The Geeky Gourmet

The Geeky Gourmet Has Evolved Into Something Better

2010-08-31T10:32:00.001-05:00

When I announced the end of this blog, I got more emails from readers and complaints from friends than I could have ever imagined. I was inspired by the amount of people who actually read The Geeky Gourmet on a regular basis and decided that instead of quitting, I would take a break, get my life back in order, and begin work on something bigger and better. I freely admit that when I started The Geeky Gourmet, I had no idea what I was doing, let alone there would be a significant amount of people that would enjoy reading it. Now, I have began to use my knowledge of blogging and building a website to create something new. It is nowhere close to finished, but I have decided to make it public so that I can get as much feedback as possible. Please look at my new food blog, follow me on Twitter, and "like" me on Facebook. I promise to deliver tasty recipes, drool-worthy photos, and consistent and quality content. As always, I appreciate your support over this past year and look forward to cooking with you in the future.

Kristi

Follow me to a bigger, better kitchen:

http://thesaucyoven.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/thesaucyoven

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Saucy-Oven/1506776249487166

The Geeky Gourmet Says Farewell.

2010-06-29T16:06:00.001-05:00

Running The Geeky Gourmet has been one of the highlights of my year. I have poured my time, effort, joy, frustration, and love into this blog. I started it with no knowledge of photography, blogging, or the majority of the cooking techniques I've written about. I've met many other food bloggers who have encouraged and supported me throughout this year and all of you have a special place in my heart. I've discovered talents I did not know existed through this project, and I owe a huge thank you to every friend who commented on my Facebook, to every blogger in another state or part of the world who bothered to pay attention to what I was writing about and tell me to continue doing it.

It is with great sadness that I say this; but I cannot continue to post to this blog. I have been going through a lot these past couple months in my personal life and it is too hard to give my readers the consistant and quality content that they deserve. I am working towards a stability in my life, and I feel as though I get a little closer everyday but I am not there yet.

I have plans to start another food blog, this one will be exponentially better in content and design. I will be working on it little by little in what spare time I have, and with a little luck I should have it up and running within the next year.

I will still be available to bake for events and lessons and I will be happy to answer any cooking related questions at my personal email: tripsfantastic@gmail.com.

Thank you guys for a great year, and see you soon.

All my love,

Kristi Hamilton

Lavender and Vanilla Bean Mini Angel Food Cakes with White Chocolate Glaze

2010-05-17T15:49:00.000-05:00

Light and fluffy, yet rich and decadent; these elegant little cakes are sure to impress.

I have memories of sweet and airy angel food cake, drizzled in thin icing, or topped with bright red, juicy little strawberries in the summertime. In my past, before I got really serious about cooking from scratch, I had made a cake or two with boxed mix. I know I run this concept into the ground, but angel food cake is yet another thing that tastes so much better when made from scratch. I've heard many people talk of being intimidated by angel food cake, but if you follow the directions diligently you won't have any problems.

The addition of the lavender adds a sophisticated element, and the vanilla bean balances the flavors. Top it off with the white chocolate glaze, and the flavor combination becomes quite addictive. I made these for a tasting party a friend of mine was throwing to showcase her catering company, and they didn't last five minutes!

Rather than deal with cutting a cake and serving slices, I decided to use a miniature bundt pan (think muffin or cupcake pan, but bundt shaped). This recipe can just as easily be adapted to bake in a regular tube pan, just adjust the cooking times.

I hope you enjoy making (and eating!) these as much as I did.

Lavender and Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake

1/3 c skim milk
1 tbsp culinary lavender
1 vanilla bean
1 3/4 c organic cane sugar
pinch salt
1 c cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place milk and lavender in a small saucepan. Cut open vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds, add to milk mixture. Bring to a simmer on low/medium heat, remove and set aside.

In a blender or food processor blend the sugar until it is a very fine powdery consistency. Sift half of the sugar with the cake flour, setting the other half aside.

In a large bowl, whisk by hand egg whites, infused milk, and cream of tartar. After a minute or two switch to a mixer and beat at medium speed while sifting in the remaining sugar. Once the whites begin forming medium peaks, sift a thin layer of flour over them and then fold in gently with a spatula. Continue with this process until the remaining flour is gone.

Spoon batter into ungreased miniature bundt or cupcake pans, baking until golden brown. The cake should spring back when pressed with a finger. It took me about 10-15 minutes, but watch closely as every oven varies. If you are making one large cake in a tube pan, you will want to extend the time to about 30-35 minutes. Cool thoroughly (at least an hour) on a wire rack.

For the white chocolate glaze, all you need is a couple ounces of chopped white chocolate melted over a double boiler. Add milk, a spoonful at a time until the sauce is just the right consistency to drizzle over the cakes.

Enjoy!

Cookware.com Giveaway! << This Giveaway is now closed>>

2010-04-27T14:11:00.005-05:00

This giveaway is now closed!! Thanks to everyone who participated, and keep an eye out for more in the future! Much love to all my readers,

Kristi

I was approached by an employee of the online retailer CSN to do a giveaway recently. CSN is a huge online retailer with several different sites, selling anything from bar furniture to pet supplies, home decor, or my personal favorite; cookware and kitchen gadgets! They have an extensive selection on each individual site, and everything is of excellent quality as well as reasonably priced.

After much thought (and indecisiveness), I have decided that I would like to give away this Frieling nonstick glass bottom springform pan as a thank you to all of my readers that have shown me so much love and support since I began blogging back in November. Running The Geeky Gourmet has brought me much joy and taught me many things, and it's all because of the people who read my posts and encourage me to continue writing.

I've been drooling over springform pans lately, as mine have been lost in previous moves. A decent, good quality springform pan is absolutely essential for cheesecakes and other delicious baked goods.

"How do I get my hands on this precious, one-of-a-kind, holy grail of baking bliss?!", you may be asking yourself. Well, it's pretty simple. All I ask of you, dear readers, is to do as many of the things listed below as you desire, for one entry each. When you have finished each task, leave me a comment (one individual comment for each separate thing) to let me know you're participating. If have have already done them, just leave a comment to qualify. PLEASE remember to leave your email address in each comment so that I can get a hold of you in case you are a winner. The winner will be chosen next Tuesday, May 4, 2010. I will notify you by email that day or the following day, and ask you for your shipping address. I will be using a random number generator to pick the winner. Without further ado, here is what you can do to enter the giveaway:

Follow The Geeky Gourmet through Blogger or Google Friend Connect.
Become a fan of The Geeky Gourmet on Facebook.
Follow @thegeekygourmet on Twitter.
Tweet about this giveaway.
Follow me through the Networked Blogs widget on the left sidebar of my blog.
Subscribe to my blog using the RSS reader of your choice at my feedburner.
Subscribe to The Geeky Gourmet by email using the widget found on my left sidebar.
Add your favorite Geeky Gourmet post to Stumbleupon.
Add your favorite Geeky Gourmet post to Digg.
Add your favorite Geeky Gourmet post to Reddit.
Add my blog to your blogroll.
Leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Geeky Gourmet recipe is so far and why.
Leave me a comment on this post telling me what recipes you would like to see or what you think I could do to improve my blog.

