3-4 hard-boiled eggs (depending on amount of chicken used)
10-oz pouch or 12-oz can chicken breast, drained
1 small or medium apple, cored and diced, peeling optional, or a handful of dried fruit (golden raisins are good)
enough mayonnaise to stick it together, very approximately 2-3 Tbsp
1 tsp curry powder, plus to taste, optional
Mash eggs with a fork. Break up the chicken and stir in. Add apple (or other fruit), a spoonful of mayo, and a tsp of curry powder (if using). Stir together, adding more mayo if needed (this will vary greatly depending on how well you manage to drain the chicken). Add more curry powder if needed; remember that the flavor will strengthen overnight. Serve on a lettuce leaf or make into a sandwich (I recommend a seedy or cracked-grain bread).
Before using, check whether you need to add mayo or curry powder.
The rest of the story
I've had a few curried chicken sandwiches and liked them; so I tried to make some, using the same method as I do for tuna sandwiches, and it came out pretty good (although not as high in iron as the tuna). Also, our excellent local Food Bank hasn't always had tuna this year (I heard somewhere last spring that their demand had increased 500% with the pandemic), so I was looking for things to do with the chicken they've sometimes substituted. You could probably make this with tuna instead, why not? It's an excellent way to use up apples that are starting to lose their crispness but are still good (and have some crunch left); you don't notice the soft edges through the squishy rest of it.
This recipe should also work with chopped celery instead of the apple, but I haven't tried it that way yet. If you're eating it on boring white bread, you can try adding some chopped nuts or sunflower seeds as well (I find it a bit too crunchy on good bread, YMMV). If you don't like curry, cinnamon might be good instead, but I haven't tried that either. For a hotter curry, add a dash of cayenne pepper.
BTW, if you find that regular eggs don't really agree with you, try cage-free or even organic eggs (not if you have a full allergy, of course). I know they claim there's no difference, but those tests were probably controlled for things like diet. I'm one of several people I know who find it's worth springing for a slightly better egg; and things with eggs in them, like mayo and ice cream.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
Showing posts with label postx. Show all posts
Showing posts with label postx. Show all posts
21 September, 2020
18 September, 2018
Potato harvest time
Fried potatoes with fennel
1/2 to 1 bulb fennel, to taste
a handful of potatoes (i.e. as many potatoes as you care to hold in one hand -- one big one, two medium ones, several small ones)
butter or oil for cooking
a little salt and plenty of pepper
Remove stalks and fronds from the fennel (save them for your next fish bake or some other use); separate the bulb into ribs, trim, and wash. Slice across the ribs, rather like chopping celery, to make strips no more than 1/4 inch wide (that is, the pieces should be the width of the fennel rib by about 1/8 to 1/4 inch); set aside. Scrub or peel the potatoes, depending on their age and your preference, and slice them no more than 1/4 inch thick. If desired, cut cross-wise into french-fry-like sticks, but they can also be cooked as disks or half disks. Get the potatoes cooking over moderate heat in the butter or oil, season, and add the fennel strips. Spread out the pieces as much as possible so they get a chance to brown, especially the potatoes, and turn them frequently until done and lightly browned in many places. Serves one as a meal, 2-3 as a side dish.
The rest of the story
Last weekend I helped harvest potatoes for the food bank, getting covered with dirt in the process and pulling a few muscles. I love digging potatoes -- well, technically someone else did the actual digging, I got to crawl around in the dirt collecting them as the shovel exposed them.
Digging potatoes is a bit like hunting for buried treasure, only the result is more certain. Or maybe more like a subterranean Easter egg hunt; in any case, I had a couple of hours of fun and the food bank got crates of lovely red-skinned potatoes. So I thought I'd post a nice simple recipe.
There should still be fennel available; if not, you can always bake them in cream instead.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
1/2 to 1 bulb fennel, to taste
a handful of potatoes (i.e. as many potatoes as you care to hold in one hand -- one big one, two medium ones, several small ones)
butter or oil for cooking
a little salt and plenty of pepper
Remove stalks and fronds from the fennel (save them for your next fish bake or some other use); separate the bulb into ribs, trim, and wash. Slice across the ribs, rather like chopping celery, to make strips no more than 1/4 inch wide (that is, the pieces should be the width of the fennel rib by about 1/8 to 1/4 inch); set aside. Scrub or peel the potatoes, depending on their age and your preference, and slice them no more than 1/4 inch thick. If desired, cut cross-wise into french-fry-like sticks, but they can also be cooked as disks or half disks. Get the potatoes cooking over moderate heat in the butter or oil, season, and add the fennel strips. Spread out the pieces as much as possible so they get a chance to brown, especially the potatoes, and turn them frequently until done and lightly browned in many places. Serves one as a meal, 2-3 as a side dish.
The rest of the story
Last weekend I helped harvest potatoes for the food bank, getting covered with dirt in the process and pulling a few muscles. I love digging potatoes -- well, technically someone else did the actual digging, I got to crawl around in the dirt collecting them as the shovel exposed them.
Digging potatoes is a bit like hunting for buried treasure, only the result is more certain. Or maybe more like a subterranean Easter egg hunt; in any case, I had a couple of hours of fun and the food bank got crates of lovely red-skinned potatoes. So I thought I'd post a nice simple recipe.
There should still be fennel available; if not, you can always bake them in cream instead.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
01 September, 2018
Mammy's banana cake
1 c sugar
2/3 c butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp. baking soda
4 ripe bananas
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)
Mix in the usual fashion for a cake*. Bake in an 8- or 9-inch square pan at 350F for 35-40 min.
The rest of the story
This recipe originally came from my mother's "Mammy" (grandmother), who would have been cooking for children in the early 20th century in, approximately, Arkansas. Mom would have eaten this in the 1930s-1940s. I'm not sure which grandmother "Mammy" was -- 50% chance it was the one on whose farm my mother grew up during the Depression as part of a multi-generational extended family -- but I do remember my mother's delight at getting her hands on this recipe. We made it together within the week.
Then I misplaced it. I'd been looking for it for awhile now, because I was pretty sure I'd had it at some point. I particularly wanted it because the food bank almost always has bananas, but they're often very ripe and/or badly bruised (bananas bruise incredibly easily) -- perfect for banana bread (meh) or Mammy's banana cake! So now I'm almost as delighted as Mom was to have it again. Even if it did mean going through an entire file box of old printouts and photocopies.
