While I was in New York, a new acquaintance took me out for drinks. We ended up at a small spanish place so forgettable that I can't even recall the name or the neighborhood. The only thing I remember about the place was the cucumber sangria, which was brilliant. Well, at the time I thought it was brilliant. Cool glasses of bone dry white wine featuring crisp rounds of cucumber seemed like perfection.
And it really was, until a few weeks ago when I stumbled on an episode of Cooking for Real with Sunny Anderson. I'm not a huge Food Network fan, but she was making cucumber juice, so I stopped to watch. Intrigued, my mind reeled back to the cucumber sangria. "This would make the sangria so much better," I thought to myself. I had to try it.
That's exactly what I did this weekend. After a quick jaunt to Whole Foods, I settled into my boyfriend's kitchen and started my experiment. The result was slightly murky (because I haven't mastered the art of filtering with cheesecloth) but beautifully green, sweet sangria. The juice couldn't be easier to make and it paired perfectly with the sauvignon blanc I chose to use for the wine base. And the best part is, the juice makes a great mixing liquid. Next time, I plan to use it with sake instead of wine. But for now, here's my recipe for sangria.
Emerald Sangria (cucumber juice courtesy of Sunny Anderson):
2 english cucumbers
3/4 sugar
1 cup water
750ml dry white wine of your choice, like sauvignon blanc
Peel the cucumbers and reserve the skins. In a medium pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Grate the cucumbers and add them to the boiling syrup. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cucumbers are tender, about 10 minutes. Allow mixture to cool slightly then add to a blender with cucumber skins. Blend until smooth and bright green. Line a bowl with cheesecloth and pour the mixture into it. Wrap the cloth tightly around the dregs and squeeze out the juice. Allow the juice to cool, covered in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Add about half of the juice to a pitcher and pour the white wine over it. Stir and rechill for another 20 minutes.
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Perfect Weekends
When I was younger, my parents would pack me into the car and we'd go exploring around town. Sometimes there was a specific goal in mind, but more often than not, it was just a matter of driving until something looked interesting. And most of the time, interesting happened downtown at the antique stores. I love antique, vintage, and retro items for one reason: the history. Even if I don't what an item's story is, I know that the story exists and that I become the guardian of that story when I bring it home with me. Those weekends are the ones I remember most fondly and those stories are the ones I cherish most.
This weekend, I had a wonderful opportunity to experience such an idyllic weekend again, this time as an adult. A friend of mine from Charleston came to town to see me. While pulling up directions to my house, he found that there are quite a few pawn shops in the area. He's an amateur historian specializing in WWII firearms, and pawn shops present some good opportunities to find hidden treasures. And because the weather was absolutely perfect (my favorite thing about spring in the south), I decided that we should have an adventure of our own.
He arrived mid-afternoon on Friday and we set out to gather supplies for our adventure and also stuff for dinner. Mum requested that I make my great aunt's pot roast recipe, which is easily the simplest, yet most comforting meal I know how to make. All you need is a nice marbled cut of beef, preferably sirloin or brisket, but any piece of roast will do, and some root vegetables. I like to use carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cut the veggies into big chunks, sear the beef, add everything to a roasting pan with a little oil, diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste. Pop everything into a 400 degree oven and let it cook until the meat is just starting to fall apart. As good as that is the first day, it's even better the next. And nothing says "welcome" better in my opinion.
The next morning, bright and early(ish) our adventure began. First a breakfast of tea and orange-chocolate chip scones (the basic recipe for which is posted in my archives), then out into the sunny, bright day. Most of the pawn shops ended up being a disappointment, but the fun wasn't in finding interesting guns for his collection so much as riding around, getting a little lost, and laughing until our sides hurt at trying to get unlost. During one such instance, we passed a cake supply shop sitting attached to an antique market. If I were a puppy, my ears would have perked up and my tail would have wagged furiously. As it was, I squealed with unrestrained delight at the find and we promptly stopped to explore. The cake shop was fairly nondescript, although the owner is running cake lessons for a reasonable rate.The antique shop, though, was utterly lovely. I made several happy discoveries, including two complete sake sets, one complete tea set, and my favorite find of the day- an enamel tea kettle for a mere $10. It was filthy, but I love enamel kettles, especially ones that don't whistle, so I scooped it up and brought it home. After a good, hard scrub, it looks just like new again and I can't wait to use it. And I'm going back soon to pick up one of the sake sets and possibly the tea set as well.
After the antique shop, we headed across town for lunch. I discovered the existence of a Vietnamese Pho restaurant right here in Florence. It turned out to be pretty much what I expected inside. No real atmosphere, but pleasant enough food at a reasonable price, so I'm certainly going back as much as possible. The barbeque pork over rice noodles was delicious.
When lunch was over, we stopped back at the house to throw a few pieces of fruit and some chai cookies into a bag and headed back out to check out a few trails I knew of in town. The trails run throughout town for about nine miles or so, and consist of a lot of new growth and man made swamps. They're charming enough, but I want to see them ten years from now when the wilderness takes over a bit. The sun was bright, but the weather was a gorgeous low to mid 50 degrees and there was a light breeze to tug at our clothes as we walked. Nibbling on a cookie and walking hand in hand with my friend as we chatted, I thought to myself of the weekends like this that I spent as a child and how wonderful it felt to have one again, just when I needed it most.
This weekend, I had a wonderful opportunity to experience such an idyllic weekend again, this time as an adult. A friend of mine from Charleston came to town to see me. While pulling up directions to my house, he found that there are quite a few pawn shops in the area. He's an amateur historian specializing in WWII firearms, and pawn shops present some good opportunities to find hidden treasures. And because the weather was absolutely perfect (my favorite thing about spring in the south), I decided that we should have an adventure of our own.
He arrived mid-afternoon on Friday and we set out to gather supplies for our adventure and also stuff for dinner. Mum requested that I make my great aunt's pot roast recipe, which is easily the simplest, yet most comforting meal I know how to make. All you need is a nice marbled cut of beef, preferably sirloin or brisket, but any piece of roast will do, and some root vegetables. I like to use carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cut the veggies into big chunks, sear the beef, add everything to a roasting pan with a little oil, diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste. Pop everything into a 400 degree oven and let it cook until the meat is just starting to fall apart. As good as that is the first day, it's even better the next. And nothing says "welcome" better in my opinion.