Thanks for reading The Geeky Gourmet, and good luck!

Lavender and Raw Honey Creme Brulee

2010-04-13T18:06:00.001-05:00

My love affair with creme brulee began shortly before my eighteenth birthday. I started working at this little upscale bakery as a cashier. Before the week was out, I was in the back baking and doing various other tasks. My favorite part of the day was when I could go hide in the back of the bakery, caramelizing the sugar on tray after tray ramekins filled with creamy little custards.

Creme brulee is as elegant as it is simple. The first time you crack the glassy surface of the sugar coating and plunge into the rich, velvety custard, you begin a hopeless addiction.

I admit, I may be obsessed, but I'm certainly not alone. What I'm about to say may offend your average creme brulee elitist, but as wonderful as a simple vanilla creme brulee is, my favorite thing to do is crank them out in as many different flavors as cross my mind.

I recently came across a batch of culinary lavender. Lavender is a very fragrant flower, with supposed anti-septic as well as calming properties. Its' floral fragrance scares off a lot of cooks who would otherwise enjoy using it in their recipes. Don't be intimidated, however keep in mind, there is a fine line between a delicate lavender flavor and a dish that tastes of perfume. When in doubt, less is definitely more.

Lavender is complimented by vanilla flavors and tastes heavenly with honey. In this recipe, I use raw honey, which is unheated, unfiltered, and unprocessed. It retains most of its' nutrients and enzymes this way, and has a rich, delicious taste. I figure if you're going to use honey, you might as well get all the nutrition you can out of it. You can buy raw honey at your local health food store, as well as order it online from many places.

As for the caramelized sugar crust, I recommend buying a small kitchen torch to burn the sugar you sprinkle on top, however you can find recipes that tell you how to make a syrup on the stove and pour over the top to harden, as well as broiling the sugar tops in the oven (this is inconsistent, as some will burn well and others too much or not enough).

I'm using the creme brulee recipe out of The Dessert Bible by Christopher Kimball as a base. This is one of my most loved and worn out cookbooks. He goes through and tests out all kinds of recipes for the best combination of ingredients and then rewrites the recipe based on the outcome. His creme brulee is a little unconventional in that he uses whole eggs rather than yolks and mixes light and heavy cream. Despite these differences, it makes one of the best and silkiest creme brulees I've ever made, and I'm sure your guest won't notice the difference.

Ingredients

1 c heavy cream
1 c light cream
1 tbsp dried culinary lavender buds
3 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar and extra for the tops
1 generous tbsp raw honey
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 300F. To prepare a water bath for the creme brulees, find a large roasting pan or casserole dish and place a dishtowel evenly in the bottom. Place ramekins on top of the towel, making sure they do not touch the sides of the pan or each other. Bring some water to a boil.

Place the heavy and light cream in a saucepan with the lavender and bring to a light simmer. Remove from heat. Gently whisk the eggs, sugar, honey, and salt together in a medium bowl. Slowly add about a cup of the lavender and cream mixture, whisking gently until combined. Add the rest of the cream while stirring with a spoon. Strain into a measuring cup and pour into the ramekins. Pour the hot water into the roasting pan until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Place the roasting pan in the oven. You will most likely have to bake them anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. You'll want them to be set but still jiggle in the middle. Let the creme brulees cool and then remove them from the water. Set in refrigerator to chill, preferably overnight but an hour or two will work in a pinch.

Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of sugar over each creme brulee and caramelize the sugar with a small kitchen blowtorch.

Enjoy!

Cooking With Wine: Basics, Tips, and Tricks.

2010-03-18T18:15:00.004-05:00

To put it simply; wine is fermented grape juice. However, to many of us, it is so much more. To the winemaker it is a passion, a way of life. He spends his days nurturing and growing the grapes, picking them, crushing and fermenting them, and finally bottling them. To food, wine is a companion. Some restaurants serve a different wine to compliment each individual course. When used in the actual cooking of the food, wine enhances the flavor. To the enthusiast, wine is a sublime pleasure, bordering on obsession. They speak, breathe, and dream wine. They will travel to the ends of the earth and pay any amount for the perfect bottle of wine. To the rest of us, wine is a simple indulgence for the end of a long day, a lovely dinner, or whenever the mood strikes. It's one of of the key ingredients to the glues that bind many a friendship. Tears are shed, laughter echoes, and love is discovered over glasses of wine.

Wine is a must-have for any kitchen. It's low-fat, and its' complex flavors and aromas lend depth and intensity to your dishes. Once you gain an understanding of how to use wine in your cooking, you realize that you can cut down the amount of oils and fats you use exponentially.

I was hesitant to use wine in my food for many years, mostly because of a few poorly cooked meals I've had at restaurants. If you use too much wine in a dish, or you do not give it time to cook down and mature, it will taste boozey and unappetizing. If you give yourself some room to experiment with an open mind, you will discover that using wine in a recipe creates moisture and lots of flavor.

The most important thing to remember when cooking with wine is this; do not use any wine in your food that you would not drink. This does not mean that you need to buy a $30 bottle of wine exclusively for your next dinner, but I do discourage the use of so-called "cooking wines" that can be found with the vinegar at your grocers. This wine is generally too salty and of poor quality. I've been perfectly content with many a $12 bottle for my cooking with a glass or two leftover to drink!

The type of grape used to make the wine as well as how and where it is grown shapes the flavor, as do the tannins, acids, sugar and alcohol contents in the wine. Tannins are responsible for the bitter tastes in wine, and acids the sharpness. Also dry wines will have less natural sugars and more alcohol, and sweet wines the opposite. You may recall people mentioning certain flavors while discussing wine (i.e. blackberry notes in a merlot). The subtle flavors are what you want to think of when choosing wine for your recipes, as well as the aforementioned dry and sweet characteristics. You wouldn't want to use a dry wine in a dessert, nor would you cook a bold and savory dish using a sweet one. This is all expanding on the basic "red wine-red meat, white wine-white meat (poultry, fish, etc.)" rule.

