous to boiling water and let boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until done. Drain well and set aside.
3. Place salmon steaks, skin side down, onto the foil-covered baking sheet and sprinkle each piece with 1 tsp. of the curry powder.
4. Bake salmon steaks (if approx. 1" thick in the middle) 9-10 minutes for medium-well; adjust baking time according to your preference.
5. While salmon bakes, add carrot, raisins, almonds, and onion to the couscous.
6. Mix together the yogurt and curry powder in a small bowl.
7. Pour yogurt mixture over couscous and stir well.
8. Spoon couscous mixture into two plates or bowls. Place one salmon steak on each plate.

Dig in!

The Less Process, The Better

2008-03-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth as some might have surmised... I've just been distracted by other virtual ventures and the long snowy winter has taken its toll on my attention span. I've been experimenting in the kitchen but haven't had any where-with-all to post about any of it.

At any rate, I was recently inspired by a friend: she is in the process of changing her family's diet for medical reasons. She's looking more and more at whole grains and fresh produce, as well as less fatty meats and oils, and having a hard time finding affordable sources--that aren't crap.

For her, and anyone else who is looking for unprocessed foods, I thought I'd post a list of resources for goodies I prefer to use. It's difficult to find healthy and fresh meats, produce, and pantry staples -- let alone cheaply. With gasoline near $4 a gallon and wheat trading at nearly $30 a bushel (Farm Girls know wheat used to trade in the not so distant past at $5 a bushel!) everything is more expensive. But there are cheaper ways to get the whole foods you're looking for with just a few simple clicks...

Here are some of my hints and sources for sussing out tasty treats you can feel good about putting into you and your loved ones' bodies. In later posts we'll be exploring sources for grass-fed meats and dairy, and fresh produce. Today, we'll start with Pantry Staples.

Pantry Staples

Grains, especially whole grains, are not abundant in the middle of the Midwest. Strangely enough, most farmland here is devoted to corn and soybeans, and I'm not talking sweet corn or edamame. The harvests from the fields I drive by every day end up in bottles of oil, detergents, petroleum, etc., and perhaps most insidious, high fructose corn syrup. That's right folks, the same sweetener used in most commercially processed food comes from the same plant used to make modern gasoline. But that's another diatribe for another day.

The grains and seeds I use most in my kitchen are whole wheat flour, brown basmati rice, flax, and millet. They're really, really good for you. Also, it sounds hippie-dippie, but if minimally processed grains make up the base of your diet for a few weeks, you'll soon develop a preference and taste for them over refined grains like white flour and white rice. Trust me here: at 15 my favorite food was white sandwich bread, smooshed into tiny doughy balls. Sorry Wonderbread, but the thought of you now is not only not appetizing, its repulsive.

Pretty much every grocery store these days carries whole wheat bread, but read the labels carefully because many "healthy" and "wholesome" loaves contain high fructose corn syrup. When I don't make my own bread, the national brand we buy most often is Pepperidge Farm. Most of their loaves are sweetened with brown sugar. Many varieties have other seeds and grains mixed in--birdseed bread. Yummy! If you're making bread from scratch (it's really not that hard!) King Arthur makes a great whole wheat flour for everyday use. Bob's Red Mill makes a whole wheat pastry flour and it really does make yummy pastries. If you're just wading into whole grains, by all means, gradually substitute more whole grain flour for white flour in your recipes. For most applications, it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

Speaking of Bob's Red Mill, they are a company worth checking out. Most grocery stores have a small "Bob's" display or end cap near either the baking aisle or the organic aisle, if you're lucky enough to have one. Take a peek and experiment with some of the grains and flours they offer: millet (good for your heart, and when cooked makes a convincing substitute for fluffy mashed potatoes), quinoa (a complete protein and full of cardiovascular benefits), semolina flour (for pasta), almond meal (the best cherry crumble topping), etc. You can also order their products from their website in quantity for good prices.

