This is from a guest blogger, from Beth, best friend. We frequently discuss home cooking, and she has good recipes a lot of the time. I will let her guest post speak for itself. :D If you have any questions, feel free to comment and I'll let Beth clarify.
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Having recently moved back in with my parents (thanks, big university), I find myself mostly relegated to the role of backup-cook or sous-chef. My mother precariously balances the nutritional balance of four trying-to-lose weight adults with some differently picky eaters thrown into the mix. I don’t really envy her the task, it’s hard enough to just feed my sister healthy, enjoyable food.
A few weeks ago, I house-sat for a lady who grows cucumbers and tomatoes. “Take them all,” she said, and I took her at her word. The tomatoes were easier to use, they ended up as bruschetta and salsa. I had a little more trouble with the cucumbers, and I ended up doing the traditional cucumber salad, also called a quick pickle.
The basics of a cucumber quick pickle is pretty much this: slice and peel your cucumbers (if they are the tiny cucumbers, you can skip the peeling). In a measuring cup, mix together white vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. You want to have about 1/2 a cup of dressing for 4 cucumbers. This is all to taste, but I like about two tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and I really just eyeball the pepper. If the vinegar seems too potent, cut it with some water. Stick your measuring cup in the microwave, cook until hot (but not boiling) and pour it over the sliced cucumbers. You can eat it right away, but I like it covered and chilled for about twenty-four hours.
After some feedback from my sister, I found a Rachael Ray recipe that called for adding dill to the cucumbers and garlic and mustard powder to the dressing. I tried that, which is pretty good, and my mom liked it. My sister continued to not be fond of the dish, but at that point, I decided that she could make her own damn cucumbers, and went on to make it to my own preferences. The latest batch has crushed red pepper in it and one green onion sliced up and marinating with the cucumbers.
During the slicing phase, if you find your cucumbers are bitter, don't despair. Take the slices and put them all over the sides of a colander or strainer. Salt them liberally, and let them sit for half an hour or so, and then rinse them off. This will get rid of the bitterness.
Some other variations that would work include using lemon pepper or paprika. Those with a fondness for the flavor of curry could try swapping that for the mustard. What else can you think of?
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Chicken and Biscuits
This is an old recipe that isn't my own, but I don't recall where I managed to pick it up from. Its a great cold weather stick to your bones kind of meal, but its also great to throw in a crock pot and forget about. The flavors are rich and delicious, and its one of my favorites. I'm going to prep my ingredients tonight, then get up tomorrow morning and put it together in the crock pot so that I have a nice meal when I get home from work.
Chicken:
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 chicken (about 3 lbs), cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1" thick
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/2" thick
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried rosemary
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
4 Large cloves of garlic, chopped finely
DUMPLINGS:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
GARNISH:
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Directions
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a bag. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Brown chicken in oil on all sides (8 to 10 minutes). Set aside.
Put carrots, celery, onion, garlic and rosemary in slow cooker. Set chicken pieces over vegetables. Pour 1/2 cup stock into skillet and cook over medium high heat, scraping up brown bits. Pour pan juices into slow cooker along with remaining stock. Cover and cook on High for 4 to 6 hours or on Low for 8 to 10 hours. Add peas and stir gently to combine.
DUMPLINGS: In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, rosemary and salt. In a measuring cup combine milk and egg. Mix well and add to flour mixture. Stir with a fork to make a lumpy dough (do not overmix - lumps are fine). Drop dumpling mixture over chicken pieces. Cover and cook on High for 25 to 30 minutes or until tester inserted in center of cumpling comes out clean. Serve garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs.
TIP: Drop the dough on the chicken pieces rather than into the liquid for fluffier dumplings.
Note: I had to add more stock, but I think it was the difference between a small chicken, and 3 lbs of boneless skinless breasts.. However, the chicken diced and coated in flour was tasty and amazing!
Note: In making it a second time, I added more broth again. I think it may be because I like mine pretty saucy. I used a whole chicken this time, but it also had all its bones. I had my butcher cut my chicken into 8 pieces. I think next time, I will do the same cut, but de-bone the breast/thigh meet before putting it into the crock pot, since the bones displace a lot of the liquid. Not sure.
