Easy Flaky Biscuits

I love biscuits and make many different varieties. But I've got one recipe I go back to time and time again. It's so easy, simple, and makes a really light and layered biscuit.

I really like most that it's so quick. If you are making a big breakfast, or a large dinner or other meal, it's nice to be able to whip out some hot fresh delicious biscuits in no time.

Check it out.

2 cups self-rising flour
3 tablespoons shortening or 3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
milk (add in 1/4 cup quantities)
1 teaspoon salt

Measure flour into a bowl and cut in shortening or butter until fully incorporated. Add sugar and salt and mix well.

Pour 1/4 cup milk, stir, and add milk in 1/4 cup increments until the dough is the consistency you would like.

On a lightly floured board, roll out dough and knead gently and briefly until formed into a ball.

Press or roll dough out to 3/4 inch thickness, and use biscuit cutter to cut biscuits and place on baking sheet.



Re-roll scraps to make additional biscuits.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes until risen and well browned.


Notice how high they get? And the layering? That's how I roll, er biscuit.

Serve immediately.

Old Fashioned Raised Buttermilk Donuts

I love homemade donuts. Ever since as a small child I used to help my grandmother make them every time we visited. They were misshapen, never quite tasted exactly the same, sugared and plain old cake donuts, but they were delicious. In fact my very first post was my grandmothers donuts. If you want to laugh at first posts, horrible photography, etc. check it out here.

I've manage to improve a bit on that recipe I think, so here I'm providing you with a recipe for raised donuts, but they retain all the taste and goodness of those heavy old cake donuts of yore.

Check it out.

3 1/4 cups flour
1 package yeast
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Slightly warm buttermilk and pour into mixer bowl. Add sugar and yeast, stir, and let sit for 15 minutes until yeast begins to foam. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract and mix well. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour and mix until thick dough forms.

Scrape out onto a floured surface, sprinkle with flour and gently knead for a minute or so. No need to overdo it.

Place into greased bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place for one hour. (I always turn the oven to 350 for ONE minute, turn it off, and let things rise in there)

Remove from bowl on floured surface, punch down, and form into a ball. Roll out dough until 3/4 to 1 inch thick and cut out donuts and donut holes and place on a plate or large container. Cover and let rise another hour. Don't be concerned if it doesn't look like they rose quite a bit, they'll puff up nicely when they hit the hot oil.

Meanwhile, in a heavy skilled heat vegetable oil (or canola oil or peanut oil) to medium heat. (It should be 350 to 375 degrees) If the oil is smoking it is TOO hot. If the donuts are getting too brown, turn down the heat slightly.

Carefully "slide" donuts into oil. Do not overcrowd. They will brown and be ready for turning in just one to two minutes so I suggest you fully tend them while frying for safety and so as not to burn them.


Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels and let cool.

I've never frosted a homemade donut in my life so if that's your thing, go ahead. I'm a simple sugar kinda guy when it comes to homemade donuts. Just take a freezer bag, throw in a half cup of sugar, toss in a donut or two, and shake around until fully coated. Add some cinnamon to the bag for cinnamon sugar donuts. You can also use powdered sugar to cover the donuts. And let's not forget, plain is purty darn good. (And there's nothing better with a cold glass of milk.)

Enjoy.

Grilled Naan

Do you know what Naan is? I knew, but had never tried it. But the other day I made Tikka Masala which is usually accompanied with Naan, a grilled Indian Bread.

Naan is a leavened, oven, baked Flatbread and is particularly popular in northern India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.

I didn't bake it though, I grilled it on the grill. It was delicious, and easy. Give it a try, along with the Tikka Masala I posted, I think you might like it.

Ingredients and Method:

1 pkg yeast
1 cup water
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic

In a bowl, mix the yeast, sugar with water (medium warm water). Let sit for 15 minutes to bubble up and "proof"

add milk, salt, and beaten egg. Mix in flour in one cup increments until the dough is sticky, and thick, and in a ball.

Remove from bowl onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Place into greased bowl covered with saran wrap and place in a warm place and let rise for one hour.

Remove from bowl back to floured board, punch down, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Knead a bit and shape into a ball. Roll out to rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut into about 5 inch shapes of whatever type you want. Squares, rectangles, triangles, whatever. You can even pull out a baseball size ball of dough, and roll it in a circle. I prefer a variety of different shapes. Place the cut pieces on a platter and cover and let rise again for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare grill, melt butter and add garlic......This is what you will brush on the bread as it grills, so let it steep a bit.

