During my early morning sweets marathon, I also found these yummy muffins:
http://www.milkfreemom.com/carrot-oatmeal-raisin-muffins/
They're super adaptable to whatever you have in your kitchen...I was out of carrots, so I substituted a banana which I just roughly chunked up. I used almond milk, and olive oil instead of coconut oil.
I love muffins because they're so easy and fast to throw together.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
International Cinnamon Rolls
Wow, people are actually finding my blog somehow, AND looking at it! Internationally! Thanks, guys! I hope you're all finding enjoyable food. Feel free to comment, or give me feedback if you try any of my recipes...it would be awesome to hear how it went for somebody else!
I'm officially on summer break, and to celebrate, I had an early-morning baking marathon.
To start, I made cinnamon rolls! They're delicious, and I'd like to think they're a good deal healthier than store bought ones. And you can make them yourself. I think I might be getting addicted to that "I made this myself" feeling...there's just so much freedom in realizing that you can just MAKE anything that you need or want, with the right ingredients, and you can make it however you want and do your own quality control... and then you pull out of the oven this wonderful and warm piece of art into which you put all of your attention and loving care, and it's yours.
Okay, enough of the dreamy cooking ramble- here's the recipe:
Cinnamon rolls: Makes 14 rolls
Ingredients:
I'm officially on summer break, and to celebrate, I had an early-morning baking marathon.
To start, I made cinnamon rolls! They're delicious, and I'd like to think they're a good deal healthier than store bought ones. And you can make them yourself. I think I might be getting addicted to that "I made this myself" feeling...there's just so much freedom in realizing that you can just MAKE anything that you need or want, with the right ingredients, and you can make it however you want and do your own quality control... and then you pull out of the oven this wonderful and warm piece of art into which you put all of your attention and loving care, and it's yours.
Okay, enough of the dreamy cooking ramble- here's the recipe:
Cinnamon rolls: Makes 14 rolls
Ingredients:
Dough:
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 cups bread (or all-purpose) flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 cups bread (or all-purpose) flour
2 cups wheat flour
Combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar in a bowl and set aside for about 15 minutes or until creamy on top. Then add all the other ingredients (starting with the wet ones, and then the dry) and stir with a big spoon until all combined. Then scoop it onto a floured surface and kneed for 5 to 10 minutes. Grease the bowl a little (oil or butter, etc) then return the dough to the bowl and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
Then punch it down and roll out into a rectangle about 15 inches long and 8-9 inches wide. Paint the top with melted butter, and cover in sugar and cinnamon. Then starting from one of the longer sides, roll it up! This should leave you with a 15 inch log, which you then cut into about 14 pieces. If you want thicker rolls, you might want to go for 12 or even 10.
Once you cut them, grease a cookie sheet with a thick coat of butter (heavy butter+pastry dish= best) and -this is optional!- some honey drizzled (or sugar sprinkled) all over. The thinking is that this will not only keep them from sticking to the cookie sheet, but the sugar (or honey) will soak into it from the bottom and give you that characteristic gooey-ness that we all love about cinnamon rolls...
Place the rolls cut side up however they'll fit on the cookie sheet, then set aside for as long as you can wait- ideally until the rolls have doubled in size. Then bake them for about 30-40 minutes, until they've puffed up and start to get golden on top.
While they're in the oven, melt some more butter (about 1/4 cup) and combine with 1 tsp vanilla extract, and powdered sugar, honey, or brown sugar, or whatever you've been using for the rest of the recipe until think enough that it forms a glaze. When the rolls come out of the oven, spoon the glaze over each of them and let cool. Then eat them!
They freeze very well, too, just so you know.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Mushroom Lo Mein!!
Along with pizza, we've decided that this recipe will be one of our staples that we just always have on hand...It's SO GOOD.
The ingredients below made dinner with seconds for both of us, and enough leftover for Jared for lunch today.
Ingredients:
8+ mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup soy sauce (divided)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 oz. linguine pasta or lo mein noodles (basically the same thing!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
6 green onions, sliced
2 carrots, sliced into long slivers
1 can water chestnuts
3/4 cup green peas (I use frozen peas...)
Directions:
-Cook noodles as directed, then rinse with cold water in a colander until the noodles are cool to the touch. Then transfer them to a plate (or anything to keep them out of the way for a while) and toss with olive oil to prevent them from sticking together into a gelatinous sticky lump.
-In a large frying pan (or wok if you have one!!), saute the mushrooms in a tablespoon of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and olive oil, with the garlic and green onions. Cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft. There will be some moisture remaining in the pan, don't worry about it! It'll go into the final step.
-In another pot or pan, combine the broth, rest of the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, pepper, green onions, carrots, peas, and water chestnuts. Boil until the peas are cooked. The carrots won't be soft yet, but they'll be lightly cooked.
-Pour the broth and veggie mixture into the frying pan/wok with the mushrooms, and combine them all together. Then add the noodles, and stir thoroughly. Let the noodles sit in the sauce for a few minutes to soak up some of the moisture and flavor, and then serve!
Don't be alarmed by all the ingredients. Most of it is probably stuff that you already have around the kitchen, and of course you can experiment with substituting and eliminating/adding things! That's what I did with the recipe I found, and this is the result. Make it your own!
Not the best picture, I know...not like in all those fancy food blogs, but we were in the middle of dinner and I said, "I HAVE to take a picture!" (Jared is used to these stop-for-photo-op outbursts by now, haha). So this is my mid-dinner, but you can see what it looks like!)
The ingredients below made dinner with seconds for both of us, and enough leftover for Jared for lunch today.
