Ingredients:
Apples
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Salt
Peel, core, and chop about two pounds of apples into small pieces. Place the apple chunks in a slow cooker and cover with about two cups of brown sugar. Add a pinch of salt and some cinnamon to taste. Cook on high for about half an hour to an hour, then cook on low for about 10 hours (overnight is good time to do this). Take the lid off. You will have a melted sugar-apple juice mixture small apple chunks floating in it. Using a hand blender (and being careful not to splatter hot sugar stuff on yourself), blend until smooth and no apple chunks remain. Leave the cover off and cook on high until the apple butter has thickened to a spreadable consistency (this may take 2-3 more hours). Refrigerate or freeze. You could also seal it in jars for long-term storage. You can use this like as a spread like jam, as an ice cream topping, as a filling for pies or tarts, etc.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Beef and Mushroom Stew
Ingredients:
Leftover pot roast (or something similar)
Mushrooms
Water
Beef broth
Salt
Soy Sauce
Dried minced onion
Flour
Shred the beef. You can do this however you want, but I just used my hands to pull it apart into thin pieces. Slice the mushrooms. Put them in a saucepan with dried minced onion (you could also use fresh minced onion if you felt like chopping onions). Cover with water (or beef broth if you have it, or some combination thereof, or add powdered beef broth...), and add a bit of soy sauce and/or salt. Simmer for about an hour, until the mushrooms are soft and the broth has started to thicken. In a small bowl, mix together some flour and water. Stir this into the the stew, and continue to simmer until the stew has thickened. I served this over rice, but you could also serve it with some crusty bread or biscuits.
Leftover pot roast (or something similar)
Mushrooms
Water
Beef broth
Salt
Soy Sauce
Dried minced onion
Flour
Shred the beef. You can do this however you want, but I just used my hands to pull it apart into thin pieces. Slice the mushrooms. Put them in a saucepan with dried minced onion (you could also use fresh minced onion if you felt like chopping onions). Cover with water (or beef broth if you have it, or some combination thereof, or add powdered beef broth...), and add a bit of soy sauce and/or salt. Simmer for about an hour, until the mushrooms are soft and the broth has started to thicken. In a small bowl, mix together some flour and water. Stir this into the the stew, and continue to simmer until the stew has thickened. I served this over rice, but you could also serve it with some crusty bread or biscuits.
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients:
Broccoli
Bacon
Raisins
Sugar
Vinegar
Onion
This is my version of the classic broccoli-bacon-other stuff salad, created by studying numerous recipes for it and picking out the ideas and ingredients that I liked.
Before you do anything else, cook 4-5 slices of bacon until crisp and set on a paper towel to dry. Save the bacon grease! Finely chop one onion and cook it in the bacon grease until translucent. Let the onion-bacon grease mixture cool. Meanwhile, wash and cut about two cups of medium broccoli florets. Immerse the broccoli florets in boiling water for exactly one minute. immediately drain the broccoli, rinse it in cold water, and then stick it in the freezer for about 5 minutes to stop it from cooking any further. While the broccoli is in the freezer, make the dressing. Take the onion-bacon grease pan, and mix in some sugar and white vinegar until it has the taste and consistency that you want. Take the broccoli out of the freezer and drain it again, because more water will have come out of it. If you happen to have a salad spinner, you could probably throw it in the salad spinner. Put the broccoli in a large bowl, crumble the bacon over top of it, and add some raisins. Pour the onion-dressing mixture over it and mix well. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving to let the flavors mix. If you like really crispy bacon, don't add the crumbled bacon until just before serving.
Broccoli
Bacon
Raisins
Sugar
Vinegar
Onion
This is my version of the classic broccoli-bacon-other stuff salad, created by studying numerous recipes for it and picking out the ideas and ingredients that I liked.
