Friday, December 31, 2010
Limoncello
Every year, around this time (November through December, and if we're lucky, into early January) we are blessed with a bountiful crop of sweet eating lemons. My son, Andrew, planted the tree a while back so he could get his fix of puckery goodness at the twist of his tiny little wrists. After juicing gallons of the yellow orbs and baking mountains of gorgeously tart sugar cookies and tangy slices of French toast laced with lemon zest, I resolved to strip the tree of it's fruit with a friend and make my second batch of limoncello. The process started at around 830 this morning and ended mere moments ago (it's around 330 pm on a Friday... New Year's Eve to be exact) and only took so long because I have little ones and nap times and snack cravings to quench. Here, in some photographic detail, are the particulars of my cadmium odyssey for your viewing and perusing pleasure.
Half of the 20-30 lemons i used in my production
Naked lemons after I robbed them of their zest
This was the longest part of the whole deal: scraping the bitter white pith from the zest
Final results: 1.5 liters of cheap drugstore vodka infused with about a pound of zest. Hope the results are nothing short of amazing, because I only venture to do this once a year.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Perfect London Broil
I've created this recipe through many trials and errors (and horribly over/under done disks of beef protein). The key here is low and slow, then hard and fast. If you like your meat medium-rare to medium, this is how you do it...
Ingredients:
1 2 lb beef London broil
1/4 c regular soy sauce
2 tbsp crushed garlic
2 tsp dark sesame oil
crushed black pepper
Place all ingredients in a zip top bag, remove as much air as possible, and smoosh the marinade around the meat until every surface is covered. Place sealed bag in a bowl big enough to contain it and place in fridge for at least 4 hours, turning and massaging in bag every 2 hour or so*.
Take steak out of fridge for at least 1/2 an hour and at most 2 hours prior to cooking*. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it as dry as you possibly can with some paper towels.
Preheat oven to 300 F. Cover the bottom half of a broiler pan with heavy duty foil. Replace top half of pan and put the entire thing in the preheating oven with the rack in the top third of the oven. When the oven has come up to temp, remove pan from oven, spray it down with some cooking spray and place the blotted steak on it. You should hear a sizzle, which means a crust is forming on the bottom of the steak. Slide pan with steak into oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
At this point, the temperature from a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak should hardly move. It shouldn't register much heat at all. Now to sear, you can either switch your broiler on to low and
replace the steak directly under the live flame for 2-3 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges start to char or you can grill it for the same amount of time. Either way, you'll want to watch closely, as this can go from medium-rare glow to beef jerky (not the good kind) in seconds. After all cooking is done, tent for at least 20 minutes and cut on the bias. We serve ours over steamed jasmine rice and leafy greens or steamed dark greens, but it's entirely up to your tastes.
*In a pinch, the steak can be left in marinade on the counter at room temperature away from any sources of heat for up to 2 hours. The flavor will not be as deep, but the results are good enough to serve to company.
1 2 lb beef London broil
1/4 c regular soy sauce
2 tbsp crushed garlic
2 tsp dark sesame oil
crushed black pepper
Place all ingredients in a zip top bag, remove as much air as possible, and smoosh the marinade around the meat until every surface is covered. Place sealed bag in a bowl big enough to contain it and place in fridge for at least 4 hours, turning and massaging in bag every 2 hour or so*.
Take steak out of fridge for at least 1/2 an hour and at most 2 hours prior to cooking*. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it as dry as you possibly can with some paper towels.
Preheat oven to 300 F. Cover the bottom half of a broiler pan with heavy duty foil. Replace top half of pan and put the entire thing in the preheating oven with the rack in the top third of the oven. When the oven has come up to temp, remove pan from oven, spray it down with some cooking spray and place the blotted steak on it. You should hear a sizzle, which means a crust is forming on the bottom of the steak. Slide pan with steak into oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
At this point, the temperature from a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak should hardly move. It shouldn't register much heat at all. Now to sear, you can either switch your broiler on to low and
replace the steak directly under the live flame for 2-3 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges start to char or you can grill it for the same amount of time. Either way, you'll want to watch closely, as this can go from medium-rare glow to beef jerky (not the good kind) in seconds. After all cooking is done, tent for at least 20 minutes and cut on the bias. We serve ours over steamed jasmine rice and leafy greens or steamed dark greens, but it's entirely up to your tastes. *In a pinch, the steak can be left in marinade on the counter at room temperature away from any sources of heat for up to 2 hours. The flavor will not be as deep, but the results are good enough to serve to company.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Gold-n-Bubbly Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Man, this was a good little treat. Fiber and calcium rich with all the goodies a savory food lover would adore.
