The Merlin Menu

Bewley's Tuscan Tomato and Bean Soup

2012-01-16T21:55:00.000-08:00

I know the photo doesn't look like much, but trust me, this soup will make you famous.... I live in Seattle, Washington and have begun frequenting an Irish Pub in West Seattle called A Terrible Beauty. I really enjoy it there, the staff is very friendly and attentive, and the food is really very good. No argument there.

But, let's assume you work there. No matter how good the food is, you can get tired of the same menu choices over and over after a while.

Since I like to cook and have to service this blog with a post every once in a while, I've started to occasionally bring them in something different to try.

One week I brought in my Potato Chips, and another time my Chicken and Rice Soup.

This time, I decided to go with an Irish dish adapted from Bewley's Grafton Street Cafe Tuscan Tomato and Bean Soup from Dublin, Ireland. I daresay it came out well and was consumed by the staff rather quickly.

And although I am certainly a meat eater, this is a wonderful vegetarian soup also.

I might also add, I scarfed a few bowls at home, myself. And, once again, I made in the Pressure Cooker in only 15 minutes!

Give it a try.

Ingredients and Method:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 yellow onions, peeled and diced

3 stalks celery, washed and diced

3 carrots diced

1or 2 large diced fennel bulb(s) (Video on how to prepare a fennel bulb)

1 28-oz can Marzano crushed or diced tomatoes with puree
4 fresh plum tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 quarts vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste (Cook first then season, it will take quite a bit of each but test after each addition)

2 15 oz cans Cannelloni Beans (white Italian kidney beans), rinsed and drained. (Get that scum off them ha ha)

Now, throw that olive oil in the bottom of that pressure cooker, and turn the heat up to medium.... (If you're doing this in a traditional pot or dutch oven, just do everything the same, except, cook it for like 3 hours, until all the vegetables are very tender. Otherwise, exactly the same...

Saute, the potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, and fennel, until the onions wilt.... 10 minutes, stir 'em up occasionally....

Now, here's the cool part. Well, Cool Part No. 1. Dump everything else into the pot except the beans.... Yeah, just do it.... I love this recipe and I love a Pressure Cooker....That's it below.... just heap it in...

Now stir a few times, turn the heat up high, put on the Pressure Cooker cover and valve....and wait until that sucker starts steamin'...... Turn the heat down to low, and let it steam for 15 minutes.... (Or stir and wait three, hours, I'm jus' sayin'.... ha ha, love you slow cookers, I'm one myself)

After 15 minutes, remove, and place under faucet and do the quick cool down with cold water over the top....

Don't get it in the vents, of course.... Now..... open carefully.... return to mild heat on the stove...

Add the Beans, (remember them?) And stir gently and heat a bit for ten minutes....

And then get your Immersion Blender. (Here's the second cool part) (Don't have one? What's wrong with you? ha ha.... Anyway then,, move hot liquid from pot to bowl and puree about half and pour it back in. (Apparently I have a Pressure Cooker bias, I do. you have to try it.)

Take your Immersion Blender, and be careful now, you want to leave about half the soup with bite, and vegetables, and onion, and delicious fennel, yet you also want a firm and delicious background to the beans....with vegetables.... If you pulse too long..... (just a thought) it'll pulverize the soup and you'll have no vegetables and beans, ya know?

So, it's easy. Put that sucker in the hot pot of soup, way down, and pulse it like six quick times. Stop, and check, and eat, and salt and pepper, and if it's not how you want, pulse 3 more times..... You're done...!

And not to totally horrify my vegetarian friends, but you could cut up some boiled Kielbasa, and heat it up there too, ya know what I mean? :)

Now,

Stir, and salt and pepper some more, you want it just right.

And spoon some into a bowl, with a dollop of sour cream, or, as I did last night, I heated the soup with a slice of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar.... delicious....

Thank you Ireland....

p.s. Joni, thanks for the kind words. You should post them as a comment. You might be my new Food Critic, ya know?

Let me know what you think. Soup with Fennel is cool. There's a sentence I thought I'd never say.

Fage Honey Vanilla Panna Cotta

2011-11-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

As I've posted before, I love Fage Greek Yogurt. So when Foodbuzz asked if I'd be interested in featuring it in some recipes, I didn't hesitate. (Here's another of my posts featuring Fage Yogurt.)

One of the things I eat at least twice a week is the Fage Yogurt and Honey. I love how the honey is in a separate compartment, so you can decide how much honey you want with each bite of delicious, thick and tangy yogurt.

So I used that combination to inspire a new recipe. Instead of buttermilk based Panna Cotta, I decided to substitute plain Fage yogurt for the buttermilk, and add honey to bottom of a glass with the panna cotta on top.

This dish was delicious. Just slightly sweet but with that delicious tang remaining. Give it a try, I bet you like it.

Ingredients and Method:

1 envelope gelatin
2 tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 small containers plain Fage Yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped of seeds
ground nutmeg for garnish

For the Panna Cotta, combine sugar, vanilla, yogurt and heavy cream in a saucepan over
medium heat and bring to a boil, immediately then turning off the heat.

Allow the gelatin to soften in 1/4 cup water and then add to the heavy cream mixture
and stir well.

I usually give a quick run through my handheld mixer to ensure everything is blended well.

Take 6 to 8 ramekins and pour one to two tablespoons of honey into the bottom of each.

Allow the panna cotta to cool for at least 45 minutes.

Slowly pour the panna cotta on top of the honey in each ramekin and sprinkle with nutmeg and allow to cool and set up in the refrigerator. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

“As a selected blogger, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway”

Home Made Bagels

2011-11-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

I love Bagels. Haven't eaten them much until about 8 years ago or so. And I tend now to be on a steady
breakfast regimen of a bagel, and a bit of cream cheese, and occasionally, jelly also.

I'm not an exotic bagel person. The Jalapeno/Asiago/Cheddar/Bacon Bagel is not my choice. Nor is even the Garlic Bagel.... Who want's garlic bagel breath first thing in the morning?

And frankly, I'm still pissed that Starbucks cancelled their Hawaiian Bagel.... I loved those things. About twice a week for the seven years I worked for Starbucks, it was walk in the lobby, order a Hawaiian Bagel, one cream cheese, not toasted..... and go to work and savor that bagel, with my hand made choice of morning beverage.

Anyway, working in a new location now, I went to Panera Bread the other morning and ordered a plain bagle. Absolutely delicious. One of the best bagels I've ever had.

That spurred me to make my own. Mine came out nothing like Panera's Bread but they are awfully darn
good, and SO easy to make. I'm pretty sure I'll be making my own bagels from now on.

Give them a try. Adapted from Sophisticated Gourmet.

Directions and Method:

2 tablespoons sugar
2 pkgs active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water, blended

In a mixer bowl mix yeast and sugar. Stir in warm water. (You want very warm, but not hot)

Let mixture sit for 15 minutes. It should foam up nicely. If it does, it means the yeast is active and the
dough will rise just fine.

Add 3 cups flour, sprinkle salt over the top of the flour, and mix thoroughly. Add flour in 1/4 increments
until you have a barely stiff, dough ball.

Grease a bowl, and place the mixed dough ball in it, cover with plastic and place in a warm place to let rise
for one hour. (I preheat my oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes)

Scrape the dough onto a floured board. Punch down, and let rest. It's important to let bagel dough rest
because you don't want a tough dough, ya know? Let rest for twenty minutes..... Roll up into a ball, knead 5 or 6 times, and with a floured rolling pin, roll it out into a small rectangle. Cut the dough into 8 roughly even squares. Doesn't matter how equal they are, one of the beautiful things about homemade breads, I think, is the individuality, of the finished project.

Now, take a square or rectangle, however you've cut it, and roll into a ball by tucking the corners underneath to the bottom of the dough and pressing in firmly. Do it a few times, and then when it's ball shaped, flatten with your hand on board, and from the bottom, press up your index finger through the
middle of the dough ball until there's a hole. then spread the dough apart to make the hole as large as
you want.

Let rise for 10 minutes.... meanwhile, heat a large saucepan with water and 2 tablespoons sugar....
When water is at a rolling boil, turn down slightly, and gently add two bagels at a time into the water.

Boil for 1 minute on one side and 1 minute on the other, and immediately remove from water and place on slightly oiled baking sheet.

At this point I brush the bagels with one egg white and one tablespoon water combined, and then you can add toppings, sesame, poppy, cheese or whatever, as I've already said, I'm kinda a plain bagel guy.

Let them all rest for another 20 minutes.... and then, pop them into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, if not golden brown, give them a few minutes more... watch them carefully is what I'm saying.... My first batch actually took 35 minutes, so there ya go.

Remove from oven, cool slightly, slice one open, smear with cream cheese and jelly, after toasting of course, if you want, and Enjoy!

Dutch Oven Bread by Izzy.... (w/my help)

2011-10-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

I was contacted via email by someone named Izzy Woods. She offered to write a post on my behalf, regarding my cooking/baking favorites, and I welcomed her to do so.

If you'd like to talk to her about a "guest post" on your blog, let me know, and I'll put you in touch with her.

I suggested Dutch Oven Bread, because of it's unique effect on baked breads, and she did a wonderful job.

She obviously studied it, and enhanced my post on the same subject: Merlin Menu Dutch Oven Bread

By the way, she did this for free, she only asked she get to display a furniture link, so if you're looking for some furniture, give it a click.

Enjoy.....

Bread with a Difference

Home-made bread: there really is nothing quite like it. The smellof it wafting out the kitchen can make even the dullest rented flat feel likehome. There is something earthy about baking bread, something that appeals tothe simplest of instincts: those of home, family and food. Many home bakersconstantly experiment in search of the perfect bread recipe, experimenting withdifferent grains, seeds and flours, often with impressive results.Unfortunately, the cooking stage can sometimes let down the perfect breadrecipe. Modern domestic ovens just aren’t made for bread-baking, as moisture isvented out of them, producing a dry heat which tends to lead to dry bread. Awetter, steamier oven will produce moist, soft loaves with deliciously crustyoutsides: the holy grail of bread-making.

Traditionally, bread was baked in wood-fired ovens very similar tothe pizza ovens seen in most modern Italian restaurants. However, it’s not easyto build this kind of oven in the average domestic kitchen! The solution is touse a Dutch oven: a large cast iron cooking pot. Dutch ovens retain moisture,so the steam stays in the pot while the bread is cooking. A Dutch oven is acheap, easy way to transform your bread baking.

Dutch ovens cook bread in a very similar way to professionalbaking ovens used by commercial bakers. Those ovens use steam injection to keepthe bread moist as it cooks. A Dutch oven does the same thing, without the needfor expensive equipment. It gets and stays very hot: cast iron is a great heatabsorber. The tight-fitting lid keeps steam in the pot, preventing drying, withfantastic results.

Making bread in a Dutch oven is very easy, not just because of thecooking method, but the recipe needed. Dough for bread that is to be cooked ina Dutch oven doesn’t need to be kneaded. It can simply be left to rise, shaped,and cooked. This makes Dutch oven baking perfect for beginner bakers: if you’vebeen scared off in the past by the seemingly complicated bread-making process,use a Dutch oven.

Cooking bread in a Dutch oven seems to bring bread-making back toits origins. Many of us are reluctant to try making bread, believing it to be acomplicated process, almost akin to alchemy. It really isn’t, but it’s not hardto see why so many have that view. Look at a bread recipe, and it will oftenappear long and difficult. However, people have been baking bread all over theworld for thousands of years. It is a fundamental part of our culture,referenced in religion and common phraseology. The concept of ‘breaking bread’is a highly powerful one. The breaking of the loaf and sharing of it at thetable is a representation of community and family. ‘Bread’ in slang can mean,simply, ‘food’. The loaf of bread in the kitchen is almost part of the furniture, central to how and what we eat.

When you think of bread in these kinds of terms, what do you thinkof? It’s probably not a sliced supermarket loaf. It’s more likely to be exactlythe kind of bread you can make in a Dutch oven, with very little effort. Dutchoven loaves both look and taste wonderful. The inside (or ‘crumb’) is soft,melting in the mouth. The crust is thick, crispy and full of flavour. Thinkabout that dipped in some warming soup, matched with tangy cheese, or simplyslathered in creamy butter. These are simple pleasures indeed; but very tastyones. This is the kind of food that we dream of when we dream of home.

Perhaps you’ve struggled for months trying to make the perfectloaf, or perhaps you’ve thought it wasn’t worth trying. Dutch oven baking isthe answer. It does not have to stop at basic bread either. You could tryflavouring with herbs and seeds, for example, or making rolls rather thanloaves. You can also try other kinds of baking in a Dutch oven, including biscuits and pastries. The Dutch ovenis one of those most rare and useful kitchen utensils: something that is bothhighly versatile and very easy to use. So what are you waiting for? Getbaking!

Fage Greek Yogurt Pound Cake

2011-10-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'm affiliated with an organization called Food Buzz as you can tell from the left side of my blog. They occasionally have food related giveaways, product samplings, and contests. A week ago they asked if I would like to participate in an offer from Fage, the greek yogurt company.

I had NO hesitation is saying yes as I've already been eating and baking with this delicious yogurt for two years now.

Here's a couple links to recipes I've already posted regarding FAGE yogurt.

The Merlin Menu Tikka Masala

The Merlin Menu Chocolate Yogurt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Honey Buttermilk Panna Cotta

In fact, if you read the Honey Buttermilk post you will see that Fage's Honey Yogurt was the inspiration of my recipe. That being said, given that they are having a contest, in a few days I think I will make Panna Cotta again, but this time, instead of Buttermilk, I will use Fage Yogurt and combine it with a layer of honey. We'll see how it turns out.

A variation on pound cake recipe using Greek Yogurt. Rich, and dense, and moist and absolutely delicious. Can be served topped by fruit, caramel, dulce de leche, whipped cream or anything else you may think of.

Here's a different serving idea for your dessert, especially if you're Barbequeing. Slice the pound cake and place slices directly onto the grill. Only a few minutes each side until they get grill marks. Remove, place on plates and cover with sugared raspberries or strawberries and some whipped cream. Delicious and different!

Ingredients and Method:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 7 oz. container Fage Greek Yogurt
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
6 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (Yes, in addition to the vanilla bean)

Preparation:In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar and split the vanilla bean and scrape seeds into mixture. With mixer on medium speed, gradually beat in the yogurt. Add flour, alternating with the eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or Bundt cake pan.

Bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

A note about the cooking time. This is a very thick batter so it will probably take ALL of the baking times listed if not a little bit longer. Do check the cake often with the wooden pick technique as you don't want it not quite baked in the very middle. By the same token, it can start to burn pretty quickly, so watch it carefully towards the end of the cycle. When you do check with the wooden pick push it in as deeply as you can as this batter can get done on top and still not be quite done in the middle.

I made this recipe for this post in a oblong baking dish, but I really would recommend a tube pan or a Bundt cake pan.

Enjoy!

As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway

Summer Squash Soup

2011-09-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

So I have this neighbor who drives me nuts. She moved in across the street, we met, she brought me dinner a couple of nights which I thought was nice. The next thing I know, she has asked for a little help planting a garden, and I find myself sweating and digging holes in a cleared 30 year old blackberry patch.

Next thing I know, she leaves for a 3 week vacation and guess who's chosen to water the garden. Yeah, ME!

I tell her, I don't have a garden, I don't want a garden, I don't want your garden, I don't want to water your garden, but I do it nonetheless.

Well, so guess what, now I'm getting tons of squash and zucchini. So I guess it's ok. But still!