Ingredients:
8+ mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup soy sauce (divided)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 oz. linguine pasta or lo mein noodles (basically the same thing!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
6 green onions, sliced
2 carrots, sliced into long slivers
1 can water chestnuts
3/4 cup green peas (I use frozen peas...)
Directions:
-Cook noodles as directed, then rinse with cold water in a colander until the noodles are cool to the touch. Then transfer them to a plate (or anything to keep them out of the way for a while) and toss with olive oil to prevent them from sticking together into a gelatinous sticky lump.
-In a large frying pan (or wok if you have one!!), saute the mushrooms in a tablespoon of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and olive oil, with the garlic and green onions. Cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft. There will be some moisture remaining in the pan, don't worry about it! It'll go into the final step.
-In another pot or pan, combine the broth, rest of the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, pepper, green onions, carrots, peas, and water chestnuts. Boil until the peas are cooked. The carrots won't be soft yet, but they'll be lightly cooked.
-Pour the broth and veggie mixture into the frying pan/wok with the mushrooms, and combine them all together. Then add the noodles, and stir thoroughly. Let the noodles sit in the sauce for a few minutes to soak up some of the moisture and flavor, and then serve!
Don't be alarmed by all the ingredients. Most of it is probably stuff that you already have around the kitchen, and of course you can experiment with substituting and eliminating/adding things! That's what I did with the recipe I found, and this is the result. Make it your own!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Cheese Cake and Cheesy Herby Dinner Rolls
Weird combination for the title, I know! I'm lumping these two recipes together because they're both videos on allrecipes, and I'm very fond of the guy, "Chef John," who does them. He taught me how to make cheesecake...that was before the start of this blog, back in April for Jared's birthday.
Here's the recipe:
New York Cheesecake
I remember I ran out of sugar, and so I used brown sugar...it gave the cheesecake a cool almost caramel-like flavor. Also, I made this in pie pans, rather than a cheesecake pan, and it resulted in 3 cheesecake-pies, and 4 cheesecake-"muffins"...there was extra batter, so I poured it into a jumbo muffin tray (with crust on the bottom of each cup, of course!). Tips, if you do it this way: It will take less time to cook them than in his recipe. Keep an eye on them. Cook the muffins in about half the time as the others, or else they'll be way over done...not burnt, but not classic-cheesecake-flavored any more. I baked everything for the same amount of time, and the muffins ended up tasting just like caramel! I loved them, but they were odd, and I was the only one who would eat them.
And here's the recipe for the dinner rolls which I am about to make right now:
http://allrecipes.com/video/578/garlic-parmesan-dinner-rolls/detail.aspx?prop24=RR_RelatedVideo
Trying to stock up on packable lunch foods while it's still sunday and I'm ahead and enthusiastic...there's a point that comes around midweek, where I can't think of anything else to make, but I need to make something for dinner and lunch the next day, and, "ahhh!" But if I do enough of these random things over the weekend, stuff can be frozen, and then I have something to pull out of the freezer come Thursday. Huzzah!
Here's the recipe:
New York Cheesecake
I remember I ran out of sugar, and so I used brown sugar...it gave the cheesecake a cool almost caramel-like flavor. Also, I made this in pie pans, rather than a cheesecake pan, and it resulted in 3 cheesecake-pies, and 4 cheesecake-"muffins"...there was extra batter, so I poured it into a jumbo muffin tray (with crust on the bottom of each cup, of course!). Tips, if you do it this way: It will take less time to cook them than in his recipe. Keep an eye on them. Cook the muffins in about half the time as the others, or else they'll be way over done...not burnt, but not classic-cheesecake-flavored any more. I baked everything for the same amount of time, and the muffins ended up tasting just like caramel! I loved them, but they were odd, and I was the only one who would eat them.
And here's the recipe for the dinner rolls which I am about to make right now:
http://allrecipes.com/video/578/garlic-parmesan-dinner-rolls/detail.aspx?prop24=RR_RelatedVideo
Trying to stock up on packable lunch foods while it's still sunday and I'm ahead and enthusiastic...there's a point that comes around midweek, where I can't think of anything else to make, but I need to make something for dinner and lunch the next day, and, "ahhh!" But if I do enough of these random things over the weekend, stuff can be frozen, and then I have something to pull out of the freezer come Thursday. Huzzah!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Fried Mushrooms, Potato Curry, and some Fiber Education!
So I'm lumping these two recipes together here because that's what I did for dinner.
These mushrooms are perfect for when you come home starving and need something quick to make.
I only had one mushroom before Jared accidentally ate them all while I turned around to make the curry...if that gives you an idea of how delicious they are.
Mushrooms:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/mushrooms-fish-and-chips-style-with-posh-vinegar
Unless you plan ahead, don't worry about the "posh" vinegar...we just dipped them in balsamic vinegar, and it was just great.
Basically, I simplified and just fried the mushroom pieces in salt, pepper, and some torn up basil leaves thrown in at the last second. Fast and easy!
Potato curry:
This was a combination of several different recipes, as I liked the idea and so started throwing ingredients together, realizing along the way that I didn't have this or that, and then improvised... (FYI, marinara is basically tomato puree, for all I know...)
So I would encourage you to improvise as well, because there's absolutely no real way to go wrong with curry!
Ingredients I used:
-Two russet potatoes, chopped roughly into 1- 1 1/2 inch chunks
-One large sweet potato, chopped slightly smaller than the potatoes (sweet potato takes longer to cook than potatoes, so I figured it was good to increase the surface area)
-Three carrots, sliced thinly
-Two roma tomatoes, sliced however (they fall apart while cooking no matter what)
-About three tablespoons marinara or tomato puree
-Three cloves of garlic
-Cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, tumeric, and dried basil, all to taste (this is what happens when Mia runs out of curry powder, haha).