Ingredients:
1 8 oz block of Neufchatel cream cheese (or regular if you want)
1/2 c parmesan cheese (I used the kind you sprinkle on pizza)
1/4 c mayonnaise (eye-ball it)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (Kirkland variety is the BEST!)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 13.75 oz can quartered artichokes, drained, rinsed and coarsely chopped
3/4 c frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped*
1/3 c or handful of shredded sharp cheddar
Serving suggestions: Baked flour tortilla shards (see below for directions) or corn tortilla chips.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix everything from cream cheese to salt until well combined. Fold in artichokes, spinach and cheese. Spoon into greased 3 cup ramekin. Bake for 15 minutes in the center of the oven. If serving with flour tortilla shards, place 4-6 tortillas directly onto oven rack around the dip. Bake altogether an additional 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on tortillas to prevent burning. Dip should be lightly golden and crusty. Serves 4 at a party or two happy little piggies.
* After squeezing the daylights out of the spinach, place it in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients, minus artichokes, and use a pair of scissors to chop it up a bit more. This will make for easier dipping without pulling molten-hot spinach strands up and out over your hand. Plus, it mixes the spinach in at the same time. NOW fold in the artichokes and cheese.
Also good with:
Steak. As opposed to creamed spinach. Watch this ooze into the mashed potatoes I assume you would normally serve with the steak.
Baked potatoes. Use your imagination.
Veggie Patch Pizza (just like from Applebee's). Sautee a bunch of mushrooms and onions and fold them into a couple tablespoons of the dip. Smear over a flour/whole wheat tortilla and bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes or so. Just watch out, you know how crazy those tortillas get.
Any other suggestions? Feel free to leave a comment on the box belooooow :-)
More crust than Mr Krabs.
This is my individual ramekin of ooey-gooeyness.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Almost homemade ranch chopped salad
Inspired by my local grocery store. Thanks for overcharging for pre-made ranch dressing and "forcing" me to degrade to powdered ranch dressing. I LOVE it!
Ingredients:
1 pkt of powdered ranch dressing (I used store brand because it was 2 pkts for 98 cents!)
1/2 c milk or buttermilk
1 c mayo
Put this in a screw top jar and shake the heck out of it. Refrigerate until everything else is ready.
3 slices of favorite lunch meat, rolled up and sliced into half inch ribbons)
1/4 c cooked shredded chicken of your liking (I used grilled chicken breast)
3 large romaine leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk of celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
About 1/8th of a green bell pepper, chopped*
1/8 medium onion, whatever you have on hand, chopped
1/2 medium carrot, cut into match sticks or grated on the largest grater hole
Honestly, whatever kind of veggie you have in your crisper, chop it up to your liking.
1 large snap top plastic container
1 boiled egg, peeled and roughly chopped
Cracked black pepper, as much as you'd like
Other optional choices:
Olives
Banana peppers
C.O.C. (cheese of choice, i.e. feta, sharp cheddar, parmesan)
Fresh basil, cilantro or other soft herbs
Serving suggestions:
Goes great with toasted Ciabatta, French, or any firm Artisanal bread, toasted with a bit of olive oil drizzled on it.
Directions
Place everything into container except for egg. Drizzle with about 2 tbsp dressing (up to you how much). Replace lid, and gently shake the container to combine ingredients and dressing with veg and meat. Remove lid, sprinkle egg, cracked black pepper and any other options you'd like to add. Eat straight from the bowl or divy it up and share it with a friend next to an entree. Yum!
* In my humble opinion, the bell pepper MAKES this salad; gives it that something special. To me, it likens the flavors to a coleslaw without the heavy drenched-in-dressing feeling.
This salad is fantastic and economical. Everything I needed was right in my fridge, save for the powdered dressing. I never would have thought of using powder over bottled dressing, but this has totally changed my mind. Another great thing is that you can use low-fat or fat free ingredients, even sub yogurt for the mayo for an extra tangy, healthy alternative. Fantastic!
Ingredients:
1 pkt of powdered ranch dressing (I used store brand because it was 2 pkts for 98 cents!)
