tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142521662024-03-06T02:02:05.793-06:00The Pig and IGood Food = Love + HappinessAlliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.comBlogger685125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-13237205884457455652019-08-29T19:15:00.001-05:002019-08-29T19:29:43.614-05:00Rice with Cabbage<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiF3p2EkoAVWlpyvm2xYOxwbzWXaPm9sDj8hw9plRAzWZ4ulZESpoRa_oD31ud5lmirLj6C_BPyCmvflIps6Y3c3QeYC-fLanTdr5r5e6Xm02uVtvwtCto_5S58fCRQ7QwmAf/s1600/Resized_20190829_190532.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiF3p2EkoAVWlpyvm2xYOxwbzWXaPm9sDj8hw9plRAzWZ4ulZESpoRa_oD31ud5lmirLj6C_BPyCmvflIps6Y3c3QeYC-fLanTdr5r5e6Xm02uVtvwtCto_5S58fCRQ7QwmAf/s320/Resized_20190829_190532.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
This picture was the best I could do, because we were all
done eating in about 5 minutes and I didn't think about a picture until I
realized I would need to replicate this at a later date.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had a lot of cabbage in my house. I mean really a lot. Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, kale, broccoli, and bok choy. I really needed to start using it up, because definitely not throwing it away. I decided I would fry up all of the cabbages except the green (that's slotted for kraut), but when I picked the Pig up from school, she told me that she had a loose incisor that was bothering her enough that she didn't even want to eat meat (that kid loves meat more than life). I told her that I'd planned to fry the cabbages and serve it over rice. No dice - she wanted soup. This wasn't soup, but it was soupish; more like a dinner porridge.<br />
<br />
So I decided to make a soup with cabbages and rice. It was vastly superior to what I'd intended to make, and I would like to make it again. I wish I'd made enough to eat some tomorrow (beyond what I put in her lunch box). Some of the ingredients here are kind of different, so don't sweat the potential need to leave stuff out or sub other stuff in. I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we did!<br />
<br />
1/4 cup each: sesame and veg oil<br />
1T lard (omit for a vegan meal)<br />
<br />
salt and white pepper to use liberally with each addition<br />
<br />
Group 1:<br />
1 stalk diced celery<br />
4 sliced baby carrots<br />
3 cloves of sliced garlic<br />
1T ground coriander<br />
<br />
Group 2:<br />
4 destemmed leaves of kale, chopped<br />
juice of 1 lime<br />
<br />
Group 3:<br />
1 handful of garlic chives<br />
1 handful of chopped broccoli<br />
1T dried mint (3T fresh)<br />
1T palm sugar<br />
1/4t hot sauce (I used a fermented one, you use what you like)<br />
juice of 1 lime<br />
<br />
1 gallon of baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced<br />
<br />
2L water<br />
1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce<br />
<br />
5-6 handfuls of rice<br />
<br />
1 stem of yarrow, minced<br />
<br />
Heat a 4Q saucepan with the oils and lard over medium-high heat, then add the first group of ingredients, salt, and pepper, then fry. Once browned, add second group of ingredients, plus salt and pepper, and continue. Once wilted well, add third group and salt/pepper. Once those are wilted well, add the bok choy (also seasoned) and continue to fry until the stems are somewhat softened.<br />
<br />
Add the water and tomato sauce, plus, and bring to a boil. When boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Then add the rice and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Cut the heat and stir in the yarrow. Serves 3-4.<br />
<br />Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-71950836875170432022019-01-26T14:56:00.001-06:002019-01-26T14:56:44.072-06:00Vegetable Stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9mILBMRkbeP0Cj6deYauPwxlyCanCcaIWj_v5eoehUWj8KZ5Aq3XTqGTvkuFFj0it7Rbi73ypfTyVoQQmQLhQiO72WKdeKj8HviWCa3SINxTnkt1jvdti1zeW_Dtt5cPHOZg/s1600/20190126_142745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9mILBMRkbeP0Cj6deYauPwxlyCanCcaIWj_v5eoehUWj8KZ5Aq3XTqGTvkuFFj0it7Rbi73ypfTyVoQQmQLhQiO72WKdeKj8HviWCa3SINxTnkt1jvdti1zeW_Dtt5cPHOZg/s320/20190126_142745.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
And once again, the trees are laden in pollen. I always forget the midwinter episodes of crippling allergies. Since I feel like I have the flu due to tree pollen, I figured I should make some gentle stew so I'm still getting some nutrition while eating is hard.<br />
<br />
This recipe should be adapted to whatever is in your house that needs to be used up. I went through my produce bin and found a lot of "half of this, half of that" in there. Those all feature here. Whenever I'm feeling under the weather, the stews tend to be comprised of whatever I was able to easily forage from the fridge, pantry, freezer, and/or garden with a minimum of effort. This should serve 4 people on its own, but if you put it over rice, pasta, or similar, you can stretch it to 6 or so people. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the following:<br />
<br />
1 tablespoon each: sesame and veg oil<br />
1 cup beet stems, chopped into 1" pieces (I pre-chop these when I buy the bunch of beets, since I always use them at roughly the same size)<br />
1/2 carrot, diced<br />
1 medium potato, diced<br />
1/2 shallot, sliced<br />
1 small yellow bell pepper (I mean the tiny ones, not a small version of the regular sized ones - if that's what you've got, use 1/4 of the pepper), diced<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1 teaspoon cumin<br />
3/4 cup <a href="https://seidhr.blogspot.com/2018/10/cabbage-and-leek-kraut.html" target="_blank">ukha kraut</a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqj2hxItfFCr205yVkZ8hH4zL20S3vtNIm4I5OVX76HAY4APU5a4HfMrp1_J0IjAhvi4wMaVPgje4AupFxATj-cK4PrYFvkGF-8Qq9khS84E0CRbbmqIjPmTW7CyRnZQrXPmZA/s1600/20190126_133036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqj2hxItfFCr205yVkZ8hH4zL20S3vtNIm4I5OVX76HAY4APU5a4HfMrp1_J0IjAhvi4wMaVPgje4AupFxATj-cK4PrYFvkGF-8Qq9khS84E0CRbbmqIjPmTW7CyRnZQrXPmZA/s320/20190126_133036.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<br />
Fry this up for a while, until it looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vaw_yp3MxB75zagzFrz8tDIOcS0aW4DiQ9FjvWm_QVY_QGsRdqj2OZE-jh3dc4o4zGsynOoY9gvgtIU0fPprVNCCKIhZbDzWoDtmKVQju2JtM1xA63MboVPMOspgMkcDZBaR/s1600/20190126_133544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vaw_yp3MxB75zagzFrz8tDIOcS0aW4DiQ9FjvWm_QVY_QGsRdqj2OZE-jh3dc4o4zGsynOoY9gvgtIU0fPprVNCCKIhZbDzWoDtmKVQju2JtM1xA63MboVPMOspgMkcDZBaR/s320/20190126_133544.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
then add:<br />
<br />
5 whole cloves of garlic<br />
1 cup-ish cooked beans (I used giant limas; you use what needs to get used up) <br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Wrap together in a tea ball, enclosed strainer, or cloth, then add:<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon coriander seed (whole)<br />
2-3 pieces of turmeric root (whole)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9vilYtJw-i4j4_dMFxT78SwB_g6e2sgOeqCEBm_3kNNArdAFjKz9yRkHvCL4Lx8UZ-FxbokyAOHv07tqlQ5ghhtHOaDK1JHgJT12Haz_NSPsOKEfcLThshU7fjeVbIaQIMf7/s1600/20190126_133833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9vilYtJw-i4j4_dMFxT78SwB_g6e2sgOeqCEBm_3kNNArdAFjKz9yRkHvCL4Lx8UZ-FxbokyAOHv07tqlQ5ghhtHOaDK1JHgJT12Haz_NSPsOKEfcLThshU7fjeVbIaQIMf7/s320/20190126_133833.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<br />
And lastly, add enough water or stock to cover plus 1/2-1", as per prior photo. Simmer this for about 45 minutes. Remove coriander and turmeric, then nom. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-46547910110871134942019-01-23T20:42:00.003-06:002019-01-23T20:42:50.567-06:00Easy Pantry Marinara, Plus MeatballsThe Pig asked me recently to make her some Olive Garden style meatballs and pasta, and I said okay. Today was that day. I looked up copycat recipes and thought, "nope." So I figured I'd just have a go at it. These were really, really easy to make, and everyone liked them. She asked if she could have leftovers for breakfast tomorrow, which is basically the highest compliment she gives. Outside the meat and an egg for the meatballs, all other ingredients can come from the pantry. I am not a huge fan of meatballs, so it's most likely I'll keep making this sauce without those. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
Sauce:<br />
<br />
1 14-ounce can each: stewed tomatoes, whole tomatoes<br />
1/2c beef stock or water (I had leftover stock in the fridge, or I'd've used water)<br />
big, healthy shake of each: dried mint, dried basil, dried marjoram or other oregano, dried thyme, garlic and onion powders<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
add-on: meat, if desired, and/or olives, and/or mushrooms<br />
<br />
Put all of the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. Blend (I used the stick blender in the pot for this, but you can use a regular blender or just press on the tomatoes with the back of your spoon), then reduce for another 10-20 minutes. Serve over pasta. Serves 4.<br />
<br />
Meatballs:<br />
<br />
1 pound ground beef<br />
1/3c bread crumbs<br />
health shake each: dried mint, parsley, basil, thyme, garlic and onion powders<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1 large egg<br />
olive oil<br />
<br />
Mix together all but the oil and egg with your hands. Then add the egg and finish mixing. Shape into balls of whatever size you want and fry in the oil, remembering to turn them periodically to brown all sides. We made 4 big meatballs with this, then fried the rest of it and added it to the sauce once the sauce was blended (I also added olives to my bowl).<br />
<br />
No picture today because we plowed through it before I remembered. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-78120924922191378312018-12-24T10:21:00.001-06:002018-12-24T10:21:18.303-06:00Mocha and Chestnut Yule Log: A Baking AdventureI wouldn't normally label something as complex as a Yule log as "kid food," but this was done by request, and with the kid. The Pig has been really, really into the <i>Great British Baking Show</i>, and consequently found out there's a food version of the Yule log. In celebration of Yule this year, she asked if we could make one together. Since I sometimes don't think things through, and other times think I can do anything, I said yes. Not only did I say yes, I <b>promised</b> we'd do it on Yule itself.<br />