Look for these subtle flavors in wines to compliment your recipes:

White

Vanilla, cloves, rose, caramel, pear, melon, mushroom, citrus, honey, butter, nutty, and herbs.

Red

Chocolate, cherry, blackberry, currant, plum, coffee, pepper, oak, and cinnamon.

The longer you try different wines and use them in your cooking, you will begin to discover these flavors and more.

Wine helps to dissolve fats and release flavor molecules in cooking. The alcohol starts to evaporate around 178 F, the longer you cook at this temperature or higher, the more alcohol will evaporate, bringing out and intensifying different flavors. Generally, you will need to cook red wines longer than white.

The two best ways to cut down on the fat in your cooking are to sauté and marinade your foods using wine. When sautéing, use very little olive oil and around 1/2 c of wine. Be sure not to cover your pan while you are cooking, so that the wine can reduce. This brings out the flavors just as well, if not better than sautéing in fat.

Try using wine as your base in soups and sauces rather than cream to cut calories, and also in place of stock for a deeper and more complex flavor. Stews can also benefit from the use of wine.

Using wine as the base for your marinade is another excellent way to lessen your use of oils. The acids in the wine help to tenderize tougher cuts of meat, and also works to compliment and deepen the flavors of the meat. Again, you will want to stick with robust red wines for beef, lamb, and duck, and white for delicately flavored fish and white-meated poultry.

Try basting meats (and veggies!) with wine rather than fat while roasting and baking. It should keep the meat from drying out just as well as oil while adding a delicious flavor.

Finally, when braising meat, you can't do better than a nice wine that compliments the meat as well as whatever herbs and vegetables you may be cooking with. I guarantee it will melt in your mouth with unforgettable flavor.

Whatever you do, don't stress over what wine to buy. Experimenting is the only way to find out what tastes you enjoy in your wine. Not everyone follows the rules to the t, and neither should you.

Delicious Vegan Portobella Stroganoff

2010-03-01T22:15:00.005-06:00

This incredibly simple recipe is so tasty, your guests won't believe it's vegan!

I live in a house full of meat-eating enthusiasts, so I am always striving to trick them into eating vegan and vegetarian things. If my recipes are carnivore approved, then I know they are good enough for the rest of the world. This is a tried and true vegan recipe of mine; rich and creamy, sophisticated but simple. This can be whipped up and thrown on a table in less than an hour for a starving family, or become the talk of the neighborhood after your next dinner party. The best part about this dish is that it is pretty much guilt-free. There's virtually no saturated fats since you are using olive oil and imitation sour cream. The mushrooms are are good source of fiber and other nutrients, and if you use brown rice rather than white, you are including whole grains as well

Stroganoff

1/2 c olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced.
1 onion, diced.
3/4 c sweetish white cooking wine (I used chablis)
3 or 4 portobella mushrooms, sliced into strips.
1 tbsp of dill
1 tub of Tofutti imitation sour cream

Heat olive oil on stove over medium heat (in a pan, of course). Add in garlic and onions. Once the onions begin to turn translucent, add the wine and mushrooms and bring to a simmer.

Once the mushrooms have cooked through, stir in the flour and dill. The mixture should thicken and lose its watery consistency. Fold in the imitation sour cream and serve over rice.

Enjoy.

Mini Devil's Food Cakes with Amaretto Pastry Cream Filling and White Chocolate Glaze

2010-02-14T02:43:00.003-06:00

These tiny cakes have a rich flavor and moist texture. They won't last long on your plate!

I've started a new job and haven't had as much time to devote to this blog as I'd like. This was meant to be posted last week in time for Valentine's Day, but didn't quite make it up in time. I hope that you will try it anyway, it's a chocolate lover's dream.

This particular cake went through several transformations in my head; epic layer cake, raspberry jam filling, cherries, strawberries, the list goes on and on. I decided on something small with big flavor, wanted some sort of ganache as a topping, and a pastry cream filling. It didn't dawn on me until later that I had created a pretentious Hostess cake! Despite the comparison, this is still a very elegant end to a romantic dinner.

I ran into a few problems with the recipes, which I adapted from a much-loved cookbook of mine: The Dessert Bible by Christopher Kimball. I have gotten a ton of inspiration out of this book, as well as many techniques, but for some reason certain things don't come out as described despite following exact directions. The glaze, for example, was supposed to be a thick white chocolate ganache, but turned out rather runny. I had to add cornstarch to the pastry cream, because despite heating it slowly but adequately for an hour and a half (whisking all the while until my right arm fell off), it was little more than a slightly thick sauce. I've made several changes to make this dessert out of 3 or 4 master recipes, and the final result was different that what I wanted but exquisite nonetheless.

Devil's Food Cake

1/3 c boiling water

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

1/8 c cocoa

3/4 c cake flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 stick butter, at room temp

3/4 c dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla

1 lg egg

1/4 c sour cream

1.) Stir boiling water, chopped chocolate, and cocoa together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder in another bowl and set aside as well. Preheat oven to 350. Place paper cups in a muffin pan and then spray with non stick cooking spray.

2.)Beat butter in large bowl on medium-high for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and vanilla and beat on high until light and fluffy (about 3 mins.). Pour egg a little at a time, and beat on medium-high for 30 seconds after each individual addition. Add sour cream and beat on medium speed until combined, about 10 seconds.

3.)Stir water and chocolate mixture until smooth. Alternate pouring the chocolate mixture, the flour mixture, and beating on low for 10 second intervals until all is combined. Gently finish mixing batter with a rubber spatula.

4.)Pour batter into muffin cups, filling about halfway. This cake batter seems to rise very well, and you want an even, small, squat cylinder rather than a cupcake shape. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until center of middle cupcake springs back when lightly pressed with the flat side of a fork. Cool on wire racks for 15 mins, then remove from muffin cups and cool completely on racks.

Amaretto Pastry Cream

1 c half and half

3 large egg yolks

1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 tbsp flour

pinch salt

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp lemon juice

1.) Heat half and half in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer.

2.) Meanwhile, whisk eggs, sugar, flour, and salt in a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan for one minute, until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 c hot half and half to the egg mixture, whisking constantly but gently. When mixed, slowly pour in the remaining half and half, continuing to whisk slowly.

3.) Place pan over low heat and, whisking constantly but gently, heat until mixture thickens, 4-7 minutes. Continue whisking for another 3 minutes or until the floury taste is diminished.

4.) Strain custard into a small bowl, add almond and lemon juice (or 2 tbsp amaretto liqueur if you rather), stirring gently. Smooth top with rubber spatula and place wax paper over surface. Refrigerate until needed.

