Faux Pho

A few months back I posted a recipe for pho broth. I wouldn't say it's authentic. It is however delicious and resembles an authentic pho. Thus the name "faux pho". Great alternative if you don't want to leave the house for a bowl of Vietnamese soup. I took it a bit farther tonight and made my own noodles. (Mainly because I was too lazy to leave the house to buy noodles)

 

Faux Pho

makes 2 LARGE servings

 

For the broth:

1 quart beef broth or 1 quart or water and 2 heaping tablespoons of beef base.
1 medium onion, quartered
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
1 cinnamon sticks or 1 tsp five spice powder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, or 1 tsp of ground
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
3 star anise or 1 teaspoon of the seeds
A few whole cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
A few dashes of fish sauce(optional)

 

In a large pot add all ingredients and simmer for 30-45 minutes on medium low. Strain all ingredients and add broth back to pot and let it simmer away on low while you prep the other ingredients. 

 

For the noodles:

1c white flour-plus about 1/4 cup for dusting

2 eggs

 

Mix ingredients in a bowl until mixture forms a ball.  Dust surface with a little bit of flour and knead until the dough springs back when you push your finger in to it, about 5 minutes. Let rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes or so. I have the Norpro Hand Crank Pasta Machine that I bought on amazon. It cost about 30 dollars and we use it on a weekly basis. Probably one of the most used gadgets in our kitchen. It's easy to use and really sturdy. I flatten the pasta, keeping it dusted with flour, making my way to the number 6. Then run through the spaghetti press.  Keep noodles coated in flour ensuring they will not stick together. Dump noodles into the broth and let sit for 1 minute. Remove the noodles. BE SURE NOT TO DUMP THE BROTH DOWN THE SINK. I usually put a strainer in a large bowl, dump my noodles in the strainer and then pour the broth back in the pot to simmer. If you don't have a pasta press, you could probably roll the noodles out with a rolling pin as flat as you would like and then hand cut. I like the uniformity of the pasta press but hand cut noodles are just as delicious.

 

Other fixings:

2 cups of spinach

Thinly sliced raw steak. I used a meat slicer to slice 2 small sirloin steaks. Cut them when they are frozen! You will get a cleaner cut.*

 

* Feel free to add bean sprouts, jalapenos, cilantro, wontons, shrimp or whatever your heart desires. I like keeping it simple though. If you add too many things, it takes away from the flavor of the broth.

 

For assembly:

Add spinach to a serving bowl, top with HOT noodles and then add raw beef. The heat off of the noodles will help wilt the spinach.  Pour boiling broth over the beef. It will instantly cook the beef since it is thin and the broth is really hot.

 

Chicken and vegetable bake

I love easy recipes. Especially a recipe that you can make a day or two in advance and then finish in the oven. This recipe is simple and quick. Just add storebought bicuits in a can (gosh, I loves those) and bake. The result is bubbly home comfort goodness.

Chicken and veggie bake

1/4c olive oil
1.5 c  cooked chopped or shredded chicken
1c peas
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/8c flour
1.5c water
1/2t turmeric(optional, I think it adds a little bit of warmth to the dish)
1t salt
1t pepper
1-2 cans of storebought biscuits. The ones in the fun poppable can.

In a large pot over medium heat,add olive oil and sautee carrots, celery, and onion until soft. Add flour and mix. Make sure the flour is not visible. Add water, chicken and peas and mix. Reduce to medium low.  It should start to thicken up. Add tumeric, salt and pepper. If it starts to thicken too much, add more water. Add mixture to an 11x13 dish and top with the canned biscuits. And like the true fat kid I am at heart, I usually use two cans. Enough to cover the top. You can either cut them in half or leave them whole.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

You can do virtually all the chopping prep and put it in a bag and even freeze it if need be and cook when you're ready. Just don't add the biscuits until right before you bake. You can even make it up until the baking point. Even after you add the water and what not. Just put it in the 11x13 dish and freeze. Then add biscuits before baking. If you do plan to freeze it, bake uncovered for 30 minutes then add the biscuits and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Vegetable Masala

I love Indian food. And like many people, I think it's really difficult to make. It's hard to duplicate flavors that take generations to perfect and likely someone of that heritage to teach you.  If you like curry and you like coconut, try this recipe. Just enough heat to warm you on a cold day.

