By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
After making this drink, I wonder why it is considered a holiday drink. It's too good to be enjoyed just once or twice a year. We made this drink for Christmas Day and what a treat it was.
Egg nogs are basically an egg custard drink. While there are recipes for uncooked egg nogs using pasteurized eggs, this cooked version is simple and safe.
For this egg nog, you'll need:
6 eggs separated and at room temperature
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c heavy cream
6 c whole milk
5 oz bourbon
1 1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg
Beat the yolks in a stand mixer until they are light in color. Gradually add sugar reserving 1 1/2 T. In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream and 1 t of nutmeg and bring just to a boil using medium heat, stirring often.
Remove the pan from the heat and add 1/2 c of hot milk to eggs and stir. Add another 1/2 c and stir. Add another 1/2 c and stir. This will temper the eggs by slowly add the milk so that the eggs don't curdle. Add the remaining milk to the eggs, blend. Pour the mixture back in the pot and heat slowly until bubbles just begin to form along the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat. Chill. About an hour later, add the bourbon, stir and continue to chill.
Wash and dry the mixing bowl and beat the egg white to soft peaks and gradually add remaining sugar and beat until there are stiff peaks. Whisk the egg whites until the chilled mixture. Chill at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining nutmeg on the eggnog when it is poured into glasses.
Tasty!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Hot Buttered Rum Mix
By Perry Washburn
This is a classic in our house; the kids ask for it every holiday season. The kids get this sans rum. The adults get their choice. This came from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (1981). If you don't own one, or a Joy of Cooking cookbook, I know what you should be asking Santa for...
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp ground nutmeg (a nutmeg grinder makes a great gift!)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
Rum
Boiling water
In a small mixer bowl beat together softened butter or margarine, brown sugar, powdered sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon until well combined. Beat in the softened ice cream. Turn mixture into a freezer container. Seal and freeze; mixture will not freeze solid.
To serve, spoon about 1/3 cup of the ice cream into a mug, add 1/2 cup boiling water, and a jigger of rum if desired. Stir well.
This is a classic in our house; the kids ask for it every holiday season. The kids get this sans rum. The adults get their choice. This came from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (1981). If you don't own one, or a Joy of Cooking cookbook, I know what you should be asking Santa for...
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp ground nutmeg (a nutmeg grinder makes a great gift!)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
Rum
Boiling water
In a small mixer bowl beat together softened butter or margarine, brown sugar, powdered sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon until well combined. Beat in the softened ice cream. Turn mixture into a freezer container. Seal and freeze; mixture will not freeze solid.
To serve, spoon about 1/3 cup of the ice cream into a mug, add 1/2 cup boiling water, and a jigger of rum if desired. Stir well.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Perry and I have both been in the kitchen with squash soups, his using buttercup and mine using butternut. In the fall, squash soups are popular as these hearty winter vegetables hold up to a myriad of flavors.
I wanted a savory, curry soup. Many of the squash soup recipes call for cubing the uncooked squash and then simmering in stock. Since I like the sweet flavor that roasting brings to vegetables, I roasted the butternut squash first. I pierced two medium size butternut squash and roasted on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until a knife could pierce the squash and come out easily. Then I cut them in half and let them cool.
While they were cooking, I sauteed:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced, in
3 T olive oil
As the vegetables softened, I added 2 t of curry powder and stirred for a minute (the fragrance that comes from the pan is amazing!). To this pan, I added 1 cup of water and brought to a simmer.
I scooped out the cooked squash and pureed in a food processor. To the squash, I added the water/garlic/curry/water along with 2 1/2 c of water and 3 t of chicken base (Penzey's). Puree until smooth adding more water, if desired, for a thinner soup
Back to the pot went the puree with some salt and pepper and it simmered on low heat for 15 minutes. The soup was served with a dollop of sour cream. Wow!
Perry and I have both been in the kitchen with squash soups, his using buttercup and mine using butternut. In the fall, squash soups are popular as these hearty winter vegetables hold up to a myriad of flavors.
I wanted a savory, curry soup. Many of the squash soup recipes call for cubing the uncooked squash and then simmering in stock. Since I like the sweet flavor that roasting brings to vegetables, I roasted the butternut squash first. I pierced two medium size butternut squash and roasted on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until a knife could pierce the squash and come out easily. Then I cut them in half and let them cool.
While they were cooking, I sauteed:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced, in
3 T olive oil
As the vegetables softened, I added 2 t of curry powder and stirred for a minute (the fragrance that comes from the pan is amazing!). To this pan, I added 1 cup of water and brought to a simmer.
I scooped out the cooked squash and pureed in a food processor. To the squash, I added the water/garlic/curry/water along with 2 1/2 c of water and 3 t of chicken base (Penzey's). Puree until smooth adding more water, if desired, for a thinner soup
Back to the pot went the puree with some salt and pepper and it simmered on low heat for 15 minutes. The soup was served with a dollop of sour cream. Wow!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Buttercup Squash Soup
By Perry Washburn
Carolyn is in a veggie phase, which means we have interesting leftovers. As the king of leftover repurposing, this gives me some fun raw materials.
As I was simmering giblets while smoking a chicken, I came upon a couple of cups of leftover buttercup squash. I remembered a small bag of leftover bacon bits, perhaps a cup. A run to the store for a head of fennel, and I had a plan!
2 Tbs butter
1 whole head of fennel, stems/leafy parts and all, chopped
2-4 cups of stock
2 cups buttercup squash
1 cup bacon bits
Saute the chopped fennel in the butter for 10 minutes, until well wilted. Add the squash, the bacon bits and about half the stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Pour this into a blender and puree. Add more hot stock if it's too thick.
With the flavors of the fennel, stock, squash and bacon, this needed no other spices. A great first course with our smoked chicken!
Carolyn is in a veggie phase, which means we have interesting leftovers. As the king of leftover repurposing, this gives me some fun raw materials.
As I was simmering giblets while smoking a chicken, I came upon a couple of cups of leftover buttercup squash. I remembered a small bag of leftover bacon bits, perhaps a cup. A run to the store for a head of fennel, and I had a plan!
2 Tbs butter
1 whole head of fennel, stems/leafy parts and all, chopped
2-4 cups of stock
2 cups buttercup squash
1 cup bacon bits
Saute the chopped fennel in the butter for 10 minutes, until well wilted. Add the squash, the bacon bits and about half the stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Pour this into a blender and puree. Add more hot stock if it's too thick.
With the flavors of the fennel, stock, squash and bacon, this needed no other spices. A great first course with our smoked chicken!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Updated and Fresh Eggplant Parmesan
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Wow! This is really good. I have an abundance of eggplant in the garden--the long, thin variety--along with tomatoes, basil, green peppers, and onions. So I picked all of them tonight and created this spectacular version of eggplant parmesan. Which is really eggplant, parmesan and mozzarella with tomato sauce.
This dish typically has eggplant slices dipped in egg and bread crumbs and then sauteed before baking with tomato sauce and the cheeses. But I skipped the bread crumbs and eggs and this dish is so good, I'll never bread the eggplant again!
Slice into 1/2 thick pieces, 1 large eggplant or 5-6 long, thin eggplant. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill. I used my cast iron grill pan (a Christmas present long ago from Perry).
I then made a fresh tomato sauce by sauteing onions, green peppers and garlic in olive oil until they began to soften. Use 2 cups prepared sauce if not making fresh sauce.
In a saucepan, saute until the vegetables begin to soften:
3 T oil
1 medium onion, chopped,
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
Add and simmer about 15 minutes until it began to thicken:
3 c fresh, chopped tomatoes
3T fresh basil
2 T fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste
For the final preparation:
3/4 c fresh parmesan
3/4 c sliced or grated mozzarella
In a medium sized oiled baking pan add 1/2 c of the sauce, layered with the 1/2 the eggplant, topped with enough freshly grated parmesan to cover the eggplant, then topped with thin slices of fresh mozzarella and 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Then I did this same layer again--sauce, eggplant, cheeses--and again ending with the tomato sauce.
Into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until it was bubbly and beginning to brown. There won't be any leftovers!
Wow! This is really good. I have an abundance of eggplant in the garden--the long, thin variety--along with tomatoes, basil, green peppers, and onions. So I picked all of them tonight and created this spectacular version of eggplant parmesan. Which is really eggplant, parmesan and mozzarella with tomato sauce.
This dish typically has eggplant slices dipped in egg and bread crumbs and then sauteed before baking with tomato sauce and the cheeses. But I skipped the bread crumbs and eggs and this dish is so good, I'll never bread the eggplant again!
Slice into 1/2 thick pieces, 1 large eggplant or 5-6 long, thin eggplant. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill. I used my cast iron grill pan (a Christmas present long ago from Perry).
I then made a fresh tomato sauce by sauteing onions, green peppers and garlic in olive oil until they began to soften. Use 2 cups prepared sauce if not making fresh sauce.In a saucepan, saute until the vegetables begin to soften:
3 T oil
1 medium onion, chopped,
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
Add and simmer about 15 minutes until it began to thicken:
3 c fresh, chopped tomatoes
3T fresh basil
2 T fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste
For the final preparation:
3/4 c fresh parmesan
3/4 c sliced or grated mozzarella
In a medium sized oiled baking pan add 1/2 c of the sauce, layered with the 1/2 the eggplant, topped with enough freshly grated parmesan to cover the eggplant, then topped with thin slices of fresh mozzarella and 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Then I did this same layer again--sauce, eggplant, cheeses--and again ending with the tomato sauce.
Into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until it was bubbly and beginning to brown. There won't be any leftovers!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Yes, I Can!
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Canning is in again. The combination of the economy and the desire for quality food has brought canning back. Not that it ever left in my kitchen. My Mom canned, my Grandmas canned, and so I can.
Canning is easy! All you need are some canning jars, lids and jar rings, a jar lifter, a big pot and some fresh veggies.
So far this week, I've canned:
Dilled Green Tomatoes--3 1/3 c each of vinegar and water, 1/4 c salt brought to a simmer. In hot jars (about 10 minutes simmering in the canner), I added a garlic clove, head of dill, dash of hot paprika and then packed in green tomatoes. I covered them with the hot liquid, wiped off the rim of the jars, topped with a hot lid and rim (brought to a simmer in a pan of water), put the jars in the canning pot and boiled for 10 minutes. A friend gave me a jar of these last summer so this year, I had to do my own. Very tasty.This makes 6 pints.
Green Tomato Chutney--I brought to a simmer about 6 large green tomatoes (about 5 lbs), 1 lb. of green apples, 2 large onions--all chopped--with 1 lb of sugar, 1 1/2 c vinegar, 1/4 c each of yellow raisins and dried cranberries, 1 T cinnamon, 2 t mustard seeds, and 2 t pepper corns. I simmered until thick, about 1 hour, then put in hot pint jars and boiled/canned for 20 minutes. This makes 4 pint jars.