If you're looking to increase the amount of whole grains in your diet, then buying whole wheat pasta is a very easy route. It's cheap and if you like your "regular" pasta al dente, you'll never notice a difference. It's quick and easy to toss lots of vegetables into a pasta sauce as well. I'm always looking for ways to eat more vegetables--I don't usually like veggies "by themselves", but mixed into something else. (The Beau likes to tell me vegetables are the vehicle by which I consume dairy, ha.) I don't really have any specific sources, as whole wheat pasta is available in even crummy groceries these days. I will say that a great weeknight staple in my kitchen is Annie's Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese. It's not the gloppy neon orange stuff of your childhood, but rather tasty and grown-up. The [powdered & white] sauce doesn't have any crap in it and you can mix it with butter and milk, olive oil, or just plain water. The pasta is whole wheat of course, and it's so fast to mix in a little sauteed onion or shallots, tomatoes and/or tomato paste, bacon or ground turkey, and fresh baby spinach--e voila, you have yourself a complete meal in less than 10 minutes. (Plus the time it takes to boil water.) Annie's is one of the few pre-packaged meals I'll eat and adore.

For rice and lentils, I turn to one of my favorite online stores, IShopIndian. Their brown basmati rice is amazingly fragrant and tasty. (I wish they made basmati rice perfume!) You can cook brown basmati rice like pasta, which makes cooking rice perfectly so much easier. They stock all sorts of lentils, which are called "dal" in Hindi. Yum.

Moving on to salt and spices...

If you're using salt, do use a sea salt of some kind. This way you're getting lots of minerals in addition to the sodium. Sea salts also tend to taste saltier than typical iodized salt, so you get more bang for less buck. Sel gris (literally gray salt) is moist and slightly gray in color. I buy mine from my local market, but a Google search for sel gris yields lots of hits. More expensive but even better is Maldon salt. It's a finishing salt with a crispy, quirky pyramid structure and very salty (but not obnoxious) taste. You eat less salt than if you were eating iodized or kosher salt. Many Maldon aficionados never go back--in fact, there are quite a few converts who now carry a small bag with them when they travel or eat out.

If I'm looking for salt alternatives, I most often turn to--you guessed it--Indian spices. They're really not that scary. Do check out the spices area of the IShopIndian storefront. Indian spices are full of flavor--perfect for minimizing sodium intake without sacrificing interest--and many spices we commonly use in the West are Indian in origin. You'll find them much cheaper in Indian stores. Cinnamon, for example, is substantially cheaper and fresher on IShopIndian than in your local grocery store. If you have a coffee grinder, you can grind your own powdered spices from whole and save even more. I can purchase a 4 oz. bag of cinnamon sticks that when ground, will last me 6 months--for $3.50. (And I go through cinnamon the way some people go through diet soda.) Purchasing the same amount from my local grocery would easily top $50. I've done the math.

Just a note: if you plan on griding your own spices, be sure to purchase a stainless steel-bowl type grinder. Plastic-bowl grinders will quickly absorb the tastes of whatever is ground inside them. Mustard-cinnamon-clove coffee isn't very refreshing.

Some basic good Indian Spices to have on hand:

-Garlic, of course. Fresh garlic is the salt of Indian food. Unsurprisingly, garlic powder makes an excellent sodium substitute in non-ethnic cuisine.

-Ginger. Ginger is the other "biggie" Indian food ingredient. Often, garlic and ginger pastes are combined with plain yogurt and used as a marinade for meat.

-Jaggery. Jaggery is a kind of sugar; much like brown sugar. (Not the brown sugar sprayed with molasses, but true dark brown cane sugar.) It is most often made with sugar cane but sometimes is made from date or sago palms. If you must use sugar, please use jaggery or a [true] brown sugar when you can: they are full of minerals and better for you than refined sugars. There is evidence jaggery even protects against lung diseases caused by inhaling particulates.

-Cardamom. I could muse forever about cardamom. I adore it mixed in with ground meat. Most people feel very strongly about cardamom; they either love it or hate it. Try green cardamom pods first and use them sparingly to see if you like them--be aware that using too much cardamom, especially for those not used to the spice, will make your food taste like potpourri.

-Chilis. Even if you don't like hot-spicy foods, use a small pinch every now and then. Capsacin is very good for the body and in small enough quantity, you won't really taste the heat.

-Cinnamon. Cinnamon is a fundamental spice in Indian cuisine. Hardly anyone hates cinnamon and recent research suggests it lowers blood sugar (in a good way) substantially. Use it. A lot. There is nothing better [smelling or tasting] in the world than onions and cinnamon sweating in a skillet together.