In a large, deep frying pan, add some olive oil (I used the leftover oil from the mushrooms) and water, and the potato and sweet potato pieces. Add the carrots, garlic, and spices, too.Stir to coat all the chunks with the oil, then cover and cook/steam until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to break easily with a fork (the potatoes will be much mushier by this point). Add more water and continue to steam if needed.
Add the tomato pieces, marinera, and anything else you haven't added yet, and continue cooking until the mix becomes creamy and the tomatoes have broken down. I was stirring it constantly, because I'm paranoid from my history of burning food in pans...stir however you deem necessary, and serve when it looks good!
I served the curry over some cooked barley, which I recommend highly as an alternative to rice. It's high in soluble and insoluble fiber, and so does lots of awesome stuff in your gut. Check out these links:
About Barley's health benefits:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127
About the benefits of eating more fiber:
http://kriscarr.com/blog/tips-to-live-in-harmony-with-high-fiber-foods/
And then, I made more rice pudding...
These mushrooms are perfect for when you come home starving and need something quick to make.
I only had one mushroom before Jared accidentally ate them all while I turned around to make the curry...if that gives you an idea of how delicious they are.
Mushrooms:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/mushrooms-fish-and-chips-style-with-posh-vinegar
Unless you plan ahead, don't worry about the "posh" vinegar...we just dipped them in balsamic vinegar, and it was just great.
Basically, I simplified and just fried the mushroom pieces in salt, pepper, and some torn up basil leaves thrown in at the last second. Fast and easy!
Potato curry:
This was a combination of several different recipes, as I liked the idea and so started throwing ingredients together, realizing along the way that I didn't have this or that, and then improvised... (FYI, marinara is basically tomato puree, for all I know...)
So I would encourage you to improvise as well, because there's absolutely no real way to go wrong with curry!
Ingredients I used:
-Two russet potatoes, chopped roughly into 1- 1 1/2 inch chunks
-One large sweet potato, chopped slightly smaller than the potatoes (sweet potato takes longer to cook than potatoes, so I figured it was good to increase the surface area)
-Three carrots, sliced thinly
-Two roma tomatoes, sliced however (they fall apart while cooking no matter what)
-About three tablespoons marinara or tomato puree
-Three cloves of garlic
-Cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, tumeric, and dried basil, all to taste (this is what happens when Mia runs out of curry powder, haha).
In a large, deep frying pan, add some olive oil (I used the leftover oil from the mushrooms) and water, and the potato and sweet potato pieces. Add the carrots, garlic, and spices, too.Stir to coat all the chunks with the oil, then cover and cook/steam until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to break easily with a fork (the potatoes will be much mushier by this point). Add more water and continue to steam if needed.
Add the tomato pieces, marinera, and anything else you haven't added yet, and continue cooking until the mix becomes creamy and the tomatoes have broken down. I was stirring it constantly, because I'm paranoid from my history of burning food in pans...stir however you deem necessary, and serve when it looks good!
I served the curry over some cooked barley, which I recommend highly as an alternative to rice. It's high in soluble and insoluble fiber, and so does lots of awesome stuff in your gut. Check out these links:
About Barley's health benefits:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127
About the benefits of eating more fiber:
http://kriscarr.com/blog/tips-to-live-in-harmony-with-high-fiber-foods/
And then, I made more rice pudding...
Pasta salad and more pasta
This is the best pasta salad ever:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-southern-pasta-and-bean-salad/
Last time I made it, Jared added a can of artichoke hearts, and it was so good! Olives are also a good addition.
Rather than buying italian dressing, I looked up a few recipes to make it from scratch, and both times I made it, I used different recipes...I didn't write either of them down, but they're basically olive oil, any type of vinegar you have on hand (balsamic is yummy), and a blend of spices, salt, pepper, etc. Use your instincts! Fresh herbs go a long way, I used both basil and parsley.
Also, I'm making this tonight: A squash/ricotta pasta bake. Like a lasagna, but new and exciting!
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/squash-and-ricotta-pasta-bake
I love this guy.
I made his fried mushrooms last night, as an appetizer for some potato curry...oh gosh, okay, I'll make a new post for those. That would be the organized thing to do, wouldn't it?
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-southern-pasta-and-bean-salad/
Last time I made it, Jared added a can of artichoke hearts, and it was so good! Olives are also a good addition.
Rather than buying italian dressing, I looked up a few recipes to make it from scratch, and both times I made it, I used different recipes...I didn't write either of them down, but they're basically olive oil, any type of vinegar you have on hand (balsamic is yummy), and a blend of spices, salt, pepper, etc. Use your instincts! Fresh herbs go a long way, I used both basil and parsley.
Also, I'm making this tonight: A squash/ricotta pasta bake. Like a lasagna, but new and exciting!
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/squash-and-ricotta-pasta-bake
I love this guy.
I made his fried mushrooms last night, as an appetizer for some potato curry...oh gosh, okay, I'll make a new post for those. That would be the organized thing to do, wouldn't it?
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Mango Chilli Chutney
Here's something else that is way too expensive to buy from the store in a fancy little jar! Spicy Mango Chutney. It's spicy jam! Yay!
Ingredients:
2 mangos, cubed
1/2 onion, diced
1 dried red pepper, minced
1 lime (juice and zest)
About 1 tsp minced ginger
1 1/2 cups strong pepper green tea (directions for this below)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
Boil 2 tsp of green tea leaves with 1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns (in whatever you use to brew loose leaf tea) until the tea is as dark as it can get. Then measure out 1 1/2 cups.