Chicken:
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 chicken (about 3 lbs), cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1" thick
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/2" thick
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried rosemary
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
4 Large cloves of garlic, chopped finely
DUMPLINGS:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
GARNISH:
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Directions
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a bag. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Brown chicken in oil on all sides (8 to 10 minutes). Set aside.
Put carrots, celery, onion, garlic and rosemary in slow cooker. Set chicken pieces over vegetables. Pour 1/2 cup stock into skillet and cook over medium high heat, scraping up brown bits. Pour pan juices into slow cooker along with remaining stock. Cover and cook on High for 4 to 6 hours or on Low for 8 to 10 hours. Add peas and stir gently to combine.
DUMPLINGS: In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, rosemary and salt. In a measuring cup combine milk and egg. Mix well and add to flour mixture. Stir with a fork to make a lumpy dough (do not overmix - lumps are fine). Drop dumpling mixture over chicken pieces. Cover and cook on High for 25 to 30 minutes or until tester inserted in center of cumpling comes out clean. Serve garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs.
TIP: Drop the dough on the chicken pieces rather than into the liquid for fluffier dumplings.
Note: I had to add more stock, but I think it was the difference between a small chicken, and 3 lbs of boneless skinless breasts.. However, the chicken diced and coated in flour was tasty and amazing!
Note: In making it a second time, I added more broth again. I think it may be because I like mine pretty saucy. I used a whole chicken this time, but it also had all its bones. I had my butcher cut my chicken into 8 pieces. I think next time, I will do the same cut, but de-bone the breast/thigh meet before putting it into the crock pot, since the bones displace a lot of the liquid. Not sure.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Kedgeree
According to Wikipedia , Kedgeree is a British Breakfast dish of curried rice and fish, from the original Indian dish Khichri.
Anyway, having stumbled across it in a few books that I have read about regency era Britain, its something that I've been keen to make for some time, and I found myself with leftovers of just the right sort. I found myself pleasantly surprised by the results. I thought the eggs/rice/spices were a strange mix in reading the recipe, however, after eating it, the eggs made a really delicious addition!
I used a 3 grain wild rice mix, and a leftover half of smoked mullet that I got from a hole in the wall place. (It's actually the same place that I get loads of my produce from, they smoke seafood as well.)
In any event, I reduced the recipe to a single serving size.
Kedgeree (Single serving)
1 cup leftover rice (packed)
1/2 Filet of cooked fish coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/16th tsp (hah. "Just a pinch") of Ground red Pepper (this I think ended up being cayenne)
1/16th tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
1 scallion, finely sliced, with the white and green parts separated
2 Eggs Hard Boiled
B ring the heavy cream to a boil. Add tumeric and red pepper, simmer for 2 mins. Add rice and fish, and heat through. Fold in the white parts of the scallion, add salt and pepper.
Pour onto a serving dish, top with green parts of scallions and chopped hard boiled eggs.
Enjoy!
Anyway, having stumbled across it in a few books that I have read about regency era Britain, its something that I've been keen to make for some time, and I found myself with leftovers of just the right sort. I found myself pleasantly surprised by the results. I thought the eggs/rice/spices were a strange mix in reading the recipe, however, after eating it, the eggs made a really delicious addition!
I used a 3 grain wild rice mix, and a leftover half of smoked mullet that I got from a hole in the wall place. (It's actually the same place that I get loads of my produce from, they smoke seafood as well.)
In any event, I reduced the recipe to a single serving size.
Kedgeree (Single serving)
1 cup leftover rice (packed)
1/2 Filet of cooked fish coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/16th tsp (hah. "Just a pinch") of Ground red Pepper (this I think ended up being cayenne)
1/16th tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
1 scallion, finely sliced, with the white and green parts separated
2 Eggs Hard Boiled
B ring the heavy cream to a boil. Add tumeric and red pepper, simmer for 2 mins. Add rice and fish, and heat through. Fold in the white parts of the scallion, add salt and pepper.
Pour onto a serving dish, top with green parts of scallions and chopped hard boiled eggs.
Enjoy!
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