<br />
Dumb, dumb, dumb. But also smart, because wow she learned a lot about herself, the world, interpersonal dynamics, history, modernity, tenacity, and the import of keeping one's word. She also found out that I was right that reading legitimately is the most powerful skill one can develop. I learned that I can, in fact, draw something decent if I have no choice, and also that it turns out I can pipe chocolate attractively. I generally reserve the doing of fine detail decorations for other people, but here we are and so I also learned a lot. In case you hadn't guessed at this point, this is a nightmarish story that still ended well. As such, I shall now properly begin.<br />
<br />
After spending some time researching this particular cake (and never having actually seen one in person ever in my life), I went ahead and wrote a recipe for the sponge. I decided to go with cardamom and coffee scented cake filled with chestnut mousse. I got the mousse recipe off <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chestnut-mousse" target="_blank">Bon Appetit</a>. More on that part later. I also did <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/meringue-mushrooms-recipe" target="_blank">meringue mushrooms</a>, per her request, also from this same magazine. So, the recipe is as such (recipe in italics, story in regular font):<br />
<br />
<i>4 eggs*</i><br />
<i>1 cup sugar</i><br />
<i>1/3 C cocoa</i><br />
<i>1/3 C yogurt or buttermilk</i><br />
<i>2T coffee grounds</i><br />
<i>2/3 C flour</i><br />
<i>1T almond flour</i><br />
<i>2t baking powder</i><br />
<i>1/2t salt</i><br />
<i>1/4 cup oil</i><br />
<i>1T vanilla</i><br />
<i>3/4t ground cardamom</i><br />
<br />
Looks pretty simple so far. Oh wait.<br />
<br />
<i>Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 17x12" jelly roll pan.</i> "Prepare" here means: slather with butter, line with parchment, slather with butter. Some people use wax paper, so I suppose you can do that if that's what you've got. I almost did that because I couldn't find that parchment initially. This all went really well, though, because preparing pans is easy even without modern technology.<br />
<br />
I then set about to measure out all the ingredients, because the Pig told me that she would be the one to make the cake. As soon as I had everything measured and ready to go, I started to walk to get the electric beaters. We don't have a stand mixer, so the beaters were the plan. As I was walking to the beaters, the power went out. Centerpoint, evidently, had line testing to do in the middle of my cake baking. For up to 4 hours.<br />
<br />
Well... a promise is a promise. Unless you can't fulfill it for reasons outside your control, you have to keep your promises.<br />
<br />
So I got out a large candle, a flashlight, and called her into the kitchen once those were set up. Whereupon I handed her a whisk and set her to work:<br />
<br />
<i>Beat the eggs and sugar until pale.</i><br />
<br />
Those seven little words that normally seem to simple. And fast. She whisked for a while, and then handed it off to me to whisk. I whisked for a while. I got tired of it and went to get the manual beaters (so glad my prepper heart made me keep those when I wanted to get rid of them). She learned how to use manual beaters (these really suck always, but they suck a lot more for left-handed people). I learned how to use manual beaters more efficiently (even for a left-handed person). 30 or so minutes in, we had a pale mixture.<br />
<br />
<i>Combine flour and all dry, then add to eggs.</i><br />
<br />
This was simple, because stirring is easy no matter the power situation.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>Whisk remaining wet ingredients and fold into batter</i>.<i>Spread batter evenly into pan.</i><br />
<br />
Also easy.<br />
<br />
<i>Bake cake 10-12 minutes - cake will spring back when pressed lightly if it's done</i>.<br />
<br />
Enter problems.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6M71UCAh9khY3SRkI53D-fwGINex4g90dYLRi9gQXR880A9qXczMt-uXhl6PHIefrWSer866XGsI82TR7UjK4hzLrkDsoex_y49kW7a1aPB0kgjIW6IdlbmNLLEWhyM2ebX_/s1600/48363832_10157066438734756_4397261562880983040_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6M71UCAh9khY3SRkI53D-fwGINex4g90dYLRi9gQXR880A9qXczMt-uXhl6PHIefrWSer866XGsI82TR7UjK4hzLrkDsoex_y49kW7a1aPB0kgjIW6IdlbmNLLEWhyM2ebX_/s320/48363832_10157066438734756_4397261562880983040_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
As you can see, candlelight baking. Except for that whole baking part. I decided that since I had several hours before I needed to also prepare our feast, (as well as it "only" being a max of 4 hours without electricity) I would<i> not</i> panic and run outside to build a fire and make-shift oven in the middle of our parking lot. I did, however, figure I should try to complete other steps of this process. And so the camping stove came out so I could melt chocolate for the bark. As such:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlJlDZ7b_BjEqu8-1x4hpim1dHyOKdnt1Zq_aQVff2rNCjZE7g8429VYLtGqlx1e69zpDh0FeGN4Nz7yMUJ6we-Nf_n3BmTsyI8qGA5nJSgUApN1Dq03fHAVxzFD998OycOwB/s1600/48422387_10157066502674756_569191949651673088_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlJlDZ7b_BjEqu8-1x4hpim1dHyOKdnt1Zq_aQVff2rNCjZE7g8429VYLtGqlx1e69zpDh0FeGN4Nz7yMUJ6we-Nf_n3BmTsyI8qGA5nJSgUApN1Dq03fHAVxzFD998OycOwB/s320/48422387_10157066502674756_569191949651673088_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Melt 6 ounces of chocolate, then spread it as thinly as possible. </i><br />
<br />
I melted 7 ounces and did have a bit left over (oh noes!). This is not thin enough. The chocolate wasn't quite thin enough w/ a standard sized Silpat to really snap into bark, so it more bent into bark. That was fine for me, as it was more malleable so I could better mold it around the cake itself.<br />
<i> </i><br />
You also can see how important coffee was for me that day.<br />
<br />
I set the Pig to crush some lime glass candy I made ages ago so we could use it as frost. My plan was to use a combination of powdered sugar dust and leftover meringue for snow, and the candy would provide sparkle.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieASQ5F6PtZBTRUHBbBb44EbYOl4rn1nfGbEuuctFvUjymuu5ZohIt_h-B2wZbU-21DWuGhpRzTz3KyMYexN2j4zDPBoYHEC0g6YxvCdGNOn3TYNoUGFddCu-XF-HOcInPnn2l/s1600/49020976_10157066755319756_7526743140414259200_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieASQ5F6PtZBTRUHBbBb44EbYOl4rn1nfGbEuuctFvUjymuu5ZohIt_h-B2wZbU-21DWuGhpRzTz3KyMYexN2j4zDPBoYHEC0g6YxvCdGNOn3TYNoUGFddCu-XF-HOcInPnn2l/s320/49020976_10157066755319756_7526743140414259200_o.jpg" width="180" /></a> <br />
<br />
You can see here that she does a fine job, and also that my phone's flash is AMAZING. Everything is so bright and electricty-y in these pics! She asked for a chocolate moose to be on her cake, and I was like, "let me see if I have a cookie cutter/stencil for that." No dice, naturally. I had a bear, a fox, and an owl. But she really wanted a moose, so I etched those three cutters on wax paper, pulled up Google Images of moose drawings on my phone, and set about to learn to draw/etch in wax paper. The moose came out so well I decided to make an English yew as well. That also came out well, though it happily can be confused for some beautiful kind of mushroom I'd never seen before I was shown a pic on Facebook. <br />
<br />
I decided to start the meringue for the mushrooms, because meringue takes like, 15 minutes start to finish even with a whisk. Except that day. Why should that go right that day? <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/meringue-mushrooms-recipe" target="_blank">Here</a> is the recipe for the meringues, as apparently I'm more interested in telling my tale than telling y'all how to make this stuff. The meringue wouldn't gel. I whisked and whisked and whisked until my poor arthritic hand couldn't take anymore. And then Ross got home right as I thought I might cry, so I made him whisk.<br />
<br />
Then: THE POWER CAME BACK ON!!!<br />
<br />
From there, it was fairly quick work. As soon as the oven was done reheating (which was quick, and convenient since I didn't shut the oven off when the power went out), I tossed (not literally, though I wanted to) the cake in the oven. <i>I gave it 11 minutes, which I regret. 10 was fine. I then flipped the cake onto a powdered sugar coated towel (learn from me and don't use a flour sack towel - use something with more heft), sugared the other side of the cake, and rolled that bad boy up.</i> I knew before I was done that the cake was going to break when I unrolled it, but whatever. Totally over it at this point. And thanks, Spidey-Senses, for not telling me this BEFORE I was mostly done rolling. Because, y'know... why not have more drama instead of being able to fix something quickly?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBChtNZMsQnygG7YpznYTUG2u4civBXd1o_enba_RCQIDAbd6BuEFQ3m-PohTgDjnkTpinWHwddALOta7eWptekkjUsiuGvKDn75zzLRAypusTkZvYTCAztkDKAatOb5r15jO/s1600/48424031_10157066690894756_2261343913916760064_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBChtNZMsQnygG7YpznYTUG2u4civBXd1o_enba_RCQIDAbd6BuEFQ3m-PohTgDjnkTpinWHwddALOta7eWptekkjUsiuGvKDn75zzLRAypusTkZvYTCAztkDKAatOb5r15jO/s320/48424031_10157066690894756_2261343913916760064_o.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Off to the fan immediately for the cake to chill more quickly.</i> After all, I'd spent 3.5 hours trying to do things without power, and I was really running out of time. I then flipped the heat down and got my meringues in the oven with a quickness. Because they take 90 or so minutes to bake. I didn't really care about the oven heat anymore, but I <b>had</b> left the open ajar and turned the heat down while I was rolling the cake, and it wasn't too much hotter by the time the meringues went in than it was meant to be.<br />
<br />
<i>I then melted the next 6 ounces of chocolate</i> (I used milk this time, since the bark was dark chocolate) and put my writing tip into my spare pastry bag. It fell out.<br />