And then, she buys a dog, but that's another story. I didn't want a dog to walk either!

So is your Autumn garden bursting with produce? Got a bunch of yellow neck squash? Giving it to your friends and neighbors? So what are you going to make with it? Boiled squash with milk? Cut them and cover them with egg and cornmeal and fry them? Add to some casserole? All are good, but I have the answer.

Make this soup!

Just make it, and you'll see why I say that.

It's delicate, delicious, and tangy, with a hint of nutmeg and Parmesan. Yeah, nutmeg and Parmesan together. Who knew?

Ingredients and Method:

2 -3 medium Yellow neck squash
1 large sweet onion
Yellow neck squash, diced
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
juice of one lemon
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon nutmeg and a dusting for garnishment
Shaved or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese (Or Parmesan Reggiano)

Mince onion and place in saucepan with butter over medium low heat
Wash and cut off ends of squash, and slice into 1/4 inch slices. No need
to peel the squash, the skin is very tender after cooking.

Toss squash in the pan with onions and butter, and saute for 15 minutes or so, stirring every once in a while. You want the onions and squash to be very soft.

Add chicken stock, salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes.

Now, remove from heat, and either use a handheld immersion blender or a food processor, and puree it all together. It can take a few minutes, but stick with it, you want it silky smooth.

Return to pan, add lemon and heavy cream and nutmeg. Heat on low for a few minutes until heated thoroughly. Do not boil or simmer, no need.

Now, the important part. Taste it! Decide if it needs a bit more salt, or pepper, or lemon juice and adjust accordingly.

Spoon into a bowl or cup, dust with nutmeg and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Enjoy!

Parker House Rolls

2011-07-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

Parker House rolls were invented in the 19th century at a famous Boston hotel called the Parker House. This
is the same hotel that created Boston Cream Pie in 1855.

These rolls are light, buttery, and delicious. I made some at home the other day and I just can't stop heating

one slightly, dabbing a bit of butter on it, and wolfing it down. They are so good.

This is an easy recipe, do give it a try. Many thanks to King Arthur Flour for the source.

Recipe and Method:

3 cups flour (I use King Arthur Bread Flour)
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1 cup milk (warmed)
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing rolls when baked

In a large bowl, add warmed milk, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes until it's foamy. Add the balance of the ingredients (except for the 3 tbl melted butter shown at the end of the recipe) Mix thoroughly by hand or with a mixer until dough ball is formed.
Drop onto floured board and knead for a few minutes. Place in greased bowl covered with a towel and place in a warm area and let rise for an hour and a half.
Remove from bowl to the floured surface. Punch down, divide in half. Roll each half into an 8 x 12 rectangle.
Brush melted butter on it and fold the dough lengthwise almost in half. It doesn't have to be exactly in half.

Cut each rectangle into 4 pieces and place into greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Repeat with second half of dough.
Cover the pan and let rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and immediately baste tops with remaining melted butter.

Enjoy!

Bacon, Avocado, and Tomato Sandwich

2011-06-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

I love avocados. I don't eat them that often, and I'm not sure why. But recently I came across a source where you can have freshly harvested Haas avocados shipped direct to your door.

The link is: California Avocados Direct.

Shipping was free, and a few days later I had 5 hard, firm, unripened avocados in my house. They were shipped in a nice box filled with straw, all in all a nice presentation.

Now the thing about receiving 5 avocados at once is they can all ripen at the same time, and who wants that many ripened avocados all at the same time? Usually you wouldn't, so I figured out what to do. Place the avocados is a plastic bag on the counter for about a week, they will slowly begin to ripen (skin turns very dark and they are soft when pressed gently) Then, take one or two out of the bag and leave on the counter. They will then ripen while the ones remaining in the bag are still not ready. Try it, it works!

When the first one finally ripened, I couldn't wait to try it. I sliced half the avocado thinly and placed on a small plate, fanned it out, dusted it simply with salt and pepper, and tried it. Absolute heaven, seriously, best avocado I'd ever had. And then I promptly sliced up the remaining half and devoured it also.

The next day, I took out another avocado, left it on the counter until perfectly ripened, and decided I just had to have a Bacon, Avocado and Tomato Sandwich.

I lightly toasted some whole wheat bread, spread with mayonnaise or salad dressing (or thousand island dressing also!) sliced avocado, crisp bacon, and sliced fresh hot house tomatoes.

Sure you could add lettuce, but I wanted the texture of the creamy avocado, the crunch and saltiness of the bacon, blended with the juiciness of the ripe tomato only. It worked for me.

One of the best sandwiches I've ever had. And you have to admit, that's a purty good lookin' meal.

Get some avocados, and make yourself one or three.

Baked Donuts

2011-06-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

Baked donuts. Who makes baked donuts. Aren't donuts always deep fried, greasy, and delicious? Of course they are.

But for some reason, the other night, (I gotta stay off the net) I came across and bought a donut pan for baking donuts. Why? I have no clue. But now I have another specialty use pan which I'll probably use twice in the next 2 years. But, that's the curse of a foodie I guess.

Now here's the surprise, the donuts were delicious and easy to make. I did notice that cinnamon sugar doesn't adhere real well, probably because of the absence of OIL! But that's ok. I think glazing might be a better way to go anyway. Next up, I think I'm making some baked yeast donuts. We'll see how it goes. Keep in touch.

I did notice they only browned on top, so I'm thinking next time, I may oil the pan with butter instead of
spray and see if they brown more uniformly. That being said, they tasted perfect anyway.

Recipe came with the pan. I really did like the spices in the batter. Excellent.

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lightly spray the donut pan with oil.

In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients including spices. Blend together the liquids in a bowl (buttermilk, eggs, honey, and melted butter) and add to the dry ingredients and mix well.

The dough will be a bit thick. Using two spoons, drop dough into the donut pan tin, filling each mold about 1/2 full with dough.

Bake in oven for 12 minutes, until nice and browned, remove, cool on a rack, and coat however you would like.

All kidding aside, I bet I use this pan, ummm, 4 times a year! ha ha

My Daughter's Wedding

2011-05-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

I know it's a food blog. I know most of you might not care. But some of you will. So I post this link.

And I'll get back to food next week.

I have 3 children. A daughter, and two boys. My daughter is my eldest. And she got married this weekend,
and it was amazing. Check it out. Mt. Hood, Oregon, way above Timberline Lodge.

God Bless You Both!

And the following is a little video I put together....Be sure to play with audio so you can hear the sound track.

https://picasaweb.google.com/ronmerlin/Movies?authkey=Gv1sRgCInGodurxP6NqgE#5603795187681251810

Artist here is: Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland

And a second video for your viewing pleasure: https://picasaweb.google.com/ronmerlin/Movies?authkey=Gv1sRgCInGodurxP6NqgE#5604798621483727410

Artist here is: Joe Cocker

Curried Apple Butternut Squash Soup

2011-04-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

Spring is springing. So this will be the last of one of the soups I made over the winter. Actually, this soup is one of my favorites because it has such a unique blend of flavors. The nuttiness of the squash with the depth and gentle heat of the curry, coupled with the tiny sweet goodness of the apple.

I'm telling you, it's all about mouth feel and taste with this soup. Liquid velvet goodness, with a kick. (Did I just really type that?)

Quick and easy, especially in the pressure cooker.

Served with a crust of bread, and little dollop of sour cream? What could be better?

Ingredients and Method:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 large chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 butternut squash, chopped (See my note about preparing Butternut Squash below)

3 sweet McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and chopped.
2 cups water
2 cups apple cider. (Don't skimp here, not apple juice, good and fresh apple cider)
Salt and pepper to taste.

First a note on butternut squash. I find it a pain to peel and cut up the squash. So what I do is, is pierce it several times. and microwave for 8 minutes until it begins to soften. It is then much easier to cut it open, cut into manageable sized chunks, and the the thick tough skin is easy to just cut off with a knife.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in pressure cooker. (Or stock pot or dutch oven) Saute onions and curry powder until the onions are translucent.

Add the squash, apples and water to pot. Bring up to pressure, and cook for 12 minutes. Let cool down normally. (If not using a pressure cooker, cook over medium heat for an hour until vegetables are very tender)

Open up pressure cooker and use a hand blender (or food processor) to combine mixture. Add cider and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parsley and a small dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy.

Curried Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup with Peanut Butter

2011-03-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

I see spring around the corner so I thought I should catch up on my winter soups that I've made, photographed, and haven't yet posted. I'm behind on everything.

I was looking for some inspiration for some soup with a bit of kick.This is a uniquely flavorful soup that everyone seemed to really enjoy. It's different, hearty, and simply delicious.

Adapted from Sing for Your Supper.

Ingredients and Method:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
6 carrots, washed and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
heaping 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, and a bit for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

First a note on butternut squash. I find it a pain to peel and cut up the squash. So what I do is, is pierce it several times. and microwave for 8 minutes until it begins to soften. It is then much easier to cut it open, cut into manageable sized chunks, and the the thick tough skin is easy to just cut off with a knife.

Heat oil in your dutch oven or heavy duty pot. Saute garlic, onion, and ginger until onions are softened and transluscent. Add the vegetables and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 45 minutes. (Conversely, this is a perfect pressure cooker soup also. Saute onions, garlic, etc. in the pressure cooker, add vegetables and chicken broth and heat under pressure for 12 minutes. Let pressure reduce naturally.)

Add tomato paste, cumin, cayenne pepper, curry powder and cilantro. Stir spices in, and then, using a hand blender, or a regular blender, blend soup mixture until smooth.

Stir in peanut butter.

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cilantro as a garnish. (I like to add a small dollop of sour cream also)

Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day Roundup

2011-03-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

Now that my blog has been established for a couple of years, I find that I have enough recipes posted that
I can perhaps provide a quick reference to the Irish inspired things I like to make. So here it is:

Ha ha, admittedly only five recipes, but I do what I can. If you try nothing else, do the cake or the soda bread. Both are wonderful. And enjoy a pint or two.

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake

Guinness Beef Stew

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Brown Bread

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ron's Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup

2011-02-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had really good chicken soup? I mean really, really, good chicken soup. The kind that tastes so good that you just know that in addition to having incredible taste, it has healing properties too?

Yeah, I haven't either I don't think. Let's face it, we rarely get Grandma's homemade chicken soup anymore.

But, thanks to a Pressure Cooker, and my throwback recipe, I think you might truly love this soup. I sure did, and so did all who tested it for me.

This all started when I bought a whole roasted chicken at the Supermarket. But after having chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner for a couple of nights, I tired of chicken for dinner.

I didn't want to waste the chicken carcass, and never having made homemade chicken soup before, I thought this would be the ideal time to try.

Give it a shot. It sure got rave reviews.

If you're not a Pressure Cooker person, that's fine. Just add all the ingredients into a heavy sauce pan, or Dutch Oven, and simmer for 3 hours Do NOT add the carrots and celery until the last 60 minutes of roasting/cooking time.. If using a Crock Pot, give it 6 hours (vegetables included).

Ingredients and Method:

Chicken Carcass
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence (or your own selection of herbs)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 32 oz carton chicken broth
3 carrots, washed and sliced
2 stalks celery, washed and sliced
3 cups water
3/4 cup rice
2 teaspoons ground pepper

Salt to taste
Parsley for garnish

Heat pressure cooker over medium heat with olive oil. Add diced onions, celery, and carrots and saute until onions are translucent. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds more until fragrant. Add bouillon cubes, chicken broth, water, rice, herbs, and chicken carcass. Yeah, just dump the whole carcass right in.

Cover the pressure cooker, bring up to pressure on medium high heat until it begins to steam constantly, turn to medium low, and let cook for 15 minutes.

Let pressure release normally. Open cooker, and remove carcass, and all bones, and all chicken. Separate remaining chicken from the bones and chop into bite size pieces. Return chicken to pot and stir. Salt and pepper soup to taste.

Enjoy!

The Merlin Menu Top 10 Recipes for Year 2010

2011-01-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

I know, it's February, not January. This is the kind of post that, were I up on things, would have been posted right around the New Year. But, I've been a bit distracted trying to find a new position at my company. That's my excuse, anyway.

But here's the deal. As I looked through my newsreader in 2011, I noticed a number of blogs posted their top recipes from the previous year. And I found, that I liked being able to just click on whatever recipe I wanted to without having to scroll through page after page of blog. I figured therefore, that other people probably like this convenience also, so I decided to do one for my blog. And here it is. Hope you find at least one or two things you'd like to try, and maybe catch up on a recipe or two you might have missed over the last year.

Salted Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars Decadent and delicious.

Dutch Oven Bread A little baking magic from a Dutch Oven

Cinnamon Currant Bread Another Dutch Oven Bread

Eggs Benedict Who doesn't love Eggs Benedict. Make them at home for 1/10th the price.

Homemade Potato Chips Delicious and easy and fun to make.

Irish Brown Bread Authentic and delicious.

Lime Cake with Strawberry Compote Light, refreshing, and a great flavor combination.

Salted Caramel Butter Bars Decadent and delicious.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies Just the title says it all.

Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce 3 Ingredients and knock your socks off good.

My personal Top Ten from my Blog for 2010.

Cheddar Beer Soup with Truffle Oil

2011-01-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

I know, the photo doesn't look like much. But this soup EXPLODES in your mouth with flavor.

So here's the deal. I went to Portland to have dinner with my daughter and her fiance for Thanksgiving in their new home. (My first visit).

I was enlisted to make the Turkey, Dressing, and a casserole, and I threw in a pie just for good measure. (Photo link here: Just Click.)

Wonderful weekend. Met some of the future in-law family and we had a great time.

Next day, during the Alabama Auburn game we went and had a beer at a Brewpub in downtown Portland.

And I saw, Beer Cheese Soup..... I love Beer Cheese Soup..... and it occurred to me I've never blogged it....and haven't even made it in years..... What have I been thinking? So I ordered a bowl, it was exquisitely good..... and planned an update and counter attack.

And guess what happened? Yup, I nailed it. Believe me, there are many times I fail, I just don't post them. But this time, I got it right. You have got to try it. And, it's got a "secret ingredient" that truly put it over the top. Read on....

Ingredients and Method:
1/2 stick butter
2 ribs celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 leeks (pale green and white parts only) sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 12 oz. bottle Bass Ale
1 teaspoon dry mustard
pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 8 oz packages shredded Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese
White Truffle oil
Smoked Paprika for garnish

Add butter to pressure cooker (or large saucepan) over medium-low heat. When melted and foamy, saute celery, leeks, and garlic for five minutes, until leeks are limp. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir and cook for two minutes more. Add bay leaf, milk, chicken broth, ale, dry mustard, and cayenne. If using pressure cooker (as I did) cover, bring to pressure, and cook for 10 minutes. If cooking stovetop, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes until all vegetables are tender. Cool pressure cooker, release, and salt and pepper to taste. (same for saucepan)

Using a hand blender, or a food processor, puree soup until fairly well blended. (I tend to leave a bit unblended so it has some "texture")

Return to low heat, and add cheese, (reserve some for garnish) and stir constantly until well blended.

Pour into bowls.

Now the magic!

Pour 6 -8 drops of white truffle oil into each bowl. No more, as this stuff is potent. Garnish with cheddar cheese and smoked paprika (if you have it, if not omit). Or, crumbled bacon, green onions, etc. whatever you like in your cheese soup.

Enjoy some of the best Beer Cheddar Soup I've ever had!

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

2010-12-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

Yes these are rich. Yes they are supremely buttery. Yes, they melt in your mouth. No, you cannot just eat one.