-Tumeric. Tumeric is a spice many people are already familiar with--it is bright yellow and has an indescribable taste. Tumeric gives color and earthiness to curry blends and to rice-based dishes, and it fights cancer. Don't use too much or your dish will end up bitter. If you mix tumeric and plastic bowls or utensils, expect the plastic to be yellow forever.

-Garam Masala. Garam masala is actually a blend of spices. Every mix is slightly different and you can certainly make your own, but it's a great place to start if you want just a little Indian flavor. Garam masala isn't hot-spicy, but savory; think cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, cardamom, star anise, etc. It works really well with vegetables and red meats.

-Mace. Mace is the skin covering the nutmeg seed. It's not hot like the spray would have you believe; it tastes like nutmeg only slightly fruitier and less bitter.

-Amchur. Amchur is one most people in the West have never heard of and it is worth seeking out. Amchur is the dried (and often powdered) flesh of green mangoes. It's tart and sweet and sour at the same time. You can use amchur like you would use lemon. Yum!

-Kalongi. Kalongi is sometimes called Nigella. It's the seeds from onions. They're very earthy and just barely oniony. Talk about delicious--the seeds are perfect as a spice or sprinkled on top of or into breads. Add them to ground beef or turkey meatballs. Great with potatoes. Very versatile.

-Panch Puran. Spelled many different ways (ponch piran, punch phoran, etc.) but pronounced the same "pawnch purr ahn". Like garam masala, panch puran is a spice blend. It's native to Bengali (if you care) and is literally translated as "5 spices". The 5 spices are mustard, kalongi, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, and cumin seeds. Sometimes a spice similar to celery seed is also included. Typically it's tossed into a hot pan until it pops at the start of a vegetable curry, but use your imagination and combine it with rice or with fish. Fragrant and tasty.

Dried fruit is so good for you, and a wonderful alternative to crappy mid-winter tasteless produce. Unfortunately, most commercially produced dried fruit is sweetened with sugar (or HFCS, horrors) and contains preservatives as well. I purchased dried sour cherries in bulk from Surfas, a chef's supply store. Be sure to look at their other offerings, both food and equipment based. It's vast and interesting. King's Orchards also offers unsweetened sour cherries. Good luck searching for dried unsweetened cranberries. I have been looking for years and have yet to find a reputable source. Raisins are naturally sweet, of course, so they need little sugar. Golden raisins are my favorite; they're plumper. I love to make mild curries with rice and turkey, and sprinkle golden raisins on top. Roasted chicken with onions, garlic, and raisins is also heavenly.

So that about wraps it up for pantry items--I'm sure I'll think of more and will do a second post at that time. What are your favorite sources for yummy, unprocessed pantry staples?

Lemon Drop Martinis in a Mason Jar

2006-05-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

I had a rather stressful house project this weekend and made a sort of Lemon-Drop-Meets-Martini to cope.

Unhealthy defense mechanism, perhaps. Delicious cocktail, definitely!

Remember, y'all, it's five o'clock somewhere.

You'll need a medium-sized mason jar and 2 chilled martini glasses for this recipe.

-lotsa lemon juice (I squeeze my own every weekend so I'm not really sure how many lemons; I'd guess 4)
-lemon vodka (Smirnoff makes a good one, though Stolichnaya is so much more fun to say)
-1/2 C sugar, divided (to taste; I used a bit less but I like mine quite sour), plus 2 tablespoons
-ice cubes
-cold water

1. Fill the mason jar one-third full with the lemon juice. If you use fresh lemons, it's so much better. And if there's pulp in there, you can convince yourself that your tonic has health benefits.
2. Add vodka to 2/3 full. This will equate to several Tara Reid style splashes. I'd guess somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 -4 jiggers.
3. Add 1/2 C sugar. Add ice cubes to the top.
4. Seal the jar and shake until sugar dissolves.
4. Pull your martini glasses out and rim with sugar if you like.
5. Add 1 Tbls sugar to each glass. Fill glasses halfway with mason jar mix (straining ice cubes out). Top off with ice cold water. Stir gently to dissolve sugar.
6. ENJOY!

