Monday, October 15, 2012


Two muffins are baking in an oven.  One muffin turns to the other muffin and asks, "Is it just me, or is it getting very hot in here?"

The other muffin, horrified, turns back towards the first and yells "OH MY GOSH! A TALKING MUFFIN!"


    The website address for this blog relates to a story about my first microwave oven, an Amana RadarRange.  My husband gave me this ginormous appliance for Valentine's Day one year.  It came with a special crockery cooking pot called a Country Cooker and a cookbook which had recipes for its use with my new microwave. It was to have the effect of slow cooker but at a fraction of the time.  We all loved pot roast, so I put my roast in the Country Cooker, put the Cooker into my humongous microwave and set the timer for 90 minutes as per  the recipe.
    The family went out to buy paint I remember. Upon our return, as we walked through the front door, we became aware of a horrible stench.  "Oh, no!" thought I, "I've burned the roast!"  So I dashed into the kitchen and threw open the RadarRange.  The smell was definitely coming from the Country Cooker.   I removed the lid to the cooker and saw something I will never forget.  There was only a thin dark ring around the inside of the pot. No burned meat!  No charred bones!  Nothing!  Only that shadow.
     Upon rechecking the recipe, I saw that the meat was supposed to have been cooked on Low instead of HIGH for 90 minutes. This fact explains how things went wrong, but it does not explain everything.
It does not explain the total loss of the roast. Didn't I learn in high school physics that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. So where did my roast go?  Was it not vaporized?  Is it still lingering in the walls of that house only wating for the conditions to be right to reappear ? I think the new residents of the house are going to be in for a big surprise one day when my roast condenses in their fancy new kitchen.                                                                

-- Judy
   

Monday, October 8, 2012

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms


INGREDIENTS

  • 24 large whole fresh mushrooms
  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
  • 2 bunches scallions, chopped, green parts reserved
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened








DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a sheet tray or line with parchment paper.

Clean the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off the stems and, using the tip of a spoon, hollow out the center of the mushrooms.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon. Transfer the cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

Add the white chopped scallions to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions to the sausage and cool.

When the sausage and scallion mixture is no longer hot, stir in the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and softened cream cheese. The mixture should be very thick. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of the stuffing. Top with additional Parmesan if desired. Arrange the mushroom caps evenly on the prepared sheet tray.

Place in the oven and bake until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under the caps, 20 minutes. Garnish with the reserved green scallions

Wild Salmon with Miso Glaze


Wild Salmon with Miso Glaze
Recipe from Camilla Lombard
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 T white miso paste (available from Asian and health food markets)
2 T white vinegar (any kind)
1 T soy sauce
1 ½ T minced or grated, peeled fresh ginger
4 6-ounce salmon filets (preferably fresh-caught local salmon)
1 T sesame seeds, lightly toasted
2-3 scallions, finely sliced
3 T chopped cilantro, stems removed
Method:
- To toast sesame seeds: Put them in a thin layer in a small frying pan and heat on medium until they turn color.  When slightly browned, remove from heat and put into a bowl to stop cooking.
- Preheat broiler and spray broiler pan with cooking spray. Alternatively fish can be grilled on an outdoor barbeque.
- In a small bowl combine the miso, vinegar, soy sauce and ginger, whisking until smooth.  Liberally brush cleaned, deboned salmon filets with the glaze.  Put the salmon, skin side down, on the broiler pan and broil it about 8 minutes until it is golden on top and opaque in the middle.  Note: Do not turn over the fish.  Check the salmon for doneness while cooking so it’s not overcooked.  Salmon can also be grilled, following the same approach.
- Before serving, sprinkle sesame seeds, scallions and chopped cilantro on the cooked salmon.  Excellent accompanied with brown rice and stir-fried bok choy.

Beer Can Grilled Chicken


Ingredients

Beer Can Chicken Rub:

For the Chicken:

  • 4 pounds chicken, washed and dried
  • Vegetable oil
  • Beer Can Chicken Rub
  • 1 (12-ounce) can beer

Directions

For the chicken rub:
In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together and use for the grilled chicken. You can store extra rub mixture in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
For the chicken:
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
Rub the chicken and its cavity down with the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with rub mixture, remembering to season the cavity. Pour out 1/4 of the beer and sit the chicken on top of the beer can. Place the chicken in the center of the hot grill and cover. Cook the chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Once cooked, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Cottage Cheese and Egg Breakfast Muffins with Ham and Cheddar






Cottage Cheese and Egg Breakfast Muffins with Ham and Cheddar
(Makes 6 large or 12 small muffins, recipe adapted fromCottage Cheese Muffins at 101 Cookbooks, original recipe byRose Elliot. You can see step-by-step photos of making cottage cheese and egg muffins if you'd like.)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup cottage cheese (I used low-fat cottage cheese)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2/3 cup almond meal (I used Bob's Red Mill almond meal)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs, beaten
3 T water
1/4 cup finely diced ham (could use turkey ham)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar (I used low-fat sharp cheddar)
2 T sliced green onions

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.


In mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, parmesan, white whole wheat flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, eggs, and water. Mix until well combined, then gently stir in ham, sharp cheddar, and green onions.

Spray silicone muffin cups with non-stick spray or olive oil, or use foil muffin cups. (I would spray those too.) Divide batter between six muffin cups. Bake muffins 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and set. (If you're going to be microwaving, I would bake about 25 minutes, for eating immediately I would use closer to 30 minutes.)