Zucchini Relish--This stuff is great served with kielbasa, pork or hot dogs or as a side dish. Combine 2 c chopped zucchini, 1 c chopped onion, 1/2 c chopped green pepper, 1/4 c red pepper with 2 T salt and cover with cold water and let stand for several hours. Drain, rinse, drain, rinse. Combine 1 1/2 c sugar, 2 teaspoons celery seed, 1 t mustard seed and 1 c cider vinegar and bring to a simmer. Then add the drained veggies and simmer 10 minutes. Pack into hot jars and can for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. This makes about 5-6 1/2 pints.
Tomatoes--The garden is producing lots of tomatoes from the 90 plants I have in the garden. We are canning tomatoes every 2-3 nights. Tonight I canned 5 quarts which makes 26 total quarts so far. These are so easy and with tomatoes in season right now, everyone should be canning! Last fall, we canned 65 quarts. We use them all year in soups, stews, sauces, and more. It has been years since I bought a can of tomatoes in the grocery store.
Bring a pot of water to boil to blanch the tomatoes. At the same time, bring the canner pot to a boil with quart jars in it to sterilize them. Wash the tomatoes and drop in the boiling water until the skin breaks, 2-3 minutes, then drop into cold water. Remove the skin and pack the tomatoes into the hot jars. Run a knife around the inside of the jar several times to remove any air. Top with 1 t salt and 2 T lemon juice. Add the lids and rims and can for 45 minutes in a hot water bath.
The best sound for a canner is the sound of the lids sealing when you are finished. Success. Next up for me this weekend are bread and butter pickles and pickled beets. It's canning season!
Canning is in again. The combination of the economy and the desire for quality food has brought canning back. Not that it ever left in my kitchen. My Mom canned, my Grandmas canned, and so I can.
Canning is easy! All you need are some canning jars, lids and jar rings, a jar lifter, a big pot and some fresh veggies.
Dilled Green Tomatoes--3 1/3 c each of vinegar and water, 1/4 c salt brought to a simmer. In hot jars (about 10 minutes simmering in the canner), I added a garlic clove, head of dill, dash of hot paprika and then packed in green tomatoes. I covered them with the hot liquid, wiped off the rim of the jars, topped with a hot lid and rim (brought to a simmer in a pan of water), put the jars in the canning pot and boiled for 10 minutes. A friend gave me a jar of these last summer so this year, I had to do my own. Very tasty.This makes 6 pints.
Green Tomato Chutney--I brought to a simmer about 6 large green tomatoes (about 5 lbs), 1 lb. of green apples, 2 large onions--all chopped--with 1 lb of sugar, 1 1/2 c vinegar, 1/4 c each of yellow raisins and dried cranberries, 1 T cinnamon, 2 t mustard seeds, and 2 t pepper corns. I simmered until thick, about 1 hour, then put in hot pint jars and boiled/canned for 20 minutes. This makes 4 pint jars.
Zucchini Relish--This stuff is great served with kielbasa, pork or hot dogs or as a side dish. Combine 2 c chopped zucchini, 1 c chopped onion, 1/2 c chopped green pepper, 1/4 c red pepper with 2 T salt and cover with cold water and let stand for several hours. Drain, rinse, drain, rinse. Combine 1 1/2 c sugar, 2 teaspoons celery seed, 1 t mustard seed and 1 c cider vinegar and bring to a simmer. Then add the drained veggies and simmer 10 minutes. Pack into hot jars and can for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. This makes about 5-6 1/2 pints.
Tomatoes--The garden is producing lots of tomatoes from the 90 plants I have in the garden. We are canning tomatoes every 2-3 nights. Tonight I canned 5 quarts which makes 26 total quarts so far. These are so easy and with tomatoes in season right now, everyone should be canning! Last fall, we canned 65 quarts. We use them all year in soups, stews, sauces, and more. It has been years since I bought a can of tomatoes in the grocery store.
Bring a pot of water to boil to blanch the tomatoes. At the same time, bring the canner pot to a boil with quart jars in it to sterilize them. Wash the tomatoes and drop in the boiling water until the skin breaks, 2-3 minutes, then drop into cold water. Remove the skin and pack the tomatoes into the hot jars. Run a knife around the inside of the jar several times to remove any air. Top with 1 t salt and 2 T lemon juice. Add the lids and rims and can for 45 minutes in a hot water bath.
The best sound for a canner is the sound of the lids sealing when you are finished. Success. Next up for me this weekend are bread and butter pickles and pickled beets. It's canning season!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Trout with Caper Artichoke sauce
By Perry Washburn
On the first real day of Carolyn's vacation (we are hosting visitors at home), we were looking for fast, but good, food. On a late store run, we spied some decent looking trout. Now, what to do with it? I remembered I had an open jar of artichokes in olive oil, and decided to go tart/lemony with the sauce. This was easy, and very, very good.
1 lb trout filets
sea salt
paprika
1/2 cup artichoke hearts in olive oil (chop the hearts, save the oil)
2 Tbs capers, diced
1 Tbs flour
2 Tbs lemon thyme
1 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs dry white wine
fresh cracked black pepper
lemon slices
3 Tbs chopped cilantro
I first pulled the artichokes out of the oil, and diced them. After washing and patting dry the fish, I rubbed the filets, cut side and skin side both, with oil from the artichokes. Then sprinkled them with a mixture of sea salt and paprika (I used smoked paprika).
In a small sauce pan, I added 2 Tbs of remaining oil from the artichoke jar, and got it hot. I added a Tbs flour to make a mild roux-like mixture, stirring that for a couple of minutes. To his I added the chopped artichokes, capers, lemon juice, lemon thyme from my herb garden, 3 Tbs dry white wine and black pepper. I brought this to a boil, then reduced the heat and cooked it for a couple of minutes more until it was thickening just a bit.
I grilled the trout, skin side down, until it was almost done, then carefully turned it to brown the cut side. I removed it to a platter, cut it into portions, topped each piece with hot sauce and a liberal dusting of chopped cilantro. Lemon slices garnished the serving platter.
On the first real day of Carolyn's vacation (we are hosting visitors at home), we were looking for fast, but good, food. On a late store run, we spied some decent looking trout. Now, what to do with it? I remembered I had an open jar of artichokes in olive oil, and decided to go tart/lemony with the sauce. This was easy, and very, very good.
1 lb trout filets
sea salt
paprika
1/2 cup artichoke hearts in olive oil (chop the hearts, save the oil)
2 Tbs capers, diced
1 Tbs flour
2 Tbs lemon thyme
1 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs dry white wine
fresh cracked black pepper
lemon slices
3 Tbs chopped cilantro
I first pulled the artichokes out of the oil, and diced them. After washing and patting dry the fish, I rubbed the filets, cut side and skin side both, with oil from the artichokes. Then sprinkled them with a mixture of sea salt and paprika (I used smoked paprika).
In a small sauce pan, I added 2 Tbs of remaining oil from the artichoke jar, and got it hot. I added a Tbs flour to make a mild roux-like mixture, stirring that for a couple of minutes. To his I added the chopped artichokes, capers, lemon juice, lemon thyme from my herb garden, 3 Tbs dry white wine and black pepper. I brought this to a boil, then reduced the heat and cooked it for a couple of minutes more until it was thickening just a bit.
I grilled the trout, skin side down, until it was almost done, then carefully turned it to brown the cut side. I removed it to a platter, cut it into portions, topped each piece with hot sauce and a liberal dusting of chopped cilantro. Lemon slices garnished the serving platter.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Mango and Lychee Salad
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
A huge birthday box of mangos and lychees arrived from Dave this week--picked in his yard. And we had our Thursday dinner potluck and I guessed that no one else would be bringing anything with mangos and lychees. I was right. And this was a hit!
This salad evolved as I was preparing it. I began with cutting 3 mangos into 1" chunks. Next came peeling a handful of lychees and cutting into small chunks.
But what next? I need to balance the color, textures, and flavors so I went to the garden and came back with a small red and yellow onion. Those were chopped and added to the fruit.
It still needed more. Two small cucumbers were chopped and added. The cukes were the finishing touch as far as color, crunch and flavor. I didn't have a red pepper--that would have been perfect.
Next came the dressing: I tossed it with sherry vinegar and olive oil, about 3 T vinegar and 1/3 olive oil. I added salt, pepper and some hot Serbian paprika for a bit of heat. It was still missing something. So back to the garden for a huge handful of cilantro. Perfect!
3 mangos, chopped into 1" pieces
6 lychees nuts, cut in 1/2 (or use canned lychees, or just skip the lychees)
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 small or 1 medium cuke cut into chunks
3 T sherry vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
salt and pepper
a dash of something for heat: Penzey's black and red, hot paprika, cayenne
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
A huge birthday box of mangos and lychees arrived from Dave this week--picked in his yard. And we had our Thursday dinner potluck and I guessed that no one else would be bringing anything with mangos and lychees. I was right. And this was a hit!
This salad evolved as I was preparing it. I began with cutting 3 mangos into 1" chunks. Next came peeling a handful of lychees and cutting into small chunks.
But what next? I need to balance the color, textures, and flavors so I went to the garden and came back with a small red and yellow onion. Those were chopped and added to the fruit.
It still needed more. Two small cucumbers were chopped and added. The cukes were the finishing touch as far as color, crunch and flavor. I didn't have a red pepper--that would have been perfect.
Next came the dressing: I tossed it with sherry vinegar and olive oil, about 3 T vinegar and 1/3 olive oil. I added salt, pepper and some hot Serbian paprika for a bit of heat. It was still missing something. So back to the garden for a huge handful of cilantro. Perfect!
3 mangos, chopped into 1" pieces
6 lychees nuts, cut in 1/2 (or use canned lychees, or just skip the lychees)
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 small or 1 medium cuke cut into chunks
3 T sherry vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
salt and pepper
a dash of something for heat: Penzey's black and red, hot paprika, cayenne
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
Monday, June 28, 2010
Bacon Wrapped Tilapia with Grilled Corn
By Perry Washburn
Sunday, snoozy, not looking for much effort. Pulled some Tilapia out of the freezer, thinking of frying it. I am heading toward minimum effort.
Carolyn walks through and says "let's grill." Yikes. Me with no mojo, and Tilapia is not the best grilling fish. But, hey, I am game, and it's nice outside. So here is what I had in my fridge....good and easy. And I remembered I had 8 ears of corn leftover (still in husks) from Friday.
8 ears of fresh corn
Butter
Salt
Foil
4 Tilapia fillets
5 spice powder
8 slices of bacon
2 Tbs of sour cream
2 Tbs Salsa Verde
2 Tbs green onion diced fine
2 Tbs fresh Cilantro
I peeled the husks back on the corn and pulled off the silks. I squirted each ear with a little butter and salt, replaced the husks, and wrapped each in foil. I put those on the grill, turning frequently, for 20-25 minutes, until I could smell the husks steaming.