I had to bring something into work to share with co-workers and I wanted something different and I came across this recipe. (Original source here) They are amazingly good. Give them a try.

Preparation and Method:

For the Crust:

1 lb. butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 cups flour

For the Filling:

1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped
⅓ cup milk or cream or half and half
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

To make the crust:

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour and mix until smooth.

Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust.

Place remaining crust mixture in the refrigerator

Preheat to 325F.

Bake crust until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown approximately 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.

While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a saucepan, add the cream and vanilla and cook and stir over low to medium heat until completely melted. (You can also use the microwave in short bursts to melt the caramel mixture.)

Pour the caramel filling over the crust. Generously salt with sea salt.

Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel. You may find the chilled dough doesn't "crumble" that easily. If so, just place on a cutting board and chop into the

size pieces you want for the topping.

Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 - 30 minutes.

Let cool, and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Pudding

2010-11-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

I know Chocolate Pudding. Who eats chocolate pudding anymore? I do. Not often, but last week I just had the urge for some deep, thick, homemade, chocolate pudding with a touch of whipped cream. (The urge resulted in my making Chocolate Cream pie for Thanksgiving later, but that's another post)

This pudding is simply so delicious and easy to make. It is rich too, so I would not portion it into big bowls. A little of this pudding goes a long way.

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups milk

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

Whipped cream

In a measuring cup add 1/2 cup of the cold milk to the cornstarch. Mix thoroughly and pour into medium saucepan. Turn to medium heat and immediately add cocoa powder, sugar, salt, balance of milk, and three beaten egg yolks. Mix well. Stir constantly until the mixture just begins to simmer. Add half and half and vanilla extract and continue to heat until the pudding thickens. Do not boil! When it has thickened (approximately seven minutes) remove from heat and add chocolate. (The mixture may appear lumpy, that's ok, don't worry it will smooth out just fine) Stir the chocolate until completely melted and incorporated into the pudding.

Pour into serving dishes, and refrigerate for 2 hours until completely cooled. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy, and don't say I didn't warn you. This is addictive pudding, I'm tellin' ya. I got a bet for ya. You got a chocolate craving? You won't after you eat one of these.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

2010-11-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

I looked in my cabinet the other day and checked the expiration dates on some semi-sweet chocolate and some peanut butter chips I had, and they were to be out of date in a couple of weeks. I didn't want to waste

them so what to make? Um, cookies???? Yeah, I think so. So I tinkered with another of my recipes for Chocolate Butterfinger Cookies and made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips and Chocolate Chips, and since I'm totally addicted to salty sweet, dusted them with sea salt. All I know is, they didn't last long when I brought a couple dozen to work.

Ingredients and Method:

4 oz butter, room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sea salt for dusting

In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Add peanut butter and cocoa powder and mix well.

Add eggs, one at a time and fully incorporate. Then add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and combine. Add vanilla extract. Add the two chips and mix just long enough to distribute them.

Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes to make it easier to work with. On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (if you use parchment paper, it sure makes cleanup easier) drop by tablespoonfuls on the sheet about 2 inches apart. Pick up each scoop and shape it into a ball and then press down on it slightly. (Doing this prevents the cookie from spreading too much and makes them more uniform) Repeat until all dough is used.

Dust with coarse sea salt. A pinch sprinkled over each cookie is perfect.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Do not over bake. They may not look completely done, but they are.

Remove to cooling rack. Then grab a very cold glass of milk, and eat 5 of them when still a bit warm, and don't tell anybody. Your secret is safe with me.

Enjoy!

Sponge Candy

2010-11-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

I've never made candy. Well, I've made fudge, which I guess is a type of candy, but other than that, nothing.

When I was a kid, I used to come across a candy bar in the downtown Walgreen's drugstore that was from Australia. It was in a bright purple wrapper with yellow writing (I don't remember the name of it) but it was a chocolate covered sponge and honeycomb type candy. I loved them. The honeycomb just melted in your mouth as soon as you touched it with your tongue. You didn't chew this candy per se, you savored it slowly. Well, guess what?

I came across a recipe by Christine Cushing on Food Network Canada and it was so simple and straightforward, I decided to try it. It was easy and so delicious. And it was my SPONGE CANDY I used to love as a child. I also made a batch and added some molasses which was great also.

This would be a real fun item to make with your children, although well supervised, given it calls for boiling hot sugar! But it's fun to watch it boil up and foam when you add the baking soda, and then harden into a delicious candy....

I think you should give it a try, it's quick, easy and delicious! And although it might not bring back childhood memories like it did for me, ya never know, it might create a memory or two for your child(ren).

Ingredients and Method:

Crisco or vegetable oil for greasing the baking dish

2 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cups light corn syrup

6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup molasses if you want that flavor of candy

Layer an 13 x 9 baking dish with aluminum foil, and allow the foil to hang over the edges. Spread crisco or
oil over the aluminum foil and set aside.

In a deep heavy saucepan add sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir once to distribute the sugar and water
and syrup. Begin heating over medium heat and monitor temperature with a candy thermometer.

A lot of sugar boiled recipes always talk about if sugar crystals form on the side of the pan to brush them with cold water. I had no such problem. This stuff just boiled and boiled just fine.

Do not stir but do monitor the liquid as it boils. When it reaches approximately 250 degrees add the vanilla, and the molasses if desired. Continue heating until it reaches 300 degrees (Hard Crack stage)

Remove from heat and sift/sprinkle the baking soda all over the sugar mixture. It will begin to vigorously bubble up and foam. Stir to evenly distribute the baking soda as much as possible.

Pour molten candy into the prepared dish, scraping the sides of the pan. Let the candy cool completely.

Lift out of the pan using the tinfoil and place on cutting board. I used a piece of waxed paper to cover the candy, and gently broke it into pieces using a small wooden tenderizing hammer. In any event, the object is to shatter the candy into bite size pieces.

Enjoy this melt-in-your-mouth treat!

A Giveaway!

2010-10-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

This giveaway ended on November 2nd, 2010 at 5:00 PM

That being said I'm about to announce the winner of the $60.00 gift certificate.

I wish everyone could win, but only one can.....

And the winner is:

BETHANY - Entry Number 13!!!!

So let me ask you a question. If I gave ya a $60.00 gift certificate, what would you buy?

Would it be: A Krups Espresso Machine?

Or a set of knives?

Or a slow cooker?

Or one of thousands of other products? Well, you might get the chance as CSN is helping with another giveaway.

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from stylish handbags, to modern bar stools, or great cookware!

I naturally showed pictures of cookware and stuff for the kitchen because I have a food blog, but you can buy whatever you want at their sites. If you win the drawing, I will have them send you a promotional code worth $60.00 for anything they carry. Not a bad deal.

All you need to do is leave a comment telling me what you might buy. Doesn't matter what you finally decide on if you win, just let me know what you might buy. And leave your email address in typed out format so I can contact you if you win. That's it!

I will use Random.Org to select the winner after the deadline which is November 2nd at 5:00 pm West Coast time.

Thanks for reading my blog, and visiting, and thanks for entering. I value each and every one of my visitors.

Good Cooking! The Merlin Menu

Cinnamon Currant Bread

2010-10-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

I recently posted some no-knead bread I baked in a Dutch Oven and it came out so well I couldn't wait to try it with a different dough. This time I didn't preheat the dutch oven, and made a dough that I kneaded as normal. I let it rise the second time on parchment paper in the pot, and preheated the oven, baked it covered in the dutch oven for a while and finished uncovered so the crust browns and it came out in fantastic shape.

This is the recipe I use for my cinnamon rolls usually, but this time, just wanted some bread with a touch of cinnamon and currants. I'll be toasting this at work this week, with some butter. Man, ya gotta love bread.

It's my new cooking toy, my Dutch Oven. I'm Lovin' the Oven.

Ingredients and Method:
2 packages yeast
1 cup milk, heated to about 110 degrees
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted, but not too hot
Approx. 3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup currants

Add yeast to mixing bowl along with brown sugar. Add beaten egg and butter to milk, mix and melt until warm, not more than 110 degrees. (If it's too hot to the touch, it's too hot to add to the yeast)

Mix egg, butter and milk with yeast and sugar mixture and let sit for 15 minutes until it foams (proofs).

Add 3 cups flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg and mix well. Add currants and continue to mix until well incorporated. Add flour in 1/4 cup increments, mixing after each addition until dough forms a shaggy ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the dough hook from the mixer, scrap dough into mixing bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise, at room temperature for at least six hours, and preferably overnight. Some may be concerned with leaving dough at room temperature with an egg as one of the ingredients. Although I've never had a problem , alternatively, you may refrigerate the dough instead. Remove dough and let come to room temperature.

Liberally sprinkle some flour on a cutting board. Scrape the dough onto the floured board and sprinkle flour over the top of the dough also. Fold dough onto itself a couple of times, and then knead 10 or 12 times to smooth it out. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and lift by paper and place in dutch oven. Cover and place in a warm place to rise for an hour to an hour and a half. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut 3 diagonal slashes in the dough and place covered dutch oven into oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove lid from dutch oven and continue baking for 15 minutes more. Check at 10 minutes because it'll brown very quickly.

Remove and let cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy! And remember, lovin' the oven!

Dutch Oven Bread

2010-10-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have for years made homemade bread. It's one of the most satisfying things to bake I think. And yet I have tried and tried to make bread that will have a nice crust and soft and moist inside. But that crispy outside crust is very difficult to achieve because of todays ovens. I've tried pans of steaming water, spray bottles of water while baking and various other methods but they just don't work that well. One reason is, that no matter how much steam you might be able to produce, today's ovens vent it, so it just kinda waves at your bread as it exits the oven. The fact of the matter is, that professional baking ovens, I understand, have steam injection systems into a closed oven, with allows the crust to be moistened by steam while beginning to bake, which is what creates the crust I'm talking about. (The moistness of the steam keeps the outside of the loaf from setting immediately as it does in a hot dry oven, which also helps with it's rising during baking, who knew?)

10 days ago I bought a Dutch Oven, plain cast iron, because I've always wanted to Braise meat in a long cooking process in the oven. Yes, I have a slow cooker, yes I have a pressure cooker, but I'm a foodie. We simply HAVE to try all kinds of cooking methods, don't we?

Anyway, apparently when you bake bread in a covered dutch oven, it "steams" inside the pot and therefore yields the kind of crust and texture we are all looking for. I tell ya, I opened up the lid halfway through, and was stunned at how it had risen and how delicious it looked and smelled.

Well, there is a reason you have not yet seen me post something I've made in a Dutch Oven. Because I've made two things already and they both BOMBED! Miserably BOMBED!

I first tried to make Beef Bourguignon and the recipe I was following I think was defective because it was overcooked, and although the meat was tender and delicious, the gravy was the ugliest gray color I've ever seen. Cooked out all the color and the essence.

So, not to be deterred, I decided to make my own baked beans from scratch. It smelled delicious in here for like five hours as I slow-cooked them, and slow-cooked them, and slow-cooked them, and they STILL were hard. (Yes, I soaked the beans overnight)

So I threw out the beans because I got tired of messing with them.

So it's Dutch Oven 2, Merlin ZERO.

Then I remembered about baking bread in a Dutch Oven. All I can say is, you gotta try this, you just gotta.

This is a no-knead bread recipe and is intended to be a kind of loose, easy dough, with a lot of bubbles.

Ingredients and Method:

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour and a bit more for dusting the bread after rising.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a bowl or mixer. Add the flour and salt (in that order) and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest on a counter at room temperature at least six hours
and preferably, overnight. (This allows the enzymes to continue to work to develop a nice flavor to
the dough) It'll be loose and bubble up, that's ok.

Dust a cutting board with some flour and scrape the dough onto it. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the top
as it will be very sticky. Don't knead, just fold the dough over onto itself a couple of times, and shape
into a ball. If the dough is too loose, just knead in 1/4 cup of flour. Repeat as necessary until the dough is the
consistency you would like. Shape into a ball by pulling around the dough edges and folding underneath. Place on the counter on a piece of parchment paper and cover with a towel and let rise for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When you are ready to bake the bread, preheat the dutch oven in the oven at 450 degrees. Carefully remove the dutch oven, take off the top, and using the parchment paper, lift up the dough ball (towel removed, of course, heh heh) and gently drop it into the dutch oven. Use a knife to slash 3 slits in the dough, diagonally.Cover and place back in oven.

Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue baking for 15 minutes until dough is browned. Remove from oven and cool for one hour before cutting.

All I can say is.... Dutch Oven 2, Merlin ONE!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2010-10-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

I recently posted a delicious 3 ingredient Spaghetti Sauce that has received really good reviews from folks. I was asked if I could provide a meatball recipe to go along with it, and I thought, of course I can. Naturally I had to make it first, so I've been enjoying this dish for several days. Hope you like it.

One thing about meatballs, I don't like meatballs that are hard, or tough, or overcooked etc. Usually this comes about by rough handling when shaping, or frying or baking first before adding to a sauce. The secret to delicious melt in your mouth meatballs is to treat it gently and to cook the meatballs in the sauce, not pre-cooked or fried.

I hope you like this recipe. It's awfully good, and like I said, you can't beat the sauce. (Here's the recipe for the 3 ingredient sauce as well as my slow-cooker recipe)

Ingredients and Method:
1 cup Breadcrumbs

1/3 cup milk

8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork

1 cup ground Parmesan Cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

2 eggs (beaten)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced, or pressed

Mix milk and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Set aside

Place beef and pork to a bowl and add cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, nutmeg and beaten eggs.

Drain milk from breadcrumbs and add to meat mixture.

Mix all ingredients together gently by hand. Try not to compress or squeeze the meat mixture. You're trying
to just combine them thoroughly and yet keep a "looseness" to the meat.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes so it will be easier to shape into meatballs.

Shape into meatballs about the size of a golf ball using a gentle touch. Add directly to cooking sauce 30 minutes before the sauce is done. (If making slow cooker sauce, then add the meatballs one hour prior to
the end of the cooking cycle.)

I made this with my 3 ingredients spaghetti sauce, and dusted it with shaved Parmesan. It was delicious.

Enjoy!

You Know You're a Foodie Society Member if.....

2010-10-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

1. You actually plan your shopping list by searching the recipes you want to make, and post, and buying those ingredients too.

2. You wind up two weeks later throwing out about two of the things you bought because you just never "got around to" making the buttermilk pound cake or the ricotta cheesecake.

3. You've ever covertly tried to take photos of the meal you just prepared for your guests, before you serve it, because you don't want to look like a geek and photograph their dinner as they watch.

4. You have your own contact for special Balsamic Vinegar. (Thanks Steph for that one)

5. You have your own "secret" source for cheap vanilla beans.... (Yeah, I'm guilty of that one. See Link.)

6. You decide to cook/bake things based upon expirations dates upcoming. Usually stupid things, like, I just made peanut butter rice krispie bars because my peanut butter chips are a month away from expiring.

7. If you've ever delayed making something, because the natural light should be better tomorrow.

8. If you've ever built a "photography light box".... Yeah, guilty of that one too, see here.

9. If you are conscious of the fact that you spend hundreds of $$ on groceries, and even more on gadgets, and pans, and cookers and such, and you make a measly paltry sum of tiny revenue of $xx.xx from an ad or two you have on your bog.. And you don't care. You love to cook. ha! Cough, cough, Pioneer Woman excepted of course!