Add tea, all the spices, onion, vinegar, red pepper, and half the mango to a large pan.
Bring to a boil, then simmer until thick.
Eat some of the waiting mango, because it's delicious.
Optional: Transfer the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, and "chop" for five seconds, then return to pan. This gives the body of the chutney a smooth and pretty consistency. I did this because the onion pieces were annoying me.
Once it's thick, ass the rest of the mango, and the lime juice.
Boil it for one more minute. The finished chutney should be smooth with chunks of mango dispersed throughout.
Portion out into sanitized jars, and let cool.
It's sweet with just enough pepper for an "afterthought" kick of spicy...it's really good on whole wheat bagels with cream cheese! Or crackers. It would be a great compliment to any cheese...and hey, it just sounds so fancy..."I know how to make chutney."
"Would you like some...Chutney?"
I guess I've just always seen it as one of those hoity-toity gourmet things that I couldn't really afford. It's always next to the $15 pieces of cheese...But it's so, so easy to make!
Ingredients:
2 mangos, cubed
1/2 onion, diced
1 dried red pepper, minced
1 lime (juice and zest)
About 1 tsp minced ginger
1 1/2 cups strong pepper green tea (directions for this below)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
Boil 2 tsp of green tea leaves with 1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns (in whatever you use to brew loose leaf tea) until the tea is as dark as it can get. Then measure out 1 1/2 cups.
Add tea, all the spices, onion, vinegar, red pepper, and half the mango to a large pan.
Bring to a boil, then simmer until thick.
Eat some of the waiting mango, because it's delicious.
Optional: Transfer the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, and "chop" for five seconds, then return to pan. This gives the body of the chutney a smooth and pretty consistency. I did this because the onion pieces were annoying me.
Once it's thick, ass the rest of the mango, and the lime juice.
Boil it for one more minute. The finished chutney should be smooth with chunks of mango dispersed throughout.
Portion out into sanitized jars, and let cool.
It's sweet with just enough pepper for an "afterthought" kick of spicy...it's really good on whole wheat bagels with cream cheese! Or crackers. It would be a great compliment to any cheese...and hey, it just sounds so fancy..."I know how to make chutney."
"Would you like some...Chutney?"
I guess I've just always seen it as one of those hoity-toity gourmet things that I couldn't really afford. It's always next to the $15 pieces of cheese...But it's so, so easy to make!
Jams!
Next project: Buy a few green and gala apples and make a new jam!
http://www.foodinjars.com/2010/01/honey-lemon-apple-jam-recipe/
I've been reaaaally into making jam lately. It started with marmalade, and then we found a very large patch of wild blackberries, and then we found a farm that sold pick-your-own strawberries...these were THE BEST blackberries and strawberries that I will ever eat. Store-bought fruit sucks, to put it lightly. Anyway, berry jams are gone and given, and I want to start experimenting with more! I saw a lavender jam that I want to make in a few months when back in California, and we eat apples all the time...
I'll do a quick explanation of how easy it is to make jam. Keep in mind that you can make it with frozen fruit as well.
Marmalade: Some people grate off just the zest, so the white pith (which is the bitter part) doesn't get in the jam, but I keep it in there because that's where the natural pectin comes from, and the sugar that you add either takes away the bitterness (longer cooking time) or you end up with a blast of bitter AND sweet in every bite (cooked less- less time to soak up the sugar throughout).
So, take the peels of about 4 oranges (save the peels after making juice, eating the fruit, etc. You can freeze the peels if you're not going to make them into marm. for a while, just thaw them a day ahead of time in the fridge), and slice them into the size that you want them to be in the final jam. They don't break down in size too much.
Put the peels in a pot, and pour enough water in to cover them. Important: measure the water that you use, and remember it for later. Then cook them like crazy, maybe for about an hour or so...they'll go through several transformative phases, but they'll eventually become very obvious mush, which means the rinds are soft enough to break apart effortlessly when you bite them, and the pith has broken down and released all it's goodness into the water. At this point, add the sugar/sweetener of your choice. I've used brown sugar before, and it was yummy. White sugar works well. Use organic/raw sugar if you can, because refined sugar is horrible for you. The amount of sugar is kind of scary on this one...the original recipe I found said to use equal amounts water and sugar (so if you pour 4 cups of water in the beginning, you're going to need 4 cups of sugar...that's way too much, in my opinion), but what I do is start with about 1/4 the amount of water. So with 4 cups of water used, start with a cup of sugar. If that turns out to be too bitter still, just gradually add more! But you might find that it doesn't need all that much sugar to be delicious.
After adding the sugar, make sure you keep an eye on it, turn the heat down to medium or lower, and DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU ARE MAKING MARMALADE. Probably seems obvious, but you have been cooking it for a while already, and it's easy to get distracted...It's not like I ruined my marmalade twice by doing this or anything...
As soon as you've added the sugar, you'll see it get much thicker and syrupy. This is what makes it very easy for it to burn to the bottom of the pot, now. So keep stirring, and allow about 30 minutes to go by with the cover on except for when you're stirring, so that the sugar really has time to infuse into the fruit.
Then, remove the cover, keep stirring, and cook it this way until enough of the water has evaporated out that it's a very thick syrup. Note that it will also thicken as it cools, too. And don't worry, if it's still too watery once it's cooled, just bring it back to a gentle boil and cook it (stirring all the while!) until it evaporates a bit more. You might have to do this a couple times before it's perfect, I still do.
And now, I just ladle the jam into jars without worrying about technically "canning" them by creating a seal, because I know that the amounts that I make will be eaten quickly enough that we don't have to worry about spoilage. But if you are interested in canning, it's really easy, and I've put a good resource for learning how over in the side bar, called Food in Jars.