While those were grilling, I sprinkled 5 spice powde (a Chinese staple) on the filets. Then I wrapped each filet with two strips of bacon, barber-pole-stripe style, so the bacon was touching. I tucked the ends of the bacon back under the next wrap, so I ended up the entire fish covered. This solved my worries about the fish flaking when turning, because it was totally encased in bacon.
When the corn was done, I pulled them to let them cool a bit, and put the fish on the grill. They took 4-5 minutes a side on a fairly slow grill, turning when the bacon was getting crispy.
While the fish was grilling, I whipped up a topping with the sour cream, Salsa Verde, onion and cilantro, saving 4 pinches of cilantro back to sprikle on top.
We were eating outside, so I pulled the hot fish off the grill onto plates, topped with a dollop of sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro, aside a steaming ear of grilled corn still in the husk.
Fresh, fun, good and fast!
Sunday, snoozy, not looking for much effort. Pulled some Tilapia out of the freezer, thinking of frying it. I am heading toward minimum effort.
Carolyn walks through and says "let's grill." Yikes. Me with no mojo, and Tilapia is not the best grilling fish. But, hey, I am game, and it's nice outside. So here is what I had in my fridge....good and easy. And I remembered I had 8 ears of corn leftover (still in husks) from Friday.
8 ears of fresh corn
Butter
Salt
Foil
4 Tilapia fillets
5 spice powder
8 slices of bacon
2 Tbs of sour cream
2 Tbs Salsa Verde
2 Tbs green onion diced fine
2 Tbs fresh Cilantro
I peeled the husks back on the corn and pulled off the silks. I squirted each ear with a little butter and salt, replaced the husks, and wrapped each in foil. I put those on the grill, turning frequently, for 20-25 minutes, until I could smell the husks steaming.
While those were grilling, I sprinkled 5 spice powde (a Chinese staple) on the filets. Then I wrapped each filet with two strips of bacon, barber-pole-stripe style, so the bacon was touching. I tucked the ends of the bacon back under the next wrap, so I ended up the entire fish covered. This solved my worries about the fish flaking when turning, because it was totally encased in bacon.
When the corn was done, I pulled them to let them cool a bit, and put the fish on the grill. They took 4-5 minutes a side on a fairly slow grill, turning when the bacon was getting crispy.
While the fish was grilling, I whipped up a topping with the sour cream, Salsa Verde, onion and cilantro, saving 4 pinches of cilantro back to sprikle on top.
We were eating outside, so I pulled the hot fish off the grill onto plates, topped with a dollop of sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro, aside a steaming ear of grilled corn still in the husk.
Fresh, fun, good and fast!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Baked Pita Chips
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
A friend left me with a large bag of pita bread so I decided to do something different with them: baked pita chips. I have tried the store bought ones and love them although they are a bit pricey--worth it, though. These took about 15 minutes start to finish.
Cut pita bread into 8 pie shaped pieces. Place them on a baking sheet. One baking sheet will hold about 16 pita pieces. For this recipe, I used 2 large pita bread loaves to make 16 pita chips.
In a small bowl, mix together:
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper
dash of cayenne
1/4 t thyme
With a pastry brush, brush the oil mixture on the pita pieces. Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are browned. Store in an airtight container--if there are any left to store!
A friend left me with a large bag of pita bread so I decided to do something different with them: baked pita chips. I have tried the store bought ones and love them although they are a bit pricey--worth it, though. These took about 15 minutes start to finish.
Cut pita bread into 8 pie shaped pieces. Place them on a baking sheet. One baking sheet will hold about 16 pita pieces. For this recipe, I used 2 large pita bread loaves to make 16 pita chips.
In a small bowl, mix together:
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper
dash of cayenne
1/4 t thyme
With a pastry brush, brush the oil mixture on the pita pieces. Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are browned. Store in an airtight container--if there are any left to store!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Lemon Sorbet
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Wow. What a spectacular dessert. I had a taste in my mouth for lemon sorbet and I had not made this before. I picked up 4 lemons on the way home and juiced them. This gave me 1 1/4 c of lemon juice so to that I added equal parts of water and sugar.
I brought to a simmer:
1 1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c water
While it was coming to a boil, I juiced the lemons and cut off 4 one-inch pieces of lemon zest and then zested another 1 1/4 T. I added the one inch pieces of zest to the water/sugar mix as it was warming up. Note the proportions: 1 1/4 c water, juice, sugar and 1 1/4 T lemon zest. So if you have more or less juice, match it with these proportions.
I chilled the water/sugar/zest pieces mixture and also the freshly squeezed juice and zest. Once they were chilled, I blended them together, removing the 1" pieces, and put it into an ice cream machine. 20 minutes later, I had a thick sorbet which I put into a container and then into the freezer.
The flavor in this sorbet: spectacular! And easy, too.....
I chilled both the squeezed juice mixed with the zest.
Wow. What a spectacular dessert. I had a taste in my mouth for lemon sorbet and I had not made this before. I picked up 4 lemons on the way home and juiced them. This gave me 1 1/4 c of lemon juice so to that I added equal parts of water and sugar.
I brought to a simmer:
1 1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c water
While it was coming to a boil, I juiced the lemons and cut off 4 one-inch pieces of lemon zest and then zested another 1 1/4 T. I added the one inch pieces of zest to the water/sugar mix as it was warming up. Note the proportions: 1 1/4 c water, juice, sugar and 1 1/4 T lemon zest. So if you have more or less juice, match it with these proportions.
I chilled the water/sugar/zest pieces mixture and also the freshly squeezed juice and zest. Once they were chilled, I blended them together, removing the 1" pieces, and put it into an ice cream machine. 20 minutes later, I had a thick sorbet which I put into a container and then into the freezer.
The flavor in this sorbet: spectacular! And easy, too.....
I chilled both the squeezed juice mixed with the zest.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Asparagus and Bacon Quiche
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
We were in the mood for something different for dinner. Marty mentioned breakfast for dinner when I'd been thinking about quiche all day. I brought in a large handful of aspargus from the garden so a bacon and asparagus quiche was dinner. Simple and outstanding.
Of course, I used a homemade pie crust for this! I made the single crust and stuck it in the fridge to chill while the bacon was cooking. This went together easily.
1 single pie crust: put it in a pie plate and bake at 375 degrees F for 12 minutes
3/4 lb bacon, cooked until just beginning to crisp and cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 c diced asparagus
1 med onion, diced
4 eggs
1 c milk
3/4 t paprika
1 1/2 c grated white cheddar cheese (which is what I had and it was outstanding in this)
Beat together the eggs, milk, paprika and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the crust from the oven and add the asparagus and onion. Top with the bacon, cheese and egg milk mix. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
We were in the mood for something different for dinner. Marty mentioned breakfast for dinner when I'd been thinking about quiche all day. I brought in a large handful of aspargus from the garden so a bacon and asparagus quiche was dinner. Simple and outstanding.
Of course, I used a homemade pie crust for this! I made the single crust and stuck it in the fridge to chill while the bacon was cooking. This went together easily.
1 single pie crust: put it in a pie plate and bake at 375 degrees F for 12 minutes
3/4 lb bacon, cooked until just beginning to crisp and cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 c diced asparagus
1 med onion, diced
4 eggs
1 c milk
3/4 t paprika
1 1/2 c grated white cheddar cheese (which is what I had and it was outstanding in this)
Beat together the eggs, milk, paprika and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the crust from the oven and add the asparagus and onion. Top with the bacon, cheese and egg milk mix. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Paella!
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Do you think that Spanish paella and Cajun jambalaya have similarities? A variety of meats, spices, rice--yes, they are similar.
Here is a wikipedia definition of paella: Paella originated in the mid 19th century area of Valencia, on the east coast of Spain. There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian, Seafood, and Mixed. Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck), snails, beans, and seasoning.
Seafood paella replaces meats and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood and sometimes bean. Key ingredients are olive oil and saffron.
The version I created this week is a mixed paella. I used chicken breasts and chorizo. I intended to use shrimp as well but discovered I didn't have any in the freezer. Without the shrimp, the paella was excellent.
In a large paella pan or cast iron skillet, or non stick skillet if that is what you have, saute for 1-2 minute:
2 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
Add to the skillet and saute for another minute:
4 T minced garlic
Add to the skillet and saute into the meat begins to brown:
3/4 lb of boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, whatever you have, cut into chunks
1/2 lb of chopped chorizo
Add to the skillet:
1/2 c of Bomba, Arborio or Valencian rice--don't use traditional rice, the dish will be too gummy
Next add:
1 qt chopped, canned tomatoes, drained
1 c frozen peas
2 c chicken broth
1/4 t saffron threads
1 1/2 t paprika--try this with smoked paprika for a different taste
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
Do you think that Spanish paella and Cajun jambalaya have similarities? A variety of meats, spices, rice--yes, they are similar.
Here is a wikipedia definition of paella: Paella originated in the mid 19th century area of Valencia, on the east coast of Spain. There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian, Seafood, and Mixed. Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck), snails, beans, and seasoning.
Seafood paella replaces meats and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood and sometimes bean. Key ingredients are olive oil and saffron.
The version I created this week is a mixed paella. I used chicken breasts and chorizo. I intended to use shrimp as well but discovered I didn't have any in the freezer. Without the shrimp, the paella was excellent.
In a large paella pan or cast iron skillet, or non stick skillet if that is what you have, saute for 1-2 minute:
2 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
Add to the skillet and saute for another minute:
4 T minced garlic
Add to the skillet and saute into the meat begins to brown:
3/4 lb of boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, whatever you have, cut into chunks
1/2 lb of chopped chorizo
Add to the skillet:
1/2 c of Bomba, Arborio or Valencian rice--don't use traditional rice, the dish will be too gummy
Next add:
1 qt chopped, canned tomatoes, drained
1 c frozen peas
2 c chicken broth
1/4 t saffron threads
1 1/2 t paprika--try this with smoked paprika for a different taste
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Ham & Spinach Pasta
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
This recipe is such a keeper! Not only is it superb, it is oh, so simple. Looking for a last minute dinner? This is quick to fix, fancy enough to serve dinner guests or for a simple dinner at home.
I love the flavors here of the ham and the spinach. I have used ham, prosciutto, or Serrano hams in this recipe and they all are wonderful with their own unique tastes that slightly changes the flavors.
Before making the sauce, cook 1 lb of shaped pasta--this dish works best with a short, pasta versus something like linguini.
In a saute pan, saute until the onions begin to soften:
6 T olive oil
3/4 c of chopped green onions (although I used Vidalia onions last night...yum!)
1/4 t of cayenne pepper, or Penzey's black and red, or hot paprika, or red pepper seeds
Then add 1 1/4 c of chopped ham and cook, stirring, 3-4 minutes.
Thaw and drain:
2 packages, 10 oz each, frozen, chopped spinach
Add the spinach to the saute pan and cook 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
Add to the pan:
2 c of heavy cream
Cook 4-5 minutes until the cream begins to thicken and can coat the back of a spoon.