Vegetable Masala
Makes 6 servings- serve with rice

1T coconut oil or any other sort of oil. Except EVOO
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped (try to make the veggies the same size)
2 small potatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves,  small dice
1 1/4t paprika
1 1/4t coriander
1/2t  ground cardamom
1 1/2t curry powder
1 1/2t garam masala (I can usually only find this spice at a specialty shop. Like Penzy's in downtown Seattle or the Pearl in Portland)
1 c green peas
1 can diced tomatoes
1c water
1 can coconut milk
1 heaping Tablespoon (or less if you don't like spicy) of red chili paste or 1 jalapeno, no seeds.

Add the coconut oil to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and sauté for about 15 minutes. Add all spices, water, potatoes, the can of tomatoes and green peas. Simmer for another 15 minutes or so with the lid on. Check it  and stir occasionally to make sure you did not lose all the liquid.  When the vegetable become tender, usually after 15-20 minutes, turn heat to low and add the coconut milk and chili paste. Simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes.  Serve over rice. If it's not spicy enough, add more red chili paste.

Potato cauliflower soup

I like a big bowl of potato soup as much as the next guy but I ALWAYS regret eating it. I end up eating the equivalent of 3 large potatoes and then spend the rest of the night feeling full and fat. This feeling motivated me to make a soup that packed the punch and heartiness of potato soup but did not come with the bloated full feeling that potato soup always brings. This soup still has potatoes but only about 1/3 the amount of a normal potato soup. I beefed it up even further by adding ham and green onions.

Potato and cauliflower soup
serves 4 generous servings

2-3 potatoes
1 bag of frozen cauliflower or one whole head
1/2c ham, chopped or diced
3 green onions
2 leeks, sliced
1 T chicken base or 1 bouillon cube
1/2 c sour cream or 1/2 Mexican crema
4c of water(maybe more, maybe less. Honestly I didn't measure...)
salt and pepper to taste


Boil the cauliflower and the potatoes. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain out the water and blend the potatoes and cauliflower until smooth. If the mixture is too chunky, add a bit of water.  Add the mixture back to the pot and add water until you reach the desired consistency. I like to keep the soup pretty thick and add bits of water as I stir. Add the chicken base and let simmer for about 15 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the leeks and ham until the leeks soften up a bit. Add mixture to the pot along with the green onions.  Add the sour cream or crema and simmer for about 5 more minutes to warm through.  Top with additional green onions or  cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. You won't need much salt because the ham and the chicken base have that profile pretty covered.

Pesto baked cod

I was raised on the Oregon coast. I have many fond memories of fishing with my family. Most people hate the smell of fish in the air and the smell of the ocean, but to me it smells like home and my childhood.  This recipe packs a punch and it's easy and quick to make midweek or fancy enough to cook on the weekend. 

Pesto baked cod
serves 3-4

3, 4-5 inch cod fillets
1/4c pesto
1/2c chopped pine nuts (yeah, yeah, I broke down and bought a bag...)
2 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400
Let fish rest to just below room temperature on a plate with a paper towel on it. This will help absorb excess liquid. Basically, leave it out on the counter while you are gathering other ingredients. Spray an oven safe dish, I used a pie dish, with cooking spray. Mix together the pesto, pine nuts and mayonnaise. Salt and pepper the fish and then lay in the pan. Top the fish with the pesto mixture. I like to really pile it on there. Bake until fish is firm. About 15 minutes.  After the fish is firm, turn the broiler on high and broil on the middle rack for about 5 minutes. This will make the topping even browner. If the topping is brown after cooking time, don't worry about broiling the fish. Serve with rice, a green salad or vegetables. I served it with a corn and red pepper salad.

*I'm sure this topping would be delicious on any type of white fish. Possibly halibut or even tilapia.

Chicken and Pesto Gnocchi

One of my favorite things to make is fresh pasta. It puts store bought pasta to shame. I don't always make our own pasta but when I am craving fettuccine, I tend to make our own. I'm not one of those crazy people that makes their own lasagna noodles or their own rigatoni. I buy those. Because the hours I would spend making them is a lot more valuable than the 1.50$ I would spend on the boxed stuff.*end rant.
You can ask Blake, I have made gnocchi twice in my life. The first time, it was a GIANT failure. Likely the worst cooking failure of my life.  It turned out chalky and hard and I thought it was pretty inedible. The second time was last week and it was delicious and fluffy and did I mention delicious?  There are a few things to discuss before you make this recipe.