The next morning, bright and early(ish) our adventure began. First a breakfast of tea and orange-chocolate chip scones (the basic recipe for which is posted in my archives), then out into the sunny, bright day. Most of the pawn shops ended up being a disappointment, but the fun wasn't in finding interesting guns for his collection so much as riding around, getting a little lost, and laughing until our sides hurt at trying to get unlost. During one such instance, we passed a cake supply shop sitting attached to an antique market. If I were a puppy, my ears would have perked up and my tail would have wagged furiously. As it was, I squealed with unrestrained delight at the find and we promptly stopped to explore. The cake shop was fairly nondescript, although the owner is running cake lessons for a reasonable rate.The antique shop, though, was utterly lovely. I made several happy discoveries, including two complete sake sets, one complete tea set, and my favorite find of the day- an enamel tea kettle for a mere $10. It was filthy, but I love enamel kettles, especially ones that don't whistle, so I scooped it up and brought it home. After a good, hard scrub, it looks just like new again and I can't wait to use it. And I'm going back soon to pick up one of the sake sets and possibly the tea set as well.
After the antique shop, we headed across town for lunch. I discovered the existence of a Vietnamese Pho restaurant right here in Florence. It turned out to be pretty much what I expected inside. No real atmosphere, but pleasant enough food at a reasonable price, so I'm certainly going back as much as possible. The barbeque pork over rice noodles was delicious.
When lunch was over, we stopped back at the house to throw a few pieces of fruit and some chai cookies into a bag and headed back out to check out a few trails I knew of in town. The trails run throughout town for about nine miles or so, and consist of a lot of new growth and man made swamps. They're charming enough, but I want to see them ten years from now when the wilderness takes over a bit. The sun was bright, but the weather was a gorgeous low to mid 50 degrees and there was a light breeze to tug at our clothes as we walked. Nibbling on a cookie and walking hand in hand with my friend as we chatted, I thought to myself of the weekends like this that I spent as a child and how wonderful it felt to have one again, just when I needed it most.
Chai Tea Cookies (adapted from kicked-up-cookie-recipes.com)
1 cup butter, room temp
3/4 cup instant chai mix
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
3 1/2 cup flour (I used Pamela's of course)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling (optional)
Cream together butter, sugar, and chai mix until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the eggs to the butter mixture, then add the flour slowly ( I did it in thirds). Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drop tsp sized balls onto a greased cookie sheet (and roll in sugar if you're doing that step. I didn't) and bake for 10 minutes. Cool in pan for another 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cookies will come out soft, and a little chewy, with just a hint of chai flavor. The original recipe calls for a full cup of instant chai, so if you want more flavor use that, but I only had 3/4 of a cup and I think they came out fine.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Pear Pies and Apricot Poodles
Family holidays are some of my favorite activities. Mum's family is huge and, when we all gather, the noise and laughter fills the room. It's uplifting. It also makes dinner interesting. With about forty people to feed, the choices available are overwhelming. Family holidays are the ultimate potluck dinner. And like with any potluck, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Ever since my diagnosis, I've taken to building a little insurance into the dinners by making my own desserts and at least one side dish. The family's excellent about making sure the main dishes are free of all gluten for me, but the details sometimes get lost. Not because they don't love me and want me to eat, but because it can be too difficult for them to cater to one person's dietary needs or tastes with so many of us eating. I try to take some of that worry away by providing something that I know is gluten free, but also delicious and easy to share. Especially when it comes to dessert, since finding available, pre-made, gluten free options is expensive and not always easy. It's much easier for me to just make something. On the menu this year: pear pie.
I looked over a bunch of crust recipes and filling recipes for weeks. Having never made a pie, gluten free or otherwise, from scratch, I was a bit overwhelmed at first. Thankfully, I found a straightforward crust recipe in my Williams Sonoma Pies and Tarts cookbook. I was only concerned because, as with most recipes without egg, I knew my flour base would turn out crumbly, not tender, if I followed it exactly. The recipe called for the dough to be worked as little as possible so as not to melt the butter and toughen the crust. I ignored this advice. The reason the crust gets tough in regular recipes is because working the dough forms networks of gluten. Not a problem I encounter with my flours. In fact, I actually need the butter pieces to melt through the dough a bit more than usual to counter act the tendency of my dough to crumble rather than flake. I also added two egg yolks to the dough I made for the top of the pie to help hold it together and to assist with browning.
For the filling, I looked to the apple pie filling recipe listed in the cookbook, but I made a few modifications. My pears were sweeter than cooking apples, so I reduced the sugar by half. I added a little orange juice and zest for acid and flavor and a touch of ginger to spice it up. Here's the final recipe:
7 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and sliced thick
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp gluten free flour (like Pamela's Pancake and Baking mix, or your own)
the zest and juice of one orange
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
The final pie was actually kind of pretty, for a first attempt. I forgot to shield it with foil when I saw the edges getting darker, and the crust needs some work and practice, but I was happy just to have something pie-shaped that smelled good to serve.
Ever the obsessive and proud parent of such a creation, I charged mum with the heavy responsibility of wrapping the pie in aluminum foil and putting it in an insulated food bag. I also insisted that the pie ride shotgun in my lap for the entire trip to avoid overturning it or jarring it. In theory, it was a sensible idea. In practice, what actually happened went a little differently. My treasured pie rode happily in my lap for about an hour and a half. Then we stopped for breakfast. I placed to pie on the backseat of the car where, I assumed, it would remain safe until my return. My aunt placed her apricot poodle on the front seat where, I assumed, she would remain until we finished eating. We arrived at the car after breakfast to find my aunt's apricot poodle standing on my pear pie wagging her happy tail. I stood numbly staring at the bag while my aunt scolded the dog and mum opened the bag to check the pie. My face fell to see the hole in the aluminum foil and the crater of mushy crust and pear the dog made in my masterpiece. Right about then, I burst into tears. Weeks of planning, and days of execution literally got stomped on. Later, when I calmed down a bit of course, the situation seemed much funnier. And the pie was still every bit as delicious as I hoped. From now on, the pie rides shotgun on my lap and then gets placed in the trunk during pit stops if I want it to look as fantastic as it tastes.
