The Merlin Menu

Curried Lentil Soup

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Here's a soup I think you'll enjoy.What kicked this off is some Curried Butternut Squash soup I had for lunch from a bakery close by my work. It was so good and I'm not normally a curry person, but I am now. Especially after making this Curried Lentil Soup. The taste of the soup is intriguing. At first it's just the delicious flavor of the lentils, broth and spice blend, which then gives way to the curry flavor and finishes with a touch of heat from the cayenne. Give it a try, it's delicious. Adapted from Epicurious.

3 cups lentils, soaked in water overnight, and rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, washed, trimmed, and chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with puree
3 bouillon cubes mixed with one cup water
5 cups water
a pinch of cayenne pepper (or two)
1 tablespoon salt (more to season to taste when soup is done)
2 teaspoons pepper (more to season to taste when soup is done)

I made this in a Pressure Cooker, but if you want to make it conventionally on a stovetop, follow the instructions, and just cook over medium heat for 45 minutes until lentils are soft.

Pour olive oil into cooker over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, and celery for approximately 10 minutes until onions soften. Add garlic and ginger and saute for 3 minutes. Add curry powder, stir, and add bouillon liquid, and 5 additional cups of water and tomatoes. Stir in lentils and salt and pepper.

Turn heat to high, cover, lock and add thermostat. Bring up to pressure. When cooker begins to steam constantly, turn heat down to medium, and cook at pressure for an additional 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and let de-pressurize normally. When cooled down, uncover, add pinch of cayenne, stir, and taste. Add salt, pepper, in small increments, stir and taste again until it tastes how you want it.

Serve in bowls with a touch of sour cream and parsley for garnish.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Every once in a while, ya just get a hankering for something, ya know? Last weekend, I just HAD to have some Cinnamon Bread, homemade of course. So I made some. I usually don't follow recipes when making bread because I know how to adjust ingredients to affect the outcome of what I want. But in my reading recipes anyway, I came across one that sounded different and good. And trust me, it WAS. Just ask Amanda at work who really enjoyed it. Further, toasted and a little butter? Nothing else is as good.

Thanks to (of all places) About.com for a great bread recipe.I adapted it to use a "cold rise". A cold rise is when the dough is allowed to rise slowly overnight in a refrigerator and then brought to room temperature before shaping, rising again, and baking. A cold rise or cool rise slows the yeast activity thereby allowing a longer and more flavorful taste to develop. No only that, the "crumb" on this bread was exquisitely fine. Do try. It's easy.

Igredients and Method:

2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon shortening
1 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk
1 package active dry yeast (Do not use quick acting yeast)
6 cups (approximately) flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup milk

In a mixer or bowl, add the sugar and the shortening. Pour the boiling water in and stir until shortening melts. Stir in the evaporated milk to cool down the liquid and let it sit until the liquids are slightly more than lukewarm. Add the yeast, stir, and let sit for 15 minutes. If it is foamy then the yeast is "proofed" and you're good to go.

Add the flour, and the salt and mix in one cup increments until a sticky dough ball is formed.

Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured board. Sprinkle liberally with flour and knead for about 4 minutes, until it is smooth and all flour is incorporated.

Grease a bowl or other container, place dough ball into bowl and turn over so that top has a light covering of the oil.

Cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator overnight.

Remove from refrigerator onto a lightly floured board. Punch dough down, and knead several times and let sit for a couple of hours so it can come to room temperature.

Divide dough in half. Roll one half into rectangle about10 x 8 inches. Brush with milk. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle half over the rectangle. Starting with a long side, roll bread up like a jelly roll. Pinch the ends completely shut and place seam side down in a bread pan. (Make sure you seal it or the sugar will melt and run out, as mine did, lol)

Repeat with the second dough ball.

Cover with a towel in a warm place (I use a warm oven with the temperature off) and let rise until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes until golden brown. The bread is done when tapped on the top and it sounds "hollow".

You can glaze the loaves after they cool if you want, but they really don't need it in my opinion. The evaporated milk yields a rich dough and the sugar cinnamon swirl is sufficient.

Serve warm, or for a special treat, toast it and add a touch of butter.

Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:50:00 +0000

If you've been reading my blog, you know I'm about Pressure Cooking now. I'm just loving it. It still blows my mind how fast things will cook and yet the taste is still what you are searching for.

Have you ever slow-cooked Spaghetti sauce for instance for hours? You know delicious it is, the flavors so well blended together, the velvety sauce? Ya know? TEN minutes in a slow cooker!

But today, we are tackling an American Sunday Staple. Pot Roast.

For a pot roast we generally use a cheaper cut of meat, which then requires a longer cooking time (hours) in order to break down the meat and have it become tender. It's ok, because we usually add potatoes and carrots and cook them right along with it, so it all comes out tender with a form of gravy already made. Delicious.

In a pressure cooker? 45 minutes! And some of the best gravy I bet you've had. Check it out.

Ingredients and Method:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 3 lb chuck roast

1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped (I like chunks of carrots in my gravy)

1 package brown gravy mix

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 package italian dressing mix
1 can beef broth
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 beef bouillon cube
salt and pepper to taste
12 small red potatoes, halved
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves

Turn heat under Pressure Cooker to medium and add olive oil. Sprinkle roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Place into cooker and brown all over, about 10 minutes per side.

Add onion, gravy mix, ranch dressing mix and italian mix , beef broth, paprika, worcestershire sauce, garlic, and beef bouillon cube all over the roast in the cooker. The pressure cooker will distribute everything just fine.

Turn heat to high, let liquids come to a boil, and then seal the pressure cooker. Wait until a steady stream of steam is being emitted, and immediately turn to medium low, and begin timing 30 minutes from this point.

After 30 minutes of a steady stream of steam from the cooker, remove from heat and run cold water over the cooker until pressure recedes. Open cooker, and add bay leaves, carrots and potatoes to the liquid surrounding the roast.

Place cooker back on stove and bring to high heat and a boil. Seal cooker with cover, wait until it's emitting a steady stream of steam, turn to medium low and time for 15 more minutes to continue cooking the roast and cooking the carrots and potatoes perfectly.

After 15 minutes, remove from heat, and let cool down naturally. Remove cover.

If the "gravy" is not to your liking or too thin, remove the roast and vegetables, and stir in 2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water, and stir in over medium heat until gravy thickens....

Let roast rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes, and slice and serve with potatoes, carrots and gravy.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Swiss Cheese Soup

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:40:00 +0000

There's a bakery here in Seattle close by my work called Macrina's Bakery. They offer a wide selection of all types of breads, sandwiches, rolls, pizza and desserts and pastries.