Before you do anything else, cook 4-5 slices of bacon until crisp and set on a paper towel to dry. Save the bacon grease! Finely chop one onion and cook it in the bacon grease until translucent. Let the onion-bacon grease mixture cool. Meanwhile, wash and cut about two cups of medium broccoli florets. Immerse the broccoli florets in boiling water for exactly one minute. immediately drain the broccoli, rinse it in cold water, and then stick it in the freezer for about 5 minutes to stop it from cooking any further. While the broccoli is in the freezer, make the dressing. Take the onion-bacon grease pan, and mix in some sugar and white vinegar until it has the taste and consistency that you want. Take the broccoli out of the freezer and drain it again, because more water will have come out of it. If you happen to have a salad spinner, you could probably throw it in the salad spinner. Put the broccoli in a large bowl, crumble the bacon over top of it, and add some raisins. Pour the onion-dressing mixture over it and mix well. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving to let the flavors mix. If you like really crispy bacon, don't add the crumbled bacon until just before serving.
"Deep-Fried" Zucchini with Ranch Dip
Ingredients:
Zucchini
Flour
Water
Egg
Salt
Garlic powder
Chili powder
I'm not opposed to the idea of deep-frying things, but I don't actually own a deep fryer, or a large enough sauce pan to safely deep fry things in, but I do like deep-fried zucchini, so this is what I came up with.
Make a batter out of water, egg, flour, and a little bit of milk. It should have the consistency of a pancake batter. In fact, this whole process is a lot like making tiny pancakes that just happen to have a little slice of zucchini inside them. Add garlic powder, chili powder, and salt to taste to the batter. Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Coat the zucchini slices in flour (to help the batter stick), and then dip them in the batter. Cook small batches of zucchini slices in a single layer in a frying pan. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until the batter is cooked and lightly browned. The zucchini inside will be soft but not mushy. Serve with ranch dip. I recommend sour cream mixed with Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix. These re-heat very well in an oven or toaster oven at 300 F for about 5-10 minutes.
Zucchini
Flour
Water
Egg
Salt
Garlic powder
Chili powder
I'm not opposed to the idea of deep-frying things, but I don't actually own a deep fryer, or a large enough sauce pan to safely deep fry things in, but I do like deep-fried zucchini, so this is what I came up with.
Make a batter out of water, egg, flour, and a little bit of milk. It should have the consistency of a pancake batter. In fact, this whole process is a lot like making tiny pancakes that just happen to have a little slice of zucchini inside them. Add garlic powder, chili powder, and salt to taste to the batter. Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Coat the zucchini slices in flour (to help the batter stick), and then dip them in the batter. Cook small batches of zucchini slices in a single layer in a frying pan. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until the batter is cooked and lightly browned. The zucchini inside will be soft but not mushy. Serve with ranch dip. I recommend sour cream mixed with Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix. These re-heat very well in an oven or toaster oven at 300 F for about 5-10 minutes.
Sweet Potato Fries with Cumin
Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Cumin
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into thin fry-shaped strips. Place them with a bowl and drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and cumin to taste (or any other spices you feel like trying). Mix this well to make sure that all of the fries are coated with olive oil and seasoning. Spread them out in a single layer in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet. Bake them at 450 F for about 20-25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are soft. The outside will start to turn yellow (rather than orange) when they are done.
Sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Cumin
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into thin fry-shaped strips. Place them with a bowl and drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and cumin to taste (or any other spices you feel like trying). Mix this well to make sure that all of the fries are coated with olive oil and seasoning. Spread them out in a single layer in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet. Bake them at 450 F for about 20-25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are soft. The outside will start to turn yellow (rather than orange) when they are done.
Brown Sugar Toffee with Chocolate
Ingredients:
Brown sugar
Butter
Salt
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Note: You will need a candy thermometer for this, and be really careful with hot sugar because it can burn you. Don't leave the melting sugar unattended!
Before you get started, like a cookie sheet or baking pan with parchment paper and cover the parchment paper with chocolate chips. When you pour the hot sugar over the chocolate, it will melt the chocolate and make a chocolate coating on top of the toffee.