Even though the pie wasn't pretty, it was gluten free, and very good, so I'll call this attempt a draw. One failure, one success, but at least I had dessert. And it went perfectly with the laughter and noise of the holidays.
I looked over a bunch of crust recipes and filling recipes for weeks. Having never made a pie, gluten free or otherwise, from scratch, I was a bit overwhelmed at first. Thankfully, I found a straightforward crust recipe in my Williams Sonoma Pies and Tarts cookbook. I was only concerned because, as with most recipes without egg, I knew my flour base would turn out crumbly, not tender, if I followed it exactly. The recipe called for the dough to be worked as little as possible so as not to melt the butter and toughen the crust. I ignored this advice. The reason the crust gets tough in regular recipes is because working the dough forms networks of gluten. Not a problem I encounter with my flours. In fact, I actually need the butter pieces to melt through the dough a bit more than usual to counter act the tendency of my dough to crumble rather than flake. I also added two egg yolks to the dough I made for the top of the pie to help hold it together and to assist with browning.
For the filling, I looked to the apple pie filling recipe listed in the cookbook, but I made a few modifications. My pears were sweeter than cooking apples, so I reduced the sugar by half. I added a little orange juice and zest for acid and flavor and a touch of ginger to spice it up. Here's the final recipe:
7 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and sliced thick
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp gluten free flour (like Pamela's Pancake and Baking mix, or your own)
the zest and juice of one orange
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Ever the obsessive and proud parent of such a creation, I charged mum with the heavy responsibility of wrapping the pie in aluminum foil and putting it in an insulated food bag. I also insisted that the pie ride shotgun in my lap for the entire trip to avoid overturning it or jarring it. In theory, it was a sensible idea. In practice, what actually happened went a little differently. My treasured pie rode happily in my lap for about an hour and a half. Then we stopped for breakfast. I placed to pie on the backseat of the car where, I assumed, it would remain safe until my return. My aunt placed her apricot poodle on the front seat where, I assumed, she would remain until we finished eating. We arrived at the car after breakfast to find my aunt's apricot poodle standing on my pear pie wagging her happy tail. I stood numbly staring at the bag while my aunt scolded the dog and mum opened the bag to check the pie. My face fell to see the hole in the aluminum foil and the crater of mushy crust and pear the dog made in my masterpiece. Right about then, I burst into tears. Weeks of planning, and days of execution literally got stomped on. Later, when I calmed down a bit of course, the situation seemed much funnier. And the pie was still every bit as delicious as I hoped. From now on, the pie rides shotgun on my lap and then gets placed in the trunk during pit stops if I want it to look as fantastic as it tastes.
Even though the pie wasn't pretty, it was gluten free, and very good, so I'll call this attempt a draw. One failure, one success, but at least I had dessert. And it went perfectly with the laughter and noise of the holidays.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Apple Scones
My uncle came home with 4 pounds of apples the other day. Apparently, they were on sale. So I was left with the task of figuring out what to do with them.
Normally, I'm not much of a breakfast person. A bowl of cereal or a danish here or there was all I usually wanted. After my diagnosis, finding gluten free pastries, danishes, and other breakfast-y type foods got sort of difficult. So I started making my own, but you already know that story.
I especially love gluten-free scones. Scones are by nature more dense and crumbly than other types of pastry, more of a biscuit really. So the lack of gluten isn't as noticable in them. It's a marriage made in heaven. And it's that marriage that lead to my breakfast today. That and 4 pounds of apples.
Apple Scones:2 1/3 cups gluten free flour mix
1/3 cup of granulated sugar, plus 1 tbsp
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup apple, grated or finely diced
1/4 cup un salted butter, room temperature
1 egg2/3 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
a dash of nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, the dry ingredients and the sugar. Cut in the butter until flour just begins to stick to itself and get crumbly. Squeeze excess liquid from apple pieces and add to the flour along with the egg. Slowly add milk to the flour mixture until moist. Do not add too much liquid. Drop batter onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Chocolate Cookies
I've been using a chocolate cookie recipe from Delish.com for a few months now. But it's always bothered me how much to cookies spread out. Lace cookies are awesome, don't get me wrong, but that's not what I'm after here. I modified the recipe a little, enough to get me a triple batch of good chocolate orange cookies for an order placed this week. But I still wanted a better dough. Something I could rely on to come out consitently well and something that wasn't overpoweringly chocolate. The first question I had to address was why the dough spreads so much in the oven.
The answer's a simple one and I can't believe it took me this long to get there. Gluten free flour contains little to no protein. Protein is what binds things together. Normally, I don't have this problem because my cookie recipes have eggs in them, so spreading isn't an issue because the egg protein compensates for the lack of gluten (which is, as you may or may not have guessed, a protein). The recipe I've been using didn't have egg in it, so there was nothing holding the batter together as it cooked. Thus the spreading and frustration. So I took the recipe, deconstructed it, and rebuilt it to suit my needs. Here it is:
1 1/4 cup gluten free flour such as Pamela's baking mix or your own recipe
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
Cream together butter and both sugars until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Add the flour, cocoa, salt, egg, and extract (and zest) and beat until a dough forms. Round into a ball and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Drop 1 tsp sized balls of dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 6-8 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Remove from oven and cool on pan for an additional three minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
The result is a moist, chewy cookie that's fudgy but not too much. I like them slightly warm from the pan, but adding raspberry preserves of whipped cream wouldn't hurt. Enjoy!