As for making other jams, now that we know how to make marmalade? It's basically the same process:
1*Fruit, cover with water, boil until soft and breaking down.
2*Add sweetener, reduce heat, continue to boil until sugar absorbed by fruit, covered and stirring often
3*Remove cover, keep boiling and stirring until excess water evaporates and you have jam!
With ripe berries, you hardly need to add sugar, if any, because they're already so sweet. I don't add pectin, because again, we eat it quick enough that it doesn't need to be preserved, and I have found that I can achieve the right thickness just by adding sugar (just a tablespoon or two if you don't need it to sweeten the fruit) to create a syrupy consistency. Once you evaporate enough of the water, the syrup ends up creating a jam that has plenty of body to it. Plus, there's natural pectin in many fruits, like oranges and blackberries, and firm green apples, etc. Strawberries have a very low amount of natural pectin, so I add a bit more sugar when making strawberry jam, and it works out. But, if you're making jam to last long term, find other sources, like Food in Jars, that can get you more by-the-book jamming details.
I'll be sure to post about the apple jam, once I make it! And oh my gosh, I never posted about my spicy mango chutney....
http://www.foodinjars.com/2010/01/honey-lemon-apple-jam-recipe/
I've been reaaaally into making jam lately. It started with marmalade, and then we found a very large patch of wild blackberries, and then we found a farm that sold pick-your-own strawberries...these were THE BEST blackberries and strawberries that I will ever eat. Store-bought fruit sucks, to put it lightly. Anyway, berry jams are gone and given, and I want to start experimenting with more! I saw a lavender jam that I want to make in a few months when back in California, and we eat apples all the time...
I'll do a quick explanation of how easy it is to make jam. Keep in mind that you can make it with frozen fruit as well.
Marmalade: Some people grate off just the zest, so the white pith (which is the bitter part) doesn't get in the jam, but I keep it in there because that's where the natural pectin comes from, and the sugar that you add either takes away the bitterness (longer cooking time) or you end up with a blast of bitter AND sweet in every bite (cooked less- less time to soak up the sugar throughout).
So, take the peels of about 4 oranges (save the peels after making juice, eating the fruit, etc. You can freeze the peels if you're not going to make them into marm. for a while, just thaw them a day ahead of time in the fridge), and slice them into the size that you want them to be in the final jam. They don't break down in size too much.
Put the peels in a pot, and pour enough water in to cover them. Important: measure the water that you use, and remember it for later. Then cook them like crazy, maybe for about an hour or so...they'll go through several transformative phases, but they'll eventually become very obvious mush, which means the rinds are soft enough to break apart effortlessly when you bite them, and the pith has broken down and released all it's goodness into the water. At this point, add the sugar/sweetener of your choice. I've used brown sugar before, and it was yummy. White sugar works well. Use organic/raw sugar if you can, because refined sugar is horrible for you. The amount of sugar is kind of scary on this one...the original recipe I found said to use equal amounts water and sugar (so if you pour 4 cups of water in the beginning, you're going to need 4 cups of sugar...that's way too much, in my opinion), but what I do is start with about 1/4 the amount of water. So with 4 cups of water used, start with a cup of sugar. If that turns out to be too bitter still, just gradually add more! But you might find that it doesn't need all that much sugar to be delicious.
After adding the sugar, make sure you keep an eye on it, turn the heat down to medium or lower, and DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU ARE MAKING MARMALADE. Probably seems obvious, but you have been cooking it for a while already, and it's easy to get distracted...It's not like I ruined my marmalade twice by doing this or anything...
As soon as you've added the sugar, you'll see it get much thicker and syrupy. This is what makes it very easy for it to burn to the bottom of the pot, now. So keep stirring, and allow about 30 minutes to go by with the cover on except for when you're stirring, so that the sugar really has time to infuse into the fruit.
Then, remove the cover, keep stirring, and cook it this way until enough of the water has evaporated out that it's a very thick syrup. Note that it will also thicken as it cools, too. And don't worry, if it's still too watery once it's cooled, just bring it back to a gentle boil and cook it (stirring all the while!) until it evaporates a bit more. You might have to do this a couple times before it's perfect, I still do.
And now, I just ladle the jam into jars without worrying about technically "canning" them by creating a seal, because I know that the amounts that I make will be eaten quickly enough that we don't have to worry about spoilage. But if you are interested in canning, it's really easy, and I've put a good resource for learning how over in the side bar, called Food in Jars.
As for making other jams, now that we know how to make marmalade? It's basically the same process:
1*Fruit, cover with water, boil until soft and breaking down.
2*Add sweetener, reduce heat, continue to boil until sugar absorbed by fruit, covered and stirring often
3*Remove cover, keep boiling and stirring until excess water evaporates and you have jam!
With ripe berries, you hardly need to add sugar, if any, because they're already so sweet. I don't add pectin, because again, we eat it quick enough that it doesn't need to be preserved, and I have found that I can achieve the right thickness just by adding sugar (just a tablespoon or two if you don't need it to sweeten the fruit) to create a syrupy consistency. Once you evaporate enough of the water, the syrup ends up creating a jam that has plenty of body to it. Plus, there's natural pectin in many fruits, like oranges and blackberries, and firm green apples, etc. Strawberries have a very low amount of natural pectin, so I add a bit more sugar when making strawberry jam, and it works out. But, if you're making jam to last long term, find other sources, like Food in Jars, that can get you more by-the-book jamming details.
I'll be sure to post about the apple jam, once I make it! And oh my gosh, I never posted about my spicy mango chutney....
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Rice Pudding!