*I had a lot of problems getting this to thicken up, despite following directions exactly. I just added cornstarch a little at a time until it was my desired consistency.

Using a pastry bag or bottle with an injector tip, squeeze pastry cream into the middle of each cake from the top. Allow to set upright for now, but you will flip them over before pouring on the glaze.

White Chocolate Glaze

4 oz white chocolate

1/2 c heavy cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1.) Chop chocolate into small pieces.

2.)Bring cream to a simmer in saucepan. Add chocolate and cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let sit 8 minutes.

3.)Add vanilla and stir gently until mixture is smooth. Let cool until tepid.

Pour glaze over top of each cake, allowing it to coat the sides. Let cool, and store in refrigerator. If you prefer an actual ganache, you can melt down chopped white chocolate with a couple spoonfuls of whipping cream and a tbsp or so of butter in the microwave 10 seconds at a time until smooth, stirring after each time. This should come out much thicker.

First and last pictures were taken by my talented best friend, Sarah Clark. You can see more of her work or contact her regarding pricing here.

Home Made Naan and Super Easy Veggie Curry

2010-01-30T13:04:00.006-06:00

The Indian food restaurant in my city closed a few years ago. Ever since then, I've made sure to eat at one every time we travel. Unfortunately, this does not do anything to help my cravings for curry and naan on an almost daily basis at home. I've made both Thai and Indian curries before, as well as other Indian dishes, but the one I'm posting today is sort of a hybrid of both. I have more complicated and authentic recipes that I will post later on, but for now I thought I would do this one as it is a nice introduction to this sort of cuisine.

Curry is a term used to describe dishes popular in Indian Cuisine as well as all over Asia, and even parts of Africa. Its original meaning is basically some sort of meat and/or vegetables cooked in a gravy and eaten over rice or served with bread. Surprisingly, it was the British who invented curry powder. Most people associate the word with spices, and while there are as many different variations of spices used in curry as their are families in India, most curry powder is made with spices such as turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, red pepper, cumin, ginger, and clove in varying measurements. You can also find curry pastes at your local asian market. These are similar but have noticeable differences from Indian Curry, such as the use of kaffir lime, galangal (thai ginger), and lemongrass. Thai curry is usually available in 3 different colors; red, yellow, and green, although there are panang and massaman curries to be found sometimes as well. Yellow is similar to Indian curry, because of the turmeric, which is what gives it color. Red and Green get their color from the different chiles that are used to make them. The three curries have varying flavors, and most store-bought pastes have the option between hot and mild. There are many other varieties of spices used in different curries all over the world, including cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamom, mustard seed, shrimp paste, white pepper, garlic, chile oil, poppy seeds, anise, coconut, and curry leaves.

Normally I would recommend that you make your Indian curries by mixing your own spices, and getting a feel of what each taste is and what you like more or less of, but today is all about quick and easy. I used store-bought curry powder, if you can get this item in bulk from a natural food store, I would. I also added a couple tablespoons of Thai red curry paste to mine, but it is not necessary. The yogurt can be substituted for coconut milk, which is found in Asian curries, but has an exquisite flavor. I didn't really take exact measurements of everything, curry is kinda forgiving in this area. I mostly just grab my favorite veggies and sautee them, adding spices as I go to taste. Thanks to the serrano peppers, this has a pleasant amount of heat to it, if you'd like a mild curry omit them. If you want to swap out different vegetables, please do. Feel free to add meat if you are a carnivore, chicken tastes great in this, as does shrimp. I made a HUGE pot, because this is leftover gold! If you are only making for 2 or 3 people, halve everything.

Quick and Easy Veggie Curry

Oil for Sauteeing veggies (preferably olive oil)

2 small green serrano peppers

4 cloves minced garlic

1 onion diced

2-3 Tablespoons Curry Powder (more or less to taste)

2 Tblsp red Curry paste

large bunch broccoli (I chopped both the flowers and the stalk)
2 packages of mushrooms rinsed

1 large yam

2 Zucchinis

2 or 3 cups plain nonfat yogurt

Chop all of the veggies into thick chunks, set aside. Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot, and when it is hot add the chiles, garlic, and onion let them cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, Then add in the curry spices and stir. Once it's begun to simmer, add the veggies a little at a time, stirring to coat them all with the curry/oil mixture. At this point, you can add water so that there is a sufficient amount in the bottom of the pot to let the vegetables simmer. Be careful not too add too much, the veggies create juice while they cook and too much water will make your curry soupy. Cover and allow to simmer on low until the vegetables have cooked through, but are not mushy. Once the veggies are cooked, fold in the yogurt until evenly mixed and remove from heat. Serve over rice with Naan.

Naan

Naan is traditionally a leavened Middle Eastern flatbread baked in a tandoor, or clay oven. It tastes like heaven, and should be eaten a minimum of 25 times a day with everything. When naan appears on a table, angels sing in the background. It sort of has the consistency of a mix between a fat tortilla, a pita, and pure bliss. It is sort of complicated to make if you are using a traditional Indian recipe, and if you have a tandoor in your house then I am moving in with you.

I have modified this recipe in a few ways. It is a little different than the naan most of you are used to having at the restaurants, but is every bit as good and tastes amazing with a curry (or anything you might be eating). I use baking powder rather than yeast, and cook it on a cast iron griddle rather than in the oven. If you choose to bake this, that is fine, just be sure to turn your oven to about 500F. It doesn't take very long to cook them, just wait for them to puff up and brown a little. Many recipes will tell you to turn your broiler on, and this certainly helps you with getting that magnificent brown bubbling effect. It's a matter of choice, really.

Ingredients

4 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
a bowl of melted butter for brushing on the naan

Sift dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle. Mix all wet ingredients into another smaller bowl until combined; pour into well in flour. Stir with a spoon until it becomes difficult, then begin to knead dough with your hands. It will stick at first. Continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Put a damp towel over the bowl and place in a warm place will it will not be disturbed. Let sit for an hour or two (if you have the time, you can leave it up to 4 hours).

Remove dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Separate into little balls the size of plums. Flatten them out one at a time into disks, then roll until about 1/4 - 1/8" thick. Don't worry if they aren't in perfect circles, because I think that may be impossible. Place them on a greased skillet, brushing the exposed side with the butter and flipping over, do this a few times until both sides have browned bubbles and are cooked to your liking. Remove from griddle and brush with butter. Store wrapped in a clean dishtowel while you cook the remainder of the dough.

Enjoy!

My First Guest Blogging Experience! (Oooh, and French Toast!)

