1 T canola oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 t caraway seeds
1 t thyme
2 1/2 cup frozen green bell peppers/onions
1 medium Golden Delicious apple - unpeeled & diced
6 cup beef broth
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 T honey
1 T paprika
3 cup coarsely chopped Savoy cabbage
1-2 T cider vinegar
1/4 t salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat oil over medium heat. Add beef, caraway and thyme; cook until beef is mostly browned. Add peppers, onions and apples and stir 2-3 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes, honey, and paprika and bring to a gentle boil. Cook 8-10 minutes. Stir in cabbage and cook 3-4 minutes until just tender. Season with vinegar and salt/pepper.
This is a recipe from Eating Well on a Budget. This was less beefy than I'd like, although I did substitute 2 of the cups of broth with water because that's what I had, and I should have added some beef soup base to make up for it. Also it was too astringent for me. I added both tablespoons of vinegar without tasting a smaller amount. I couldn't eat it as was, so I strained out all the chunky stuff and saved the broth. I used the broth as the liquid to make rice and mixed it in Texas Hash style (I should post that recipe sometime). It turned out pretty edible, as the starch soaked up some of the acidic tang. There's a good chance I'll try this again, following more closely.
This is the sort of thing I do often, especially since I like to try new recipes. Sometimes, it's not something you really like, but you can eat the one batch and never make it again. Sometimes you can salvage part of it. I hate throwing out food since there are lots of people who would love to have it, so I only do so if I truly cannot find a way to make the dish edible to me.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Apple Pear Cucumber Salad
2 T whole grain mustard
2 t dill
4 T cider vinegar
pinch brown sugar
4 T olive oil
2 crisp apples, unpeeled
1 firm pear, unpeeled
1 English cucumber
1 small or 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
Combine mustard, dill, vinegar, sugar, and olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Slice apples, pears and cucumber into thin slices. Combine all and toss well.
This is probably best after about 30 minutes of making and storing in the fridge, but it did hold over well for about 3 days. Much longer and it might have become soggy. For the apples and pear I quartered them and cut off the core, then cut the slices crosswise.
2 t dill
4 T cider vinegar
pinch brown sugar
4 T olive oil
2 crisp apples, unpeeled
1 firm pear, unpeeled
1 English cucumber
1 small or 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
Combine mustard, dill, vinegar, sugar, and olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Slice apples, pears and cucumber into thin slices. Combine all and toss well.
This is probably best after about 30 minutes of making and storing in the fridge, but it did hold over well for about 3 days. Much longer and it might have become soggy. For the apples and pear I quartered them and cut off the core, then cut the slices crosswise.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Sugared Pecans
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 dash salt
4 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in sugar and salt, then fold in pecans. Pour butter into 9x12 baking pan and spread in nut mixture. Bake 350 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool completely and store in an airtight container.
I brought this to Christmas this past year, and it was a huge hit. I made it again to bring to a work potluck, and since I made it a day early I seriously had to keep myself from eating it all.
If you are unfamiliar with beating egg whites here are some tips. To separate from yolks either use the shell or your fingers; I prefer fingers. This is easiest to do when they are cold, but they whip better when room temperature. Use a metal or glass bowl, and make sure there is absolutely no fat (including the yolk) mixed in. This will prevent them from whipping. To be sure, I separate the egg into a small bowl and if yolk-free pour it in the mixing bowl before going on to the next egg. For the stiff peaks, use an electric beater, and you can go on high until you start to see trails in the foam, then slow down. A stiff peak is when you dip the beater straight in and out, and the tip doesn't curl over. Don't overbeat past this point, or you will get a gloppy mess.
1 cup sugar
1 dash salt
4 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in sugar and salt, then fold in pecans. Pour butter into 9x12 baking pan and spread in nut mixture. Bake 350 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool completely and store in an airtight container.
I brought this to Christmas this past year, and it was a huge hit. I made it again to bring to a work potluck, and since I made it a day early I seriously had to keep myself from eating it all.