Take the risen and sliced dough and head for the grill. I strongly suggest you take an ice cold bottle of beer, 'cause God know's grillin' can be hard work.

Make sure your grill is scraped and clean. You don't charred pieces of the steak from 3 weeks ago sticking to your Naan, trust me.

Lightly grease the grill and take the sliced dough pieces, shape them again how you want, and toss directly onto the grill over the heat. Brush the topside with the butter and garlic mixture.

Cook about 4 minutes until one side is done and charred in spots....don't be afraid to check often, it can burn and you don't want that. That's what the cold beer is for, stay out there and check your Naan.

When nicely grilled on one side, turn over and immediately brush the cooked side with the butter and garlic mixture.

When the second side is done, remove, and repeat for the rest of the Naan.

Enjoy! And from experience, I'll tell ya, leftover Naan is always good with anything, especially that cold beer!

Tikka Masala

One of my favorite blogs, and one of the more popular, is the Pioneer Woman.

A friend of mine was coming up to visit for a weekend. I hadn't seen her in a couple of years and I wanted to prepare something different. She's an ardent follower of my blog, and used to come eat with me all the time when we worked together years ago. And this girl loves to eat. (And weighs about 100 pounds, dammit)

As I was reading the post on the Pioneer Woman, I came across a recipe for Tikka Masala. I'd never made it before, but reading and re-reading the ingredients it sounded delicious. So I decided to use that as a source for making it myself.

Absolutely fantastic. That's all I can say. This stuff ROCKS!

2 - 4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup thick plain yogurt. I use Greek yogurt made by Fage (pronounced fay-yeah)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 yellow or sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons garam masala spice mix
1 cup Basmati Rice
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 cup frozen peas, optional
Preparations and Method:
Season chicken with salt, pepper, ground coriander and cumin on both sides. Press seasonings into the chicken. Brush both sides liberally with the yogurt.
Place into grilling pan and broil in oven until chicken is done and yogurt slightly blackened. About 10 minutes per side. (Note I used rather thick breasts, and next time I think I'll use thinner ones, both for broiling convenience and time, and also I think smaller pieces in the finished Masala would be better)

In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and saute diced onions until they become transluscent and soften. Peel, mince and add garlic to onions and continue to saute. Add about 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger. Add one tablespoon salt.
Meanwhile in a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil, quickly add Turmeric, 1 tablespoon butter and rice, immediately turn to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and fluff with fork when ready to serve. (If you like, add a cup of frozen peas to the rice after you remove from heat. They will heat up and cook in the rice as it sits)

Add 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice to the pan. Add can of tomatoes and stir. Add a tablespoon of sugar and let cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like a little more heat).
Chop broiled chicken into 1 inch pieces and add to pan. Add 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

Add 1/2 cups heavy cream and stir in.

Let cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, and serve immediately over cooked basmati rice and turmeric.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with Garlic grilled Naan bread on the side.

Enjoy!
Lastly, this dish is so delicious, your dinner guests may break out into dance, you never know.

5 Spice Soy Baked Chicken Wings

If you read my blog you know I recently became enamored of Chinese 5 spice powder. See my Cornish Game Hen recipe for instance.

In keeping with that I thought some marinated and baked chicken wings would be just the ticket. I deliberately chose baking over grilling as I wanted to avoid having to tend the wings over the fire constantly to keep from charring.

These were simply delicious, with a different twist due to the combination of spices. I bet you'll like it if you try it.

Ingredients and Method:

20 chicken drumettes (or plain wings if you prefer)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons 5 spice powder (Don't skimp)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Mix together corn starch and water and pour into bowl. Add the balance of the marinade ingredients and stir well.

Pour into large freezer bag, add drumettes, seal and refrigerate and marinate overnight. Yes, overnight.

Heat oven to 350, lay tinfoil over a baking pan and place chicken into pan.

Meanwhile bring marinade to a boil, reduce heat and let thicken slightly for 5 minutes.

Bake chicken while turning and continuing to baste liberally and repeatedly with the marinade until done. You want a nice coating to build up as they bake. About 45 minutes. Meat should easily separate from the bone.

Enjoy!

Care Package Chocolate Chip Cookies

So as some of you know, I have a Son in the Arabian Sea, and a daughter in Baghdad, Iraq. So I spend a lot of time doing what? CARE PACKAGES!