One of the things I discovered though, for lunch is their soup. Their soups are so, so good. Last week I had a bowl of Cauliflower Swiss Cheese soup that was delicious.

I cobbled together a recipe and made it and it came out surprisingly close to the one I had at Macrina's. Give it a try if you're looking for a hearty, cheesy soup to warm you up.

Coming soon, I hope, is two more soups I tried there. One is Beet and Apple soup and the other is Curried Butternut Squash soup. Both were just delicious.

This recipe is done in a pressure cooker, my newest toy. But you can prepare in a standard pot. Just adjust the cooking time until the cauliflower is very tender so it and the other ingredients will blend well.

1 sweet onion, chopped
2 peeled and sliced carrots
2 sliced celery stalks
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 package frozen cauliflower
1 cup milk
pinch of red pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
salt and pepper to taste

In pressure cooker over medium heat, add olive oil and saute onions until they begin to soften and turn translucent. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Add celery, cauliflower, carrots, chicken broth, thyme, and red pepper.

Turn heat to high, seal pressure cooker, and wait until it comes to 15 p.s.i. (When the steam vents continually) Turn down to medium to low (just so steam gently vents) and time for 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool down slowly. Remove cover and using a hand blender, or a regular blender, blend until all vegetables are liquefied.

Return to stove and turn heat to low, and add one cup of milk and swiss cheese. Cook, stirring until milk is incorporated and cheese is fully melted. Salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with parsley and enjoy.

Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Allright! It's officially Autumn. I know because I live in Seattle, WA and it's freaking raining on me like 4 times a day.

But, I have to admit, a lot of the time, I don't really mind the rain. I like waking up, and it's still dark, and raining outside, and the sounds lull me back to sleep.

Ever walked through a gentle rain? Like mist? It's refreshing.

And the cool snap in the air? I like it.

Know the other thing I like this time of year. SOUP! Hearty, tasty soups.

I've posted Crockpot Yankee Beef Stew, Crockpot Split Pea Soup, Black Bean Pumpkin Soup, etc. and I personally believe they are all post-worthy.

But this soup I made today, adapted from the ubiquitous All Recipes, is the best ever!

And here's why, Pressure Cooker. Yup, made this soup in FIFTEEN minutes! Let it cool, dollop of sour cream, and it was soooo good. And the beauty of the pressure cooker, (as I'm learning to use one, see my earlier posts) is that it cooks with steam instead of ambient air, so it not only cooks faster, but retains nutrients, and flavors and spices, and blends just like it was cooked for hours. I'm amazed.

Do you like thick, nutty, naturally sweet soups, with a tang, and a slightly unidentifiable delicious taste to it, and a bit of a bite? The kind you remember having eaten?

Then make this soup. I'm not joking. It's that good. And if you don't believe me, read the ingredients.... Yeah, kind of intriguing..... Allright, I'll stop, here ya go....

Ingredients and Method:

2 tablespoons butter
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (rounded)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (rounded)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (rounded)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (rounded)
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, and chopped into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
salt and pepper
sour cream for garnish and finish
parsley for garnish

Melt butter over medium heat in pressure cooker and saute onions until they soften. Add all
the spices and saute with onions until they warm and release their fragrance. Add broth, water, sweet potatoes and carrots.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Turn heat up to medium high and bring to a boil, cover and seal pressure cooker and wait for cooker to come up to pressure. (i.e. steady venting of steam from valve)

Turn down to medium low and begin timing for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let it cool until pressure is totally reduced.

Process in batches in food processor or hand blender.

Taste and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with spoonful of sour cream and parsley for garnish.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can use a slow cooker. Saute onions and spices in a pan as directed above. Add to slow cooker with balance of ingredients. Cook on low for 6 - 7 hours until vegetables are very tender. The rest of the instructions remain the same.

Enjoy.

Popcorn Ice Cream

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:34:00 +0000

I know. Dull picture. There are some things you just can't photograph well. And this is one of them. Popcorn Ice Cream. Who EVER heard of Popcorn Ice Cream. I certainly hadn't. But here's what happened.

The internet food group/ad group I belong to is Food Buzz. They had a "Community Dinner" affair in my town of Seattle and invited me to go. It was wonderful. Gourmet dinner at Spring Hill restaurant. Turns out, the restaurant was SIX blocks from my house. Who knew? I've driven by it a hundred times probably. Anyway,

I met food bloggers from area, drank wine with every course, had some wonderful great inspirational food, and then came dessert.

The dessert was a layered peanut butter and chocolate brownie, but coupled with a scoop of, you got it, Popcorn Ice Cream!

I was skeptical, just as YOU are right now reading this, but listen, it was INCREDIBLY GOOD! It was creamy ice cream, but with an explosion of salty and buttery popcorn in every bite!

I was blown away.

So, I searched the internet, found a recipe, (at Hungry Like The Duck) made it at home this weekend, and it was just as good if not better. You have to try this. No, I'm NOT joking, try THIS!

Oh, and for those of you who say, well I don't have an ice cream machine, it doesn't matter. I don't either. I just froze it fully in dishes and it was fine. The ice cream machine gives it a lighter texture and "airyness" but, just let it sit for ten minutes before you eat it, let it soften, and it's great. Besides, why pay $40.00 for a machine you'll use twice a year for a couple of years, and then move, and it never get's unpacked?? LOL

Here's my thought, whip up some homemade Popcorn Ice Cream in the morning, let it freeze all day, then rent the kids and/or family a movie, and serve this..... and blow THEM away too.

Oh, and best of all, it's soooooo easy! Here's all you do....

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 quarts salted, buttered, popped popcorn
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sea salt for sprinkling

Beat eggs and sugar together until well combined. Pour into large kettle. Add milk, cream and salt. Turn heat to low.

Meanwhile pop one bag of microwave buttered popcorn. Open bag, pour entire contents into ice cream mixture, and stir to combine.

Turn heat to high, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as it reaches a boil, turn off heat, and let the popcorn steep in the ice cream mixture for one hour.

Strain popcorn and ice cream mixture through cheesecloth into a bowl. Enclose the top of the cheesecloth with your hands and squeeze thoroughly to capture as much ice cream mixture as you can.

If you have an ice cream machine, follow the instructions for that. If you don't have an ice cream maker, just pour into appropriate sized dishes, sprinkle with a fair coating of sea salt and freeze thoroughly.

Remove from refrigerator, let defrost for 15 minutes and serve. Try to fight the urge to rent a movie.

Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Spaghetti and meatballs in 10 minutes and it tastes like it was slow cooked for hours. I'm not joking.

A deep, tangy and robust taste, sauce as smooth as butter, and the most tender meatballs one can make I think.