If you are unfamiliar with beating egg whites here are some tips. To separate from yolks either use the shell or your fingers; I prefer fingers. This is easiest to do when they are cold, but they whip better when room temperature. Use a metal or glass bowl, and make sure there is absolutely no fat (including the yolk) mixed in. This will prevent them from whipping. To be sure, I separate the egg into a small bowl and if yolk-free pour it in the mixing bowl before going on to the next egg. For the stiff peaks, use an electric beater, and you can go on high until you start to see trails in the foam, then slow down. A stiff peak is when you dip the beater straight in and out, and the tip doesn't curl over. Don't overbeat past this point, or you will get a gloppy mess.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sweet Potato Bread
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/3 cup water
1 t vanilla sugar
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well mixed. Separately combine eggs, sweet potato, oil and water. Mix into dry until just moist. Spoon into greased and floured 9x5 bread pan and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake 350 degrees 50-60 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then depan.
This was sweet enough to be a dessert bread. If you are baking sweet potatoes whole, throw an extra one (or two) and mash it up for this. I used one that was pretty large. Since I was only making this, I cubed and steamed it.
If you don't have vanilla sugar, you can buy some at spice stores such as penzeys.com or you can make your own. I buy Penzey's vanilla extract and it comes with a vanilla bean in it. When it's empty I dry the bean and place it in a pint of sugar. If you let it sit quietly in your cupboard for a while it will become nice and vanilla-y. It's good for sprinkling on strawberries too, and is excellent for making your own cinnamon sugar. Of course you can always use regular sugar.
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/3 cup water
1 t vanilla sugar
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well mixed. Separately combine eggs, sweet potato, oil and water. Mix into dry until just moist. Spoon into greased and floured 9x5 bread pan and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake 350 degrees 50-60 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then depan.
This was sweet enough to be a dessert bread. If you are baking sweet potatoes whole, throw an extra one (or two) and mash it up for this. I used one that was pretty large. Since I was only making this, I cubed and steamed it.
If you don't have vanilla sugar, you can buy some at spice stores such as penzeys.com or you can make your own. I buy Penzey's vanilla extract and it comes with a vanilla bean in it. When it's empty I dry the bean and place it in a pint of sugar. If you let it sit quietly in your cupboard for a while it will become nice and vanilla-y. It's good for sprinkling on strawberries too, and is excellent for making your own cinnamon sugar. Of course you can always use regular sugar.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Spoonbread
1 cup white cornmeal
2 cup water
1 t salt
1 cup cold milk
2 eggs, well beaten
2 T butter, melted
Combine cornmeal, water, and salt in a large saucepand and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. It will become very thick; do not add more liquid at this stage. After 5 minutes, remove from heat and gradually stir in milk, then egg, then butter. When mixed pour into hot greased baking dish and bake 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is firm and top is browned.
This is something that I usually make for breakfast. I like having a made breakfast (as opposed to cereal) without actually having to make breakfast in the morning. I usually divvy this up into servings and put in the fridge, and heat one each morning in the microwave for about 30 seconds and pour on syrup. Lately I've been using some freezer jam that never set.
Why white cornmeal? I dunno, it's what the original recipie said. Go ahead, use yellow. White is usually the only kind I have in the house anyway - I may have originally been searching for recipies that used white cornmeal. The milk was labeled as "sweet" milk, leading me to believe this was written up in a place they use a lot of buttermilk.
A side note on the eggs: I use fake eggs. Commonly known as Egg Beaters. I use them in just about everything that calls for eggs, unless I'm actually eating eggs (or soufle's or custards). You get a consistant amount because they are measured, they don't break, and if you are breading things, you don't have to use a whole egg when a half would have done. Also useful for when you are cutting down a recipie that would require a partial egg.
2 cup water
1 t salt
1 cup cold milk
2 eggs, well beaten
2 T butter, melted
Combine cornmeal, water, and salt in a large saucepand and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. It will become very thick; do not add more liquid at this stage. After 5 minutes, remove from heat and gradually stir in milk, then egg, then butter. When mixed pour into hot greased baking dish and bake 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is firm and top is browned.
This is something that I usually make for breakfast. I like having a made breakfast (as opposed to cereal) without actually having to make breakfast in the morning. I usually divvy this up into servings and put in the fridge, and heat one each morning in the microwave for about 30 seconds and pour on syrup. Lately I've been using some freezer jam that never set.
Why white cornmeal? I dunno, it's what the original recipie said. Go ahead, use yellow. White is usually the only kind I have in the house anyway - I may have originally been searching for recipies that used white cornmeal. The milk was labeled as "sweet" milk, leading me to believe this was written up in a place they use a lot of buttermilk.