It was my daughter's turn this last weekend, and I wanted to send her and her unit Chocolate Chip cookies. (I understand that the protocol is, anybody who has received home baked goods, is to immediately donate to the group, so nothing generally lasts more than 10 minutes)

Good chocolate chip cookies are generally heavy in butter but I'm sending baked goods on a 5-6 day trip to a Country where the approximate daytime temperature is 110 degrees so I was concerned about butter turning maybe a bit rancid.

So I decided to substitute some vegetable shortening because I'm sure it would stay fresh longer.

I baked them all up, froze all but a couple, so I could sample them, and left them in the freezer for a few days as I continued buying things for the care package so it would be full.

Funny thing happened though. Those cookies are DELICIOUS!

I couldn't stop "hitting" on them. Just a couple each day, but jeez, this is a care package. I felt like I was stealing from my own baked goods.

So I bought everything I needed to buy, filled up the package, with the cookies, and took it directly to the post office and got them out of my house.

My point is, make these cookies. The shortening cut with butter is a great way to go. The cookies retain a great texture even after being frozen and defrosted. And, I suspect I'll get an email from Iraq in a day or two saying...."Hey DAD, thanks for the cookies, they lasted about 10 minutes!"

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
large package mini semi-sweet chocolate chips


Cream shortening, butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and mix well. Add baking soda and salt and flour and mix thoroughly. Toss in chips and mix until incorporated.

Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes so it's easier to handle. On a cookie sheet with or without parchment paper, drop cooking dough with a scoop or use two spoons to make 1 - 2 inch balls.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 -12 minutes. (I usually always go 12 minutes, but no more)

Let sit on pan for 5 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Repeat with remaining dough until all are baked.

Enjoy!

And here's a thought, if you like the cookies, double it and send a couple dozen to my daughter's unit in Iraq. The address is: SGT Merlin Merissa, C co 7-158 AVN, APO AE 09391

I KNOW our troops would be grateful! Trust me, they all share with everyone.

Beer Batter Onion Rings

Well, Walla Walla Sweet onions are out as are Vidalia. It's that time of year. Sweet, sweet delicious onions anywhere. BBQ them, grill them, use them in marinades etc. Also, gotta have some beer batter onion rings. Yeah, it's a bit of a hassle to mess with the oil and all but it is worth it every once in a while. This is a simple basic recipe that makes for an extremely light coating.

2 or 3 large Walla Walla Sweets or Vidalia onions, peeled, and sliced and separated
vegetable oil for frying. If you have a deep fryer fine, but if not, I use a smallish cast iron
pan and it works just fine. I just make two or three at a time. Don't crowd them, and take
your time.

Batter:
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
dash of pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 cup of beer (a dark beer is best, I use Beck's Dark, but Guinness would work also)
Thousand Island dressing for dipping

Beat eggs well. Add pepper, baking powder, oil, and seasoning salt and mix well. Add beer and flour and mix thoroughly. Place in refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes.

Heat oil to approximately 370 degrees.

Dip onion ring in batter, drain a bit and immediately add to hot oil. Repeat with other rings
but leave plenty of room, don't crowd the cooking process. Let cook, attended, until one side is puffed and golden, turn and cook until golden on the other side. Immediately drain on paper towels. Repeat with all onion rings, giving a few minutes in between batches to allow oil to reach proper temperature again.

Serve warm with Thousand Island dressing as a dip. Oh, a cold beer might be a nice addition also.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Sloppy Joes

Have you ever all of a sudden had a yearning for some childhood food? Like all of a sudden ya just have to have some macaroni and cheese? Or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Or a glass of ice cold Kool aid? Or chocolate chip pancakes? How about a grilled cheese and some tomato soup? Ya know what I'm sayin'?

Well, over the weekend, I, out of the blue, had a hankering for Sloppy Joes. I bet you I haven't had a sloppy joe sandwich in 10 years at least, but I just had to have one. So, I searched the net and came across an interesting recipe at Simply Recipes. I adapted it a bit and it was delicious.

Sweet tangy sauce, with a variety of blended flavors. I like to grill the buns for added crispness and crunch. And some baked beans on the side.

Now, don't you feel like having a sloppy joe?

Ingredients and Method:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 sweet Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweet onion, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 minced cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons bottled BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground clove
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat and saute minced onion until transluscent, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and ground beef. Break up beef with a spoon or spatula, and then pat ground beef down flat all around the pan, and let cook until browned on one side. Turn the heat down a bit. Don't be in a hurry, let it brown. Turn, break up some more, and turn and stir until all pink has disappeared.

Add the balance of the ingredients. Yup, add all at once. Stir thoroughly, turn heat to low, and let cook on low for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Butter and grill hamburger buns, spoon sloppy joe mixture over, add a slice of cheese, or grated cheddar, and enjoy.