As a side note, my family seems to have a tradition of losing and rediscovering grandmothers' recipes, and I am extremely grateful for the rediscovery part of that. And... let's see, my soapbox has to be around here somewhere... Labor Day weekend is coming up, a nice three-day with few socially-mandated activities connected to it; why not take this time to gather your favorite recipes from any remaining parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents? And if you're a parent/grandparent/great-grandparent, why not gather up your descendants' favorite recipes into a notebook or (well backed-up) computer file as a first-apartment-warming gift? Your descendant is only six? Well, put it somewhere safe until it's wanted, but write 'em out now; your survival is not guaranteed. Your descendants are already on their second mortgage? Well then, it's about time they had their culinary birthright!
*There are about three different ways to mix cake batter, depending on the age of the recipe. When I make this cake, I just go with the given order of ingredients: cream the butter, sugar, and eggs, add the flour and baking soda, then the bananas and nuts. I need to do more research on this topic; I vaguely remember reading about a "new" method of mixing cake batter that appeared in the mid-20th century and made the process much easier, but recall none of the details (how frustrating).
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
2/3 c butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp. baking soda
4 ripe bananas
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)
Mix in the usual fashion for a cake*. Bake in an 8- or 9-inch square pan at 350F for 35-40 min.
The rest of the story
This recipe originally came from my mother's "Mammy" (grandmother), who would have been cooking for children in the early 20th century in, approximately, Arkansas. Mom would have eaten this in the 1930s-1940s. I'm not sure which grandmother "Mammy" was -- 50% chance it was the one on whose farm my mother grew up during the Depression as part of a multi-generational extended family -- but I do remember my mother's delight at getting her hands on this recipe. We made it together within the week.
Then I misplaced it. I'd been looking for it for awhile now, because I was pretty sure I'd had it at some point. I particularly wanted it because the food bank almost always has bananas, but they're often very ripe and/or badly bruised (bananas bruise incredibly easily) -- perfect for banana bread (meh) or Mammy's banana cake! So now I'm almost as delighted as Mom was to have it again. Even if it did mean going through an entire file box of old printouts and photocopies.
As a side note, my family seems to have a tradition of losing and rediscovering grandmothers' recipes, and I am extremely grateful for the rediscovery part of that. And... let's see, my soapbox has to be around here somewhere... Labor Day weekend is coming up, a nice three-day with few socially-mandated activities connected to it; why not take this time to gather your favorite recipes from any remaining parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents? And if you're a parent/grandparent/great-grandparent, why not gather up your descendants' favorite recipes into a notebook or (well backed-up) computer file as a first-apartment-warming gift? Your descendant is only six? Well, put it somewhere safe until it's wanted, but write 'em out now; your survival is not guaranteed. Your descendants are already on their second mortgage? Well then, it's about time they had their culinary birthright!
*There are about three different ways to mix cake batter, depending on the age of the recipe. When I make this cake, I just go with the given order of ingredients: cream the butter, sugar, and eggs, add the flour and baking soda, then the bananas and nuts. I need to do more research on this topic; I vaguely remember reading about a "new" method of mixing cake batter that appeared in the mid-20th century and made the process much easier, but recall none of the details (how frustrating).
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
18 August, 2018
Using those blackberries
Cold-Process Blackberry Shrub
5 cups blackberries, gently rinsed
4 cups sugar
4 cups balsamic vinegar
Combine blackberries and sugar, stirring to produce some juice and coat berries. Cover and chill for 24 hours. Strain out the berries, gently pressing out any remaining juice. whisk in the vinegar, stirring until most of the sugar dissolves. Pour into a clean glass bottle and chill for 4 weeks before using.
Notes:
The original recipe called for red wine vinegar. I checked at the store, and what they had was the same acidity as the balsamic I used, 6%, so the result should be much the same (I'm just not that fond of the whole spoiled grape thing).
In my attempt, most of the sugar settled to the bottom of the berry glop, so at the very least you should probably give the berries a good stir before straining them.
I used my usual pseudo jelly bag technique like I did last year making blackberry juice concentrate, letting it drip all evening.
Next time I think I'll try mixing some of the vinegar into the berries before straining them to see if I can dissolve more of the sugar. My result seems sweet enough (before aging), so possibly some of the sugar is supposed to be filtered out with the berries. More experimentation is definitely called for!
Adapted from Port and Fin
So in a month or so, I'll be ready to try:
Blackberry-rum shrub
4 Tbsp. dark rum
1 Tbsp. blackberry shrub syrup
club soda to taste
Combine ingredients and serve over ice.
Adapted from Saveur
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
5 cups blackberries, gently rinsed
4 cups sugar
4 cups balsamic vinegar
Combine blackberries and sugar, stirring to produce some juice and coat berries. Cover and chill for 24 hours. Strain out the berries, gently pressing out any remaining juice. whisk in the vinegar, stirring until most of the sugar dissolves. Pour into a clean glass bottle and chill for 4 weeks before using.
Notes:
The original recipe called for red wine vinegar. I checked at the store, and what they had was the same acidity as the balsamic I used, 6%, so the result should be much the same (I'm just not that fond of the whole spoiled grape thing).
In my attempt, most of the sugar settled to the bottom of the berry glop, so at the very least you should probably give the berries a good stir before straining them.
I used my usual pseudo jelly bag technique like I did last year making blackberry juice concentrate, letting it drip all evening.
Next time I think I'll try mixing some of the vinegar into the berries before straining them to see if I can dissolve more of the sugar. My result seems sweet enough (before aging), so possibly some of the sugar is supposed to be filtered out with the berries. More experimentation is definitely called for!
Adapted from Port and Fin
So in a month or so, I'll be ready to try:
Blackberry-rum shrub
4 Tbsp. dark rum
1 Tbsp. blackberry shrub syrup
club soda to taste
Combine ingredients and serve over ice.
Adapted from Saveur
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
08 June, 2018
Raspberry Goop
4-serving package of raspberry flavored gelatin powder
2 c whipped cream substitute such as Cool Whip or Dream Whip (or whipped cream if goop will be used up immediately)
up to a quart of fresh raspberries, gently washed and allowed to dry
Prepare gelatin according to package instructions and chill to a thick syrup; do not allow it to set*. Fold in the whipped cream substitute to make a slightly unappetizing pink fluff; fold in raspberries. Chill until completely set.
Summer comfort food
I scored a big package of raspberries at the Food Bank today (yum). I didn't have the other ingredients for this dish on hand, so I just ate them (Food Bank raspberries have to be picked over and the still-good ones eaten immediately). Whenever I so much as think of raspberries, though, I remember this treat.