The answer's a simple one and I can't believe it took me this long to get there. Gluten free flour contains little to no protein. Protein is what binds things together. Normally, I don't have this problem because my cookie recipes have eggs in them, so spreading isn't an issue because the egg protein compensates for the lack of gluten (which is, as you may or may not have guessed, a protein). The recipe I've been using didn't have egg in it, so there was nothing holding the batter together as it cooked. Thus the spreading and frustration. So I took the recipe, deconstructed it, and rebuilt it to suit my needs. Here it is:
1 1/4 cup gluten free flour such as Pamela's baking mix or your own recipe
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
Cream together butter and both sugars until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Add the flour, cocoa, salt, egg, and extract (and zest) and beat until a dough forms. Round into a ball and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Drop 1 tsp sized balls of dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 6-8 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Remove from oven and cool on pan for an additional three minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
The result is a moist, chewy cookie that's fudgy but not too much. I like them slightly warm from the pan, but adding raspberry preserves of whipped cream wouldn't hurt. Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Orange Cookie Update
So I went back to that recipe for the orange cookies and this is what I came up with:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine ingredients ina bowl and stir until smooth. On a greased cookie sheet drop about a tablespoon of batter. Allow about 3 inches between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until outer edges are brown and rotate pan about halfway through to ensure even baking. Cool a minute more then transfer to wire cooling rack.
I'm still playing with it, but this batch turned out a lot better than the first batch. They're a bit thicker and bake more evenly, although they're a little more chewy than I hoped. The vanilla is also less powerful since I reduced that as well to allow the orange flavor to come through more. I hope you like them.
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine ingredients ina bowl and stir until smooth. On a greased cookie sheet drop about a tablespoon of batter. Allow about 3 inches between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until outer edges are brown and rotate pan about halfway through to ensure even baking. Cool a minute more then transfer to wire cooling rack.
I'm still playing with it, but this batch turned out a lot better than the first batch. They're a bit thicker and bake more evenly, although they're a little more chewy than I hoped. The vanilla is also less powerful since I reduced that as well to allow the orange flavor to come through more. I hope you like them.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Orange Cookies
Since I missed last week, I wanted to make an NYC Goes Orange recipe. Delish had one for orange wafers to serve with fruit salads and such. The idea was to have a fortune cookie style wafer. So I tried the recipe.
I'm not sure why, but these cookies did not turn out the way I wanted them to. It seems there's too much butter and not enough flour for them to stand up to the oven. I'll post the recipe for you to try at home, but I plan on altering it a bit until I get the right texture. The flavor was delightful though, so at least that turned out well.
Original Recipe featured on Delish.com
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter
1/2 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp orange juice (half an orange)
2 tbsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Combine the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. On a lightly greased cookie sheet, drop batter into 2 1/2 inch rounds. Make sure cookies are about 4 inches apart on sheet. Bake until edges brown, 16-18 minutes. Halfway through, rotate the cookie sheet and move to a lower rack.
I'm thinking of cutting the butter down even further and increasing the flour a little bit so the cookies hold together. I might also reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees. I'll keep everyone updated on the changes I make, but for now, enjoy the cookies. Maybe you'll have more luck than I did. And please remember to support hunger action. Go Orange, even if you're not in New York City. Maybe one day we can have USA Goes Orange for hunger.
I'm not sure why, but these cookies did not turn out the way I wanted them to. It seems there's too much butter and not enough flour for them to stand up to the oven. I'll post the recipe for you to try at home, but I plan on altering it a bit until I get the right texture. The flavor was delightful though, so at least that turned out well.
Original Recipe featured on Delish.com
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter
1/2 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp orange juice (half an orange)
2 tbsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Combine the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. On a lightly greased cookie sheet, drop batter into 2 1/2 inch rounds. Make sure cookies are about 4 inches apart on sheet. Bake until edges brown, 16-18 minutes. Halfway through, rotate the cookie sheet and move to a lower rack.
I'm thinking of cutting the butter down even further and increasing the flour a little bit so the cookies hold together. I might also reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees. I'll keep everyone updated on the changes I make, but for now, enjoy the cookies. Maybe you'll have more luck than I did. And please remember to support hunger action. Go Orange, even if you're not in New York City. Maybe one day we can have USA Goes Orange for hunger.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Savory Orange Sauce
I've posted this recipe before, but I made some changes to it since the first trial. So here for NYC GOES Orange, I give you Savory Orange Sauce:
1 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp mustard (I prefer whole grain mustard for the texture, but Dijon also works)
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 medium onion
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium bowl whisk together juice, cornstarch, mustard and herbs. Caramelize the onions in a hot skillet. Transfer juice mixture to skillet. Bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens up. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It's best to do this after searing your meat in the pan so the sauce picks up the flavors.
For this sauce, my favorite way of serving it is over cubes of chicken in gluten free pasta or rice, but it works nicely over pork too. I even tried it in a pasta salad with mushrooms. Use fresh squeezed juice if you can since the cartoon juice contains extra sugar and can overpower the other flavors. Enjoy. Don't forget to Go Orange for hunger.
1 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp mustard (I prefer whole grain mustard for the texture, but Dijon also works)
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 medium onion
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium bowl whisk together juice, cornstarch, mustard and herbs. Caramelize the onions in a hot skillet. Transfer juice mixture to skillet. Bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens up. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It's best to do this after searing your meat in the pan so the sauce picks up the flavors.
For this sauce, my favorite way of serving it is over cubes of chicken in gluten free pasta or rice, but it works nicely over pork too. I even tried it in a pasta salad with mushrooms. Use fresh squeezed juice if you can since the cartoon juice contains extra sugar and can overpower the other flavors. Enjoy. Don't forget to Go Orange for hunger.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Orange Cake
It's that time again. NYC Goes Orange Recipe of the Week. This week's recipe is orange cake. It was supposed to come out like birthday cake, but I think it's more like a pound cake. Still very delicious.
Recipe:
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (Pamela's baking mix for me as per the usual)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (one stick, unsalted, softened)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature, separated)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 whole milk + 1/4 cup half and half
1 tsp orange zest
the juice of half an orange
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8" round cake pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light in color. Add the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla. Slowly add the flour until the mixture resembles wet sand. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Add milk to flour mixture along with orange juice and zest. Fold in egg whites gently. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake until tooth pick comes out clean (30-35 minutes). Allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a plate.
I didn't ice this one. Just dolloped a little raspberry preserve on a plate and ate it with that, but feel free to ice with butter cream or chocolate ganache. Your choice. Enjoy and remember to Go Orange.