You can slow cook this same recipe for hours and if you do. Save half the sauteed onions and half the spices to be added during the last hour of cooking. Slow cooking tends to flatten the taste of spices and such and reserving half and adding late in the cooking cycle will "brighten" the taste once more.

That being said. Use a Pressure Cooker. I admit I just bought one and am learning to use it myself, but this recipe came out so good, I would recommend you have to try the pressure method. It may very well be the only way you make spaghetti sauce from now on.

Ingredients and Method:

1/2 package frozen italian meatballs (I found a full package to be too many)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 8 0z cans tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon basil
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Pour olive oil into pressure cooker, and bring to medium heat. Saute diced onions until they soften and start to become translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the balance of the ingredients to the cooker. Tomatoes, paste, sauces, wine, spices, and brown sugar. Pour the meatballs right in. Even frozen will work fine.

Turn the heat up, uncovered, and stir until the sauce begins to bubble vigorously. Place the top on the cooker and seal, still on high heat. Leave on high until it begins to steam continuously, then immediately turn to medium low, just enough to have a constant gentle flow of steam escaping for the cooker.

Begin timing the 10 minutes once you turn the heat down as explained above. When the time has elapsed, quick cool the pressure cooker by running it under cold water.

Uncover, and what I like to do is, is turn on a gentle low heat, and let the sauce bubble gently while I prepare the pasta, and bread, and salad or whatever you are serving it with. It's done, but a little gentle further cooking never hurt a spaghetti sauce.

Ladle spaghetti sauce and meatballs over freshly cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese, or my current favorite, Parmesan Reggiano.

Enjoy.

Currant Oatmeal Scones

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:27:00 +0000

Do you like scones? I sure do, and every time I make them, I think, "Why don't I make scones more often?"

I particularly like this recipe because it contains oatmeal which makes for a nice hearty and tasty crumb. With only a bit over 1/3 cup sugar, it's just slightly sweet too. It's also the perfect recipe for you to put in whatever fruit you might like, such as raisins, currants, cranberries, raspberries, etc.

Adapted from Joy the Baker website. Thanks Joy. Great scone recipe!

1 egg
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold butter
1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup currants
Brown sugar for dusting

In a mixing bowl beat eggs together with sugar then mix in buttermilk. In a separate bowl cut in the butter into the flour. Use a pastry cutter, or your fingers until the flour and butter are the size of pebbles.

Add the oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Mix in the flour/butter mixture until incorporated. No need to overmix. Fold in the currants or whatever fruit you are adding.

Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and use an ice cream scoop to drop balls of Scone dough onto sheet about 2 inches apart. Dust with a coating of brown sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool a bit and serve slightly warmed or at room temperature.

Pressure Cooker Rice Pudding

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:11:00 +0000

So I went and bought a Pressure Cooker. I've never cooked with one so I'll be playing around with it and trying different things which you'll see blogged in the upcoming weeks.

Here it is. Presto 8-Quart Triple Clad Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker.

The very first thing I made was Old Fashioned Rice pudding. I remember eating Rice Pudding as a child, usually prepared by my Grandmother on her old cast iron stove, and cooked all night long. Then served warm, with a bit of melting butter and sprinkled with cinnamon. Creamy and delicious.

Guess what? I cooked rice pudding in the Pressure Cooker in EIGHT minutes and it was so, so good! Creamy and delicious, and "just like Grandma's"

I spooned it into bowls and dusted some of the bowls with cinnamon and the rest with nutmeg.

So if you've got a pressure cooker gathering dust somewhere, break it out, dust it off and try making this easy recipe. You won't be disappointed. (Recipe is from the Presto pressure cooker cookbook)

1 T Butter
1 cup long grain rice
1/3 cup plus two tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
2 cups milk
1/2 t salt

Melt butter in cooker and pour rice in and cover totally with butter.

Add the sugar, milk, water and salt.

Pressure cook for 8 minutes at 15 p.s.i. Don't being timing the 8 minutes until the cooker is fully up to pressure and constantly emitting a gentle stream of steam.

In a bowl mix 1 egg with 1/4 cup cream or evaporated milk and 1/2 t vanilla.

Temper egg mixture by adding a bit of the hot rice mixture and stirring. Repeat several times at least. Then mix the egg mixture into the pot and cook (uncovered) until it just begins to bubble a bit.

Let cool slightly and dust with cinnamon or nutmeg. A touch of whipped cream would be perfect.

Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Shoulder (Pulled Pork)

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Pulled Pork! Who doesn't like a pulled pork sandwich with Barbeque Sauce, or perhaps also some coleslaw? (North Carolina Style) I've even made pulled pork enchiladas which were out of this world.

But let's face it, it's a hassle to make right? Lot of work? Pain in the butt? (no pun intended)

NOPE! It's really easy. That's what a SLOW COOKER is for.....!

And to boot, this recipe is absolutely delicious! And it's interesting in that you can just make the pork, and serve it with whatever sauce you like, OR, take the drippings from pan, add a few ingredients, reduce the sauce and bake it into the pulled pork. I did this, and amazingly, ate the pork just that way, with no additional sauce, it's THAT good.

Give it a try. You'll thank me. Well, some of you will thank me. Most will make it, enjoy it, and never tell me. But that's ok. I'll know anyway.

Adapted from: Foodie with Family.

5 - 6 pound pork shoulder (Bone-in is tastier)
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
8 peeled cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice

Pour the olive oil into the slow cooker and spread around evenly.

Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, into the slow cooker. Toss in the peeled garlic cloves.

Sprinkle the roast with the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cumin. Pour the lime juice and broth around the roast, and pour or spoon the frozen orange juice concentrate onto the top of the roast.

Cook on high for 1 1/2 hours, turn heat down to low and let cook for 12 hours. Check the pork and make sure it is pull-apart tender. Turn off cooker and let cool down and then place to roast in the refrigerator to chill all night long. If your cooker doesn't have the stoneware insert, just place the roast in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Reserve all the liquids.

The next day, remove from refrigerator, place on cutting board, and remove all the exposed chilled fat from the pork and discard. (And the bone if bone-in)

The meat will be easy to pull apart. Use your fingers or two forks and completely separate the pork. At this time you can also chop it with a knife to make more concise pieces.

Now, it's Decision time...... you are done, and could now use the pork in sandwiches, slather with sauce(s), cook in enchilada's or whatever.....

Or, take the next step...... which is to do the following: (Check it out, it's kinda cool)

Drain the reserved pan juices through a strainer or cheesecloth and pour the liquids into a sauce pan.

