The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

Ingenuity

Ree — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:57:02 +0000

I absolutely love the new post on the Tasty Kitchen Blog today. In it, you’ll find the most incredible assortment of recipes for everyday, homemade ingredients.

These recipes are for the home cook that either

1. Likes to use a little ingenuity and make most things from scratch

2. Is stranded in the country, desperate and alone, with no way to get to civilization

For reasons I won’t go into, I’m madly in love with the information contained in today’s Tasty Kitchen Blog post.

From homemade baking mix and homemade brown sugar (this has saved my bacon on more than one occasion)…

To homemade garam masala spice mix, mascarpone cheese, and Nutella…

To homemade pizza sauce and ricotta cheese, all the way to things like homemade wonton wrappers, marzipan, Kahlua, and mayonnaise…

You won’t believe how many storebought items you can whip up at home using ingredients in your fridge and pantry! I learned some wonderful new shortcuts.

And believe me, anything that doesn’t require my driving to the grocery store in town is a shortcut.

Here’s the post. I think you’ll love it:

Make Your Own Homemade Ingredients – Tasty Kitchen

And now…for more fun!

THE GIVEAWAY

Today, because I love ya more’n my luggage, I’m giving away three (3) Le Creuset 9-Quart Round French Ovens in this beautiful “Flame” color. You can do it all in this pot, guys—make doughnuts, make spaghetti sauce…and the color will make you happy.

To enter the contest, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

“How different is your life now than how you’d always pictured it?”

Are you exactly where you always thought you’d be?

Are you mildly where you thought you’d be?

Or are you nowhere near where you thought you’d be?

Just share your assessment of how your current life compares to your former expectations and you’re automatically entered to win. (If you’d rather not answer, just shout out what you ate for breakfast today. I don’t wanna pry!)

THE RULES

One entry per person, please. Strictly enforced with a paddle.

No entries after 1:00 pm Pacific Time THURSDAY.

Winners will be randomly selected from among the entrants and will be announced Thursday night.

Good luck!

______________________________________

Giveaway sponsored by Pioneer Woman. For more information on how prizes and giveaways work, click here.

Funnel Cakes!

Ree — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:14:36 +0000

Funnel Cakes, for those of you who aren’t familiar, are a standard carnival treat. Made by pouring a thin batter through—get ready—a FUNNEL (get it?) directly into hot oil and fried until golden, then topped with plenty of powdered sugar and eaten while crisp and warm…wow.

Funnel Cakes instantly make the world a sweeter place.

I found a great recipe for Funnel Cakes on Tasty Kitchen. Today on the Tasty Kitchen Blog, I make them for you step-by-step:

Funnel Cakes on Tasty Kitchen

Monday Night Dinner: My Chicken Piccata

Ree — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:56:27 +0000

This is how you make Chicken Piccata when you’re out of capers and you have a pathological fear of cooking anything without adding heavy cream.

At least it’s how I make it. This is a really delicious quick and easy chicken-and-pasta dish with a strong lemon flavor and the decadence of cream. I had a similar dish at a restaurant in the big city over ten years ago, and on the drive back to the ranch I started plotting when I could make the dish for myself at home. But that’s how I roll. One meal over, planning for the next meal begins.

I love food. Have I mentioned this before?

(I love lemon-pasta dishes. Try my Baked Lemon Pasta this spring if you need a light, meatless meal. Delicious.)

Here’s what you need: chicken breasts, salt, pepper, flour, butter, olive oil, lemons, white wine, chicken broth, heavy cream, and parsley.

Have a pot of simmering water going. You’ll want to crank it up to a boil toward the end so you can cook the angel hair. (Angel hair cooks in a very short amount of time!)

You’ll want some nice, neat boneless/skinless breasts. I’m leaving these as is, but I often pound them a few times to slightly flatten. If the breasts are overly large, you can cut them in half. You just want nice, not overly thick, not overly huge chicken breasts.

Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

If you could also sprinkle your counter with salt and pepper, I’d be most appreciative.

Now throw the flour onto a plate…

And dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour.

Now, melt half the olive oil and butter in a large skillet.

Then throw in two of the dredged chicken breasts.

Cook them for about three minutes on both sides, until the chicken is golden and lovely.

If the breasts are on the thick side, let ‘em cook a couple more minutes, but watch the oil and butter to make sure they don’t burn. As you can see, I let mine get a little dark—brown is good; black is not good. (You can also lessen the likelihood that the oil and butter will burn by cooking all four pieces of chicken together at the same time.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and put them on a plate.

Here’s what the skillet looks like.

Next, pour in a cup of dry white wine…

And a cup of low-sodium chicken broth.