10. Speaking of The Pioneer Woman, I love her and all that she does and has accomplished. But, I have to admit I looked one time at the number of "comments" only she received to one of her posts, and I calculated that times 30 days in a month, (in other words, not even counting the ones who visit who don't comment) and multiplied it by my measly rate of CPM stats or Visits or Impressions or whatever the hell it is..... and if I had THAT many visitors.....

I'd get a $22,000 check each month!!!!

I gotta find me a Cowgirl and move to Oklahoma!!!!

11. You take shitty pictures of a meal you had at a restaurant because you were thinking you might blog about it, until you get home and see what you shot looks like.

12. You have a business card for your blog. (Again, guilty!)

13. Your internet reader is constantly updating food blogs so you can pore over potential new ideas, concepts, or recipes to adapt, even though, you already have a thousand in draft form saved on your blog, and another 1200 saved as favorites in your reader, which if you made them all would take you until you're 137 years old if you made two a day. Yet you STILL save more, it's an addiction I tell ya!

14. You own more than four types and flavors of salt and you know what 87% cacao means.

15. You're at the store and see an ingredient or two that you have no recipe for. BUT, you've ALWAYS wanted to make something using that, so you buy it, and then scour the net and your lists trying to find something to make. Always the chance too, that this will wind up on the, shit, gotta throw this away, it's expired list. (See item 2, lol)

16. If you have more pictures of food you've made than you do of your children on Flickr or Picasa online.

17. You own a Dutch Oven. Period.

18. You have, or are thinking of buying a Pressure Cooker, because it sounds cool to cook in.

19. You loved the movie Julie & Julia although if you're a guy, like me, you don't admit it. (Same goes for The Notebook, but for different reasons)

20. You can't wait until they open a Sur La Table near you.

Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce!

2010-09-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

Alright, I've been making tomato sauce for years and years and years. And for a long time, I figured the more ingredients the better, right? So, sauce with balsamic, and/or carrots, and/or brown sugar, tons of spices, fresh and/or dried, mushrooms occasionally, real tomatoes, canned tomatoes, different kinds of onions, etc. etc. etc. The more the better right? ................ Wrong, apparently. Not that tomato sauce with a lot of ingredients isn't good, it's just that, sometimes, less is MORE.

I came across an article regarding Marcella Hazan, and her recipe for Tomato Sauce. Ahem, only three ingredients. Yes, THREE!

What can I tell you. The sauce is amazing! Bright, and vibrant, and tangy and absolutely delicious. Something about the butter gives the tomato sauce a "mouth feel" that is indulgent. The onion adds just a hint of depth and the tomatoes just are uncluttered by anything else. It tastes like a fresh tomato, I don't know how to describe it. I love this sauce. (I admit I did add some fresh basil, but old habits die hard).

Next up for me is this sauce and my homemade meatballs.

Please give it a try. I bet you are as astounded as I was.

Ingredients and Method:

1 28 oz canned whole or diced tomatoes (I use San Marzano)
1 onion, quartered
1 stick of butter
salt, to taste

Yup, that's it!

Place tomatoes in a large saucepan. Cut up tomatoes if using whole ones. Add the butter. Peel and quarter the onion and place in sauce.

Heat over medium heat until it begins to bubble and then lower heat slightly and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard onions (or eat separately if you'd like). Taste and add salt if needed. (You may not need it if you used salted butter)

Ladle sauce onto pasta of your choice and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan or even better, Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Enjoy!

Project Food Blog

2010-09-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I'm affiliated with Food Buzz, an online Food Blog Community.

They have initiated a competition for their bloggers called the Project Food Blog and I decided to participate.

It's a 10 step process called Challenges that range from preparing a classic meal to photography, to video, to creating recipes from given ingredients and others.

I decided to enter it because it promises to stretch my blogging talents and force me out of my comfort zone. I welcome the challenge and the opportunity to learn more.

One of the things I pride myself on is publishing recipes that are tried and true. I want them to be foolproof so that you can depend on my blog as a reliable source to supplement you cooking and baking. I also enjoy researching and finding foods I haven't made before, perfecting them, and offering them to you so you can experience them with me.

Anyway, part of the judging is done by YOUR VOTES, so I would appreciate you taking a moment to vote for me and allow me to continue in the challenge. Here's the link to vote: Vote for the Merlin Menu

Or click on the badge on the left hand side of this page. Thank you for your consideration.

I'll do my best.

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake

2010-09-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

One of the things I made over the weekend was Guinness Slow Cooker Pot Roast which will be posted in about a week. Since I had some Guinness left over I decided to make a recipe which has been in my archives forever, Guinness Stout Ginger Cake which originated from FOODday of the Oregonian.

Now, I almost never try recipes printed in a newspaper because I've had such horrible luck with them. Ask me to tell you the Mustard Crusted Turkey I made one Thanksgiving.

Anyway, I simply love anything ginger and I read and re-read this recipe and based upon the ingredients, I just couldn't see how it could be anything but delicious.

It was. It was. It was. WOW. Some folks at work, who regularly get to taste my food proclaimed it one of the best I've brought in to them to try.

If you like sweet, tons of frosting, cake with little body, this cake isn't for you.

This one is deep, dark, pungent, with a complex mix of flavors that just linger and make you want more. Trust me on this. Finally, a newspaper recipe I love.

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup molasses

1 cup Guinness Stout

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

3 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups flour

1/ 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons ground ginger (yes, two tablespoons)

3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

confectioners sugar for finishing

In a pan, add molasses, stout and slowly bring to a boil. Add the baking soda and immediately turn heat off. It will bubble and roil, just stir, and let settle for a few minutes until cool.

In a mixer bowl or bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until well blended. Add oil and mix thoroughly.

Add the molasses/stout mixture slowly into the eggs while beating.

Add the flour a cup at a time, incorporating fully each time. Add all the spices and baking powder and beat thoroughly. The batter will be a bit thin, that's ok.

Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven. Use a toothpick to check if it's completely baked. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove to wire rack and cool completely.

Dust with confectioner's sugar.

Enjoy!

Lemon Chicken

2010-09-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

Over the years I've always enjoyed cooking a variety of ethnic dishes. One of my favorites is Chinese Food.
I got the urge to do some more Chinese cooking and decided to go to a Restaurant Sales Store and buy an authentic Wok. And did so.

First two dishes were fried rice and a lemon chicken dish. I'm so glad I did, they were delicious. I love fried rice because of the wide variety of items you can add to it. Not all combinations work, but this one did. That being said, see my note at the bottom of this post.

One key to the lemon chicken was to cut the chicken into pieces and let it marinade in soy sauce and sesame oil for 24 hours. The marinade completely saturated the chicken, and when cooked and eaten, the chicken was bursting with that delicious taste combination. Lastly, the lemon sauce had that perfect balance of lightly lemony taste, and a not overly thick sauce. (Adapted from Appetite for China)

You can make these dishes in a large cast iron skillet as I have for years, but it's easier, and more fun with a wok.

Ingredients and Method:
2 skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup oil (I use Canola or Peanut)
Sesame seeds for garnish

Marinade:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Lemon Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon yields 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

chopped green onion for garnish

Rinse and dry chicken breasts and cut into 1 inch cubes. Place in bowl and add soy sauce and sesame oil, cover and marinate for at least 8 hours and preferable 24 hours. Stir every few hours to ensure all pieces are marinated evenly.

Blend cornstarch and pepper in a bowl, and dredge chicken directly from the marinade in the cornstarch. Cover completely and place on plate. Continue with remaining chicken.

Add oil to wok or large sauce pan and heat to 360 degrees. Add chicken to oil (8 - 10 pieces at a time, don't crowd) and fry 2 1/2 minutes, turn the chicken over, and fry an additional 2 1/2 minutes. Remove chicken and let drain on paper towels. Let oil return to 360 degrees before cooking additional chicken.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok or pan, add ginger and garlic and sauté briefly, approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, chicken stock and sugar. Heat on medium until sugar is dissolved and then add corn starch and water. Stir until sauce thickens slightly.

Place chicken on plate and drizzle with lemon sauce. Sprinkle with sliced scallions. Serve with white rice.

(Note on rice. I served it with delicious fried rice, but as my dinner guest commented, the flavors in the fried rice competed with the subtle lemon taste of the chicken, and I agree, so I suggest white rice for that reason)

Enjoy!

Grilled Balsamic Peaches with Parmesan

2010-09-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

I know it doesn't look that good, but man, these need to be a go-to side dish for you when grilling.

Here's one of my summer efforts that I forgot to post, so I shall now.

I'm always on the lookout for grilled side dishes during the summer and based upon the balsamic grilled tomatoes (link here) I love to make I decided to have a go with peaches.

Oh these were so good. I actually ate one and a half of them before my dinner was even ready. The other thing is, even if the peaches aren't the best, or not quite ripe, because you are grilling them it will make little difference to the final product. They are deliciously sweet, with the tang of balsamic and what really sets it apart I think is, I sprinkled the top with the saltiness of parmesan cheese. The combination of sweet, salty parmesan, and tart balsamic was tremendous.

And, should you happen to try a bite of this along with a bite of your grilled steak which is topped with my award winning sauce? Then you are living the Merlin Menu best meal I got to offer. (just joking, I got others, but this one is GOOD!)

Do give it a try if you would and let me know what you think.

Ingredients and Method:
2 ripe or close to ripe peaches
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cut peaches carefully in half around the pit and remove. If the pit is hard to remove, leave it in as you
don't want to crush the peach trying to remove it.

Slash the cut side of the peach diagonally a few times (or cut around the pit if it is still in) and slowly
sprinkle with balsamic so it permeates the slits in the peach.

Place on tinfoil or small pan directly onto a hot grill and grill about 5 minutes until it is very soft.

Remove (it will be very soft so be careful), remove pit now if you left it in, slice each piece in half again, and sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Watermelon and Cucumber with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

2010-08-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

I went to a restaurant two weeks ago with my son for a chicken dinner. It was delicious, fried chicken, baked beans, jalapeño cornbread, cole slaw and an appetizer which was chunks of watermelon and cucumber with some frisee sprinkled over it. There was also a small dish with ranch dressing which was intended to be used to dunk pieces of chicken in. I decided to pour a little over the watermelon and cucumber, and thought, man, this is delicious.

For me, the sweetness of the cucumber with the tartness of the ranch was an ideal combination. So I went home and duplicated it using a recipe for buttermilk ranch dressing (compliments to Simply Recipes) which I think is an improvement because of the addition of the tartness of the buttermilk. Do give it a try.

Seriously, it's simple, quick, and absolutely delicious. (And by the way, when you're watching the ballgame the next night? And drinking an adult beverage, it's easy to finish off the leftovers) I'm just sayin'...

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced into long pieces
1 cup watermelon, cut and cubed

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup fresh buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chive
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Mix buttermilk and mayonnaise together until well blended. Add the balance of the ingredients and stir. Taste and adjust spice/taste to your preferences. Refrigerate for at least an hour and preferably two hours to let flavors blend.

Spoon dressing over watermelon and cucumber on a serving plate. Enjoy!

So simple, and so delicious.

Homemade Potato Chips

2010-08-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed of this post. I really am. It's so simple, and so short I am self-conscious about posting it.

But I had to, because it's SO freaking good! Something I never thought about making at home but knocked
it out of the park when I did.

So here's the deal. I told you about the Beringer Great Steak Challenge in a previous post. The night before the Saturday challenge the Beringer folks had a welcome reception at the Capitol Grille in Seattle. I had never been there but as soon as I walked in, knew I liked the place. Huge, a bit dark, heavy mahogany paneling, brass, a long bar, and nothing but dry aged steak. That's it, steak! How appropriate considering we were all cooking a steak in competition the next day.

Anyway, after the reception, what better thing to do, than to mosey on up the bar, with my son, settle in, have a cold beer and a huge perfectly aged steak.

And as we're served a cold beer, the bartender placed some clear bowls of "bar food" in front of us. The bar food was......(wait for it) ...... homemade potato chips! They were out of this world. Thin, crispy, deliciously salted, browned to perfection! I almost ate so many of them I didn't want a steak.

When I asked how they made them, they told me. White russet potatoes, deep fried, and salted. Whut??? And they taste this good? And I've never made them? Are you KIDDING me? They make Lay's potato chips taste like a piece of cardboard.

So I made them, and like I said, knocked them out of the park. Do try these. A bit of a pain with the hot oil and all, but so simple. I used sea salt on mine which was divine, but I'm thinking next time using some flavored sea salt. Like smoked sea salt? Chipotle sea salt? Imagine the possibilities.

Ingredients:

2 large rusted potatoes, washed, not peeled.
Canola or peanut oil
Sea Salt

Using a Mandolin or a slicer of some type (a necessity because you want the slices thin) cut off the tips of the potatoes and slice the remainder into thin strips. (I used the next to lowest setting on mine) Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water for one hour. (Takes the gumminess and some starch out of the potatoes)

After an hour, remove chips from water, paper towel them dry, and lay on paper towels for 15 minutes to let them dry further. In the water and while drying they will curl by themselves forming that perfect potato chip look.

Heat oil to 370 to 380 degrees.

Drop 7 - 10 slices into the oil at a time. They'll separate just fine. Cook for 2 minutes per side, turning once. Cook them a minute or two longer if you like really dark chips. (My favorite is the darker ones....)

Drain on paper towels and salt one side. I find less salt is better but it's your personal taste.

Let the oil heat again to the proper temperature in between batches of chips. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked. Now tell me, you didn't try one from the first batch you made..... I bet you did.

Store in baggies for up to 3 days. Enjoy, these are killer, and they won't last 3 days, I bet ya. ha ha

Straight Up Egg Salad

2010-08-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Look, I know it's a lame photo. What happened was, I made a half a sandwich, photographed it, and then ate it. It was DELICIOUS! So I made another half, and this time I loaded it up with the salad.....but didn't take photos. So this photo is merely a "ghost" of what YOUR sandwich could look like.

But here's the other thing. As I looked at my lame photo, I realized it kinda makes ya wanna make an egg salad sandwich, and make a BETTER and BIGGER one. So, I think the photo works in a longing kind of enticing way. Was that strange to say? ha ha....

One of my favorite sandwiches is Egg Salad. I've tried recipe after recipe for years and like some, and not too crazy about most of them. I especially find I don't like the egg salad recipes that have ingredient after ingredient. So I tried messing around with the ingredients I know I like in my egg salad, along with another new one, and I loved it. This is probably my go-to egg salad recipe from now on. Check it out.

4 large eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Smoked (Sweet) Paprika

that's it! Quick and easy and delicious, especially after the flavors blend overnight.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Turn off and gently add the eggs into the water. Cover pan, remove from heat, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. (Yup, seven minutes, perfectly done egg for egg salad, you'll see) Immediately drain hot water and replace with cold water to arrest the cooking process.

Peel eggs, and using a fork, mash into smallish pieces in a bowl. Add the balance of ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Refrigerate.

On the bread of your choice, spread a thick layer of egg salad and enjoy. I especially like my egg salad on toasted bread or in pita bread. Enjoy!

Cherry Clafoutis

2010-07-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

Cherry Season here in Washington! Time for cherry desserts. Cherry pie, cherry cobbler, and the old reliable French favorite Cherry Clafoutis. (pronounced Cla-foo-tee) This dish is essentially whole cherries baked in a custard base. It's light, refreshing, delicious, and visually very appealing. One thing I found, is that this dish is best served freshly warm from the oven. You can refrigerate leftovers of course, but they are just not as good the next day. Give it a try.

