Archive
Purple Goodness in a Glass
Around our house, smoothies make a quick, healthy breakfast, lunch, snack, or dessert. We pick blueberries every summer at MaryMac Farms and then freeze the berries for use year-round. Smoothies are one of our favorite ways to enjoy the berries. This smoothie recipe can be a base for other smoothies – add some extra frozen bananas, peaches, strawberries, or cherries. Yes, we keep all of those in our freezer!
Helpful hint: We also have lots of bags with little cubes of things in the freezer. When we have extra yogurt, fruit juice, wine, pesto, lemon juice, fresh herbs, apple cider, and tomato paste, I freeze it in ice cube trays. Then pop them out and store them in resealable bags.
- Yogurt: I like to buy large containers of organic Greek yogurt, but we never seem to finish it. The cubes are perfect for smoothies. Frozen flavored yogurt cubes make good mini popsicles (just add a toothpick when it is almost frozen).
- Fruit juice: We usually don’t finish a bottle of juice either. Hate to waste it, so it gets frozen. Perfect for smoothies or depending on the juice, great in iced tea!
- Wine: Leftover wine doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, I freeze it. The wine cubes are perfect for finishing up a sauce or gravy.
- Pesto: When the basil in the garden is going crazy, I make pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays. Oil the trays first for easy removal. Just thaw a cube and toss with fresh, hot pasta or mixed vegetables.
- Lemon juice: When I make limoncello, I have almost 4 cups of lemon juice! There’s just so much fresh lemonade we can drink. So, I freeze some in ice cube trays and some in larger containers for making lemon bars.
- Fresh herbs: To freeze fresh herbs (like basil, parsley, chives, and mint), just rinse, snip if they are large, place in an ice cube tray, fill the tray half full with water, freeze, fill trays with water, freeze, and then store them in resealable bags. If you initially fill the trays with water, the herbs tend to float and they might get freezer-burned. This method, though it takes more time, prevents freezer damage to the herbs. Another method is to freeze fresh herbs in olive oil.
- Apple cider: We get local apple cider from Scott’s and then freeze some in cubes for drinking hot in the winter. It is also great with tea (hot and iced). And sometimes I eat the cubes in the summer, another popsicle-like treat.
- Tomato paste: Freezing is great when you need just a little tomato paste and have leftovers from the can. It is much cheaper to buy cans of tomato paste than those little tubes. Oil the trays before filling to hopefully prevent them from staining.
Blueberry Banana Smoothie
1 banana (fresh or frozen)
1 cup frozen blueberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup juice (I used tangerine, cranberry, apple, orange, etc. juice is fine too)
¾ cup plain yogurt or kefir (any kind works – soy, coconut, regular)
Optional add-ins: protein powder, dash of cinnamon, ground flax seeds, shredded coconut, (ice cubes if you use fresh fruit, I like the cold), flax seed oil, almond butter, ginger, cayenne, etc.
Pour contents into blender container. Cover with the lid (otherwise you might end up with purple goodness all over the place!). Blend until smooth and purple. Enjoy!
Servings: 2 snack-sized servings or 1 meal-sized serving
Date Nut Bars
I have been sick for the past week, so I’m a little slow with posting. Haven’t really felt much like cooking or eating either. However, now I’m taking medicine that must be taken on a full stomach. I’m not a huge fan of eating in the morning. I love breakfast foods, but there is something about eating them early in the morning that is unappealing. I get this honestly from my mom. Having these tasty date nut bars around should make it easier to eat in the morning so I can take my medicine.
This is another adaptable recipe. You can make them wheat-free or vegan. If you don’t like walnuts, use pecans or another nut. Not a fan of pumpkin seeds, then just use sunflower seeds. Want real butter or coconut oil instead of canola oil, go for it. If you want them for dessert or a snack bar, feel free to add a few chocolate, carob, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips. Don’t want to grind flax seeds? You can use sesame seeds or whole flax seeds. You can add other spices – ginger, cloves, or cardamom. If you love vanilla, you can add that too. Ok, I’ll stop now; you get the point.