1/2 c milk or buttermilk
1 c mayo
Put this in a screw top jar and shake the heck out of it. Refrigerate until everything else is ready.
3 slices of favorite lunch meat, rolled up and sliced into half inch ribbons)
1/4 c cooked shredded chicken of your liking (I used grilled chicken breast)
3 large romaine leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk of celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
About 1/8th of a green bell pepper, chopped*
1/8 medium onion, whatever you have on hand, chopped
1/2 medium carrot, cut into match sticks or grated on the largest grater hole
Honestly, whatever kind of veggie you have in your crisper, chop it up to your liking.
1 large snap top plastic container
1 boiled egg, peeled and roughly chopped
Cracked black pepper, as much as you'd like
Other optional choices:
Olives
Banana peppers
C.O.C. (cheese of choice, i.e. feta, sharp cheddar, parmesan)
Fresh basil, cilantro or other soft herbs
Serving suggestions:
Goes great with toasted Ciabatta, French, or any firm Artisanal bread, toasted with a bit of olive oil drizzled on it.
Directions
Place everything into container except for egg. Drizzle with about 2 tbsp dressing (up to you how much). Replace lid, and gently shake the container to combine ingredients and dressing with veg and meat. Remove lid, sprinkle egg, cracked black pepper and any other options you'd like to add. Eat straight from the bowl or divy it up and share it with a friend next to an entree. Yum!
* In my humble opinion, the bell pepper MAKES this salad; gives it that something special. To me, it likens the flavors to a coleslaw without the heavy drenched-in-dressing feeling.
This salad is fantastic and economical. Everything I needed was right in my fridge, save for the powdered dressing. I never would have thought of using powder over bottled dressing, but this has totally changed my mind. Another great thing is that you can use low-fat or fat free ingredients, even sub yogurt for the mayo for an extra tangy, healthy alternative. Fantastic!
Monday, November 8, 2010
The BEST spiced apple waffles ever!!
I've been making waffles from a dry mix for the last year or so since i received my wonderful waffle iron. I've always thought waffles were just waffles, something new to eat for breakfast that doesn't include a bowl and milk. Recently, I bought a HUGE bag of Gala apples and wanted to find ways to use them besides straight up eating, and here I found my new go-to favorite waffle recipe.
What made this waffle stand apart from others that i've made is their texture: tender-crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. I used about 2/3 c of batter for each waffle and cooked on almost-full heat for four minutes. Each waffle came out a gorgeous golden brown color, enhanced by the pumpkin-pie spice used to flavor them. And the aroma, oh the aroma! It's like a warm hug and a huge mug of spiced cider in delicious waffle-form. My 3 year old son and I have eaten these every day since I made them three days ago and each time has gotten better and better.
Ingredients:
3 medium eggs, separated
3/4 cup buttermilk, warmed*
3/4 cup milk, warmed
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 medium Gala apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 1/2 cups a.p. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (apple pie spice works well, also)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)
Syrup or whipped cream for serving
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 200°F. Preheat a Belgian waffle maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, milk and butter. Add the grated apple and stir to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until smooth (some small lumps are OK).
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to high beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Slowly add sugar, about 1 tbsp at a time, so that whites do not deflate. Fold half of the whites into the batter, then carefully fold in the remaining whites.
Sprinkle 2 Tbs. of the chopped pecans onto the waffle maker. Pour about 2/3 cup of the batter onto the surface. Cook the waffles according to the manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer the waffles to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining waffles.**
Serve the waffles with whipped cream, butter and/or syrup. Makes eight 6-inch Belgian waffles.
* Don't have buttermilk? No worries! Follow this tip http://frugalliving.about.com/od/condimentsandspices/r/Buttermilk_Sub.htm for homemade buttermilk any time you need it!
** To store leftovers, allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Stack up, layering each with a paper towel in between. Place in a gallon sized labeled zip top baggie, taking care to press as much air out as possible and store in your freezer. To toast, pull apart in sections that will fit into toaster and toast at half-full heat. I.M.O, these are even BETTER when re-toasted! Yum!
What made this waffle stand apart from others that i've made is their texture: tender-crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. I used about 2/3 c of batter for each waffle and cooked on almost-full heat for four minutes. Each waffle came out a gorgeous golden brown color, enhanced by the pumpkin-pie spice used to flavor them. And the aroma, oh the aroma! It's like a warm hug and a huge mug of spiced cider in delicious waffle-form. My 3 year old son and I have eaten these every day since I made them three days ago and each time has gotten better and better.