Ingredients and Method:
4 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound fresh cherries, pitted or not (The French leave the pits in because they feel it imparts flavor to the
finished baked product).
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Kirsch or brandy (optional)
Confectioners sugar for finish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 inch pie pan or a 9x9 square baking pan

In a mixing bowl combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat until smooth and well combined. Add salt, vanilla extract and cream and mix thoroughly. Beat in the flour. Whisk the egg whites for two minutes and fold into the mixture. Mix in lemon juice and kirsch.

Pour into prepared pan and drop cherries one by one into the batter. Bake for 35 minutes until set in the middle and browned on top. Remove, cool for 15 minutes, dust with confectioners sugar and serve.

Enjoy!

Beringer Great Steak Challenge

2010-07-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I competed as a Regional Finalist is the Beringer Great Steak Challenge and came in third place.

What a wonderful event. I've not had such a good time cooking in my life. The folks at Beringer are top notch, professional and treated the 10 of as as if we were royalty. Which I guess we were for a couple of hours or so. And the other contestants were so enjoyable with everyone pulling for one another. Very nice.

We started with a welcome reception at the Capital Grille in Seattle on Friday night. We were each given gift bags which included a beautiful boxed stainless steel carving set. We were housed at the W Hotel a few blocks away.

The following morning, we went by shuttle to the Bite of Seattle to a large tented area for the Beringer event. Wine aplenty, a crowd of hundreds milling about, and 5 beautiful new Gas Barbeque's arranged in a semi-circle.

Everything we needed was supplied to us in individual containers at the beginning of the 30 minute competition, for which there were two groups of five each. Music blaring in the background, a professional emcee roaming, questioning, and filming of our cooking efforts every step of the way.

Four judges, two of whom were Paula Deen's son's, Jamie and Bobby.

And away we went.

Thank you Beringer for such a quality event. I'm definitely entering again next year. And this time, I'm gonna win it.

And, best of all, my youngest son, Nate, came up to attend, cheer me on, and take photographs!

Char Siu Country Style Ribs

2010-07-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

One of the things I really enjoy is Asian style marinades. I've blogged 5 Spice Soy Baked Chicken Wings
and Char Siu Pork Tenderloin and Chinese 5 Spice Game Hen and even Maui Ribs. All have similar, but slightly different combinations of ingredients.

For the 4th of July, I wanted to make Country Style Pork Ribs and I wanted them Char Siu style and I finally hit upon a combination of ingredients for a marinade/basting sauce that I think is the best I've had and the best I've made. The ribs came out incredibly tender with an absolutely delicious aroma and taste from the marinade. You gotta try it. I think we got a winner here. This may very well be the marinade I use for all the recipes above I've already blogged. It's that good.

Adapted from Crepes of Wrath and my own recipes.

Ingredients and Method:
4 large bone-in or boneless country style pork ribs
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
1/4 honey to brush over the finished ribs

Combine all ingredients except honey in a baking dish until thoroughly mixed. Add pork ribs to marinade, cover with plastic, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours, but 24 hours is preferable. Rotate ribs about every 8 hours or so.

Grill over indirect heat (with a smoker box if available) for 1 1/2 hours, brushing occasionally with marinade. Check to ensure internal temperature has reached 170 degrees. Brush both sides with honey, let grill for 3 more minutes, and remove. Let meat rest for 15 minutes before serving.

If you'd like to use the marinade as a sauce, pour into saucepan, with 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve ladled over meat and/or rice.

Salted Dulce De Leche Cheesecake Bars

2010-06-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

I started subscribing to Bon Apetit again after an absence of many years. In my first issue I came across a recipe that sounded awfully good to me. Cheesecake bars, flavored with Dulce de Leche and sprinkled with Sea Salt. Man, what's NOT to like about that combination. So here's the recipe adapted from Bon Apetit, June, 2010.

Crust
2 1/4 cups graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
3 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup Dulce De Leche (available at your grocery store)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze
2/3 cup Dulce De Leche
3 tablespoons heavy cream
sea salt or fleur de sel

Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Press into lightly greased (spray Pam is fine) 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese and sugar until fully blended. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add Dulce De Leche and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Pour and scrape over crust and spread evenly all the way to the edges of the pan. Bake at 350 for 38 to 42 minutes until filling is puffed, browning, and starting to crack. Remove and let cool.

Heat glaze, combine and spread over baked cream cheese and sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate for an hour.

Now a couple of specifics. Salting the dessert, you want to be careful as it's a fine line to perhaps salt it too much and it's easy not to salt enough. Here's what you do, salt it once, somewhat liberally, and then refrigerate. When you go to cut the squares, test one, and if the saltiness is not enough, salt again. That should be sufficient, and perfect.

Also, a cold cheesecake dish like this with a creamy middle and sticky dulce de leche topping can be difficult to cut cleanly. Here's a method I found that works. One, use a heavy knife or even a dough cutter and run it under hot water, dry with a paper towel, and make one cut through the dessert. Then, run again under hot water, clean off cheesecake crumbs, dry, and make another cut. Continue this way until you've made four to six cuts in the cheesecake. Then, remove a "large square" from the pan and place on cutting board. Again, run hot water over the knife, wipe clean, and now you can cut down directly onto the cheesecake until you have evenly shaped squares that are the size you want. Repeat with the remaining "large" squares in the pan. This way you're not trying to cut even squares inside the pan. Also, this will prevent most of the scattering of crumbs from the cutting process.

Lime Cake with Strawberry Compote

2010-06-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Fresh Strawberries. Especially perfectly RIPE fresh strawberries. What do ya do with them? Well, here's one thing you can do with them. Try combining them with a freshly made and delicious Lime Cake from King Arthur Flour.

This cake has a delicate lime essence to it and when paired with fresh fruit is the perfect summer dessert. You could use Raspberries or Strawberries. I chose Strawberries for this time. Actually, the Strawberries ran out, and the leftover cake was great all by itself. Do give it a try.

Ingredients and Method:

Cake
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 cups King Arthur Flour
1 cup milk
grated rind of two limes

Glaze
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2/3 cup superfine or confectioners sugar

Strawberry Compote
1 small basket fresh strawberries, de-hulled and quartered
1/3 cup water
4 tablespoons sugar

Coarse white sparkling sugar for topping

Combine the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat thoroughly after each
addition.

Add salt, baking powder and flour and milk and mix well. Mix in lime zest.

Pour batter into 9 x 13 lightly greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown and a cake tester (toothpick) comes out clean.

Remove to cooling rack. Mix together lime juice and sugar in a small bowl. Using a toothpick pierce the top
of the cake all over. Using a brush spread the lime glaze all over the warm cake. Let it soak in and repeat with the brush until all the glaze has been absorbed by the warm cake. Sprinkle the top of the cake liberally with sparkling sugar for decoration.

Combine the strawberries, water, and sugar in a bowl. Stir to distribute sugar and water throughout the berries. Let sit for an hour in the refrigerator to allow the berries to "juice".

Slice the cake, top with strawberry compote and a touch of whip cream.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel

2010-06-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

A few blocks from where I live a new produce stand has opened up. I stopped by there the other day and was amazed at the quality and freshness of the produce. In addition to all the produce, they also have a wide array of jams, jellies, pickled condiments, infused olive oils and infused balsamic vinegars. I was so surprised at the quality and array of products I sought out the owner to inquire as to his sourcing for product.

Come to find out they are Pike Street Produce! Ever heard of Pike Street Market in Seattle? It's pretty famous. And known for the quality of their produce. So I was pleasantly surprised to see them open an extension just a few blocks from my house. Here's a shot of the downtown Pike Street Market in Seattle:

As I scooped up some fresh corn on the cob, heirloom tomatoes, and some pears, I came across the strawberries. Huge and fresh and smelled delicious. Right beside those was some fresh rhubarb. I've
had strawberry rhubarb pie before and love it, but I didn't feel like messing with pie crust. That's when I decided may strawberry and rhubarb streusel might be good. Oh, it was, especially warm with a touch of ice cream. Give it a try. One of the best summer desserts I've had.

Ingredients and Method:

4 medium rhubarb stalks
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 stick of butter, melted

Combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl. Spread fruit mixture evenly in a 9 x 13 inch greased baking dish.

In another bowl mix together 1 cup flour, oats and brown sugar. Pour melted butter over it and blend well with a fork. Break apart any large lumps. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the fruit mixture. Use the back of the fork or a spoon to press the streusel slightly into the fruit.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes.

Beringer Great Steak Challenge

2010-06-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

Guess What? This is a portion of an email I received today!

Dear Ron:

Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as one of the Regional Finalists for Region 1 in the Beringer Great Steak Challenge for your Filet Mignon with Balsamic Shallot Reduction. As a Regional Finalist, you have won $1,000 to use towards travel expenses to attend the Regional Final at the Comcast Bite of Seattle at the Seattle Center in Seattle, WA. Once there, you will cook your recipe live against 9 other Finalists from your area. The winner will then fly to Beringer Vineyards in Napa Valley for a chance to win $15,000 at the Beringer Great Steak Challenge Finale, filmed and aired by the Cooking Channel!

Woo-Hoo! I'm cooking at the Bite of Seattle as a Regional Finalist! I am so pumped.

Here's the Beringer Great Steak Challenge link: www.G reatSteakChallenge.com

Here's the Bite of Seattle link: http://www.comcastbiteofseattle.com/

And here's the link to my Blog Recipe for the sauce I'm making for the Filet Mignon

Wish me luck!

Grilled Balsamic Avocado

2010-06-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Summertime and it's BBQ time. What grill side dishes do you like to make along with your ribs, burgers, steaks, etc? Corn on the cob? Grilled tomatoes? How about grilled onions? Sure, they are all great.

But I just came across an easy, quick, absolutely knock-out killer grill side dish.

Two words: Grilled Avocado! Yup, grill up some avocado. Here's how:

Take one or two Hass Avocados. Split in half and remove the seed. Use a paring knife and cut squares into the avocado inside the skin. Then take a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and sprinkle into the crevices of each half.

Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

Place skin side down right over the high heat of the coals or gas. Let cook for approximately 5 minutes. The squares of avocado will actually start to puff a bit inside the skin. Actually, the photo in this post was untouched. The chunks of avocado move around in the heat.

Remove and serve immediately.

I simply cannot describe to you how delicious these are. And they make such a GREAT accompaniment to any BBQ outing.

Enjoy!

Eggs Benedict

2010-06-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, Eggs Benedict is what we only eat when we're out at a restaurant and want something different, right? Too much hassle to make at home, right? Not right.

It's easier than you perhaps think. Follow along and you'll see.

Ingredients and Method:
5 eggs, 3 separated
1 stick of butter
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
Canadian Bacon or thinly sliced ham (I prefer the ham)
1 English Muffin
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
parsley for garnish

Add water to a saucepan or small frying pan and bring to gentle rolling boil. Add white vinegar to boiling water. (vinegar keeps the egg whites from separating too much)

Melt butter in ovenproof measuring cup or similar. (you the want the butter to be very hot)

Separate 3 eggs and add yolks to mixer or blender.

You can prepare the Hollandaise sauce in a blender, food processor, or even with a Kitchen Aid mixer. I used the mixer with the wire beater attachment.

Add remaining two eggs to a small bowl.

Ready? Set, Go!

Begin toasting the split English Muffin.

Gently slide the two eggs into the boiling water. 4 minutes for soft poach, and 6 minutes for medium poach.

Turn the mixer on high and beat eggs until beginning to foam. Then, in a thin stream, add the butter to the eggs while the mixer, or blender, or food processor is on high speed. Add cayenne and lemon juice and continue to beat on high for a minute or two.

Lay toasted English Muffin on a plate, layer with Canadian Bacon or ham, lay one poached egg on each muffin, and drizzle with the Hollandaise sauce. Garnish with a bit of parsley. That's it! Enjoy!

Lime Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

2010-05-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I follow is Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. Her recipes are impressive, photography is great, and I enjoy her writing. She posted a recipe recently that from the photo alone, I just had to make. So, hats off to Peabody and thanks for sharing.

I love the taste of these bars, and there's nothing like fresh raspberries, is there? Give them a try. They are so delicious.

Adapted from Culinary Concoctions.

Ingredients and Method:

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon lime zest
4 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons butter, melted
pinch of salt

Batter
2 packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice or key lime juice
1 tablespoon lime zest

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, lime zest, and salt in a bowl. Pour the butter over the mixture and mix well. Scrape crumb mixture into greased 9 x 13 baking dish, press down evenly, and bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Combine cream cheese and sugar and combine with a mixer. Add egg yolks, and beat until well blended. Add lime juice and zest and mix thoroughly.

Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared graham cracker pan and spread evenly.

Raspberry Mixture
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice

Combine raspberries, sugar and lime juice in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the berries juice and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally. Bring to a boil, stir, and turn off heat. Let cool until warm.

Prepare a square of cheesecloth, spoon raspberry mixture into center, (you may have to do twice, depending on the cheesecloth size) pull together four quarters, and begin turning cheesecloth to squeeze out the raspberry sauce into a bowl, leaving the seeds behind. Yeah, it's going to get all over your hands but it's worth it. I find this way to much easier than using a strainer.

Drop the raspberry mixture onto the top of the filling randomly. Using a knife or spatula, swirl the raspberry mixture into the cheesecake filling.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until it is set in the center and starting to brown around the edges. Let cool
completely, and cut into bars. Using a knife dipped in hot water, and dried, will aid the cutting of the bars.

Store in refrigerator.

I took these to work and they "vanished"

Simply Guacamole

2010-05-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

A lot of the things I cook/bake I take to work and share with my folks there. Occasionally, they make something and bring ME some and leave it on my desk. (I try not to arrive too early) Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I found a container of homemade Guacamole on my desk. I refrigerated it during the day and then took it home. Later that night while watching the Mariner's (ugh!) on TV, I popped out the guac and some chips and along with my cold beer, snacked. God it was good guacamole.

So I then proceeded to try and make my own. I made three different versions based upon a variety of ingredients, and threw 2 out of the 3 away, because they weren't that good. I always thought Guacamole was easy!

Tried a 4th combination of ingredients, and here it is. This is some seriously good stuff. And might rival that left on my desk. Might I say, 'cause that was good stuff Aimee!

Give it a try. Make sure the avocado's are Haas (creamier) and ripe (soft).

Ingredients and Method:

2 ripe Haas avocados (Soft when gently squeezed)
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice, depends on your preference
a pinch or two of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup finely diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 /4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon gorgonzola or bleu cheese
chopped green onions (green parts only)

In a large bowl, combine lemon/lime juice, cayenne, taco seasoning, garlic salt, cumin, and pepper and toss well. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, slice the avocado into squares inside the skin and remove with a spoon.

Take half of one avocado and combine with cheese with a vertical blender until smooth. Add to bowl along with balance of avocado and tomatoes and mix well. Add cilantro and green onions and combine.

Chill for at least one hour for the flavors to blend before serving.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-05-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

I decided to make some cookies. I wanted peanut butter but I also wanted chocolate chips. So, I combined it into one recipe. These are peanut butter cookies with both peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. Came out pretty well I thought. Hope you like them.

Ingredients and Method:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter (do not use natural)
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
3/4 cup chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla, beaten egg and peanut butter and mix well.

Add the flour and baking powder and salt and combine thoroughly.

Add peanut butter chips and chocolate chips and fold in gently.

Refrigerate dough in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

On a cookie sheet covered in parchment, or greased sheet, drop dough of about a tablespoon onto the sheet two inches apart.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes until just beginning to brown around the edge of the cookie. Remover, let cool on sheet for 10 minutes, remove to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with balance of the dough.