1. The less time you spend handling the gnocchi, the fluffier it will be. So, basically, don't fondle your gnocchi.
2. How you cook your potatoes will change the amount of flour you add. If you choose to microwave or use and oven to bake your potatoes, you will add LESS flour. If you boil them whole, you will need to add more flour and if you slice them and then boil them, you need to add even more flour. The reasoning being more water is absorbed if you boil your potatoes versus baking them in the microwave or in the oven. I prefer to boil them because I find that the recipe works a little better. (The first time I made gnocchi I baked the potatoes. Never again)
3. Don't add all the flour at once. Start with 1 cup of flour and then add a little more. The gnocchi dough will be soft but should not be tacky. you should be able to roll it out into ropes without having to add a ton of flour to the surface you are working on. It's easier to add more flour than to take it away.
4. Cook your gnocchi in salted water until they float. DO NOT OVERCOOK! This is when they become tough and gross. Take them out right when they float and put in in your favorite sauce. If you have a sauce simmering, just coat the gnocchi and serve. You don't need to keep them in there for long.

Now, if you're ready, go and make some gnocchi!

Chicken and pesto gnocchi
serves 4, or 2 really hungry people

3 small potatoes or 2 large potatoes
1-2c of flour
1 egg
1/8c olive oil
1 cup of chicken ( I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 clove of garlic, minced

Cook potatoes. Mash with a fork or potato masher. DO NOT BLEND as if you are making mashed potatoes. The gnocchi will NOT turn out. I  made this mistake when I made gnocchi the first time. In a large bowl add the egg and 1 cup of flour. Add,what should be 1 cup of cooked potatoes (measure it out if you're more comfortable doing that) to the flour and egg mixture. Mix together incorporating the flour into the potato. add more flour if the mixture is too sticky. Once the dough is smooth, remove from the bowl and cut into 4 or 5 pieces. Roll into about 8 inch ropes and cut the gnocchi into 1/4 inch thick slices. Boil in salted water until they float. About 3 minutes.  In a pan over medium heat, add the chicken, olive oil and pesto. Heat through and add gnocchi. Toss to coat and serve.

Caprese egg muffins

After making caprese salad on a stick for an appetizer one night, the following morning I was still craving the taste of the basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. There are few things as delicious as a caprese salad but these egg sandwiches come pretty close.


Caprese egg muffins
Makes 1 (Honestly, make yourself 2. Or more.)

1 English muffin, toasted
1 tsp pesto (try the  recipe I posted earlier)
1 slice of tomato
1 tsp-ish fresh mozzarella or  1 thin slice of mozzarella
1egg
1/2tsp of water
small drizzle of balsamic vinegar

I like the eggs to be uniform size so I cook them in individual ramekins to make them the same size as the English muffin. Mix the egg and the water in a small bowl. Spray the sides and bottom of the ramekin with cooking spray. Add the egg and water mixture. Add the sliced tomato to the egg mixture. Just lay it on top so it bakes into the egg. Microwave on 50% power for 80-90 seconds. Smear the pesto on one side of the English muffin and drizzle balsamic vinegar on the other side. SMALL drizzle. Don't soak it with BV. Place egg on the English muffin, top with cheese and enjoy!
No picture posted because I ate my breakfast way too fast.

Please pass the pesto

I rarely buy fresh basil.  I don't feel like we go through it fast enough to justify buying a big container at Trader Joes.  Since our basil plants are currently dead, or sleeping, or whatever you call a plant in the wintertime, I decided to splurge and buy the large container at Trader Joes so I could make caprese salad.  After making the salad I had a TON of basil left. Almost 2 cups of basil. The best thing I could think of to make with the leftover basil was pesto. I didn't want it to go bad and homemade pesto can last a while in the fridge. I keep mason jars on hand for instances like this one and I was excited to make a zippy delicious pesto to try in new recipes.

Pesto (for people who don't buy pine nuts)
* Traditional pesto has pine nuts but I'm a cheapo and don't like buying them. If you are rolling in cash, feel free to change the hazelnuts to pine nuts.