You see, when my parents first put in their vegetable garden (this was in the Spokane Valley and produced a strong candidate for the title of World's Bitterest Lettuce, as well as two rows of corn that demonstrated admirably the value of composting, the stalks growing shorter and shorter the further they got from the spot Dad dumped the lawn mower bag... where was I?) they answered a newspaper ad and bought a dozen raspberry starts. The seller, who was clearing out his large raspberry patch, started digging and for every "good" start he dug, he found at least one that was "too small" but he threw it in as well. My parents, being unable to just throw out a healthy plant, ended up with a double row all along the back fence, in excess of two dozen plants that all settled in happily and began producing berries.
At first it was great, lots of lovely raspberries. By August of the third year, my mother (being equally unable to throw out good berries) began to get desperate, having frozen and given away as many raspberries as she could, and with more ripening. She came across this recipe -- I think it must have been on a box of Jello -- and it was a great success. Better, it used up lots of raspberries. I don't remember the official recipe title, we promptly started calling it "goop" and it remains "goop" to us to this day.
It can actually be made with any pairing of gelatin and fruit; peach with sliced peaches is another favorite of mine, but I can't recommend orange with canned mandarin oranges, that's terribly sweet. Best of all, making it produces very little heat, especially if you heat the water in a microwave; that alone would make it a great summer recipe.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
-------
*Chunks of Jello and raspberries in whipped cream substitute, while also good, is a different dessert.
2 c whipped cream substitute such as Cool Whip or Dream Whip (or whipped cream if goop will be used up immediately)
up to a quart of fresh raspberries, gently washed and allowed to dry
Prepare gelatin according to package instructions and chill to a thick syrup; do not allow it to set*. Fold in the whipped cream substitute to make a slightly unappetizing pink fluff; fold in raspberries. Chill until completely set.
Summer comfort food
I scored a big package of raspberries at the Food Bank today (yum). I didn't have the other ingredients for this dish on hand, so I just ate them (Food Bank raspberries have to be picked over and the still-good ones eaten immediately). Whenever I so much as think of raspberries, though, I remember this treat.
You see, when my parents first put in their vegetable garden (this was in the Spokane Valley and produced a strong candidate for the title of World's Bitterest Lettuce, as well as two rows of corn that demonstrated admirably the value of composting, the stalks growing shorter and shorter the further they got from the spot Dad dumped the lawn mower bag... where was I?) they answered a newspaper ad and bought a dozen raspberry starts. The seller, who was clearing out his large raspberry patch, started digging and for every "good" start he dug, he found at least one that was "too small" but he threw it in as well. My parents, being unable to just throw out a healthy plant, ended up with a double row all along the back fence, in excess of two dozen plants that all settled in happily and began producing berries.
At first it was great, lots of lovely raspberries. By August of the third year, my mother (being equally unable to throw out good berries) began to get desperate, having frozen and given away as many raspberries as she could, and with more ripening. She came across this recipe -- I think it must have been on a box of Jello -- and it was a great success. Better, it used up lots of raspberries. I don't remember the official recipe title, we promptly started calling it "goop" and it remains "goop" to us to this day.
It can actually be made with any pairing of gelatin and fruit; peach with sliced peaches is another favorite of mine, but I can't recommend orange with canned mandarin oranges, that's terribly sweet. Best of all, making it produces very little heat, especially if you heat the water in a microwave; that alone would make it a great summer recipe.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
-------
*Chunks of Jello and raspberries in whipped cream substitute, while also good, is a different dessert.
18 April, 2018
All that ground turkey...
(Originally written 13 Sept. 2017)
Pie-like Objects (PLOs)
1 1b. ground chicken, turkey, or pork
1/4 c. chopped onion, or to taste
1-2 ribs celery, chopped, if available
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, or to taste
ground black pepper to taste
salt if desired
1/2 c. blackberry juice, concentrated to a light syrup (see recipe below)
dough for 8-16 crescent rolls
Cook meat, onion, celery, and spices, stirring to combine and to break up the meat, until nearly done. Add juice and finish cooking. Remove from heat.
Form crescent roll dough into 4-8 squares; if working with precut triangles, you may find it easiest to offset them so the narrow points stick out, then seal the seams and tuck the ends along the sides. Divide the meat mixture between the squares and wrap the dough to form bundles or turnovers. Bake according to the directions for the rolls, until light brown and done. Cool well on a rack before refrigerating; do not cover until well chilled or they may get soggy..
"Pies" that stay sealed will keep better than ones that split, so eat the split ones first.
Blackberry Concentrate
When ready to start, rinse blackberries gently (they will keep better unwashed and not too tightly covered). Dump them into a pot and smush them a bit with a potato masher or your widest spatula. This gives you some burn-preventing liquid without adding water which will then just have to be cooked off again. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat (about 4 out of 9 on my stove), smushing and stirring occasionally for... awhile. Until it's had enough and is all runny. Half an hour or so, once it starts bubbling and you (probably) turn the heat down.
Rig a jelly bag. If you're like most people these days, you won't have a proper jelly bag; it's easier to lay a couple of layers of cheesecloth in a strainer. Make sure enough cheesecloth hangs over the sides that you can pull the corners together and make a bag, and put strainer and cheesecloth over another pot, or a large bowl, and dump in the berries and juice. After the first 1-2 hours, gather the cheesecloth corners and tie them to form a bag; hang the bag over the pot/bowl, possibly from the knob of a cupboard. You'll probably want to use a loop of twine for this, because the cheesecloth will be pretty messy. (If you have friends or family who are into horror or goth, be sure to show them your hanging bag and "bloody" hands.) Let the berries drain awhile longer, a couple of hours to overnight.
Time for a break. Clean up, put the juice in the fridge, and throw away or compost the berries and cheesecloth. Now aren't you glad you dont have a jelly bag to wash? Make sure you have enough clean canning jars (I recommend 8 oz. jelly jars or those cute 4-oz. pots) and unused lids if you're going to can it.
When you're ready to continue (don't leave it more than a few days or you'll lose momentum), set the juice back over medium-low heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until it reduces to about half the volume or you're out of patience. If you have a candy thermometer, aim for the low end of the syrup range, about 210-215F (100C). While waiting on this, put water in your canning kettle and find whatever you put in the bottom to protect the jars (I use a washcloth since I lost my little wire thingy years ago). Start it heating. Arrange lids and (upside-down) jars in a shallow pan of water and get them boiling to sterilize them. Set out a kitchen towel to put the jars on while filling and, later, while cooling (NOT a good towel; use the same one you've been drying your washed and hulled strawberries on all summer). Find your jar-lifter or tongs and other canning tools as desired. Isn't that juice cooked to syrup yet?