2010-01-29T22:53:00.002-06:00

It's been a busy week for me; getting my first award and being asked to do a guest blog for the first time! I am overjoyed at the opportunity to post on my friends at The Bohemian Kitchen's Facebook fan page. I went for a very simple but elegant recipe, French Toast with a Citrus-Apple Glaze. You can read the recipe on their page here. Please take the time to read the recipe and show them some love, as they are wonderful, talented, and generous people. I will be putting up a really great recipe post either tomorrow or the next day, so keep checking back.

My first award! The Honest Scrap.

2010-01-27T10:59:00.002-06:00

Scott at Fight the Fat Foodie was one of the first bloggers to notice my page. If you haven't checked out his blog yet, please do. His story is pretty incredible, and he posts frequently; sharing amazing recipes that cut the fat without sacrificing the flavor. If you love food like I do, you know this is a hard thing to do well. He has showed me a ton of support, and I notice I get hits directed from his page every day.

Anyway, Scott commented on my Caramel Apple Tart post and told me that he had an award for me. It's my first one ever, and I am so pleased and excited to know that not only are there people out there that care to read this thing, but they actually like it!

So with this award, I am required to tell you 10 honest things about myself as well as pass the award on to 10 others I feel are honest in their approach to blogging and food. Here goes..

When I started this blog, I knew absolutely nothing about the blogging community, or photography whatsoever. My first post had no pictures and rambled on, and my second had *gasp* pictures from my camera phone! Since then, I have been researching the technique and science behind food photography, as well as started teaching myself web design. I am never truly satisfied with this blog, and it has pushed me to learn new things and better myself everyday. Not only that, but it has introduced me to some pretty amazing, talented, and supportive people, and I appreciate and am inspired by them.
I am slowly learning to clean up while I am cooking, but I still (and always have) completely destroy the kitchen when I cook something. I hate cleaning and generally try to push it off on whatever poor victim that is related to or friends with me and is forced to eat my creations. It is utterly ridiculous.
Every delicious looking recipe you see on this page usually has a backstory. By backstory, I mean I completely screwed it up, got angry, and then kind of fudged it back together after throwing a tantrum. I somehow always manage to make it worthy of photographing, and they somehow always taste good. I guess that counts for something.
I am pathetically strung out on cookbooks. I buy one every time I go near a book store, citing some excuse as to how it is different than the others and I need it. I have a million of them, and I've read them all cover to cover. My family has tried to intervene, but I fight pretty viciously when it comes to my babies.
I used to be a vegetarian in high school. I frequently say that I want to give up meat again, but with my busy life I never get around to it. I almost always cook without meat, but when I eat out I order chicken a lot.
I would leave my poor boyfriend who has put up with my crap for a year and a half for Gordon Ramsey. I have no qualms admitting this to him. I think if I was on a tv show with the delectible Mr. Ramsey, and he yelled at me, I would melt into the floor. I have similar feelings towards that Nigella woman, except that she doesn't yell. And yes, I watch food tv more than any reasonably sane person should.
New and fancy kitchen gadgets, pots, pans, and mixing bowls make me lusty.
I've rarely lost an eating contest, and can eat more than almost anyone I know.
Despite all of the exotic things I enjoy eating and cooking, fried chicken is still hands down my all time favorite food ever. I cannot make decent fried chicken.
I wish I had more time to cook and blog about it, I feel like I don't do either enough.

Now for my 10 Bloggers to pass the award on to:
Check out these bloggers. They are friendly, unique, and talented people, and I always enjoy reading what they have to post!

Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice- I love her recipes, the desserts are just plain drool worthy. And her cat is the cutest ever!
Vegan Epicurean- I love vegan food that doesn't make you miss meat, and her blog is great at that!
My Fabulous Recipes- I really enjoy Sook's posts, and she takes beautiful pictures.
Food is my Love Language- Lois was one of the first bloggers to notice me. She is great to talk to, and I really like following her blog.
Pass the Pocky- I absolutely LOVE Pocky's blog! If you haven't already, you absolutely must start reading it. Plus, she's the sweetest ever.
Joylicious- Joy's photography is beyond stunning, not to mention that she is super cute and funny.
Chow and Chatter- I really love this one. I can count on this blog to find something for dinner when I'm not feeling inventive.
Healthy Eating Plan for a Mom of 3- She's kinda new at this, so please take the time to read her blog and follow her. She posts what she's eating to help her lose weight, and I can't think of anything more honest than that!
Fresh Ideas- Another blog with really great photography, as well as stories that will make you laugh.
*Bitch Cakes* A Neurotic Glamour Girl's Weight Watchers Experience and Fitness Adventures- She cracks me up, and she is gorgeous.

Caramel Apple Tart

2010-01-15T01:10:00.002-06:00

A tasty and clever twist on the traditional apple pie.

The pie crust used in this recipe is delightfully flaky and has an amazing flavor due to the butter. If you are counting calories, you may like to use the lighter recipe I included in my pumpkin post. I heard somewhere that brushing the crust with egg whites before filling it will keep it from getting soggy, but the juices from the pie are always going to soak into your crust at least a little. It's worth a try anyway.

Perfect Butter Pie Crust

1 1/3 c flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 stick cold unsalted sweet cream butter (cut into little squares)
3 tbsp ice water

Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir. Add butter, and squeeze the butter and flour mixture together with your fingers until there are tiny chunks of butter throughout. (don't worry that the butter is not thoroughly mushed into the flour, these solid pieces melt while baking and leave little steam pockets, resulting in a flakier crust.)

Mix in the ice water with a fork, being careful not to add too much. The dough is going to look pretty rough, but shouldn't fall apart when squished between your fingers.

Dust both hands with flour, gather and press dough together.

Form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour.

Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. If it is hard, let it sit for a few minutes. Place a sheet of wax paper on the counter and dust lightly with flour. Be careful about the amount of flour you're using when rolling out a pie crust, because too much will make your crust dry. Roll from the center of your dough and away from you, turning your dough after each time. When finished, the dough should be about 14 inches in diameter and 1/8" thick.

Transfer the dough to a tart pan and gently fit it to the pan without stretching the dough (if you do it will shrink while cooking). Trim overhanging dough, leaving an inch or so to fold under and press into scalloped edge if you so desire. Poke bottom and sides with a fork and chill for an additional hour.

Apple Filling and Caramel Sauce

6-8 apples, peeled, cored, and quartered, then halved horizontally
juice of one lemon
1/2 c dark brown sugar
1/2 c regular brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 c evaporated milk

Place apples in a mixing bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and toss. Place in refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the tart. Once you are ready, begin placing the apples against the edge of the tart, points facing up. Keep going until the whole tart is filled, you will want to pack them tightly as they seem to shrink up while cooking.