Recipe:
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (Pamela's baking mix for me as per the usual)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (one stick, unsalted, softened)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature, separated)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 whole milk + 1/4 cup half and half
1 tsp orange zest
the juice of half an orange
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8" round cake pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light in color. Add the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla. Slowly add the flour until the mixture resembles wet sand. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Add milk to flour mixture along with orange juice and zest. Fold in egg whites gently. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake until tooth pick comes out clean (30-35 minutes). Allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a plate.
I didn't ice this one. Just dolloped a little raspberry preserve on a plate and ate it with that, but feel free to ice with butter cream or chocolate ganache. Your choice. Enjoy and remember to Go Orange.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Orange and Apricot Biscotti
As promised, a weekly recipe to support NYC Goes Orange and Food Bank for NYC. This week is Orange and Apricot Biscotti.
The recipe:
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 extra large egg and 1 egg white
1 3/4 cup GF flour (I prefer Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix, but use what you have on hand)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried diced apricots
Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the extract, juice, cinnamon, and eggs. Fold in the flour. Turn out dough onto floured plastic wrap. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Form dough into large log, leaving two inches from sides of baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, lower heat to 300 degrees F. When the roll is cooled, cut into slices and lay on their sides on the pan. Replace in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes more.
A few things to note:
When I made this dough, it was incredibly sticky. If yours comes out this way, flour it and your counter heavily. I probably used an additional 1/4-1/2 cup of flour just for that. Mine came out dark because I was using a new oven for the first time and a new recipe, so I haven't quite figured out the nuances yet. Keep in mind that oven temperatures vary, so the baking time might be more or less when you try it. Finally, if you prefer, you can use any flavor extract, dried fruit, or nuts you like for this recipe. Have fun and enjoy. And remember to show your support for hunger action by going orange now through December.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Sweetness
I have a sweet tooth. A hollow sweet tooth. Mostly for cookies. So when I found Food2's recipe for homemade Oreo cookies, my sweet tooth started singin'. You better believe this was something I was going to try to adapt for gluten-free eating. The recipe below is super easy to follow and worked beautifully with my Pamela's Pancake and Baking mix as a flour substitute. Delicious, sweet success.
Recipe (courtesy of food2.com):
1 1/4 cup flour (all purpose or gluten-free)
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter plus additional 2 tbsp
1 large egg
In a large bowl or food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa. Add butter and egg and continue to combine until mixture comes together in a mass.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Drop rounded teaspoon sized portions onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9 minutes. Allow to cool and make sandwiches with filling (recipe below), whipped cream, or your favorite fruit jelly.
Filling recipe (also courtesy of food2.com):
1 1/4 cup flour (all purpose or gluten-free)
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter plus additional 2 tbsp
1 large egg
In a large bowl or food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa. Add butter and egg and continue to combine until mixture comes together in a mass.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Drop rounded teaspoon sized portions onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9 minutes. Allow to cool and make sandwiches with filling (recipe below), whipped cream, or your favorite fruit jelly.
Filling recipe (also courtesy of food2.com):1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 vegetable shortening
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine butter and shortening. Beat in sugar and vanilla at low-medium speed until light and fluffy.
I baked a few cookies the day I made the dough and refrigerated the rest for later. The refrigerated dough seemed to bake up better, so if you're making a gluten-free variety, I recommend doing so for at least an hour. If you have a hollow sweet tooth like me, I promise this will fill it up.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Family Affair
Summertime in my family means lots of picnics and barbeques because there are so many of us and because we all love to eat and be together. Saturday, it was my cousin Saul's turn to host the festivities. His annual barbeque goes something like this: he supplies homemade barbeque chicken, beef, and pork and the rest of us supply side dishes and drinks to share. This year, I made a side and a dessert. Cucumber salad at Dawn's request and fruit pizza:
Recipe for cucumber salad:
3 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced in half moon shapes
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 vidalia onion, also sliced in half moons
8 0z. ciligiene mozzarella
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dill
coarse salt (sea or kosher is fine) and pepper to taste
Finely chop the garlic and sprinkle with salt. Using flat edge of knife blade, grind into a paste. Add to a bowl with lemon juice, pepper, and dill. Whisk in olive oil to emulsify. Pour over mixture of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and mozzarella. Toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving (I made it the day before and left it overnight).
Recipe for fruit pizza*:
1 package of gluten-free sugar cookie mix (I used Namaste's cookie mix, but choose what you like best)
2- 8 oz packages of mascarpone cheese
1- 8 oz package of extra creamy CoolWhip
1 pint each of blueberries, raspberries, and black berries
12 oz. canned peaches packed in juice
16 oz. cherry preserves
1/4 cup sugar
Make cookie mix according to package directions and press into a standard sized cake pan. Bake until light brown on top (with Namaste mix that was about 28 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool fully. In the meantime mix the mascarpone cheese, CoolWhip, and sugar and wash and prep berries. Warm preserves until slightly runny ( 2- 30 rounds in the microwave on med-high heat worked for me). Once the cookie base is completely cool to the touch, spread the cheese mixture over it. Assemble the fruit on top. Drizzle preserves over the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving (again, I made it the night before and let it set overnight).
*This recipe can also be used with a variety of fruit, preserves, using cream cheese, or with any cookie base you'd like to try, so have fun and improvise.
The rest of the food there was amazing. Even better was the chance to catch up with family members I only get to see once in a while. That's what I call success.
Recipe for cucumber salad:
3 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced in half moon shapes
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 vidalia onion, also sliced in half moons
8 0z. ciligiene mozzarella
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dill
coarse salt (sea or kosher is fine) and pepper to taste
Finely chop the garlic and sprinkle with salt. Using flat edge of knife blade, grind into a paste. Add to a bowl with lemon juice, pepper, and dill. Whisk in olive oil to emulsify. Pour over mixture of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and mozzarella. Toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving (I made it the day before and left it overnight).