When the juice is finally syrupy, fill the jars, leaving 1/4 inch or a little more headspace. Close jars and load the canner, adding more water if needed to cover the jars. Boil 10 minutes. Remove jars to the towel and listen for the pops while cleaning up; some may even seal while being removed from the canner.
Complete information on canning (.pdf file).
The Blackberry Chicken Calzone experiment
I wanted to start off my new blog with something creative and unusual, so in the best "what needs to be used up?" tradition I attempted... let's call it Blackberry Chicken Calzone. Unusual, I think I managed. Edible...?
It all started with the blackberries in a friend's back yard. She had eaten, frozen, and smoothied as many of the things as she could handle and they were still coming over the back fence like a tsunami; would I like to pick some for myself? Please?
So with one load from her yard and another from a local park (because now I was in full berrying mode and, after all, it's free food), I started out by making juice. This is an easy way to get rid of all those seeds. Then, since I still had blackberry jelly from last year and the row of canned grape juice next to it suggested I wasn't going to drink it as juice, I decided to cook it down into an unsweetened syrup sort of thing. The idea was to make sort of a blackberry version of pomegranate molasses, although later I realized that pomegranate molasses is sweetened.
Now that I had this blackberry molasses-oid, what to do with it? Remembering the original inspiration (I think it was a chicken fesenjan recipe?) and digging around in my freezer, I decided to cook some ground chicken in it. By tasting the juice and sniffing spices, I settled on a little garlic and onion, just because that's pretty much what goes on everything savory in my kitchen, plenty of cinnamon, and a bit of cubebs just because I hadn't used any for a long time. To be honest, I think they were too old to make much difference.
So far, so good. I had some pizza dough from the food bank in the freezer that I thawed for this little adventure. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be for a thin, crackery crust, if freezing killed the yeast, or if it was just too old, but it didn't rise. I stretched it out as best I could (with it ripping all the way), dumped the chicken in the middle, and pulled the edges over to make a sort of minimalist, one-filling calzone, then cooked it like the package said to, but it looked more dried than baked. Plus a lot of the bottom stuck to the pan. I gamely tried some of the fragments anyway, since that's what there was for dinner, and it wasn't actually too bad once you got past the appearance. Further experimentation showed crescent roll or puff pastry dough to be a better choice than the pizza dough, and that golden raisins or chopped dried figs made a good addition. The technique also works with other combinations of meat, juice/sauce, and additions.
Dessert was Trader Joe's shortcakes from the food bank via the freezer (thanks for donating them, TJ's!) under very basic strawberry sauce made by coarsely fork-mashing wonderful local strawberries from the Tumwater Farmers' Market, courtesy of their generous Market Match program.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
Pie-like Objects (PLOs)
1 1b. ground chicken, turkey, or pork
1/4 c. chopped onion, or to taste
1-2 ribs celery, chopped, if available
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, or to taste
ground black pepper to taste
salt if desired
1/2 c. blackberry juice, concentrated to a light syrup (see recipe below)
dough for 8-16 crescent rolls
Cook meat, onion, celery, and spices, stirring to combine and to break up the meat, until nearly done. Add juice and finish cooking. Remove from heat.
Form crescent roll dough into 4-8 squares; if working with precut triangles, you may find it easiest to offset them so the narrow points stick out, then seal the seams and tuck the ends along the sides. Divide the meat mixture between the squares and wrap the dough to form bundles or turnovers. Bake according to the directions for the rolls, until light brown and done. Cool well on a rack before refrigerating; do not cover until well chilled or they may get soggy..
"Pies" that stay sealed will keep better than ones that split, so eat the split ones first.
Blackberry Concentrate
When ready to start, rinse blackberries gently (they will keep better unwashed and not too tightly covered). Dump them into a pot and smush them a bit with a potato masher or your widest spatula. This gives you some burn-preventing liquid without adding water which will then just have to be cooked off again. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat (about 4 out of 9 on my stove), smushing and stirring occasionally for... awhile. Until it's had enough and is all runny. Half an hour or so, once it starts bubbling and you (probably) turn the heat down.
Rig a jelly bag. If you're like most people these days, you won't have a proper jelly bag; it's easier to lay a couple of layers of cheesecloth in a strainer. Make sure enough cheesecloth hangs over the sides that you can pull the corners together and make a bag, and put strainer and cheesecloth over another pot, or a large bowl, and dump in the berries and juice. After the first 1-2 hours, gather the cheesecloth corners and tie them to form a bag; hang the bag over the pot/bowl, possibly from the knob of a cupboard. You'll probably want to use a loop of twine for this, because the cheesecloth will be pretty messy. (If you have friends or family who are into horror or goth, be sure to show them your hanging bag and "bloody" hands.) Let the berries drain awhile longer, a couple of hours to overnight.
Time for a break. Clean up, put the juice in the fridge, and throw away or compost the berries and cheesecloth. Now aren't you glad you dont have a jelly bag to wash? Make sure you have enough clean canning jars (I recommend 8 oz. jelly jars or those cute 4-oz. pots) and unused lids if you're going to can it.
When you're ready to continue (don't leave it more than a few days or you'll lose momentum), set the juice back over medium-low heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until it reduces to about half the volume or you're out of patience. If you have a candy thermometer, aim for the low end of the syrup range, about 210-215F (100C). While waiting on this, put water in your canning kettle and find whatever you put in the bottom to protect the jars (I use a washcloth since I lost my little wire thingy years ago). Start it heating. Arrange lids and (upside-down) jars in a shallow pan of water and get them boiling to sterilize them. Set out a kitchen towel to put the jars on while filling and, later, while cooling (NOT a good towel; use the same one you've been drying your washed and hulled strawberries on all summer). Find your jar-lifter or tongs and other canning tools as desired. Isn't that juice cooked to syrup yet?
When the juice is finally syrupy, fill the jars, leaving 1/4 inch or a little more headspace. Close jars and load the canner, adding more water if needed to cover the jars. Boil 10 minutes. Remove jars to the towel and listen for the pops while cleaning up; some may even seal while being removed from the canner.
Complete information on canning (.pdf file).
The Blackberry Chicken Calzone experiment
I wanted to start off my new blog with something creative and unusual, so in the best "what needs to be used up?" tradition I attempted... let's call it Blackberry Chicken Calzone. Unusual, I think I managed. Edible...?