2c fresh basil, no stems
1/4c hazelnuts or pine nuts (Blake calls them filberts. weirdo, right?)
1/4c shredded parmesan (to save time, I just cut it into small pieces since it would end up cut in the food processor anyways)
1/8-1/4c olive oil

Add first 3 ingredients to a food processor. Blend until basil is broken up and nuts are chopped. Add about half the oil and blend again. Once the oil is incorporated, add the rest of the oil.  If the mixture is thin after the first round of oil, do not add anymore. If it's too chunky, add more oil. I like to keep my pesto pretty chunky. I don't like adding salt to the pesto because I feel like it takes away from the basil flavor. I also don't add garlic until I am actually making a recipe. Sometimes as the garlic sits in the jar, it starts to overtake all the other flavors. I like to add minced garlic in a dish as I am adding the pesto

Add pesto to eggs, pasta, vegetables or as a topping for chicken or fish. You can really try it on anything. It's quite delicious and adds a different flavor profile to proteins or vegetables.

Common cooking substitions

Since I am having some serious cooking  block right now I decided to post one of the most helpful websites I have found in a long time. I often find myself scanning this list when I need a substitution for an ingredient I either forgot at the store or just plain don't buy. I'm hoping it helps you as much as it has me.

http://allrecipes.com/howto/common-ingredient-substitutions/

Cake Cookies

One of my favorite things to make recently is cake cookies. Did you know you can make cookies out of virtually any cake mix? Instead of using 3 eggs, water and oil, cut down the eggs to 2 and only add 1/3c of oil. I have used this method to make zillions (okay, NOT zillions but a lot) of different combinations of cookies. Devils food cake with coconut oil instead of vegetable, funfetti with m&ms, red velvet with almonds and my absolute favorite devils food cake with chocolate chips. Try them!! Much easier than making cookies from scratch and the cookies turn out puffy and delicious! Bake at 350 for about 7-9 minutes. I use a melon baller to make all of the cookies uniform size.

Coconut chocolate chip muffins

I love making muffins. It is just an excuse to eat a cupcake for breakfast. These muffins are one of my favorite to make and do not last long in our house.

Coconut chocolate chip muffins
Makes about 11-12 standard size muffins

1/34c flour
1 1/2t baking powder
1/2t salt
3/4c sugar
1/3c coconut oil
1 egg
3/4c milk
1/2c chocolate chips

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips in a large bowl. The flour coats to the chocolate chips so they do not all sink to the bottom. In a smaller bowl, mix sugar, and coconut oil in a bowl then add the egg and milk. Mix quickly because the coconut oil seizes up when it's cooled. Add to flour mixture and mix well. Place in baking cups in a muffin tin and bake for about 25-30 minutes. They will not brown much but the tops will be crunchy. You will know they are finished if you touch the top and the muffin does not give.

Just pay me in pumpkin bread

A few years ago, Blake and I added my grandmother to our cell phone plan. Since we get a discount on our plan her phone ended up costing us about 6 dollars. We told her not to worry about paying us because honestly to spend the money on a stamp and an envelope to send us 6 dollars would just be ridiculous. A few months later we received a  6 pound box of pumpkin bread. And believe me, that's a lot of pumpkin bread. I love this pumpkin bread! It taste like a mix of pumpkin bread and spice cake.  I want to share the recipe hoping you would enjoy it as much as I do.

Grandma's Pumpkin Bread
Makes 3 loaves

3c sugar
1c canola oil
4 eggs
1 large can of pumpkin puree
3 1/2 c flour
2t salt
1 1/2t pumpkin pie spice or 1/2t each of nutmeg, cinnamon, and all spice
1t baking powder
2t baking soda
2/3c water

Mix sugar, oil, pumpkin and eggs in  large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl add flour, salt, spices, baking soda and baking powder. mix until combined.  Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix well. Add the water until batter resembles a thick cake mixture. Bake at 350 for about 55 minutes.

Best ever peanut butter pie

As you can see, I have not posted since Saturday. This house has been quarantined. Blake came home with a cold on Friday, passed it to Kai on Sunday and I woke up this morning with a sore throat. Lucky for me, I am able to stay home and use every trick I can to get rid of this cold. Being sick means fallback recipes for dinner that are too boring to share. Last night was lemon pepper chicken breast and a cauliflower and carrot side dish.(I know, boring). So instead of boring you with that recipe I thought I would post the most amazing peanut butter pie recipe that was given to me by a dear and wonderful patient I had. She was the most amazing lady and not a day goes by that I don't think about her kindness and her spirit. She handwrote me a recipe card and I will cherish it forever. She gave me this pie recipe after I told her about my peanut butter pie recipe that takes literally a whole day to make. Her recipe, trumped mine for many reasons. One: It actually taste like peanut butter. Two: It is quite possibly the most simple pie recipe ever. Three: YOU CAN FREEZE THE WHOLE PIE!! Please make it. Or make two. You will not regret it. Unless of course you don't like peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Pie
1/3c peanut butter
8oz cream cheese
3/4c powdered sugar
2 T milk
1 premade chocolate cookie crust
1/4c hot fudge or 1/4 nutella (optional)

Blend peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk until creamy. It works best if the ingredients are room temperature. Pour into crust and put in the fridge for a minimum of an hour.