I included substitutions in parentheses for most of the ingredients. Don’t let that limit you though. This is a fun, easy recipe, so play around with it…
Date Nut Bars
Dry ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats, not instant or quick
¼ cup gluten-free flour blend (or regular flour)
¼ cup maple sugar crystals (or date sugar or brown sugar is fine)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie or apple pie spice blend)
pinch of salt
¼ cup ground flax seeds (or whole flax seeds or sesame seeds)
1 cup walnuts, chopped (or almonds or pecans or hazelnuts or cashews)
½ cup dried raisins (or cranberries or cherries)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut (or shredded sweetened coconut or coconut chips)
Wet ingredients:
½ cup dried dates (or dried apricots or dried figs)
⅓ cup canola oil (or butter, coconut oil, or vegetable oil)
¼ cup peanut butter (or almond butter or cashew butter)
¼ cup maple syrup (or honey or agave or golden syrup or molasses)
3 tablespoons hot water
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Combine the dates, oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and hot water in a food processor. Process until it is a thick paste. Pour this date mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Press into a parchment or foil lined 9”x13” pan (I sometimes use a rolling-pin to make sure it is pressed down firmly). Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Carefully lift the parchment or foil to remove the bars from the pan. Cool on racks. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cooking with Food Sensitivities
The next few posts will likely deal with my battle against food allergies. However, I have been told by some doctors that I do not technically have food allergies, they are merely food sensitivities. Either way, they are not pleasant. This is a long post, apologies in advance.
My fight against food sensitivities started about 10 years ago. I found myself weighing over 200 pounds. I’m not a tall person, right at 5’5” if I really stretch. I was heavy, unhealthy, and unhappy. I tried dieting and exercising, but only lost one pound in four weeks. I had other health issues (hives, itching rashes, etc.) and suspected I might have food allergies. I went to my family doc and was referred to an allergist. Long story short…it was discovered that I was allergic to several molds, grasses, trees, pollen, pet dander, and dust. However, I only had mild food allergies to fish, peanuts, wheat. and oranges.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a medical professional; please do not take anything I write as medical advice. This is simply my experience with food allergies/sensitivities, a book recommendation, and a recipe. Please talk to your doctor before starting a new diet. Thank you and now back to the blog post…
After eliminating fish, peanuts, and oranges from my diet, I was still having reactions – rashes, stomach issues, joint pain, hives, itching, sinus issues, and no weight loss. A friend, who is also a physician assistant, suggested I read The False Fat Diet by Dr. Elson Haas. This book changed my life!! Haas mentions that people are often sensitive to seven common foods: 1) wheat, 2) cow’s milk products, 3) sugar, 4) corn, 5) eggs, 6) soy, and 7) peanuts. Other common food allergens include: chocolate, tomatoes, oranges, shellfish, yeast, oats, potatoes, MSG, and aspartame.
To determine food sensitivities, you can try an elimination diet, have a blood test, or have a skin test. I tried the skin test and didn’t have success with it. I tried the elimination diet but could not pinpoint my food sensitivities, so I tried the blood test. A few weeks later, I got the results in the mail. The lab results were not good: I was highly sensitive to six of the seven foods! I was also sensitive to several other foods, including one of my favorites – tomatoes!
I decided to change my life, eliminate those foods, and improve my health. I eliminated all the troublesome foods and a few others – wheat, dairy, sugar, corn, eggs, soy, peanuts, oranges, yeast, tomatoes, buckwheat, hazelnuts, MSG, aspartame, alcohol, and food colorings. Did I mention that I was a vegetarian at the time? Well, I was. But I added a little fish, poultry, and pork to my diet so I would have more variety. I also followed a rotation diet. I would eat a given food as much as I wanted in a 24-hour period and then not eat it again for several days. This can be tough, not many people like salads for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! It took some getting used to, but I did it. It also took lots of meal planning; I even had charts and spreadsheets. Did I mention I’m a bit of a nerd?
Before, During, and After Photos:
I followed this diet for about 8 months and increased my exercise. During this time, I lost over 75 pounds and got down to 125 pounds. That was probably a bit too skinny for me; I didn’t feel as healthy at 125 as I did at 130 or even 135 pounds. For the most part, I kept the weight off for many years. I would fluctuate between 128-138 pounds. I generally just avoided my reactive foods (particularly eggs, soy, wheat, dairy, and corn). My healthy lifestyle fell apart when I took a job that included travel and long work hours. I got lazy with meal planning, was less active, and put on weight.