Add the sauce to the drained, cooked pasta, top with parmesan cheese. And hope for leftovers for lunch the next day!
This recipe is such a keeper! Not only is it superb, it is oh, so simple. Looking for a last minute dinner? This is quick to fix, fancy enough to serve dinner guests or for a simple dinner at home.
I love the flavors here of the ham and the spinach. I have used ham, prosciutto, or Serrano hams in this recipe and they all are wonderful with their own unique tastes that slightly changes the flavors.
Before making the sauce, cook 1 lb of shaped pasta--this dish works best with a short, pasta versus something like linguini.
In a saute pan, saute until the onions begin to soften:
6 T olive oil
3/4 c of chopped green onions (although I used Vidalia onions last night...yum!)
1/4 t of cayenne pepper, or Penzey's black and red, or hot paprika, or red pepper seeds
Then add 1 1/4 c of chopped ham and cook, stirring, 3-4 minutes.
Thaw and drain:
2 packages, 10 oz each, frozen, chopped spinach
Add the spinach to the saute pan and cook 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
Add to the pan:
2 c of heavy cream
Cook 4-5 minutes until the cream begins to thicken and can coat the back of a spoon.
Add the sauce to the drained, cooked pasta, top with parmesan cheese. And hope for leftovers for lunch the next day!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Rhubarb Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
There is nothing fancy about this pie: it's just rhubarb, sugar and flour in a superb crust. And I made one for a silent auction yesterday that sold for $75!!
In the last year, I have been chilling my crust before rolling it out. This makes it easy to roll out and the chilled shortening--and I have been using 1/3 c shortening with 1/3 c lard--explodes when it hits the oven's heat which makes it flaky. I made this crust the night before, rolled it out and put it in the pie plate and added to it:
6 c chopped rhubarb
1/3 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
The top crust was rolled and placed on top of the fruit. I baked it at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes and then at 355 degrees F for 40 minutes. When I took it to the fund raiser, it was still hot and smelled heavenly!
There is nothing fancy about this pie: it's just rhubarb, sugar and flour in a superb crust. And I made one for a silent auction yesterday that sold for $75!!
In the last year, I have been chilling my crust before rolling it out. This makes it easy to roll out and the chilled shortening--and I have been using 1/3 c shortening with 1/3 c lard--explodes when it hits the oven's heat which makes it flaky. I made this crust the night before, rolled it out and put it in the pie plate and added to it:
6 c chopped rhubarb
1/3 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
The top crust was rolled and placed on top of the fruit. I baked it at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes and then at 355 degrees F for 40 minutes. When I took it to the fund raiser, it was still hot and smelled heavenly!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Rhubarb Cream Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Today was gorgeous and it was made even more so by the large handful of rhubarb I pulled from our neighbor's garden and my garden. Tonight's dessert: rhubarb cream pie!
This is a family recipe given to me by my aunt Mary Bernhardt Gottliebsen years ago. A couple of summers ago when second cousin Amy was summering with us (that's Northern Michigan speak for spending the summer), I made this pie for her because the recipe came from her Grandma. She hadn't had it before. So for Amy's Mom, Carol, who has nothing to do now since Amy got married last week--it's rhubarb season!
Cream pies are a bit more work than fruit pies. Instead of just mixing 4-6 c of fruit with sugar and flour and pouring into a pie crust, a cream pie requires first baking the crust and cooling, making the cream filling and cooling, and then making meringue and baking. It is worth it!
Just roll out your pie dough, put in a pie pan, pierce with a fork about a dozen times, line with foil, top with a cup of dried beans (don't worry, you won't eat them), and bake at 375 until the crust is lightly brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Yes, you can use the beans for real bean recipes. Let the crust cool.
While the crust is in the oven, cook over medium heat and until tender:
4 c chopped rhubarb
1 sugar
While the rhubarb is simmering, mix together:
2 eggs yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 c cream
1/8 t salt
2 T cornstarch
1/4 c sugar
When the rhubarb is tender, slowly add the egg mixture, stirring constantly, and 1 T butter. Continue stirring until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Cool, stirring occasionally.
This recipe then calls for the 2 egg whites beaten with 1/4 c sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar to make a meringue. But I usually use 4 egg whites so that the meringue is thicker. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Pour the fruit mixture into the pie crust, top with the meringue and bake at 350 degrees F until the meringue is browned, about 10-15 minutes. Let it cool completely before cutting. And then just try to not eat the whole pie in one sitting!
Today was gorgeous and it was made even more so by the large handful of rhubarb I pulled from our neighbor's garden and my garden. Tonight's dessert: rhubarb cream pie!
This is a family recipe given to me by my aunt Mary Bernhardt Gottliebsen years ago. A couple of summers ago when second cousin Amy was summering with us (that's Northern Michigan speak for spending the summer), I made this pie for her because the recipe came from her Grandma. She hadn't had it before. So for Amy's Mom, Carol, who has nothing to do now since Amy got married last week--it's rhubarb season!
Cream pies are a bit more work than fruit pies. Instead of just mixing 4-6 c of fruit with sugar and flour and pouring into a pie crust, a cream pie requires first baking the crust and cooling, making the cream filling and cooling, and then making meringue and baking. It is worth it!
Just roll out your pie dough, put in a pie pan, pierce with a fork about a dozen times, line with foil, top with a cup of dried beans (don't worry, you won't eat them), and bake at 375 until the crust is lightly brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Yes, you can use the beans for real bean recipes. Let the crust cool.
While the crust is in the oven, cook over medium heat and until tender:
4 c chopped rhubarb
1 sugar
While the rhubarb is simmering, mix together:
2 eggs yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 c cream
1/8 t salt
2 T cornstarch
1/4 c sugar
When the rhubarb is tender, slowly add the egg mixture, stirring constantly, and 1 T butter. Continue stirring until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Cool, stirring occasionally.
This recipe then calls for the 2 egg whites beaten with 1/4 c sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar to make a meringue. But I usually use 4 egg whites so that the meringue is thicker. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Pour the fruit mixture into the pie crust, top with the meringue and bake at 350 degrees F until the meringue is browned, about 10-15 minutes. Let it cool completely before cutting. And then just try to not eat the whole pie in one sitting!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Parsnip Patties
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
I am a huge fan of root vegetables. Carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, beets, turnips--all very different and very tasty. Tonight we had sauteed veal (in garlic, chili powder and olive oil), and parsnip patties. The combination was perfect.
Many people don't know what to do with parsnips so they just don't try them. This is a wonderful recipe that would be great with beef or pork. And it's easy.
Mix together:
4 c peeled, grated parsnips (about 2 very large ones)
1/2 c sliced green onions
3 T flour
salt and pepper to taste
a dash of cayenne pepper
Lightly beat:
2 eggs
Stir the eggs into the parsnips to evenly coat. Heat 2-3 T of olive oil in a cast iron skillet or non stick skillet. Put 2 mounded tablespoons of the parsnip batter into the skillet and then flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Cook 4-5 minutes and then flip the patties. Cook until each side is evenly browned.
Line a baking sheet with paper towel. Place the patties on the baking sheet and then put into a 300 degree F oven. Continue with another batch of patties adding more olive oil. When the last batch is completed--this recipe will make 8 patties--add them to the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
Serve with a mixture of sour cream and horseradish. We love horseradish and grated our own last fall. I blended 1/2 c sour cream with 2 T of horseradish.
I am a huge fan of root vegetables. Carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, beets, turnips--all very different and very tasty. Tonight we had sauteed veal (in garlic, chili powder and olive oil), and parsnip patties. The combination was perfect.
Many people don't know what to do with parsnips so they just don't try them. This is a wonderful recipe that would be great with beef or pork. And it's easy.
Mix together:
4 c peeled, grated parsnips (about 2 very large ones)
1/2 c sliced green onions
3 T flour
salt and pepper to taste
a dash of cayenne pepper
Lightly beat:
2 eggs
Stir the eggs into the parsnips to evenly coat. Heat 2-3 T of olive oil in a cast iron skillet or non stick skillet. Put 2 mounded tablespoons of the parsnip batter into the skillet and then flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Cook 4-5 minutes and then flip the patties. Cook until each side is evenly browned.
Line a baking sheet with paper towel. Place the patties on the baking sheet and then put into a 300 degree F oven. Continue with another batch of patties adding more olive oil. When the last batch is completed--this recipe will make 8 patties--add them to the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
Serve with a mixture of sour cream and horseradish. We love horseradish and grated our own last fall. I blended 1/2 c sour cream with 2 T of horseradish.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Barbecue Sauce
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
While there are some fabulous barbecue sauces on the market--and we love them--this tried and true homemade BBQ is very easy and can be adapted to any taste. Add paprika, cayenne, liquid smoke, onions, garlic, molasses, or grainy or dried mustard to this recipe and change up the flavor. I've used this basic sauce for years and it is excellent by itself as well as with "kicked up" ingredients!
In a small sauce pan, simmer over medium heat until thick, 20-30 minutes:
1 t salt
1 T chili powder (your choice of heat)
1/4 c vinegar
2 c water
1 c ketchup (good stuff with no corn syrup added)
1 t celery seed
1/4 c brown sugar
This makes about 2-2 1/2 c of BBQ sauce, depending on how thick you like it (and thus, how long it is simmered). The remainder can be refrigerated for several weeks.
While there are some fabulous barbecue sauces on the market--and we love them--this tried and true homemade BBQ is very easy and can be adapted to any taste. Add paprika, cayenne, liquid smoke, onions, garlic, molasses, or grainy or dried mustard to this recipe and change up the flavor. I've used this basic sauce for years and it is excellent by itself as well as with "kicked up" ingredients!
In a small sauce pan, simmer over medium heat until thick, 20-30 minutes:
1 t salt
1 T chili powder (your choice of heat)
1/4 c vinegar
2 c water
1 c ketchup (good stuff with no corn syrup added)
1 t celery seed
1/4 c brown sugar
This makes about 2-2 1/2 c of BBQ sauce, depending on how thick you like it (and thus, how long it is simmered). The remainder can be refrigerated for several weeks.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Rhubarb Cobbler
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
It's rhubarb season and it so exciting to dust off the rhubarb recipes that haven't been used since last summer. The only credit I can take for this recipe is having the sense to cut it out of the newspaper in 1982! This recipe is one of Pete Peterson's, a renowned Michigan chef.
This recipe is really easy if you use a food processor. I mix the pastry in the food processor. Part of the pastry mix is blended with the rhubarb and the remainder goes on top of the fruit and drizzled with melted butter. You will surprise people with this dessert--it is wonderful.
In a food processor (or by hand), mix together until blended:
2 c flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
Add 1/3 c shortening and process until the mixture is gravelly.
In a large bowl, mix:
4-5 c rhubarb cut into 1/2" pieces
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c of the flour mixture
1 t grated lemon rind
Put the rhubarb mix in a greased 8" baking dish.