Serve with a salad, or chips, or fries, or baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, whatever you like for summertime sides.

And let's face it. Sloppy Joes are one of the BEST leftover meals ever.

Cheese Enchiladas with Tomatillo sauce

So I'm driving from Colorado to Washington about 6 years ago. You know the drill, mile after mile of interstate, stop for gas and restroom occasionally, and keep going until you're exhausted. You pull off in the middle of nowhere, check into some non-chain hotel with a restaurant nearby, go to your room, buy a paper and go to the dive restaurant for some food. This particular dive was Mexican food, which I'm not particularly a fan of.

I ordered Cheese Enchilada with a Chile Verde sauce and turned to the paper.

Dinner came. A huge platter, steaming, with refried beans on one side, rice on the other, and in the middle, four good size corn tortillas wrapped around a blend of cheese, and smothered in a green tomatillo verde sauce.

It was HEAVEN! I've never had a Mexican meal so good. The sauce was tangy, delicious, robust, a bit warm, but not overwhelming, with drippy, gooey, cheese goodness dripping with each bite. I cleaned the plate. I had no idea Mexican food could taste this good. And in some unknown restaurant off some interstate.

That being said, on a number of occasions I have tried to duplicate that meal in my kitchen, and have not yet succeeded. BUT, this rendition is definitely closer. Give it a try, you might like it, and I, of course, will continue to tweak it in the background until I duplicate that wonderful meal I had somewhere on the plains of the Western US.


Ingredients and Method:

6 medium sized tomatillos
1 1/2 cups of water or chicken broth
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 bunches green onions chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1 or 2 small cans mild green chilies (depending on your "heat" preference)
1 small can diced tomatoes
leaves of one bunch cilantro
juice of two fresh limes
1 can refried beans
6 corn or flour tortillas
3 cups shredded cheese - Mexican blend or Monterey Jack.

Remove tomatillo husks, wash and quarter and place in large frying pan. Add water, and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes until tomatillos are very soft.

Carefully pour contents of pan into food processor. Add cilantro, green onions, chilies, tomatoes and the lime juice. Process in bursts until well blended. Return to pan over low eat and let cook on low for a few minutes to blend flavors.

Grease an 8 x 8 casserole dish. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Take a tortilla and with a knife spread a layer of refried beans. Add 1/3 cup cheese, and carefully roll up tortilla and place in dish. Repeat until casserole dish is full. Pour tomatillo sauce over rolled tortilla's and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake in 350 degree oven of 20 minutes until cheese is melted and dish is heated through.

Let sit for 10 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Breaded Balsamic Grilled Tomatoes

A lot of folks don't expect this dish at a barbeque which is why I like it. What could be better than a grilled tomato with Balsamic and a Parmesan, Bread Crumb topping? It's a good accompaniment for almost any grilled dish. Tomato and Balsamic marry well together, the smoky grilled and juicy taste along with the topping is just delicious. Tonight, I had it with Marinated Tri Tip Steak. (Are ya jealous? lol)

Ingredients:

1 (or more) large Hot House or Beefsteak Tomato
Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkling of Herbs de Provence

Slice tomato in half. Using a spoon, scoop out about 1/2 inch from the middle of the tomato. This leaves a little "well" for the balsamic and bread crumbs. Score around the inside of each tomato with a knife so that the Balsamic will seep in. Pour a tablespoon of so of the Balsamic into the well and spread it onto the surface scores as well. Let sit for 20 minutes to allow the vinegar to permeate.

Mix bread crumbs and parmesan together with a little garlic powder. Spoon the bread crumb mixture liberally over the tomatoes. Sprinkle a bit of balsamic right onto the mixture which will help adhere it. Sprinkle with Herbs de Provence. Let sit for a bit more.

Revision 1. I've had a chance to toy with this recipe a bit and to improve it. Just mix the crumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, and add all the balsamic to the mixture and mix well. The liquid helps adhere everything to the top, and the balsamic will seep in as it grilling!

Place each tomato onto a small piece of tinfoil and wrap it around the tomato, leaving the top exposed. Place on direct heat on the grill and grill for approximately 20 - 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Remove, let sit for a few minutes and eat immediately.

Know what the photo below is? It's a picture of a grill that runs out of gas 5 minutes into
grilling the tomatoes! I finished them in the oven, but can't believe I let myself run out of gas.



Enjoy!