Fast forward a few years to the present. I’ve had some different health issues, not been as active as I could, and my weight is up to its highest in several years. In January, I was at 160 pounds. So I joined a Scale Back Alabama weight-loss team with three friends. The goal is to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks. I would like to lose more. So far, in the first month, I’ve lost 7 pounds. I gave up wheat last week and I think that will help the weight loss. Doubt I will go totally allergy free, but I will go back to limiting my reactive foods, and become more active (my broken toe and torn up knee are not 100% but I can still walk, swim, do yoga, and go to the gym). No more excuses! The Flaming Pot Holder will likely show the diet changes. But then again, I might also post one of my favorite recipes (chock-full of allergens), because I’ve learned that occasional splurges are ok.
Oven-baked sweet potato chips are one of my favorite snacks. They are delicious, allergy free, and cover many of my snack requirements – crispy, slightly chewy, salty, and sweet. Hope you like them…
Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Chips
2 medium sweet potatoes
1-2 tablespoons oil (canola, olive, coconut, sunflower, or vegetable oil)
Kosher salt or flake salt (I like coarse salt in this recipe, but regular salt is fine too)
Preheat oven to 400º degrees F. Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes. I keep the peel because it’s one of my favorite parts, but feel free to peel them if you prefer. Slice the sweet potatoes into thin rounds (I use a slicer, but a knife works fine too, just keep the slices uniform).
Toss the sweet potato slices in a bowl with some oil. Arrange slices in a single layer on a greased baking/cooling rack, placed on top of a cookie sheet (so it catches any drips). If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just arrange the sweet potato slices on a cookie sheet (place it in the oven while it is preheating so it is hot, then you can get a bit more crispness out of the chips). Just be careful so you don’t burn yourself, I’ve done that way too many times.
Sprinkle the sweet potato slices with salt (optional, you can also make them salt-free). Place in the oven and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes over, sprinkle with more salt (if you want). Cook until crispy, about 7 more minutes. Depending on your oven temperature, the thickness of the slices, etc. it might take baking up to 10 minutes per side. These chips can burn quickly, it is a good to keep an eye on they while they are cooking. It took me a few batches to keep from burning them (though it still happens occasionally).
Post 8/13 – Caramel Panna Cotta
I made this for our anniversary dinner this week. It received high marks from both of us. Will make this again next week for the Italian Dinner we are hosting for a church fund-raiser. We have some vegetarian guests and guests with pork allergies, so we’ll also serve another dessert. If you are making this for vegetarians or people with pork allergies, please tell them about the gelatin. There are sources for Kosher and fish-based gelatin that might be preferable. There is also seaweed-based gelatin (agar-agar) that I would like to try one day. Then, I’d attempt a vegan version with soy or coconut milk.
The recipe seems long and complex, sorry about that. Not sure how to simplify it. In a nutshell, you are: heating sugar, making a caramel by adding cream, then adding softened gelatin, vanilla, and salt. In my experience, panna cotta seems simple, but it can actually be a bit tricky. So I tried to explain it with probably more details than I should. Oh well, here goes…
Caramel Panna Cotta
2¼-2½ teaspoons powdered gelatin which is one envelope Knox gelatin (or 2½ gelatin sheets*)
¼ cup cold water
½ cup sugar
2 cups cream (if you warm it first, it is less likely to seize when added to the sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste** (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean)
pinch of salt***
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then stir. If you use half-anf-half, it will probably look clumpy, almost like cottage cheese, but it will be fine since the lumps will melt once added to the caramel mixture.
Spread the sugar in a HEAVY bottomed, large pot. Make sure it is evenly distributed. Heat on medium until it turns a light amber color. Do not stir! This is difficult for me, because I want to stir it, but know it is a bad idea (it can get clumpy)! If it looks like the sugar is not melting evenly, you can tilt and swirl the pan. Take care to keep it from burning; you might need to lower the heat.
Once the sugar is completely melted, slowly pour in the warm cream (be careful, it can bubble up and burn you). Mix well, with a long-handled wooden spoon or long-handle whisk. If the caramel happens to seize (turns into a big glob of caramel), don’t panic. Just stir it over low heat until the caramel melts. Then stir in the softened gelatin/water mixture, the vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt.
Pour the panna cotta mixture through a sieve into a large glass pitcher or measuring cup. Place this container in an ice water bath to help chill the mixture. You might want to cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap so water doesn’t get in it. Use a pitcher or container with a spout to makes\ it easier to pour the panna cotta into martini glasses or other individual-sized glasses. You can also pour it into a regular serving dish (4-cup capacity) and serve it family style. Refrigerate for about 3 hours or until set. If you don’t use the water bath, it can take longer to set, up to 6 hours.