Put some brown sugar in a sauce pan with a pinch of salt and a little bit of butter. The precise ratio of butter to sugar real doesn't matter. Using a candy thermometer, heat this mixture to 280 F, stirring frequently. Make sure to use a large enough pan that bubbling molten sugar can't get up over the sides. When the sugar is at the right temperature, pour it into the pan over the chocolate. Let it cool completely in the fridge or freezer. When it is cold, you can use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan, then peel the parchment paper off of the chocolate side, and break it into small pieces.
Brown sugar
Butter
Salt
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Note: You will need a candy thermometer for this, and be really careful with hot sugar because it can burn you. Don't leave the melting sugar unattended!
Before you get started, like a cookie sheet or baking pan with parchment paper and cover the parchment paper with chocolate chips. When you pour the hot sugar over the chocolate, it will melt the chocolate and make a chocolate coating on top of the toffee.
Put some brown sugar in a sauce pan with a pinch of salt and a little bit of butter. The precise ratio of butter to sugar real doesn't matter. Using a candy thermometer, heat this mixture to 280 F, stirring frequently. Make sure to use a large enough pan that bubbling molten sugar can't get up over the sides. When the sugar is at the right temperature, pour it into the pan over the chocolate. Let it cool completely in the fridge or freezer. When it is cold, you can use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan, then peel the parchment paper off of the chocolate side, and break it into small pieces.
Cinnamon Raisin Rice Pudding
Ingredients:
Cooked rice
Milk
Sugar
Salt
Cinnamon
Butter
Raisins
I took some leftover cooked basmati (about 2 cups) rice and put it in a saucepan with enough milk to cover it. I added a pinch of salt, about 1/4 cup of sugar, and a generous amount of cinnamon. I simmered this until most of the milk had been absorbed by the rice. I then added another 1/2 cup of milk (enough to give it a pudding-like consistency), a couple of tablespoons of butter, and the raisins. I cooked this for about 5 more minutes. It's good warm or cold.
Cooked rice
Milk
Sugar
Salt
Cinnamon
Butter
Raisins
I took some leftover cooked basmati (about 2 cups) rice and put it in a saucepan with enough milk to cover it. I added a pinch of salt, about 1/4 cup of sugar, and a generous amount of cinnamon. I simmered this until most of the milk had been absorbed by the rice. I then added another 1/2 cup of milk (enough to give it a pudding-like consistency), a couple of tablespoons of butter, and the raisins. I cooked this for about 5 more minutes. It's good warm or cold.
Kiwi Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients:
Thinly sliced beef
Kiwi (fruit)
Olive oil
Vinegar
Salt
Sugar
Soy sauce
Mushrooms
Snow peas
Cornstarch
Water
Rice
I made a marinade of finely chopped kiwi pieces, olive oil, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. I added the thinly sliced beef to this and refrigerated for about an hour. I then cooked the beef with the kiwi marinade in a frying pan until all of the beef slices were cooked. There was a lot of liquid in the pan. In a separate pan while I did this, I cooked sliced mushrooms and snow peas with some soy sauce until they just started to get limp (but the snow peas were still a bit crunchy). I then added the beef mixture to the veggies and simmered this until some of the liquid was gone and just enough was left to make a nice stir fry sauce. I mixed a small bit of cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and then quickly stirred that into the stir fry until the sauce was thickened. I served this over basmati rice with additional soy sauce. Kiwis (and pineapples) have some sort of enzyme in them that break down proteins and make meat very tender. I think when I do this again, I won't even bother to let the beef sit in the marinade, I'll just cook it in the sauce. It would also be interesting to try this with pineapple instead of kiwi.
