Mine crashed again. Yes, I know. But it's old! I can't help it. One day, in the very distant future, I'll have enough money to buy a new one. Until then, I will deal with this one. I'm not sure how long it's going to take. Wish me luck, alright?
Anyways, this also coincides with me running out of old recipes to to share and a new wave of pantry cooking, so you're not missing out on much. I've got cans of junk in my pantry from years ago, so I'm going to try and use them up. That and I want to learn how to make a few things from scratch, so this is a good opportunity for that. And, you know, save money. So it's all good. Except that I'm going a little crazy without my best electronic friend. I promise to keep you all updated if I make anything new though. Be back soon.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Christmas Baking: Round 1
I promise all this was done on time. I'm just a little slow telling you all about it. Round 1 was for friends and my dude's dad and step mom. This year, I decided to spare myself a little. I tend to go all out for my once a year marathon baking and end up stressing myself out. Pared down, I settled on two types of cookies, one truffle, and marshmallows. This was much easier. This also marks the year that I wised up and bought a cookie scoop for the truffles and cookies.
Truffles are a snap to make and always my biggest head turner. This year, I made Ina's hazelnut truffles. It finally gave me an excuse to buy a bottle of Frangelico (Love that bottle!). The snag was that I couldn't for the life of me find hazelnuts down here. Small bother though, because I just used toasted, chopped almonds and dark chocolate cocoa powder instead. They turned out really well. I think next year I want to either try these or try my hand at making a more traditional covered ganache.
Cookies were a cinch. I resurrected my almond spritz cookies from last year and actually used the right nozzle combo to get, wait for it... shapes! Or one shape, because I was pressed for time and didn't want to mess with changing the nozzle. I tried to use the plastic press, but couldn't figure out how to get non-mushed cookies, so I resorted to my metal baby.
My new cookie recipe this year came from... drum roll please. Smitten Kitchen. I love to surprise people. Anyway, Deb said they've made it multiple times because they have a high chocolate to dough ratio. What do I think? Overall: good. Very chocolaty but they were too crunchy for me and I think they're missing a little something. Everyone else liked them though, and that's what counts.
The piece du resistance, however, was another go at marshmallows. Remember my last attempt? Aside from a healthy dose of drama, my biggest mistake was not coating the dish well enough for the marshmallows to, you know, not cling for dear life. I was prepared this time.
Oh my god. SO SOFT. It was what I imagined most people feel like when caressing a newborn. So pillowy soft and pliable. Except not nearly as creepy. This was one of the most satisfying recipes I've ever worked with. With just a little nudge, they came out of my resting dish in a single sheet. Cut them up and massage more cornstarch and powdered sugar into them. And when I say massage, I mean I might have fondled them and cooed. It was that awesome. The only trouble I had was after the fact. I wanted to artistically dip them in melted dark and peppermint white chocolate. I didn't dip so much as smear. Still, points for intent.
Of course, it didn't occur to me until afterwards that I don't really like marshmallows.
The last recipe was a spice pound cake. (It doesn't hurt that you get the recipe from a comic strip) I usually like to make something more substantial that goes alongside the cookie tin. This year, I had some ingredients to use up and this fit the ticket. I made them in mini-loaf tins for individual giving. This messed up my cook time a bit, and resulted in some overflow onto the sheet pan I brilliantly placed under the tins, but it all came out pretty well. And judging from the spill, I'm going to make these again. Not too sweet and enough spice to make it interesting. I want a slice with some coffee. Also good for the morning after the merriment comedown.
With everything done, I packed them all in tins and set off to play Santa. Not bad for a two day session. Four new recipes, a glorious second chance, and five holiday treats to fatten friends. Of course, I didn't leave any for myself, so I've got a few desserts on the list for me. Later.
Truffles are a snap to make and always my biggest head turner. This year, I made Ina's hazelnut truffles. It finally gave me an excuse to buy a bottle of Frangelico (Love that bottle!). The snag was that I couldn't for the life of me find hazelnuts down here. Small bother though, because I just used toasted, chopped almonds and dark chocolate cocoa powder instead. They turned out really well. I think next year I want to either try these or try my hand at making a more traditional covered ganache.
Cookies were a cinch. I resurrected my almond spritz cookies from last year and actually used the right nozzle combo to get, wait for it... shapes! Or one shape, because I was pressed for time and didn't want to mess with changing the nozzle. I tried to use the plastic press, but couldn't figure out how to get non-mushed cookies, so I resorted to my metal baby.