In the food processor, add to the remaining 1 1/4 c of pastry mix:
1 egg
Process until it resembles coarse meal.
Spread the pastry mix on top of the rhubarb and drizzle with 1/4 c melted butter.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until the top is puffed and golden brown.
It's rhubarb season and it so exciting to dust off the rhubarb recipes that haven't been used since last summer. The only credit I can take for this recipe is having the sense to cut it out of the newspaper in 1982! This recipe is one of Pete Peterson's, a renowned Michigan chef.
This recipe is really easy if you use a food processor. I mix the pastry in the food processor. Part of the pastry mix is blended with the rhubarb and the remainder goes on top of the fruit and drizzled with melted butter. You will surprise people with this dessert--it is wonderful.
In a food processor (or by hand), mix together until blended:
2 c flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
Add 1/3 c shortening and process until the mixture is gravelly.
In a large bowl, mix:
4-5 c rhubarb cut into 1/2" pieces
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c of the flour mixture
1 t grated lemon rind
Put the rhubarb mix in a greased 8" baking dish.
In the food processor, add to the remaining 1 1/4 c of pastry mix:
1 egg
Process until it resembles coarse meal.
Spread the pastry mix on top of the rhubarb and drizzle with 1/4 c melted butter.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until the top is puffed and golden brown.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Rhubarb Crisp
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Rhubarb season is a celebration in our house because it means it is spring. Growing up, that first rhubarb pie of the season made from rhubarb grown in the garden was a major event--and oh, so tasty.
We were in Indiana over the weekend and I made a rhubarb pie. That first bite--wow. Such an interesting taste. How did the Native Americans ever think to use rhubarb? Thank goodness they did.
We brought back rhubarb so tonight I made a rhubarb crisp. This is like a traditional crisp with fruit on the bottom and flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and melted butter on top. This is an easy recipe and one that won't last long.
Mix together and place in a greased 8 x 8" baking pan:
6 c rhubarb cut into 3/4" pieces
1/4 c flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/4 c sugar
Mix together until combined well:
1 c flour
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c rolled oats (not instant!)
3/4 stick melted, cooled butter
Sprinkle the streusel topping over the rhubarb mixture and bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes.
Rhubarb season is a celebration in our house because it means it is spring. Growing up, that first rhubarb pie of the season made from rhubarb grown in the garden was a major event--and oh, so tasty.
We were in Indiana over the weekend and I made a rhubarb pie. That first bite--wow. Such an interesting taste. How did the Native Americans ever think to use rhubarb? Thank goodness they did.
We brought back rhubarb so tonight I made a rhubarb crisp. This is like a traditional crisp with fruit on the bottom and flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and melted butter on top. This is an easy recipe and one that won't last long.
Mix together and place in a greased 8 x 8" baking pan:
6 c rhubarb cut into 3/4" pieces
1/4 c flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/4 c sugar
Mix together until combined well:
1 c flour
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c rolled oats (not instant!)
3/4 stick melted, cooled butter
Sprinkle the streusel topping over the rhubarb mixture and bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Oatmeal--Plain and Simple
By Kathyrn Washburn Breighner
I was in the cereal aisle of the grocery store--one of my rare dips away from the outside areas of the store that feature fresh foods--and I saw someone purusing the instant oatmeal packages. Now the good news is that this was a teacher and she was carefully reading the labels. Have you ever read the label of the instant oatmeals? Can you even pronounce what's in it?
We grew up in a household san chemicals. No preserved foods of any kind. Other than an occasional Campbell's soup, there were no packaged potatoes, no jars of gravy or pasta sauce, no already prepared anything. Mom made it from scratch. Including oatmeal.
A favorite childhood food memory is camping with my Aunt Dottie and Uncle Gene. Gene rose early every a.m. and when cousin Susie and I returned from an early morning hike to some place where we probably shouldn't have been, there was a pot of thick, steel cut oats on the campstove. We topped it with brown sugar or maple syrup. A piece of heaven to start the day.
I begin most days with oatmeal. It's filling, great complex carbohydrates and fiber. And it tastes great! Lately, my morning begins with old fashioned oatmeal--rolled oats, no quick, no instant with chemicals. I don't how long it takes to prepare the instant oatmeal in the package since I'd never buy it, so maybe 2 minutes?
Well, I make a bowl of old fashioned rolled oats in 5 minutes. And it tastes like real oatmeal! Easy: put 3/4 c of oatmeal in a bowl, add 1 1/4 c water, a dash of salt, and cinnamon or raisins or dried cranberries. Microwave for 5 minutes at 60% power--so slower than as if you were were boiling water in the microwave at full power.
For steel cut oats, I often do the cheat method: 1 c of steel cut oats, 4 c of water and a dash of salt and left on the stove--not cooked--over night. In the morning, I warm up the mixture, stirring, for about 10 minutes. This makes a large batch so the extra goes in the refridgerator and can be easily warmed in the microwave another day.
I was in the cereal aisle of the grocery store--one of my rare dips away from the outside areas of the store that feature fresh foods--and I saw someone purusing the instant oatmeal packages. Now the good news is that this was a teacher and she was carefully reading the labels. Have you ever read the label of the instant oatmeals? Can you even pronounce what's in it?
We grew up in a household san chemicals. No preserved foods of any kind. Other than an occasional Campbell's soup, there were no packaged potatoes, no jars of gravy or pasta sauce, no already prepared anything. Mom made it from scratch. Including oatmeal.
A favorite childhood food memory is camping with my Aunt Dottie and Uncle Gene. Gene rose early every a.m. and when cousin Susie and I returned from an early morning hike to some place where we probably shouldn't have been, there was a pot of thick, steel cut oats on the campstove. We topped it with brown sugar or maple syrup. A piece of heaven to start the day.
I begin most days with oatmeal. It's filling, great complex carbohydrates and fiber. And it tastes great! Lately, my morning begins with old fashioned oatmeal--rolled oats, no quick, no instant with chemicals. I don't how long it takes to prepare the instant oatmeal in the package since I'd never buy it, so maybe 2 minutes?
Well, I make a bowl of old fashioned rolled oats in 5 minutes. And it tastes like real oatmeal! Easy: put 3/4 c of oatmeal in a bowl, add 1 1/4 c water, a dash of salt, and cinnamon or raisins or dried cranberries. Microwave for 5 minutes at 60% power--so slower than as if you were were boiling water in the microwave at full power.
For steel cut oats, I often do the cheat method: 1 c of steel cut oats, 4 c of water and a dash of salt and left on the stove--not cooked--over night. In the morning, I warm up the mixture, stirring, for about 10 minutes. This makes a large batch so the extra goes in the refridgerator and can be easily warmed in the microwave another day.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Spinach Cream Sauce
By Perry Washburn
This is the sauce I made for my gnocchi, below. A lot like an Alfredo, this is a multipurpose sauce that has enough style to work in many situations. I made it first, without the brie (one of my pals can do cream but not cheese) for gnocchi. I added the brie for later attempts. I added some fresh shrimp at the end of the cooking and made this a pizza topping (covered wth aged Gouda!). Yum! And, I used leftovers from that as omlet filling the next day.
2 cups chopped spinach
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup cream
2 1/2 ounces creme de brie (a spreadable brie)
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/2-1 tsp paprika
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet. Add cream and brie, stirring until smooth Add remaining ingredients and saute until spinach is wilted.
This is the sauce I made for my gnocchi, below. A lot like an Alfredo, this is a multipurpose sauce that has enough style to work in many situations. I made it first, without the brie (one of my pals can do cream but not cheese) for gnocchi. I added the brie for later attempts. I added some fresh shrimp at the end of the cooking and made this a pizza topping (covered wth aged Gouda!). Yum! And, I used leftovers from that as omlet filling the next day.
2 cups chopped spinach
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup cream
2 1/2 ounces creme de brie (a spreadable brie)
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/2-1 tsp paprika
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet. Add cream and brie, stirring until smooth Add remaining ingredients and saute until spinach is wilted.
Melt-in-your-mouth Gnocchi
By Perry Washburn
This must be the season for gnocchi! I offered a Cajun dinner for a silent auction a year ago, but when the payoff came in late January, it had become an Italian feast. The hosts and I had enjoyed fairly recent trips to Italy, and our host mentioned her love for the gnocchi there. I had not ever made it, but did some quick study.
There appear to be two camps on gnocchi: make a fairly conventional dough, with plenty of flour (see Kathie's below), or make a dough that has only enough dough in it to hold it together. I decided to try the latter. The result is a very different process than Kath describes below (I'm sure hers are great; here's a different product.)
I altered a Bon Appetit recipe, made a cream sauce, made them for the first time for my paid dinner for 12. They were the hit of the party. As one guest said, "They melt in your mouth!" I made them again for a friend's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and daughter Madina requested them for her birthday dinner yesterday.
Note: Because this is a SOFT dough, this is probably not for the faint of heart.
I started with 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes. Wash, stick with a fork, and microwave for 8-10 minutes until they are done.
As soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel and rice them one at a time. (There is a school of thought that it helps the end product to work with hot potatoes.) As I have no ricer or food mill, I forced these through my sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. This is HARD work, but I like the texture. This will yield about 6 cups of potatoes. To this, add:
1 whole egg and one yolk, beaten
1 tsp of coarse salt
1/2 tsp or so of fresh ground nutmeg
Mix that well, then add 1 cup of all purpose flour, continuing to add flour until this becomes a dough. This should not take 2 cups total. Move to a well floured board and knead in additional flour just until this is firm enough to work with. I doubt there is 3 cups total flour.
I cut the dough into 12 equal parts, and gently rolled each on the floured surface into a long rope 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Because the dough is soft, be careful here. I discovered that by just maintaining contact with the rope, and spreading my fingers as I rolled, I got just the right results. If your work surface is not as wide as mine (24x18), you may have to start with smaller pieces of dough as the rope gets long quickly.
Cut the dough rope into 3/4 inch pieces. When they are all cut, roll them on the back of a fork to make the indentations. This would be very hard to explain, in text, how to do. I suggest searching youtube; you'll find a couple of videos there that will make sense.
Cook in a large pot of rapidly boiling water in 5-6 batches. Wait until they float, and then perhaps 10-15 seconds more. Remove to your skillet of already prepared sauce. I have not tried to find a method to freeze these. They are VERY delicate, however, and do not fare well piled on top of each other in a bowl.
But, turned in they right sauce (see my Spinach Cream sauce above), these truly are to die for.
This must be the season for gnocchi! I offered a Cajun dinner for a silent auction a year ago, but when the payoff came in late January, it had become an Italian feast. The hosts and I had enjoyed fairly recent trips to Italy, and our host mentioned her love for the gnocchi there. I had not ever made it, but did some quick study.
There appear to be two camps on gnocchi: make a fairly conventional dough, with plenty of flour (see Kathie's below), or make a dough that has only enough dough in it to hold it together. I decided to try the latter. The result is a very different process than Kath describes below (I'm sure hers are great; here's a different product.)