As an added treat, I sometimes put a 1/4c of nutella or hot fudge in the crust before I put in the peanut butter mixture. Absolutely divine.

Hawaiian style boneless ribs

I love spareribs. My father used to make the most AMAZING sweet and sour spareribs. I'm sure many of you will agree with that. Honestly, I could probably eat a few pounds of them in one sitting. I've never been able to replicate that recipe but my failure of his recipe has brought me my own recipe. This crockpot recipe is simple yet delicious. I used boneless country ribs because they are meatier than spareribs and I find they absorb the sauce a lot better than the spare ribs. I Serve over rice with a green side salad. Mahalo!

Hawaiian style boneless ribs

3lbs of boneless country ribs or spareribs
1 20oz can of diced pineapple
1 1/2c brown sugar
1/4c flour
1/8c ketchup
2T soy sauce
1/4t ground ginger
1/8c-1/4c vinegar( I used rice vinegar)
2 garlic cloves, chopped

Add sugar and flour to a pot. Stir to eliminate any clumps of flour. Add the can(including juice) of pineapple to the pot and stir. Add all other ingredients to the pot and heat to medium until it boils. Once it begins to boil, the sauce will thicken. Once thickened, add sauce and ribs to the crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours. I strained the layer of fat off of the top of the sauce but if you don't feel like doing so, no biggie. 

Hard broiled egg and bacon toast

Just to clarify, this recipe is heavily based on the Pioneer Woman's 'make ahead muffins'. Believe me, this is not "culinary plagiarism. Mainly because I am not trying to claim that I am the inventor of this recipe. Infact, I'm sure her recipe was just a form of another recipe which was the form of another recipe and so on. Honestly I wanted to post this recipe because it's amazing, easy and delicious. BEWARE: If you don't like egg salad, you're probably not going to like this recipe.

Hard broiled egg and bacon toast

6 slices of cooked bacon (I bake mine in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400 for about 15 minutes.)
4-5 slices of any type of bread. (I used the English muffin bread I made a few days ago.)
6 hardboiled eggs, peeled and cooled
1/2c cheddar cheese
1T Dijon mustard
1/2c mayonnaise
1t black pepper
1 green onion, sliced

Chop hard boiled eggs and bacon into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. Add cheese, mayo, mustard and pepper. IF YOU LET THE MIXTURE SIT IN THE FRIDGE OVERNIGHT, DO NOT ADD THE GREEN ONION UNTIL THE MORNING. I like the crunch of green onion and it gets lost in the mixture if it sits overnight. Add green onion to the mix if you plan on cooking immediately.  Put bread on a cookie sheet. Slather egg mixture on toast and broil on high for about 15 minutes with the pan on the MIDDLE RACK. Check periodically to ensure the mixture does not burn. It should be brown on top but not completely burned. The cheese will melt and the mayo will brown a bit. I'm sure this recipe would be amazing with a bloody mary.

Turkey enchiladas verde

I love enchiladas but the standard beef enchiladas in red sauce gets old sometimes. Turkey enchiladas is a "healthier" twist on the old classic. I season the turkey with spices instead of the standard taco seasoning that is usually loaded with salt. Classic enchiladas are also made with corn tortillas but tonight flour tortillas will have to do. I'm sure making this adjustment makes them even less healthy than classic enchiladas.

Turkey enchiladas verde


1.25lb of ground turkey
1c frozen corn
1 small yellow onion, diced
1T chili powder
1T ground sage
1/2t garlic salt or regular salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4t cinnamon
1/4t paprika
10 soft taco size flour tortillas
1 can(the smaller can is fine) verde enchilada sauce
1 c cheddar cheese
1-2 green onions, sliced

Heat a skillet to medium with about a tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil. Add the onions and spices and sauté for  5 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook thoroughly. Once the meat is fully cooked, add corn and mix. Remove from heat and set aside. Coat the bottom and sides of an 11x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Fill each tortilla with a little less than 1/4 cup of filling and roll. Place the filled tortillas in the pan seam side down so they do not unroll. I find it's easiest once you roll the tortilla to put it in the pan counter clockwise so they do not unroll.  Continue doing so until all filling is used or you run out of tortillas. They should snuggle closely in the pan. Top with green onion and cheese. Lastly, add the can of the verde sauce on top of the onions and cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Everything is already cooked. The 30 minutes just melts the cheese and heats the sauce.