You'll have a little leftover for another half glass or so.

Stuffed & Rolled Turkey Breast

2006-05-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

This makes a delicious, moist turkey breast... And it looks pretty if you're a better "wrapper" than I am.

*Note to chef: you'll need kitchen twine. Or if you discover that your cats have destroyed your kitchen twine, as I did, thin hemp twine works just fine.

-1 turkey breast, skinned and boneless but not sliced in any way (I couldn't find one, so I had to buy the whole shebang--the chest of a turkey, basically--and seperate the breasts myself
-1 package full fat cream cheese
-1 package (2 C) shredded mozzie cheese
-1 large onion or 3 small onions, minced
-2 Tbls garlic, minced
-2-3 Tbls olive oil
-1 C. frozen spinach, thawed, with all the water squeezed out
-approx. 1 Tbls each of your favorite fresh herbs--I used basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, chives, parsley, and tarragon
-salt and pepper to taste
-vegetable oil
-1-2 Tbls sugar

1. Prep your turkey breast: butterfly it and gently pound between 2 sheets of Caran wrap until about 1/2" thick. Curse if it helps you. Don't put too much swing behind the meat hammer though, or you'll tear through the breast. There ain't no patchin' meat, kiddos!
2. In a skillet, saute the onion and half of the garlic in the olive oil until translucent.
3. Combine skillet and cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Rest 1 minute, and then stir until cream cheese is completely melted.
4. Add your herbs and the remaining garlic. Stir. Add the spinach and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the filling over the flattened breast--the turkey's, you horn-dogs--making sure to leave 1/2" around the edge bare.
6. Now put your back into it and roll that puppy... Be careful not to get excited and squeeze too hard or your filling will go everywhere.
7. Tie the roll every inch with the twine. Tuck ends under if you can, and tie a bit of twine lengthwise to keep the filling from coming out the ends of the roll.
8. Put your roll into a loaf pan and lightly coat with vegetable oil. Use your fingers! Then sprinkle the sugar over the rolled breast. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes.
10. After you remove the turkey from the oven, tent with foil and rest 15 minutes. Then slice and serve.

Yummy!

My Cookbook of the Moment

2006-05-04T11:23:00.001-07:00

The Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook

I say this is my cookbook of the moment but truly, it will be my cookbook forever. I've never seen--or tasted--so many absolutely delicious recipes from one book before. A friend recommended this title to me--and of course I scoffed because y'all know I'm perhaps the least likely to ever call myself a 'newlywed'--but I caved after she brought in the Moroccan-spiced chicken breasts.

So cave, y'all, and purchase this a-maaaazing collection of recipes. Your husband--or partner, or boyfriend, or girlfriend, or neighbor will thank you for it!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

2006-05-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

With a title like that, you've got to try them, right?

I must credit the great chefs over at Ghirardelli from whom I got this recipe.

My only suggestion for all you non-Ghirardelli folks out there is to substitute Crisco for half of the butter if you want a crispier-bottomed cookie. It keeps the cookies from spreading too far out as well. Don’t melt the Crisco though.

-2 ¼ C flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-2 sticks salted butter
-1 C white sugar
-1 C packed dark brown sugar
-2 tsp. vanilla extract
-2 large eggs
-1 bag Ghiradhelli chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

1. Mix the flour, soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. In a large bowl, almost-melt (about half melted, the rest really squishy) the butter.
3. Add the sugars to the butter and stir well. Mash out all the brown sugar clumps, if any remain. To this, add the vanilla and eggs.
4. Stir it all up, and then add the dry ingredients bit by bit until all are incorporated. Or, if you’re an impatient baker like me, add all the dry at once and make a mess and curse like a sailor when you stir and flour goes everywhere. Then curse a little more, and do the hokey pokey.
5. Add the chocolate chips, eat some dough, and then bake on a light cookie sheet 9-11 minutes at 375 degrees farenheit. Keep a close eye on them; if you like them underdone, pull the cookies out when the edges just turn golden. Let cool on the sheet for fifteen minutes before putting on a plate or rack to cool completely.

Enjoy! The recipe makes 2-3 dozen big fat cookies, if you can keep yourself from eating the cookie dough. Which is also really good, I should add.