Add two tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced by 75%

Place pork in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and pour the reduction sauce all over the pork. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I found the pork to taste SOOOO good with this baked in marinade that I didn't even use any other sauce when eating it.

Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:09:00 +0000

At the market today and saw some fresh Strawberries. With fall on the way, I thought it'd be nice to have a little end of summer fruit dessert. I wanted something different and found a great recipe at Food and Wine for Strawberry Crumb Cake. Quick, and easy and delicious. Great way to say goodbye to summer.

Additionally, the cake batter and crumb topping would work wonderfully with most any type of fruit, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apples, etc.

You can use a lesser quantity of fruit, but it will not have the "juice" content of a larger quantity. Your preference.

Ingredients and Method:

Filling:
3 pounds fresh straberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2½ tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2½ tablespoons of water
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Cake:
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup buttermilk

Crumb Topping:
½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

In a bowl, add strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla seeds, and cornstarch mixture and mix well. Let sit for 45 - 60 minutes until the strawberries "juice".

In another bowl mix the topping together. Use your fingers or dough cutter until you have small lumps.

In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each time. Add the vanilla and buttermilk and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and beat well.

Pour the fruit into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread the cake mix over the top and smooth over the entire filling, covering it completely. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour until golden brown.

Let cool and serve. It microwaves well as a leftover and loves the addition of a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

New Orleans Beignets

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:32:00 +0000

In my travels I have been to New Orleans about 8 times. And a mandatory stop when I'm there was always Cafe du Monde famous for it's chicory coffee and beignets, a square french raised donut. They are served warm and piled high with powdered sugar.

The Original Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stand was established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market. The Cafe is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It closes only on Christmas Day and on the day an occasional Hurricane passes too close to New Orleans.

As I raised children, I would often make us beignets for breakfast, and sure enough as they grew up, and traveled to New Orleans themselves, they too always stop at Cafe du Monde. Do give these a try. They are easy to make, and really wonderful with a steaming hot cup of coffee au lait. This recipe was derived (and adapted slightly) from a box of Beignet Mix I bought while there.

Ingredients and Method:

3/4 cup water, very warm, not hot
1/4 cup sugar
1 envelope dry yeast
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons shortening or butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup evaporated milk
oil for frying (vegetable or peanut oil, preferably)
powdered sugar (about 1 cup)

In a bowl or mixer with dough hook, add sugar, yeast and warm water. Stir briefly to mix, and let sit while it proofs and becomes foamy. (this means the yeast is good)

Add two cups of flour, salt, evaporated milk, salt, and beaten egg and mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the flour.

Mix in shortening or butter.

Add balance of flour and mix until sticky dough forms into a ball. Add additional flour, if needed, in 1/4 cups increments.

Transfer dough to floured board and knead briefly and form into ball. (I usually let the dough hook knead the dough for about 5 minutes which greatly decreases the time hand-kneading is required)

Transfer to greased bowl, and turn over. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. (Or overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning let dough come to room temperature)

Roll out dough to about 1 inch thickness, and slice dough into two inch squares, or triangular shapes. Cover with plastic wrap in place and let rise again for one hour.

Heat oil in a skillet to 375 degrees. Fry a few beignets at a time in the oil, turning once when browned on one side. It should take approximately 4 minutes per side. You should tend to the frying closely as they will cook really quickly. Move to paper towels and drain well.

Place on plate and sprinkle LIBERALLY with powdered sugar.

Enjoy.

Buttermilk English Muffins

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Who knew? Seriously, who knew? Who knew English Muffins were this easy to make at home?
And who knew they were this good?

OK, maybe all of you knew, but I sure didn't. I made them, and have been enjoying them for breakfast all week long. Check it out.

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening or butter (room temperature)
1 cup buttermilk (slightly heated)
cornmeal for sprinkling

In a bowl, add heated buttermilk, shortening or butter, sugar, and dry yeast. Stir and let sit for 20 minutes to make sure yeast proofs and the mixture puffs up.

Add flour and mix with dough hook until well incorporated and a sticky ball of dough is formed. Add more flour in 1/4 cup increments if necessary, but you want a pretty sticky dough.

Scrape dough out onto a floured board or surface, sprinkle with flour, and knead BRIEFLY. We want the traditional nooks and crannies in the finished product, and the more you knead, the finer the "crumb" will be.

Drop dough into a greased bowl, turn over, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm area (I use a slightly warmed oven, just turn the temp to 350 for 45 seconds and turn off) for at least one hour.

After it's risen, scrape out onto the same floured surface, do NOT punch down. Knead once or twice and shape or roll into rectangle about one inch thick.

Using biscuit cutter, or a knife to form into 4 inch squared, cut and shape into rounds.

Spread cornmeal over parchment paper, or a board, or whatever. Place the cut and shaped circles of dough onto the cornmeal. Dust the tops liberally with cornmeal also. Top with plastic wrap, and let rise for another hour.
Heat a dry griddle or skillet to medium heat, carefully place a few dough rounds onto the skillet and brown on each side, about 5 - 9 minutes per side.

Remove and let cool for 20 minutes before tearing into one, and slathering it with butter and jelly.
Note: Don't use a knife to cut open the muffin. Use a fork, worked around it in a circle to maintain the holes and internal texture in the muffin.

Enjoy!

One more thing, I was reading other recipes for English Muffins and this one site suggested, cut open the muffin, spread one side with peanut butter, add a slice of fresh tomato, and top with the remaining half of the muffin. I have NEVER heard of this, but am tempted to try it. If YOU do, let me know....thanks.

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Have you noticed bacon showing up in odd places lately? I mean, for years and years, bacon showed up beside some eggs in a breakfast, sometimes in a waffle or a pancake, and occasionally added to some kind of green bean dish. But that's about it in my recollection.

Now, however, it seems to be showing up everywhere. Check out the 3rd photo down at Voodoo Donuts. It's a huge maple bar covered with freshly cooked bacon slices! And people rave about it.

Or how about a fried breakfast served in a "dish" made out of cooked bacon? Click here.

Or maybe, bacon cupcakes, or chocolate covered bacon, bacon baklava, bacon pie, bacon candy or bacon fried bananas? See them and more here.

Anyway, being the cutting-edge kind of guy I am, I decided to jump on the bandwagon when I came across a recipe for bacon chocolate chip cookies. Yeah, bacon chocolate chip cookies.

And guess what? They were strangely addictive. That's all I can say. I took two dozen to work and they received rave reviews, after a moment or two of hesitation of course. So do give them a try if you want to be up on the cutting edge of bacon cooking-dom. (I made that up, can ya tell?)

Adapted from the peterandrewryan website.