Recipe for fruit pizza*:
1 package of gluten-free sugar cookie mix (I used Namaste's cookie mix, but choose what you like best)
2- 8 oz packages of mascarpone cheese
1- 8 oz package of extra creamy CoolWhip
1 pint each of blueberries, raspberries, and black berries
12 oz. canned peaches packed in juice
16 oz. cherry preserves
1/4 cup sugar
Make cookie mix according to package directions and press into a standard sized cake pan. Bake until light brown on top (with Namaste mix that was about 28 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool fully. In the meantime mix the mascarpone cheese, CoolWhip, and sugar and wash and prep berries. Warm preserves until slightly runny ( 2- 30 rounds in the microwave on med-high heat worked for me). Once the cookie base is completely cool to the touch, spread the cheese mixture over it. Assemble the fruit on top. Drizzle preserves over the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving (again, I made it the night before and let it set overnight).
*This recipe can also be used with a variety of fruit, preserves, using cream cheese, or with any cookie base you'd like to try, so have fun and improvise.
The rest of the food there was amazing. Even better was the chance to catch up with family members I only get to see once in a while. That's what I call success.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Picnic Food
My friends, Rob and Karen are having a big cookout this weekend. In the spirit of the event, I made some gluten-free pasta salad. It's my first attempt at the recipe, but I think it turned out well:
24 oz. gluten free pasta (I used two 12 oz bags of my favorite brand. You do the same)
4 oz. canned mushrooms
4 oz. canned mushrooms
1/2 onion chopped
1 qt. frozen broccoli
1 1/2 cups orange juice
3 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tsp cornstarch
3 tsp dried sage
3 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
Cook pasta according to package directions or until al dente, drain and set aside, covered to keep warm. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, cornstarch, sage, thyme, mustard, and salt and pepper . Heat a medium saute pan and add enough oil to coat the bottom thoroughly. Saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the broccoli and mushrooms and heat through. Salt and pepper the vegetables to taste. Add the orange juice mixture and allow to simmer for 2-4 minutes. Mix together with the pasta and refrigerate. Serve cold.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Breakfast of Champions
Who doesn't love a good waffle? I certainly do. And I woke up craving some fluffy, gluten-free, yumminess in the form of my favorite breakfast treat. So I set to work. I assembled the ingredients listed on the back of Pamela's Pancake and Baking Product plus a few extras. And I cranked up the sandwich-maker. Yes, the sandwich maker. It makes small triangle waffles that I think are way cuter than regular big ones. This is what I played with:
1 and 1/2 cups of Pamela's mix
3/4 cup water
2 eggs separated
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp all spice
3 tbsp apricot preserves
a handful of pine nuts, toasted
Add the baking mix, water, oil, and egg yokes and stir. In a separate bowl, beat the whites to stiff peaks. Gently incorporate the whites into the rest of the mixture and add the allspice. Ladle into a hot waffle iron (or sandwich maker). Any waffle iron worth it's salt will have an indicator light to let you know when the waffles are done. Meanwhile in a small pot, heat the preserves with a small amount of water until slightly runny. Pour over waffles and add the toasted pine nuts. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
I thought it was delicious, if a little lacking in allspice flavor. I want to play around with it a bit and see what I can do.
1 and 1/2 cups of Pamela's mix
3/4 cup water
2 eggs separated
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp all spice
3 tbsp apricot preserves
a handful of pine nuts, toasted
Add the baking mix, water, oil, and egg yokes and stir. In a separate bowl, beat the whites to stiff peaks. Gently incorporate the whites into the rest of the mixture and add the allspice. Ladle into a hot waffle iron (or sandwich maker). Any waffle iron worth it's salt will have an indicator light to let you know when the waffles are done. Meanwhile in a small pot, heat the preserves with a small amount of water until slightly runny. Pour over waffles and add the toasted pine nuts. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
I thought it was delicious, if a little lacking in allspice flavor. I want to play around with it a bit and see what I can do.
The South Will Rise Again
It won't really. But if it did, it would be because there's a lack of barbeque in the North. That's right kids, I'm talking about my gastronomically triumphant 4th of July.
Ma and I road tripped it up to North Carolina on Friday. After dropped off our luggage we hit the grocery store to find gluten-free beer for yours truly, and the ingredients for gluten-free fruit pizza (yes it IS as delicious as it sounds), and sodas for the family barbeque. The gluten-free beer was a major fail. Three grocery stores later and not a sorghum based beer to be found. Instead I picked up a few 22oz. bottles of J.K. Scrumpy's Hard Cider. It's an organic hard apple cider that drinks like apple juice. Check it out at :http://organicscrumpy.com/ Delicious stuff. And thanks to a little research done by one Franklin Williams, it can be found at several restaurants in the Big Apple itself. So the beer fail turned out to be a cider victory.
Gluten-free fruit pizza ingredients was far more successful. One box of gluten-free sugar cookie mix, two packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, two tubs of Extra Creamy Cool-Whip, two fresh kiwis, one package of strawberries, two cans of pineapple rings, two cans of peaches, and one jar of apricot preserves later we were in business. The recipe's simple:
Follow the baking directions on the box of cookie mix, but spread in baking pans like pie crust. Combine the cream cheese and Cool-Whip. When the cookies are cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture over them. Arrange the fruit (sliced, washed, drained, etc.) over the mixtures. Warm the apricot preserves until slightly runny and pour over the fruit and cream cheese mixture. Chill and serve cold. You could use any cookie base, fruit, and preserve mix you'd like. I'm contemplating an almond cookie base with mascarpone cheese filling, cherries, and currant jelly variant.
At the barbeque, I was treated to my favorite Southern food of all time. North Carolina style pork barbeque straight from the pit. My cousin, Tony, has his own rig and he got the pig started at around 9AM. By 4PM the ribs were ready to be devoured. They're easily my favorite part of the pig, and this year was no exception. The skin was crackling and the meat was perfectly cooked. Slightly sweet, fall off the bone tender. By 5:30 the whole pig was ready to be served. Tony saved me some of the meat from the loin. Super tender and delicious, it hardly needed the vinegar based sauce he made to pour over it, but I used a little just for some extra flavor. To go with the perfection sitting on my plate, I also helped myself to some deviled eggs, potato salad, potatoes stewed in tomato, and a mixed bean salad with corn and cilantro.