<br />
It fell out.<br />
<br />
Evidently that bag is for large tips only. <i>I put the chocolate in a Ziplock</i> and thought a silent prayer of thanks to myself for not having run out of Ziplocks (this has been a process where I'm no longer buying plastic bags, and so very easily I could've been out and had to do this by spatula). Then I piped my shapes and set them out to dry.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfjGxue_In7zjCczrbhxyTynJgtwVl6N9syxOpaFZAzy4ojskMt1mEW5YgooRiC1xuOGo_RgwiqIL_0T0IScvDIXjmJiPQtz6hmemMchAJ4Q02MbplUcATUQhb82rrPKk_Zhy/s1600/48416727_10157066911139756_6747477429712846848_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfjGxue_In7zjCczrbhxyTynJgtwVl6N9syxOpaFZAzy4ojskMt1mEW5YgooRiC1xuOGo_RgwiqIL_0T0IScvDIXjmJiPQtz6hmemMchAJ4Q02MbplUcATUQhb82rrPKk_Zhy/s320/48416727_10157066911139756_6747477429712846848_o.jpg" width="180" /></a> <br />
<br />
I'm really proud of that yew. But, it was then time to make the chestnut mousse. At this point, I no longer wanted to see a kitchen, let alone use one. But alas, a promise is a promise. <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chestnut-mousse" target="_blank">Here</a> is that recipe. It should be noted that you need to cook the milk mixture longer than you think you do, b/c you will <b>really</b> need the fridge's help to firm up your mousse properly otherwise. But, the mousse got done. And fast, because yay technology!!<br />
<br />
I unrolled my fan-cooled cake and saw a small break. Whatever. I just can't care about that anymore. I added my chilled (in the freezer) mousse and began to roll it up again. Where there was more breakage. At this point, it was just one more in a long line of hits for the day, so that too was whatever. Cake went into the fridge to chill again.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikclp62nC-L151ZoN_PCVVQ_l5yQ2ZTghiELzKGQiXd_0YB5nKUfqjGVaBCicZA1fmKBsnHe7wGlXgQOHA2KPneUFV27YEZhWQ0pXHDAuvy47J_s_CIBv6EbFVn3YD83pTsH1v/s1600/48387053_10157066944189756_4810804756719075328_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikclp62nC-L151ZoN_PCVVQ_l5yQ2ZTghiELzKGQiXd_0YB5nKUfqjGVaBCicZA1fmKBsnHe7wGlXgQOHA2KPneUFV27YEZhWQ0pXHDAuvy47J_s_CIBv6EbFVn3YD83pTsH1v/s320/48387053_10157066944189756_4810804756719075328_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
At this point I just want some microwave nachos. Looking at that picture, I kind of want those still. Gonna need to make some today. It's glorious how a terrible-yet-satisfying lazy version of nachos can take 3 minutes to make and still make you happy.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the meringues were done and I used a bit of (reheated) Ziplock chocolate (I don't care about the fact that I shouldn't have put the chocolate in the microwave to warm while still in the Ziplock, b/c survival mode at this point) to glue the tops onto the stems that kind of looked like tops. I thought the "dust with cocoa" thing was kind of suspect, but it turned out to cut that sweetness in all the right ways. While I was getting on with that, the Pig decided she should frost the cake before I applied decorations.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrn6Myav3rthgtCE82QgLxyGr4BTUEAn9UmbcX0FnG0o_hchnPXlTQKL64MKmMGOdumT5i5i-QO63hLyOKTfnwf7LnRN1JCKhtUHiay0X1FUlWUuI_uaXD8GEmcIaKuJhCn8pS/s1600/49085614_10157067095234756_8360271575307517952_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrn6Myav3rthgtCE82QgLxyGr4BTUEAn9UmbcX0FnG0o_hchnPXlTQKL64MKmMGOdumT5i5i-QO63hLyOKTfnwf7LnRN1JCKhtUHiay0X1FUlWUuI_uaXD8GEmcIaKuJhCn8pS/s320/49085614_10157067095234756_8360271575307517952_o.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
She did a fine job. I wasn't very smart and left it on the wax paper until I was ready to transfer, and I really strongly recommend you never do this. Because you might wind up eating a bit of wax paper if you aren't paying attention closely.<br />
<br />
Once she was done, I transferred to tray and applied the bark. I also cut off a knob to stick on the end upright. That's actually a lie. What I did was cut off both ends so as to make the cake appearance nicer in sum, then stacked them to make a knob. I'm impressed they never fell off each other. Bark applied, she was in charge of the mushrooms and completed that portion of the cake decoration as I sprinkled the cake and some of the raw meringue "snow" I'd piped onto the tray with ground pistachio for a "mossy" sort of look.<br />
<br />
When I went to peel the animals and tree off the wax paper, they were bendy. Not ideal, so I popped them in the freezer for a bit. Upon opening the freezer, the tray fell out. I let out a primal scream that stopped both me and my family. That was really just too much for me. The bear was decapitated and the tree lost a limb and some bits. I could hear myself screaming, even though I wasn't aware of actually doing it, and that shocked me into silence. Ross was like, "what can I do to help!?" and suddenly I was calm/resigned/defeated and I said, "nah. I got it." And I just carried on as though I hadn't just finished acting like a wild animal.<br />
<br />
And like that, the cake was done.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6O-ErtGToJrJxKV_IzBOSeN6gpGyKKddLtRcHhvvDX6TszrY5PbGQxfN1oh6tTSC7IgDoqvYfrL3gpkNrGWuC-lhpG-oRougeyj1C0TNAEAdHOTNNJ1F_eiO4a9on7qZJ3sc/s1600/48391589_10157067094944756_4005062844675522560_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6O-ErtGToJrJxKV_IzBOSeN6gpGyKKddLtRcHhvvDX6TszrY5PbGQxfN1oh6tTSC7IgDoqvYfrL3gpkNrGWuC-lhpG-oRougeyj1C0TNAEAdHOTNNJ1F_eiO4a9on7qZJ3sc/s320/48391589_10157067094944756_4005062844675522560_o.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRXI9vTv81mBY-Mip3hTytxHlx_EHSLH9Yk18fZpo8XOS2aoEvJ0cr-YrrD8jerpCA3q3avZym3kQ9RiMk7s6YMw8TGP0TtB2RLgcoG2AD8L-wNffjyhUbDtuc-WQ8AYBvUrl/s1600/48391208_10157067093614756_8146553263924183040_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRXI9vTv81mBY-Mip3hTytxHlx_EHSLH9Yk18fZpo8XOS2aoEvJ0cr-YrrD8jerpCA3q3avZym3kQ9RiMk7s6YMw8TGP0TtB2RLgcoG2AD8L-wNffjyhUbDtuc-WQ8AYBvUrl/s320/48391208_10157067093614756_8146553263924183040_o.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
And then she said it. She "Paul"ed me and said, "let's see how it looks inside." I already knew this cake was broken and that it'd be highly visible, but I was gonna eat this cake so it had to be cut anyway.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cfU0GZjfnNB1LgL6w67qQbyDRBLkfjy4whvgRfAfisjRUhqg5Kq4QKfTjimQj5IWyM8Rc6kngiZfYpHkoNaJiryA5uRTWMaePkR_GN7Hw___zCl9ecQrTJelQauuTpQY64Sj/s1600/48380371_10157067182454756_8359192224256229376_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cfU0GZjfnNB1LgL6w67qQbyDRBLkfjy4whvgRfAfisjRUhqg5Kq4QKfTjimQj5IWyM8Rc6kngiZfYpHkoNaJiryA5uRTWMaePkR_GN7Hw___zCl9ecQrTJelQauuTpQY64Sj/s320/48380371_10157067182454756_8359192224256229376_o.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
It was hard to care anymore about the breakage, because LOOK AT THAT CAKE!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFOg43EeK4Sz_NFnOkVyWqwJJtDR9U774lE-gNI3SlO0X4vhudPfEHp7Ncb-SsdoTCElxZgPR9BmaaNDyzU0VE5xY5rvPo35qtWNG4DUsAQazg8pWx9SgddlEm9qHv0iYzoLq/s1600/48403555_10157067182059756_2631863853415137280_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFOg43EeK4Sz_NFnOkVyWqwJJtDR9U774lE-gNI3SlO0X4vhudPfEHp7Ncb-SsdoTCElxZgPR9BmaaNDyzU0VE5xY5rvPo35qtWNG4DUsAQazg8pWx9SgddlEm9qHv0iYzoLq/s320/48403555_10157067182059756_2631863853415137280_o.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
I really am quite proud of that free drawn little moose. <br />
<br />
But here is the important part: LOOK AT MUH TREE!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hSWlXxqvB8-lOsLM2i9B7VZTEC7AKmpD1KFIk-5QZf4Bgby945KIVxwWV10VlcHhQjQGWUt71KEdDTUQZruFn7H0vnDZEghxcYGbk9FqfxtAvRtNz1ZmWcLrXde7nfSeus1O/s1600/48408829_10157067182384756_7586506141459283968_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hSWlXxqvB8-lOsLM2i9B7VZTEC7AKmpD1KFIk-5QZf4Bgby945KIVxwWV10VlcHhQjQGWUt71KEdDTUQZruFn7H0vnDZEghxcYGbk9FqfxtAvRtNz1ZmWcLrXde7nfSeus1O/s320/48408829_10157067182384756_7586506141459283968_o.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
It should be noted at this time that this didn't have a hint of coffee - it's full on mocha, and the cardamom was pleasantly present without being super noticeable. This cake was astoundingly delicious. We all had some during Yule (though mainly bites off her plate instead of slices of our own) and it's really a bit richer than you'd think it is from looking at it. We took a slice to the Pig's great-grandmother during our visit with her on Saturday, and the rest of the cake to her grandparents so we could eat it all up on Sunday. Except one slice, which we brought home for her. It is, however, RICH. Don't try to eat this with ice cream.<br />
<br />
I have no idea what kind of design she's gonna want next year, but I do know that I am afraid. I am also really glad I didn't have to bake in a make-shift oven. Because that's often not very fun.<br />
<br />
<i>* I did not separate the eggs, mainly because of the electricity issue. That said, whenever I make this again, I will separate and cream only the sugar and the yolks, then fold the whites (whipped to stiff peaks) into the batter after all other additions. This would lighten up the cake a bit, which would take the edge off its richness. </i>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-58826008950539632992018-12-11T15:58:00.000-06:002018-12-11T15:58:01.282-06:00Stir Fried Watermelon Rind<img alt="" class=" _52mr _1byr _5pf5 img" src="https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/47579511_286592275540115_875838239330533376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_ht=scontent.fhou1-2.fna&oh=7700399c96e3d48c499a17733f7ca5a0&oe=5CB0DEDF" style="max-width: 100%; width: 100%;" /><br />
Whenever we buy a watermelon and it has rind to speak of (a lot of the little personal sized ones don't), I carefully trim away the green skin, then the rind, and cut it up before storing for later use. Interestingly, the rind of the watermelon is the most nutritious part, despite the awesome of the flesh.<br />
<br />