Skillet Beef Stew

2006-04-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this recipe by saying I'm not a beef eater, though I do cook for one. He says this dish was good. It's sort of like a thick onion soup in a skillet, with big chunks of beef. Hearty, to be sure.

-1 stick butter, divided (you could probably get away with less but life is short people)
-3/4 large skillet-full of onions (this meant about 8 small sweet onions for me)
-1 package beef stew meat
-large handful flour, plus a little bit more
-sea salt and pepper
-2 cans beef broth
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1 package dry onion soup mix

1. Chop the onions. If you have trouble with crying, it's helpful if the onions are chilled and if you have a candle burning nearby. It's also helpful if you have a fabulous gay friend who will bring you flowers and cry with you and play Motown hits in your kitchen while telling you you're the queen.
2. Put half the stick of butter in the skillet and melt it. Add onions and saute until translucent and squishy.
3. Toss in the handful of flour and stir. Add the beef and stir. Season. Thank the cow for being in your skillet.
4. Brown the beef. Add remaining butter if the pan gets too dry.
5. When beef has browned on all sides, add beef broth, plus 1 can water, the cream of mushroom soup, and the onion soup mix. Give it a good stir to blend, add the remaining flour, stir, and cover.
6. Cook on medium for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Uncover and simmer on a high low for another 45 minutes, or until thick. Make sure to stir occasionally so a crust doesn't develop.
8. Serve, or put into sealable bowls and serve in 24 hours for really yummy flavor and more thickness.

There you go kiddies! I can't believe I'm enabling all you beef eaters out there. Enjoy...

Garlic Soup

2005-12-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

This soup kicks chicken noodle soup's you know what. It's the BEST thing when you have the flu. All of the ingredients boost your immune system and are antimicrobials, and it tastes wonderful too. (Yes, even if you're sick and can't taste anything, you will taste this soup.)

Mix and match your own ingredients* and "add ons"* but here's Jessie's basic garlic soup recipe. It's wonderful on its own.

- a couple of tablespoons of olive oil--pouring about 3 times around the bottom of the pan
- 30 to 50 cloves garlic (that's approximately 3-5 heads)
- 6 to 8 C. chicken stock (homemade or Campbell's made--it would probably be good with beef stock too)
- 1 large sprig fresh sage (8-10 leaves) or 2-4 tsp. dried sage (to taste)
- 3 to 5 bay leaves
- 3 fingered pinch salt (I use Maldon sea salt but it's hard to find so anything you prefer would be fine)

1. Peel and roughly chop garlic. Pour oil into large stock pot.
2. Put garlic in pot with chicken stock, sage, bay leaves, and salt.
3. Bring to boil.
4. Simmer soup 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Pour soup in blender (you may have to do this in "batches" if your blender is small) and blend until sage and bay are finely chopped.
6. Strain soup if you prefer, discarding stems, etc. from sage and bay. Or eat them, if you're feeling particularly rabbit-like.
7. Pour soup back into stock pot, cover, and simmer 10 minutes further.

It's good for what ails you! Enjoy!

If you've got a bit of crusty, cheesey, garlic bread with the soup this meal is ABSOLUTE heaven. (If you're lazy or sick, Dierbergs makes a freaking awesome one that you bake at home, it's in the deli section.)

*Things I might think about adding if I wasn't sick:

-orzo pasta or small shell pasta
-celery
-shredded chicken
-shredded carrots
-tiny cubes of potato (think hashbrown sized)

Ridiculously Easy Beer Bread

2005-11-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

Some beer breads are bitter and gross. This one is delicious, slightly sweet, and SO easy!

-3 1/2 C self rising flour
-1/3 C sugar
-1 egg
-12 oz. beer room temperature or close

1. Mix the flour, sugar, beer, and egg.
2. Add 2 1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded. (optional)
3. Bake for 1 hour at 350.

It's as easy as that!

Great Great Grandmother's County Roscommon Shortbread Cookies (by way of Bangalore)

2005-11-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

This recipe will yield the most buttery shortbread cookies you've ever tasted. They're perfection with a glass of cold milk--whole of course!