Creamy Potato Salad

One of the things I think you can count on, is that when you try one of my blog recipes, it's been tried and proven. Some of what I post I have made for years, some are new so I make them and make certain they will work for you. Others are recipes I make by feel or judgment so I have to try and precisely get the measurements right so it will come out correctly.

This is one of those recipes that it's a good thing I tested it out first. I'll tell you why in a moment.

That being said, this potato salad was delicious! Really, really good. Adapted from All Recipes.

Ingredients and Method:

4 - 6 medium yukon gold potatoes
3 green onions, chopped
1 celery stalk, including leaves, finely chopped
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup dill or sweet pickles, diced
1/4 cup pickle juice
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled, and diced
1 teaspoon salt
parsley for garnish

For the dressing:

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

Cut potatoes (skin on) in half and then each half in quarters. Bring to a boil in salted water for about 10 minutes until a fork can pierce them easily. Don't overcook as we don't want mush potato salad, do we?

Drain cooked potatoes, and let cool on a cutting board. Cut into smaller pieces until they are the size you want and toss in a bowl. Add bacon, 1 tablespoon of bacon grease, pickles, pickle juice, green onions, celery, hard boiled eggs, and salt. Toss well.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan add two beaten eggs, evaporated milk, cornstarch, sugar, mustard and mayo and slowly bring to a boil and stir another minute while it thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

Now here's the part where my checking out the recipe comes in handy. Because the dressing part is usually TOO much for the amount of potatoes. So add more potatoes if you want, but the point is, when adding the dressing to the potatoes, measure carefully so you can make them as creamy as you want. My mistake was, I just dumped all the dressing over the potato mixture and it was just too much and very soupy. So I had to try and drain excess dressing without losing onions, and taters, and other ingredients. Not good.

So, once the dressing mixture has cooled, add it in increments to the potato mixture until it's exactly the consistency you want.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and refrigerated until fully chilled.

Enjoy!

Char Siu Pork Tenderloin

I really enjoy cooking Pork Tenderloin. The cut is so tender, cooks so quickly, and readily lends itself to marinades and sauces. I adapted a recipe from My Recipes which uses a Char Siu marinade. Since my new favorite spice is Chinese 5 spice powder this was ideal. The pork tenderloin can be baked or grilled or even sauteed after marinating. For this rendition, I used the old gas barbeque grill. Delicious.

As for the marinade, it can be used with chicken, wings, drumsticks, pork ribs etc. Do give it a try.

Ingredients and Method:

2 tablespoons rice wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chinese 5-spice powder
2 tablespoons honey

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Slice pork tenderloin cross-wise into 3/4 inch pieces.

Place in plastic bag and pour marinade over, seal bag, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

Remove tenderloin, and grill over high heat for approximately 3 - 4 minutes per side, basting with a bit of the marinade. Be careful not to overcook the tenderloin, it tends to cook very quickly. If you have a meat thermometer, remove as SOON as it registers 170 degrees.

Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Balsamic Strawberry Shortcake

Finally, a nice weekend in Seattle. Sunny, 70 degrees, head to the market, fresh strawberries so I can make one of my favorite desserts. Strawberry Shortcake. I like to have my strawberries over buttermilk biscuits, I like fresh whipped cream, and I especially like adding Balsamic Vinegar to the "sugaring" of the strawberries.

A simple delicious dessert.

Ingredients and Method:

20 medium size fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Wash strawberries and remove caps and pith with the end of a small spoon. Quarter strawberries and place in a bowl. Add sugar and balsamic, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Overnight is better.


Prepare buttermilk biscuits, your own recipe or try Ron's Buttermilk Biscuits from this blog.

Cut in half, spread liberally with strawberry mixture and juices. Top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Enjoy!

Iraqi Brownies

What are Iraqi brownies? Simple, brownies I'm making that I'm sending to my daughter in Iraq. She's a flight medic and arrived in Baghdad 10 days ago. I'm preparing my first care package for her. According to the counter on my blog, she will return home in 340 days. Ugh!!!

This recipe comes from my favorite source for bread and such, King Arthur Flour. I did make some changes though. One, instead of chocolate chips, I added 2 oz. of unsweetened melted chocolate. Secondly, I added a tube of the new Starbucks Instant Italian Roast coffee, VIA Ready Brew. Simply stated, AWESOME! These brownies are thick, and rich, and chocolaty, with a coffee note, and scream for a glass of milk to be in the other hand. I would have frosted them with a light ganache but since they are being shipped overseas, she'll just have to suffer. Hah.