Last week, Jared bought a tub of our favorite rice pudding, and...I ate it all while he was gone. And then I felt really fat and guilty. So I decided to make a whole bunch of it from scratch to make it up to him.
So I made it last night. He ate a bowl of it, and...I ate the rest of it throughout the day today. And now I feel even fatter and very guilty. BUT! I now know how to make rice pudding!
It's delicious, warm or cold. In my opinion, it's way better than the stuff we -used to- buy! And, as I keep on saying, it's so much cheaper than buying it! And it's so much healthier because you can regulate how much sweetener goes into it, and you know exactly what your ingredients are- they're as quality as you thought to buy, so you know they're up to your standards. No mysteries, no fluff, no inflated cost because of the fancy packaging and the fact that it was shipped across the country.I'm never buying pudding again.
Here's the recipe I found, and I would highly recommend trying it out, and then altering it as you please! I added about 1/2 cup of flaked coconut to the rice as it was cooking, which smelled amazing. Almond milk in place of the milk and much less sugar will be my next alterations. (Also: I'm new to the pudding world, but I don't know just how important the egg is...it might come out just fine without it, and then with almond milk, it's vegan!) ....I just might make another batch tomorrow...
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-rice-pudding/
I really, really want to suggest eating it warm as soon as you make it. So, sooo good.
So I made it last night. He ate a bowl of it, and...I ate the rest of it throughout the day today. And now I feel even fatter and very guilty. BUT! I now know how to make rice pudding!
It's delicious, warm or cold. In my opinion, it's way better than the stuff we -used to- buy! And, as I keep on saying, it's so much cheaper than buying it! And it's so much healthier because you can regulate how much sweetener goes into it, and you know exactly what your ingredients are- they're as quality as you thought to buy, so you know they're up to your standards. No mysteries, no fluff, no inflated cost because of the fancy packaging and the fact that it was shipped across the country.I'm never buying pudding again.
Here's the recipe I found, and I would highly recommend trying it out, and then altering it as you please! I added about 1/2 cup of flaked coconut to the rice as it was cooking, which smelled amazing. Almond milk in place of the milk and much less sugar will be my next alterations. (Also: I'm new to the pudding world, but I don't know just how important the egg is...it might come out just fine without it, and then with almond milk, it's vegan!) ....I just might make another batch tomorrow...
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-rice-pudding/
I really, really want to suggest eating it warm as soon as you make it. So, sooo good.
Friday, June 14, 2013
More resources for us all:
I just found this website, and I thought "wow, they're parallel to Jared and I! Except they have a farm..." Okay, maybe more like Jared and I in 20 years. BUT, they're trying to reach the same goals, from what I've read so far.
So I thought next, "well, I just have to blog this." Of course. It's not like I have an essay to write that's due today or anything...
Here it is!
http://www.arcadia-farms.net/2012/10/18/bread-and-broth/
That right there is exactly how we make broth too! So now you know, and I don't have to type the whole thing out, haha.
And here's their pinterest "Recipe Box," which...wait for it....waaaiit....IT HAS RECIPES! Shocking, yes. They have some yummy stuff on there! My eyes went to the muffins first...oh, muffins...
http://pinterest.com/arcadiafarmscsa/recipe-box/
Their story really resonates with me, because I would love to end up like them one day soon. So inspiring, for all of us, even if we can just take a piece of the inspiration and turn it into something that works for all of our different lifestyles. It's going to be up to the communities to make the changes that we're overdue to see, not the governments. We have to make it happen, how we want it to. And we can do that! This is a fantastic idea.
Anyway, I was just inspired! It's cool to hear from other people out there who are making changes for themselves (and others...even better).
So I thought next, "well, I just have to blog this." Of course. It's not like I have an essay to write that's due today or anything...
Here it is!
http://www.arcadia-farms.net/2012/10/18/bread-and-broth/
That right there is exactly how we make broth too! So now you know, and I don't have to type the whole thing out, haha.
And here's their pinterest "Recipe Box," which...wait for it....waaaiit....IT HAS RECIPES! Shocking, yes. They have some yummy stuff on there! My eyes went to the muffins first...oh, muffins...
http://pinterest.com/arcadiafarmscsa/recipe-box/
Their story really resonates with me, because I would love to end up like them one day soon. So inspiring, for all of us, even if we can just take a piece of the inspiration and turn it into something that works for all of our different lifestyles. It's going to be up to the communities to make the changes that we're overdue to see, not the governments. We have to make it happen, how we want it to. And we can do that! This is a fantastic idea.
Anyway, I was just inspired! It's cool to hear from other people out there who are making changes for themselves (and others...even better).
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Tahini "Goddess" dressing recipe and HUMMUS
This is my favorite salad dressing/dip/sauce in the ENTIRE WORLD, buuuut if you buy it from Annie's, it's pretty expensive! So I found a really simple and fast recipe for it on About.com! You just have to hunt down Tahini, which is made from sesame seeds.We finally found it in the gourmet section of our local store, but I've heard it can also be found sometimes by the peanut butter...
Here's how to make your own Tahini, if you can't find it in stores, or you just want to be SUPER awesome and make it yourself!
Tahini recipe
And here's the recipe for the dressing...
Goddess dressing
Once you have the Tahini *does triumphant tahini dance around kitchen* you can also make Hummus with it...I'll be posting about that soon, once I make it!
____________
UPDATE: Jared came home and we ended up making hummus! It was super easy. Basically, we took the recipe for the dressing, which I had left in the blender, and added half a can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) to it, then blended it until smooth. This made it a bit thicker, because it was actually fairly thin, considering the recipe said that it would be thick. I think it might have been because I used apple juice instead of apple cider vinegar? If it's too thin, add garbanzo beans! Flour might work too?