Ingredients and Method:

10 slices thick cut smoked bacon
3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, room temperature
12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips (I prefer Ghiradelli)
2 1/3 cups flour

Place bacon in an ovenproof pan. I use cast iron, and if you're using a different type pan to bake the bacon, you might want to use some parchment paper to ease on cleanup.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons brown sugar over bacon and place into 350 degree oven. Turn occasionally to spread the molten brown sugar over the cooking bacon. Let get dark brown and crisp. Remove from oven and place/drain on waxed paper. The bacon will be sticky, so be careful, don't just drain on paper towels, or you'll be starting over, believe me, unless you want paper towels in your cookies. It's strange enough we have bacon, huh?

Meanwhile, cream butter and sugars in a mixing bowl until well combined.

Add salt, baking soda, and vanilla and beat well.

Mix in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.

Add flour and mix well.

Add chocolate chips, and crushed and crumbled bacon into mixture. Mix briefly until just blended.

Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Now, this dough will spread during baking. (One reason we're chilling it ahead of time) So place cookies with sufficient space on cookie sheet.

Drop by tablespoonfulls onto baking sheet. To retard the spreading of the cookies further, use parchment paper.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes. I always bake for 15 minutes because I like them browned and crisp, but go for 12 if you like them softer.

Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes, and remove to cooling rack.

Convince your friends they'll love them if they try them, and then revel in their adulation....lol

These really are good. But hard to explain why.

Enjoy!

Cocoa Krispies Caramel Squares

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 04:10:00 +0000

I'm always on the lookout for recipes that I can send to my daughter in Iraq. And I know everyone seems to love Rice Krispie Bars. This recipe however is a bit different in that it uses Cocoa Krispies. Adapted from Annies Eats.

It's really easy to make and ships well. I understand Charlie Company 7/158 Aviation in Balad, Iraq enjoyed them. They didn't last long I hear.

3 Tbsp butter
1 10oz package Marshmallows
10 caramel squares
6 cups cocoa crispy rice cereal
12 candy caramel squares
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tablespoon half and half

Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with waxed paper or parchment paper

Pour cocoa krispies into a bowl. Melt butter and marshmallows in short bursts in the microwave and pour over cereal and mix well.

Melt caramels in microwave safe bowl, again in short 30 second microwave bursts until melted. Stir in half and half.

Sprinkle mini chips over the cereal mix and press in lightly. Pour the caramel over the squares in a random fashion.

Let chill for about 20 minutes, remove from dish if you can (to make cutting easier) and cut into the size squares you would like.
Enjoy!

A day in my daughter's life

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Merissa returning from the mission.

My daughter, as some of you know, is serving in Iraq as a Flight Medic. Here's a mission she was on Wednesday of last week. God Bless her, and please bring her home safely.

Far from home, neighbors help Oregon

soldier who lost leg in Iraq

By Cali Bagby for KVAL.com

BALAD THEATER HOSPITAL, Iraq. -- Jeremy Pierce remembers a fellow soldier telling him to stay awake; he remembers that he was losing a lot of blood.

“I remember being put into the vehicle, looking at my left hand noticing that I had part of my finger missing," says Pierce, who lost his left leg, all the toes on his right foot and a part of that finger. "I knew I couldn’t stand up; my boot was in another spot.”

Now Pierce, 22, a longtime resident of Salem, Ore., serving in Iraq, is awake and surrounded by his fellow soldiers as he shivers beneath a patriotic blanket at the Balad Theater Hospital in Iraq, the first casualty from Oregon's 41st Infantry.

Pierce goes over the past few days.

On Aug. 12, 2009 -- close to 12 hours before Pierce was injured -- Oregon’s 41st Infantry Battalion held a ceremony commemorating the official transfer of authority -- to them.

The mission was now solely in their hands.

Late that night, Pierce, a gunner for Task Force Atlas, Alfa Battery 2-218 under the 41st Infantry Battalion, was performing convoy security when an Improvised Explosive Device ripped through his armored security vehicle.

The explosion left Pierce trapped in the turret, a roof compartment at the top of the vehicle.

Soldiers at the scene were unable to reach him.

“It happened so quick, it hit the vehicle, you don’t expect something like that,” Pierce says. “No one could get to me. I held my thigh so I wouldn’t bleed out, I started to pull myself out of the hatch.”

Once outside of the vehicle, soldiers stayed by his side until Pierce was evacuated on the ground to the nearest base.

Pierce attributes his survival to the soldiers on the ground and the Oregon Medevac unit that eventually transported him to Balad Theater Hospital.

Nearly 10 hours after the explosion, Pierce was transported by UH-60 Blackhawk from Baghdad to Balad by Charlie Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation, a Medevac unit based out of Salem, Ore.

Pierce is the first casualty the 41st has suffered since arriving in country a little over a month ago.

When Colonel Dan Hokanson, the 41st Infantry Brigade commander, discovered one of his soldiers was injured, he called Charlie Company inquiring about a flight that would transport him from a base in Al-Asad to Balad.

Hokanson wanted to be with his wounded soldier. Some of the soldier's neighbors from back home helped make it happen.

Neighbors helping neighbors half a world away

Major Geoff Vallee, Charlie Company’s commander immediately contacted Balad’s 449th Aviation Battalion in the hopes that a C12 would be available to pick up Hokanson. Due to a mission canceled earlier in the day, the 449th was able to offer a ride.

Meanwhile Sgt. Ben Sjullie, 30, wasn’t on duty, but when he heard a soldier serving with an Oregon unit needed an evacuation he instantly volunteered to serve as a second medic on the mission.

Sjullie, a paramedic with Springfield Fire and Life Safety, and Sgt. Merissa Merlin, 26, of West Linn, Ore., a registered nurse, flew to Baghdad to pick-up their patient.

“The main surgeon at the hospital said he’d never handed over care to a registered nurse and a paramedic on the same flight before,” said Sjullie.

“It’s quite odd to have a paramedic and a registered nurse on board, it’s a rarity, the doctors and nurses were surprised that we were able to offer the level of care that we did,” said Merlin, who still finds it hard to believe her title. “I’ve always wanted to be in the medical field since I was a little girl.”

After Pierce was loaded into the UH-60 Blackhawk, Sjullie monitored oxygen and pain medications as Merlin tended to the IV pump. “We see if we need to make any changes in the medications dose, do a quick assessment to see that his bandages are intact and not bleeding through, monitor his vital signs, blood pressure and pulse rate,” said Merlin.

Back in Balad, Powell notified Charlie Company soldiers that an Oregon soldier was being transported to the hospital. “We wanted to thank him for serving his country, can’t sum it all up in a salute, but its the best we can do for now,” said Powell.