Make the caramel; Place the remaining ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue cooking (and whisking) until sugar dissolves, begins bubbling, and reduces to a thicker, sticky consistency. Pour the Caramel over the apples in your tart.

Bake the tart in a preheated oven a 375 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove and cool before serving to allow all of the juices to set.

Just in time for your Superbowl party: Spicy Red Chile Glaze For Chicken Wings and Tofu

2010-01-08T16:14:00.002-06:00

Like most people, there are things in my freezer that I have no idea when I will have the chance to use them, but I can't bear the thought of throwing them out (I'm a packrat, don't judge me!). One such thing was a bag of pre-cooked but unsauced chicken wings. I always kind of push them out of the way whilst looking for something to pop in the microwave, as they looked somewhat unappetizing. Then inspiration struck me one day as I was listening to a good friend of mine describe a party dish that was recommended to her. This brave woman somehow thought to combine Heinz Chili Sauce and grape jelly in a crockpot with coctail smokies. At first I was in denial that such a thing could be edible, and then I thought about it at length and realized that a sweet/spicy flavor combo similar to that could be the key to getting those pesky chicken wings out of my freezer and onto our plates (and this blog).

This glaze tastes excellent tossed with fried chicken wings or crispy tofu squares, and would make a great marinade as well. I baked the chicken wings in the oven rather than frying them to cut down on the fat content, but you can hardly tell a difference. I recommend basting them with the sauce frequently during cooking time if you choose to bake them rather than toss in it after cooking, to keep wings from drying out as well as insuring a bolder flavor. They come out delightfully crispy and sticky on the outside and moist on the inside.

As a former New Mexico resident, I love chile and use it frequently in the kitchen. I found the red chile pods I use in this and many other recipes at our flea market, but they are also available in the mexican food and spice section of our grocery store. If you cannot find these in your area, they can be purchased from this website Albuquerque Tortilla Company. They also sell frozen red chile puree if you do not feel like boiling and skinning the pods yourself. They have red and green chile in mild, hot, and extra hot varieties. Keep checking out this blog for more recipes and ideas for cooking with chile in the future.

Spicy Red Chile Glaze

8 to 10 dried red chile pods
1/2 fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 no sugar added blackberry jam
2 tsp to 1 tbsp tabasco sauce (the amount depends on your spice tolerance. If you are going to bake or grill the chicken in the glaze, add more because some of the heat seems to cook off.)
garlic clove, finely chopped

Snap off the stems of the dried chiles over a trash can, shaking out the seeds. Bring water to a boil on the stove, then remove from heat, pour over chile pods, cover, and let soak for an hour. Strain chile and let cool to the touch. You can use the water for soups or other cooking if you would like to save it. Begin peeling/scraping the meat away from the skin of the chile, I usually do this with the aid of a clean thumbnail, although many sources will advise against this as the oils in the peppers lead to burns when you touch your eye and other sensitive areas of skin. I have heard at least one person say that you can puree the chiles with the skin and seeds intact, but you would have to do it very thoroughly because the skins remain extremely tough even after soaking. Puree chiles in a blender or food processor.

In a saucepan over medium heat add orange juice, chile puree, jam, and garlic. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly to keep from sticking to bottom of pan. Continue to simmer while stirring until all ingredients combine well and sauce reduces to a thicker, stickier consistency. Add tabasco to taste, stir well, and remove from heat. At this point you can toss whatever ingredient you are using with this glaze in a large bowl, cool and use as a marinade, baste over baked or grilled chicken, tofu, or veggies, or even use as a dipping sauce.

Peppermint Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010-01-06T15:15:00.009-06:00

Truthfully, if I were smart (and I do not pretend to be!), I would have baked these cupcakes and posted this before Christmas. Now everyone is broke, tired, and sick of red things and peppermint flavors. I however, was stuck in New Mexico for the holidays and did not have time to bake or blog. More importantly, I never tire of red or peppermint anything.

I have seen recipes for peppermint red velvet cake before, but they are all just plain red velvet cake with peppermint added to the icing. The recipes also call for boxed cake mix, which I am not fond of. If I'm baking, I like to have control over what is going into my food. Among the things that make this recipe unique, I put the peppermint oil into the batter rather than the icing. It has a very clear and prominent peppermint flavor without being overpowering. I have started using neufchatel cheese rather than cream cheese, as it has 1/3 of the fat but tastes every bit as rich. I find this right next to the cream cheese at the grocery store, it's packaging looks almost exactly the same. If you do not have buttermilk readily available, you can add a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes. This is probably the most flavorful and moist red velvet cake I have ever made, possibly because of the addition the 1/2 cup of sour cream. Also the icing is to die for, and should be spread on top of pretty much anything you plan on putting in your mouth.

Enjoy!

Peppermint Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

Cooking spray and flour for pans
2 1/2 c cake flour
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
2 eggs
1 1/4 c nonfat buttermilk
1/2 c low fat sour cream
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp pure peppermint oil
3 tbsp red food coloring (buy the larger sized bottle, because you use almost three quarters of it)

"Cream Cheese" Frosting

5 tbsp butter at room temperature
1 tbsp nonfat buttermilk
1 block of neufchatel cheese at room temperature
4 c confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray and flour pans, or line with muffin cups then coat with spray.

Combine flour, cocoa, soda, powder, and salt in a medium bowl, then stir with a whisk. In another large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until blended (2-3 mins). Add eggs, beating thoroughly after each one. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures to the sugar alternately. Add remaining cake ingredients; beat well

Spoon batter into cupcake pans and bake for 10-15 mins (It only took me 10 for the mini cupcakes, but I made a sheet cake which took twice as long. Monitor to insure you do not overcook your cake batter.) Cake is cooked through when a toothpick comes out clean with inserted into the middle of the center cupcake. Remove from oven and let cool.

Make your frosting. Beat butter, buttermilk, and neufchatel cheese with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat thoroughly. Add vanilla and beat well. Frost cupcakes after they have cooled completely.

*** Just to let you guys know, 2 days later the peppermint flavor in the cupcakes seems to have gotten stronger. It is not unpleasant or overpowering, but you might consider toning it down if this is undesirable to you.

Still Craving Pumpkin?