When dinner was over and I thought I couldn't possibly eat anything else, I started on dessert. A slice of fruit pizza and homemade peach ice cream made fresh that morning with fresh picked peaches. My mother and uncle spent the better part of the morning blanching, peeling, and chopping the peaches. The ice cream came out exactly how I like it. Full of peaches and very soft, even a little runny.
Perfect. This is what I look forward to each year. Pork barbeque and homemade ice cream. Then a nap in the living room after too much food and too much sun. Even without the fireworks, which we skipped this year, this is what makes my summer. I even made off with two quart-sized bags of leftover barbeque the next day. Yankees be jealous.
Ma and I road tripped it up to North Carolina on Friday. After dropped off our luggage we hit the grocery store to find gluten-free beer for yours truly, and the ingredients for gluten-free fruit pizza (yes it IS as delicious as it sounds), and sodas for the family barbeque. The gluten-free beer was a major fail. Three grocery stores later and not a sorghum based beer to be found. Instead I picked up a few 22oz. bottles of J.K. Scrumpy's Hard Cider. It's an organic hard apple cider that drinks like apple juice. Check it out at :http://organicscrumpy.com/ Delicious stuff. And thanks to a little research done by one Franklin Williams, it can be found at several restaurants in the Big Apple itself. So the beer fail turned out to be a cider victory.
Gluten-free fruit pizza ingredients was far more successful. One box of gluten-free sugar cookie mix, two packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, two tubs of Extra Creamy Cool-Whip, two fresh kiwis, one package of strawberries, two cans of pineapple rings, two cans of peaches, and one jar of apricot preserves later we were in business. The recipe's simple:
Follow the baking directions on the box of cookie mix, but spread in baking pans like pie crust. Combine the cream cheese and Cool-Whip. When the cookies are cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture over them. Arrange the fruit (sliced, washed, drained, etc.) over the mixtures. Warm the apricot preserves until slightly runny and pour over the fruit and cream cheese mixture. Chill and serve cold. You could use any cookie base, fruit, and preserve mix you'd like. I'm contemplating an almond cookie base with mascarpone cheese filling, cherries, and currant jelly variant.
At the barbeque, I was treated to my favorite Southern food of all time. North Carolina style pork barbeque straight from the pit. My cousin, Tony, has his own rig and he got the pig started at around 9AM. By 4PM the ribs were ready to be devoured. They're easily my favorite part of the pig, and this year was no exception. The skin was crackling and the meat was perfectly cooked. Slightly sweet, fall off the bone tender. By 5:30 the whole pig was ready to be served. Tony saved me some of the meat from the loin. Super tender and delicious, it hardly needed the vinegar based sauce he made to pour over it, but I used a little just for some extra flavor. To go with the perfection sitting on my plate, I also helped myself to some deviled eggs, potato salad, potatoes stewed in tomato, and a mixed bean salad with corn and cilantro.
When dinner was over and I thought I couldn't possibly eat anything else, I started on dessert. A slice of fruit pizza and homemade peach ice cream made fresh that morning with fresh picked peaches. My mother and uncle spent the better part of the morning blanching, peeling, and chopping the peaches. The ice cream came out exactly how I like it. Full of peaches and very soft, even a little runny.
Perfect. This is what I look forward to each year. Pork barbeque and homemade ice cream. Then a nap in the living room after too much food and too much sun. Even without the fireworks, which we skipped this year, this is what makes my summer. I even made off with two quart-sized bags of leftover barbeque the next day. Yankees be jealous.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Snacks! I made yummy snacks!
Dinner today was a culinary triumph if I do say so myself. Pan seared chicken with garlic and thyme. And Melt-fries. Roasted potatoes, green and yellow squash, and red peppers served in an onion, garlic tomato sauce. So simple, so delicious. I'm a happy girl. The colors were beautiful and everything was perfectly seasoned. Recipe is as follows:
Quarter new red potatoes and spread on a baking sheet.
Slice squash and red peppers and spread on a second baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Drizzle vegetables and potatoes with olive oil and coat with coarse salt and cracked black pepper. Roast potatoes for 30 minutes and vegetables for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice half and onion and finely chop one clove of garlic. In a medium sauce pan heat a little oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until onions are translucent and soft. Add one can of diced tomatoes. Season with salt a nd pepper to taste.
Mix in roasted potatoes and vegetables and allow them to soak up tomato mixture. Serve hot.
For bar night, I made two hors d'oevres. Cherry tomatoes stuffed with pesto and lemon and basil aioli served with garlic parmesean toast. Use your favorite pesto recipe. Cut the tops of the the tomatoes and remove seeds with melon baller or small spoon. Fill with pesto.
For the ailoi:
2/3 cups olive oil
2/3 cups vegetable oil or sunflower oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 egg yolks
salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
In food processor, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Slowly drizzle oil into mixture. Process until fully emulsified. Transfer to small bowl and add basil. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve with your favorite store bought toast or crackers or with potato wedges/fried vegetables.
Yum!
Quarter new red potatoes and spread on a baking sheet.
Slice squash and red peppers and spread on a second baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Drizzle vegetables and potatoes with olive oil and coat with coarse salt and cracked black pepper. Roast potatoes for 30 minutes and vegetables for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice half and onion and finely chop one clove of garlic. In a medium sauce pan heat a little oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until onions are translucent and soft. Add one can of diced tomatoes. Season with salt a nd pepper to taste.
Mix in roasted potatoes and vegetables and allow them to soak up tomato mixture. Serve hot.
For bar night, I made two hors d'oevres. Cherry tomatoes stuffed with pesto and lemon and basil aioli served with garlic parmesean toast. Use your favorite pesto recipe. Cut the tops of the the tomatoes and remove seeds with melon baller or small spoon. Fill with pesto.
For the ailoi:
2/3 cups olive oil
2/3 cups vegetable oil or sunflower oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 egg yolks
salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
In food processor, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Slowly drizzle oil into mixture. Process until fully emulsified. Transfer to small bowl and add basil. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve with your favorite store bought toast or crackers or with potato wedges/fried vegetables.