Thinly sliced beef
Kiwi (fruit)
Olive oil
Vinegar
Salt
Sugar
Soy sauce
Mushrooms
Snow peas
Cornstarch
Water
Rice
I made a marinade of finely chopped kiwi pieces, olive oil, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. I added the thinly sliced beef to this and refrigerated for about an hour. I then cooked the beef with the kiwi marinade in a frying pan until all of the beef slices were cooked. There was a lot of liquid in the pan. In a separate pan while I did this, I cooked sliced mushrooms and snow peas with some soy sauce until they just started to get limp (but the snow peas were still a bit crunchy). I then added the beef mixture to the veggies and simmered this until some of the liquid was gone and just enough was left to make a nice stir fry sauce. I mixed a small bit of cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and then quickly stirred that into the stir fry until the sauce was thickened. I served this over basmati rice with additional soy sauce. Kiwis (and pineapples) have some sort of enzyme in them that break down proteins and make meat very tender. I think when I do this again, I won't even bother to let the beef sit in the marinade, I'll just cook it in the sauce. It would also be interesting to try this with pineapple instead of kiwi.
Corn and Potato Chowder
Ingredients:
Potatoes
Frozen corn
Onion
Water
Basil
Cumin
Salt
Paprika
Bay leaf
Garlic powder
I took three potatoes and cut them into very small chunks. I peeled the potatoes, but only because they were a bit old and starting to sprout things. I normally would have left the skin on. I chopped one onion, and threw the onion and potato into a medium saucepan with about two handfuls of frozen corn. I added enough water to almost fill the pot. I then added one bay leaf, and as much paprika, garlic powder, dried basil, cumin, and salt as I wanted. I simmered this over medium heat until the potatoes were soft, the onions were translucent, and enough of the water had boiled off so that the vegetables were sticking up above the water line. This took about an hour. I then turned the heat down very low and added about 3/4 cup of sour cream, just enough to get the consistency I wanted. I cooked this over very low heat for an additional 10 minutes. You could also add celery and/or carrots to the veggie mixture, and crumbled bacon on top of the soup added just before serving would be a nice touch.
Potatoes
Frozen corn
Onion
Water
Basil
Cumin
Salt
Paprika
Bay leaf
Garlic powder
I took three potatoes and cut them into very small chunks. I peeled the potatoes, but only because they were a bit old and starting to sprout things. I normally would have left the skin on. I chopped one onion, and threw the onion and potato into a medium saucepan with about two handfuls of frozen corn. I added enough water to almost fill the pot. I then added one bay leaf, and as much paprika, garlic powder, dried basil, cumin, and salt as I wanted. I simmered this over medium heat until the potatoes were soft, the onions were translucent, and enough of the water had boiled off so that the vegetables were sticking up above the water line. This took about an hour. I then turned the heat down very low and added about 3/4 cup of sour cream, just enough to get the consistency I wanted. I cooked this over very low heat for an additional 10 minutes. You could also add celery and/or carrots to the veggie mixture, and crumbled bacon on top of the soup added just before serving would be a nice touch.
Cucumber Feta Salad
Ingredients:
Cucumbers, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Vinegar
Sugar
Cumin
Feta cheese
I had about 4 of those little mini cucumbers. I sliced them into very thin slices (unpeeled), and put them in a bowl. I added about a teaspoon of olive oil, about two teaspoons of white vinegar about two teaspoons of sugar, and some cumin. I mixed them all up and put them in a covered bowl in the fridge to marinate overnight. There was quite a bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl in the morning, so I transfered the cucumbers to another bowl, and I crumbled feta cheese over them and mixed it all together. I would recommend not adding the cheese until right before serving.
Cucumbers, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Vinegar
Sugar
Cumin
Feta cheese
I had about 4 of those little mini cucumbers. I sliced them into very thin slices (unpeeled), and put them in a bowl. I added about a teaspoon of olive oil, about two teaspoons of white vinegar about two teaspoons of sugar, and some cumin. I mixed them all up and put them in a covered bowl in the fridge to marinate overnight. There was quite a bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl in the morning, so I transfered the cucumbers to another bowl, and I crumbled feta cheese over them and mixed it all together. I would recommend not adding the cheese until right before serving.
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