As the aircraft landed on Balad’s helipad the medics assisted hospital volunteers who transferred the patient onto a gurney to transport him to the hospital.

As Sjullie followed the patient towards the Emergency Room he was not surprised to see at least 30 of his fellow soldiers lined up on the walkway to the hospital doors, but he hadn’t realized so many of his comrades would show up. As each Medevac soldier saluted the patient rolling by, Merlin had her own reaction.

“That shocked me," Merlin said. "It’s a feeling that you can’t describe when your walking to the ER and your Medevac Company is standing outside paying their respects to a soldier’s sacrifice. We were surprised that this had happened, but it feels good being able to help another soldier from Oregon.”

Sgt. Sjullie presents Spc. Pierce with a flag, flown on the same mission he was medevaced on, and a picture of Charlie Company soldiers from Oregon.

Over the next several days at Balad Theater Hospital, Col. Hokanson and about eight Oregon soldiers take shifts all through the night and day so Pierce is never alone.

His battle buddy, Spc. Scott Tyrrel, 26, of Calif., is by his side. Tyrrel will travel with Pierce to a hospital in Germany and most likely the two soldiers will have to part ways. Tyrrel will return to his base in Al-Asad and Pierce will be going home.

“He doesn’t want to get sent home," Tyrrel said. "Before this happened we were going to extend this deployment together here or to Afghanistan.”

Four years his friend's elder, Tyrrel could be Pierce's older brother.

“The kid’s got heart, got spirit," Tyrrel said.

Pierce will not be able to continue serving his country.

“I would (return) in a heartbeat, everybody outside the wire is like family,” says Pierce. “I just wanted to be a good soldier.”

In the afternoon of his second day at the hospital, Pierce received a Purple Heart decoration for his injuries sustained during combat.

The specialist already has a Bronze Star with Valor on his last deployment for receiving enemy contact and exchanging fire. Pierce finished a deployment in Iraq as a gunner and driver with the Alaskan National Guard in 2008 and jumped on the deployment with Oregon this summer.

Pierce’s fellow soldiers stand at the side of his bed as the Intensive Care Unit fills with over 40 nurses and doctors watching the ceremony.

General Paul Wentz, commander of 13 ESC (Sustainment Command Expeditionary) places the Purple Heart over Pierce’s chest and offers quiet words commending the young man’s service.

Pierce smiles for the camera and shakes hands.

“He hasn’t asked about himself, he’s been asking about the other soldiers, making sure the convoy got back to safety,” says Tyrrel. “He’s a true warrior, a patriot and an America hero.

"The enemy may have slowed him down but his determination and intestinal fortitude to get back into the fight, it’s unquestionable and un-wavering," Tyrrel said. "He’s a symbol of an American soldier."

As a soldier, Tyrreel is supposed to protect his battle buddy; he is also trained to expect the worst.

“The only way to deal is to do what he was trying to do and continue on the mission and drive on,” says Tyrrel. “That’s the only way to deal with anything, we all know the possibility of this happening when we enlist, this is what we train for.”

Despite all the years of training, the experience of a past deployment, everything could seem diminished under the recent events.

“You can’t really prepare yourself for this,” says Pierce, his bright green eyes illuminated by the fluorescent lights. “I knew what I was getting into.”

Pierce will celebrate his 23rd birthday on the 21st of August.

This is the entrance to the Hospital in Balad. It's called Hero's way and is draped inside with a huge American Flag.

As mentioned in the article, here's the Oregon Medevac unit lined up to salute the wounded soldier.

A Balad You Tube Video.... here

Easy Flaky Biscuits

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:47:00 +0000

I love biscuits and make many different varieties. But I've got one recipe I go back to time and time again. It's so easy, simple, and makes a really light and layered biscuit.

I really like most that it's so quick. If you are making a big breakfast, or a large dinner or other meal, it's nice to be able to whip out some hot fresh delicious biscuits in no time.

Check it out.

2 cups self-rising flour
3 tablespoons shortening or 3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
milk (add in 1/4 cup quantities)
1 teaspoon salt

Measure flour into a bowl and cut in shortening or butter until fully incorporated. Add sugar and salt and mix well.

Pour 1/4 cup milk, stir, and add milk in 1/4 cup increments until the dough is the consistency you would like.

On a lightly floured board, roll out dough and knead gently and briefly until formed into a ball.

Press or roll dough out to 3/4 inch thickness, and use biscuit cutter to cut biscuits and place on baking sheet.

Re-roll scraps to make additional biscuits.

Bake in 4 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes until risen and well browned.

Notice how high they get? And the layering? That's how I roll, er biscuit.

Serve immediately.

Old Fashioned Raised Buttermilk Donuts

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:54:00 +0000

I love homemade donuts. Ever since as a small child I used to help my grandmother make them every time we visited. They were misshapen, never quite tasted exactly the same, sugared and plain old cake donuts, but they were delicious. In fact my very first post was my grandmothers donuts. If you want to laugh at first posts, horrible photography, etc. check it out here.

I've manage to improve a bit on that recipe I think, so here I'm providing you with a recipe for raised donuts, but they retain all the taste and goodness of those heavy old cake donuts of yore.

Check it out.

3 1/4 cups flour
1 package yeast
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Slightly warm buttermilk and pour into mixer bowl. Add sugar and yeast, stir, and let sit for 15 minutes until yeast begins to foam. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract and mix well. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour and mix until thick dough forms.

Scrape out onto a floured surface, sprinkle with flour and gently knead for a minute or so. No need to overdo it.

Place into greased bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place for one hour. (I always turn the oven to 350 for ONE minute, turn it off, and let things rise in there)

Remove from bowl on floured surface, punch down, and form into a ball. Roll out dough until 3/4 to 1 inch thick and cut out donuts and donut holes and place on a plate or large container. Cover and let rise another hour. Don't be concerned if it doesn't look like they rose quite a bit, they'll puff up nicely when they hit the hot oil.

Meanwhile, in a heavy skilled heat vegetable oil (or canola oil or peanut oil) to medium heat. (It should be 350 to 375 degrees) If the oil is smoking it is TOO hot. If the donuts are getting too brown, turn down the heat slightly.

Carefully "slide" donuts into oil. Do not overcrowd. They will brown and be ready for turning in just one to two minutes so I suggest you fully tend them while frying for safety and so as not to burn them.

Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels and let cool.

I've never frosted a homemade donut in my life so if that's your thing, go ahead. I'm a simple sugar kinda guy when it comes to homemade donuts. Just take a freezer bag, throw in a half cup of sugar, toss in a donut or two, and shake around until fully coated. Add some cinnamon to the bag for cinnamon sugar donuts. You can also use powdered sugar to cover the donuts. And let's not forget, plain is purty darn good. (And there's nothing better with a cold glass of milk.)