Next, slice a couple of lemons in half…

And squeeze the juice right in.

Grab a whisk and whisk away, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook this mixture for a few minutes and allow it to thicken and reduce.

Once it’s reduced, pour in the heavy cream.

Whisk it around and let it heat up for a couple of minutes. IMPORTANT: Taste the seasonings, adding more salt and pepper (and/or broth and cream.) The lemon taste really comes on strong, so be prepared to tone it down with some of the other ingredients. During this stage, I add and adjust like crazy, usually more broth and cream.

Throw in some chopped parsley and stir it together.

Drain the pasta and arrange a neat little mound alongside the chicken.

Then spoon the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta…

Be sure to get the pasta…but no need to drown it. It’s pretty strong and tangy!

Top everything with a little parsley.

Mmm…yum.

That’s all that’s left to say.

Except this: Enjoy!

And here’s the handy-dandy printable:

My Chicken Piccata

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Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Kosher Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Dry White Wine
¾ cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 whole Lemons
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta

Preparation Instructions

This is how you make Chicken Piccata when you’re out of capers and you have a pathological fear of cooking anything without adding heavy cream.

Have a pot of water simmering for the pasta.

If chicken breasts are overly thick, pound until slightly flattened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry two of the chicken breasts at one time until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side; a little longer if breasts are thicker, a little shorter if breasts are thinner. Remove to a plate, then add the other 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil. Fry the other two breasts until golden, monitoring the oil/butter mixture to make sure it doesn’t burn. Decrease heat as needed!

After removing the chicken, have the heat on medium to medium-low. Pour in wine and chicken broth, and squeeze in the juice of two lemons. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow sauce to cook and bubble and thicken until reduced by about half. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper as it’s cooking.

Reduce heat to low and pour in cream. Whisk together and allow to cook for a couple of minute until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings or other ingredients. Expect the sauce to have a real tang to it; counter it with a little more broth and cream if it’s too strong! Sprinkle in some chopped parsley and stir.

Right at the end, cook angel hair until al dente—do not overcook!

With tongs, place a medium-sized mound of pasta on a plate. Place a cooked chicken breast beside it, then spoon sauce over the chicken and the pasta. The sauce is strong, so no need to drown it. Sprinkle a little minced parsley over the top.

“In Case You Missed Them” Recipes…(and the Sushi Winners!)

Ree — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:11:55 +0000

I have a new Monday Night Dinner recipe ready to go in the morning, but first I wanted to announce the sushi winners (below) and share a few “in case you missed it” recipes.

Over on Tasty Kitchen, there’s a blog. It’s called—are you ready?—the Tasty Kitchen Blog. Try to contain your admiration at the wildly creative title.

Anyway, the ol’ Tasty Kitchen Blog is lots of fun. We have certain activities assigned to each day of the week, and they remain the same week to week. For example, every Monday my good buddy Erika interviews and profiles a different Tasty Kitchen member. On Wednesdays, Ms. Erika picks a theme and posts a rainbow of Tasty Kitchen recipes that fall into that theme.

Sometime I’ll tell you who Erika is. I have to get security clearance first.

And on Thursdays, the beautiful, wonderful Jaden from Steamy Kitchen drops by to surprise us with a how-to tutorial, an awesome recipe, or another wonderful delight.

As for me, every Tuesday I’ve been posting a new step-by-step recipe on the Tasty Kitchen Blog. And because it is my goal in life to share as many recipes with you as humanly possible before I croak (and because you might have missed them the first time around) here are the quick links to each recipe. WARNING: Don’t click on the pancake recipe unless you’re prepared to crave them all night long.

(NOTE: I am allowed to oooh and aaah over these recipes because they’re Tasty Kitchen recipes, submitted by the members there.)

Lettuce Wraps. Divine!

The Mushroom Soup. Beyond.

Butter Chicken. Wow. It may not be “authentic” Butter Chicken in the strictest sense, but boy oh boy…try it. You’ll die.

Well, not literally.

(Please forgive me) Cinnamon Bun Pancakes. Too twisted for words. Ridiculous. Illegal.

Delicious Thai Chicken Soup. This shouldn’t have tasted as good as it did. But it did. And it was unbelievably easy!

Coffee Toffee Bars. Sublime. Transcendent. Eat one with coffee ice cream and you’ll know what happiness is.

Uh…I’m hungry.

SUSHI GIFT BAG WINNERS

The winners of the sushi gift bags are:

#1678 Anna Cotton: “Mediterranean Food. Hummus, Falafel, kalamata olives, red peppers, onions, pita bread (not greek style) and Tahini Sauce. Yum!”
#2477 Painting Chef: “I would love to say something very sophisticated and worldly but the truth is that I just love Mexican food. Can’t get enough of it.”
#14658 Heidi: “Very tough… Currently, I think it’s Indian. Bring on the naan!”