Optional Chocolate Sauce & Finishing Salt Garnish:
3½ ounces dark chocolate, chopped (or use milk chocolate if you prefer)
4 ounces cream or half-and-half
1 teaspoon espresso powder (or instant coffee), optional
pinch of finishing salt***
A traditional method is to heat the cream in a double boiler and then pour it over the chopped chocolate. This messes up multiple dishes and take more time…so here’s the Katie Way:
Heat the cream in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Stir in the chopped chocolate and the espresso powder. Presto – chocolate sauce!
Drizzle the sauce over the panna cotta, sprinkle with a pinch of flake salt, and serve!
A few notes:
*Gelatin sheets: Have been around for a long time, but I’ve never used them. They are not easy to find in Alabama. You can order them online, but I never felt the need to do so. However, when I was at Dean and Deluca in NYC, I bought some. I used them for the first time this week. They are cool. They are not a requirement in this recipe, powdered gelatin works fine. However, if you can find the gelatin sheets, I would use them.
If you are using gelatin sheets: soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes and then squish out all the water before adding to the caramel mixture. Everything else is the same.
**Vanilla bean paste: is an awesome ingredient to have on hand. In Huntsville, you can get it at Earth Fare, The Fresh Market, or Williams-Sonoma. You can also order it online. I use Nielsen-Massey brand. It is a thick vanilla paste with lots of real vanilla seeds. It is not cheap, but it is less expensive than whole vanilla beans. For a recipe like this, it is perfect. Gives the same nice taste with the pretty flecks of vanilla seeds. Regular vanilla extract works fine too.
***Salt: I used Murray River Pink Flake Salt. To me, it is not as salty as Maldon Sea Salt. Regular Kosher salt also works. Or, you can leave it out if you want to watch your sodium intake. I like the salty-sweet combo.
Post 5/13 – Cheese Soufflé with Spinach
Today Matt and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary. It’s been an adventure so far. Glad I married a man who likes to cook almost as much as I do. For New Year’s Eve, we cooked dinner together…he made individual Cheese Soufflés with Spinach and I made the Panettone French Toast from a recent post. The meal was awesome but the best part was hanging out together. Wow, that sounds kinda goofy, but it’s true.
This was Matt’s first time making a soufflé and it was great! He wasn’t sure about baking them in individual ramekins, but it worked. They could’ve been a bit poofier (Is this a word?). Maybe using three ramekins instead of four would’ve made them
taller. Either way, poofy or not so poofy, they were good!
Possible variations: Using aged yellow Cheddar instead of the extra sharp white Cheddar. A pinch of dried mustard powder might be a nice addition. Also, I wonder if it would work with chopped broccoli instead of the spinach? The broccoli might be too heavy and the result might be more like a frittata. Bet it would still be good. I might try this one day, when it’s just us and not company. After reading the draft, Matt mentioned maybe using Gruyère and caramelized onions instead of Cheddar and Spinach. Many possibilities.
Here’s the recipe…
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or use ½ teaspoon Penzeys’ Black & Red instead of the cayenne and black pepper)
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
4 extra-large egg yolks, at room-temperature*
½ cup grated extra sharp white Cheddar
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature*
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
For greasing the dish(es):
Unsalted butter and freshly grated Parmesan (quantities deepened on how many ramekins you use.)
Preheat the oven to 400º degrees F. Liberally butter the inside of a 6 to 8-cup soufflé dish (or 3 to 4 10-ounce ramekins) and sprinkle the bottom and sides evenly with Parmesan. This step is important, otherwise…the cheese gives the soufflé something to cling to as it rises and it makes it easier to clean.
Make the white sauce base…melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Use a wire whisk and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the hot milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Cheddar, ¼ cup of Parmesan, and the spinach. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl (one that is not hot).
Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low for 1 minute, increase to medium and beat 1 minute, then beat on high until you get firm, glossy peaks (another 2-3 minutes).