I altered a Bon Appetit recipe, made a cream sauce, made them for the first time for my paid dinner for 12. They were the hit of the party. As one guest said, "They melt in your mouth!" I made them again for a friend's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and daughter Madina requested them for her birthday dinner yesterday.
I started with 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes. Wash, stick with a fork, and microwave for 8-10 minutes until they are done.
As soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel and rice them one at a time. (There is a school of thought that it helps the end product to work with hot potatoes.) As I have no ricer or food mill, I forced these through my sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. This is HARD work, but I like the texture. This will yield about 6 cups of potatoes. To this, add:
1 whole egg and one yolk, beaten
1 tsp of coarse salt
1/2 tsp or so of fresh ground nutmeg
Mix that well, then add 1 cup of all purpose flour, continuing to add flour until this becomes a dough. This should not take 2 cups total. Move to a well floured board and knead in additional flour just until this is firm enough to work with. I doubt there is 3 cups total flour.
I cut the dough into 12 equal parts, and gently rolled each on the floured surface into a long rope 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Because the dough is soft, be careful here. I discovered that by just maintaining contact with the rope, and spreading my fingers as I rolled, I got just the right results. If your work surface is not as wide as mine (24x18), you may have to start with smaller pieces of dough as the rope gets long quickly.
Cut the dough rope into 3/4 inch pieces. When they are all cut, roll them on the back of a fork to make the indentations. This would be very hard to explain, in text, how to do. I suggest searching youtube; you'll find a couple of videos there that will make sense.
Cook in a large pot of rapidly boiling water in 5-6 batches. Wait until they float, and then perhaps 10-15 seconds more. Remove to your skillet of already prepared sauce. I have not tried to find a method to freeze these. They are VERY delicate, however, and do not fare well piled on top of each other in a bowl.
But, turned in they right sauce (see my Spinach Cream sauce above), these truly are to die for.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Almond Float
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Years ago when we were newly married, I took a Chinese cooking class in Lansing, Michigan. Some of the things I learned in that class have stayed with me to this day. And one of them is this wondefully simple and unusual dessert--almond float.
Basically, almond float is white almond flavored gelatin topped with almond flavored sugar water and mandarin oranges. This dessert is so much fun to serve because guests are completely taken back by white jello! I really love this dessert and have a hard time not opening the fridge and stealing chunks of the gelatin to munch on.
What makes it white? Milk! Yes, milk, and if you tell your guests this jello is made with milk versus fruit juice, expect some hesitation!!
In a 9 x 9" cake pan, mix and let stand for 5 minutes:
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2/3 c cold water
Add in and stir until gelatin dissolves:
1 1/4 c boiling water
2/3 c sugar
Stir in and mix well:
2 T almond extract---real almond only--no fake stuff!
3/4 c milk
Refrigerate the gelatin for several hours until firm. While it is chilling, mix together:
1/4 c sugar
2 C water
1/4 t almond extract
To serve, cut the gelatin into squares (and just try not to eat a few squares while you do this!) and place in a bowl. Top with 1/3 c almond water and 3T chilled mandarin oranges.
Delightful!
Years ago when we were newly married, I took a Chinese cooking class in Lansing, Michigan. Some of the things I learned in that class have stayed with me to this day. And one of them is this wondefully simple and unusual dessert--almond float.
Basically, almond float is white almond flavored gelatin topped with almond flavored sugar water and mandarin oranges. This dessert is so much fun to serve because guests are completely taken back by white jello! I really love this dessert and have a hard time not opening the fridge and stealing chunks of the gelatin to munch on.
What makes it white? Milk! Yes, milk, and if you tell your guests this jello is made with milk versus fruit juice, expect some hesitation!!
In a 9 x 9" cake pan, mix and let stand for 5 minutes:
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2/3 c cold water
Add in and stir until gelatin dissolves:
1 1/4 c boiling water
2/3 c sugar
Stir in and mix well:
2 T almond extract---real almond only--no fake stuff!
3/4 c milk
Refrigerate the gelatin for several hours until firm. While it is chilling, mix together:
1/4 c sugar
2 C water
1/4 t almond extract
To serve, cut the gelatin into squares (and just try not to eat a few squares while you do this!) and place in a bowl. Top with 1/3 c almond water and 3T chilled mandarin oranges.
Delightful!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
What was I thinking to start making these at 5 pm? They are labor intensive but a labor of love. 90 minutes later, I had 3 cookie sheets filled with gnocchi freezing on the back porch and a batch cooking for dinner had been accomplished.
My thinking was to make a huge batch to put in the freezer but oh, my aching back. We even have elevated counters for our heights but still, I was too hunched over the dough.
But I'm done and it was worth it! Homemade gnocchi has been a recent addition to our kitchen. Somewhat like a potato dumpling, these tiny pasta like products are worth the effort. I put in the oven 2 large sweet potatoes and 2 large baking potatoes and baked them at 350 degrees for an hour. Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet so the sweet potatoes don't drip to the bottom of your oven like mine did.
Baking the potatoes brings out the sweetness in the sweet potatoes and a better texture to the regular potatoes than if they were microwaved. Adding sweet potatoes into the gnocchi dough not only turns them a gorgeous orange, but adds a sweetness.
Once the potatoes are done, cut them open to cool and then scoop the cooked potatoes into a food mill or potato ricer. Put this mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer.
To this mixture, add:
2 eggs
salt and pepper
3 T fresh, chopped parsley
2 t minced garlic
4-5 cups flour
Use the dough hook of the stand mixer. Add the flour in 1/2 c increments. Mix until the dough easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead for 2-3 minutes. Cut a piece of dough off and roll between your floured hands into a long roll about 1/2" in diameter. This is a somewhat sticky/soft dough because of the potatoes. Cut the roll into 1/2-3/4" pieces and roll each piece down the back of fork to form indentions. Put the pieces on a baking sheet to dry.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add a couple of handfuls of the gnocchi and cook, stirring, until the gnocchi rise to the top of the pot. When you add very fresh gnocchi to the water, the gnocchi will still have a bit of moisture to them and you'll think they will just sink. Well, yes, they will immediately sink to the bottom but in a few minutes, they will float to the top.
We made tomato sauce for the gnocchi. I placed the baking sheets filled with fresh gnocchi out on our (frozen) back porch for about an hour and then put the gnocchi into freezer bags and into the freezer.
What was I thinking to start making these at 5 pm? They are labor intensive but a labor of love. 90 minutes later, I had 3 cookie sheets filled with gnocchi freezing on the back porch and a batch cooking for dinner had been accomplished.
But I'm done and it was worth it! Homemade gnocchi has been a recent addition to our kitchen. Somewhat like a potato dumpling, these tiny pasta like products are worth the effort. I put in the oven 2 large sweet potatoes and 2 large baking potatoes and baked them at 350 degrees for an hour. Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet so the sweet potatoes don't drip to the bottom of your oven like mine did.
Baking the potatoes brings out the sweetness in the sweet potatoes and a better texture to the regular potatoes than if they were microwaved. Adding sweet potatoes into the gnocchi dough not only turns them a gorgeous orange, but adds a sweetness.
Once the potatoes are done, cut them open to cool and then scoop the cooked potatoes into a food mill or potato ricer. Put this mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer.
To this mixture, add:
2 eggs
salt and pepper
3 T fresh, chopped parsley
2 t minced garlic
4-5 cups flour
Use the dough hook of the stand mixer. Add the flour in 1/2 c increments. Mix until the dough easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead for 2-3 minutes. Cut a piece of dough off and roll between your floured hands into a long roll about 1/2" in diameter. This is a somewhat sticky/soft dough because of the potatoes. Cut the roll into 1/2-3/4" pieces and roll each piece down the back of fork to form indentions. Put the pieces on a baking sheet to dry.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add a couple of handfuls of the gnocchi and cook, stirring, until the gnocchi rise to the top of the pot. When you add very fresh gnocchi to the water, the gnocchi will still have a bit of moisture to them and you'll think they will just sink. Well, yes, they will immediately sink to the bottom but in a few minutes, they will float to the top.
We made tomato sauce for the gnocchi. I placed the baking sheets filled with fresh gnocchi out on our (frozen) back porch for about an hour and then put the gnocchi into freezer bags and into the freezer.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
We have made various versions of cottage cheese pancakes for years. The combination of cottage cheese, eggs, and flour make a fluffy pancake filled with protein. This version we tried this a.m. and I like it because the batter can be saved in the fridge for a later use. We have served this to many people who think they don't like cottage cheese. Well, surprise, they do!
Mix together:
4 eggs
2 T oil
1 c milk
1 1/4 c cottage cheese
Add to the mixture:
1 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
a dash of salt
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
Ladle onto a hot griddle and cook until the middle begins to set and then flip. Serve with your favorite syrup which in our house is maple syrup--the real stuff not the chemical wannabe.
We have made various versions of cottage cheese pancakes for years. The combination of cottage cheese, eggs, and flour make a fluffy pancake filled with protein. This version we tried this a.m. and I like it because the batter can be saved in the fridge for a later use. We have served this to many people who think they don't like cottage cheese. Well, surprise, they do!
Mix together:
4 eggs
2 T oil
1 c milk
1 1/4 c cottage cheese
Add to the mixture:
1 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
a dash of salt
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
Ladle onto a hot griddle and cook until the middle begins to set and then flip. Serve with your favorite syrup which in our house is maple syrup--the real stuff not the chemical wannabe.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Zucchini and Tomatoes--a winter dish
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
It really is not much fun to come up with exciting vegetable dishes in January compared to July when I can walk outside and plan my dinner around what is ready to pick. Sigh. But January it is and creativity still needs to take place.
I had two zucchini in the fridge from a recent market visit. So I came up with a dish that is a bit like a Creole vegetable dish only I used Italian herbs. It turned out great!
I used what I had, my mantra. A couple of fresh zucchini, onion, garlic, green pepper with a quart of canned tomatoes (mine, of course) and fresh basil and dried oregano. I simmered it until it was thick. There are leftovers which would be great on pizza, pasta or rice.
2 med zucchini, sliced in 1/2" slices
1 med onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 T olive oil
32 oz canned tomatoes
2 T fresh basil (from my AeroGarden)
1 t oregano
salt and pepper
Saute the onion in olive oil until they begin to shimmer with color. Add the green pepper, garlic, and zucchini and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the tomatoes, undrained, and spices. Bring to a slow boil then turn to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is thick. Enjoy!
It really is not much fun to come up with exciting vegetable dishes in January compared to July when I can walk outside and plan my dinner around what is ready to pick. Sigh. But January it is and creativity still needs to take place.
I had two zucchini in the fridge from a recent market visit. So I came up with a dish that is a bit like a Creole vegetable dish only I used Italian herbs. It turned out great!