Enjoy.

Grilled Naan

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:45:00 +0000

Do you know what Naan is? I knew, but had never tried it. But the other day I made Tikka Masala which is usually accompanied with Naan, a grilled Indian Bread.

Naan is a leavened, oven, baked Flatbread and is particularly popular in northern India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.

I didn't bake it though, I grilled it on the grill. It was delicious, and easy. Give it a try, along with the Tikka Masala I posted, I think you might like it.

Ingredients and Method:

1 pkg yeast
1 cup water
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic

In a bowl, mix the yeast, sugar with water (medium warm water). Let sit for 15 minutes to bubble up and "proof"

add milk, salt, and beaten egg. Mix in flour in one cup increments until the dough is sticky, and thick, and in a ball.

Remove from bowl onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Place into greased bowl covered with saran wrap and place in a warm place and let rise for one hour.

Remove from bowl back to floured board, punch down, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Knead a bit and shape into a ball. Roll out to rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut into about 5 inch shapes of whatever type you want. Squares, rectangles, triangles, whatever. You can even pull out a baseball size ball of dough, and roll it in a circle. I prefer a variety of different shapes. Place the cut pieces on a platter and cover and let rise again for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare grill, melt butter and add garlic......This is what you will brush on the bread as it grills, so let it steep a bit.

Take the risen and sliced dough and head for the grill. I strongly suggest you take an ice cold bottle of beer, 'cause God know's grillin' can be hard work.

Make sure your grill is scraped and clean. You don't charred pieces of the steak from 3 weeks ago sticking to your Naan, trust me.

Lightly grease the grill and take the sliced dough pieces, shape them again how you want, and toss directly onto the grill over the heat. Brush the topside with the butter and garlic mixture.

Cook about 4 minutes until one side is done and charred in spots....don't be afraid to check often, it can burn and you don't want that. That's what the cold beer is for, stay out there and check your Naan.

When nicely grilled on one side, turn over and immediately brush the cooked side with the butter and garlic mixture.

When the second side is done, remove, and repeat for the rest of the Naan.

Enjoy! And from experience, I'll tell ya, leftover Naan is always good with anything, especially that cold beer!

Tikka Masala

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:33:00 +0000

One of my favorite blogs, and one of the more popular, is the Pioneer Woman.

A friend of mine was coming up to visit for a weekend. I hadn't seen her in a couple of years and I wanted to prepare something different. She's an ardent follower of my blog, and used to come eat with me all the time when we worked together years ago. And this girl loves to eat. (And weighs about 100 pounds, dammit)

As I was reading the post on the Pioneer Woman, I came across a recipe for Tikka Masala. I'd never made it before, but reading and re-reading the ingredients it sounded delicious. So I decided to use that as a source for making it myself.

Absolutely fantastic. That's all I can say. This stuff ROCKS!

2 - 4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup thick plain yogurt. I use Greek yogurt made by Fage (pronounced fay-yeah)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 yellow or sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons garam masala spice mix
1 cup Basmati Rice
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 cup frozen peas, optional

Preparations and Method:

Season chicken with salt, pepper, ground coriander and cumin on both sides. Press seasonings into the chicken. Brush both sides liberally with the yogurt.

Place into grilling pan and broil in oven until chicken is done and yogurt slightly blackened. About 10 minutes per side. (Note I used rather thick breasts, and next time I think I'll use thinner ones, both for broiling convenience and time, and also I think smaller pieces in the finished Masala would be better)

In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and saute diced onions until they become transluscent and soften. Peel, mince and add garlic to onions and continue to saute. Add about 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger. Add one tablespoon salt.

Meanwhile in a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil, quickly add Turmeric, 1 tablespoon butter and rice, immediately turn to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and fluff with fork when ready to serve. (If you like, add a cup of frozen peas to the rice after you remove from heat. They will heat up and cook in the rice as it sits)

Add 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice to the pan. Add can of tomatoes and stir. Add a tablespoon of sugar and let cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like a little more heat).

Chop broiled chicken into 1 inch pieces and add to pan. Add 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

Add 1/2 cups heavy cream and stir in.

Let cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, and serve immediately over cooked basmati rice and turmeric.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve with Garlic grilled Naan bread on the side.

Enjoy!

Lastly, this dish is so delicious, your dinner guests may break out into dance, you never know.

5 Spice Soy Baked Chicken Wings

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:20:00 +0000

If you read my blog you know I recently became enamored of Chinese 5 spice powder. See my Cornish Game Hen recipe for instance.

In keeping with that I thought some marinated and baked chicken wings would be just the ticket. I deliberately chose baking over grilling as I wanted to avoid having to tend the wings over the fire constantly to keep from charring.

These were simply delicious, with a different twist due to the combination of spices. I bet you'll like it if you try it.

Ingredients and Method:

20 chicken drumettes (or plain wings if you prefer)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons 5 spice powder (Don't skimp)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Mix together corn starch and water and pour into bowl. Add the balance of the marinade ingredients and stir well.

Pour into large freezer bag, add drumettes, seal and refrigerate and marinate overnight. Yes, overnight.

Heat oven to 350, lay tinfoil over a baking pan and place chicken into pan.

Meanwhile bring marinade to a boil, reduce heat and let thicken slightly for 5 minutes.

Bake chicken while turning and continuing to baste liberally and repeatedly with the marinade until done. You want a nice coating to build up as they bake. About 45 minutes. Meat should easily separate from the bone.

Enjoy!

Care Package Chocolate Chip Cookies

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:27:00 +0000

So as some of you know, I have a Son in the Arabian Sea, and a daughter in Baghdad, Iraq. So I spend a lot of time doing what? CARE PACKAGES!

It was my daughter's turn this last weekend, and I wanted to send her and her unit Chocolate Chip cookies. (I understand that the protocol is, anybody who has received home baked goods, is to immediately donate to the group, so nothing generally lasts more than 10 minutes)

Good chocolate chip cookies are generally heavy in butter but I'm sending baked goods on a 5-6 day trip to a Country where the approximate daytime temperature is 110 degrees so I was concerned about butter turning maybe a bit rancid.

So I decided to substitute some vegetable shortening because I'm sure it would stay fresh longer.

I baked them all up, froze all but a couple, so I could sample them, and left them in the freezer for a few days as I continued buying things for the care package so it would be full.

Funny thing happened though. Those cookies are DELICIOUS!