Stir about a quarter of the egg whites into the cheese mixture. This will lighten the mixture and make folding in the remaining egg whites easier. Slowly and carefully, fold in the rest of the egg whites. This is where patience pays off. Use care when folding the mixture or you could deflate it. Pour into the soufflé dish(es), smooth the top, and then use a spatula or spoon to draw circle on top, this helps it rise evenly. Carefully place it on the middle rack of the oven. Close the oven door and then turn the temperature down to 375º degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until poofy and golden brown. This is not a time to use the Katie Cookie Technique to open the oven, whack the sheet. Keep the oven closed, you can peek through the window. It is pretty cool to watch it get poofy. Serve it immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers. They are good the next day for breakfast (even cold or you can heat it up). The texture isn’t quite the same but it still tastes great.
*The eggs must be at room temperature. It usually takes several hours to bring them to the right temperature (sometimes overnight). If the eggs are cold and you are ready to make the dish, you can quickly bring them up to temperature by putting the whole eggs (shells included) in a bowl and pour hot water over them. They usually warm quickly, in about 10 minutes.
Post 4/13 – Snickerdoodles
I love baking cookies during the holidays, but I think sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies are labor intensive. I enjoy making the cookie dough, but finishing the cookies isn’t my favorite part. With all the rolling, choosing cookie cutters, frosting them, and decorating, it takes time (Did I mention that I get bored easily and tend to bounce from task to task?!? Well, I do.) This year, we dialed down the holidays so I decided to try an easier cookie – snickerdoodles. Granted, I’d never made them before, but thought it was worth a try. Years ago, my friend Christine Teague gave me her Grandmother’s snickerdoodle recipe. I made a few changes to her original recipe: substituted butter for the shortening, added a bit more spice to the cookie dough, and added some vanilla. They were delicious!
Possible vegan option: I haven’t tried this yet, but I think you could use vegetable shortening and an egg substitute and these would be fine as a vegan option. Ah, so much cooking and experimenting to do, so little time!
Here’s the tweaked recipe, hope you like them:
1 cup softened butter
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, optional
¼ teaspoon cinnamon (or apple or pumpkin pie spice), optional
For rolling:
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Chill the dough. While the dough is chilling, mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Form the dough into balls about the size of walnuts and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Preheat oven to 350º degrees F. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and flatten slightly with your hand, a glass, something (this will make a crisper cookie)*. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks.
*I have a strange technique when making ball cookies or drop cookies…I really like crisp, flat cookies. So, not only do I flatten the balls but I also open the oven mid-way through cooking, pick up the cookie sheet (using a handy-dandy pot holder), and whack the cookie sheet on the oven rack so the cookies deflate. I know, you aren’t supposed to open the oven, but I’ve been doing it since I was a kid and some habits are too hard to change (and Matt says it works!).
Post 3/13 – Indian Lentils and Rice
This is my go-to meal of choice. It is similar to an Indian spicy and savory pongal. It is quick, economical, healthy, tasty, and versatile! It can be vegan, and it freezes well. All in all, one of our favorite dishes at the Smith-Jordan house. A few notes:
Fresh Curry Leaves: The recipe calls for fresh curry leaves, they are important to the dish. However, you probably don’t have fresh curry leaves in your refrigerator. Luckily, you can find them at your local Indian or Asian market. They are typically stored in the refrigerated section. It is best to keep them refrigerated, since they tend to oxidize and turn black. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 5 days if left on the stem. The bags of leaves can be large, so I usually freeze the leftover leaves (removed from the stem) in a re-sealable plastic bag. They aren’t quite as pungent when thawed, but they maintain their unique flavor that is essential to the dish.
Curry powder: It does not come from curry leaves. Curry powder is actually a generic term for a blend of several different spices. My former boss ( I miss her) told me that families in India each have their own unique blend.
Ghee: Clarified butter, it is a staple in many Indian recipes. You can make your own or you can buy it. Locally, Garden Cove and Earth Fare usually carry glass jars of organic clarified butter.
Trivia time and random factoids are over, now time for the recipe…
½ cup red lentils (or yellow split peas (chana dal) or moong dal)
2 cups rice (basmati is more flavorful, but delicate, jasmine rice works well)
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut (not sweetened baking coconut)
6 cups water
¼ cup ghee or oil (coconut, safflower, or any oil of your choice)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon turmeric (heaping)
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground (or you can use Black & Red from Penzeys)
12-16 fresh curry leaves, thinly sliced with a few left whole for garnish
pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
Optional garnishes: thinly sliced hot peppers. additional whole fresh curry leaves, plain yogurt, lime pickles, chopped cashews or almonds, golden raisins, or toasted coconut
If you use split peas or large lentils, cover with water, let soak for 20 minutes, and then rinse. Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs clear.