Ingredients:
3 medium eggs, separated
3/4 cup buttermilk, warmed*
3/4 cup milk, warmed
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 medium Gala apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 1/2 cups a.p. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (apple pie spice works well, also)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)
Syrup or whipped cream for serving
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 200°F. Preheat a Belgian waffle maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, milk and butter. Add the grated apple and stir to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until smooth (some small lumps are OK).
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to high beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Slowly add sugar, about 1 tbsp at a time, so that whites do not deflate. Fold half of the whites into the batter, then carefully fold in the remaining whites.
Sprinkle 2 Tbs. of the chopped pecans onto the waffle maker. Pour about 2/3 cup of the batter onto the surface. Cook the waffles according to the manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer the waffles to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining waffles.**
Serve the waffles with whipped cream, butter and/or syrup. Makes eight 6-inch Belgian waffles.
* Don't have buttermilk? No worries! Follow this tip http://frugalliving.about.com/od/condimentsandspices/r/Buttermilk_Sub.htm for homemade buttermilk any time you need it!
** To store leftovers, allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Stack up, layering each with a paper towel in between. Place in a gallon sized labeled zip top baggie, taking care to press as much air out as possible and store in your freezer. To toast, pull apart in sections that will fit into toaster and toast at half-full heat. I.M.O, these are even BETTER when re-toasted! Yum!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Mean Green Stuft Bells
This is my variation on Giada Di Laurentiis' recipe that I found on foodnetwork.com (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/stuffed-zucchini-and-red-bell-peppers-recipe/index.html). Followed her recipe almost to a t, but used different meat and added extra cheese and spice at the end.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil (this is the healthy choice, but vegetable oil may be used)
3 medium short green bell peppers or whatever color you can get your mits on
1 egg
1/2 medium white onion, grated
1/4 c finely chopped curly or flat leaf parsley (I added a hefty pinch, as I am not too keen on this flavor)
3 tbsp ketchup
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt (I used freshly ground sea salt, but table or Kosher will do)
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c parmesan (off the block is better, but I used the pizza parlor variety)
1/4 c dry bread crumbs*
.75 lbs ground pork. The fresher, the better.
.75 lbs ground turkey or chicken thighs. Again, fresh is best.
1/4 - 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 c red sauce (I used leftover pizza sauce)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella or crumbled feta
Preheat oven to 450 F. Lubricate a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish, set aside. Tear off a sheet of heavy duty foil the length of your dish and set aside. with Split down the middle, de-seed and de-vein each of your bells and set aside. Combine everything from eggs through to the meat and gently stir with a fork or with your fingers, being careful not to squeeze or manhandle the goodness. Spoon mixture into bells, filling completely without compacting. Nestle bell peppers in your prepared dish and douse with red sauce. Cover tightly with foil and slam the whole deal into the oven. Roast for at least 30 minutes, or until your thermometer reads 140 F. Uncover, sprinkle with additional spices if you want and mound on the queso. Put back in the hot box, uncovered, for additional 12 minutes or until golden and buuuuubbly! Now, you'll want to wait at least 10 minutes for the juices to coagulate back into your roasty verdant gems, or you'll be wearing a whole lot of painfully hot juice. Serve over steamed Jasmine rice with extra sauce drizzled over sauce from the cooking pan. Now eat!!!!!
*I use whatever bread I've got laying around the house to make bread crumbs by simply giving them a whaz in my food processor. Whatever I don't use, I store in my freezer in labeled zip top baggies. For Italian bread crumbs, add preferred seasonings. For the recipe, I used bread crumbs that I had toasted completely dry. This helps absorb some of the moisture from the bells.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil (this is the healthy choice, but vegetable oil may be used)
3 medium short green bell peppers or whatever color you can get your mits on
1 egg
1/2 medium white onion, grated
1/4 c finely chopped curly or flat leaf parsley (I added a hefty pinch, as I am not too keen on this flavor)
3 tbsp ketchup
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt (I used freshly ground sea salt, but table or Kosher will do)
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c parmesan (off the block is better, but I used the pizza parlor variety)
1/4 c dry bread crumbs*
.75 lbs ground pork. The fresher, the better.
.75 lbs ground turkey or chicken thighs. Again, fresh is best.
