tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68252617215941888352024-03-05T00:43:44.117-05:00Occasional BakingCelebrating Mishaps and Miracles in the Kitchen.Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-71138652090462753842019-04-02T10:56:00.000-04:002019-04-02T10:57:22.206-04:00Mushroom "Risoniotto" <span style="font-size: large;">A few years ago, the parents of my preschool group gave me a generous gift card to Amazon and I promptly ordered three cookbooks, including <u>River Cottage Veg </u> by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. I had perused the library's copy and decided it was a welcome addition to my collection. Fast forward five years and I hadn't made one dish from the book. Not. One. I would read through the book and decide that I should give it away. Read through it again and decide that I must keep it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thankfully, <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">iheartcookingclubs</a> is celebrating their tenth anniversary. Usually, they highlight one chef for six months and anyone can join in by cooking recipes by that chef. For IHCC's tenth anniversary, they are featuring all previous chefs (including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall) giving me the perfect opportunity to actually cook from Veg. I chose the Mushroom "risoniotto" on page 258 of the book. <u>The Washington Post</u> printed the recipe in 2013 (hopefully with Mr. Fearnley-Whittingstall's permission) so I am posting a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/mushroom-risoniotto/13422/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ac24ef210" target="_blank">link</a> here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is easy to make and most ingredients are readily available if not already in your pantry. I found the recipe a bit bland, but to be fair, it says to add salt and pepper to taste and I didn't add a lot. I probably could have added more fresh thyme and maybe two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar instead of one. Still, this is a good dish for a simple, filling meal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-17192818605237696492018-01-01T13:33:00.000-05:002018-01-01T13:33:08.052-05:00Cinnamon Rolls<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">May, 2013. Food Network magazine features cinnamon rolls on the cover. Yum. January 1st, 2018. I have finally made said rolls and they are indeed, fluffy and delicious. The recipe is <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/classic-cinnamon-rolls-recipe-2125363" target="_blank">here.</a> What took me so long? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For years I have had a plan to test different recipes for cinnamon rolls, sticky rolls, pecan rolls, or any roll that is falls into the sweet and sticky breakfast category. I still have the Bon Appetit April 2012 issue that also features sweet rolls on the cover. And I will make those rolls too, eventually. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have taken so long to make the cinnamon rolls because I keep planning on also losing weight, but there is a contradiction in dieting and baking caloric sweets. Not that it can't be done. And this particular recipe, while easy to execute, requires three rises, one of which is rather lengthy. Thus, I had to find a time when I was feeling both indulgent and planned enough in advance that I could finish what I started. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No special equipment or ingredients are needed; just time. Whatever variations I made to the original recipe were not the result of any particular expertise on my part. I used half and half in place of whole milk, because we only use 2% milk. Ironically, the 2% has more fat than the half and half. Because of carelessness on my part, I didn't roll the sweet dough out as much as the recipe calls for and I cut way back on the amount of butter listed to spread on the dough. I am happy to report that none of these adjustments hurt the outcome. Would the rolls have turned out better if I had followed the instructions 100%. Probably. But no matter, they were still really good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One advantage of this recipe is that it starts with a sweet dough, which can then be made into any number of finished cakes or rolls. The May, 2013 <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/magazine/recipes/food-network-magazine-may-2013-recipe-index" target="_blank">index</a> lists the links to the relevant recipes which include Mexican Chocolate Loaf, Poppy Seed-Lemon Twists and others. </span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-32542437272203296142016-07-26T09:21:00.000-04:002016-07-26T09:21:47.087-04:00Ketchup<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Patience. The key ingredient to making ketchup is patience. Other than that, it is a breeze to make. The recipe can be found in Curtis Stone's book <i>What's for Dinner</i>, or <a href="http://www.curtisstone.com/recipe/classis-meat-loaf-mashed-potatoes" target="_blank">here.</a> You may note that the recipe is part of a meat loaf and mashed potatoes meal, but with the temperatures hitting triple digits, I'm not about to turn on the oven or make a heavy meal. We'll just have to use the ketchup on grilled hamburgers or hot dogs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Frankly, I was a bit skeptical about the value of making home-made ketchup. Perfectly fine brands of ketchup are available for purchase at reasonable prices, so is it worth it to make your own? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At first, I was doubtful, but a quick glance at the ingredient list convinced me that if I didn't like the result as ketchup, it would make a terrific base for barbecue sauce, so I had nothing to lose. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The main ingredient is fresh tomatoes. They are cut into quarters and pureed in a blender. No need to peel or seed them. Saute minced onions, mix in the readily available ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer. Next, the waiting. Except for the occasional stirring, you wait...and wait...and wait. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The only deviation I made from the instructions was to use an immersion mixer at the end to get a smoother texture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The finished result is very tasty, but I won't be using it in place of ketchup. Maybe I'm a creature of habit and too used to Heinz. As I mentioned before, it seemed like a good base for a great barbecue sauce and it would be a wonderful sauce for the meatloaf. As a ketchup, it was too sweet for my tastes and it might have benefited from even more simmering to thicken it up a bit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's potluck week over at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/07/july-potluck.html" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a>. This means that member bloggers will be posting their tasty recipes from Curtis Stone and other chefs featured at IHCC. Check it out. </span><br />