Today, I managed to get the Pig to take a nap, as she'd had a pretty long few days and even longer month following the death of our beloved cat Aleister. But I was <i>starving</i>. She'd already requested butter-poached fish, sauteed broccoli, and rice for dinner, so I didn't want to go flesh for my lunch and did want to bump up my veggies for the day. After poking about through the fridge, I discovered half of a small onion and a quart of rind, so this formed the basis of the meal. Poking about the kitchen further, I found a sad tomato that the Pig and I bought from a farmer on our way back from our last trip to Austin, as well as a bottle of ají picante that I'd rediscovered over the weekend. With all of that forming the basis of my meal, it seemed ideal if I added some bitter (and not so bitter) greens to the mix, to round the flavor out. So I moved out to my container garden to find those. I have a huge pot of chard that doesn't get trimmed often enough, so a few of those went in, in addition to some other greens I'd foraged whole plants of and repotted at home or acquired in plant swaps. <br />
<br />
My sole regret about this dish is that I only made one serving. It was a fantastic lunch, and did not last nearly so long as the 15 minutes it took for me to cook it. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
2 cups largely diced watermelon rind<br />
1/2 small onion<br />
salt, lemon pepper<br />
1-2 tablespoon sesame oil<br />
<br />
handful or two of raw greens (I used: 1 mature hosta leaf, 2 mature bloody dock leaves, 4 of Swiss chard, 2 of broadleaf plantain, 1 of Jewel of Opar, 1 sprig of henbit, 1 longevity spinach leaf, and one of common mallow - you should use whatever greens you feel like using, whether from your fridge, garden, or backyard)<br />
salt and white pepper <br />
<br />
1 roma tomato<br />
1/4 cup-ish of <a href="https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/colombian-hot-sauce-aji-picante" target="_blank">ají picante</a> (this stuff is addictive - be forewarned!)<br />
salt if desired<br />
<br />
Warm a pan and add sesame oil to it. Then add remainder of first group of ingredients. Stir fry, but let the veg sit periodically to get a good sear, as such:<br />
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<br />
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<img alt="" class=" _52mr _1byr _5pf5 img" src="https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/48144687_261207874554736_7490282454368911360_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_ht=scontent.fhou1-2.fna&oh=7bde637debbff471409ad0f26146f1d2&oe=5C92695D" style="max-width: 100%; width: 100%;" /><br />
<br />
(you can kind of see a bit of searing, though this isn't a great pic to demonstrate it).<br />
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Add your greens and wilt them (make sure to wash first, and especially if you foraged or grew your greens!), as such:<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class=" _52mr _1byr _5pf5 img" src="https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/48370189_2032702416785484_3699030902823714816_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent.fhou1-2.fna&oh=29c37a606788877ba6a29cb70136f18b&oe=5CAA8C8C" style="max-width: 100%; width: 100%;" /><br />
(now you can really see the sear!)<br />
<br />
Add the last group and cook it until the ají picante has basically disappeared and the pan is fairly dry, as such:<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class=" _52mr _1byr _5pf5 img" src="https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/48365087_501856270303173_6071898272555859968_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_ht=scontent.fhou1-2.fna&oh=cbcf399b13f0211c05e8ad190a7de36b&oe=5CB1BB82" style="max-width: 100%; width: 100%;" /><br />
And then nom!!<br />
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This will scale directly if you need to make a larger amount, but this was cooked as a meal rather than a side. So if you want it as a side for 4 people, simply double. If you want a meal for 4, quadruple. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-14180313827309577342018-11-07T10:05:00.003-06:002018-11-07T10:05:52.106-06:00Easy Mac'n'Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-UWPky437wEkRdz5GVePQPbDZJxDPF9O_XkRADAjzQxsvUeRShW-kHLk-7DX4AyTW5ZHVIDnlRb7dnPP3qL1U5bQn0nx7MNFd4qIP2nTbSeP8nQK1aAGgCh4S-yktGAqwVlL/s1600/mnc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="747" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-UWPky437wEkRdz5GVePQPbDZJxDPF9O_XkRADAjzQxsvUeRShW-kHLk-7DX4AyTW5ZHVIDnlRb7dnPP3qL1U5bQn0nx7MNFd4qIP2nTbSeP8nQK1aAGgCh4S-yktGAqwVlL/s640/mnc.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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This is kind of a weird thing to say, but I usually can't stand mac'n'cheese. Occasionally I'll like a baked one, if it's lacking bechamel, but otherwise I'm a firm pass on this dish. My kid, however, really seems to like it. For a while, the Pig had gotten really into boxed MNC, and away from homemade of any type. One day, she really wanted MNC, and I was like, "I'm hungry too. If you let me make it homemade, I'll make it." She agreed, so I grabbed a bag of <i>spätzle </i>(b/c lazy) and made <i>kasnocken</i> for her. Since then, she's refused the box stuff. The other day, I didn't really feel like making that, when she asked for MNC, so I made this instead. The principle is basically the same, though. This takes about 20 minutes to make, which makes it perfect for a fast lunch. We split it, and she was happy because, she told me, it's fairly similar to the boxed without being quite the same. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
<i></i>
1 8-ounce package pasta (I used small shells), cooked according to package instructions or however you like to cook it<br />
<br />
1 good sized knob of butter<br />
2 good handfuls of shredded cheddar<br />
salt <br />
<br />
Once pasta is drained, put pan back on stove and add butter. Once melted and lightly browned, add pasta, salt, and cheese in rapid succession and stir vigorously for about one minute. Serves 2. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-27982199527635246982018-10-18T22:01:00.003-05:002018-10-19T10:34:15.756-05:00Medicinal Soup (AKA Garlic Soup)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJ0DsUoSbIlXBLO-8uHb-wHCKQDlkq00ApVHMWb6OgmiMFKODOLf_TSjRUGVpfqVV-dEVE6ZPP46uz8am9LPiqbDioQecnEtrzW3wS4bLD9GzEjkMiv2vC8JmWH2iicQ0W1hi/s1600/contagion-soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="747" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJ0DsUoSbIlXBLO-8uHb-wHCKQDlkq00ApVHMWb6OgmiMFKODOLf_TSjRUGVpfqVV-dEVE6ZPP46uz8am9LPiqbDioQecnEtrzW3wS4bLD9GzEjkMiv2vC8JmWH2iicQ0W1hi/s640/contagion-soup.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
I started feeling sick on Monday, and foolishly attributed this to ragweed making a late season play against my general well-being. Tuesday, I realized how terribly wrong I was, but mostly just tried to suck this up with lots of fluids and broth, as well as various lozenges. By Tuesday night, I was sick enough that I realized I had gotten some kind of upper respiratory infection and couldn't breathe well enough to sleep without treating it properly. So I made some poultices and teas and drowned myself in them, then finally fell out. Wednesday, woke up quite a bit better, but the Pig was coughing. Turns out I'd passed the pestilence onto her. Since at 5, she's never been ill with normal stuff we're all used to, I figured I'd better nip it quickly and started drowning us both in tisanes, broth, elderberry syrup, and other such. Today, she was better, save a slight residual cough. I'm mostly better.<br />
<br />
It occurred to me at some point, though, that I lack the mental wherewithal to go through another day of this, even the possibility of another day with a sick kid, and was worried that Ross might also become ill (and as such, unable to go to work). So I spent some time crafting a soup that was basically meant to be good tasting medicine. Literally every ingredient was selected primarily for its medicinal qualities (with some stuff added in to help me out with the arthritis Houston humidity is unkind to), and secondarily with respect to flavor combinations. The only thing I wanted to add that I couldn't justify ruining the flavor of the soup with was elderberries. But there's syrup and jelly for that, and we're swimming in both since this year's harvest was great.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I took notes just in case we liked this, and when I told Ross I'd done so, he said, "good. That one deserves to be written down." So I figured I'd share it with y'all. There <i>are</i> ingredients here that you'd likely struggle to find if you aren't the same kind of strange gardener I am or a forager, but please substitute as needed. I've put recommendations for substitutions in the tougher ingredients, and links where another recipe is involved. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
1 piece of cross-cut beef shank (about a pound)<br />
1 whole jalapeño (slit open a bit, if desired)<br />
1 piece lemongrass<br />
1/2" fresh ginger<br />
2 stems' worth of <a href="https://www.instacart.com/whole-foods/products/403621-organic-purslane-each" target="_blank">purslane</a> (sub: 2 teaspoons marshmallow root or 1 piece of okra; alternately just omit)<br />
1 small sprig basil (I used Genovese, but I can't think of a basil that wouldn't work fine here)<br />
1 small sprig (8 mature leaves) <a href="https://www.crimson-sage.com/store/culinary-herbs/cubanoregano81-detail" target="_blank">Cuban oregano</a> (I can't find a store that sells this outside whole plants, but you can sub in 1 tablespoon of dried Greek or Mexican oregano, or 2 tablespoons of marjoram)<br />
1 small sprig sage (I used a native species, but use whatever's in your kitchen already)<br />
salt, white and black pepper<br />
1 small (~1.5-2") piece fresh turmeric<br />
1 teaspoon white peppercorns <br />
1 teaspoon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rani-Kalonji-Black-Nigella-Sativa/dp/B006POKI02/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1539916209&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=nigella&psc=1" target="_blank">nigella</a> seeds<br />
water<br />
<br />
large knob of butter<br />