It all started with the blackberries in a friend's back yard. She had eaten, frozen, and smoothied as many of the things as she could handle and they were still coming over the back fence like a tsunami; would I like to pick some for myself? Please?
So with one load from her yard and another from a local park (because now I was in full berrying mode and, after all, it's free food), I started out by making juice. This is an easy way to get rid of all those seeds. Then, since I still had blackberry jelly from last year and the row of canned grape juice next to it suggested I wasn't going to drink it as juice, I decided to cook it down into an unsweetened syrup sort of thing. The idea was to make sort of a blackberry version of pomegranate molasses, although later I realized that pomegranate molasses is sweetened.
Now that I had this blackberry molasses-oid, what to do with it? Remembering the original inspiration (I think it was a chicken fesenjan recipe?) and digging around in my freezer, I decided to cook some ground chicken in it. By tasting the juice and sniffing spices, I settled on a little garlic and onion, just because that's pretty much what goes on everything savory in my kitchen, plenty of cinnamon, and a bit of cubebs just because I hadn't used any for a long time. To be honest, I think they were too old to make much difference.
So far, so good. I had some pizza dough from the food bank in the freezer that I thawed for this little adventure. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be for a thin, crackery crust, if freezing killed the yeast, or if it was just too old, but it didn't rise. I stretched it out as best I could (with it ripping all the way), dumped the chicken in the middle, and pulled the edges over to make a sort of minimalist, one-filling calzone, then cooked it like the package said to, but it looked more dried than baked. Plus a lot of the bottom stuck to the pan. I gamely tried some of the fragments anyway, since that's what there was for dinner, and it wasn't actually too bad once you got past the appearance. Further experimentation showed crescent roll or puff pastry dough to be a better choice than the pizza dough, and that golden raisins or chopped dried figs made a good addition. The technique also works with other combinations of meat, juice/sauce, and additions.
Dessert was Trader Joe's shortcakes from the food bank via the freezer (thanks for donating them, TJ's!) under very basic strawberry sauce made by coarsely fork-mashing wonderful local strawberries from the Tumwater Farmers' Market, courtesy of their generous Market Match program.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
12 July, 2017
Chocolate-Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Pops
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
2 cups plain Greek-style yoghurt
3-5 Tbsp. sugar, to taste
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Puree raspberries, yogurt, and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth. Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds or paper cups, stopping about 1 inch from the top. Divide chocolate chips among the molds and stir in, removing any air pockets at the same time. Insert sticks and freeze about 6 hours, until firm. Dip molds briefly in warm water to unmold, or tear paper cups from pops.
Adapted from eatingwell.com
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2 cups plain Greek-style yoghurt
3-5 Tbsp. sugar, to taste
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Puree raspberries, yogurt, and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth. Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds or paper cups, stopping about 1 inch from the top. Divide chocolate chips among the molds and stir in, removing any air pockets at the same time. Insert sticks and freeze about 6 hours, until firm. Dip molds briefly in warm water to unmold, or tear paper cups from pops.
Adapted from eatingwell.com
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24 May, 2017
Rhubarb muffins
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. melted butter
Beat together brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in buttermilk, rhubarb, and nuts. Combine salt, flour, baking powder, and baking soda; add all at once to rhubarb mixture and stir until just mixed. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until done. Makes 2 dozen.
Source unknown.
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1/2 cup oil
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. melted butter
Beat together brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in buttermilk, rhubarb, and nuts. Combine salt, flour, baking powder, and baking soda; add all at once to rhubarb mixture and stir until just mixed. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until done. Makes 2 dozen.
Source unknown.
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20 November, 2016
Asian-style pickled turnips
approx. 500 g. total (just over a pound) salad turnips and carrots (and a cucumber if desired); turnips should predominate
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. sugar
7 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger, to taste
1-2 whole dried red peppers, optional
Peel (if desired) and chop turnips and carrots into pieces less than 1/2 inch thick, peel and cut cucumber into 6ths lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut into 1-1 1/2-inch pieces. Mix vegetables with salt and let sit 1 hr.; dry thoroughly. Dissolve sugar in vinegar and add ginger; pour over vegetables and peppers, and toss to coat. Chill at least 6 hours.
By Dana Huffman.
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1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. sugar
7 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger, to taste
1-2 whole dried red peppers, optional
Peel (if desired) and chop turnips and carrots into pieces less than 1/2 inch thick, peel and cut cucumber into 6ths lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut into 1-1 1/2-inch pieces. Mix vegetables with salt and let sit 1 hr.; dry thoroughly. Dissolve sugar in vinegar and add ginger; pour over vegetables and peppers, and toss to coat. Chill at least 6 hours.
By Dana Huffman.
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28 September, 2016
Applesauce
cooking apples, quartered or eighthed (and cored if you're fastidious)
water
cinnamon to taste (optional)
sugar to taste (optional)
Put apple pieces into a saucepan or kettle (depending on how many you've got). Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and keep the apples from burning. Cook over moderate heat, stirring regularly, until the apples are all mushy. Run through a food mill to remove skins and seeds (you may want to let it cool a bit first unless you're canning it). Taste; add cinnamon if desired and a little sugar if necessary.
Jonagold is a good variety to use for applesauce. Sauce may be canned; pack hot and process in boiling water 20 minutes for pints or quarts, 15 minutes for half-pints/jelly jars (any good canning book will provide full details).
From Dorothy Huffman.
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water
cinnamon to taste (optional)
sugar to taste (optional)
Put apple pieces into a saucepan or kettle (depending on how many you've got). Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and keep the apples from burning. Cook over moderate heat, stirring regularly, until the apples are all mushy. Run through a food mill to remove skins and seeds (you may want to let it cool a bit first unless you're canning it). Taste; add cinnamon if desired and a little sugar if necessary.
Jonagold is a good variety to use for applesauce. Sauce may be canned; pack hot and process in boiling water 20 minutes for pints or quarts, 15 minutes for half-pints/jelly jars (any good canning book will provide full details).
From Dorothy Huffman.
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14 September, 2016
Spiced grape juice
3-4 lbs. white grapes, or a combination of white, red, and purple grapes*
water as needed
generous 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1/4-inch piece of long pepper**
dash nutmeg
9 cardamom seeds
1/4 tsp. grains of paradise**
1/4 tsp. chopped ginger
Wash and stem grapes. Place in a kettle and add enough water to keep grapes from burning. Slowly heat grapes, occasionally mashing and stirring, until they start to simmer. Simmer grapes (still mashing and stirring occasionally) until soft and starting to burst, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth and let juice drain into a kettle or bowl (I have found that cheesecloth laid over a steamer basket fitted into a good-sized kettle works well). Leave to drip several hours, then squeeze bag or cheesecloth to express any remaining juice. Discard skins and chill juice at least 24 hours to allow lees to settle.