***

-1 C salted butter, softened and just slightly melting (20 seconds in the microwave?)
-1 C granulated white sugar
-1 - 2 Tbls melted ghee ***
-2 C all purpose unbleached flour
-approx. 1 tsp salt

1. Mix butter and sugar until well blended. Add the melted ghee and blend in.
2. Add flour and salt, mixing well.
3. Flour your countertop or board--don't use Silpat unless you flour it too--and roll half an inch thick. Cut out with cookie cutters and place on ungreased baking sheet, 2-3" apart. Don't use a dark cookie sheet or your bottoms will be burned--light, silvery aluminum works best.
4. Lightly poke tops of cookies with the tines of a fork.
5. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes or until cookies *just* start to turn golden at edges.
6. Cool completely before storing.

***Don't skimp on the secret ingredient--buy it online if you don't have an Indian grocery near your house. Ghee is an Indian food. It's clarified butter, i.e. 100% milkfat but don't let that scare you away. A little bit gives a lot of taste and it's even reputed to have health benefits in moderation.

Lemon Parfait with Berries

2005-05-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

Yummy, creamy lemony summer dessert!

-1 1/2 C heavy cream
-2 11 oz jars lemon curd
-2 1/2 tbls lemon juice
-2 tbls lemon zest
-1-2 C fresh berries: strawberries, raspberries, etc. Whatever you like with lemon.

1. Whip cream with electric mixer on high in ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form--3-5 minutes or so.
2. Place whipped cream in refridgerator to chill. While cream chills, mix together lemon curd, lemon juice, and lemon zest in medium bowl.
3. Fold in whipped cream to lemon curd mixture. Combine. Add berries and stir.
4. Serve within 3 hours. Chill until serving.

***This would also be delicious in a graham cracker crumb crust--no baking; just spoon the parfait into the crust and garnish with berries.

Uh, yeah. Posting drought again.

2005-04-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

I made a delish dessert that was shamefully easy. It will be our little secret.

Strawberry Crisp

-4-6 C. strawberries
-1 box yellow cake mix
-1 1/2 stick butter, in 1/2" pieces

1. Wash, drain, and de-top strawberries. Dump in a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Sprinkle with half of the cake mix.
3. Sprinkle half of the butter over the crumb.
4. Sprinkle with the remaining cake mix.
5. Sprinkle with the remaining butter.
6. Bake at 350 - 375 for 60 minutes or so, until golden brown.

That's it!!! Enjoy. I had it with shallot turkey burgers.

At Long Last

2005-02-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. Well, um, chasm really. Life has been hectic. Illness(es) and possible layoff looming in my future, etc.

At any rate, here's a great stick to your ribs pasta salad and lasagna. What could be more comforting than a giant pan of melted cheese? Mmmmmm. Cheese....

Jessie's Full Fat Lasagna

2005-02-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

Equipment:
-1 big skillet, preferably non
-stick-1 large bowl
-1 large/medium bowl
-1 wooden spoon
-1 9x13 glass baking dish
-aluminum foil
-your fingers

Ingredients:
-1 Lb. ground turkey (not white)
-1 Lb. Italian Style turkey sausage
-coarse sea salt to taste (a three fingered pinch)
-pepper to taste
-garlic powder to taste (about an 1/8 tsp.)
-8 oz. full fat give you a heart attack but you have a smile on your face Philadelphia cream cheese (this is the secret ingredient) at room temperature (or close)
-8 - 12 oz. full fat ricotta cheese
-2 C. shredded mozzi cheese (better if you get a round and shred it yourself)
-1 - 1 1/2 C. shredded parmeggiano reggiano cheese (yes, you should use the expensive kind, not the kraft shredded parmesian)
-2 jars Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic marinara sauce
-1 package no-boil lasagna noodles
-dried basil or 1 C. loosely packed fresh basil leaves
-cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 375. Lightly spray baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In cold skillet, dump ground turkey. Break apart with wooden spoon. Squeeze sausage out of casings into skillet, mix well with ground turkey. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook thoroughly, stirring occasionally, about 12-15 minutes. Don't worry about draining it.
3. While meat is cooking, combine cream cheese, ricotta, shredded mozzerella, and shredded parmeggiano reggiano in medium bowl. Mix it with your fingers until well blended and you've got mush under your nails.
4. When meat is done, pour it into large bowl. Pour two bottles of sauce over meat and mix well.
5. Pour 2-3 C. of meat sauce into glass pan. (Pour just enough to cover the bottom well.) Add a layer of pasta, overlapping the sheets slightly. Add another 1-3 C. meat sauce. Spread over pasta.
6. Take handfulls of the cheese mixture, mash them flat with your palms, and spread loosely over meat sauce. They don't need to cover the whole thing totally, or overlap. They'll melt and join together.
7. Sprinkle a good dose of basil over the top. You want lots, but you still want to see the cheese beneath!
8. Add another layer of meat, pasta, meat, and remaining cheese. Sprinkle just a little with basil for looks.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.
10. Uncover pan and cook an additional 15 minutes.
11. If top is not yet brown, put under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.
12. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving. Even better if you make this 24 hours or more ahead of time and then reheat/serve. The flavors mingle even more.