1/4 - 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 c red sauce (I used leftover pizza sauce)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella or crumbled feta
Preheat oven to 450 F. Lubricate a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish, set aside. Tear off a sheet of heavy duty foil the length of your dish and set aside. with Split down the middle, de-seed and de-vein each of your bells and set aside. Combine everything from eggs through to the meat and gently stir with a fork or with your fingers, being careful not to squeeze or manhandle the goodness. Spoon mixture into bells, filling completely without compacting. Nestle bell peppers in your prepared dish and douse with red sauce. Cover tightly with foil and slam the whole deal into the oven. Roast for at least 30 minutes, or until your thermometer reads 140 F. Uncover, sprinkle with additional spices if you want and mound on the queso. Put back in the hot box, uncovered, for additional 12 minutes or until golden and buuuuubbly! Now, you'll want to wait at least 10 minutes for the juices to coagulate back into your roasty verdant gems, or you'll be wearing a whole lot of painfully hot juice. Serve over steamed Jasmine rice with extra sauce drizzled over sauce from the cooking pan. Now eat!!!!!
*I use whatever bread I've got laying around the house to make bread crumbs by simply giving them a whaz in my food processor. Whatever I don't use, I store in my freezer in labeled zip top baggies. For Italian bread crumbs, add preferred seasonings. For the recipe, I used bread crumbs that I had toasted completely dry. This helps absorb some of the moisture from the bells.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Asian Turkey Juicy Lucies
This is actually a spin I took on another recipe I found on allrecipes.com. I subbed in a whole collection of items that i read about in the reviews and came up with my own thing. I eyeballed everything, so all the measurements are approximate. Hope you like it!
INgredients:
1 lb ground turkey (dark meat included)
1 whole large egg
1-2 tbsp white onion
1-2 tbsp cilantro
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 lb C.O.C. (cheese of choice), sliced and shaped into a 1 x 1 square (thick slices are best here, as it will slowly melt while cooking)
1.Cover a medium or large plate (depending on how big you like your Lucies) with enough plastic wrap to cover edge to edge. Set aside.
2. Place all ingredients except for C.O.C. in a large bowl. Using your hands (or a fork if you're squeamish) gently incorporate burger meat together until combined.
3. Place 1/4 cup of the mixture dead-center on plastic covered plate. Gently smoosh it out from the center to the edges until it's about 1/3 inch thick. Place your C.O.C. in the center of the meat mass and cover with another 1/4 cup, smooshing out in the same fashion until cheese is completely enveloped. Place a square of waxed paper over the burger and repeat with the rest of the meat and cheese until all gone (should make about 4 medium burgers). Freeze at least 1 hour before grilling/cooking.
4. Grill 5-10 minutes per side, staying close by to prevent Burger Meteoring*. Flip once and continue to cook until internal temp is about 180, about another 5-10 minutes. Remove to plate, tent with a bit of foil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes while gathering condiments and veg.
*Occurs when grillers walk away and flair ups engulf the food being grilled. Especially likely to happen with burgers, even of the turkey variety, so baby your burgers!
Tips and pointers of burger-ing:
When the grill is good and hot, place burger patties around the area where the grill is medium-high heat. If you're in a hurry, you can put an old pot lid over each patty to speed up the heat (this also helps retain moisture). If not, just close the grill lid and wait about 5 minutes. Do not walk away; burgers are prone to succumbing to flair-ups, so baby those burgers! After first five minutes, check on them, looking around the edges to see if they are browning. Burgers will release when they are done cooking, which should take any where from 8-12 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is. When the burger releases from the grates, flip ONCE and leave them alone for another 5 minutes. Do not press on the burgers.
If you experience a lot of stickage, it just means that the burgers aren't ready to get off the grill. Good food takes time and patience. Just close the grill and sit around for another 2 minutes or so. They'll come off in their own juicy time.
To test for seasoning, I like to fry about a tablespoon of the mixture in a hot skillet until just cooked through. Try it out and season sparingly, testing in between additions until your taste buds are happy.
Take care to crimp edges so that cheese can't escape during cooking.
Patties can be prepared and frozen. Instead of forming them on a plate (which I only did because that's what fits in my side by side freezer), prep them on a sheet pan lined with wax paper then cover with another layer of waxed paper. Freeze until solid then remove to a large zip top bag for later use.