Pour off juice, either being careful not to disturb sediment or filtering through a coffee filter. Adjust the amount to about 750 ml. (3-3 1/4 cups). Place all spices except ginger in a mortar and grind coarsely; add to juice along with ginger. Return juice to refrigerator and let sit; taste just before bedtime and make any adjustments in spices you think necessary (remembering that spices will grow stronger); add sugar or honey if you want (not recommended); let sit at least overnight. At this point it's ready to drink.
If you've made enough to can, strain juice through another coffee filter, a tea towel or similar cloth (remembering that the juice will stain), or a layer or two of good-quality paper towels to remove spices. Bring juice to a boil and pour into sterilized jars, leaving at least 1/4-inch headspace. Process in boiling water 5 minutes for quarts or smaller. If you can this in jelly jars, you have nice individual drinks that don't have to be refrigerated, although you'll want to pack a can opener in that lunch.
Adapted from: To the king's taste / Lorna J. Sass, in an attempt to mimic the muste served at the Bors Hede.
Juicing and canning instructions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation
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*It is possible to use bottled grape juice for this recipe, but juice from concentrate is significantly sweeter than juice that has never been concentrated -- so much so that I cannot recommend it. If you can find bottled juice that is a mix of from-concentrate and never-concentrated, you can try adjusting the sweetness by adding the acid blend used in winemaking (I have not had good results from trying this with juice that is all from concentrate, however).
**Try Buck's or Penzey's for the more unusual spices; grains of paradise can sometimes also be found among brewing and winemaking supplies.
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Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
water as needed
generous 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1/4-inch piece of long pepper**
dash nutmeg
9 cardamom seeds
1/4 tsp. grains of paradise**
1/4 tsp. chopped ginger
Wash and stem grapes. Place in a kettle and add enough water to keep grapes from burning. Slowly heat grapes, occasionally mashing and stirring, until they start to simmer. Simmer grapes (still mashing and stirring occasionally) until soft and starting to burst, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth and let juice drain into a kettle or bowl (I have found that cheesecloth laid over a steamer basket fitted into a good-sized kettle works well). Leave to drip several hours, then squeeze bag or cheesecloth to express any remaining juice. Discard skins and chill juice at least 24 hours to allow lees to settle.
Pour off juice, either being careful not to disturb sediment or filtering through a coffee filter. Adjust the amount to about 750 ml. (3-3 1/4 cups). Place all spices except ginger in a mortar and grind coarsely; add to juice along with ginger. Return juice to refrigerator and let sit; taste just before bedtime and make any adjustments in spices you think necessary (remembering that spices will grow stronger); add sugar or honey if you want (not recommended); let sit at least overnight. At this point it's ready to drink.
If you've made enough to can, strain juice through another coffee filter, a tea towel or similar cloth (remembering that the juice will stain), or a layer or two of good-quality paper towels to remove spices. Bring juice to a boil and pour into sterilized jars, leaving at least 1/4-inch headspace. Process in boiling water 5 minutes for quarts or smaller. If you can this in jelly jars, you have nice individual drinks that don't have to be refrigerated, although you'll want to pack a can opener in that lunch.
Adapted from: To the king's taste / Lorna J. Sass, in an attempt to mimic the muste served at the Bors Hede.
Juicing and canning instructions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation
-------
*It is possible to use bottled grape juice for this recipe, but juice from concentrate is significantly sweeter than juice that has never been concentrated -- so much so that I cannot recommend it. If you can find bottled juice that is a mix of from-concentrate and never-concentrated, you can try adjusting the sweetness by adding the acid blend used in winemaking (I have not had good results from trying this with juice that is all from concentrate, however).
**Try Buck's or Penzey's for the more unusual spices; grains of paradise can sometimes also be found among brewing and winemaking supplies.
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
07 September, 2016
Quail Eggs à la Romoff
1 dozen quail eggs
12 slices salami, not too thick
Boil eggs 4 minutes; drain off hot water and cool eggs in cold water.
Formal presentation: Peel and rinse eggs, letting them dry briefly in a colander or on a towel. Wrap each egg in a slice of salami, securing with a toothpick.
Informal presentation: Eggs may be peeled and rinsed before serving or served in the shell and peeled just before eating. Wrap each egg in a slice of salami and eat.
From Amelia Romoff
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12 slices salami, not too thick
Boil eggs 4 minutes; drain off hot water and cool eggs in cold water.
Formal presentation: Peel and rinse eggs, letting them dry briefly in a colander or on a towel. Wrap each egg in a slice of salami, securing with a toothpick.
Informal presentation: Eggs may be peeled and rinsed before serving or served in the shell and peeled just before eating. Wrap each egg in a slice of salami and eat.
From Amelia Romoff
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Corn chowder
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/3-1/2 medium onion, chopped, or a generous sprinkle of onion powder
1 large or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small can corn, creamed if available -- if a small can is not available, a regular can may be used
about 2 cups milk or cream
Slowly brown bacon and onions in soup kettle or large saucepan. Stir in potato(es) and corn, and add enough water to cover. Boil gently until potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add milk, tempering it first (i.e. pour milk into a separate bowl and carefully add spoonsful of hot soup until milk is warm enough to be added to the pot without curdling). Carefully heat soup to eating temperature without letting it boil.
From Dorothy Huffman.
This was originally a clam chowder recipe, made with canned clams instead of corn.
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1/3-1/2 medium onion, chopped, or a generous sprinkle of onion powder
1 large or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small can corn, creamed if available -- if a small can is not available, a regular can may be used
about 2 cups milk or cream
Slowly brown bacon and onions in soup kettle or large saucepan. Stir in potato(es) and corn, and add enough water to cover. Boil gently until potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add milk, tempering it first (i.e. pour milk into a separate bowl and carefully add spoonsful of hot soup until milk is warm enough to be added to the pot without curdling). Carefully heat soup to eating temperature without letting it boil.
From Dorothy Huffman.
This was originally a clam chowder recipe, made with canned clams instead of corn.
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Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
Fruit pizza
Crust:
1 cup shortening/margarine/butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 3/4 cups flour
2 eggs
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. baking soda
Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs until fluffy. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Spread dough in 10-inch pizza pan (or larger, in a 10-inch pan it comes out pretty thick). Bake 10-15 min. at 350F. Let cool.