Pho!

One of my favorite dishes ever is pho, vietnemese soup. This is my fallback broth recipe. 

1 quart beef broth
1 medium onion, quartered
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
1 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
3 star anise or 1 teaspoon of the seeds
A few whole cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
A few dashes of fish sauce

In a large pot add all ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain all ingredients and add broth back to pot. We usually just add thinly sliced beef, jalapenos and wontons. You can always add cilantro, bean sprouts and many other ingredients but I like to keep it simple.

White bean soup

This soup is perfect for chilly nights and even better the following day for lunch.

White bean soup

1 small bag of white beans

1 head of kale, chopped

1 bulb of garlic

6 slices of bacon

Add beans to large pot and add about 6 cups of water. Boil beans until tender, about 1.5 hours or so. I check to make sure the all the water has not evaporated. I also keep the pot covered to cut down on cook time. 

While beans are boiling, cut the top of the whole garlic head off to expose the indivual pieces. Put on a small piece of foil and pour about 2 tablespoons of Olive oil on it to moisten it. Wrap the foil around the bulb and roast for about 40 minutes at 350. I can usually tell when it's done because you can smell the roasted garlic. Unwrap the foil to make sure it's done. It will be pretty squishy when it's done but not overly brown. When it's cooled a bit, squeeze out all the garlic into a small bowl and break it apart with a fork, it will be like a garlic paste at this point. 

Slice bacon and cook in a skillet. Set aside on a paper towel to dry. Or cook the bacon and crumble it. 

Once the beans are cooked, put the beans and about half the remaining water in a blender(I have a ninja so it can tolerate hot liquids) but if you dont have one that can tolerate liquid, use a food processor. After beans and half the water are blended and smooth, pour the mixture back in the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add roasted garlic. Add kale and simmer soup for about 20 minutes to soften the kale. Add chopped or crumbled bacon . Sometimes I will make this soup a few days ahead of time so the garlic has a chance tonreqlly soak in. As most soups are, this soup is always better the second day:) and go easy on the salt, because the bacon usually makes it pretty salty. And like the true fat kid at heart that I am, I sometimes add about 1/4 of heavy cream or whole milk at the very end before I serve it. 

Beef stew and english muffin bread

There is no greater kitchen gadget than a slow cooker. This is the second day in a row and the 3rd time in the past week that I have used the slow cooker for dinner. On tonight's menu:  Beef stew. You can't have beef stew without fresh baked bread so I made that too. I found this recipe for English muffin bread in a copy of my Better Homes and Garden cookbook. It's revised since I think the original recipe has some flaws.


Beef Stew

1lb of beef (any cut is fine)
3T butter (I will be honest, I used bacon fat. Not butter)
1/8 flour
3 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 onion, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
3 potatoes chopped
3 cups of beef broth or 3 beef bouillon and 3 cups of water
Parsley (optional)
1t salt
2t pepper


Heat a skillet to high and cut beef into pieces. Add butter(or bacon fat) to the pan. Add beef and sear off the beef. Once browned, add flour to skillet and stir. Remove from heat and wait for flour to be absorbed. The mixture will resemble wet sand. Add beef to crockpot along with all remaining ingredients.  The flour mixture will help thicken up the sauce. Cook on low for about 8 hours. Top with parsley before serving.  If sauce seems too thin, take out about 1/4 of the sauce and mix with 2T of flour and then add back to the stew. This should help thicken the sauce.


English Muffin Bread
*Makes two loaves
5-6 cups of flour
1T sugar
1/4t baking soda
2c milk
1/2c water
1t salt
4 1/2t yeast (that's 2 packages)
cornmeal(optional)

In a saucepan, add milk, water, salt and sugar. Heat over low heat until lukewarm
In a large bowl, mix 3c flour, baking soda and yeast.  add milk mixture and stir. Mix will be clumpy. Add about a cup and a half of flour. Mixture should be somewhat dry but a little sticky. Sprinkle surface with 1/2c remaining flour and turn dough onto surface. Knead flour into dough until it is no longer sticky. You may need to add more. This will take about 5 minutes. Coat two bread pans with cooking spray. I sprinkle a bit of cornmeal in the bottom to help keep it from sticking. Split bread in half and distribute between the two pans. Let rise for about and hour in a warm place.** Heat oven to 400 and bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top.