Congrats, winners! Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your loot.

The Sushi…And Something More

Ree — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:13:02 +0000

We had a great Sushi Weekend at the Lodge a couple of weeks ago, and while I covered the fun and friendships over on Confessions last week, I haven’t yet shared the scenes of the actual sushi itself. This won’t be an exhaustive sushi tutorial; if you’re looking for step-by-step sushi instructions (from a similar get-together I had in 2009), here’s where to go:

SUSHI Tutorials – The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Meantime, enjoy these scenes of what we got to eat…and stay tuned for something fun down below.

The sushi chef came with her own huge stash of cooked rice.

Meantime, we got some more rice going in my own rice cooker.

To make the sushi rice, she threw it into a large bowl…

She uses a big sushi paddle, first to catch and evenly distribute the sushi zu.

(Here’s a whole post on Sushi Rice that might explain it better.)

And then fold the zu into the rice.

Meanwhile, the edamame comes out of the boiling water.

I LOVE edamame.

Yellowfin and Yellowtail. Or..is it Yellowtail and Yellowfin?

I get confoothed thumtimethe.

Now remember: these pieces of sliced fish are called sashimi. If these pieces were lying on a small pillow of rice, they would be nigiri.

They both fall under the sushi umbrella.

Oh, how I love this shrimp, which is used to make shrimp nigiri. Shrimp is cooked, then soaked in a sweet ginger liquid…delicious.

Cowboy Josh walked in and ate about fifteen of these, the scavenger.

After a bunch of delicious nigiri, we moved into the rolls.

My favorite.

These are delicious, tiny little fish eggs.

Cowboy Josh came in later and asked me, “Are those really fish balls?”

No, Josh, I said. They aren’t really fish balls.

He seemed exceedingly concerned.

This kind of roll, by the way, is known as an “inside-out roll” because the rice is on the outside of the seaweed instead of the other way around.

It’s just a personal preference. I’m an inside-out girl myself.

This was the beginning of a Candy Roll—a spicy sauce made from Japanese mayonnaise and spicy red chili paste is squeezed on the seaweed, and strips of shrimp are loaded on. Yum.

Next comes crabmeat and avocado.

This was one of my favorites.

I want one for breakfast. Now.

These rolls were made with soy paper instead of seaweed. I hadn’t tried soy paper rolls before, but thought they were nice.

The sushi chef was a machine. One she demonstrated several different rolls to us, she just started whipping them out left and right.

This made me a happier, more well-rounded person.

Check…this…OUT. I still can’t believe this was in my kitchen.

And I still can’t believe I even invited anyone over. I could have had this whole thing to myself!

But really…I’m glad I had others to share it with me. It’s fun hearing collective sighs and groans from a roomful of people eating sushi together.

Finally, it was time for the grand finale—the 6131 Roll, or the 6311 Roll, or the 6113 Roll, or the I Don’t Care What It’s Called Roll Because I Just Ate Twenty Of Them. Roll.

Lobster in a skillet.

A special creamy, spicy sauce.

Bubble…bubble…toil and trouble…

Then…hold onto your hats. The lobster is poured all over the top of these California rolls.

My gosh.

Then some kind of special fish sauce is drizzled over the top.

These absolutely blew my mind.

The whole evening did, actually. Having all of that sushi in one location was a real treat for me, and a completely different experience than dining in a sushi restaurant. This was literally an all-you-can-stand-to-eat, made-to-order sushi party in the comfort of a home kitchen. I died and went to Heaven.

And now.

For the fun part.

If you read about the weekend, you’d know that I had eight guests staying at The Lodge during the sushi weekend. As part of the fun, CHEFS Catalog sent eight incredibly wonderful Sushi gift bags—one for each of the guests. I loved watching my eight new buddies open up their bags, which contained the following items:

Zojirushi Rice Cooker. Perfect sushi rice every time!

Wusthof Classic Nakiri Hollow Edge Knife. My favorite knife on the earth. You won’t believe what it does for sushi. Perfect!

Wusthof Classic Paring Knife . Have I mentioned I love Wusthof?

Bamboo cutting board. Love this!

Wusthof Red Asian Edge Santoku Sharpener. Have this and love it. It’s a handy way to sharpen!

Progressive Adjust-A-Slice & Julienne Mandoline . This is a groovy item.

Kyocera Perfect Peeler. I love this peeler. You can pivot the head in whatever direction you need, and it makes peeling veggies more fun than running down the street in your high school prom dress.

Joyce Chen Sushi Set. A rice paddle and bamboo rolling mat to make perfect sushi rolls.