Yum!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Playing Around
I had a craving for egg salad today. Not wanting to go to the trouble of making a huge batch, I decided to experiment with a recipe for one. I settled on the following:
4 large eggs
3 tsp mayonnaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dill
salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic salt to taste
Place eggs in a pot of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, then remove from heat, uncover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Crack the shells of the eggs and peel under cold, running water.
In a bowl mix the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and spices. Chop the eggs into small pieces and add to bowl. Mix thoroughly. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Over all, I thought it wasn't bad for operating on the fly. There's a tad too much lemon juice for my taste, so I think I may bring that down to 1/4 tsp or a dash of it. But otherwise, I think it's a success. And the best part? I don't have a pound of leftovers hanging around. Because you know, using a dozen eggs leaves you drowning in egg salad. I just wanted enough for a few sandwiches. Not bad for a first attempt.
4 large eggs
3 tsp mayonnaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dill
salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic salt to taste
Place eggs in a pot of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, then remove from heat, uncover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Crack the shells of the eggs and peel under cold, running water.
In a bowl mix the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and spices. Chop the eggs into small pieces and add to bowl. Mix thoroughly. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Over all, I thought it wasn't bad for operating on the fly. There's a tad too much lemon juice for my taste, so I think I may bring that down to 1/4 tsp or a dash of it. But otherwise, I think it's a success. And the best part? I don't have a pound of leftovers hanging around. Because you know, using a dozen eggs leaves you drowning in egg salad. I just wanted enough for a few sandwiches. Not bad for a first attempt.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Mother's Day
So yesterday was lovely. Woke up, called Ma to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. I feel a little guilty that I left before then so I wasn't there to celebrate with her. Although, I suppose it isn't the first Mother's Day that I'll miss. Anyway, I also made breakfast for my cousins. Dawn's boys don't do much for her, so I thought she deserved it. Nothing fancy, just some creamy scrambled eggs with dill and fresh chives. It goes like this:
8 large eggs
1/2 cup half and half or whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried dill
chopped fresh chives for garnish
Whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and dill. Melt 1 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium heat and add egg mixture. Stir frequently to allow curds to form. Cook to desired doneness. Serve hot. Garnish with fresh chives. (Serves 4)
They turned out nicely, and it was a super easy way to dress up basic scrambled eggs. Serving over toasted english muffins with crispy bacon is my recommendation, or for you gluten free kids, with a couple of slices of beefsteak tomato.
Howie planned a dinner party with their friends for the evening. Spiral cut ham with apple-maple-walnut glaze, grilled asparagus with balsamic vinegar dressing, mashed potatoes, and honey glazed carrots. It was the three of us, their oldest son and his girlfriend, their friends, Bill and Carol, and their daughter, Tracy, and their friend, Ana. Afterwards we had drinks in the new game room/bar. Ana's son, Chris, showed up to chill with us and he, Tracy, and I congregated in the corner to chat. The neighbors showed up with their son for a bit as well. Spirits (both the liquid variety and the mood variety) flowed freely and fun was had by all.
8 large eggs
1/2 cup half and half or whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried dill
chopped fresh chives for garnish
Whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and dill. Melt 1 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium heat and add egg mixture. Stir frequently to allow curds to form. Cook to desired doneness. Serve hot. Garnish with fresh chives. (Serves 4)
They turned out nicely, and it was a super easy way to dress up basic scrambled eggs. Serving over toasted english muffins with crispy bacon is my recommendation, or for you gluten free kids, with a couple of slices of beefsteak tomato.
Howie planned a dinner party with their friends for the evening. Spiral cut ham with apple-maple-walnut glaze, grilled asparagus with balsamic vinegar dressing, mashed potatoes, and honey glazed carrots. It was the three of us, their oldest son and his girlfriend, their friends, Bill and Carol, and their daughter, Tracy, and their friend, Ana. Afterwards we had drinks in the new game room/bar. Ana's son, Chris, showed up to chill with us and he, Tracy, and I congregated in the corner to chat. The neighbors showed up with their son for a bit as well. Spirits (both the liquid variety and the mood variety) flowed freely and fun was had by all.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Orange and Rum and Cinnamon Oh My!
So the cookies I was talking about baking today didn't happen. After rummaging the pantry for semi-sweet chocolate chips and coming up unsuccessful, I decided to change the game. Instead, I found a recipe for a cinnamon rum cake. As I said yesterday, my baking mix arrived in the mail, and I discovered that I can substitute that for regular flour. So I did. The result was what I am now calling my Cinnamon Island Cake. Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (for you non celiacs) or the equivalent of Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix (for those with gluten sensitivities)
1/2 sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp rum
1/2 cup butter
Cream together the sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Separate eggs and beat whites until stiff. Add the yolks one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Add the rum at this time. Slowly add the flour. Fold in egg whites. Add to a greased 10 in baking pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool until pan can be handled then turn out on cooling rack.
In the meantime prepare orange glaze:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 water
1 tsp orange extract
orange zest (approx 1/2 tsp)
2 cups powdered sugar
In a saucepan simmer granulated sugar, water, orange extract and zest until granulated sugar is dissolved. In a medium bowl combine syrup and powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. If glaze starts to thicken too quickly heat in microwave for a few seconds.
Pour glaze over cooled cake. Garnish with fresh orange rounds.
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (for you non celiacs) or the equivalent of Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix (for those with gluten sensitivities)
1/2 sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp rum
1/2 cup butter
Cream together the sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Separate eggs and beat whites until stiff. Add the yolks one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Add the rum at this time. Slowly add the flour. Fold in egg whites. Add to a greased 10 in baking pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool until pan can be handled then turn out on cooling rack.
In the meantime prepare orange glaze:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 water
1 tsp orange extract
orange zest (approx 1/2 tsp)
2 cups powdered sugar
In a saucepan simmer granulated sugar, water, orange extract and zest until granulated sugar is dissolved. In a medium bowl combine syrup and powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. If glaze starts to thicken too quickly heat in microwave for a few seconds.
Pour glaze over cooled cake. Garnish with fresh orange rounds.
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