1/2 cup or so of <a href="http://seidhr.blogspot.com/2018/10/cabbage-and-leek-kraut.html" target="_blank">ukha kraut</a> (sub: scant half cup of shredded green cabbage plus the rest in fresh or dried leek)<br />
couple tablespoons olive oil <br />
1/2 or so of a roma tomato, chopped<br />
1 large tomatillo (average tomato size), chopped<br />
1/4 of a red bell pepper, minced<br />
1 packed cup of finely chopped mixed greens (I used a mix of broadleaf plantain, hosta, and dandelion)<br />
salt and either/both peppers as needed<br />
juice of a large lime<br />
<br />
meat from shank<br />
2 large heads of garlic, peeled but left whole<br />
reserved stock<br />
<br />
In a two quart saucepan/pot, combine the first group of ingredients, with water to fill to close to the top. Don't be like me and forget to put all the seeds and such in a teaball or muslin so you don't have to pick them off the meat later when all you actually want to do is die. Simmer or boil until the shank is soft (this will take some time) and the marrow has fallen out. If you have stuff other than being sick to do, do this in a crock pot. Once the meat is breaking up and you can grab the bone with tons to remove, strain the whole mess and throw the garlic cloves in whatever's holding all that stock. Wash out your pot, then stick it on the stove on medium with the butter. While that's going on, pull all the fat and connective tissue off the meat, and set it in the stock.<br />
<br />
Once your butter is melted, add the kraut, with salt and (ideally freshly cracked) black pepper.<br />
<br />
NOTE:<br />
<br />
It's really important to season as you go. Don't withhold the salt until the stock goes in, or put it all in right away. Sprinkle some salt in with each addition, unless the addition is already salty (lookin' at you, kraut). Toss some pepper on that bad boy. Build the flavors in layers instead of letting them do whatever you want.<br />
<br />
Fry the kraut in the butter, letting it rest periodically to get some crispy edges. Once it's browned, add some oil, if needed (should be needed), the tomato, tomatillo, and bell pepper. Fry all that up, too. Once the tomatillo starts to dissolve, add greens and lime. Let all of it cook down into mush. Then add bowl of stock and such, plus some salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Simmer until the garlic is soft. Serves 4.<br />
<br />
Lastly, this was the most bizarre set of notes I've ever had to transcribe into meaningful words. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-1344453996897342082018-10-18T19:14:00.000-05:002018-10-18T20:58:07.720-05:00Cabbage and Leek Kraut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGTpu4U8A85GTaQNhg4EjHbWvWwFTWO_0QYyTrRrV7UICEp7l8vl4Vqqk3gfBPvHFSlT236wPe2l9ZkQGFFQPHnQC_r82M3K351iCtyb1sFqZmDigLFrPvqIhd9WCpnCNP66g/s1600/ukha-kraut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="747" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGTpu4U8A85GTaQNhg4EjHbWvWwFTWO_0QYyTrRrV7UICEp7l8vl4Vqqk3gfBPvHFSlT236wPe2l9ZkQGFFQPHnQC_r82M3K351iCtyb1sFqZmDigLFrPvqIhd9WCpnCNP66g/s400/ukha-kraut.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
The Piggy and I developed this recipe specifically to go into ukha, a Russian fish soup. It's also really good in other things, but we mostly use it for soup, unless I'm frying something that needs both cabbage and leeks.<br />
<br />
This recipe is very easy to make, requiring only 3 ingredients, but it does need a bit of special equipment. If you don't have a muddler, use either a wine bottle, flat-ended rolling pin, or potato masher. In most of my fermented foods, I use swing-top fermenting jars (I use a mix of Fido, le Parfair, and Kilner, but I've got some odd IKEA jars and other such as well). I mostly use these because they obviate the need for multiple items per Mason jar you'll ferment in, such as weights, fermenting pipes, airlocks, and so forth, but it's also much simpler when you know there's no need to check your ferments to see if they're doing okay. If the seal is good, they're doing okay. Plus, I get to use my Mason jars for other things, like jam and dry storage.<br />
<br />
When fermenting, you want to always use non-iodized salt. Many fermenters use various sea salts they've determined to be superior, but I personally use whatever non-iodized is nearest to my hand. This is normally either Himalayan pink salt or standard, $0.43/tub free-flowing (non-iodized) salt. Of the dozen or so salts I've fermented with, I've noticed exactly no difference, so my advice is to use whatever you've already got (so long as it's iodine-free - that messes up the fermentation process, so keep that for your normal salting needs).<br />
<br />
Anyway, although we call this "ukha kraut," it's flavorful and can be used in a lot of different ways, including eating it raw. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
1 large green cabbage, shredded or cut up (mainly it's just cut up in my house)<br />
2 leeks, trimmed of the harder green parts but with the softer green kept, then sliced into half-moons<br />
3 tablespoons salt<br />
<br />
In a big bowl, put a big layer of cabbage, then one of leeks, and add some salt on top. Mash this up until you start seeing liquid coming out. Your goal is to really well break down the cell walls in the veggies so they produce their own brine without added water. Continue to add layers and muddle/mash until you've used up everything and it's swimming in its own brine. If it's not quite swimming, don't sweat it. All will be well. Pack it all down (pack it tightly, using your muddler, which will allow you to continue to sort of knead the veggies and increase the brine) and keep adding until there's basically no air left and jar(s) is full. Close and write the date on the top. This is fine to use at 2 weeks, but is better allowed to mature to one month, and best at 2 months. 2 months is generally where krauts hit their "sweet spot" for me. Once opened (you can leave this on the counter unopened for a fairly long time, though I don't think I've had one go over 4 or 5 months without us getting into it), store in fridge. If you need that jar again, simply transfer to another container and store in fridge, then proceed with your jar. This usually will make about 1-1.5 litres of kraut.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-69667301661533863062018-08-15T12:07:00.001-05:002018-08-15T12:12:08.180-05:00Foraged Foods: Nightshade TartsI realized the other day that it's been a very long time since my last post. My life has changed in a lot of ways, one of which is that I've returned to foraging. Since my interests currently lie primarily in foraged foods and ales, my focus will be on that for the foreseeable future.<br />
<br />
One favorite foraged food for us is <a href="http://www.foragingtexas.com/2007/10/black-nightshade.html" target="_blank">black nightshade</a>. Although commonly perceived as poisonous, this is a food plant if you're treating it properly. The leaves can be cooked and eaten (young ones raw as well), but the primary value to my 5 year old, Piggy, is the berries. Filled with seeds and sugary sweet, they're a lovely treat. I recently dug up some <i>S. americanum</i> plants and transplanted to our container garden, but most of the berries I cooked today came from a plant nearly as tall as me that I noticed while foraging for dock seeds. That bush was <b>huge</b>. And also weighed down with ripe fruits, so I took a lot of fruit. I left about 1/4 of the fruit for the birds, focusing only on fruit heads that were completely ripened. No reason to take berries I can't eat, and the mixed ripeness heads ensured more to munch on for the birds.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Y6Ce3LVn3oPtlXmmNegU86PcB5tailfoyclnHr2tJ1nnJ2k5SIYIlCs6z5xvExp6V8GvCsavuwR8ZhLW-PA0WWO8QO3HYVNOj0lEksH-x8aBJuQ6dTwEE89E6rmTunX-FAjL/s1600/S.A.+Berries.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Y6Ce3LVn3oPtlXmmNegU86PcB5tailfoyclnHr2tJ1nnJ2k5SIYIlCs6z5xvExp6V8GvCsavuwR8ZhLW-PA0WWO8QO3HYVNOj0lEksH-x8aBJuQ6dTwEE89E6rmTunX-FAjL/s320/S.A.+Berries.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_r2LCk07TTm7csV-lHPQh58XxvxxPCN27icratU3Rs9zaAWUmtIRVycjKp1ttBllbw2aXjHGe_dfskoj0tMx5hDvrsj7XZmgArMasBFLqVrOE1y93P9xvviReGArhhCsjQJm/s1600/S.A.+Plant.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_r2LCk07TTm7csV-lHPQh58XxvxxPCN27icratU3Rs9zaAWUmtIRVycjKp1ttBllbw2aXjHGe_dfskoj0tMx5hDvrsj7XZmgArMasBFLqVrOE1y93P9xvviReGArhhCsjQJm/s320/S.A.+Plant.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8udOOom-sEvSvFzJnnG62pGCZw2hFRR7JPOiTeKjEdgu1vGijl5pabuOzjJ6Ru3wXob7CIJz5slZlbcwfntBt_E7JkIwFIdy5vR5CvKAGpbFTQMOB2yGPkxToJ9Ye-i1-jmXG/s1600/S.A.+Plant2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8udOOom-sEvSvFzJnnG62pGCZw2hFRR7JPOiTeKjEdgu1vGijl5pabuOzjJ6Ru3wXob7CIJz5slZlbcwfntBt_E7JkIwFIdy5vR5CvKAGpbFTQMOB2yGPkxToJ9Ye-i1-jmXG/s320/S.A.+Plant2.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL-bHBQsNBWVSPMROq2wRUph6FDnRBS7IHedCpJIUuORhy2HIRC4p8LxCKPuFbqYZz2MqrrxnGsLfikxllNcMJfZ5du3Vx4VwfNjvwORTkAOx9lwfkJkC3hzu1Y6D2_AgC-WO/s1600/S.A.+Plant1.jpg" imageanchor="1"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy9LTDvH5E06YrvKCMJ5PqonsbfcQKFS6ScGC3pqLB45le27ZSz_gL5-09Do5ps7z3dr9fEu7n0l1ePc7h7Xeu3ksbSYVGZKO4TMp-SywcmH-KLvEqzcPq-zPla13BgQBtDq7/s1600/S.A.+Plant1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy9LTDvH5E06YrvKCMJ5PqonsbfcQKFS6ScGC3pqLB45le27ZSz_gL5-09Do5ps7z3dr9fEu7n0l1ePc7h7Xeu3ksbSYVGZKO4TMp-SywcmH-KLvEqzcPq-zPla13BgQBtDq7/s320/S.A.+Plant1.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
Once I got these home, I found myself unable to find time to do anything with them while I finished teaching two summer classes, so I put them in a container and tucked them in the fridge. A week or so later, I came to get them. After the de-stemming process (Pig helped, because she was insanely excited to discover I was making tarts for her), I let them macerate a bit before going into the shells.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV0N67xa_pZ9tgZWfhfc_FhVV8x2b0hzR6lyy-EHHsm76-r-4G9xQJWtLpXudTVx9tgZduSPpy5gNVYCNDaJGbnFXDPotNm35ehughIM9NK97RbyamaXBQJJA2TanOuPHeWtO/s1600/S.A.+Berries+Macerating.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV0N67xa_pZ9tgZWfhfc_FhVV8x2b0hzR6lyy-EHHsm76-r-4G9xQJWtLpXudTVx9tgZduSPpy5gNVYCNDaJGbnFXDPotNm35ehughIM9NK97RbyamaXBQJJA2TanOuPHeWtO/s320/S.A.+Berries+Macerating.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