Muffins can be refrigerated and reheated in microwave. Be careful not to microwave too long or they will get tough. (Still have not tried freezing them, I eat them too fast!)

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Almost all of us in the kitchen January 2011



Aa, L (in my belly), and I in our kitchen.  I wanted to include this photo in this blog because a) it was one of the last photos I have from before she was born, so an especially special picture to me, b) I think i look so much like that pomegranate thats on the table, and c) my kitchen is the room that has the best natural light, so i tended to take all of my pregnant belly pictures in there.   All this to say, me and my kitchen bonded quite a bit during that time.

White Bean and Black Olive Soup (from the Moosewood) (AKA Mimi's favorite soup in the world)


White Bean and Black Olive Soup (from the Moosewood) (AKA Mimi's favorite soup in the world)

3 T olive oil
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
1 heaping cup chopped onion
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup zucchini chunks
1 ½ t salt; black pepper
1 t oregano
1 ½ t basil
4 cups stock or water
3 oz. tomato paste (1/2 small can)
¼ cup dry red wine
2 cups cooked beans
1 cup sliced black olives
1 T fresh lemon juice
Sauté garlic, onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, salt, black pepper, oregano and basil in olive oil.
Add stock or water, tomato paste, dry red wine, beans, black olives, and lemon juice.
Simmer, covered, over very low heat, about ½ hour. Just before serving, add freshly chopped parsley. Optional garnish: freshly diced tomato.

Easy Pretzels



Easy Pretzels
Prep 1 hr 30 mins        Cook 12 minutes        Makes 8 palm sized pretzels



350 g (3 1/2 level teacups) plain or all purpose flour
150 g (1 1/2 level teacups) bread or high protein flour
1 1/2 level tsp fine salt
3 level tsp sugar
2 level tsp instant yeast
350 ml (1 3/4 teacups) water
4 Tbsp (30 g / 1 oz solid butter) cooled melted butter
Glaze
1 tsp baking soda
4 Tbsp milk
Toppings

garlic salt, piri piri flakes, crushed toasted nori, sesame seeds and sea salt flakes


Combine flours, salt, sugar and yeast (making sure salt and yeast don't come into direct contact with each other) and stir everything together with a whisk.
Add water and melted butter and knead on low speed for about 5 minutes. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky with a dull, matt look instead of the almost satiny sheen of well kneaded dough. Scrape dough out onto a lightly greased surface and grease inside of bowl.
Shape dough into a neat ball, grease dough and return to bowl. Cover and leave to rise for an hour or until slightly more than doubled in volume.
Turn dough out onto work surface, gently deflate and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece with your palms (in one direction) into a rope about 30 cm (12 in) long, cover lightly and leave to rest for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven at 200 C (400 F)
Roll rope out again until 60 cm (24 in) long and about finger-thick. It should be a little thinner at each end then in the middle. Twist into pretzel shape and transfer to a greased or parchment lined baking tray. Repeat with other ropes. I could only get 4 on each tray.
Brush each pretzel gently and thickly with the milk and baking soda mixture. Make sure glaze doesn't drip down to the (unlined) tray or pretzels may get 'glued' to the tray after baking. Sprinkle pretzel generously with toppings and immediately bake for 12 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on a rack immediately. Eat and repeat. And stop making Aunty Anne a billionaire.

No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies


No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies
no-bake-cookies-stack
Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooling Time: 30 minutes
½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1. Add the first four ingredients (through the cocoa powder) to a 4-quart saucepan.
2. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats.
5. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper-lined baking sheets.
6. Let cool until set.

In the kitchen with Judy


Asian Salad


Picture of Asian Salad RecipePhoto: Asian Salad Recipe

Directions

Cut 1/2 English cucumber, 1/2 small jicama, 1 large carrot and 1celery stalk into matchsticks. Drain and rinse a 15-ounce can baby corn; quarter the corn lengthwise. Toss the vegetables with dressing: Mix 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/4 cup choppedcilantro, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon each sesame seeds and grated ginger, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon each grated garlic and minced jalapeno, and salt to taste.

Easy Garlic and Dill Pickles



Easy Garlic and Dill Picklesinspired by Grace Parisi in Food and Wine
Recipe fills a one quart jar of pickles
What You Need1 quart mason jar with lid
12 ounces of kirby cucumbers (about 6 small cucumbers)
3 cloves garlic
8 sprigs fresh dill
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
What To Do
1  Wash the mason jar and lid in hot soapy water, rinse, and let air dry.
2  Quarter the cucumbers into four slices each, lengthwise. Cut the garlic cloves in half.
3  In an extra mason jar or covered container, combine 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt and 2/3 cup white vinegar. Tightly close the lid and shake vigorously until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add 1 cup water to the mixture.
4  In the clean mason jar, tightly pack the sliced cucumbers, sliced garlic, and 8 sprigs of fresh dill.
5  Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles and top off the jar with extra water if any cucumbers are exposed.
6  Place the lid on the jar and screw on the ring until it is tight. Leave the jar in the fridge for 24 hours before tasting. The pickles last up to one month refrigerated (but they won’t stick around that long in our house).

Sweet Potato Chips


Sweet Potato Chips

sweet potato chips

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
  • Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or use asilicone baking sheet (my choice) or parchment paper.  Slice the sweet potatoes into very thin slices.
In a large bowl, toss potato slices with oil and salt to coat lightly.  Lay the slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn over each chip and bake for 5 minutes more  or until chips are crisp. Watch carefully at the end so they don’t burn.