My new cookie recipe this year came from... drum roll please. Smitten Kitchen. I love to surprise people. Anyway, Deb said they've made it multiple times because they have a high chocolate to dough ratio. What do I think? Overall: good. Very chocolaty but they were too crunchy for me and I think they're missing a little something. Everyone else liked them though, and that's what counts.
The piece du resistance, however, was another go at marshmallows. Remember my last attempt? Aside from a healthy dose of drama, my biggest mistake was not coating the dish well enough for the marshmallows to, you know, not cling for dear life. I was prepared this time.
Oh my god. SO SOFT. It was what I imagined most people feel like when caressing a newborn. So pillowy soft and pliable. Except not nearly as creepy. This was one of the most satisfying recipes I've ever worked with. With just a little nudge, they came out of my resting dish in a single sheet. Cut them up and massage more cornstarch and powdered sugar into them. And when I say massage, I mean I might have fondled them and cooed. It was that awesome. The only trouble I had was after the fact. I wanted to artistically dip them in melted dark and peppermint white chocolate. I didn't dip so much as smear. Still, points for intent.
Of course, it didn't occur to me until afterwards that I don't really like marshmallows.
The last recipe was a spice pound cake. (It doesn't hurt that you get the recipe from a comic strip) I usually like to make something more substantial that goes alongside the cookie tin. This year, I had some ingredients to use up and this fit the ticket. I made them in mini-loaf tins for individual giving. This messed up my cook time a bit, and resulted in some overflow onto the sheet pan I brilliantly placed under the tins, but it all came out pretty well. And judging from the spill, I'm going to make these again. Not too sweet and enough spice to make it interesting. I want a slice with some coffee. Also good for the morning after the merriment comedown.
With everything done, I packed them all in tins and set off to play Santa. Not bad for a two day session. Four new recipes, a glorious second chance, and five holiday treats to fatten friends. Of course, I didn't leave any for myself, so I've got a few desserts on the list for me. Later.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
More Baked Mac
Yeah, I'm still searching for it. How many things am I on a quest for now? Mac and cheese and chicken salad. Maybe more but I can't think of them right now. The only part I hate about making these recipes is grating all that cheese. See, I'm one of those people who refuses to buy more expensive grated cheese that doesn't have the same quality offerings. Luckily, my dude took care of that. And the cleaning. And most of the measuring. Did I mention I'm the kitchen tyrant?
I think my favorite part of this recipe was the simple bread croutons. They don't hold up well reheated, but right out of the oven they add a wonderful buttery kick to it. However, there wasn't enough cheese. I mean, sure, roughly 6 cups but psht. There's still a ton of noodles to cover with all that cheese. I used a mix of sharp white cheddar and a little more yellow cheddar for the bulk of it. My "secondary" cheese was grated romano. It just lacked a decent amount of flavor and I know it can't all be blamed on my choice of cheese.
I was also hoping that with two people, we could eat the massive amount of macaroni and cheese I created. It's still there. Like, lots of it. Good, but there's so much of it. Plus, pre-boiling noodles? At least 3 pans? No. There's better out there. Sorry, Martha. You're just not cutting it for me today. However, if you'd like to give it a go, I found this recipe via (3 guesses) Smitten Kitchen.
I think my favorite part of this recipe was the simple bread croutons. They don't hold up well reheated, but right out of the oven they add a wonderful buttery kick to it. However, there wasn't enough cheese. I mean, sure, roughly 6 cups but psht. There's still a ton of noodles to cover with all that cheese. I used a mix of sharp white cheddar and a little more yellow cheddar for the bulk of it. My "secondary" cheese was grated romano. It just lacked a decent amount of flavor and I know it can't all be blamed on my choice of cheese.
I was also hoping that with two people, we could eat the massive amount of macaroni and cheese I created. It's still there. Like, lots of it. Good, but there's so much of it. Plus, pre-boiling noodles? At least 3 pans? No. There's better out there. Sorry, Martha. You're just not cutting it for me today. However, if you'd like to give it a go, I found this recipe via (3 guesses) Smitten Kitchen.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Banana Bread
Alright, this another kind of cheating post. I didn't get to take any pictures of the finished product. Oh, I had lots of opportunities. I just forgot. It was during finals and I was enjoying them with coffee and textbooks. Mostly, there was a small bunch of bananas glaring at me to use them before I had to throw them out. Like I was forced to with the bunch before that I promised- so sincerely- that I'd put in the same recipe. I'm a horrible person!
It's also cheating because, yeah, it's a link. But it's still great! Very easy to pull off even when you're zombified and tastes really banana-y when you didn't quite have as much as the recipe called for. I made mine in mini-loaf pans so I could eat them easier. You know, when slicing bread has become too much of a brain-buster. There is one other banana bread recipe I really want to try and another bunch-o-bananas eyeing me suspiciously. However, it's much fussier and this one might be my go-to for a while.