Because I only had a bit over a cup (didn't measure) of berries once they were de-stemmed (and I'd taken a few for seeds), I opted to do two small tarts rather than a single pie. I topped my tarts with a sprinkle of almond flour to add some texture, and also because I couldn't remember where I last put my cornstarch. These, of course, don't translate into the same effect in the pie, but almond flour works fine even if you prefer the texture of cornstarch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzegFA-nsA-48BUg48CAVC-q8BQJ1xoDZWqMa955WqTI0TqVHa3982aYxOINv2zoqZqVgdnGkgt4NxYy-gDMK7tk3SjGALO5TeiaCHVyx6PQV-JtB_VLRtMiK63j0R1B_cwUxa/s1600/S.A.+Tarts+Topped1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzegFA-nsA-48BUg48CAVC-q8BQJ1xoDZWqMa955WqTI0TqVHa3982aYxOINv2zoqZqVgdnGkgt4NxYy-gDMK7tk3SjGALO5TeiaCHVyx6PQV-JtB_VLRtMiK63j0R1B_cwUxa/s320/S.A.+Tarts+Topped1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
What follows is <b>not</b> a recipe, but rather a method. In most instances, I didn't take precise measurements, which means most measurements you'll see below are visual estimates (I am really good at this, but no one can be exact 100% of the time). You could use this method for other fruits as well, and you'd simply want to scale the estimates around the amount of fruit you have and crust you're willing to make.<br />
<br />
I am really not a pie person, but it was a challenge for me to share the tart that was for R and I. These came out perfectly, and will be made as often as possible. There was leftover crust, which I've frozen for another day.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglt8dfYje2PjM31YZwj4KZpMW-2mBf3_VMVRh86lu_eRt0ulgo4I9dT7y1duoZgIP5FVjRW9iYZv0azj3ozfZGCiTZ80Kx1NgEaVwvP_7tEwd63wNp_xGkzc2PPZh0ikyLTzGE/s1600/S.A.+Tarts+Finished.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglt8dfYje2PjM31YZwj4KZpMW-2mBf3_VMVRh86lu_eRt0ulgo4I9dT7y1duoZgIP5FVjRW9iYZv0azj3ozfZGCiTZ80Kx1NgEaVwvP_7tEwd63wNp_xGkzc2PPZh0ikyLTzGE/s320/S.A.+Tarts+Finished.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45IelsSPFA55_WgOo6VB8Nbcoqqpsh_-JpnYB02N60WllsazESqOxDZvD5tCXgNJah8bt0u11v-CFlo54bexC7uyopp5po6i2T3YEVvhUZwJTwDTu5pflA1iZvkPC2evsVqxj/s1600/S.A.+Tarts+Eaten.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45IelsSPFA55_WgOo6VB8Nbcoqqpsh_-JpnYB02N60WllsazESqOxDZvD5tCXgNJah8bt0u11v-CFlo54bexC7uyopp5po6i2T3YEVvhUZwJTwDTu5pflA1iZvkPC2evsVqxj/s320/S.A.+Tarts+Eaten.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Crust:<br />
<br />
1/4 stick (4 ounces) cold butter<br />
pinch of salt (maybe 1/4 teaspoon)<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or other sugar you have and want to use)<br />
1 cup flour (I used all-purpose)<br />
2-3 tablespoons cold milk kefir (you could use milk, yogurt, sour cream, cream, half-and-half, buttermilk, water, vodka, bourbon, or whatever you please)<br />
<br />
Filling:<br />
<br />
1 cup ripe black nightshade berries<br />
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cardamom<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or other sugar)<br />
1 teaspoon almond flour (or corn starch) - optional<br />
<br />
Cut butter into bits. Mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Dump the butter into the flour mixture and mash it up with your hands until you see what looks like sand and gravel. Add in the kefir/whatever, 1 tablespoon at a time, until handfuls of the mixture stick together when squeezed lightly. Put in saran wrap, a container, or similar, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
As your dough refrigerates, mix together the filling. Leave out almond flour, if using, but go ahead and put corn starch in if you're using that, and let the bowl sit on the counter. If you want to mash it a bit, feel free. It's not necessary, though.<br />
<br />
Remove crust from oven and break off a piece. Roll to the size of your tart pan (mine are 3", I think) and put in pan. Cut or press off the excess above the rim of the pan. Do this for as many tarts as you're making (in this case, it will be two 3" tarts; it will be more or fewer, depending on how many berries you're starting off with), then evenly divide the filling into the tarts. Place tarts on tray of some kind and put in the fridge while the oven heats. Turn the oven onto 400F, and when the oven is hot, bake the tarts for 20-22 minutes. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-49571369334068012032016-12-17T00:56:00.003-06:002016-12-17T21:57:07.027-06:00Fried Cabbage<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">I made this the other day for breakfast, because there was a quarter cabbage sitting in the fridge looking like it needed to be eaten, a bit of jarred garlic in the fridge when I wanted the jar to go away, and because I still have half a jar of those olives that I sincerely do need to eat up. Plus, I sometimes eat like a toddler. Anyway, this was delicious, I enjoyed it, and I will be making it again this weekend. Scale the quantities directly to feed more than 1 person with this recipe. Hope you enjoy! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">1 tablespoon butter<br />1/4 cabbage, core removed, then cut up (I like slivers, but you could do cubes or whatever)<br />1 minced garlic clove (jarred is fine)<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />pinch nigella or caraway seeds<br />1/4 cup chicken broth<br />1 tablespoon lemon juice (can use zest instead; can use bottled juice)<br />3 jalapeno-stuffed olives, chopped (optional; you might want hot sauce if not, though; I rinsed mine because they're old)<br /><br />Melt
butter in pan. Add cabbage, salt, and pepper. Fry until tips of cabbage
start to shrivel and/or brown. Add garlic and nigella seeds, and fry
another minute. Add in broth, lemon, and olives, and simmer until the
bottom of the pan is dry, stirring occasionally (should take about 10-15
minutes or so). Nom.<br /><br />ETA: You can keep cooking it after everything is absorbed to crisp it up a bit, if you prefer your cabbage that way. I prefer mine that way. Also, you can swap out the olives for a handful of slivered almonds and/or dried cranberries. Things like that to customize it.</span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><br /></span></span>
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Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-506011306199692072016-09-09T11:59:00.000-05:002016-09-09T12:00:07.266-05:00Almond, Blueberry, and Maple Granola<span class="null"></span><br />
Granola is always awesome, but it's very expensive to buy at the store. Making it at home is inexpensive and just takes a few minutes of active prep time, plus 80 minutes in the oven. For the blueberries, I buy fresh blueberries in massive quantities when they're in season and deeply discounted, then dry them. Typically I do this until I've got about a gallon dried total. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can either <a href="https://babytoboomer.com/2011/08/21/preserving-our-abundant-blueberry-harvest-dehydrating/" target="_blank">oven or sun dry</a> them (If you've opted for sun drying, freeze them for 72 hours after they're finished to kill any possible insect eggs that may have been laid anyway and then store in the pantry). If you want some clumps, squeeze the mixture well once you've put it in the half sheet pan. Otherwise, it will be more like loose cereal.<br />
<br />
4 cups rolled oats<br />
1/4 cup each: wheat germ, wheat bran, flax seeds<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 cup sliced almonds<br />
<br />
1 cup dried blueberries<br />
<br />
1/2 cup each: vegetable oil, maple syrup<br />
1/4 cup honey<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 250. Put together all of the dry ingredients except the berries in a large bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients until well-combined (this takes a couple of minutes), then stir them into the dry until everything is well coated. Spread out on a half-sheet pan and put in the oven. Bake for 1h20m, stirring every 15 minutes (I use a timer b/c I often forget I'm cooking things). Mix in berries when it comes out of the oven. Let cool on a rack in the pan, then transfer to an airtight container. Makes a lot.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-22118873686958097262016-08-13T12:19:00.000-05:002016-08-13T12:19:21.688-05:00Puttanesca MeatloafThis is a two-in-one meal, as you can make the sauce and eat the remainder of it with pasta (or as sauce for pizza; you can also freeze the leftover sauce for a future meal). In general, I am not a huge fan of meatloaf. Mostly because people tend to put the onions in raw, and the flavor of ground meat and onions that cooked together icks me out. Ross, however, has been asking me for the last few weeks to make him a meatloaf. Specifically, a meatloaf topped with puttanesca sauce in lieu of the more typical ketchup or tomato sauce topping. I stalled on this, because I had some trouble figuring out how I would make this so it wouldn't seem gross to me. I needn't have worried, though: Ross ate almost the entire thing in two sittings.<br />
<br />
As it's summer here, I try to make all oven items early in the morning or later at night so it doesn't overheat out house. I made this last night for him, and we were intended to have it tonight for dinner. As soon as it came out of the oven, he ate 3/4 of it. I gave a smaller slice to the Piggy for breakfast (because I'm lazy and it was 7:30am), and then he ate the rest for lunch in sandwiches. I have no idea what it tastes like, but apparently it's good. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons butter<br />
1/2 onion, diced<br />
salt to taste<br />
<br />
1 pound ground beef<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1/4 teaspoon each: dried mint, dried parsley, dried basil, paprika, sumac (you can replace the sumac with lemon peel)<br />
1/2 teaspoon each: thyme, marjoram<br />
1 large handful (probably 1/3-1/2 cup) panko<br />
1/2 cup corn kernels (mine were roasted, but yours don't have to be)<br />
<br />
1 egg<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon vegetable oil<br />
<br />
1 - 1 1/2 cups <a href="http://seidhr.blogspot.com/2010/04/pasta-puttanesca.html" target="_blank">puttanesca sauce</a><br />