** If it's cold outside and your house it not very warm, I put the warm setting on the oven while I finish the bread and then turn it off right before I put the bread in to rise. The only flaw in doing so is you have to take the bread out and then preheat the oven. Don't worry, your bread will still be delicious.

MEGA TIP!!: As tempting as it may be to take the bread out and instantly cut yourself a piece or two, don't do it! Yeast breads need time to rest. Wait ATLEAST 20 minutes or so. It will still be yummy and warm at that point.

The bread is amazing warm and cold but is absolutely wonderful when toasted with butter and jam.

Perfect yeast dinner rolls

When I was a kid, my grandmother made the most amazingly delicious dinner rolls. I have many fond memories of eating an entire pan of these on my own. This recipe is a close second. It's a long tedious recipe but so worth it. I feel the smell of fresh baked bread is so much better than the smell of cake or cookies. That's just me though.... Maybe.

1/2 c milk
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter, melted
1/2 c warm water
2 pkgs active dry yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
4 1/2 c all purpose flour, may need a bit more or less

Scald milk and then stir in sugar, salt, and butter. Set aside and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl mix warm water and yeast. Stir until dissolved. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture, beaten eggs, and half the flour. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour gradually, mixing as you go. You may need a bit more or less than the total 4 1/2 cups. Your dough should be elastic and slightly stiff but not dry.
Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and very elastic. This usually takes 8-10 minutes. Butter the inside of a large mixing bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn dough over a couple of times to coat it all with the butter. Cover bowl and place in a warm place so it can rise. It will take about 1 hour to double in bulk. At that time punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board to shape. Pinch off about 2-3 tablespoons of dough and shape into a ball. Place each one in a buttered castiron skillet, pie pan or even a baking sheet. Cover prepared rolls and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. About another hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees when rolls are about 10 minutes from being ready for baking. When ready to bake place rolls in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Spicy pork noodles in peanut sauce

I started the night wanting to make spring rolls but, as usual, the spring roll wrappers were a flop.  So it left me with saimen noodles, carrots, thinly sliced pork and green onions, and a peanut sauce. May as well mix it all together.

 

Spicy pork noodles in peanut sauce

 

4 oz saimen noodles, cooked and cooled
2 green onions chopped
2 carrots julienned or thinly sliced
8oz thinly sliced pork loin (I used some of the pork roast I made last night. Great way to use leftovers)
1/8c chopped peanuts or cashews

 

For the sauce
1/8c peanut butter
1/4 c soy sauce
2T corn starch
4T sesame seeds
3T hoisen sauce
Red pepper flakes. Tread lightly

 

Mix sauce ingredients and set aside.  Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
Heat a large pan or a wok on medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add sauce to pan and then add noodle mix. Mix with tongs until warmed through. Usually takes only a few minutes.

 

 

Honey mustard pork roast

I love pork. I love pork even more when the recipe has only a few ingredients.  I used to cook our pork loins for so long it ended up being pork jerky. Cook to an internal temp of 145. This recipe is simple and can be eaten anytime of the year if you have a BBQ. It might be a little cold outside but what better time to use the BBQ? I'm sure you can cook the roast in the oven but I'm not positive on cook time. I'm sure the temperature would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 375.

Honey Mustard pork roast

one 3lb pork loin roast
1/2c mayonnaise
2t dry ground mustard
1t salt
1t pepper
1/4c honey


Mix mayo, mustard, salt, pepper and honey in a small bowl. Let sit for about 10+ minutes. I usually make the marinade and then prep the pork. Set aside about 1/4 of the marinade and use the remaining marinade to rub all over the roast. Sometimes I use a sharp knife to poke small holes so the marinade can get deep into the pork. Let pork rest with marinade for about 30 minutes. This is a good time to heat the BBQ to high heat (around 600-700). BBQ pork for 20 minutes on one side. Flip pork over and spread 1/2 the remaining marinade on the pork. Wait ten minutes and then add the rest of the marinade and cook for about 10 more minutes. Remove pork when it is about 145 internal temperature and cover it with foil. Let rest for about 10 minutes. This is very important! All the juices will run out if you cut the roast too quickly.