Enjoy!

Avocado Pie

2010-05-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Yup, you read it correctly. Avocado Pie. I know, your first thought is, will it taste like Guacamole? No, it won't. It is light, and creamy, and just absolutely delicious. I rarely, in my posts, advise anyone that a recipe is something they just HAVE to try. But I gotta break the rule, you gotta try this.

Adapted from Food Network Magazine Mar, 2010

Ingredients and Method:

5 T butter (melted)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
salt (a pinch)

2 hass avocados (make CERTAIN they are ripe. They should feel soft when squeezed, not hard)
1 pkg cream cheese 8oz (room temperature)
1 14 oz can condensed milk
2 1/2 T lime juice
1 1/2 T lemon juice
salt (pinch)

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt and mix well.

Press into a spring form pan or 9 inch pie pan along the bottom and up the sides a bit. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, pierce the avocado with a knife lengthwise to the pit and rotate around until skin is cut. Twist avocado in opposite directions to separate. Remove pit and discard.

Inside the skin, slice the avocado in a cross-hatch pattern to make removal easier. Scrape avocado flesh into a mixing bowl with a spoon.

Beat the avocado until fully mashed.

Add the balance of ingredients to the avocado and beat until light and fluffy.

Empty contents of the bowl into the graham cracker crust. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to cover the surface of the pie.

Chill for at least two hours before serving. This pie is best served within a day or two at most, as it will tend to turn brown from oxidation which is kinda unappealing, ya know?

Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy.

And The Winner Is....

2010-04-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I announced a giveaway of a Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 2.5 Quart Shallow Sauce Pan with Glass Lid.

I had twenty-two contestants and I used Random.Org to select the winner. The winning entry was number Three.

And, the winner is: VIVIAN!

Congratulations Vivian. I hope you enjoy the cookware.

Thank you all for visiting and participating.

I'm sure there will be more giveaways in the future!

Cream and Yogurt Currant Scones

2010-04-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

I love scones. And homemade scones are simply the best. Simple and quick and delicious.

These scones are made with greek yogurt and a touch of heavy cream for a deliciously soft and moist crumb. Instead of currants, you could add raisins, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.

Ingredients and Method:

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup plain greek thick yogurt
1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/4 cup sugar plus a tablespoon for topping
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 stick butter, chilled and cut up.
1/2 cup currants or fruit of your choice

In a mixing bowl combine butter and one cup flour and beat or cut in butter until pea-sized. Add sugar, salt, and baking powder and mix well.

Add beaten egg, yogurt and cream and mix thoroughly. Add approximately 2 cups of flour and mix until sticky ball forms. (You may need 1/4 less or more flour or so to get the right texture) Add in currants and combine.

Remove dough from bowl to lightly floured board. Sprinkle the top and sides with flour. Knead just several times to form a ball. Press or roll out to 1 1/2 inches thick circle. Cut into traditional triangles or use a biscuit cutter for round scones. If using a cutter, re-roll scraps and cut out the balance of the scones.

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. Brush the tops of scones with cream and sprinkle sugar over the tops of each.

Bake in 350 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes until tops are golden brown. Remove, let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Enjoy

Delmonico Potatoes

2010-04-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

I'll tell ya right now. This dish is a pain in the butt to make. It takes a number of ingredients and steps and attention. But, damn, is it worth it. Some of the best potatoes ever. Not overly cheesey, with a clean cream, chicken broth, and lemony taste with a hint of nutmeg.

Truly a great potato side-dish.

Recipe Source: adapted from Cook's Country December/January 2009 via My Kitchen Cafe

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon grated zest and 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
5 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and patted dry with paper towels
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 cups cream, 1 cup broth, Yukon Golds, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are translucent at the edges and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes (the potatoes should not be cooked all the way through). Off the heat, stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Transfer the potato mixture to a 9X13-inch baking dish and bake until bubbling around the edges and the surface is just golden, about 20 minutes. While the potatoes are baking, melt the remaining butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the shredded potatoes until they are just beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining cream, remaining broth, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons green onions. Remove the baking dish from the oven and top with the shredded potato mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and continue to bake until the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let the potatoes cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining green onions and serve.

And I have to admit, as soon as I took these out of the oven, I just HAD to start nibbling at a corner. Ya know why? Watch this short video, and you'll see why....

A Giveaway....

2010-04-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Here's my beat-up old saucepan.

Here's YOUR brand new saucepan!

THIS CONTEST IS OVER

Yes, A giveaway. I'm giving away a Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 2.5 Quart Shallow Sauce Pan with Glass Lid.

The kind folks at Corner TV Stands are donating a prize from a sister site, http://www.cookware.com/. These sites are amongst 200 sites at CSN Stores which offer an amazing array of household products with great prices.

The sauce pan specifics are as follows:

Features:

* Nonstick surface makes cleanup easy and promotes low-fat and non-fat cooking

* Heavy-gauge aluminum construction guarantees even, efficient heating

* Shallow design

* Rounded bottom for easy scraping

* Matte-finish Cool Touch handle stays cool on the stove top and provides a stable grip

* Versatile vessel shapes that accommodates several different cooking techniques

* Oven safe up to 450 degrees

* Clear lid for easy food monitoring

To win, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post indicating what is the first thing you'd like to prepare in your new saucepan. That's it.

The winner will be chosen randomly and cookware.com will send it directly to you. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you for shipping details.

The entries will end on April 25th.

Soy Source and Me

2010-03-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, Soy Source, not Soy Sauce. Soy Source is the name of a local Seattle newspaper published for the Japanese community. Nice play on words I thought.

Why do I bring this up. Well because I met the editor for the paper, Teruyo, and she wanted to do piece on men who cook for her paper. I agreed and she and a photographer came by the house one day and I made Cinnamon Swirl Bread while they interviewed me. The bread literally translated is Shinamonroru.

Anyway, it was published today and although totally in Japanese, is kind of cool I thought. It's not The Food Network, but gosh, I never thought about being published in anything.

Here's the link: Soy Source

I'm kinda liking this blogging thing, ya know?

Nutella Swirl Poundcake

2010-03-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

I've not cooked much using Nutella but intend to in the future as I've been coming across interesting sounding recipes. With that in mind I tried this recipe I found, changed it a bit, and was very pleased with the results.

It's simple, straight-forward and delicious.

Source: Food and Wine

1 1/2 cups flour (I used bread flour, but all purpose works just as well)

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 softened sticks of butter

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 jar Nutella

Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and combine thoroughly. Add vanilla, salt and baking powder and mix well. Add flour and mix until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan and level it out with spatula. Drop 4 heaping tablespoons of Nutella onto batter and use spatula to smooth out as much as possible. (It's thick so don't worry if it's not perfect, you're going to swirl it around anyway)

Pour another 1/3 of the batter over the Nutella, spread smooth and add 4 more heaping tablespoons of Nutella and smooth out. Top with remaining batter. (You will not use the entire jar of Nutella)

Now, here's an important part of this recipe. When I made this the first time, I made a mistake which was I didn't swirl the Nutella enough. Plus I used a thin implement to do so. The Nutella is thick and wet, and when I baked it, although most of the loaf was done perfectly, the large pockets of Nutella kept the dough around it from baking fully, so it was doughy.

I made it again, and this time, I used a spatula, and sunk it into the layers of batter and Nutella and swirled quite a bit to evenly distribute it throughout the dough.

Bake at 325 degrees for at least an hour and as long as 1 hour 15 minutes. Check it carefully but fully inserting a toothpick and ensuring it comes out clean.

Let cool for 15 minutes, remove from loaf pan onto wire rack and cool thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Lemon Sponge Pie

2010-03-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

We've been having some amazing Spring-like weather in Seattle and I noticed some really nice looking lemons in the grocery store produce section. I suspect they are from South America and are really fresh. So I decided a springtime dessert was in order.

An interesting recipe I found online. It's essentially a lemon pie, that while baking forms it's own layer of lemon filling with a fluffy topping. With a touch of whipped cream I found it to be light and delicious.

Source: The Food Librarian

Ingredients:

1 9 inch pie crust (unbaked)
3 eggs separated
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (I used 3 lemons)
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 1/2 cups sugar (add 2 more tbs if you'd like it not quite so tart)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup flour

Separate eggs, reserving whites. Beat egg yolks and sugar together. Add lemon juice, milk, salt, and lemon zest and beat thoroughly.Mix in flour.

In a separate chilled bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the lemon mixture until incorporated.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees and bake until golden brown, approximately 45 minutes.(You can tell I slightly overbaked mine.)

Let cool completely and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Store in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Irish Brown Bread

2010-03-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

I have a post for Irish Soda Bread (here) which contains the usual ingredients as well as an egg, butter, and currants and I really like the recipe.

However, I was reading the March 2010 issue of Bon Apetit and it has an article called a Slice of Ireland. It's a quick story regarding Andrew McCarthy searching the Irish Countryside for the perfect slice of brown soda bread.

From Dublin at Fallon & Byrne to Moran's Oyster College. He winds up at Ballinalacken Castle Country House and Restaurant where we discover Mrs. O'Callaghan's Irish Brown Soda Bread which she has been making for 45 years.

I admit I'm a sucker for old, time-worn recipes so naturally HAD to make this.

The author's description of it says it best: "There's a firmness to its texture, but there's an elasticity as well. It's coarse, but there's a surprising softness - a gentleness to its taste. And it has that telltale sweetness that lingers."

This bread is simple, straight-forward, and absolutely delicious. Do give it a try soon.

Ingredients:

Nonstick oil spray
3 cups bread flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 stick chilled butter, but into small cubes
2 to 2 1/2 cups buttermilk. (It called for 2 but I had to use 2 1/2 to get the dough to form a ball)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Whisk both flours, sugar, and baking soda in bowl to blend. Add butter and cut into flour thoroughly. Add buttermilk; stir until a sticky balls forms.
Turn out onto floured surface and knead briefly until dough comes together, about 5 to 10 turns. Shape into a round ball and place on baking sheet. Cut a large X, 1/2 inch deep across the top of the dough.

Bake until the bread is deeply browned (45 minutes to 1 hour) and sounds hollow when tapped on the top. This bread will "look" done well before it is, so prepare to generally bake for the full time shown.

Let cool and serve with fresh butter. Oh man, this is the best.

Red Beans and Rice

2010-02-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

Saints in the Superbowl? The Saints? This one's easy. I'm having Red Beans and Rice!

I used Smoked Kielbasa for the sausage but authentic Red Beans and Rice contain Andouille sausage, it's your preference.

I made this in the Pressure cooker. If you are cooking traditionally, cook for 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

(Adapted from About.com)

Ingredients and Method:

1 pound dried red beans or 2 cans drained and rinsed canned red beans. For dried beans, soak overnight in water
1 pound smoked kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces

1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 quart chicken broth
2 tablespoons parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Scallions and white rice for accompaniment

Add oil to pressure cooker over medium heat. Brown sliced sausage on both sides, approximately 5 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add onion, celery and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes until onion is translucent and celery softens.

Add cumin, thyme and cayenne pepper and saute one minute more. Add chicken broth, beans and sausage.

Cover, turn heat up and bring up to pressure, 15 p.s.i. Once the cooker begins to steam steadily, turn heat down to low, and let cook for 10 - 15 minutes under pressure. Remove from heat and let cool naturally.

Remove cover and check to make sure the beans are tender. (No need if you used canned beans) If the beans are not done, repressurize and cook for 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over freshly cooked rice and garnish with green onions.

Sauerbraten German Pot Roast

2010-02-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

So I came across this recipe. I've heard of Sauerbraten but have never made it nor tried it. What intrigued me about making it was marinating the cut of meat for 3 days, perhaps adapting it for the Pressure Cooker, and the addition of crushed ginger cookies to the marinade to thicken and make a gravy for the meat.

Will I make this again? You bet! The meat was deliciously tangy sour (hence the name Sauerbraten) and as tender and delicious as could be.

The gravy however, I guess I expected it to be more of a contributor than what it was so I "doctored" it a bit. I added a bit more sugar because it was still very sour, and I added some ground ginger to give it some "bite". It accompanies the meat wonderfully since it's the marinade for the meat, it just needed a boost. Feel free to experiment with your own thoughts or preferences.

That being said, this was the most tender, delicious cut of roast I've had in years and years.

Adapted from: Joelen's Culinary Adventures.

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 carrot chopped thinly
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 bay leaves
6 minced cloves
2 - 3 pound bottom round roast
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
15 gingersnaps, crushed
1 teaspoon ground ginger

All right, so here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna make a marinade, and marinate the roast for 3 days. Yes, 3 days! It'll be worth the hassle, believe me.

(Pressure Cooker note. The only difference in the recipe directions if you're NOT using a pressure cooker, is to bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 4 to 5 hours until fork tender)

In a saucepan combine both vinegars, water, salt, pepper, carrots, onions, bay leaves, cloves and ground mustard. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, let cool.

Pat the roast dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium frying pan and brown meat on each side until browned, approximately 10 minutes per side.

Remove from heat.

Pour marinade into non-reactive dish. Add roast to dish. If the roast is not covered with marinade simply plan on turning the roast once a day so both sides get equally marinated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 days.

When ready to cook/bake, remove roast, and pour all of marinade into pressure cooker (or baking dish). Cut any exposed fat from the roast. Add the roast, turn up heat, cover and bring up to 15 p.s.i. When the cooker begins to steam steadily, turn the heat down to low, and let cook at pressure for 60 minutes. (Or, as stated earlier, bake at 350 degrees for 4 - 5 hours). Let cool naturally.

Remove roast to cutting board and let rest.

Strain marinade mixture into bowl. Don't be afraid to mash solids through the mesh to give the gravy some "body".

Pour into saucepan, add sugar, ginger, and crushed ginger cookies. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and continue to stir and simmer, until gravy thickens.

Remove from heat and skim any visible fat from surface.

Slice roast against grain into approx. 1/4 inch slices, arrange on plate, and ladle gravy over. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Old Fashioned Gingerbread

2010-01-31T16:28:00.000-08:00

Childhood tastes and memories. I think we all have a number of things we ate as children that bring back memories when we try them again. In this case I'm talking about Gingerbread. Warm, dark, pungent, heavily gingered Old Fashioned Gingerbread. It reminds me of my grandmother and eating a slice fresh from the oven with a dollop of whipped cream, sometimes a tiny scoop of ice cream, or my favorite, just lightly buttered.

I hadn't had any in years so I made some. Try it, I think you'll like it. It'll bring back memories. Or make new ones. Up to you.

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup molasses
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
In a bowl combine sugar and butter. Beat in the egg and molasses.
Add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt and mix well.
Pour one cup hot water in mixture and stir in.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for one hour until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Enjoy.

Double Chocolate Butterfinger Cookies

2010-01-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

Gosh these cookies are good!!!

I got some good news (personal, but my daughter is home from Iraq soon) and I just was bustin' up, ya know? And because I'm a food geek and have no life, I decided to look through my saved recipes I've found over months and months and make something. And I found one. And made them.

After a cold Beck's or two, and visit for a bit to the Sports Bar, because, ahem, I guess I DO have a bit of a life.

I came home, made these, loved the dough, texture and consistency.... they baked up perfectly, and were just as good as could be.

So they get a Merlin Thumbs UP! Thanks to Jenny at Picky Palate for the recipe. Now admittedly, her photo's are much better than mine, but I bet my adaptation tasted at least as good. Thanks Jenny.