<br />
Heat oven to 350. Melt butter in small skillet over medium, then add onions and salt. Fry onions until well-browned. Combine onions, beef, spices, panko, and corn. Knead well until everything is completely incorporated, then knead in egg. Oil loaf pan with the vegetable oil, then put the meat mixture in the pan, smoothing out the top. Spread sauce over the top, then bake for 1 hour. Let sit 5-10 minutes before eating. Serves 1-4, depending on appetite. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-22862037245338332192015-08-29T16:42:00.001-05:002015-08-29T16:42:18.213-05:00Rice Pudding with Fresh DatesI had purchased a pound of fresh dates recently, and we ate on them a bit before realizing we all like them just a bit riper. In interest of not having them go to waste, I decided to go on ahead and make a rice pudding. Dates are naturally high in sugar, and although these were less sweet than I prefer, I only added just a touch of sugar to compensate for that. Additionally, I made for dinner something I was fairly certain the Piggy wasn't going to enjoy, so this functioned as her dinner and our dessert, as rice is amongst her favorite foods no matter how it's prepared. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
1/2 stick butter<br />
12 ounces fresh dates, pitted and chopped (I just cut these in quarters lengthwise, then cut them in half width-wise)<br />
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar<br />
juice of 1 small lemon (probably 2 tablespoons)<br />
<br />
1 cup rice<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup cream<br />
<br />
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, then add dates, sugar, and lemon juice. Cover and let cook 20-30 minutes, or until dates are very soft. Add rice, milk, and cream, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until all the liquids are absorbed. If you like, this can be garnished with candied lemon peel. Serves 4. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-88157116904953447832014-11-17T15:59:00.000-06:002014-11-17T15:59:00.467-06:00Blackberry-Vanilla-Black Pepper JamAnd, the last of the blackberry jams. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
2 pounds blackberries<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped<br />
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns<br />
<br />
Place peppercorns in a tea strainer or similar. Combine all ingredients in a large pot and macerate 1-2 hours. Bring to a boil and let boil for 5 minutes before removing peppercorns and vanilla pod (save the pod, rinsing it well, to toss in a jug of bourbon or to put in sugar for vanilla sugar). Finish boiling until it reaches the gel-point, then water bath process for 15 minutes. Makes 4 half-pints.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-40077662598668217122014-11-16T15:52:00.000-06:002014-11-16T15:52:00.599-06:00Blackberry-Bergamot JamHere's the blackberry-bergamot. If you don't have access to bergamot, feel free to use a regular sour orange. It will change the flavor but will still be tasty. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
2 pounds blackberries<br />
2 cups bergamot sugar<br />
pinch salt<br />
2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
2 tablespoons bergamot juice<br />
<br />
Combine and macerate 1-2 hours. Boil to the gel-point and water bath process 15 minutes. Makes 4 half-pints.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-62502610607499743722014-11-15T15:51:00.001-06:002014-11-15T15:51:59.109-06:00Blackberry-Lemon JamBlackberries are deeply, deeply on sale right now, which is my cue to get ready for a lot of canning even if it's a food I'm not harvesting myself. I've purchased quite a lot of them and am doing three styles of jams: blackberry-lemon (today's post), blackberry-bergamot (tomorrow's post), and blackberry-vanilla-black pepper (Monday's post). Each one uses the same basic methodology I use for all jams, so those of you who've read other preserve posts will be familiar with this method. These are lovely as gifts, and also for eating oneself on toast, in cookies or tarts, as a pie base, or over ice cream after heated to thin. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
2 pounds blackberries<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
juice and zest of one lemon<br />
pinch salt<br />
<br />
Put all ingredients together in a large pot and let macerate for 1-2 hours on the counter, or overnight in the fridge (covered). Bring to a boil, stirring, and remove from heat once it hits the gel-point. Water bath process 15 minutes. Makes 4 half-pints.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-44633481671045099602014-08-06T18:27:00.003-05:002014-08-06T18:27:35.823-05:00Sauteed MushroomsThere are a million ways to make these, and I pretty much think they're all good. But I like this way for days when you're having sausage and kraut. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
8 ounces sliced button mushrooms<br />
3-ish tablespoons finely diced red onion<br />
1 large or two small cloves minced garlic<br />
2-ish tablespoons white wine (I *think* this was a pinot but I froze it ages ago so can't remember for sure)<br />
1-ish tablespoon lemon juice<br />
pinch each: salt, lemon peel, dried thyme<br />
1-2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
<br />
Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium to medium-high heat, then add the mushrooms, onions and spices. When they're about 3/4 of way done, add the remaining ingredients. When the liquid is gone they're done. Serves 2 if you feel like sharing.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-14563651263861034902014-07-16T08:44:00.003-05:002014-07-16T08:44:45.853-05:00Spiced Figs in SyrupThe fig trees have been ripe a couple of weeks now and I've been busy preserving, preserving, preserving. There's a tree on the property of the condos we live in and there's also one at Ross' Nana's house. This has put me in good supply of figs, though I'm not convinced one can ever truly have enough of these little gems of yum. Ross' family prefers a Southern fig preserve with strawberry Jell-O, so I made around 3 cases total for him and them (last year I didn't make enough for him at half a case and it was gone in a month or two so I promised not to make this mistake again). I've also made some jars of the regular fig preserve I like (figs, sugar and lemon juice only). But in the middle of all that we started what I refer to as "monsoon season" in Houston, which is NOT good for figs. I ran over to the on property tree and saw that what I thought would happen did happen. Figs were overripening faster than I could get them, even with the Piggy and I taking daily hauls, and the figs that weren't did have some rain splitting. Birds and butterflies are really happy and having a good time but I was sad. I got the last of what was usable off the tree (though there are still many unripe figs left - I will never understand how I and wildlife are the only ones using this tree for food) and it only amounted to about four cups. I've been wanting to make some whole preserved figs so this seemed like a good time to do it since I knew I was only going to get around 3-4 half-pints of whatever I made and I prefer to do a small test batch of things I've never done before to avoid the possibility of having a lot of waste if we don't like them. Kumquats have been showing up in the markets as well, so although it's more traditional to do this with lemon I thought I'd try it with kumquats instead. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
4 cups whole figs, stems removed<br />
1 cup kumquats, whole<br />
3 slices crystallized ginger<br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
<br />
Put all ingredients in a large saucepan and stick in the fridge until the next day. Bring to a strong simmer, reduce the heat and let simmer until the figs and kumquats are starting to be transparent. The syrup should be slightly thickened. Drain and reserve the syrup. Fill jars (should be around 4 half-pint jars) and then add syrup to jars. Can in a waterbath for 10 minutes at sea level.<br />
<br />
Note: you could add, while simmering, a vanilla bean, a clove, a stick of cinnamon, and/or a few allspice berries as well if you like. Just make sure to remove them before canning since these spices will overpower the figs otherwise.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-47691612336768350692014-07-05T19:57:00.001-05:002014-07-05T19:57:07.905-05:00Veggie Fry with BuckwheatI got some buckwheat a while back, intending to make it with beets. Then I forgot all about it until today when I discovered some beets in the house that needed to be used. This was substantially more delicious than I expected it to be, and we all ate it up with gusto. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
Buckwheat:<br />
<br />
1/2 cup buckwheat groats<br />
2-2 1/2 cups water<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
pat of butter (optional)<br />
<br />
Put water, salt and butter (if using) in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the buckwheat and boil for 10 minutes, stirring every so often. Strain out remaining water and serve. Serves 2.<br />
<br />
Veggies:<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />
2 beets, peeled and diced<br />
2 carrots, peeled and diced<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
1 cup celery, sliced<br />
1 small jicama root, peeled and diced<br />
1/2 red bell pepper, diced<br />
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half<br />
1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, salt<br />
<br />
Heat oil in a skillet over medium, then add beets, carrots, onion, celery, jicama, garlic powder, and salt. Fry until softened, then add remaining ingredients and fry until as soft as you prefer. Serve over buckwheat. Serves 2. Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-36247735343367700162014-07-01T12:49:00.000-05:002014-07-01T12:49:00.327-05:00Eggplant and Chickpea SkilletThe Piggy loves eggplant and chick peas and has been harassing me to do something with the eggplant she's been seeing in the fridge. I wanted part of it to crust with potato and parmesan but didn't want to make the whole thing that way so I also made this for her. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