2009-12-09T16:54:00.012-06:00

This Halloween, my boyfriend's seven year old daughter just had to have a pumpkin. Well, the trip for one reasonably sized pumpkin turned into three huge pumpkins, and I had the bright idea to roast them all and store the puree in the freezer to use for baking after the holiday was over. What I thought would be a simple project ended up being an eight hour long endeavor that left me with enough pumpkin to feed a third world country. I thought I would share my lessons learned, advice on how to prepare and store fresh pumpkin, as well as continue posting great recipes using the puree all through the winter. Also note that you can also use butternut squash in these recipes and have similar results if you cannot find pumpkins after Thanksgiving in your area.

Pumpkin is by far one of my favorite vegetables. I consider winter's only redeeming quality to be that it is once again "pumpkin time". It is versatile, being used in many desserts, as well as savory soups, sauces, and I have even seen recipes for chili. Mix it with a little bit of ginger, some cinnamon, nutmeg, and either honey or sugar, and you have the basis for some of the best pies, cakes, or cookies all year. However, pumpkin is often overlooked as the main course. Without all the sugar and spice, it tastes like squash, and can easily be made into many boldly flavored dishes for a cold night. Pumpkin is packed full of nutrients, and is a fantastic source of fiber. Using it fresh rather than canned is the best way to take advantage of all the vitamins in this amazing vegetable. While you can find canned pumpkin in your grocery store all year long, there is no substitute for the taste of fresh pumpkin in your recipes. I also would like to say the same about ginger. Fresh grated ginger root tastes exponentially better than ground ginger. To be honest, you would be better off just throwing away that little bottle on your spice rack.

Pumpkin can be easily roasted in the oven, giving it a nice, rich flavor. It is a very watery vegetable, and after peeling and pureeing it, I usually let it sit in a colander for half an hour before I start to bag it up. If you don't strain the liquid out of your puree, it will likely be too moist for any baking recipes. It keeps in the freezer for several months in gallon bags. I usually pull a bag out and put it in the refrigerator a day or two before I need it, and one gallon bag is enough for somewhere around 3 or 4 recipes.

Preparing the Pumpkin:

Cut the top off of your pumpkin, and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts inside. If you like, you can pick out the seeds and save to toast. From here, cut it in half lengthwise and place in a big enough baking dish with skin facing up. Bake at 425* for 30-45 minutes, or more depending on the size of the pumpkin. You want it to be soft all the way through. Remove from oven, and let cool. Once the pumpkin is no longer hot, peel off the skin and either mash with a hand-held masher, or puree in a food processor. Strain in a colander or strainer with a cheesecloth inside as mentioned earlier, and either bag in gallon bags, or a couple cups at a time in smaller ziplocs.

Pumpkin Desserts:

Better Pumpkin Pie

Because of all the fresh ingredients used in this recipe, this is one of the best pumpkin pies you'll ever taste. I like to use honey in place of the sugar, because it gives it a great flavor and is better for you.

1 1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/2 c honey
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon of fresh ground ginger root
Generous dash of ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c heavy cream

Pie crust (I will include an excellent pie crust recipe below)

Beat eggs until sunny yellow and well blended, then beat in honey and pumpkin. Add ginger, spices, and salt. Pour in to pie shell and put pie into preheated oven. Bake at 450* for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350* and continue baking for about 20 more minutes or until filling is firm. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting the pie.

*To put the heart marking on your pie like in the picture, make an indentation in the middle with your thumb before baking. Fill it with heavy cream, then bake as directed. When the pie is finished, there should be a lighter heart shape in the middle.

This pie is also very good if you use a pie shell made from ginger snap cookies!

All-Purpose Light Piecrust

I got this recipe out of the December 2009 issue of Cooking Light Magazine. This is a delicious pie crust that doesn't go overboard on fat.

5 ounces all purpose flour (about 1 1/4 c)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 c vegetable shortening (look for one without trans fat)
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c boiling water

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

2. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Combine butter and boiling water. Pour butter mixture in center of well. Gently draw flour mixture into butter mixture until moist clumps form. Press dough into a four inch circle. Cover, chill 30 minutes.

3. Slightly overlap two sheets of plastic wrap. Unwrap dough; place on plastic. Cover with two more sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough into 13 inch circle.

Pumpkin Roll with Ginger Cream Cheese Filling

Cooking spray
3 large eggs
3/4 c honey
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp fresh ground ginger root
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c toasted chopped pecans
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp grated ginger root
2 tsp water
1 tsp lemon juice

Spray a 15"x10" pan with cooking spray, line with wax paper, then spray again and set aside. Preheat oven to 375*.

Beat eggs with a mixer at moderate speed until yellow and frothy, should take about 3 minutes or so. Add honey and ginger, continue to beat. In another bowl combine flour, spices, soda and powder, and salt. Gradually add to eggs and honey, Beating well. Add pumpkin, pecans, and lemon juice, continue to beat until thoroughly mixed. Pour out onto prepared pan.

Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes, or until cake is springy and toothpick comes out clean.

Sift 1/2 cup powdered sugar onto a 15"x10" dishtowel. Run a knife around edges of cake, and turn over onto the dishtowel. Carefully peel the wax paper off the top of the cake. At the edge of the cake, begin rolling up cake and dishtowel, place seam side down on a wire rack and let cool.

Make frosting; Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer until creamy, add remaining cup of powdered sugar, a little at a time. In a small food processor, puree ginger, sugar, and water together, until a paste forms. Add this to the frosting along with lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until well mixed, smooth, and creamy.

Carefully unroll the cake, spread the frosting on the top, and then roll the same way, this time without the towel. Gently place the roll seam side down on a platter and chill in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Garnish with powdered sugar from sifter, and cut into 8 pieces.

Pumpkin Fudge

1 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c toasted chopped pecans
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c evaporated milk
1/2 stick butter
Generous dashes of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice
1 small piece of ginger root
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cornstarch

Cook sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, cornstarch, evaporated milk, spices, and whole piece of ginger until it reaches 236* as read on a candy thermometer. Remove and discard ginger. Add butter, vanilla, and nuts, beating until creamy. Pour out into a greased plate or pan and let cool (I usually end up putting mine in the refrigerator because I am impatient!). Cut into squares and enjoy.

Savory Pumpkin Comfort Food:

Here are a few ideas for how you can use pumpkin for dinner on a chilly night.

Pumpkin Spaghetti

This is one of those dishes that usually get a weird look when you mention them, but everyone loves once they have actually tasted it. It's surprisingly similar to a tomato sauce, but with a great nutty squash flavor. For being so rich, this has very little fat, especially if you serve it over veggies instead of pasta, cutting out the carbs. It is so easy to make, and takes hardly any time.