1 stick of butter
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
1 3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate morsels
2 Large Butterfinger bars, crushed into pieces (I placed both in a plastic sandwich bag and attacked them with a meat tenderizer)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and use a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicon liner if you have it.

In a large bowl/mixer combine sugars and softened butter until fluffly. Add the eggs and vanilla.

Add baking soda and salt and mix well. Add cocoa and flour and mix thoroughly. Add the chips and
butterfinger bar crumbs and mix well.

Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes so it's easier to work with.

Drop in rounded teaspoonfuls onto sheet with an inch and half space in between.

Bake for 9 - 11 minutes. (Mine took 11 exactly) They will still be a bit soft in the center, that is fine.

Let cool on pans for 5 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Espresso Cookies with Sea Salt

2010-01-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a basic chocolate cookie recipe with a couple of twists. One, I added Starbucks VIA Italian Espresso Roast instant coffee to the mix for a mocha taste, and two, dusted with sea salt to get that "sweet/salty" taste which is so popular right now.

I must say, they came out quite well. I admit I work for Starbucks, but I have to tell you I love using the VIA instant coffee in recipes. It's perfect. I'm trying to work up to a Tiramisu, ya know? LOL.

2 sticks butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour (check consistency before adding balance of flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 dollop of sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
2 envelopes Starbucks VIA Italian Roast instant coffee
Sea Salt for garnish and finishing

Preparation:

Combined softened butter with sugars in a bowl. Mix in cocoa powder. Add eggs, salt, baking powder, vanilla, sour cream and milk and stir well. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix. Add more flour only if dough is too thin. Mix in VIA instant coffee.

Chill dough for 20 minutes in refrigerator. Using a scoop, add a rounded tablespoon of dough to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper about an inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Immediately sprinkle cookies with sea salt. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

New England Sausage, Apple and Dried Cranberry Stuffing

2009-12-22T17:27:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite dressing recipe from Bon Appetit about 14 years ago. When I make Turkey, this IS the dressing. So delicious. Apples, cranberries, sausage and fresh herbs combined with breadcrumbs and baked. Do try to use fresh herbs as it does make a big difference in the finished product. Besides, if it's a Holiday meal, it's worth the effort, don't ya think?

Ingredients

14 ounces white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large leeks)
1 pound tart green apples, peeled, cored, chopped
2 cups chopped celery with leaves
4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs, beaten to blend

1 1/3 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread cubes between 2 large baking sheets. Bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Sauté sausages in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off any drippings from skillet. Melt butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to skillet; sauté until leeks soften, about 8 minutes. Mix in dried cranberries and rosemary. Add mixture to sausage, then mix in bread and parsley. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix eggs into stuffing.

To bake stuffing in turkey:

To bake all stuffing in pan:

Apricot-Glazed Turkey with Roasted Onion and Shallot Gravy

2009-12-16T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe for Turkey that I came across in Bon Appetit 14 years ago. I have faithfully made this my Turkey recipe ever since then. I find it foolproof, delicious, moist meat always, and the gravy is simply to die for. Check it out and you'll see what I mean.

Apricot-Glazed Turkey with Roasted Onion and Shallot Gravy

Apricot Glaze
1 cup apricot nectar
1 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon honey

Herb Butter
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Onion Mixture
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 large onions (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced
6 ounces shallots (about 6 large), thinly sliced

Turkey
1 21- to 22-pound turkey
1 14 1/2-ounce can (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried

Gravy
1 14 1/2-ounce can (about) low-salt chicken broth

For Glaze:
Combine all ingredients in heavy small saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened and reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes.

For Herb Butter:
Blend all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

For Onion Mixture:
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and shallots and sauté until very soft and light brown, about 20 minutes. (Glaze, herb butter and onion mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Bring herb butter to room temperature before continuing.)

For Turkey:
Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400° F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. Spread half of herb butter over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Place remaining herb butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted. Brush butter over outside of turkey. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Roast turkey 1 hour 30 minutes, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Tent turkey with heavy-duty foil; roast 45 minutes longer. Add onion mixture, 1 can broth, thyme and sage to pan. Roast 15 minutes. Bring glaze to simmer. Brush 1/2 cup glaze over turkey. Continue to roast turkey uncovered until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180° F. or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, brushing occasionally with glaze and adding more broth to pan if liquid evaporates, about 40 minutes longer for unstuffed turkey (about 1 hour 10 minutes longer for stuffed turkey). Place turkey on platter, tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes. Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.

For Gravy:
Pour contents of roasting pan into strainer set over large bowl. Spoon fat from pan juices in bowl. Transfer onion mixture in strainer to blender. Add 1 cup pan juices to blender and puree until smooth, adding more pan juices and chicken broth if necessary to thin sauce to desired consistency. Transfer sauce to heavy large saucepan and bring to boil. Cook until color deepens, skimming off any foam, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve turkey with gravy.

For Herb Butter:
Blend all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

For Onion Mixture:
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and shallots and sauté until very soft and light brown, about 20 minutes. (Glaze, herb butter and onion mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Bring herb butter to room temperature before continuing.)

For Turkey:
Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400° F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. Spread half of herb butter over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Place remaining herb butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted. Brush butter over outside of turkey.
Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Roast turkey 1 hour 30 minutes, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Tent turkey with heavy-duty foil; roast 45 minutes longer. Add onion mixture, 1 can broth, thyme and sage to pan. Roast 15 minutes. Bring glaze to simmer. Brush 1/2 cup glaze over turkey. Continue to roast turkey uncovered until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180° F. or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, brushing occasionally with glaze and adding more broth to pan if liquid evaporates, about 40 minutes longer for unstuffed turkey (about 1 hour 10 minutes longer for stuffed turkey). Place turkey on platter, tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes. Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.

For Gravy:
Pour contents of roasting pan into strainer set over large bowl. Spoon fat from pan juices in bowl. Transfer onion mixture in strainer to blender.

Add 1 cup pan juices to blender and puree until smooth, adding more pan juices and chicken broth if necessary to thin sauce to desired consistency. Transfer sauce to heavy large saucepan and bring to boil. Cook until color deepens, skimming off any foam, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve turkey with gravy.

Sea Salt Ginger Cookies

2009-12-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

There's a type of cookie I like but you just don't see or hear much about anymore. And that's a Ginger Cookie. When I was a kid I remember Ginger Snaps, Ginger candies, Ginger Bread! I loved the taste of ginger. So I searched and searched for a recipe and found a good one I thought I could adapt at Dinner and Dessert. What appealed to me was that these cookies weren't thin and gingersnap like, but instead a cake cookie which is what I wanted.

I also wanted a cake-like cookie because I thought a sprinkling of sea salt might work with a ginger cookie. All I'll say is, I was right. These are delicious!!! The sting of double measured ginger with the saltiness and the sweetness of molasses and brown sugar. Definitely a cookie I will make again, and again, and again. Do give it a try.

Adapted from Dinner and Dessert
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger (yes, two)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sea Salt for finishing touch

Melt butter and pour into mixing bowl with both sugars. Combine well.

Add beaten egg and molasses and mix together.
Add cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and ginger and mix thoroughly.

Add flour. You may need to add 1/4 cup or two more until you get a nice thick cookie dough.

Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. (The stiffness of the cookie dough and the chilling will keep the cookies from spreading too much while baking.)

Spoon tablespoon size of dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, or just greased pans. Leave about 1 1/2 space between each one.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9 - 12 minutes. Each batch of mine took exactly 12 minutes. The best way to tell is to take them out of the oven when the very edges are beginning to brown.

Immediately sprinkle the tops of the hot cookies with sea salt. Don't overdo it but a light visible sprinkling is perfect.

Let cook for five minutes, and then remove from baking pan to wire rack and let cool completely.

Psst, the picture below is my new Convection Toaster Oven. Bakes, browns, toasts, defrosts and broils. I'm liking this oven.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Molasses Bread (Cold Rise Method)

2009-11-27T17:38:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things for breakfast at work is toasted homemade bread. I hadn't done any in a while so I looked to see if I had enough ingredients to whip up a loaf. I did, so I did.

One of the things I've been experimenting with is what's called a cold or cool rise. One can mix bread dough, and refrigerate it and even freeze it, and bring it to room temperature and it'll come out just fine. I've always used that as a time convenience or storage method more than anything else.

Come to find out though, there is a specific method or reason for this also. Turns out that when the dough is refrigerated for a period of time, the yeast slows down and the bread doesn't rise much of course, but the bacterias and the rising agents don't! So the taste of the bread continues to evolve and become more complex. And it's true! I really enjoyed the taste of this bread. You should try the cold rise yourself and see.

Also, I found out that dough is SO much easier to shape when it's cold. So you just take it out of the refrigerator the next day, shape in loaves or rolls or whatever, place in the baking vessel, and leave it alone until it returns to room temperature and rises and doubles in size. So easy.

Ingredients:

1 package dry active yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warmed milk
3 - 5 cups flour bread flour (added in 1/2 cup increments)
1 cup oatmeal (I used quick oats but regular will work fine also)
1/3 cup molasses

In a mixer bowl, mix yeast with brown sugar. Combine milk and melted butter together, test to make sure it is not too warm (I should warm to the touch but not hot, about 110 degrees) Add to yeast/sugar, stir, and let rest for 15 minutes. If mixture foams, it is proofed and you're good to go.

Add oatmeal, molasses and beaten egg and mix well. Add 2 cups flour, salt and begin mixing, adding flour in 1/2 cup increments until a sticky dough ball forms.

Scrape out onto lightly floured board, sprinkle with flour over the top, and knead briefly for a couple of minutes.

Place into greased bowl, turn over, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight, not to exceed 24 hours.

Remove from bowl onto lightly floured board, punch down and shape into loaf shape. Place in the center of bread pan, and place in a warm area. (I usually heat the oven to 200 degrees briefly, turn off the heat, and just place the bread in there)

Leave the bread alone until it has come to room temperature and risen to twice it's size.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, and then bake in 5 minute increments until the top is browned, and sounds hollow when tapped with your finger.

Let cool before removing from bread pan.

Enjoy plain or toasted. It's delicious toasted though, gotta tell ya.

Enjoy!

Waffle Cookies

2009-11-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

Surfing through tons of recipes as I sometimes do, I came across an unusual cookie I hadn't seen before. Naturally, I just had to make them.

It's a lighter dough that you bake in a waffle iron! They came out very well, and were a hit at work.

On the one hand you can only bake 4 at a time, but they bake very quickly, just like a waffle does. Check them out.

Adapted from Culinary in the Desert.

Ingredients and Method:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Glaze:

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

In a bowl, melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second bursts until both are melted. (The butter will melt first) Stir and check chocolate after each burst.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the melted butter and chocolate with the sugar until well blended. Add the eggs, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa powder and mix thoroughly. Add the flour and mix well.

Preheat a waffle iron. Lightly spray with cooking spray. I found that I didn't have to have to add any more oil to the iron.

If your waffle iron has a pattern of 4 waffles place a large tablespoon of batter in the middle of each square. My iron has a pattern of 2 waffles so I placed a tablespoon at the top and bottom of one square and repeated with the other.

Close cover and cook for approximately 1 1/2 - 2 minutes until they are done. Remove to wire rack and let cool completely.

When they have cooled, mix together the cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan and stir and cook over low heat until melted and blended. Pour glaze onto a plate, and dip each of the waffle cookies gently into the glaze, just trying to cover on the very tops. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, serve and enjoy. These are delicious with cold milk, of course. Duh!

Curried Lentil Soup

2009-11-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a soup I think you'll enjoy.What kicked this off is some Curried Butternut Squash soup I had for lunch from a bakery close by my work. It was so good and I'm not normally a curry person, but I am now. Especially after making this Curried Lentil Soup. The taste of the soup is intriguing. At first it's just the delicious flavor of the lentils, broth and spice blend, which then gives way to the curry flavor and finishes with a touch of heat from the cayenne. Give it a try, it's delicious. Adapted from Epicurious.

3 cups lentils, soaked in water overnight, and rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, washed, trimmed, and chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with puree
3 chicken bouillon cubes mixed with one cup water
5 cups water
a pinch of cayenne pepper (or two)
1 tablespoon salt (more to season to taste when soup is done)
2 teaspoons pepper (more to season to taste when soup is done)

I made this in a Pressure Cooker, but if you want to make it conventionally on a stovetop, follow the instructions, and just cook over medium heat for 45 minutes until lentils are soft.

Pour olive oil into cooker over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, and celery for approximately 10 minutes until onions soften. Add garlic and ginger and saute for 3 minutes. Add curry powder, stir, and add bouillon liquid, and 5 additional cups of water and tomatoes. Stir in lentils and salt and pepper.

Turn heat to high, cover, lock and add thermostat. Bring up to pressure. When cooker begins to steam constantly, turn heat down to medium, and cook at pressure for an additional 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and let de-pressurize normally. When cooled down, uncover, add pinch of cayenne, stir, and taste. Add salt, pepper, in small increments, stir and taste again until it tastes how you want it.

Serve in bowls with a touch of sour cream and parsley for garnish.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2009-11-01T11:26:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, ya just get a hankering for something, ya know? Last weekend, I just HAD to have some Cinnamon Bread, homemade of course. So I made some. I usually don't follow recipes when making bread because I know how to adjust ingredients to affect the outcome of what I want. But in my reading recipes anyway, I came across one that sounded different and good. And trust me, it WAS. Just ask Amanda at work who really enjoyed it. Further, toasted and a little butter? Nothing else is as good.

Thanks to (of all places) About.com for a great bread recipe.I adapted it to use a "cold rise". A cold rise is when the dough is allowed to rise slowly overnight in a refrigerator and then brought to room temperature before shaping, rising again, and baking. A cold rise or cool rise slows the yeast activity thereby allowing a longer and more flavorful taste to develop. No only that, the "crumb" on this bread was exquisitely fine. Do try. It's easy.

Igredients and Method:

2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon shortening
1 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk
1 package active dry yeast (Do not use quick acting yeast)
6 cups (approximately) flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup milk

In a mixer or bowl, add the sugar and the shortening. Pour the boiling water in and stir until shortening melts. Stir in the evaporated milk to cool down the liquid and let it sit until the liquids are slightly more than lukewarm. Add the yeast, stir, and let sit for 15 minutes. If it is foamy then the yeast is "proofed" and you're good to go.

Add the flour, and the salt and mix in one cup increments until a sticky dough ball is formed.

Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured board. Sprinkle liberally with flour and knead for about 4 minutes, until it is smooth and all flour is incorporated.

Grease a bowl or other container, place dough ball into bowl and turn over so that top has a light covering of the oil.

Cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator overnight.

Remove from refrigerator onto a lightly floured board. Punch dough down, and knead several times and let sit for a couple of hours so it can come to room temperature.

Divide dough in half. Roll one half into rectangle about10 x 8 inches. Brush with milk. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle half over the rectangle. Starting with a long side, roll bread up like a jelly roll. Pinch the ends completely shut and place seam side down in a bread pan. (Make sure you seal it or the sugar will melt and run out, as mine did, lol)

Repeat with the second dough ball.

Cover with a towel in a warm place (I use a warm oven with the temperature off) and let rise until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes until golden brown. The bread is done when tapped on the top and it sounds "hollow".

You can glaze the loaves after they cool if you want, but they really don't need it in my opinion. The evaporated milk yields a rich dough and the sugar cinnamon swirl is sufficient.

Serve warm, or for a special treat, toast it and add a touch of butter.

Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

2009-10-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog, you know I'm about Pressure Cooking now. I'm just loving it. It still blows my mind how fast things will cook and yet the taste is still what you are searching for.