1/2 globe eggplant, peeled and diced<br />
1 can chickpeas<br />
1/2 red onion, diced<br />
1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />
1 tablespoon za'atar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
juice of 1/2 lemon<br />
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce<br />
<br />
In a skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions and eggplant with salt and fry lightly. When the eggplant has slightly crisp exterior, add chickpeas, za'atar and lemon juice then cook down 1-2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the sauce is slightly paste-like. Serves 4 as a side or 1 as a meal.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-79891545960235458252014-06-30T12:05:00.000-05:002014-06-30T12:05:00.287-05:00Fig MilkshakeIt's figs. It's ice cream. It's a fig milkshake! As figs are coming into season, the canning is going to get out of hand. But while this is going on and poor Ross has to keep a crazy toddler out of the kitchen so we don't have to visit the emergency room over sugar burns, I figured it's good to give them something yummy to snack on while I'm preserving away. Enter the milkshake. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
8-10 figs<br />
1/2-3/4 cup vanilla ice cream<br />
splash of milk, if needed<br />
1 teaspoon-ish lemon juice<br />
pinch of salt<br />
small splash of vanilla extract (optional) <br />
<br />
Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend, blend, blend. Serves 1 normal sized person or 3 small people.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-7668514871909696542014-06-20T09:18:00.001-05:002014-06-20T09:18:43.781-05:00Honey BerriesI first learned of this practice in a fermenting group where someone was doing it with cranberries. This is delicious. Everyone should have these in their lives. I make mine exclusively with blueberries since that's the Piggy's current favorite fruit, but friends of mine make them with other berries with equal success. I think you pretty much could use any fruit and still have it be full of win. If you're going to feed this to kids (1+ years old, please!), don't let them see the container or you'll regret them knowing where these are. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
24 ounces blueberries<br />
honey<br />
<br />
Fill a clean, quart sized Mason jar (or other quart sized vessel not made of metal) with blueberries. Fill with honey until the berries are completely submerged (this takes a while because the honey has to worm its way around all the fruit). Place a non-metal weight on top of the berries (I like to use the tealight holders from Ikea. The small size works in a standard mouth jar and the large size works in a wide mouth. But you can use anything, really, including a boiled rock to keep them submerged), top with a coffee filter that is secured with a rubber band, and leave it on the counter for 3-5 days. Remove rubber band and coffee filter, put a lid on it and refrigerate. The syrup can be used on ice cream, waffles, in club soda, or for making granola bars. Or whatever you feel like using it for. Makes 1 quart berries and syrup.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-81658542436533944192014-05-17T19:59:00.001-05:002014-05-17T19:59:22.433-05:00Rhubarb CobblerI hadn't had rhubarb since I was a kid, when we used to pick it where it grew wild. But I saw some beautiful looking stalks at the store and thought it might make a lovely dessert <i>without</i> the usual strawberries that accompany it. Hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
4 stalks rhubarb, sliced into 1" pieces<br />
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
3 tablespoons butter<br />
1/2-1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 tablespoon each: vanilla extract, lemon juice<br />
<br />
Melt butter in 8-10" cast iron pan then add the other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Top with crust, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake at 425F for 30 minutes. Serves 4.<br />
<br />
Crust:<br />
<br />
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into bits<br />
1 cup-ish flour<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1-2 tablespoons vanilla sugar<br />
5-ish tablespoons ice water<br />
<br />
Put butter, salt and sugar in a bowl and rub in the flour (I use my hands for this), a little at a time, until you have pea sized pebbles and "sand." Make a well in the middle of the butter mixture and add 4 tablespoons of water, quickly kneading it in with your hands. If the dough comes together so when you squeeze it it's solid then you're done. If it doesn't, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until it does. Press out little bits of dough about the size of your palm and top your rhubarb mixture.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-60052654912670950742014-01-31T13:22:00.004-06:002014-01-31T13:22:50.608-06:00Quinoa "Pancakes"So basically, I'd made a bunch of quinoa for the stuffed squash, since I
wanted enough for that and then an equivalent amount for "something
else." I had a lot of ideas on what that something else should be, but
at the end of the day had to accept that I'm pretty lazy most of the
time and so this "something" should be fast and easy. This is what I
ended up deciding on and after a few revisions I'm pretty satisfied with
it in this form. <span class="text_exposed_show">What I like the best about this
is that it's nutritionally diverse in a single package, so you know
you're getting good "growing food" served without having to mess with a
bunch of stuff, and that has become really important to me since Ilana has effectively transitioned completely over to table food. Because it has both quinoa and eggs in it, it's very
high in protein. Watermelon is the dessert of choice for this meal in
our house.<br /> <br /> 3 cups cooked quinoa<br /> 1/2 cup each: chopped
caramelized onions, chopped dill pickles (or any other vegetables you
feel like putting in there; this is what I had that didn't require I
mess with it)<br /> 1 heaping tablespoon <a href="http://seidhr.blogspot.com/2011/09/toum-garlic-sauce.html">toum</a> (a little goes a long way here)<br /> 2 eggs<br /> 2-3 tablespoons butter or oil<br /> <br />
Combine all ingredients but the butter/oil and stir really well. Heat a
large, heavy skillet (I use cast iron for just about everything, but any
heavy skillet is fine) and add the butter/oil. When melted and sizzling,
drop in table spoon (not 15mL tablespoons for baking, but the large ones
you eat with) portions into the skillet an inch or two apart and
flatten with the spoon. Fry about 4 minutes, or until the bottom is
golden brown, then flip and give another 4-ish minutes (or until that
side is also golden brown). Cool to serving temperature. Makes about 2
dozen.</span>Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14252166.post-218341488784462292014-01-26T18:07:00.000-06:002014-01-26T18:07:20.820-06:00Stuffed Acorn SquashAs you all know, I'm a pretty big fan of stuffed squash. They're relatively easy to make, despite there being a lot of steps, they're very healthful and they're effectively a "one pot" meal which means significantly fewer dishes to wash (this is important to me because dishes are the Death Star of my soul). They're also highly customizable and can be done with pretty much anything you have on hand at the house so long as you have a squash (of any type) to fill. I typically will select a high-protein grain for these because I nearly always make them either vegetarian or vegan, but meat could easily be added if that's your preference. I wanted to make one for Ilana since she'd never had it before, and since I'd found a large and beautiful acorn squash it seemed like a great opportunity. She ate this like it was going out of style, and to my surprise plowed through just under a quarter of the squash. Ross told me he thinks this probably belongs in her regular dinner rotation (and ours again).<br /><br />1 large acorn squash, 5-7" in diameter<br /><br />.75 cups quinoa<br />1.5 cups whey or water (I use whey from making yogurt; it imparts a nice flavor, cuts down on food waste and gets the ever growing mass of whey out of my fridge or freezer)<br />1 teaspoon iodized salt<br /><br />1 small carrot, minced<br />1 stalk celery, minced<br />1/2 small onion, minced<br />1/4-ish cup pickles, minced (I used Arabic pickles here but any kind you have on hand is going to be just fine)<br />1 small tomato, diced<br />1 tablespoon dried currants, soaked for 5-10 minutes in 2 tablespoons warm or hot water<br />1/2 teaspoon lemon peel<br />1/2 teaspoon thyme<br />1 teaspoon iodized salt<br />1/4 teaspoon black pepper<br /><br />1/2 cup parmesan (optional)<br /><br />Cut squash in half and scoop out insides (set these aside to do something else with; the seeds will be roasted over here and the "guts" will be put in stock). Place in a cast iron skillet or oven-proof pan, cut-side down, with about a 1/2" of water and roast at 400F for 30-45 minutes (this could take up to an hour but shouldn't), or until a fork can easily pierce the squash.<br /><br />While the squash is baking, combine the second group of ingredients, bring to a boil and let boil for a minute or two. Then turn the heat to medium low and let cook for 15-ish minutes. Let stand another 5-10 minutes. <br /><br />As the quinoa cooks, chop up and mix together all the remaining ingredients except the cheese in a large bowl. When the quinoa is done, fold it into the veggie mixture. By now the squash should be done. Invert the halves without draining the water from the bottom of the pan and fill each cavity with half the mixture. You should need to press it down a bit to get it all in there, and it should still form a dome over the top. Feel free to spread the dome out to cover the whole squash top. Turn the oven down to 350-375F (your call) and put your squash back in the oven. Roast another 25-30 minutes, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over each squash half. Bake another 5 or so minutes. Let cool to serving temperature and eat! Serves 2 adults and 1 highly messy baby.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09981628640737207011noreply@blogger.com0