Jessie's Chunky Antipasto Salad

2005-02-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Salad:
-sausage or cheese stuffed tortellini (cooked)
-mozzie cheese (cow or buffalo) cubed
-thick sliced salami, quartered (whatever variety you like, but get it from a deli so it is sliced fresh)
-1 tall jar roasted red bell peppers, oil drained
-2 tall jars pickled mixed vegetables, Italian style, drained
-3 cans artichoke hearts in brine, NOT marinated, drained and rinsed
-1 jar mushrooms, 1/2 oil or water reserved
-1 can medium black olives, drained and rinsed
-1 jar sundried tomatoes, drained or 1/2 oil reserved (I didn't use these in mine but they would give a nice taste)
-fresh garlic, diced, to taste

Dressing:
-reserved mushroom liquid-oregano--however much you like (I used about 2 Tbls worth)-pinch sea salt-marjoram--about 2 Tbls worth
-choice Italian herbs; (a "sprinkle" or about 1/2-1 Tbls) these could include garlic powder, onion powder, basil, thyme, etc.)
-reserved tomato liquid (optional)
-1/4 C. to 1/2 C. red wine vinegar
-mashed garlic to taste (I use 2 cloves worth)
-1 C. olive oil (approximately--use more or less to taste)

1. Cook pasta al dente, erring on the side of underdone. Drain, rinse. Dump in really big bowl.
2. While pasta is cooking, mix together all dressing ingredients in medium bowl, save the oil. You want a medium sized bowl so you can whisk wildly without spilling. Whisk in oil, bit by bit, until blended. Set aside.
3. Add cubed cheese, quartered salami, peppers, vegetables, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, and garlic to the pasta. Stir it all up until evenly distributed.
4. Get really crazy with the whisk again and blend the dressing. Let rest for 2-3 minutes, then whisk like mad again.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad. Stir it up really, really well.
6. Refridgerate at least 8 hours before serving. Ideally, you'd make this 24 hours before serving.

***The ingredients are all approximate. Don't hesitate to taste at various stages along the way (with a clean spoon) and adjust accordingly.
***The pasta salad ingredients are totally dependent on what you like. Adjust quantities to your taste and don't be afraid to add. Chickpeas, rotini pasta, and/or sauteed diced onion would be good ingredients too.
***This salad, because it's all approximate, will taste different every time you make it. That's fine. As you make it more and more, you'll get a feel for what makes it really, really good, and yours.

What's That Smell?

2005-02-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

Why, its antipasto salad in the kitchen.

Yes, today I took a leftover chunky antipasto salad to work and had so many requests for the recipe I decided to start a "recipe blog". I'll post the successes, with some notes here for all the world to see. As for the catastrophic failures, well, we'll see.

I love to cook and bake, though I get a lot more "off the map" with cooking. Baking is too precise and scientific for me to experiment just yet; I'm not good enough. I'm one of those sight/smell/taste cooks--a pinch of this, a dash of that, it's done when it tastes done, etc. Posting to the blog, and having to quantify my ingredients will be good practice.

So, welcome, and I'll post recipies soon... This weekend we've got friends coming up for the Superbowl. Lots of yummy finger foods...

(The antipasto salad will be posted next week.)