2 sticks butter, melted
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 oz melted unsweetened or semisweet chocolate
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 package Starbucks VIA Ready Brew instant coffee
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Flour (Bread or All-Purpose is fine)

Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second bursts. Stir after each time to blend. Don't over melt or the chocolate will burn.

Add to bowl and add sugar and beat well. Add beaten eggs to mixture and incorporate. Add cocoa, salt, baking powder, coffee and extract and mix well.

Mix in flour.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan, and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool completely, cut into squares. Serve immediately. OR, in my case, carefully package and send to Iraq in a care package.

Love you Merissa!

Chinese 5 Spice Game Hen

I was reading my last posts over the last month or so and I realized I have a tendency which is to find a spice, or flavoring, and then I seem to focus on that for one or two recipes before moving on. (i.e. Smoked Paprika, Herbs de Provence, etc.) Well, now I have another one. Chinese 5 spice powder.

Chinese 5 spice powder is interesting in it's history. While it’s commonly believed that it gets it’s name because it contains 5 spices, the number actually refers to the 5 elements: wood, fire, water, earth, metal, and water. In traditional Chinese medicine, these elements manifest themselves in various parts of the human anatomy and imbalances in these elements are said to be the cause of disease.

Various herbs and spices have been used for thousands of years to restore balance to these elements which is how 5 spice powder came into being. Today it’s used in a variety of roasted and braised meat dishes, but it’s probably most recognizable in the west as the main seasoning in Char Siu (Chinese barbecued pork).

In addition, a variant on the "reason" for 5 spice is Five-spice powder encompasses all five flavors - sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty.

I've seen the spice called for over and over in Chinese recipes over the years, and I DO cook a bit of chinese food, but never made one that called for it. That being said, this first recipe is not a Chinese recipe. It's my old, reliable, Cornish Game Hen. Check it out. (But I bet you see some Char Siu blogged in my immediate future)

5 spice to me seems a perfect match for fowl dishes. This particular marinade yields a delicious nutty and pungent quality to the bird. Delicious.

Ingredients and Method:

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine
1/4 cup oil
1 clove garlic (smashed)
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons five spice powder

Mix marinade in a bowl.

Wash game hen thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Place in ovenproof dish or pan. Spoon 1/4 cup of marinade into cavity of hen. Baste the outside of hen with marinade mixture.

Bake in 350 degree oven until meat thermometer registers 180 degrees. (About 1 hour) Every 10 minutes or so while baking, baste the bird liberally again with the marinade. You want to wind up with a nice baked patina of the 5 spice marinade when done.

Remove, let sit for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

Brown Butter Mizithra Pasta

I really enjoy making things with a long recipe that is all from scratch. I don't mind the investment of time and effort because the results are usually worth it. That being said,
I ALSO appreciate a recipe that is 3 or 4 ingredients, is made quickly, and is delicious. This is one of those recipes.

So do you like Mizithra cheese? Have you had the Brown Butter Pasta and Mizithra cheese at Spaghetti Factory? I LOVE that stuff. Haven't been to a Spaghetti Factory in a very long time though. I have from time to time made pasta at home, with butter, and lot's of Mizithra and it's good, just not AS good as Spaghetti Factory's. So over the weekend, I decided to do some research and try to figure out why.

Here's what I figured out. One, the browned butter! Duh! That's what gives it such a delicious nutty flavor. But, I didn't know exactly how to "brown" butter. I do NOW though!

Two, the cheese, don't skimp on it. Douse it in cheese, tons o'cheese. You almost can't put enough cheese on it.

Do these two things and guess what, melt in your mouth, luscious, browned butter pasta with mizithra cheese just as good, if not better than Spaghetti factory.

Ingredients and Method:

two servings sizes of Spaghetti
1/2 stick butter
6 tablespoons grated Mizithra cheese
salt and pepper to taste
parsley or basil for garnish

Cook pasta until still slightly firm (al dente) in boiling salted water. Drain.

As the pasta is cooking, in a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Do not stir. The solids will separate from the oil in the butter. (At this point the oil is clarified butter, but that's not what we want)

Continue to heat, watching until the all solids have separated and the oil turns chestnut brown in color. If the butter foams too much, stir until browned. Immediately remove from heat and let the solids sink to the bottom of the pan.

Gently pour off ONLY the browned oil portion of the butter and immediately pour over the cooked spaghetti and mix well, pour cheese all over, mix well, add garnish and serve immediately. If not cheesy enough for you, just sprinkle on more Mizithra. You can't have too much in my opinion.

Enjoy!