I couldn't stop "hitting" on them. Just a couple each day, but jeez, this is a care package. I felt like I was stealing from my own baked goods.

So I bought everything I needed to buy, filled up the package, with the cookies, and took it directly to the post office and got them out of my house.

My point is, make these cookies. The shortening cut with butter is a great way to go. The cookies retain a great texture even after being frozen and defrosted. And, I suspect I'll get an email from Iraq in a day or two saying...."Hey DAD, thanks for the cookies, they lasted about 10 minutes!"

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
large package mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream shortening, butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and mix well. Add baking soda and salt and flour and mix thoroughly. Toss in chips and mix until incorporated.

Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes so it's easier to handle. On a cookie sheet with or without parchment paper, drop cooking dough with a scoop or use two spoons to make 1 - 2 inch balls.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 -12 minutes. (I usually always go 12 minutes, but no more)

Let sit on pan for 5 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Repeat with remaining dough until all are baked.

Enjoy!

And here's a thought, if you like the cookies, double it and send a couple dozen to my daughter's unit in Iraq. The address is: SGT Merlin Merissa, C co 7-158 AVN, APO AE 09391

I KNOW our troops would be grateful! Trust me, they all share with everyone.

Beer Batter Onion Rings

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Well, Walla Walla Sweet onions are out as are Vidalia. It's that time of year. Sweet, sweet delicious onions anywhere. BBQ them, grill them, use them in marinades etc. Also, gotta have some beer batter onion rings. Yeah, it's a bit of a hassle to mess with the oil and all but it is worth it every once in a while. This is a simple basic recipe that makes for an extremely light coating.

2 or 3 large Walla Walla Sweets or Vidalia onions, peeled, and sliced and separated
vegetable oil for frying. If you have a deep fryer fine, but if not, I use a smallish cast iron
pan and it works just fine. I just make two or three at a time. Don't crowd them, and take
your time.

Batter:
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
dash of pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 cup of beer (a dark beer is best, I use Beck's Dark, but Guinness would work also)
Thousand Island dressing for dipping

Beat eggs well. Add pepper, baking powder, oil, and seasoning salt and mix well. Add beer and flour and mix thoroughly. Place in refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes.

Heat oil to approximately 370 degrees.

Dip onion ring in batter, drain a bit and immediately add to hot oil. Repeat with other rings
but leave plenty of room, don't crowd the cooking process. Let cook, attended, until one side is puffed and golden, turn and cook until golden on the other side. Immediately drain on paper towels. Repeat with all onion rings, giving a few minutes in between batches to allow oil to reach proper temperature again.

Serve warm with Thousand Island dressing as a dip. Oh, a cold beer might be a nice addition also.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Sloppy Joes

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:26:00 +0000

Have you ever all of a sudden had a yearning for some childhood food? Like all of a sudden ya just have to have some macaroni and cheese? Or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Or a glass of ice cold Kool aid? Or chocolate chip pancakes? How about a grilled cheese and some tomato soup? Ya know what I'm sayin'?

Well, over the weekend, I, out of the blue, had a hankering for Sloppy Joes. I bet you I haven't had a sloppy joe sandwich in 10 years at least, but I just had to have one. So, I searched the net and came across an interesting recipe at Simply Recipes. I adapted it a bit and it was delicious.

Sweet tangy sauce, with a variety of blended flavors. I like to grill the buns for added crispness and crunch. And some baked beans on the side.

Now, don't you feel like having a sloppy joe?

Ingredients and Method:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 sweet Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweet onion, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 minced cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons bottled BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground clove
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat and saute minced onion until transluscent, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and ground beef. Break up beef with a spoon or spatula, and then pat ground beef down flat all around the pan, and let cook until browned on one side. Turn the heat down a bit. Don't be in a hurry, let it brown. Turn, break up some more, and turn and stir until all pink has disappeared.

Add the balance of the ingredients. Yup, add all at once. Stir thoroughly, turn heat to low, and let cook on low for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Butter and grill hamburger buns, spoon sloppy joe mixture over, add a slice of cheese, or grated cheddar, and enjoy.

Serve with a salad, or chips, or fries, or baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, whatever you like for summertime sides.

And let's face it. Sloppy Joes are one of the BEST leftover meals ever.

Cheese Enchiladas with Tomatillo sauce

ronmerlin@gmail.com (The Merlin Menu) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:25:00 +0000

So I'm driving from Colorado to Washington about 6 years ago. You know the drill, mile after mile of interstate, stop for gas and restroom occasionally, and keep going until you're exhausted. You pull off in the middle of nowhere, check into some non-chain hotel with a restaurant nearby, go to your room, buy a paper and go to the dive restaurant for some food. This particular dive was Mexican food, which I'm not particularly a fan of.

I ordered Cheese Enchilada with a Chile Verde sauce and turned to the paper.

Dinner came. A huge platter, steaming, with refried beans on one side, rice on the other, and in the middle, four good size corn tortillas wrapped around a blend of cheese, and smothered in a green tomatillo verde sauce.

It was HEAVEN! I've never had a Mexican meal so good. The sauce was tangy, delicious, robust, a bit warm, but not overwhelming, with drippy, gooey, cheese goodness dripping with each bite. I cleaned the plate. I had no idea Mexican food could taste this good. And in some unknown restaurant off some interstate.

That being said, on a number of occasions I have tried to duplicate that meal in my kitchen, and have not yet succeeded. BUT, this rendition is definitely closer. Give it a try, you might like it, and I, of course, will continue to tweak it in the background until I duplicate that wonderful meal I had somewhere on the plains of the Western US.

Ingredients and Method:

6 medium sized tomatillos
1 1/2 cups of water or chicken broth
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 bunches green onions chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1 or 2 small cans mild green chilies (depending on your "heat" preference)
1 small can diced tomatoes
leaves of one bunch cilantro
juice of two fresh limes
1 can refried beans
6 corn or flour tortillas
3 cups shredded cheese - Mexican blend or Monterey Jack.

Remove tomatillo husks, wash and quarter and place in large frying pan. Add water, and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes until tomatillos are very soft.

Carefully pour contents of pan into food processor. Add cilantro, green onions, chilies, tomatoes and the lime juice. Process in bursts until well blended. Return to pan over low eat and let cook on low for a few minutes to blend flavors.

Grease an 8 x 8 casserole dish. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Take a tortilla and with a knife spread a layer of refried beans. Add 1/3 cup cheese, and carefully roll up tortilla and place in dish. Repeat until casserole dish is full. Pour tomatillo sauce over rolled tortilla's and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake in 350 degree oven of 20 minutes until cheese is melted and dish is heated through.

Let sit for 10 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!