But you don't care about any of that. Have a glass of champagne for me and have a happy New Year!
It's also cheating because, yeah, it's a link. But it's still great! Very easy to pull off even when you're zombified and tastes really banana-y when you didn't quite have as much as the recipe called for. I made mine in mini-loaf pans so I could eat them easier. You know, when slicing bread has become too much of a brain-buster. There is one other banana bread recipe I really want to try and another bunch-o-bananas eyeing me suspiciously. However, it's much fussier and this one might be my go-to for a while.
But you don't care about any of that. Have a glass of champagne for me and have a happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Chicken Flautas
I'm feeling a bit better today, so I'm actually going to post a recipe instead of just giving you the link. Every once in a while I do actually cook things not stolen from other blogs. This is one of those things. I grew up eating these with gusto. Both me and my sister are still hounding my mom for the recipe since we tend to lose these things. The ingredients are simple, but we like to use flour tortillas instead of corn and I use less onion since... yeah, it's me. My mom used to make them specially for me since I just wanted chicken without all the other "stuff". Yet another use for good roast chicken
Texas Chicken Flautas With Salsa
1 med size onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T shortening (I used butter)
1 T cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 1/2 chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies- mexican section of store
Vegetable oil for frying
12 corn tortillas (or flour)
Saute onion and garlic in shortening in a large saucepan until tender, about 3 min. Stir in cornstarch, salt and pepper; mix well. Stir in broth, chicken and chilies. Cook, stirring constantly, until very thick and bubbly.
Heat about 1/4" depth of oil in a large skillet. Dip tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds to soften; drain on paper towels. (Or just shove in the microwave for about 20 seconds. You only want them soft enough to fill and then roll.) Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each tortilla; roll up. I use a toothpick to keep them together.
Saute flautas, a few at a time, in hot oil in the skillet, turning often, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Keep flautas warm until all are cooked. I eat mine with sour cream and a little salsa.
Extra credit: Salsa
Chop 2 med size ripe tomatoes, 1 med. size onion and 1 med size halved and seeded green pepper. Combine with 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1 minced clove garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp pepper and 1/8 tsp. ground cumin in a small bowl; mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour or until cold and flavors have blended.
About 6 servings
Texas Chicken Flautas With Salsa
1 med size onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T shortening (I used butter)
1 T cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 1/2 chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies- mexican section of store
Vegetable oil for frying
12 corn tortillas (or flour)
Saute onion and garlic in shortening in a large saucepan until tender, about 3 min. Stir in cornstarch, salt and pepper; mix well. Stir in broth, chicken and chilies. Cook, stirring constantly, until very thick and bubbly.
Heat about 1/4" depth of oil in a large skillet. Dip tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds to soften; drain on paper towels. (Or just shove in the microwave for about 20 seconds. You only want them soft enough to fill and then roll.) Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each tortilla; roll up. I use a toothpick to keep them together.
Saute flautas, a few at a time, in hot oil in the skillet, turning often, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Keep flautas warm until all are cooked. I eat mine with sour cream and a little salsa.
Extra credit: Salsa
Chop 2 med size ripe tomatoes, 1 med. size onion and 1 med size halved and seeded green pepper. Combine with 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1 minced clove garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp pepper and 1/8 tsp. ground cumin in a small bowl; mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour or until cold and flavors have blended.
About 6 servings
Monday, December 29, 2008
Onion Tart with Mustard and Fennel
Oh, guys. I am so sick today. It started last night with the ache that covers your whole body and makes you feel like you can't stop moving or it will hurt too much. It's a bone deep pain that makes you feel restless when you're dying to sleep and sleepwalking when you're awake. Add a seriously sore throat and you had one seriously weepy authoress. Luckily, I had Texas Ranger here on holiday to go out at 4 o'clock in the morning to get me drugs. As long as I stay heavily medicated, everything's alright.
Onto the food. Remember my little onion fest? Well, I wasn't done telling you about all that. I'm hoping everyone will forgive me for schizo storytelling right now due to feeling crappy. Anyways, I had my eyes on an onion tart that I saw over at Smitten Kitchen. Everything Deb makes looks fantastic. Plus, I had already seen a glimmer of what caramelized onions could be. The recipe? Pretty damn good. I didn't even scrape off the onions or anything- ate them up as is. I feel that's a good advancement towards normalcy, don't you?