I served the pork roast with roasted Kale and green salad.

 

Apple cinnamon soy pancakes

Recently I have been experimenting with baked goods. Trying to make them with higher fiber, high protein and lower carbohydrates. I find it entirely too difficult to give up carbohydrates all together so tweeking a recipe has made it possible to enjoy certain foods without taking the "goods" away in baked goods. This morning I made soy flour pancakes as a substitute to the oh so delicious bisquick pancakes. I'll admit, I was skeptical seeing they contain about 2.5g of fiber and 7g of protein in one 4 inch pancake. These may not be as fluffy as regular pancakes but for what they lack in fluff, they make up in flavor. As you will notice, I did not take a picture. My pancakes were gone in less than 5 minutes. Not.kidding.

Apple cinnamon pancakes
Makes about 7-8 four inch pancakes

3 eggs
1/2c soy flour
1 6oz container of greek yogurt-apple cinnamon flavor or really any berry or plain would work.
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1T olive oil
1 1/2 T flaxseed ground
1/8 t salt

Mix eggs, yogurt and olive oil in a large bowl. Add soy flour, baking powder flaxseed and salt to the bowl and mix until combined. Heat a griddle on LOW(this is very important. Soy flour burns quickly and would char the pancakes if you cook them too high. Plus they will be runny in the middle) Cook the pancakes over low for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Keep flip flopping the pancakes until they are cooked in the center. Serve as sweet pancakes with butter and syrup or as savory (if you used plain yogurt) with ricotta or cream cheese.

Crispy Kale

Tonight was an easy night. Steaks, salad and kale. Let's be honest, no one needs a recipe to make a green salad. Steak was easy. BBQ to medium rare. No excitement there.  On to the kale. I love kale. Braised, kale salad and my all time favorite, roasted kale. I have heard from multiple people that roasted kale is one of the most difficult side dishes to make correctly.  A few things can go wrong. too much oil, blackened kale, heat too high, etc.  My fool proof recipe for crispy kale never fails. Sometimes I even jazz it up by squeezing lemon on after it cooks. oooo-aaaaa....

Crispy kale-makes to large servings or 3-4 servings.

1 head of kale
2T olive oil
Salt
Lemon (optional)


Heat oven to 350
Line a baking sheet with foil.Cut or rip leaves off the kale eliminating the rib. I find it easier to just pull the leaves off. Put kale leaves in a large bowl and add olive oil and coat the leaves. Mix it with your hands insuring the leaves are covered evenly. ad a TOUCH of salt. DO NOT OVER SALT! They will taste awful! I sometimes omit the salt. Spread the leaves on to the baking sheet in one layer and roast for about 20 minutes. Leaves should be crispy but not brown. Remove from oven and enjoy!! Don't make leftovers. They don't taste very good cold.

Sweet and spicy pinto beans

Blake often laughs when I try to make a recipe the same way twice. We have had pinto beans and rice about a handful of times and they never end up the same way. I rarely use recipes so it's hard to make the same dish more than once. Lucky for me, and for you, I am writing it down this time. Note: This recipe take about 2 hours to make. I'm sure you could soak the beans overnight to cut down on cook time but who really remembers to do that the night before?

Sweet and spicy pinto beans
Makes about 8 servings

16oz bag of dried pinto beans
1 meaty ham hock. ( we used the bone from our Christmas ham that I froze) If you cant get your hands on  hambone, 1 cup of ham cubes would do.
1 jalapeno, NO SEEDS! Finely diced
1 medium brown or white onion, diced or thinly sliced
1 green pepper, diced
1/4c ketchup
1/8c apricot jam, or orange or even honey
salt and pepper to taste
tabasco sauce for extra heat

Add 2 quarts of water to a dutch oven or large pot. Add beans, ham hock, jalapeno, and onion. Turn heat to medium high and wait for mix to boil. Once it begins to boil, lower heat to low to medium low and put on a lid. Simmer for about an hour. After an hour, add green pepper, ketchup, jam and salt and pepper. Stir.  Put lid back on and simmer for about another hour.  The water mixture should begin to thicken. I check the beans often just to make sure all of the liquid hasn't boiled out. After about two hours, remove lid and stir the mixture to make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Add more liquid if too thick and boil for longer if the liquid seems too runny.  Cook until beans are fork tender. I usually eat these beans over rice or cornbread.