Joyce Chen Non-Stick Rice Paddle. A more heavy duty, nonstick version of the standard wooden rice paddle. I have one of these!

Joyce Chen Nagiri Mold . If you’re uncomfortable hand-forming the rice pillows for nigiri sushi, this is what you need. I’ve never used one, but am intrigued.

Joyce Chen Box Sushi Mold. For slicing sushi rolls. Handy!

They really were great gift bags.

CHEFS Catalog is wonderful, and provided these gift bags free of charge, asking for nothing in return. I have no official or financial relationship with CHEFS at all; we’re simply buddies, and they love people who love to cook.

Oh, and then they did one other thing.

They gave me three additional Sushi gift bags for you guys.

So today, I’m giving away three of the above CHEFS Catalog Sushi Gift Bags. Enter if you’d like all the tools you’ll need to make sushi at home! (Well…except for the fish. And the rice. And the nori.)

TO ENTER

To enter the giveaway for the Sushi gift bags, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

“What’s your favorite kind of international cuisine?”

Do you love sushi? Authentic Mexican food? Delicious Indian curries? Fish & Chips from the UK? Just shout out your favorite kind of food from different nationalities and you’re automatically entered to win.

THE RULES

One entry per person, please.

No entries after 11:00 pm Pacific Time Friday.

Winners will be announced this weekend.

Good luck.

_____________________________

Giveaway prizes provided by CHEFS Catalog. Thank you, CHEFS!

Apple Fritters

Ree — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:41:38 +0000

I love apple fritters!

I made a batch late yesterday. Evidently, I felt my life had somehow been missing petite fried nuggets of cinnamon-flavored batter stuffed with flavorful apple chunks and covered with a dusting of powdered sugar.

These are delicious, and my life is now complete. They can be served as a warm, yummy breakfast treat or as a scrumptious dessert with vanilla ice cream. (Did I just say that?) The easy route is to dust them with powdered sugar, but I love dunking them in a light, sweet, doughnut glaze, too.

Either way, these are guaranteed to make you smile.

Here’s what you need: apples, flour, cinnamon, sugar, whole milk, butter, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and eggs.

Before you begin, add a couple of inches of canola oil to a pot or dutch oven, and heat it over medium to medium-low heat.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Whisk them together to combine.

Peel two or three apples…

Then slice them…

And dice them. Keep the chunks on the small side so the apples have a chance to cook.

In a separate bowl, crack two eggs…

Beat them with a fork…

Add the vanilla…

And mix it together.

Pour the egg mixture and the milk into the dry ingredients…

And fold it together gently, until it’s not quite combined.

Next, add 2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter…

And the apples…

And fold together gently. It’s ready to go! If the batter doesn’t look chunky enough, by all means add more apples. You want the apples to shine through!

Now, to test the oil, I drop a tiny bit of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the top immediately, the oil is ready. If it immediately browns and starts to burn, however, you need to decrease the heat a bit!

Aww. What a cute little test fritter.

I wonder…does the test fritter even know that it’s just a test fritter?

I know I’m not going to be the one to tell him after all he’s gone through.

To make neat, round fritters, I use this little number.

I love these scoops, and they come in pretty much every size under the sun. They’re handy for so many different things!

Scoop…

Drop…

And it rises to the top and immediately begins browning. But not violently browning…just slow and steady.

This one actually flipped over on its own. It happens sometimes.

And a little under two minutes later, I took it out. You have to watch the fritters the whole time, just to make sure they don’t burn.

Now, the round shape above is cute and neat and all, but if the balls are too big, the batter in the very center will still be runny by the time you have to remove them from the oil. So make sure you don’t scoop too much batter at a time. Keep them small!

Another option is to use a regular teaspoon…

And drop them in.

Or, if you like more wacky shapes and more surface area, drag the spoon as you’re dropping the batter into the oil. This results in a flatter fritter.

Flatter fritter. Say that ten times.

Remove the fritters from the oil and let them drain on a paper towel.

They should be crispy, crispy, crispy!

My favorite thing to do is immediately dunk the fritters, coating them thoroughly, in the simple glaze I use to coat my Homemade Glazed Doughnuts. I think it somehow anchors in the wonderful flavor and texture of the fritters, and gives them more of a doughnut quality.

But an easier/quicker approach, of course…

Is a very generous dusting of powdered sugar. Yum!

Mmmm. Perfect! The fritter is done all the way through, and there’s plenty of apple in there to make it extra delicious.

Do NOT skeemp on zee apples!

And don’t skimp on the fritters! Make a ton—you can heat them up the next morning in a 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, and they’re totally delicious…maybe even more so.