I used what I had, my mantra. A couple of fresh zucchini, onion, garlic, green pepper with a quart of canned tomatoes (mine, of course) and fresh basil and dried oregano. I simmered it until it was thick. There are leftovers which would be great on pizza, pasta or rice.
2 med zucchini, sliced in 1/2" slices
1 med onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 T olive oil
32 oz canned tomatoes
2 T fresh basil (from my AeroGarden)
1 t oregano
salt and pepper
Saute the onion in olive oil until they begin to shimmer with color. Add the green pepper, garlic, and zucchini and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the tomatoes, undrained, and spices. Bring to a slow boil then turn to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is thick. Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Panko--Homemade
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
My first experience with panko bread crumbs--Japanese style coarse bread crumbs--was on Pine Island, Florida. Brother Dave was planning his shrimp and panko dish and where did we buy the panko? At the fish market, of course.
Back in Northern Michigan, I searched for panko with few successes. Trips downstate to Trader Joe's helped me stock the pantry but then Trader Joe's stopped selling panko.
So now we make our own! It couldn't be easier. When old bread starts to get hard, we put slices of it on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 min. at 350 degrees or until the bread is just beginning to brown--this isn't toast, it is just crunchy bread.
Then using the grating blade for the food processor, the bread is pushed through the tube of the processor and through the blade. That's it! You have panko. And cheap--this bread would have been tossed but no more; now all old bread becomes panko.
We like the plain, unseasoned panko so nothing is added to the crumbs. To store, put the panko crumbs in a large storage bag and keep in the freezer.
My first experience with panko bread crumbs--Japanese style coarse bread crumbs--was on Pine Island, Florida. Brother Dave was planning his shrimp and panko dish and where did we buy the panko? At the fish market, of course.
Back in Northern Michigan, I searched for panko with few successes. Trips downstate to Trader Joe's helped me stock the pantry but then Trader Joe's stopped selling panko.
So now we make our own! It couldn't be easier. When old bread starts to get hard, we put slices of it on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 min. at 350 degrees or until the bread is just beginning to brown--this isn't toast, it is just crunchy bread.
Then using the grating blade for the food processor, the bread is pushed through the tube of the processor and through the blade. That's it! You have panko. And cheap--this bread would have been tossed but no more; now all old bread becomes panko.
We like the plain, unseasoned panko so nothing is added to the crumbs. To store, put the panko crumbs in a large storage bag and keep in the freezer.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Roasted Tomato Vegetable Sauce
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
We have lots of jars of tomatoes in our pantry since we canned 65 quarts of them last summer. So in our usual 'eat out of the pantry as much as possible' mode, we have been creative with the tomatoes. Marty cooked up this dish yesterday. He's not one for following recipes or logging what he's concocted but this one needs to remembered. He is a spontaneous cook and knows how to blend the flavors and it shows in this dish.
What he did was saute some vegetables--onions, celery, garlic, carrots--add some seasonings and two quarts of tomatoes and then slow roasted them in the oven for several hours. He then pounded some pork tenderloin into thin slices and sauteed those in olive oil and placed the pork on top of pasta and then smothered with the sauce. Great stuff!
3 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 T olive oil
2 qts canned tomatoes
1 t dried basil
1 t oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Saute the vegetables in olive oil until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes and spices. Cover and bake in a 325 degree oven for 2 hours.
This makes a big pot of sauce. So for Day 2, I used the leftover sauce in a meat loaf. To 1 lb. of ground beef, I added 1 chopped onion, 1 egg, 3/4 c panko bread crumbs, and 2/3 c of roasted tomato vegetable sauce. I blended the mixture and packed tightly into a bread pan, topped with 1/3 c of sauce and baked for 45 min at 350 degrees.
We have lots of jars of tomatoes in our pantry since we canned 65 quarts of them last summer. So in our usual 'eat out of the pantry as much as possible' mode, we have been creative with the tomatoes. Marty cooked up this dish yesterday. He's not one for following recipes or logging what he's concocted but this one needs to remembered. He is a spontaneous cook and knows how to blend the flavors and it shows in this dish.
What he did was saute some vegetables--onions, celery, garlic, carrots--add some seasonings and two quarts of tomatoes and then slow roasted them in the oven for several hours. He then pounded some pork tenderloin into thin slices and sauteed those in olive oil and placed the pork on top of pasta and then smothered with the sauce. Great stuff!
3 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 T olive oil
2 qts canned tomatoes
1 t dried basil
1 t oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Saute the vegetables in olive oil until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes and spices. Cover and bake in a 325 degree oven for 2 hours.
This makes a big pot of sauce. So for Day 2, I used the leftover sauce in a meat loaf. To 1 lb. of ground beef, I added 1 chopped onion, 1 egg, 3/4 c panko bread crumbs, and 2/3 c of roasted tomato vegetable sauce. I blended the mixture and packed tightly into a bread pan, topped with 1/3 c of sauce and baked for 45 min at 350 degrees.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Greek Yogurt--Make Your Own, It's Easy!
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
I often hear friends talking about how they have fallen in love with thick, tangy, Greek yogurt. In the last few years, several brands of this silky yogurt can be found on grocery store shelves--and at a hefty price tag.
What is Greek yogurt anyway? Basically, it is just plain yogurt that has been allowed to sit in muslin or cheesecloth over a bowl or container so that whey drains from the yogurt. What is left is very thick and creamy and different in consistency than typical yogurt.
Even if you don't make your own yogurt like I do--which is easy: just heat milk to 180 degrees, cool to 110 degrees, add some yogurt from a previous batch as the culture, put in a bowl, wrap with a dish cloth and let it sit in an oven with either the heat of the pilot light or the oven light to keep it warm overnight--you can easily make Greek yogurt with store purchased yogurt plain yogurt.
Read the labels when you buy yogurt. What you want to see is a list of the cultures/bacteria that are in the yogurt not preservatives, corn syrup or artificial flavors. If you make your own yogurt, you can buy dried cultures or buy a good organic yogurt and freeze cubes of the yogurt (in ice cube trays) to use. You can use a couple of tablespoons from a previous batch for 2-3 times then grab one of the thawed ice cubes for the next batch to freshen it. The yogurt I make has 5 cultures: S. Thermophilus. L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casel.
What you'll need:
Plain yogurt--quite a bit of whey will drain out, about 1/3 of the amount you begin with will drain
A steamer or strainer placed over a bowl
Line the steamer/strainer with cheese cloth or muslin or a paper coffee filter
Place the yogurt in the cloth or coffee filter, cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl/strainer/yogurt in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. The whey, or liquid, from the yogurt will have drained into the bowl. Scrape the thick yogurt from the cheesecloth and store in an air tight container. You have Greek yogurt at a fraction of the price of grocery store Greek yogurt.
In my house, the whey goes to the dog who waits patiently for it! He loves it and it is good for him.
Homemade Yogurt
I often hear friends talking about how they have fallen in love with thick, tangy, Greek yogurt. In the last few years, several brands of this silky yogurt can be found on grocery store shelves--and at a hefty price tag.
What is Greek yogurt anyway? Basically, it is just plain yogurt that has been allowed to sit in muslin or cheesecloth over a bowl or container so that whey drains from the yogurt. What is left is very thick and creamy and different in consistency than typical yogurt.
Even if you don't make your own yogurt like I do--which is easy: just heat milk to 180 degrees, cool to 110 degrees, add some yogurt from a previous batch as the culture, put in a bowl, wrap with a dish cloth and let it sit in an oven with either the heat of the pilot light or the oven light to keep it warm overnight--you can easily make Greek yogurt with store purchased yogurt plain yogurt.
Read the labels when you buy yogurt. What you want to see is a list of the cultures/bacteria that are in the yogurt not preservatives, corn syrup or artificial flavors. If you make your own yogurt, you can buy dried cultures or buy a good organic yogurt and freeze cubes of the yogurt (in ice cube trays) to use. You can use a couple of tablespoons from a previous batch for 2-3 times then grab one of the thawed ice cubes for the next batch to freshen it. The yogurt I make has 5 cultures: S. Thermophilus. L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casel.
What you'll need:
Plain yogurt--quite a bit of whey will drain out, about 1/3 of the amount you begin with will drain
A steamer or strainer placed over a bowl
Line the steamer/strainer with cheese cloth or muslin or a paper coffee filter
Place the yogurt in the cloth or coffee filter, cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl/strainer/yogurt in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. The whey, or liquid, from the yogurt will have drained into the bowl. Scrape the thick yogurt from the cheesecloth and store in an air tight container. You have Greek yogurt at a fraction of the price of grocery store Greek yogurt.
In my house, the whey goes to the dog who waits patiently for it! He loves it and it is good for him.
Homemade Yogurt
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Tuna Melts
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
This has been a stand by in our house for years. It is simple, tasty and always surprises a first-time diner at our table. It is basically just a lightly dressed tuna salad--not heavy on the mayonnaise--mounded on an English muffin, topped with cheese and put under the broiler for a minute or two. This not only tastes great but looks appetizing. These ingredients will make 4 tuna melts and uses 1 can of tuna so multiply by what you need:
1 can tuna, drained (I always use Albacore in water)
3 T mayonnaise
2 T minced green onion
2 t snipped fresh dill (from my Aerogarden at the moment)
salt and pepper to taste
2 English muffins, split
Grated cheese--your choice of kinds!
Mix the tuna, mayo, onion, dill, salt and pepper. Mound on the English muffin halves. Top with grated cheese and broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble and brown.
This has been a stand by in our house for years. It is simple, tasty and always surprises a first-time diner at our table. It is basically just a lightly dressed tuna salad--not heavy on the mayonnaise--mounded on an English muffin, topped with cheese and put under the broiler for a minute or two. This not only tastes great but looks appetizing. These ingredients will make 4 tuna melts and uses 1 can of tuna so multiply by what you need:
1 can tuna, drained (I always use Albacore in water)
3 T mayonnaise
2 T minced green onion
2 t snipped fresh dill (from my Aerogarden at the moment)
salt and pepper to taste
2 English muffins, split
Grated cheese--your choice of kinds!
Mix the tuna, mayo, onion, dill, salt and pepper. Mound on the English muffin halves. Top with grated cheese and broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble and brown.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Buttermilk Substitute with Vinegar
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
My pantry typically contains a dried buttermilk product that mixed with water, becomes buttermilk. But when I was making Cornbread Roxie this week, my pantry let me down: no buttermilk.
Not to worry: I whipped up a buttermilk substitute using milk and vinegar. To just under 1 c of milk, I added 1 T of white vinegar. I let the milk/vinegar mixture stand for about 5 minutes. This became the perfect stand in for buttermilk and my cornbread was perfect, too.
Cornbread Roxie
My pantry typically contains a dried buttermilk product that mixed with water, becomes buttermilk. But when I was making Cornbread Roxie this week, my pantry let me down: no buttermilk.