Anyway, after adding half a can of garbanzos, we poured about 1/3 of it into an empty salad dressing jar (save your jars, folks!) and put it in the fridge. To the remaining dressing in the blender we added the rest of the 2 1/2 cans of garbanzos, gradually while the blender was set to puree.
Please note that this would be much better to do in a food processor, if you have one. Our blender started to smoke a little bit (poor dinky motor...), but it still works fine. My advice to you: just use lots of common sense and good judgement on this one. Or get a food processor. We probably will, before we make this again.
Anyway, the result was PERFECT HUMMUS!! We added a bit of dry basil, and it's amazing. It makes a lot of hummus, so it's definitely way more cost-efficient to make it than to buy it in those little tubs. Each can of garbanzo beans was less than a dollar, and the tahini was about $4, but we used maybe a quarter of the container on just this. The rest of the ingredients used were worth pennies, and you probably have them already. Good deal! We ended up with one jar of dressing (alone, this would have cost about $4), and 42 oz of hummus!
Here's how to make your own Tahini, if you can't find it in stores, or you just want to be SUPER awesome and make it yourself!
Tahini recipe
And here's the recipe for the dressing...
Goddess dressing
Once you have the Tahini *does triumphant tahini dance around kitchen* you can also make Hummus with it...I'll be posting about that soon, once I make it!
____________
UPDATE: Jared came home and we ended up making hummus! It was super easy. Basically, we took the recipe for the dressing, which I had left in the blender, and added half a can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) to it, then blended it until smooth. This made it a bit thicker, because it was actually fairly thin, considering the recipe said that it would be thick. I think it might have been because I used apple juice instead of apple cider vinegar? If it's too thin, add garbanzo beans! Flour might work too?
Anyway, after adding half a can of garbanzos, we poured about 1/3 of it into an empty salad dressing jar (save your jars, folks!) and put it in the fridge. To the remaining dressing in the blender we added the rest of the 2 1/2 cans of garbanzos, gradually while the blender was set to puree.
Please note that this would be much better to do in a food processor, if you have one. Our blender started to smoke a little bit (poor dinky motor...), but it still works fine. My advice to you: just use lots of common sense and good judgement on this one. Or get a food processor. We probably will, before we make this again.
Anyway, the result was PERFECT HUMMUS!! We added a bit of dry basil, and it's amazing. It makes a lot of hummus, so it's definitely way more cost-efficient to make it than to buy it in those little tubs. Each can of garbanzo beans was less than a dollar, and the tahini was about $4, but we used maybe a quarter of the container on just this. The rest of the ingredients used were worth pennies, and you probably have them already. Good deal! We ended up with one jar of dressing (alone, this would have cost about $4), and 42 oz of hummus!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Fish Tacos and Rockin' Awesome Salsa
DINNER LAST NIGHT WAS SO GOOD.
I made battered fish tacos, and salsa from scratch (first time I've done that and it's so easy!).
This is going to be a pretty long post, so I'm just going to jump right in.
Batter the fish:
2 or 3 fillets of any white fish (3 fillets made enough for leftovers, with two people)
2 eggs
1/2 cup of flour
1 cup breadcrumbs (panko, homemade, any kind...they'll all work the same way)
Oil in the pan...about 1/2 to start, and adding it as you need it. I use olive oil, or coconut oil if I have it, because they're healthier than the other more common cooking oils.
I was raised making "chicken fingers" and so this method is second nature to me, but here's what you do!
-Set up an "assembly line" of three bowls from farthest away from the stove to the pan on the stove in this order: flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, pan. Turn the heat under the pan to medium, and put the oil in.
-Cut the fillets into strips about 1- 1 1/2 inches wide.
- Take the strips, one at a time, and dip them in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Make sure you coat them all over with each, or the breading won't adhere in the places you missed. If you want extra breading, repeat the step but only with the egg and breadcrumbs.
-Add each "fish finger" to the pan with now-heated oil, and let sit until you can see the underside has turned a deep brown color, then turn them over and do the same on the other side. Add oil as needed, because the breading will soak it up. You don't need to have a lot of oil, like for deep frying, just enough to fry the bottom sides of the fingers.
-When each piece is finished, remove it from the pan and place it on a plate.
Two notes about this:
1) You can make chicken fingers the exact same way. Voila, two recipes in one...
2) If you don't like frying your food in oil, you can bake them on an oiled cookie sheet in the oven at about 350 degrees for about 15 minutes on each side, flipping them and adding more oil after the first 15 so they don't stick.
As we proceed, also note that if you don't want the fish in your tacos to be breaded at all, just cook it another way before building the tacos!
Next is the SALSA!! These amounts make enough to serve four people.
3 roma tomatoes, sliced
4-5 average sized radishes, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4-5 green onion stalks, chopped
If you have a food processor, you probably won't need to slice or mince any of the ingredients. All I have is a blender, so I followed the instructions above, then threw everything into the blender on the low "chop" setting, until it was smooth. Blenders work just find for salsa, as it turns out!
That's it, it's done. Pop the salsa in the fridge until ready to use.
Assemble the other ingredients for the tacos, now. You can use anything. I like:
Avocado, sliced
Cabbage, sliced
Grated cheese (cheddar, for me!)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Sliced fresh tomato
LIME JUICE. The lime makes it perfect. Squeeze a quarter of a lime over each taco once everything else is on there...SO GOOD!
And that's it! You can crisp up the tortillas or just eat them soft. I crisp them on the stove with a tiny bit of oil, and they come out great.
I made battered fish tacos, and salsa from scratch (first time I've done that and it's so easy!).