Topping:
16 oz. cream cheese
6 Tbsp. sugar
fruit (whatever you like, sliced in most cases, fresh is best but canned is OK too; I tend to use bananas, kiwis, peaches, strawberries (all sliced) and sometimes mandarin orange segments)
Cream cream cheese and sugar; spread on cooled crust. Top with fruit (you can make decorative designs if you want. You want to end up with a single layer of fruit, closely spaced but not overlapping).
Glaze:
2-3 cups fruit juice, sweetened if necessary
4 Tbsp. corn starch
Cook, stirring, until thick (this step is very important, as its omission will require sponging down the inside of the fridge...). Spoon glaze over fruit, making sure air-sensitive fruit such as bananas and apples are covered entirely. Glaze should set on its own as long as pizza is not stored in a hot place; if it seems reluctant, refrigerate (providing you have cooked the glaze).
From Dorothy Huffman, who may have gotten it from a Spokane or Spokane Valley newspaper in the mid-1970s.
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1 cup shortening/margarine/butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 3/4 cups flour
2 eggs
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. baking soda
Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs until fluffy. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Spread dough in 10-inch pizza pan (or larger, in a 10-inch pan it comes out pretty thick). Bake 10-15 min. at 350F. Let cool.
Topping:
16 oz. cream cheese
6 Tbsp. sugar
fruit (whatever you like, sliced in most cases, fresh is best but canned is OK too; I tend to use bananas, kiwis, peaches, strawberries (all sliced) and sometimes mandarin orange segments)
Cream cream cheese and sugar; spread on cooled crust. Top with fruit (you can make decorative designs if you want. You want to end up with a single layer of fruit, closely spaced but not overlapping).
Glaze:
2-3 cups fruit juice, sweetened if necessary
4 Tbsp. corn starch
Cook, stirring, until thick (this step is very important, as its omission will require sponging down the inside of the fridge...). Spoon glaze over fruit, making sure air-sensitive fruit such as bananas and apples are covered entirely. Glaze should set on its own as long as pizza is not stored in a hot place; if it seems reluctant, refrigerate (providing you have cooked the glaze).
From Dorothy Huffman, who may have gotten it from a Spokane or Spokane Valley newspaper in the mid-1970s.
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03 August, 2016
15-Minute Sauteed Fennel Salmon
1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillet, skin and bones removed, cut into 8 pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. + 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
garnish:
1 Tbsp. chopped green fennel tops
Season salmon. Sautee fennel bulb in 1 Tbsp. broth over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth and lemon juice, adjust seasonings, and place salmon on top. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fennel tops.
Adapted from World's Healthiest Foods
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salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. + 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
garnish:
1 Tbsp. chopped green fennel tops
Season salmon. Sautee fennel bulb in 1 Tbsp. broth over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth and lemon juice, adjust seasonings, and place salmon on top. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fennel tops.
Adapted from World's Healthiest Foods
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27 July, 2016
Gingered pork and peaches
1 lb. pork tenderloin (or pork stir-fry meat)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. finely chopped ginger, or 1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. corn starch.
pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)
3 medium peaches, pared and sliced, or 16 oz. frozen peaches, thawed & drained, or a can of sliced peaches, drained
6 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
cooked rice or noodles for serving
Trim fat from tenderloin and cut thinly across grain as for stir-fry. Cut any large slices in half. In a skillet or wok, mix soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch, pepper, and garlic. If not using a non-stick pan, you may want to add a little oil as well. Add pork and almonds and toss to coat. Turn on heat and stir-fry until pork is done, 6-8 minutes. It will probably look a little dry at this point. Add peaches and stir-fry for another few minutes until peaches are hot. Garnish with onions and serve over rice or wide egg noodles.
Makes two dinners and a lunch, or one dinner and three lunches (about 4 cups)
Source unknown.
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2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. finely chopped ginger, or 1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. corn starch.
pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)
3 medium peaches, pared and sliced, or 16 oz. frozen peaches, thawed & drained, or a can of sliced peaches, drained
6 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
cooked rice or noodles for serving
Trim fat from tenderloin and cut thinly across grain as for stir-fry. Cut any large slices in half. In a skillet or wok, mix soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch, pepper, and garlic. If not using a non-stick pan, you may want to add a little oil as well. Add pork and almonds and toss to coat. Turn on heat and stir-fry until pork is done, 6-8 minutes. It will probably look a little dry at this point. Add peaches and stir-fry for another few minutes until peaches are hot. Garnish with onions and serve over rice or wide egg noodles.
Makes two dinners and a lunch, or one dinner and three lunches (about 4 cups)
Source unknown.
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Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
Gingerbread Waffles with Peach Sauce
2 cups buttermilk baking mix, such as Bisquick
1 cup milk
1 egg (chicken or duck)
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
peach sauce (recipes below)
Combine all ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup of batter in preheated waffle iron and cook. Repeat with remaining batter. The finished waffles will be cake-like rather than crisp. Do not overcook, they will burn. Top with peach sauce. Makes about 6 waffles
Source unknown.
Peach sauces:
--- Peach sauce from canned peaches
The original recipe used this recipe, which is a good version to use in the winter.
16 oz. can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Drain liquid from peaches into a saucepan. Stir in cornstarch mixed with lemon juice. Heat on medium until mixture thickens. Cut peach slices into pieces and add to sauce.
Source still unknown.
--- Peach sauce from fresh peaches
'Cause if you've got fresh peaches, you might as well use them.
4 fresh peaches, washed, pitted, and sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of about 2 lemons)
3 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
In a microwave:
Place peaches in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add lemon juice and sugar; do not stir. Cover very tightly with plastic wrap (wrap all the way around the bowl to seal in the steam). Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and remove plastic, being careful of the steam. Stir well. Re-cover and repeat until all sugar has dissolved. Whisk in boiling water and pour over waffles.
On the stove:
Place peaches, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan. Add sugar; do not stir. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes. Do not stir while cooking, as this will break up the peaches. Remove from heat and pour over waffles.
Adapted from The Peach Truck
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Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
1 cup milk
1 egg (chicken or duck)
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
peach sauce (recipes below)
Combine all ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup of batter in preheated waffle iron and cook. Repeat with remaining batter. The finished waffles will be cake-like rather than crisp. Do not overcook, they will burn. Top with peach sauce. Makes about 6 waffles
Source unknown.
Peach sauces:
--- Peach sauce from canned peaches
The original recipe used this recipe, which is a good version to use in the winter.