Enjoy!

Here’s the handy printable—I included the glaze recipe at the end.

Apple Fritters

3"x5" Cards | 4"x6" Cards | Full Page | Print

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

FRITTERS
2 cups All-purpose Flour
½ cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2-¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
1-¼ teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
2 whole Large Eggs
¾ cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
2 whole Granny Smith Apples, Peeled And Diced
Powdered Sugar (optional, For Dusting)
GLAZE (optional)
1-½ cup Powdered Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Vanilla
¼ cups Milk

Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add milk, melted butter, and vanilla.

Gently fold dry and wet ingredients together until just combined (do not overmix.) Fold in apples. Add enough apples to make a very chunky batter. You want the apples to shine though!

Heat a couple of inches of canola oil over medium to medium-low heat. When it gets hot, drop a little drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and rises to the top, the oil is ready; if it burns quickly, turn down the heat.

Drop teaspoons of batter into the hot oil, six or eight at a time. Sometimes they’ll flip over by themselves; sometimes you have to flip them. Just watch them and make sure they don’t get too brown, but cook them long enough to make sure the batter’s cooked through, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total.

Remove and drain on a paper towel. Dust very generously with powdered sugar, or dip fritters in a light doughnut glaze (mix all glaze ingredients together, then dunk warm fritters).

Serve warm!

**May be heated up the next day in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes.

A Tasty Recipe…And Other Urgent Matters

Ree — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:19:29 +0000

I have several urgent matters to address.

1. These Coffee Toffee Bars. Oh my. I found the recipe on Tasty Kitchen yesterday morning, made them yesterday afternoon, ate them yesterday evening, and posted the step-by-step recipe on the TK Blog this morning. You’ll want to check them out…unless you gave up chocolate (or coffee…or sugar in general) for Lent. And then you might want to exit this website immediately.

2. Yesterday on the TK Blog, we featured Noshings. I happen to love her recipes, and I think you might, too. Please feast your eyes on this Mason Jar Frappuccino:

Oh, yum.

I think I need a coffee intervention.

3. For kicks, I just now looked back exactly one year ago, to see what recipe I posted on March 2, 2009. It was Pasta alla Marlboro Man…

And this Garlic Cheese Bread.

To say I shuddered when I saw that this is what I posted here exactly one year ago is an understatement; I had already planned to make this for dinner tonight! True story!

Freaky, man.

Freaky!

4. Finally, in case you scrolled past #1 and decided against the Coffee Toffee Bars…I wanted to give you a top secret tip: scroll down to the end. You might find a little surprise there.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Love,
P-Dub

Sundried Tomato Risotto

Ree — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:03:16 +0000

This is, I do believe, the third risotto recipe on my site, and should not be confused with the Roasted Red Pepper version I shared with you last year. The great thing about risotto is, the basic method for preparing it is generally the same from recipe to recipe: Arborio rice is cooked slowly (up to an hour or so) while warm liquid (usually broth) is gradually stirred in. The only thing you change are extra ingredients you decide to add. Mushrooms, shrimp or scallops, different cheeses…when it comes to Risotto, there are as many variations as there are grains of sand in all the beaches in the world. And its deliciously creamy texture—oh, it’s so wonderful.

Risotto the dish is really more of a cross between rice and pasta, and equally delightful as a side dish next to chicken, beef, or fish…or as a main course, served with a big, beautiful salad.

I promise you this won’t be the last risotto recipe I share here.

And when it comes to food, I keep my promises, my darlings.

Well, unless you count the time I promised myself I wouldn’t eat the whole pint of coffee Haagen Dazs but wound up eating two. But it wasn’t my fault! I was a freshman in college at the time. I get off on a technicality.

Here’s what you need.

Begin by dicing an onion…

And mincing three cloves of garlic.

Next, grab 7 or 9 sundried tomatoes from the jar.

You can mince the tomatoes really finely…

Or you can throw them in a food processor…

And really pulverize them to smithereens.

Heat butter and olive oil in a dutch oven or pot over medium heat.

Throw in the onions and garlic…

And stir it around, cooking it for 3 to 4 minutes.

Next, measure two cups of Arborio rice.

Arborio rice used to be more difficult for me to procure, living where I do. But in the past five years or so, more supermarkets and stores are starting to carry it.

Risotto is for all mankind!

And pour it into the pot.

Stir it around for about 3 minutes, being careful not to burn the rice.

Add in the sundried tomatoes (minced, they equal about 3 or 4 tablespoons).

And stir them all around.

Now, this is the yummy part. Well…one of the several yummy parts. Pour in 1 cup of dry white wine. This will provide a foundation of flavor and loveliness that just can’t be beat.