This is going to be a pretty long post, so I'm just going to jump right in.
Batter the fish:
2 or 3 fillets of any white fish (3 fillets made enough for leftovers, with two people)
2 eggs
1/2 cup of flour
1 cup breadcrumbs (panko, homemade, any kind...they'll all work the same way)
Oil in the pan...about 1/2 to start, and adding it as you need it. I use olive oil, or coconut oil if I have it, because they're healthier than the other more common cooking oils.
I was raised making "chicken fingers" and so this method is second nature to me, but here's what you do!
-Set up an "assembly line" of three bowls from farthest away from the stove to the pan on the stove in this order: flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, pan. Turn the heat under the pan to medium, and put the oil in.
-Cut the fillets into strips about 1- 1 1/2 inches wide.
- Take the strips, one at a time, and dip them in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Make sure you coat them all over with each, or the breading won't adhere in the places you missed. If you want extra breading, repeat the step but only with the egg and breadcrumbs.
-Add each "fish finger" to the pan with now-heated oil, and let sit until you can see the underside has turned a deep brown color, then turn them over and do the same on the other side. Add oil as needed, because the breading will soak it up. You don't need to have a lot of oil, like for deep frying, just enough to fry the bottom sides of the fingers.
-When each piece is finished, remove it from the pan and place it on a plate.
Two notes about this:
1) You can make chicken fingers the exact same way. Voila, two recipes in one...
2) If you don't like frying your food in oil, you can bake them on an oiled cookie sheet in the oven at about 350 degrees for about 15 minutes on each side, flipping them and adding more oil after the first 15 so they don't stick.
As we proceed, also note that if you don't want the fish in your tacos to be breaded at all, just cook it another way before building the tacos!
Next is the SALSA!! These amounts make enough to serve four people.
3 roma tomatoes, sliced
4-5 average sized radishes, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4-5 green onion stalks, chopped
If you have a food processor, you probably won't need to slice or mince any of the ingredients. All I have is a blender, so I followed the instructions above, then threw everything into the blender on the low "chop" setting, until it was smooth. Blenders work just find for salsa, as it turns out!
That's it, it's done. Pop the salsa in the fridge until ready to use.
Assemble the other ingredients for the tacos, now. You can use anything. I like:
Avocado, sliced
Cabbage, sliced
Grated cheese (cheddar, for me!)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Sliced fresh tomato
LIME JUICE. The lime makes it perfect. Squeeze a quarter of a lime over each taco once everything else is on there...SO GOOD!
And that's it! You can crisp up the tortillas or just eat them soft. I crisp them on the stove with a tiny bit of oil, and they come out great.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Butternut Squash Soup
Hey! Sorry I haven't posted my recipes for a few days...school kicked it up a notch and I've been feeling a tad ill. Yesterday, I made butternut squash soup, and I think I'm addicted. It's the perfect warm and cozy comfort food.
I haven't liked it in the past, because it's always sold in a perfectly smooth, creamy consistency, and I tend to like a bit more texture in my food. I added two yellow squash to mine, which cooked down but there were still pieces of their skin throughout (not that you really even taste the difference because they're so soft, but it looks way more interesting). Here's what I did:
-One butternut squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out. To this indent, add a tablespoon or so of brown sugar. Bake the halves sugar-up on a sheet of foil in the oven for about an hour or until it's easy to poke a knife into them. About 350 degrees.
-Scoop out the tender meat (wow, that sounds so creepy) from the skin of the butternut squash, and put it in a soup pot. Add 2-3 cups of water (or more...you might want to add it as you cook it, because the soup has to cook down for a while, and the water will evaporate over that time. My rule with soup is, keep it watery until everything is almost as cooked as you'll want it in the end, then boil it like crazy, while stirring of course, until the excess water evaporates to the thickness that you want. Then it's done).
-Slice two yellow squash thinly- about 1-2mm, basically as thin as you can get the slices. This will allow them to cook down quickly, and I think the thin strands of bright yellow peel just look so pretty.
-Add a clove of minced garlic, and some cayenne, brown sugar, basil, salt, and pepper to taste. I know it sounds like a strange combination, but it's SO good.
It's a very hearty soup, so healthy, completely vegetable, and it makes me very happy. If you make it, let me know how it goes!!
I haven't liked it in the past, because it's always sold in a perfectly smooth, creamy consistency, and I tend to like a bit more texture in my food. I added two yellow squash to mine, which cooked down but there were still pieces of their skin throughout (not that you really even taste the difference because they're so soft, but it looks way more interesting). Here's what I did:
-One butternut squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out. To this indent, add a tablespoon or so of brown sugar. Bake the halves sugar-up on a sheet of foil in the oven for about an hour or until it's easy to poke a knife into them. About 350 degrees.
-Scoop out the tender meat (wow, that sounds so creepy) from the skin of the butternut squash, and put it in a soup pot. Add 2-3 cups of water (or more...you might want to add it as you cook it, because the soup has to cook down for a while, and the water will evaporate over that time. My rule with soup is, keep it watery until everything is almost as cooked as you'll want it in the end, then boil it like crazy, while stirring of course, until the excess water evaporates to the thickness that you want. Then it's done).
-Slice two yellow squash thinly- about 1-2mm, basically as thin as you can get the slices. This will allow them to cook down quickly, and I think the thin strands of bright yellow peel just look so pretty.
-Add a clove of minced garlic, and some cayenne, brown sugar, basil, salt, and pepper to taste. I know it sounds like a strange combination, but it's SO good.
It's a very hearty soup, so healthy, completely vegetable, and it makes me very happy. If you make it, let me know how it goes!!
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