Not to worry: I whipped up a buttermilk substitute using milk and vinegar. To just under 1 c of milk, I added 1 T of white vinegar. I let the milk/vinegar mixture stand for about 5 minutes. This became the perfect stand in for buttermilk and my cornbread was perfect, too.
Cornbread Roxie
Monday, January 4, 2010
Vinegar as a Cleaning agent
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
At any given time, there are 5-10 different types of vinegar in my pantry. Cider, white, rice, wine, sherry, balsamic and more. They each have very different flavors and can be used in many ways.
But this post is about using it for cleaning as I did yesterday. The soap dispenser built into my sink was clogged with soap and would no longer work. I Googled a solution and came up with soaking it in water, soaking it in boiling water and if those didn't work, tossing it. I did the first 2 and without success. So before tossing, I tried my standby: vinegar.
I put the dispenser in a glass of cider vinegar and within an hour, pieces of soap were floating in the water. 3-4 hours later, the dispenser was as good as new. So on I went to the sink's attached spray hose. It was discolored from water deposits and not spraying well. I put the hose head in a glass of vinegar and several hours later, it was white again and sprayed so hard that I'd forgotten it could spray that well.
Next came our slow-to-brew coffeemaker. This happens every few months and I can tell by the (struggling) sounds the coffeemaker makes, that is clogged with water deposits. I poured 2 cups of white vinegar in the coffeemaker's water compartment and turned the coffee pot on. When it had finished, I could see pieces of calcium deposits in the vinegar. I took the coffee filter, held it over the water compartment and poured the vinegar back in it. The filter kept the deposits from going back into the coffeemaker. I ran the vinegar through the coffeemaker again. One more time, I poured the vinegar back into the coffeemaker but this time I left the vinegar in the maker to sit for several hours. This let the vinegar work on any calcium deposits.
After running the vinegar through the coffeemaker again, I then ran 3 pots of water through the coffeemaker and each time, the water brewed through with sediment. By the third time, the water was clearer. Today, the coffeemaker is back to full steam!
Three tasks in one day aided by vinegar.
At any given time, there are 5-10 different types of vinegar in my pantry. Cider, white, rice, wine, sherry, balsamic and more. They each have very different flavors and can be used in many ways.
But this post is about using it for cleaning as I did yesterday. The soap dispenser built into my sink was clogged with soap and would no longer work. I Googled a solution and came up with soaking it in water, soaking it in boiling water and if those didn't work, tossing it. I did the first 2 and without success. So before tossing, I tried my standby: vinegar.
I put the dispenser in a glass of cider vinegar and within an hour, pieces of soap were floating in the water. 3-4 hours later, the dispenser was as good as new. So on I went to the sink's attached spray hose. It was discolored from water deposits and not spraying well. I put the hose head in a glass of vinegar and several hours later, it was white again and sprayed so hard that I'd forgotten it could spray that well.
Next came our slow-to-brew coffeemaker. This happens every few months and I can tell by the (struggling) sounds the coffeemaker makes, that is clogged with water deposits. I poured 2 cups of white vinegar in the coffeemaker's water compartment and turned the coffee pot on. When it had finished, I could see pieces of calcium deposits in the vinegar. I took the coffee filter, held it over the water compartment and poured the vinegar back in it. The filter kept the deposits from going back into the coffeemaker. I ran the vinegar through the coffeemaker again. One more time, I poured the vinegar back into the coffeemaker but this time I left the vinegar in the maker to sit for several hours. This let the vinegar work on any calcium deposits.
After running the vinegar through the coffeemaker again, I then ran 3 pots of water through the coffeemaker and each time, the water brewed through with sediment. By the third time, the water was clearer. Today, the coffeemaker is back to full steam!
Three tasks in one day aided by vinegar.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Muesli
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Muesli (pronounced muse-lee) is a breakfast cereal that has been popular in Europe for more than 100 years and is made from raw, rolled whole grains like oats or wheat with nuts and dried or fresh fruit. It wasn’t until the health food movement of the 1960s that this tasty and nutritious cereal appeared in the U.S. Muesli is now found not only in health food stores, but also in grocery stores.
I have been a muesli fan for years and have never purchased it--I've always made it. My pantry usually has the basic ingredients for muesli as it did today when I made a batch. Basically, the mix begins with a whole grain; I typically use whole oats (not quick or instant). To that, I add nuts and dried fruit--any kind, any combination.
For 2 cups of whole oats, I add 1/4 c each of dried fruit and nuts. Today, I used slivered almonds and raisins. Sometimes, I use walnuts or pecans, and dried cherries, dates or cranberries. Other grains can be added like flax seed or flax meal or sunflower seeds. The mixture is stored in an airtight container.
When I am ready to eat the muesli, I mix and let stand for 5-10 minutes or overnight:
1 c muesli
1 t honey,
1 c of yogurt or milk or apple juice
I am a cinnamon fan so I usually stir in some cinnamon, too. When my boys were in school, this was a common breakfast for them and often I'd stir in chopped fresh apples. My first memory of eating muesli in a restaurant was in a hotel in Disney World in 1988 and it was called Energy Riser. I liked it so much that a recipe of a version like this was included in the preschool health and safety curriculum I co-authored in 1989.
Try it, you'll like it!
Muesli (pronounced muse-lee) is a breakfast cereal that has been popular in Europe for more than 100 years and is made from raw, rolled whole grains like oats or wheat with nuts and dried or fresh fruit. It wasn’t until the health food movement of the 1960s that this tasty and nutritious cereal appeared in the U.S. Muesli is now found not only in health food stores, but also in grocery stores.
I have been a muesli fan for years and have never purchased it--I've always made it. My pantry usually has the basic ingredients for muesli as it did today when I made a batch. Basically, the mix begins with a whole grain; I typically use whole oats (not quick or instant). To that, I add nuts and dried fruit--any kind, any combination.
For 2 cups of whole oats, I add 1/4 c each of dried fruit and nuts. Today, I used slivered almonds and raisins. Sometimes, I use walnuts or pecans, and dried cherries, dates or cranberries. Other grains can be added like flax seed or flax meal or sunflower seeds. The mixture is stored in an airtight container.
When I am ready to eat the muesli, I mix and let stand for 5-10 minutes or overnight:
1 c muesli
1 t honey,
1 c of yogurt or milk or apple juice
I am a cinnamon fan so I usually stir in some cinnamon, too. When my boys were in school, this was a common breakfast for them and often I'd stir in chopped fresh apples. My first memory of eating muesli in a restaurant was in a hotel in Disney World in 1988 and it was called Energy Riser. I liked it so much that a recipe of a version like this was included in the preschool health and safety curriculum I co-authored in 1989.
Try it, you'll like it!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Spicy Thai Slaw with Red Cabbage
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
I cut this recipe out of the Detroit Free Press years ago because I love red cabbage. And I never made the slaw until last week. That was a mistake. This slaw is outstanding. It begins with a water, vinegar, soy sauce, corn starch and sugar mixture that is brought to a boil and then peanut butter is added before it is cooled.
Recipes using red cabbage are not as prevalent as those using green cabbage. I like the flavor of the red cabbage and I love the color on the dinner plate. This slaw will hold for several days. If you are looking for a new slaw recipe or a new way to spice up and dress up your plate, this is it.
1/2 c water
3 T rice wine vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 1/2 t cornstarch
1 t sugar
1 T creamy peanut butter
1 garlic clove, peeled, minced
1 T freshly chopped cilantro
1/2 t crushed red pepper
4 c finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 c shredded carrot
1/2 c sliced green onions
In a small saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the head and add the peanut butter, whisking until the mix is smooth.
Stir in the garlic, cilantro and red pepper; cover and chill.
In a large bowl, place the cabbage, carrots and green onions; add the dressing, tossing to coat. Cover and chill before serving.
I cut this recipe out of the Detroit Free Press years ago because I love red cabbage. And I never made the slaw until last week. That was a mistake. This slaw is outstanding. It begins with a water, vinegar, soy sauce, corn starch and sugar mixture that is brought to a boil and then peanut butter is added before it is cooled.
Recipes using red cabbage are not as prevalent as those using green cabbage. I like the flavor of the red cabbage and I love the color on the dinner plate. This slaw will hold for several days. If you are looking for a new slaw recipe or a new way to spice up and dress up your plate, this is it.
1/2 c water
3 T rice wine vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 1/2 t cornstarch
1 t sugar
1 T creamy peanut butter
1 garlic clove, peeled, minced
1 T freshly chopped cilantro
1/2 t crushed red pepper
4 c finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 c shredded carrot
1/2 c sliced green onions
In a small saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the head and add the peanut butter, whisking until the mix is smooth.
Stir in the garlic, cilantro and red pepper; cover and chill.
In a large bowl, place the cabbage, carrots and green onions; add the dressing, tossing to coat. Cover and chill before serving.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Chess Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Today is the one year birthday of Three Siblings in the Kitchen. In this past year, we--well, mostly me--have posted many times about the foods we create in our kitchens. During this new year, I hope my brothers will appear more often on the blog so I don't have to carry it solo! Perry and David are fabulous cooks. This morning, Marty made a wonderful breakfast of roast beef hash using leftover roast beef and he asked how many people that we know who would go to the effort to create this from scratch. I named off Perry and Dave and our friend Bev right away.
Our Mom was a fabulous pie baker. The tradition goes on in our family as pies are a favorite and a specialty. This is our Mom's, Rose Bond Washburn's, chess pie recipe that she clipped from the Chicago Tribune on June 24, 1962. It's easy and sweet and silky and a surprise when it hits your mouth. Chess pies are really like a sugar pie with eggs and butter. Definitely not low cal!
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 t flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 T milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
unbaked pie shell
Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla and stir until blended. Add butter and mix thoroughly. Turn into pie shell and bake at 325 degree from 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Here is a post from a year ago with Mom's pie crust recipe: http://threesiblingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/01/pie-crust-homemade-of-course.html
Today is the one year birthday of Three Siblings in the Kitchen. In this past year, we--well, mostly me--have posted many times about the foods we create in our kitchens. During this new year, I hope my brothers will appear more often on the blog so I don't have to carry it solo! Perry and David are fabulous cooks. This morning, Marty made a wonderful breakfast of roast beef hash using leftover roast beef and he asked how many people that we know who would go to the effort to create this from scratch. I named off Perry and Dave and our friend Bev right away.
Our Mom was a fabulous pie baker. The tradition goes on in our family as pies are a favorite and a specialty. This is our Mom's, Rose Bond Washburn's, chess pie recipe that she clipped from the Chicago Tribune on June 24, 1962. It's easy and sweet and silky and a surprise when it hits your mouth. Chess pies are really like a sugar pie with eggs and butter. Definitely not low cal!
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 t flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 T milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
unbaked pie shell
Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla and stir until blended. Add butter and mix thoroughly. Turn into pie shell and bake at 325 degree from 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Here is a post from a year ago with Mom's pie crust recipe: http://threesiblingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/01/pie-crust-homemade-of-course.html
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