If you don't have a grill or just don't dig grilling, these burgers are easily prepared on the stovetop. Be sure to grease your cooking vessel with some no-stick spray. On the stove-top, stickage is less of an issue, especially with the aid of the cooking spray.
Letting burgers rest post-cooking helps the cheese and juices coagulate back into the meat, resulting in better eats and less mess. I like to keep things simple with condiments and such: a little mayo, a little mustard, a slice of onion or so, some tomato and some iceberg. Sometimes I like to eat these over a bit of Jasmine rice with a little stir-fry veg mix. I'd even venture to say that these'd be good as the meat in a chicken noodle soup deal, but i've never tried that. These are very filling, so sides are completely optional. Chow down!
INgredients:
1 lb ground turkey (dark meat included)
1 whole large egg
1-2 tbsp white onion
1-2 tbsp cilantro
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 lb C.O.C. (cheese of choice), sliced and shaped into a 1 x 1 square (thick slices are best here, as it will slowly melt while cooking)
1.Cover a medium or large plate (depending on how big you like your Lucies) with enough plastic wrap to cover edge to edge. Set aside.
2. Place all ingredients except for C.O.C. in a large bowl. Using your hands (or a fork if you're squeamish) gently incorporate burger meat together until combined.
3. Place 1/4 cup of the mixture dead-center on plastic covered plate. Gently smoosh it out from the center to the edges until it's about 1/3 inch thick. Place your C.O.C. in the center of the meat mass and cover with another 1/4 cup, smooshing out in the same fashion until cheese is completely enveloped. Place a square of waxed paper over the burger and repeat with the rest of the meat and cheese until all gone (should make about 4 medium burgers). Freeze at least 1 hour before grilling/cooking.
4. Grill 5-10 minutes per side, staying close by to prevent Burger Meteoring*. Flip once and continue to cook until internal temp is about 180, about another 5-10 minutes. Remove to plate, tent with a bit of foil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes while gathering condiments and veg.
*Occurs when grillers walk away and flair ups engulf the food being grilled. Especially likely to happen with burgers, even of the turkey variety, so baby your burgers!
Tips and pointers of burger-ing:
When the grill is good and hot, place burger patties around the area where the grill is medium-high heat. If you're in a hurry, you can put an old pot lid over each patty to speed up the heat (this also helps retain moisture). If not, just close the grill lid and wait about 5 minutes. Do not walk away; burgers are prone to succumbing to flair-ups, so baby those burgers! After first five minutes, check on them, looking around the edges to see if they are browning. Burgers will release when they are done cooking, which should take any where from 8-12 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is. When the burger releases from the grates, flip ONCE and leave them alone for another 5 minutes. Do not press on the burgers.
If you experience a lot of stickage, it just means that the burgers aren't ready to get off the grill. Good food takes time and patience. Just close the grill and sit around for another 2 minutes or so. They'll come off in their own juicy time.
To test for seasoning, I like to fry about a tablespoon of the mixture in a hot skillet until just cooked through. Try it out and season sparingly, testing in between additions until your taste buds are happy.
Take care to crimp edges so that cheese can't escape during cooking.
Patties can be prepared and frozen. Instead of forming them on a plate (which I only did because that's what fits in my side by side freezer), prep them on a sheet pan lined with wax paper then cover with another layer of waxed paper. Freeze until solid then remove to a large zip top bag for later use.
If you don't have a grill or just don't dig grilling, these burgers are easily prepared on the stovetop. Be sure to grease your cooking vessel with some no-stick spray. On the stove-top, stickage is less of an issue, especially with the aid of the cooking spray.
Letting burgers rest post-cooking helps the cheese and juices coagulate back into the meat, resulting in better eats and less mess. I like to keep things simple with condiments and such: a little mayo, a little mustard, a slice of onion or so, some tomato and some iceberg. Sometimes I like to eat these over a bit of Jasmine rice with a little stir-fry veg mix. I'd even venture to say that these'd be good as the meat in a chicken noodle soup deal, but i've never tried that. These are very filling, so sides are completely optional. Chow down!
Monday, October 11, 2010
All-Mine Apple Pie
These are most of the provisions you will need to succeed
This is all the hardware you might want to use to succeed.
Unfurling of refrigerated pie crust
Mixing all the filling goodness (no pun intended)
Assembly
Extra filling goodness (Again, no pun intended)
(Cinnamon sticks used as props. This is not bark pie)
... And the fruit of your (not so) hard work.