2 c pumpkin puree
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 whole white or yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 roll of vegetarian italian or breakfast sausage, or a package of vegetarian crumbles
5 or 6 fresh basil leaves

1 package of spaghetti
Olive oil to toss the pasta in.
Simmer puree, garlic, and onion in a sauce pan while browning vegetarian sausage. Add sausage to the sauce, and splash some chicken broth in if it gets to thick. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes to let flavors blend, meanwhile boil the spaghetti about 8 minutes or so. It's always good to undercook the pasta slightly, because it continues to cook after you drain it. Toss in olive oil. Tear up basil leaves, or chop coarsely, and toss into the pumpkin sauce mixture. Stir until basil is mixed in, and simmer 5 more minutes, adding more chicken or vegetable broth if needed. Serve spaghetti noodles in bowls with sauce spooned over. Garnish with a basil leaf or two.

Creamy Ham and Pumpkin Soup

This is not a vegetarian recipe nor is it extremely healthy, but it is one of my favorite pumpkin soups and always disappears quickly.

3 c pumpkin puree
1 c heavy cream
2 c chicken broth
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger root
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt
1 c diced ham

Gently simmer the pumpkin and broth in a saucepan or pot, adding the flour when the mixture is hot. Blend in the remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for 15 more minutes covered.

Mushroom Ravioli with Pumpkin Alfredo

2 c heavy cream
1/2 c grated parmesan
1 c pumpkin puree
Flour (enough to thicken sauce if needed)
Dash nutmeg
1 pckg wonton wrappers
1 pckg baby portobella mushrooms
3 cloves garlic

Olive oil

Chop caps and stems of mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a pan and toss in 1 finely chopped clove of garlic. Saute mushrooms in garlic and oil until cooked through. Set aside and allow to cool. Lay out wonton wrappers and begin filling with small spoonfuls of mushroom mixture, gathering up corners of the wrapper and twisting to shut. You can also fold them over diagonally and press edges with a fork if you would prefer a more polished look. When all the raviolis have been filled, bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the pasta for a couple minutes until the wrappers are cooked through. This does not take nearly as long as storebought dried pasta. Drain and toss with a splash of olive oil, then set aside.

In a saucepan, bring cream to a low boil, add in pumpkin and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer a few minutes then slowly add in parmesan, stirring. Add nutmeg. If the sauce is thinner than you prefer, add flour, a spponful at a time, until it is the desired consistency. If it is too thick, then add milk a spoonful at a time. remove from heat and serve with ravioli.

Seeing as how I have a million bags of pumpkin in my freezer, I will have quite a bit of cooking to do these next couple months. Watch for more pumpkin recipes!

As always, I'd love to hear what you think, or what recipes you'd like to see here. Comments are welcome, and you can also email me with questions, suggestions, recipes, and rants at khamilton@thegeekygourmet.net

My First Post!!!!

2009-11-12T23:25:00.005-06:00

For a few weeks now, I have been entertaining the idea of finding someplace on my beloved interwebs to dump my thoughts regarding my culinary adventures (and disasters). After a long day in the kitchen and some encouragement from a few friends, I created this page you are on now. I'm sure someone out there will find what I have to say interesting, entertaining, or possibly even relevant!

Anyone that knows me well can tell you that I usually have either food, some hare-brained scheme, or a combination of the two running through my mind. This blog is the result of that.

My grandmother taught me to cook when I was very young. She encouraged me to experiment, sampled some pretty awful creations of mine, and cleaned up even more horrifying messes. I developed a love of food at a young age, and picked up cooking easily as time went on. Later on when I was in high school, I became a vegetarian. This forced me to become more creative in the kitchen in order to survive (Trust me, I am not a salad kind of girl!). Eventually I strayed off the path and began eating meat on occasion, although I do not eat or cook with pork or red meat. My time as a vegetarian only added to my strengths as a cook, giving me a taste for international cuisine, and teaching me how to use all sorts of vegetables, as well as more unusual ingredients. Fresh out of school, I began working at an upscale french bakery, which led to five years of working in various restaurants. Some jobs I was in the kitchen, others I served the food. This year I decided to get out of the food service industry. Working in a kitchen has taught me much about life, but I found the last thing I wanted to do when I got off of an 8 hour shift was cook myself a meal. I realized I had to learn how to appreciate my kitchen again. Just me and the food, no stress, no time limit, no orders, and most importantly no obligation. Since then I have come to love the small amount of time I spend cooking. My kitchen has become my stage, and most importantly my sanctuary.

So here I am, a lazy vegetarian that has a long-term love/hate relationship with fried chicken, and an ability to create a good healthy meal on a budget and limited calories without sacrificing taste.

You will have to excuse the fact that I rarely use measurements, and when I do they are not exact.

For my first post I wanted to talk about the dinner I made tonight and how it came into existence.

I've been really fed up with store bought salad dressing lately. This afternoon I made a really simple dressing (named after my boyfriend Brian's daughter, because she was entertaining me in the kitchen and insisted I give the dressing a name.) just to drizzle over a salad I was snacking on.

Olivia Dressing

3 or 4 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 or 3 TBSP fresh garlic (roasted gives it a bolder flavor)
1TBSP lime juice
2 or 3 TBSP honey
A Tsp or two of spicy brown mustard
Dash Pepper
Olive Oil (This is the base of the dressing)

Put all ingredients but olive oil into a food processor, and puree. Stir into the olive oil. Add to or subtract the different flavors to taste. A little bit of this dressing goes a long way on a salad.

As I was eating my salad, I began to think about how I could use the dressing in other ways. I ended up buying some boneless chicken breasts, cutting a series of 1/2" slits into each side of them, and marinating them for an hour or two in a few cups of the dressing. I dumped them dressing and all into a baking pan and baked them in the oven for 20 minutes at 350*. I usually cover my baked chicken with foil to keep any exposed part from getting dry. The chicken turned out very tender and juicy, and absorbed the flavors without being overpowering.

I made mashed potatoes as a side, and I figured I could share a few tips as they were everyone's favorite.

I boil mine skins on, some people don't like the skins, but I think it gives mashed potatoes more flavor.

Undercooking the potatoes a little bit makes them chunky, if you prefer yours that way. Otherwise boil them until they mash easily with a fork and whip them on high with a mixer, they'll turn out silky.

Instead of using water, I use a combination of chicken broth and condensed milk. Just keep adding it in as you whip the potatoes until they have a creamy consistency. If you put it in before, then you run the risk of adding too much and making them runny.

I also add a little salt and pepper, and you guessed it, garlic.

That's all for now. Feel free to comment, suggest, or recommend things you would like to see in the future. If you have any favorite recipes, email them to me and I will be happy to try them out and review them in the blog.