A few tips though. The dough was easy to make, but if you've had little experience with it, you might want to shop around her site a bit more. I had trouble getting it into a decent shape that didn't have too many tears. Once torn, it was a bitch to stick back together. Also, the rolling pin didn't like this one. Most of the doughmanship was done by hand, however shoddy it may be. But hey! I got my dough to rise! It's alive!
Also, it was a bit salty. I'm not sure what was up with that. Truthfully, it could have been the Kraft Parmesan I used instead of the real thing, because that's pretty salty as well (though I only used half the required amount because of that fact). I was also freaking out about not quite done onions, so I caramelized the hell out of them before ever laying them on the tart. If you visit her site for the recipe, you'll notice her onions are way less cooked than mine. It depends on what taste you favor. My onions were really sweet with a salty crust. I bet hers was more robust and savory. Either way, it's definitely worth a try.
Onto the food. Remember my little onion fest? Well, I wasn't done telling you about all that. I'm hoping everyone will forgive me for schizo storytelling right now due to feeling crappy. Anyways, I had my eyes on an onion tart that I saw over at Smitten Kitchen. Everything Deb makes looks fantastic. Plus, I had already seen a glimmer of what caramelized onions could be. The recipe? Pretty damn good. I didn't even scrape off the onions or anything- ate them up as is. I feel that's a good advancement towards normalcy, don't you?
A few tips though. The dough was easy to make, but if you've had little experience with it, you might want to shop around her site a bit more. I had trouble getting it into a decent shape that didn't have too many tears. Once torn, it was a bitch to stick back together. Also, the rolling pin didn't like this one. Most of the doughmanship was done by hand, however shoddy it may be. But hey! I got my dough to rise! It's alive!
Also, it was a bit salty. I'm not sure what was up with that. Truthfully, it could have been the Kraft Parmesan I used instead of the real thing, because that's pretty salty as well (though I only used half the required amount because of that fact). I was also freaking out about not quite done onions, so I caramelized the hell out of them before ever laying them on the tart. If you visit her site for the recipe, you'll notice her onions are way less cooked than mine. It depends on what taste you favor. My onions were really sweet with a salty crust. I bet hers was more robust and savory. Either way, it's definitely worth a try.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Chicken and Dumplings
Roasting whole chickens is my new thing. I love the smell. I love the mulitude of options after I make one. Homemade stock, crispy skin, old-fashioned fun. It doesn't get better. I roasted another chicken last night too. This time I used salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I ended up basting it with olive oil a bit later because I had to put it back in the oven after it wasn't done. Expect even more chicken recipes from this.
That last chicken I roasted went to both the chicken salad and this. Plus, all that lovely homemade stock made up the base. Since I had both the chicken cooked and stock made, all I really needed was to make dumplings. I found this recipe here and used it for the dough. However, I'm lazy and didn't roll it, which I think I should have. The dropped biscuits were just a little too hard and didn't taste very good. There are always more fish in the sea, so I'm sure next time will be better. Either way, the end product was still very tasty.
That last chicken I roasted went to both the chicken salad and this. Plus, all that lovely homemade stock made up the base. Since I had both the chicken cooked and stock made, all I really needed was to make dumplings. I found this recipe here and used it for the dough. However, I'm lazy and didn't roll it, which I think I should have. The dropped biscuits were just a little too hard and didn't taste very good. There are always more fish in the sea, so I'm sure next time will be better. Either way, the end product was still very tasty.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Chicken Salad
How time flies! You guys have missed a ton of food! I was cooking up a storm during finals, then furiously preparing for Christmas, then actually having Christmas in Pennsylvania meeting my future father in law. So yeah. I've got a lot to catch up on and hoping that I don't forget too much. I'll try my damnedest. Starting off easy...
You guys remember that I'm on the hunt for the perfect chicken salad recipe, right? Well, this ain't it. However, it was tasty. Now, I'm one of those horrible people who will find a recipe, only use half the ingredients listed, and say it wasn't great. Warning: didn't use the celery or sour cream because I forgot them.
Now this has all the elements I'm looking for: good chicken to mayo ratio, fresh fruit, walnuts... but it's missing something. I say this knowing I didn't add all the ingredients, but those weren't it. Let's dissect. I was screaming that I should be buying purple instead of green grapes while I was still in the store but didn't. I think they're just a little sweeter and it helps perk up the flavor. I really liked the green onions instead of normal ones because it added that bite without me picking through it or overwhelming it. The chopped walnuts are also a must. I think the sour cream might be a nice addition too, so I'll have to remember next time. But what else? Does anyone else have a recipe with my "musts" that I have to try? Let me know.
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