Came up with this recipe when I received some beautiful fruit from a lady at church this last Sunday. To be sure, of the selection I could name Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious, both fantastic for pie-baking and another one that appeared and tasted like a Gravenstein even though we're out of season for such a jewel.
I LOVE to bake, especially pies. The only thing I don't like about a whole, slice-and-serve variety is how it all falls apart no matter how much of a dab-hand you are at slicing. Today, a solution was born to my messy dilemma.
Prep to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
3/4 c white sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon (I used Kirkland Signature Saigon Cinnamon. Very punchy, strong flavor, so measure carefully!)
1/8 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated preferred
1 pinch of salt (or 1/8 tsp if you have to measure)
4 medium sized baking apples, peeled, sliced and quartered
1 recipe double crust, split into two equal balls
or 1 refrigerated double crust (I used Pilsbury)
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp water (egg wash)
Sugar and cinnamon for dusting
1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Measure all filling ingredients and stir together in a large bowl. Add prepped apples and stir gently to combine. Set aside.
2. Dust counter with a/p flour and roll out 1 ball of crust dough to 1/8 inch thickness* into a large round. Using a rotary-style pizza slicer, split the crust in half across the circumference, then into quarters. Place about 1/4 cup of the filling into the center of one of the quarters and moisten all edges with egg wash. Cover with another quarter of the crust and press dough together, being careful to remove as much air as possible without pushing out the filling. Here, you can either crimp the edges with a fork or just make little pleats every 1/4 to a 1/2 inch along the edge until a triangular parcel is formed. Do the same for the remaining six slices of pie crust to form 4 pies total.
3. Remove unbaked pie to a a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. I could only fit 2 per pan, as I didn't want to over crowd the pies. Gloss tops with egg wash and dust with sugar and cinnamon to taste. Make two parallel slits in the center of each pie, no longer than 1 inch each.
4. Place pies in preheated oven and bake (NO PEEKING unless you're looking through the glass window) for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and filling can be seen bubbling through the slits.
At this point, it is absolutely imperative (as any baker or impatient eater will tell you) to let the pies sit for no less than 20 minutes, 1 hour if you have the time. The pies should slide right off of the parchment (trust me, spending the extra couple dollars is worth the sanity saved, especially if you've cleaned your fair share of baked food concreted to your cookware). After the waiting period has been patiently wethered, you can pick up your pie and eat it without even getting a plate or fork. No muss, a litte fuss, and a whole lot of Autumnal goodness.
*If you are using the refrigerated pie crust, roll it out onto your floured work surface and prepared as mentioned above. 'Frigerated crusts are both time efficient and tasty, almost as good as homemade. I make sure to stock up when they go on sale.
p.s. I just took a bite of one of these hand-held goodies and I've got to say, I'm SO ready for Christmas to be here!!!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Fridge-to-plate everyday omelet
I just recently started eating eggs again and in the past have been an avid egg lover, so anything containing the lovely porcelain parcels rates high on my list of good eats.
From start to finish: 7 minutes or so
Ingredients:
(Per omelet. One serving)
1/2 tsp margarine/butter
4-6 cooked tater tots, crumbled
1 or 2 large eggs
1 slice of cheese (I used a Kraft Single here, but block cheese is good, too)
a dash of water
salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
ketchup, if that's your thing
In a small none-stick skillet (I favor an 8 inch Pampered Chef one purchased a couple years ago), set over medium heat, melt margarine/butter. Add tater tots, toss to coat as much as possible and cover to heat through, about 2 minutes. When you take off the lid, you want to see some slight browning. This indicates a crisp texture. Beat egg(s) with water until well incorporated and pour over potatoes. Quickly turn pan to coat bottom and clamp the lid back on for about 2-3 minutes. When you remove the lid, you want to see a firm set in the very middle of the omelet, indicating that it is cooked all the way through, with little to no browning along the edges. If the edges are very brown, you will know that it is overcooked and the eggs will be tough. Halve the slice of cheese and add one half in center mass. Fold one wing of the omelet over the center, then use your spatula to gently but quickly flip the omelet onto itself. Cover with remaining cheese, remove from heat and cover to allow cheese to melt. Garnish with salt and pepper and drizzle liberally with ketchup, if you like. Trust me when I say that the only way to eat this is piping hot off the pan. Enjoy!
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