Have you ever slow-cooked Spaghetti sauce for instance for hours? You know delicious it is, the flavors so well blended together, the velvety sauce? Ya know? TEN minutes in a slow cooker!

But today, we are tackling an American Sunday Staple. Pot Roast.

For a pot roast we generally use a cheaper cut of meat, which then requires a longer cooking time (hours) in order to break down the meat and have it become tender. It's ok, because we usually add potatoes and carrots and cook them right along with it, so it all comes out tender with a form of gravy already made. Delicious.

In a pressure cooker? 45 minutes! And some of the best gravy I bet you've had. Check it out.

Ingredients and Method:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 3 lb chuck roast

1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped (I like chunks of onions in my gravy)

1 package brown gravy mix

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 package italian dressing mix
1 can beef broth
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 beef bouillon cube
salt and pepper to taste
12 small red potatoes, halved
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves

Turn heat under Pressure Cooker to medium and add olive oil. Sprinkle roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Place into cooker and brown all over, about 10 minutes per side.

Add onion, gravy mix, ranch dressing mix and italian mix , beef broth, paprika, worcestershire sauce, garlic, and beef bouillon cube all over the roast in the cooker. The pressure cooker will distribute everything just fine.

Turn heat to high, let liquids come to a boil, and then seal the pressure cooker. Wait until a steady stream of steam is being emitted, and immediately turn to medium low, and begin timing 30 minutes from this point.

After 30 minutes of a steady stream of steam from the cooker, remove from heat and run cold water over the cooker until pressure recedes. Open cooker, and add bay leaves, carrots and potatoes to the liquid surrounding the roast.

Place cooker back on stove and bring to high heat and a boil. Seal cooker with cover, wait until it's emitting a steady stream of steam, turn to medium low and time for 15 more minutes to continue cooking the roast and cooking the carrots and potatoes perfectly.

After 15 minutes, remove from heat, and let cool down naturally. Remove cover.

If the "gravy" is not to your liking or too thin, remove the roast and vegetables, and stir in 2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water, and stir in over medium heat until gravy thickens....

Let roast rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes, and slice and serve with potatoes, carrots and gravy.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Swiss Cheese Soup

2009-10-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

There's a bakery here in Seattle close by my work called Macrina's Bakery. They offer a wide selection of all types of breads, sandwiches, rolls, pizza and desserts and pastries.

One of the things I discovered though, for lunch is their soup. Their soups are so, so good. Last week I had a bowl of Cauliflower Swiss Cheese soup that was delicious.

I cobbled together a recipe and made it and it came out surprisingly close to the one I had at Macrina's. Give it a try if you're looking for a hearty, cheesy soup to warm you up.

Coming soon, I hope, is two more soups I tried there. One is Beet and Apple soup and the other is Curried Butternut Squash soup. Both were just delicious.

This recipe is done in a pressure cooker, my newest toy. But you can prepare in a standard pot. Just adjust the cooking time until the cauliflower is very tender so it and the other ingredients will blend well.

1 sweet onion, chopped
2 peeled and sliced carrots
2 sliced celery stalks
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 package frozen cauliflower
1 cup milk
pinch of red pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
salt and pepper to taste

In pressure cooker over medium heat, add olive oil and saute onions until they begin to soften and turn translucent. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Add celery, cauliflower, carrots, chicken broth, thyme, and red pepper.

Turn heat to high, seal pressure cooker, and wait until it comes to 15 p.s.i. (When the steam vents continually) Turn down to medium to low (just so steam gently vents) and time for 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool down slowly. Remove cover and using a hand blender, or a regular blender, blend until all vegetables are liquefied.

Return to stove and turn heat to low, and add one cup of milk and swiss cheese. Cook, stirring until milk is incorporated and cheese is fully melted. Salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with parsley and enjoy.

Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

2009-10-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

Allright! It's officially Autumn. I know because I live in Seattle, WA and it's freaking raining on me like 4 times a day.

But, I have to admit, a lot of the time, I don't really mind the rain. I like waking up, and it's still dark, and raining outside, and the sounds lull me back to sleep.

Ever walked through a gentle rain? Like mist? It's refreshing.

And the cool snap in the air? I like it.

Know the other thing I like this time of year. SOUP! Hearty, tasty soups.

I've posted Crockpot Yankee Beef Stew, Crockpot Split Pea Soup, Black Bean Pumpkin Soup, etc. and I personally believe they are all post-worthy.

But this soup I made today, adapted from the ubiquitous All Recipes, is the best ever!

And here's why, Pressure Cooker. Yup, made this soup in FIFTEEN minutes! Let it cool, dollop of sour cream, and it was soooo good. And the beauty of the pressure cooker, (as I'm learning to use one, see my earlier posts) is that it cooks with steam instead of ambient air, so it not only cooks faster, but retains nutrients, and flavors and spices, and blends just like it was cooked for hours. I'm amazed.

Do you like thick, nutty, naturally sweet soups, with a tang, and a slightly unidentifiable delicious taste to it, and a bit of a bite? The kind you remember having eaten?

Then make this soup. I'm not joking. It's that good. And if you don't believe me, read the ingredients.... Yeah, kind of intriguing..... Allright, I'll stop, here ya go....

Ingredients and Method:

2 tablespoons butter
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (rounded)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (rounded)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (rounded)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (rounded)
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, and chopped into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
salt and pepper
sour cream for garnish and finish
parsley for garnish

Melt butter over medium heat in pressure cooker and saute onions until they soften. Add all
the spices and saute with onions until they warm and release their fragrance. Add broth, water, sweet potatoes and carrots.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Turn heat up to medium high and bring to a boil, cover and seal pressure cooker and wait for cooker to come up to pressure. (i.e. steady venting of steam from valve)

Turn down to medium low and begin timing for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let it cool until pressure is totally reduced.

Process in batches in food processor or hand blender.

Taste and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with spoonful of sour cream and parsley for garnish.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can use a slow cooker. Saute onions and spices in a pan as directed above. Add to slow cooker with balance of ingredients. Cook on low for 6 - 7 hours until vegetables are very tender. The rest of the instructions remain the same.

Enjoy.

Popcorn Ice Cream

2009-10-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

I know. Dull picture. There are some things you just can't photograph well. And this is one of them. Popcorn Ice Cream. Who EVER heard of Popcorn Ice Cream. I certainly hadn't. But here's what happened.

The internet food group/ad group I belong to is Food Buzz. They had a "Community Dinner" affair in my town of Seattle and invited me to go. It was wonderful. Gourmet dinner at Spring Hill restaurant. Turns out, the restaurant was SIX blocks from my house. Who knew? I've driven by it a hundred times probably. Anyway,

I met food bloggers from area, drank wine with every course, had some wonderful great inspirational food, and then came dessert.

The dessert was a layered peanut butter and chocolate brownie, but coupled with a scoop of, you got it, Popcorn Ice Cream!

I was skeptical, just as YOU are right now reading this, but listen, it was INCREDIBLY GOOD! It was creamy ice cream, but with an explosion of salty and buttery popcorn in every bite!

I was blown away.

So, I searched the internet, found a recipe, (at Hungry Like The Duck) made it at home this weekend, and it was just as good if not better. You have to try this. No, I'm NOT joking, try THIS!

Oh, and for those of you who say, well I don't have an ice cream machine, it doesn't matter. I don't either. I just froze it fully in dishes and it was fine. The ice cream machine gives it a lighter texture and "airyness" but, just let it sit for ten minutes before you eat it, let it soften, and it's great. Besides, why pay $40.00 for a machine you'll use twice a year for a couple of years, and then move, and it never get's unpacked?? LOL

Here's my thought, whip up some homemade Popcorn Ice Cream in the morning, let it freeze all day, then rent the kids and/or family a movie, and serve this..... and blow THEM away too.

Oh, and best of all, it's soooooo easy! Here's all you do....

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 quarts salted, buttered, popped popcorn
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sea salt for sprinkling

Beat eggs and sugar together until well combined. Pour into large kettle. Add milk, cream and salt. Turn heat to low.

Meanwhile pop one bag of microwave buttered popcorn. Open bag, pour entire contents into ice cream mixture, and stir to combine.

Turn heat to high, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as it reaches a boil, turn off heat, and let the popcorn steep in the ice cream mixture for one hour.

Strain popcorn and ice cream mixture through cheesecloth into a bowl. Enclose the top of the cheesecloth with your hands and squeeze thoroughly to capture as much ice cream mixture as you can.

If you have an ice cream machine, follow the instructions for that. If you don't have an ice cream maker, just pour into appropriate sized dishes, sprinkle with a fair coating of sea salt and freeze thoroughly.

Remove from refrigerator, let defrost for 15 minutes and serve. Try to fight the urge to rent a movie.

Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

2009-10-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti and meatballs in 10 minutes and it tastes like it was slow cooked for hours. I'm not joking.

A deep, tangy and robust taste, sauce as smooth as butter, and the most tender meatballs one can make I think.

You can slow cook this same recipe for hours and if you do. Save half the sauteed onions and half the spices to be added during the last hour of cooking. Slow cooking tends to flatten the taste of spices and such and reserving half and adding late in the cooking cycle will "brighten" the taste once more.

That being said. Use a Pressure Cooker. I admit I just bought one and am learning to use it myself, but this recipe came out so good, I would recommend you have to try the pressure method. It may very well be the only way you make spaghetti sauce from now on.

Ingredients and Method:

1/2 package frozen italian meatballs (I found a full package to be too many)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 8 0z cans tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon basil
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Pour olive oil into pressure cooker, and bring to medium heat. Saute diced onions until they soften and start to become translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the balance of the ingredients to the cooker. Tomatoes, paste, sauces, wine, spices, and brown sugar. Pour the meatballs right in. Even frozen will work fine.

Turn the heat up, uncovered, and stir until the sauce begins to bubble vigorously. Place the top on the cooker and seal, still on high heat. Leave on high until it begins to steam continuously, then immediately turn to medium low, just enough to have a constant gentle flow of steam escaping for the cooker.

Begin timing the 10 minutes once you turn the heat down as explained above. When the time has elapsed, quick cool the pressure cooker by running it under cold water.

Uncover, and what I like to do is, is turn on a gentle low heat, and let the sauce bubble gently while I prepare the pasta, and bread, and salad or whatever you are serving it with. It's done, but a little gentle further cooking never hurt a spaghetti sauce.

Ladle spaghetti sauce and meatballs over freshly cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese, or my current favorite, Parmesan Reggiano.

Enjoy.

Currant Oatmeal Scones

2009-10-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Do you like scones? I sure do, and every time I make them, I think, "Why don't I make scones more often?"

I particularly like this recipe because it contains oatmeal which makes for a nice hearty and tasty crumb. With only a bit over 1/3 cup sugar, it's just slightly sweet too. It's also the perfect recipe for you to put in whatever fruit you might like, such as raisins, currants, cranberries, raspberries, etc.

Adapted from Joy the Baker website. Thanks Joy. Great scone recipe!

1 egg
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold butter
1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup currants
Brown sugar for dusting

In a mixing bowl beat eggs together with sugar then mix in buttermilk. In a separate bowl cut in the butter into the flour. Use a pastry cutter, or your fingers until the flour and butter are the size of pebbles.

Add the oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Mix in the flour/butter mixture until incorporated. No need to overmix. Fold in the currants or whatever fruit you are adding.

Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and use an ice cream scoop to drop balls of Scone dough onto sheet about 2 inches apart. Dust with a coating of brown sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool a bit and serve slightly warmed or at room temperature.

Pressure Cooker Rice Pudding

2009-10-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

So I went and bought a Pressure Cooker. I've never cooked with one so I'll be playing around with it and trying different things which you'll see blogged in the upcoming weeks.

Here it is. Presto 8-Quart Triple Clad Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker.

The very first thing I made was Old Fashioned Rice pudding. I remember eating Rice Pudding as a child, usually prepared by my Grandmother on her old cast iron stove, and cooked all night long. Then served warm, with a bit of melting butter and sprinkled with cinnamon. Creamy and delicious.

Guess what? I cooked rice pudding in the Pressure Cooker in EIGHT minutes and it was so, so good! Creamy and delicious, and "just like Grandma's"

I spooned it into bowls and dusted some of the bowls with cinnamon and the rest with nutmeg.

So if you've got a pressure cooker gathering dust somewhere, break it out, dust it off and try making this easy recipe. You won't be disappointed. (Recipe is from the Presto pressure cooker cookbook)

1 T Butter
1 cup long grain rice
1/3 cup plus two tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
2 cups milk
1/2 t salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup cream or evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in cooker and pour rice in and cover totally with butter.

Add the sugar, milk, water and salt.

Pressure cook for 8 minutes at 15 p.s.i. Don't begin timing the 8 minutes until the cooker is fully up to pressure and constantly emitting a gentle stream of steam.

In a bowl mix 1 egg with 1/4 cup cream or evaporated milk and 1/2 t vanilla.

Temper egg mixture by adding a bit of the hot rice mixture and stirring. Repeat several times at least. Then mix the egg mixture into the pot and cook (uncovered) until it just begins to bubble a bit.

Let cool slightly and dust with cinnamon or nutmeg. A touch of whipped cream would be perfect.

Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Shoulder (Pulled Pork)

2009-10-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

Pulled Pork! Who doesn't like a pulled pork sandwich with Barbeque Sauce, or perhaps also some coleslaw? (North Carolina Style) I've even made pulled pork enchiladas which were out of this world.

But let's face it, it's a hassle to make right? Lot of work? Pain in the butt? (no pun intended)

NOPE! It's really easy. That's what a SLOW COOKER is for.....!

And to boot, this recipe is absolutely delicious! And it's interesting in that you can just make the pork, and serve it with whatever sauce you like, OR, take the drippings from pan, add a few ingredients, reduce the sauce and bake it into the pulled pork. I did this, and amazingly, ate the pork just that way, with no additional sauce, it's THAT good.

Give it a try. You'll thank me. Well, some of you will thank me. Most will make it, enjoy it, and never tell me. But that's ok. I'll know anyway.

Adapted from: Foodie with Family.

5 - 6 pound pork shoulder (Bone-in is tastier)
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
8 peeled cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice

Pour the olive oil into the slow cooker and spread around evenly.

Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, into the slow cooker. Toss in the peeled garlic cloves.

Sprinkle the roast with the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cumin. Pour the lime juice and broth around the roast, and pour or spoon the frozen orange juice concentrate onto the top of the roast.

Cook on high for 1 1/2 hours, turn heat down to low and let cook for 12 hours. Check the pork and make sure it is pull-apart tender. Turn off cooker and let cool down and then place to roast in the refrigerator to chill all night long. If your cooker doesn't have the stoneware insert, just place the roast in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Reserve all the liquids.

The next day, remove from refrigerator, place on cutting board, and remove all the exposed chilled fat from the pork and discard. (And the bone if bone-in)

The meat will be easy to pull apart. Use your fingers or two forks and completely separate the pork. At this time you can also chop it with a knife to make more concise pieces.

Now, it's Decision time...... you are done, and could now use the pork in sandwiches, slather with sauce(s), cook in enchilada's or whatever.....

Or, take the next step...... which is to do the following: (Check it out, it's kinda cool)

Drain the reserved pan juices through a strainer or cheesecloth and pour the liquids into a sauce pan.

Add two tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced by 75%

Place pork in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and pour the reduction sauce all over the pork. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I found the pork to taste SOOOO good with this baked in marinade that I didn't even use any other sauce when eating it.