When you first pour it in, it’ll look like a lot of liquid.

(And what a beautiful liquid it is—look at the color!)

But as you stir it around and allow it to cook, the rice will gradually absorb the liquid.

After most of the wine has been absorbed by the rice, begin pouring in the warm chicken broth one cup at a time, stirring gently after each addition until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 to 5 minutes each time.

This process requires patience; you really can’t rush risotto!

Over and over and over: you pour in the liquid…

And you let it cook until the liquid’s gone. The rice will become more and more plump as the process moves along.

The risotto is done when the rice is cooked and tender, but still has a nice bite to it. No crunch…just a bite.

But just because it’s done…doesn’t mean we’re done.

Throw in 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Stir it gently and let the risotto gobble up the cheese.

And then…forgive me?

I’m getting ready to do a very bad thing.

I want to amplify the tomato-cream component. While risotto is inherently creamy because of the starch of the Arborio rice…there’s nothing like a shot of heavy cream to send something over the edge into pure deliciousness.

Stir it together, adjust the salt and pepper…

And serve it on up, baby!

Oh my.

And don’t forget to do this.

And now, may I please take this opportunity to state that I’m ready for spring? That I’m ready to plant? To grow? To have fresh basil in my life again? I have none; my grocery store doesn’t carry it. The basil cubes I stored up in the freezer are long gone. I want fresh basil. Now. But for tonight, this will have to do.

But you know what?

It really ain’t bad!

I firmly believe in finding contentment wherever you’re plunked in life.

And whether it’s basil season or not.

Enjoy!

Here’s the handy-dandy printable recipe, followed by links to my two other risotto recipes on PW Cooks:

Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

3"x5" Cards | 4"x6" Cards | Full Page | Print

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 10

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ whole Large Yellow Onion, Diced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cups Arborio Rice, Uncooked
8 whole Sundried Tomatoes Packed In Oil, Drained And Minced
1 cup Dry White Wine (optional)
7 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Salt As Needed
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 cup Parmesan, Freshly Grated
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Fresh Basil, Chiffonade (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Heat broth (note: it’s important the broth be low sodium) in a saucepan or in a microwave safe pitcher. Set aside.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add dry rice. Stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in wine. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in minced sundried tomatoes and stir.

Then begin adding broth, one cup at a time, stirring gently while the rice absorbs the liquid each time. Repeat this until the rice is done—it usually takes between 6 and 8 cups of broth. The rice should have a slight bite to it, but not be crunchy at all.

Remove from heat, then stir in Parmesan and heavy cream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a main dish with a salad, or as a side dish with steak, chicken, or fish. Delicious!

Basic Creamy, Cheesy Risotto (This really shows the details of the add-broth-and-cook process.)

Red Pepper Risotto with Turmeric (This recipe looks very similar to today’s, but the flavor is very different.)

Mac & Cheese, Meatballs…and The Winners

Ree — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:33:00 +0000

I made it home in the snow and am safely back home on the ranch, getting ready to start cooking some new recipes for next week. While I stir and saute and destroy my kitchen, here are two more “Redux” recipes not just from my archives, but also from my cookbook. It’s what’s for dinner in my house tonight! (It’s been awhile since I originally posted these recipes, and I didn’t want anyone to miss the deliciousness.)

Winners of the Le Creuset giveaway are (way down below)!

MACARONI AND CHEESE

There’s nothing that can be said.

But there is much to be eaten.

Come, my child…come. I shall take you by the hand and take you where you need to go.

I shall show you the food that is solely responsible for my bones and tissues multiplying and growing at a young age.

It’s macaroni and cheese. And it’s the only food I consumed until I was about fourteen years old.

Come…come, my child.

I shall show you the way.

Elbow macaroni. You can buy it in bulk, and you can buy it cheap.

You’ll need butter. Regular, salted butter.

And just note that I pretty much never use unsalted butter except for a few select baking recipes.

All-purpose flour.

WHOLE MILK. Pretend there’s a photo of whole milk sitting on a counter you can’t see.

Dry mustard. I love this ingredient in macaroni & cheese. It provides a tangy sharpness without injecting a definable flavor.

1 egg. Trust me.

And cheese. One glorious, beautiful pound of freshly grated cheese. I’m using all sharp cheddar today, but I almost always mix cheeses: Colby, Monterey Jack, Fontina, Mild Cheddar, Pepper Jack…even a little Gruyere if I allow myself to be in denial about how expensive it is.

But today, it’s all cheddar, all the time.

Cook 4 cups dried macaroni until it’s very “al dente”. Keep in mind that we’ll be baking the macaroni after we mix it together, so it needs to be quite firm when you bring it out of the water. I usually test a macaroni noodle about 5 minutes into the cooking process—if it’s too firm to serve and eat immediately, it’s time to take it off the stove and drain it.