16 oz. can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Drain liquid from peaches into a saucepan. Stir in cornstarch mixed with lemon juice. Heat on medium until mixture thickens. Cut peach slices into pieces and add to sauce.
Source still unknown.
--- Peach sauce from fresh peaches
'Cause if you've got fresh peaches, you might as well use them.
4 fresh peaches, washed, pitted, and sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of about 2 lemons)
3 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
In a microwave:
Place peaches in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add lemon juice and sugar; do not stir. Cover very tightly with plastic wrap (wrap all the way around the bowl to seal in the steam). Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and remove plastic, being careful of the steam. Stir well. Re-cover and repeat until all sugar has dissolved. Whisk in boiling water and pour over waffles.
On the stove:
Place peaches, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan. Add sugar; do not stir. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes. Do not stir while cooking, as this will break up the peaches. Remove from heat and pour over waffles.
Adapted from The Peach Truck
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06 July, 2016
White Peach Raspberry Smoothie
2 cups chopped white peaches
1/2 cup chopped banana
1/4 cup raspberries
1/2 cup sweetened vanilla almond milk, or your preferred substitute
3-4 ice cubes
honey to taste
Place all ingredients except honey in a blender and process until smooth. Add honey to sweeten if necessary.
Adapted from The Clever Carrot
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1/2 cup chopped banana
1/4 cup raspberries
1/2 cup sweetened vanilla almond milk, or your preferred substitute
3-4 ice cubes
honey to taste
Place all ingredients except honey in a blender and process until smooth. Add honey to sweeten if necessary.
Adapted from The Clever Carrot
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20 April, 2016
Spring stir-fry (second version)
a drizzle of sesame oil (about 2 tsp., depending on pan size)
up to a pound of pork sliced for stir-fry
thinly chopped onions to taste, optional
1-2 Tbsp. ginger-flavored soy sauce (or regular soy sauce and ginger to taste)
1-2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 bundle asparagus, ends snapped off (about a pound before snapping), broken into 1 to 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 winter pear (such as Bosc), cored and sliced into about 1/4-inch thick pieces; peeling is optional
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar, or to taste, optional
Add enough sesame oil to a medium frying pan or wok to coat the bottom. Add pork, onions, and soy sauce, and cook until the pork is only slightly pink, stirring frequently. Add oyster sauce and stir in, then add asparagus. When asparagus has started to cook (or at once if it's fairly thin), add pear drizzling with vinegar before stirring in. Cook until all ingredients are done, being careful not to overcook the asparagus (asparagus should be "al dente" and not yet limp or slimy); the pear can be a little undercooked if necessary. If the asparagus is fairly thick, make sure there is enough liquid in the pan to create some steam, cover, and let cook about 3 minutes. Makes 2-3 servings over rice or noodles, or a hungry person can eat the whole thing unaccompanied if not required to move afterward.
By Dana Huffman.
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
up to a pound of pork sliced for stir-fry
thinly chopped onions to taste, optional
1-2 Tbsp. ginger-flavored soy sauce (or regular soy sauce and ginger to taste)
1-2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 bundle asparagus, ends snapped off (about a pound before snapping), broken into 1 to 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 winter pear (such as Bosc), cored and sliced into about 1/4-inch thick pieces; peeling is optional
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar, or to taste, optional
Add enough sesame oil to a medium frying pan or wok to coat the bottom. Add pork, onions, and soy sauce, and cook until the pork is only slightly pink, stirring frequently. Add oyster sauce and stir in, then add asparagus. When asparagus has started to cook (or at once if it's fairly thin), add pear drizzling with vinegar before stirring in. Cook until all ingredients are done, being careful not to overcook the asparagus (asparagus should be "al dente" and not yet limp or slimy); the pear can be a little undercooked if necessary. If the asparagus is fairly thick, make sure there is enough liquid in the pan to create some steam, cover, and let cook about 3 minutes. Makes 2-3 servings over rice or noodles, or a hungry person can eat the whole thing unaccompanied if not required to move afterward.
By Dana Huffman.
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
27 January, 2016
Fish and bananas
This became a great favorite of mine in Bermuda, and is still my first choice for a festive solo dinner. It's quite easy to make for one or two, but gets more complicated if you try to make a lot. Also, the bananas tend to stick and make a mess, so if possible choose a skillet that you can leave to soak overnight.
for each serving:
1/3-1/2 lb. mild white fish fillet*
butter or oil for cooking
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds (optional)
1-2 bananas, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Saute the fish in just enough butter or oil to prevent sticking over medium or medium-low heat, about 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned on the outside and opaque and cooked through inside. Remove to a plate and keep warm (i.e. drop a lid over it if the kitchen's cold or the cat seems too interested).
Add more butter or oil to the skillet and cook the almonds (if using), stirring, for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly. Add the banana slices; cook, turning frequently and gently, until the bananas are softened and lightly browned, about 1 min. The bananas tend to stick as they cook, so use plenty of butter or oil. They will take on a golden color when done. Top the fish with the bananas. Garnish with snipped parsley or a sprig of cilantro if desired.
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*Wahoo, snapper, or dolphinfish (mahi mahi) are common in Bermuda, but I've had good results with cod or halibut. It's best to get a nice thick fillet; thinner fillets such as sole tend to break up when cooked, making a sort of hash (which is still good but not as pretty).
Adapted from: The 15-minute single gourmet / Paulette Mitchell. 1994. 0028609972.
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
for each serving:
1/3-1/2 lb. mild white fish fillet*
butter or oil for cooking
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds (optional)
1-2 bananas, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Saute the fish in just enough butter or oil to prevent sticking over medium or medium-low heat, about 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned on the outside and opaque and cooked through inside. Remove to a plate and keep warm (i.e. drop a lid over it if the kitchen's cold or the cat seems too interested).
Add more butter or oil to the skillet and cook the almonds (if using), stirring, for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly. Add the banana slices; cook, turning frequently and gently, until the bananas are softened and lightly browned, about 1 min. The bananas tend to stick as they cook, so use plenty of butter or oil. They will take on a golden color when done. Top the fish with the bananas. Garnish with snipped parsley or a sprig of cilantro if desired.
---------
*Wahoo, snapper, or dolphinfish (mahi mahi) are common in Bermuda, but I've had good results with cod or halibut. It's best to get a nice thick fillet; thinner fillets such as sole tend to break up when cooked, making a sort of hash (which is still good but not as pretty).
Adapted from: The 15-minute single gourmet / Paulette Mitchell. 1994. 0028609972.
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
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