In a large saucepan, combine the lentils, rice, coconut, and water. Cover, bring to a boil, stir a few times, then lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, while the rice is cooking, heat a small sauté pan on medium heat. Toast the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, turmeric, salt, black pepper, peppers, and curry leaves in the ghee or oil. Heat the mixture for about 2-5 minutes, until very aromatic. Watch and stir frequently because it can burn quickly. Set aside. When rice/lentil mixture is cooked, gently stir in the spice mixture. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, a few whole curry leaves, and it’s ready to serve.
Note: It is delicious as it is, but I’ve been thinking about making a few changes…upping the lentil quantity to 1 full cup and increasing the water to 6½ cups. I think the addition of more lentils might make it a heartier dish. Also, I’m thinking about adding some grated ginger. Not certain how the ginger would play with the curry leaves, so I might omit the curry leaves.
Post 2/13 – Hot Buttered Rum Toddy
This is a nice hot beverage, perfect for cold winter nights, like the ones we’ve had recently. One of the versatile things about this recipe is that it can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It is completely adaptable! Leave out the rum and then let everyone customize his or her own drink. It also makes a nice addition to coffee! Added bonus: it makes the house smell great while it is cooking away in the crock pot. We made a few batches over the holidays and kept it in Mason jars in the refrigerator. It looks a little weird with the floating butter beads, but it heats up fine.
2 cups dark brown sugar (light brown sugar works too, but the color isn’t as pretty)
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cinnamon sticks or a small handful of cinnamon chunks (I love Penzeys!)*
6 whole cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 quarts hot water
16 ounces gold or spiced rum (brandy would probably also work)
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, optional
Extra cinnamon sticks, optional garnish
Combine the brown sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and hot water in a 5-quart crock pot. Cover and cook on low for about 4-6 hours. Ladle into mugs and add rum to taste. For an extra decadent toddy, add a small dollop of whipped cream with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg.
*If you do not have cinnamon sticks or chunks, I think ground cinnamon would also work. Start with ¼ teaspoon, taste, and add more as needed.
Post 1/13 – Panettone French Toast
January 6th has different meanings for different folks. For some, it signifies the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and is a holy Christian festival. For others, it means it is time to take down the tree and burn the Christmas greens. Some take a humorous view of Epiphany and use it as a time for the Great Fruitcake Toss. A cheeky way to close out the holidays by lobbing fruitcakes at people dressed like kings for a food bank fundraiser in Manitou Springs, CO. In many countries, it is a chance for children to get gifts in their socks or shoes. In parts of the Southern United States, Epiphany is the start of Carnival season. Love the internet!
For me personally, epiphany is about revelations. Specifically, revelations about this blog…I am a bad blogger. I’ve hinted at it before, but it is true. I sometimes get intimidated by a blank page, especially a blank computer screen, and I almost always dislike rejection. Ok, I always dislike rejection. I submitted a blog post to two professional sites and they were rejected. The reason: because the photography was not up to their standard, the composition was “too tight.” It seems their standards are very subjective. I could’ve submitted them again, but I just let it go, and haven’t put myself out there. Then, I realized that this blog is not a means for me to be published, it is a way to share recipes and little stories with friends and family. These stories and recipes might one day become a self-published cookbook, but that’s not even the real goal. Connecting and sharing my love of cooking is the goal.
I am testing new recipes and working on my photography. I used an Amazon birthday gift certificate to buy a food photography book and a recipe-writing book. Yes, there are books about these specific topics, actually lots of books. I narrowed it down to these two titles: Food Photography – From Snapshots to Great Shots and The Recipe Writer’s Handbook. Both are good books. Also, I bought a new tripod for only $6 at our church’s recent fundraising auction! That has helped tremendously with my photos, still need to work on composition and styling, but at least they aren’t quite as blurry.
I don’t really make New Year’s resolution, but I do have goals. This year, one of my goals is to write 50 blog entries. I will kick-start my goal with a Baker’s Dozen Blitz of Blog posts! Yep, 13 posts in 13 days, starting today.
Speaking about resolutions…I know most folks make resolutions to eat healthier, lose weight, etc. in the New Year. Sorry, but many of these first recipes are not very healthy. Several are dishes I cooked over the holidays and used them to practice my food photography. More healthy recipes will be coming soon.