Nutshell: Undercook the macaroni! You’ll be glad.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Set aside.

Add a good teaspoon or so of salt to the water.

Now, in a large saucepan or dutch oven, melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick OR 4 tablespoons) butter.

Sprinkle in an equal amount (4 tablespoons) flour.

Whisk the mixture together over medium-low heat (careful not to burn!) until totally combined…

Then continue cooking for around 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

This is called a roux, which is the basis of a cream sauce or gravy.

(I have another mac & cheese recipe that does not begin with a roux. Here’s the link: Not Your Granny’s Mac & Cheese.)

Pour in 2 1/2 cups whole milk. You could use 1% or 2%…but why?

Seriously, the fat content in the whole milk, in my opinion, makes for a creamier, more delicious mac & cheese. But I’m not here to make anyone’s choices for them so feel free to use a lower fat milk product.

Immediately dump in 2 heaping teaspoons of dry mustard.

You could certainly add another teaspoon with impunity…but see how 2 tastes first. If you like it, dump in some more.

Now, whisk the mixture together and cook for about 5 minutes. It will get extremely thick, almost like a cream gravy.

At that point, reduce the heat to low. Use a 1/4 cup measure to retrieve a small amount of the sauce.

Pour the small amount of sauce into the beaten egg slowly…

Begin whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.

Keep whisking until mixture is cooled. This is called “tempering”: rather than dump the beaten egg into the very hot mixture in the pan—which would result in the eggs scrambling—you introduce some of the hot mixture into the egg.

THEN you dump the tempered egg into the pan.

Whisk it together…

Until totally combined.

Now dump in all but about 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Look at this wonderful cheesiness.

And stir together until it’s all melted. Go ahead and turn off the heat.

Now it’s time for seasoning! Add about 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used Lawry’s.) If you’re sensitive to salt, start really low and work your way up…and remember that the cheese imparts quite a bit of salt to the mix.

BUT—and this is important—be careful not the UNDERSALT the mac & cheese. It really needs ample salt to put the flavor over the top.

*I also use paprika, cayenne pepper, even ground thyme every now and then. Play with different ground spices and see what you like best.

And finally, add plenty of black pepper, of the Black Dust variety. Honestly, I love freshly ground pepper…but not in homemade Mac & Cheese. For me, it has to be the powdery stuff.

Now THAT’s what I’m talkin’ about.

And guess what? You can just steam some fresh broccoli and spoon some of this over the top. Kids from all over the land will show up at your doorstep.

Did you know a single serving of broccoli is positively loaded with Vitamin C?

Now just dump in the drained, not-fully-cooked macaroni!

And stir the mixture together.

I use a little less than the full amount of cooked macaroni, because I love it extra creamy and coated. Just add it according to how you like it.

Now, you can either dish it up as it is right now, which makes for an ultra-creamy love fest…

OR you can pour the macaroni into a buttered baking dish. This is a 2-quart dish, but a 9 x 13 pan would work just fine.

Next, top the dish with the rest of the grated cheese.

Now bake it for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden.

Kinda like this.

The secret to good, baked mac & cheese is this crispy top, which hides a creamy, soft bottom.

Hello, lover.

We’ve had a beautiful life together, haven’t we? Thank you for allowing me to grow and develop.

Thank you for making my life complete.

And thank you for being you: unpretentious, unrefined, and real. You are SO not the Paris Hilton of the food world.

Sorry, Paris. Just a little joke. I love your hair.

Actually, I haven’t seen your hair for about two years now, ever since I gave up reading Us Magazine.

But I’m sure it’s still very lovely.

_________________________

COMFORT BBQ MEATBALLS

Perfect with Mac and Cheese are these unbelievably delicious meatballs:

Foodies, please cover your eyes! Shield yourself from the deadly rays of prosaic 1960’s cuisine!

We’re about to dive into the world of comfort food.

Can cuisine be “prosaic”? I’ll have to ponder that today.

All I know is this. I had a baby. Then I had another baby. Then I had a third baby, a boy. After my third baby, a boy, was born, I found myself back on the ranch with two young daughters and yet another suckling infant, and I was starving all the time. If I wasn’t eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch by the truckload, I was gnawing on a divine Mexican chicken casserole my BFF Hyacinth brought me or a box of Krispy Kreme doughuts my father-in-law picked up the city.

That was back in Krispy Kreme’s glory days.

It all helped my milk production. But still, I was starving.

And then, one dark and stormy night, my good friend Beth (a ranching neighbor of ours) and her mother Diane (also a longtime rancher) knocked on my door and brought me…dinner.