A side note on the eggs: I use fake eggs. Commonly known as Egg Beaters. I use them in just about everything that calls for eggs, unless I'm actually eating eggs (or soufle's or custards). You get a consistant amount because they are measured, they don't break, and if you are breading things, you don't have to use a whole egg when a half would have done. Also useful for when you are cutting down a recipie that would require a partial egg.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Summer Fun
It's been a bit since I've posted. Mostly this is due to not wanting to try cooking new recipes over the summer because most of July was over 90 degrees and we don't have AC. It's really a shame because I started planting in our expanded garden this year and I wanted to do more cooking. Maybe we'll get AC next spring and I can keep up.
The thing I regret most is not keeping up with the green beans I planted. I have two rows, which is way more than I need for hubby and myself, so I was going to can them. Got myself a giant pressure canner. Then it was just too hot to go out and pick them. I was able to keep the garden watered even through the heat; sprinklers are a wonderful thing.
I was talking to my dad about my beans-gone-by and I knew that green beans, left to grow bigger, become a bean that gets dried and called a Great Northern. I was talking about letting them dry and my dad suggested that I saute them fresh. It worked nicely, but I think they might require some blanching first.
Handful shelled overgrown beans
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
1/2 a tomato, chopped
Olive oil
3 basil leaves, torn.
Saute beans and garlic in heated olive oil. Before garlic turns brown add tomato and any juice that oozed out while chopping and stir in basil leaves. Simmer stirring occasionally until tomatoes and basil have softened.
The tomato was from my garden too. It wasn't all the way ripe, but it had some bruising on its shoulders and was going to take over the whole tomato if allowed to ripen.
I hope to pick back up and post more, now that it has cooled off (although yesterday was 97 and today is 95) and I can get back into the kitchen more comfortably.
The thing I regret most is not keeping up with the green beans I planted. I have two rows, which is way more than I need for hubby and myself, so I was going to can them. Got myself a giant pressure canner. Then it was just too hot to go out and pick them. I was able to keep the garden watered even through the heat; sprinklers are a wonderful thing.
I was talking to my dad about my beans-gone-by and I knew that green beans, left to grow bigger, become a bean that gets dried and called a Great Northern. I was talking about letting them dry and my dad suggested that I saute them fresh. It worked nicely, but I think they might require some blanching first.
Handful shelled overgrown beans
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
1/2 a tomato, chopped
Olive oil
3 basil leaves, torn.
Saute beans and garlic in heated olive oil. Before garlic turns brown add tomato and any juice that oozed out while chopping and stir in basil leaves. Simmer stirring occasionally until tomatoes and basil have softened.
The tomato was from my garden too. It wasn't all the way ripe, but it had some bruising on its shoulders and was going to take over the whole tomato if allowed to ripen.
I hope to pick back up and post more, now that it has cooled off (although yesterday was 97 and today is 95) and I can get back into the kitchen more comfortably.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Barley-Vegetable Medley
1 cup whole corn
1/2 cup quick-cook barley
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 small)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot
2 t instant beef bouillon
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t dried oregano
1/8 t fresh ground pepper
1 large tomato, chopped
Bring 1 1/2 cup water to boil. Add all ingredients except tomato. Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered 10 minutes, until barley is tender. Drain. Stir in tomato over same heat until tomatoes heated through.
This was pretty simple to make. I was skeptical that it didn't have any salt and I find that usually starches (like barley) cooked without salt are pretty bland. The bouillon, plus the additional herbs make it well seasoned, and the bouillon I use is actually Penzey's beef soup base, which is less salty than regular bouillon. AND I'm a salt junkie, so it must have been the additional spices that really bring this up to tasty.
This probably would be considered four large side-dish servings. I would serve it the same way as a rice-pilaf.
1/2 cup quick-cook barley
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 small)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot
2 t instant beef bouillon
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t dried oregano
1/8 t fresh ground pepper
1 large tomato, chopped
Bring 1 1/2 cup water to boil. Add all ingredients except tomato. Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered 10 minutes, until barley is tender. Drain. Stir in tomato over same heat until tomatoes heated through.
This was pretty simple to make. I was skeptical that it didn't have any salt and I find that usually starches (like barley) cooked without salt are pretty bland. The bouillon, plus the additional herbs make it well seasoned, and the bouillon I use is actually Penzey's beef soup base, which is less salty than regular bouillon. AND I'm a salt junkie, so it must have been the additional spices that really bring this up to tasty.
This probably would be considered four large side-dish servings. I would serve it the same way as a rice-pilaf.
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