Post 1/13 – Panettone French Toast
This is a perfect recipe for using leftover Panettone and Eggnog. We had both ingredients available after our holiday festivities. Thought it might be a good idea to combine the two. Luckily, it worked.
1 lb. loaf panettone bread, parchment paper removed
6 large eggs
1½ cups eggnog (or milk, cream, half & half – any combination)
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon of vanilla (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Trim the bottom crust from the panettone. Use a serrated knife to cut the loaf into ¾ inch thick slices. If you slice it crosswise, you get nice rounds that can be cut into two. Thought of this too late and sliced it like a regular loaf of bread. The slices weren’t as pretty but they tasted fine!
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the eggnog (or milk, cream, ½ & ½) and beat until frothy. If you want, whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Butter a large nonstick griddle over medium heat. Dip slices of panettone into the egg mixture, turning to allow both sides to absorb the custard. Grill the soaked panettone slices until they are golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. You can keep the French toast warm, in a low, preheated oven, while you grill the rest of the panettone.
Serve with a little extra butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar, if you want. Otherwise, they are delicious plain.
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!
Confession: I LOVE ice cream…I always have. When I was a kid, didn’t really care much for the cake, but I was all about the ice cream. As an adult, I still feel the same. A few years ago, a friend hosted a birthday dinner for me. For dessert, we had four different kinds of ice cream (no cake). It was awesome. My favorite ice cream that night was Dove Butter Pecan with Chocolate Ganache. I don’t think they make that flavor anymore, so I’ve attempted to re-create it. This is close; it even has an added salty element.
To help with my cooking endeavors, Matt bought us a Cuisinart ice cream freezer. Ever since, I’ve been experimenting with different frozen desserts. So far, I’ve made sorbet, frozen yogurt, and ice cream. The best, by far, has been this salted pecan butterscotch ice cream. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Salted Pecan Butterscotch Ice Cream:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed)
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cup heavy cream
1½ cup whole milk (I substituted 1 cup half and half with a ½ cup water)
6 egg yolks*
½ teaspoon vanilla (generous ½ teaspoon)
Pour 1 cup of the cream into a 1 quart Pyrex measuring container or a medium bowl. Set a chinoise or sieve over the top (I prefer the Pyrex measuring container because it has a spout and makes it easier to pour the base it into the ice cream freezer). Prepare an ice bath in a larger bowl (I use my large KitchenAid mixing bowl or the sink). Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the dark brown sugar and the salt and whisk until smooth. Whisk in remaining ¼ cup heavy cream and the milk. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl.
When the milk and sugar mixture is hot, pour a small amount into the egg yolks while whisking the yolks constantly. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pan and whisk together. Heat until the mixture thickens into a custard-like consistency (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon).
Pour through the sieve into the bowl with the remaining cream. Add the vanilla and whisk together. Cool by placing the bowl into the ice bath or cold water, being careful not to let any water get into the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, touching the surface, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Churn the ice cream according to your machine’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the buttered pecans.
*Note: If you don’t want to deal with the leftover egg whites, you can use three whole eggs. It does not produce the same rich and creamy ice cream, but it is still delicious.
Salted Butter Pecans:
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cup pecan halves
¼ teaspoon sea salt (Kosher or Maldon flake are also good)
Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Melt the butter in a medium frying pan. When melted remove from the heat and toss in the pecans, stirring so they are coated. Sprinkle the salt over the top and stir again. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once in the middle. Cool pecan before chopping them into pieces. I usually keep a few “pretty” ones for garnish.
Magic Dark Chocolate Shell:
4 oz of dark chocolate, roughly chopped+
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Place chocolate and coconut oil in a Mason jar or other heat-proof bowl. You can heat it two ways: 1) In a double-boiler over water on medium high heat, stirring frequently until melted or 2) Use a microwave. Heat it 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until fully melted.
Store in air-tight container in the refrigerator. Heat in microwave for 20 seconds before use or re-heat it in a double-boiler.
+Note: I used Trader Joe’s bittersweet. You can use milk or semisweet chocolate, whatever you prefer.
Variation:
For something different, you can use roasted salted mixed nuts (macadamia, pecan, and/or almonds are delicious), with toasted coconut and chocolate flakes.
The Flaming Pot Holder 