They brought me meatballs.

I won’t wax rhapsodic about how much these meatballs changed my life. They were so simple, so savory, so comforting and warm and delicious…I almost cried. Come to think of it, I think I did cry. I always thought it was my hormones regulating to normal levels. But maybe it was totally meatball-induced.

Here’s how you make the babies:

Start with 1 1/2 pounds ground beef. This is home grown, baby.

His name was Alfie.

Grab some oats.

And pour in 3/4 cup.

Pour in 1 cup of milk.

Now cut an onion in half from root to tip, then cut one of the halves in half again. Peel off the outer layer and make very thin vertical slices.

Rotate it 90 degrees, then make slices downward to create a thin dice.

Go over them with the knife several times to get them really fine, or your family will stage a mutiny. Big onion chunks are not welcome here.

Throw in 3 tablespoons onions into the meat mixture.

Followed by 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

And plenty of black pepper. Yes, the black dust stuff. There’s a time and a place for fresh ground. But it isn’t here.

Now just stir the mixture until it’s all combined!

Now we just need to form the mixture into balls. I like using this small cookie dough scoop so they’re all uniform in size.

Just scoop the meat into your hand…

And roll it into a neat ball.

Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet as you go. When you’ve rolled all the meatballs, place the cookie sheet into the freezer for about five minutes, just to make them easier to work with.

If you have a six-year-old son, he can help you with the rolling. Look at this freaky photo! It looks like his arm is coming out of the side of his head, doesn’t it? I can’t quit staring at it.

Trivia: This is the “baby” referenced at the beginning of this post.

After five minutes, remove the meatballs and throw some flour onto a plate. Dredge the meatballs in flour.

And there you have it! Mexican Wedding Cookies.

Hope you enjoy!

Just kidding. We’re not through yet. And these aren’t Mexican Wedding Cookies. Just heat 3 tablespoons canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and throw in 1/3 of the meatballs.

All we’re doing here is browning them quickly on both sides; We don’t want them to cook all the way.

When they’re brown, remove them to a baking dish and continue browning the rest of the meatballs.

Now just set them aside while you make the sauce. (Or, if you’re organized, you can whip out the sauce when the meatballs are chilling in the freezer.)

To a bowl, add 1 cup ketchup…

2 tablespoons sugar…

3 tablespoons white vinegar…

4 to 6 tablespoons chopped onion…

A couple splashes of Tabasco, if you’re feeling ornery.

And two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Mix it together well.

Now just pour the sauce evenly over the top of the meatballs.

Now just pop ‘em in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

You’ll know they’re done when your house smells so good you want to marry it. They should be sizzling around the edges. Mmmm.

These really are so delicious, folks. They’re almost like little “meatloaf balls”, with a lot more flavorful surface area than a big slice of meatloaf. And the sauce is just a classic sweet/sour ketchup concoction and it makes you think of Grandma. My kids love this dish, which is a miracle. And they’re delicious warmed up the next day and placed on a toasted sandwich bun with melted mozzarella on top. Yikes.

And they’re absolutely wonderful with Mac and Cheese.

Here are the two printables:

Macaroni and Cheese

3"x5" Cards | 4"x6" Cards | Full Page | Print

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 cups Dried Macaroni
¼ cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
2-½ cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
1 whole Egg Beaten
1 pound Cheese, Grated
½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

BBQ Meatballs

3"x5" Cards | 4"x6" Cards | Full Page | Print

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

Ingredients

FOR MEATBALLS
1-½ pound Ground Beef
¾ cups Oats
1 cup Milk
3 Tablespoons Very Finely Minced Onion
1-½ teaspoon Salt
Plenty Of Ground Black Pepper, to taste
_____
FOR COOKING MEATBALLS
1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating For Frozen Meatballs)
Canola Oil
_____
FOR SAUCE
1 cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
4 Tablespoons (to 6 Tablespoons) Onion
1 dash Tabasco

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.

Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty French bread.

LE CREUSET WINNERS

Here are the winners of the Le Creuset French Oven:

#92 Julia – “Brussels sprouts and roasted chestnuts in brown butter.”

#4922 Dana – “We made the butter chicken last week and it is our new favorite recipe! I’m hoping I can figure out a way to make it a little more healthy so we can have it more often.”

#6325 David – “My favorite recipe is my breakfast – ham and eggs. our local grocery store had a special on ham at $1.19/lb, so i’ve been eating my way down 10 lbs of it, and it’s a fantastic problem to have.”

#22127 LadyDi - “Slow roasted fish – just throw it in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 250-300 with a little seasoning and olive oil. Been doing it with salmon and halibut.”

Congrats, winners! Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your loot.