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<br />Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-42183727428319348402016-07-06T21:20:00.000-04:002016-07-06T21:20:03.979-04:00Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Salad<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aaaaaaah, Summer. How I love you. Endless lazy days with time to plan and cook those meals that somehow rarely get made during the busy school year. On today's menu is Curtis Stone's Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Salad from <i>What's for Dinner</i> by Curtis Stone. If you don't have the book, you can use <a href="http://www.redbookmag.com/food-recipes/recipes/g1638/curtis-stone-recipes/" target="_blank">this</a> link from a 2013 Redbook magazine article that calls Mr. Stone "gratuitously handsome." Hmm, not even sure what that means.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The article did describe this recipe as "no-hassle". I might have said "a little hassle," but I would also describe this as a perfect summer dish; lots of fresh veggies and no oven required. While the chicken marinated, I chopped the veggies. I grilled the chicken on the gas grill outdoors, so no heating up the house. It had been a while since I had grilled outside. I forgot to oil the grate and regretted it when I had trouble turning the chicken. Even though I had preheated the grill and let the chicken cook undisturbed 4 minutes, it still stuck. Oh well. You cut the chicken into 1/4" slices for the salad so it didn't look bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The salad has wonderful flavor and crunch. And more importantly, it was a hit with the family. Everyone enjoyed it, even the youngest who rarely eats vegetable, especially in a salad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Summer means salads and Tides baseball</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'll be sharing this post with all the other avid cooks at </span><a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/07/on-barbie.html" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. The theme this week? Grilling on the barbie. Head over to their web site to check out other tasty recipes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I haven't posted in quite a while. I didn't think my hiatus would be that long. I figured I wouldn't post over the Passover holiday, but then I was busy with my older daughter's college graduation, job negotiation and other life events. I'm looking forward to rejoining IHCC.</span><br />
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Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-81329719223160942272016-04-10T14:00:00.000-04:002016-04-10T14:00:39.699-04:00Snow Peas with Toasted Sesame Seeds<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I Heart Cooking Clubs is featuring a new chef. After a fond farewell to Ellie Krieger, we are cooking from the recipes of Australian chef Curtis Stone. I didn't really know a lot about Mr. Stone, but after looking at his website <a href="http://www.curtisstone.com/" target="_blank">Curtis Stone</a>, I was intrigued. I don't own any of his books, but his web site is very generous....lots of recipes are available. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's been a couple of very busy weeks. I didn't think I would have time to post this week, but there are a lot of fresh, tasty and easy recipes available. I chose a side dish. The recipe is found here: <a href="http://www.curtisstone.com/recipe/snow-peas-toasted-sesame-seeds" target="_blank">Snow Peas with Toasted Sesame Seeds</a>. This is the second time I have ever cooked with snow peas. They are a new favorite of mine. I already had most of the ingredients on hand. All I needed to do was purchase the snow peas and shallots. The most time consuming part of the dish is stringing the snow peas. Otherwise, it comes together quickly as a stir-fry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I served this yummy dish with <a href="http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/26160/stove-top-barbecued-chicken" target="_blank">Jane Brody's Stovestop BBQ Chicken</a>, one of our favorite chicken dinners. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Go to <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/04/gday-curtis-we-are-cooking-with-curtis.html" target="_blank">IHCC</a> to see all the other tasty ways other cooks are welcoming Curtis Stone to I Heart Cooking Clubs. </span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-82131374893154015582016-03-24T16:33:00.000-04:002016-03-24T16:33:24.471-04:00Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We lived in Jerusalem for 8 1/2 wonderful years. We ate really well from a wide variety of foods. And yet, we never ate many of the foods found in <em>Jerusalem, </em>the cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. When this book first came out, I was very excited. Although I've had it for three years, this is the first time I have cooked from it. Thanks to <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a> for that. Without the incentive of joining my fellow cooking bloggers, I would probably have enjoyed reading this book without ever actually making any of the dishes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I chose to make a salad of baby spinach with dates and almonds. Looking through the list of ingredients, it wouldn't have occurred to me that these flavors would work together. The featured spice is sumac. Sumac? What's that? Apparently, it's a Middle Eastern spice that I never used before and is not commonly found in American grocery stores. I did a quick internet search while standing in the spice aisle to find a suitable substitute. As sumac is often described as lemony and tart, some suggest using lemon zest, others suggest lemon zest with salt, or oregano or just using za'atar alone. I am sure these are all great suggestions, but in the end I remembered that I pass a Mediterranean deli on my way home from work. Problem solved. They had two kinds of sumac, Turkish and Lebanese. I chose the Lebanese. It has a tangy kick to it and it adds a deep red color to your food. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The recipe can be found in the book, <em>Jerusalem, </em>or <a href="http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014942-baby-spinach-salad-with-dates-and-almonds" target="_blank">here.</a> You marinate dates and onions, sauté almonds and pita, and mix it all with baby spinach and other spices. I like that you use a variety of techniques and seasonings to end up with a beautiful salad layered with sweet and tart flavors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We really enjoyed this salad. My spouse declared it tasty in a strange way, which I believe he meant as a complement. Both of us did finish the whole salad between us and it was only part of the whole dinner. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This week is potluck week at IHCC, so if you head over to <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/03/march-2016-ihcc-potluck.html" target="_blank">here,</a> you will find a wonderful variety of recipes by great chefs. </span><br />
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Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-80058651434129563022016-03-17T22:20:00.000-04:002016-03-17T22:20:11.248-04:00Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In honor of St. Paddy's Day, it's <span style="color: #6aa84f;">Green Eating</span> week at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs.</a> For this Irish holiday, I chose a dish featuring Asian flavors. Lots of green veggies and pasta are flavored with peanut sauce. Originally, I was going to make this dish in February for our pasta themed week, but the snow peas and sugar snaps looked rather sad. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I waited. One month later, the veggies are green and crisp. Ellie describes the vegetables as a "refreshing yin to the yang of the rich, spicy peanut sauce." Very true. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I've made many versions of peanut noodles, but this version is really good. The use of natural peanut butter and roasted peanuts give the sauce a deep, nutty flavor that is not too sweet. The addition of veggies make this a meal in a bowl. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The recipe can be found in <em>The Food You Crave </em>by Ellie Krieger or on the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/aromatic-noodles-with-lime-peanut-sauce-recipe.html" target="_blank">Food Network</a> website. You can also find more green eating at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/03/green-eating.html" target="_blank">IHCC.</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-26129684133835432812016-02-28T08:12:00.000-05:002016-02-28T08:12:14.489-05:00Roast Chicken with Cumin, Honey and Orange<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first time I made whole roast chicken I made one chicken for four adults and two little children. I watched nervously as we cut the chicken and worried there would not be enough chicken to go around. Luckily, we had enough. I suppose having grown up eating chicken every week that I figured a chicken would be similar to turkey; endless amounts of meat with lots left over...or maybe chickens were just larger in the sixties. Lesson learned. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I've probably roasted more whole chickens over the years, but not that many. I prefer chicken cut up into pieces; it's easier to cook and to keep track of how much I really have. However, a Mark Bittman recipe popped up on my Facebook page and it looked too delicious to resist. It features citrus and cumin. I was cooking for two this weekend so having enough was not a problem. I had all the ingredients at home. And it's potluck week at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs,</a> so I guess this was meant to be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The very easy recipe can be found <a href="http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7029-roast-chicken-with-cumin-honey-and-orange" target="_blank">here.</a> Because I am trying to use up items that have been sitting in my pantry, I used some old honey that was halfway crystallized. I was worried that it would burn, but it turned out fine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The chicken comes out moist, but as Bittman points out, this is not because of frequent basting. The basting adds flavor. Keeping an eye on the chicken and turning it every ten minutes, keeps it moist. The chicken was really good. Although next time, I may make it using chicken pieces instead of whole chicken.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Go to </span><a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/02/ihcc-february-potluck.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">IHCC</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> to discover a variety of other wonderful recipes this week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-87113925422659397362016-02-21T10:37:00.003-05:002016-02-21T10:37:53.509-05:00Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup or Stew<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We've been having a warmer than usual winter here in southeastern Virginia. There have been patches of cold here and there, but the temperature is near the 70 degree mark this weekend. Not exactly perfect weather for enjoying a hearty bowl of stew, but it is Bowled Over! week at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a> and because I haven't made stew in over a year, I figured it was as good a time as any. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Ellie Krieger's recipe is really a soup, but I used about half the liquid and made it more of a stew. It was tasty, filling and very easy to make. You brown the beef, chop up and sauté a lot of veggies, pour in the liquids, spice and barley. Let it cook on the stove top and voila. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I used Trader Joe's 10 Minute Barley. Apparently, our local branch doesn't carry regular barley. No matter. I put it in 15 minutes before the stew was finished (instead of 50 minutes) and it came out fine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The recipe can be found in <em>The Food You Crave </em>by Ellie Krieger. I couldn't find the recipe on-line although <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/beef-mushroom-barley-soup-recipe.html" target="_blank">this one</a> from foodnetwork.com is similar. Other warming, delicious options for soup/stew/chili can be found <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/02/bowled-over.html" target="_blank">here.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-4967469851699468452016-02-05T15:32:00.000-05:002016-02-05T15:32:18.043-05:00Asian Noodle Bowl with Peanut Dressing<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is "Oodles of Noodles" week at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC)</a> . This means any pasta, noodle or noodle-like dish. As I looked through Ellie Krieger recipes both in <em>The Food You Crave </em>and <a href="http://www.elliekrieger.com/">www.elliekrieger.com</a> I thought the peanut noodles looked the tastiest and most likely to please. Peanut noodles are my favorite pasta dish and I've made many variations through the years, but I'm always game to try a new recipe for the dish. Clearly, the dish appealed to some of my fellow cooks at IHCC, because there are already two postings for this same dish. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Ellie Krieger has two recipes based on peanut noodles that are similar. I almost made the one found in <em>The Food You Crave. </em>It features broccoli, snow peas and sugar snaps. The problem is that February is a difficult month in which to find sugar snaps. This dish is probably wonderful, but better suited to late spring and summer cooking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Asian Noodle Bowl with Peanut Dressing is better suited to year round cooking, at least in southern Virginia. As it turns out, I had all but three of the ingredients in my pantry already. The recipe can be found <a href="http://www.elliekrieger.com/asian-noodle-bowl-with-peanut-dressing#.VrUBFVX-_ct" target="_blank">here</a>. Although I only made two changes, it is a versatile recipe. The changes I made (regular pasta in place of whole wheat and crunchy, not creamy, peanut butter) were the result of what I already had on hand and could use up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Basically, the recipe features many of my favorite flavors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I added carrots, red pepper, snow peas and spring onion as written in the recipe. This recipe was a winner in my house. Usually, I don't add veggies or roasted peanuts to peanut noodles, but my husband said they really added a nice crunch. The sauce on its own was a winner, too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">If you head over to </span><a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/02/oodles-of-noodles.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">IHCC this week,</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> you'll find the other two variations, both of which look delicious. </span></div>
Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-38485820292344173532016-01-31T09:09:00.001-05:002016-01-31T09:09:37.215-05:00Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can always count on an Ellie Krieger recipe to be healthy. In fact, her cookbooks have the nutritional breakdown of each recipe which is a bonus. This is especially helpful when I have spent the morning celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of a friend and the feast after the services was just too tempting. My husband insists that calories consumed on the Shabbat, the Sabbath, don't count. I'll hedge my bets on that one. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">So, after a morning of indulging, I went easy in the evening. I made Sweet and Spicy Soup, also known as Nutty Sweet Potato Soup. The recipe can be found in <em>The Food You Crave</em> (p. 77) or <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/nutty-sweet-potato-soup-recipe.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It's a lovely, filling, but mildly flavored soup. Maybe the ginger I added was beyond it's freshest and fullest flavor. Next time, I'll use fresher ginger. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I don't always add garnishes to soups, but I would recommend adding the scallions at the end. They added a lovely crunch and piquancy that enhanced the soup. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This week is I Heart Cooking Clubs' monthly pot luck. Which means, if you go <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/01/ihcc-january-potluck.html" target="_blank">here</a>, you will find a treasure of different recipes and blogs. </span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-30029366537811243112016-01-17T10:23:00.001-05:002016-01-17T10:23:43.340-05:00Roast Vegetable Salad<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our featured chef this week at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a> is Jamie Oliver, a famous chef, cookbook author and food activist. That said, this is the first time I have made one of his recipes. I chose roast vegetable salad. Ten years ago, I learned that roasting or grilling any vegetable was a sure way to cooking success. So what could go wrong with a roast salad, especially one that features tomatoes, peppers, red onion and garlic? The dressing itself is a delicious mix of paprika, lemon and capers and will work with any number of vegetable dishes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The prep is really simple. You don't even have to peel the onions. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and sea salt. (Lucky me, a friend had just sent me a gift of sea salt) You place the tray of veggies in the oven and roast them until they are blackened. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Once the veggies are ready, all that's left to do is add the dressing. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">As it turns out, I had mixed success. This was not because the recipe is bad; it is really good. It was because I had a surplus of baby bell peppers at home and no regular sized ones. The baby peppers blackened rather too thoroughly as it turns out. Once I scraped away the blackened parts there were only seeds and stems left...well, maybe there was a nibble or two left out of all the peppers. The garlic cloves were also mostly hardened. Obviously, next time I will pay more attention keeping every ingredient a uniform size and add the garlic cloves later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The other change that I made was not to add any additional olive oil to the dressing. That worked out fine as there was enough oil left over from the roasting. Despite, my faux pas I will be making this again. It was full of bright flavor and a snap to make. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I found this recipe at <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/roast-vegetable-salad/#EqIPG2ykTZ3jO3e1.97" target="_blank">jamieoliver.com</a>. It is a very generous site loaded with tempting recipes. I liked his rating system; Super Easy, Not Too Tricky and Showing Off. The roasted salad was rated Not Too Tricky. Actually, if you pay attention to how you cut the veggies, it is really quite easy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">There are quite a few delicious-looking Jamie Oliver recipes at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2016/01/monthly-featured-chef-jamie-oliver.html" target="_blank">IHCC</a>. Why don't you check them out?</span><br />
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</span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-89930025116866391302016-01-03T11:51:00.003-05:002016-01-03T11:51:58.512-05:00Maple Glazed Walnuts<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"It's In Your Hands" is this week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">(IHCC).</a> Any food that doesn't require a fork, spoon, chopstick or other implement is fair game. Because it's the last day of my winter break and our girls are home, I've decided to go really easy this week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Maple Glazed Walnuts require only 3 ingredients, easily found if not already in your cupboard. My only hesitation was pouring maple syrup into an unoiled skillet. I was afraid it might be impossible to wash off. Turns out that frequent stirring while cooking and quickly soaking the pan once you're finished cooking makes for easy cleaning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The recipe can be found in <em>The Food You Crave</em> by Ellie Krieger or <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/maple-glazed-walnuts-recipe.html" target="_blank">here.</a> The walnuts are crunchy and sweet, but not too sweet. They are also addictive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To see other tasty hand-held treats look <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/12/its-in-your-hands.html" target="_blank">here.</a></span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-43231614283680034462015-12-23T22:56:00.002-05:002015-12-23T22:56:46.956-05:00Basic Cheese Quiche<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's December Potluck at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a>. I've picked a quiche recipe and a flaky pie crust recipe from Mark Bittman's <em>How to Cook Everything</em>. This is my basic "go to" book when I'm looking for a basic recipe. I love the instructions and explanations that make the recipes almost full proof. There is still room for human error as I will explain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The pie crust is made with the help of a food processor, but realizing that not everyone owns one, Bittman suggests alternative methods. In the past, I've used a pastry cutter or two knives to mix the flour and butter. Bittman describes a mixing method using your hands, "...cut cold butter into bits and rub it and the flour very quickly between your fingers, picking it up, rubbing it and dropping it." He further explains the basic principal of making a flaky crust. Of the methods I've tried, using your hands is the most fun and this will probably be the method I use in the future. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the filling, you have a choice of milk, cream or half & half. You also have your choice of cheeses. I added some pre-cooked broccoli to the filling for added color and nutrition. Even though I used a deep dish 9" pie pan, I had too much filling. You would have thought that I would have respected the law of physics, but alas, I didn't want to waste a bit of the rich cheese filling. I soon realized my mistake as the filling spilled over the edge of the crust. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Oh well. I wiped up the mess. I still had a full quiche. It was delicious. My older daughter said it was the best quiche I had ever made and the only one she ever liked. (Gee, I always thought she like the dish. Who Knew?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can find the recipes in <em>How to Cook Everything</em> by Mark Bittman, page 743 and 686. I couldn't find a link to the recipe on-line, but this is a worthwhile book to own or borrow. Check out what other delicious dishes other cooks made for the December potluck at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/12/ihcc-december-potluck.html" target="_blank">IHCC</a>. </span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-82305007952187411412015-12-11T23:26:00.001-05:002015-12-11T23:26:49.925-05:00Ricotta-Orange Pound Cake<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A year and a half ago I bought<em> Food & Wine</em> magazine because the cover featured "Best Italian Dishes." I didn't realize until I read the article that those dishes were recipes from Giada De Laurentiis' new Las Vegas restaurant. The recipe that caught my eye, and the reason I've kept the magazine all this time was Ricotta-Orange Pound Cake. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't bake a lot and recently, everyone in our household has been trying to shed a few pounds. (Well, okay, by everyone, I mean my spouse and me. The kids are away at school and the dog will eat anything.) All in all, I just couldn't justify baking a rich, delicious cake for no reason. Until this weekend. My birthday is Sunday. It's a major milestone and I've always been very happy to celebrate my birthday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As if that wasn't reason enough, </span><a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I Heart Cooking Clubs</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">' featured chef this week is Giada De Laurentiis. And we were invited to a holiday potluck tonight. So all in all, this cake was meant to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The recipe is straightforward and simple. For me the most difficult steps were zesting the orange and finding a small bottle of Amaretto. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The cake is meant to be served with whipped cream, and Prosecco soaked strawberries. I took the simpler route. The orange and the ricotta are what attracted me to the recipe in the first place. Also, strawberries at this time of year are flown in from thousands of miles away and tend to be lacking in flavor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The cake itself? It's delicious and moist. Despite only one teaspoon of orange zest, the cake had an intense orange flavor. It was a big hit at the party. If I were to bake it during the summer, I would try it with the strawberries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The recipe can be found <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/ricotta-orange-pound-cake-with-strawberries-recipe.html" target="_blank">here</a> or in the May, 2014 issue of <em>Food & Wine. </em>Head over to <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/12/monthly-featured-chef-giada-delaurentis.html" target="_blank">IHCC</a> to find out what other tasty dishes other cooks made. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-16460841001901646482015-12-05T12:23:00.000-05:002015-12-05T12:32:14.843-05:00Smoked Paprika Potato Chips<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Its Nibbles and Noshes week at I Heart Cooking Clubs blog, featuring the recipes of Ellie Krieger. For some time now, I've been interested in making potato chips at home. I love chips, but won't bring them into the house because frankly, I have no self-control. It really is a challenge to eat just one potato chip, or ten, or twenty..... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">But if you make them at home, you don't have to make a whole lot of them. When you follow EK's recipe, you can bake them instead of frying them. This recipe features smoked paprika which is one of my favorite spices, so all in all, this was worth a try. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">An important part of the success of the recipe is a mandoline, so you can slice the potatoes 1/16 inch thick. It probably also helps to keep the slices fairly uniform as well. I don't own a mandoline and frankly during this, the giving season, I wasn't keen to spend any money on an implement I might use only once. I decided to try my hand at slicing the potatoes with a knife. If I liked the recipe enough, I could always buy a mandoline later .... maybe during January sales. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Is the finished product worth buying a mandoline? I think so. Even when the potato slices were uneven and therefore some were crisp and some ... well, not so crisp, they were tasty. You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.elliekrieger.com/smoked-paprika-potato-chips#.VmMe8XamDct" target="_blank">at elliekrieger.com.</a> Also, for other great ideas for nibbles and noshes go to <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/11/nibbles-noshes.html" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs.</a></span><br />
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Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-86924010342775450732015-11-17T18:25:00.000-05:002015-11-17T18:25:11.240-05:00Two Side Dishes<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanksgiving is approaching. I know which main dish I'm making and Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without my mother's dressing. A friend is bringing the veggie main dish and homemade cranberry sauce. My husband will make pies (I hope, I hope.) But we're still short a couple of side dishes. Luckily, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/11/scentsational-sides.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I Heart Cooking Clubs</span></a> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">is featuring side dishes by our current chef, Ellie Krieger.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have long wanted to try making oven baked onion rings. I love onion rings, but dread deep fat frying. The recipe is from <em>The Food You Crave</em> or you can find it <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/oven-baked-onion-rings-ellie-krieger.aspx" target="_blank">here.</a> It's quite easy to make. It's not the same as eating traditional onion rings, but it's a satisfying dish all the same. I might add a little more salt and I wonder what it would be like if I used regular potato chips instead of baked potato chips. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4XcdQOhKbUnB5IjfjYK7TFCxind1S5CExZaQwpFyMNIvGR0P3YgTgZM-Hvgfu36d3dddXEISDHK_E6QJDqH7pOY4tPvKXRJIwsv2OKPIn1AY5ubv0hqC_De-yWEend-GpNvDRTptN8MI/s1600/20151116_183025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4XcdQOhKbUnB5IjfjYK7TFCxind1S5CExZaQwpFyMNIvGR0P3YgTgZM-Hvgfu36d3dddXEISDHK_E6QJDqH7pOY4tPvKXRJIwsv2OKPIn1AY5ubv0hqC_De-yWEend-GpNvDRTptN8MI/s400/20151116_183025.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">There is one other thing I will do differently next time. Onion slices are dusted with flour, dipped into buttermilk and then covered with potato chip crumbs. The crumbs got soggy after a few of the onion slices were dipped in them. After that, it was hard to get the crumbs to adhere to the onion slices. Next time, I will divide the crumbs into smaller portions, so the crumbs stay drier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I also made broccoli toasted with garlic, from the same book. The recipe is available <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/broccoli-with-toasted-garlic-recipe.html" target="_blank">here</a> as well. Basically, you sauté the garlic, sauté the broccoli, pour the garlic on the broccoli and voila, a very tasty, healthy side dish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Visit <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/11/scentsational-sides.html" target="_blank">IHCC</a> to see what other wonderful sides people cooked up. </span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-20214688125548883452015-11-07T11:24:00.000-05:002015-11-07T11:24:08.190-05:00Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Food-wise, Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday. When the kids were at home and we had Shabbat dinner every Friday, our menu often included turkey, dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce and Challah. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Any Way You Slice It </em>is the theme for the week at <em>I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC</em>) so clearly that's a sign that I should make a turkey breast for dinner. There are only two of us at home these days, so a whole turkey would be too much. Sunny, our dog, might disagree. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ahem," says the dog, eagerly waiting for turkey. </td></tr>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I made Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast from <em>The Food You Crave. </em>You can also find it <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/herb-roasted-turkey-breast-recipe.html" target="_blank">here.</a> The dish is described as "a breeze to make and a real crowd pleaser." Agreed. You basically rub a mixture of olive oil and herbs onto a skinless turkey breast, put it in the oven and wait. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The biggest challenge for me was removing the skin. I often remove the fattiest parts, but this was the first time I took off the whole skin and I was surprised by how much fat is under it all. I was worried that the turkey would come out quite dry. Instead, it came out flavorful and moist. I should mention that I have a kosher kitchen and that the turkey breast comes pre-soaked and salted. From the kosher point of view, that is done to remove any trace of blood from the meat. From a technique point of view, that may be known as brining the meat. This may account for some of the moistness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I threw in some onions and potatoes to roast with the turkey and made cranberry sauce, as well. The recipe for the cranberry sauce is on the back of the Ocean Spray package or <a href="http://www.oceanspray.com/Recipes/Corporate/Sauces,-Sides-Salads/Fresh-Cranberry-Sauce.aspx" target="_blank">here. </a>. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To see how many ways you slice oh so many kinds of delicious dishes check out <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/11/any-way-you-slice-it.html" target="_blank">IHCC .</a> </span></td></tr>
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Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-596143774213051672015-10-31T18:17:00.000-04:002015-10-31T18:17:11.733-04:00Chicken Teriyaki<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Every month, <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a> (IHCC) has a potluck. That means we get to choose any recipe we want from the collections of chefs that have been featured in the past six years. That is not a small set of choices. I went with chicken teriyaki</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> from <em>Nigella Kitchen.</em> I have owned the book for years, but haven't cooked from it very often. And in our household, anything teriyaki is a winner. It's a rare taste on which we can all agree. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">What I like about Nigella Lawson's recipe is that it uses mirin (sweet rice wine) and soy sauce as a base with a little sake and other ingredients thrown in. Some recipes I've tried have you start with bottled teriyaki sauce and mix in other ingredients. I thought this recipe was cleaner and brighter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">When I went to my favorite Asian market to purchase the sake and mirin, I was surprised to fine a variety of sakes, at different price points and sizes. And frankly I had no idea how to choose. It's different when I'm at a sushi restaurant and all I have to do is order small or large. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">There was sake in elegant glass bottles, in jars with pop tops and even small aluminum cans (serve chilled!). I decided on a small bottle of mid-priced sake; the one with the eye-catching red dragon on the label was the winner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The dish comes together quite easily, but leave enough time. There's a little chopping and marinating involved. You can find the recipe on pages 38-40 of <em>Nigella Kitchen </em>(lots of pictures, not a lot of steps) or you can find it <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/chicken-teriyaki-recipe.html" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To find out what other cooks came up with, look </span><a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/10/ihcc-october-potluck.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">here</span>.</a> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's worth it because there is quite a variety of yummy-looking dishes.</span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-59316713225419837372015-10-22T16:23:00.000-04:002015-10-22T16:26:10.114-04:00Savory Carrot-Cashew Soup<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This week, I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) is featuring recipes by Ellie Krieger that feature one or more orange hued ingredients. This shouldn't be difficult. Think butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, papaya, oranges and other citrus fruit, persimmons, pumpkins, mangoes....you get the idea. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Perusing <a href="http://www.elliekrieger.com/" target="_blank">Ellie Krieger's website</a><span id="goog_176250215"></span> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_176250216"></span>I came across this tasty recipe for carrot soup. Carrot soup is one of those dishes I've been meaning to make for years, but never did. Why? Who knows. Fortunately, I tried this recipe. It's tasty, filling and healthy. Most importantly, my husband and I really liked it. This recipe is a keeper. You can find it here: <a href="http://www.elliekrieger.com/savory-carrot-cashew-soup#.VilAunamDcs" target="_blank">Carrot-Cashew Soup.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To see what other members of IHCC came up with go </span><a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2015/10/think-orange.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.</span> </div>
Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-86159474718039445142015-10-15T18:53:00.002-04:002015-10-15T18:53:56.511-04:00South Indian Vegetable Curry<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One reason I enjoy on-line cooking clubs is that it is an incentive to try new things, especially the ones I've been meaning to try for a while. And "by a while" I mean for a long time -- months, maybe years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I recently discovered <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a> or IHCC. Mostly, they feature one chef for about six months. We just started cooking our way through Ellie Krieger's repertoire of healthy recipes. Every so often IHCC tries a new theme. Maybe it's for the variety; maybe it's a chance to revisit a previously featured (and beloved) chef. This week, we are cooking recipes from Nigella Lawson. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I bought <u>Nigella Kitchen </u>a few years ago. I have enjoyed reading her essays about home cooking and the kitchen. I can relate to her relaxed attitude towards cooking and I love the variety of cuisines and styles of cooking. I've thought a lot about the many mouth watering recipes in the book, but have only managed to use two of the recipes in the book. That is why I am happy that IHCC gave me the kick in the a... I mean, the opportunity to pick a new recipe from the book and actually cook it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I chose <em>South Indian Vegetable Curry</em>. You can find the recipe on page 154 of <u>Nigella Kitchen</u> or <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/south-indian-vegetable-curry-recipe.html" target="_blank">here.</a> I don't often make curries and I don't use much coconut milk or tamarind paste in my cooking, so this was my chance to try something new. My husband and I are also trying to eat healthier, which means more vegetables. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Basically, the recipe is really easy to make. There is a lot of chopping, but nothing complicated. I made a few modifications to the recipe. I like a little heat, but my husband likes very little to no heat, so I held back on the red pepper flakes and used only half of a jalapeno pepper. The recipe lists 5 kinds of vegetables, but you can change the combination any way you want. I would have like to use green beans as called for in the recipe, but the green beans at the grocery looked kind of sorry, so I used mushrooms instead. My husband doesn't like cauliflower that much, so I halved the amount and threw in potatoes as well. I served the curry over couscous. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I had "wet tamarind seedless" from the local Asian market. It had the consistency of paste, so I guess it was the right stuff. It didn't seem very seedless though, so I pulled my punch and only added a half tablespoon. In retrospect, maybe I should have done a little more research or added more in. At any rate, the taste of the tamarind was subtle at best. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Overall, I would say this was a success. My husband liked it and so did I. Next time, in addition to adding in the full tablespoon of tamarind paste, I'd probably add less liquid. You can't tell from the photo, but the dish was very soupy. My photo makes the dish look quite dull. I guess in this case, picture is not worth a thousand words, but this dish is tasty and filling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-24994448363958517442015-10-10T20:42:00.000-04:002015-10-10T20:42:37.345-04:00Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous from Ellie Krieger<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This blog has been dormant for a little over two years. I had been part of two on-line cooking groups, but stopped during an especially challenging year at work. Fortunately that is behind me and I'm ready to restart. I found <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">iheartcookingclubs</a> This blog features one cook for about six months. This week we welcome <a href="http://www.elliekrieger.com/" target="_blank">Ellie Krieger.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I am really happy she is the featured chef. I recently found <u>The Food You Crave</u> at our library's used book store and it is full of great looking recipes. Also, both my husband and I are thinking about eating healthier. Ms. Krieger is a nutritionist as well as a cook, so she keeps the recipes healthy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous is described as a great dish for "a busy mom who is really cranky when she's hungry." Even though I am an empty-nester, I can identify with the cranky when hungry part. The dish requires a little prep and then comes together quickly. I really enjoyed that although the dish was easy to make, it wasn't dull. There was a great combination of flavors; the spinach by itself would make a tasty side dish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">You can find the recipe in <u>The Food You Crave</u> or on-line at <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/balsamic-chicken-with-baby-spinach-recipe.html" target="_blank">this link here.</a> Head over to <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a> to see what other cooks enjoyed. </span>Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-58021488154651332992013-07-16T09:01:00.000-04:002013-07-16T09:01:51.961-04:00TWD & BWJ: Summer Vegetable TartI was looking forward to making this Summer Vegetable Tart, this being summer and all. It doesn't need very long in the oven at all, so baking during the very hot weather isn't too much of a problem. I would say that this tart is a snap to make, but I hadn't worked with phyllo in a very long time and as you can see in the photo the results were less than photogenic. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKceO4-fEQAluzKUdDrZ0KuoRAG3pthf7eTPFW6GBBlDXtviRJoU0QlK4h7trlRCp4EUfOZQwbYOCEg25v3iULYT7RoAHeXq0xRUdMHsJFlBGQvZ9Fq7LWpKZF1RPUoPqr5zIOGySIa0_/s1600/SAM_0730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKceO4-fEQAluzKUdDrZ0KuoRAG3pthf7eTPFW6GBBlDXtviRJoU0QlK4h7trlRCp4EUfOZQwbYOCEg25v3iULYT7RoAHeXq0xRUdMHsJFlBGQvZ9Fq7LWpKZF1RPUoPqr5zIOGySIa0_/s1600/SAM_0730.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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I would say that the tart was a semi-success. Two out of three teenagers loved it and the third won't eat a veggie that is not broccoli, green beans or corn. I found the phyllo crust difficult to cut. So while the filling was delicious, I would pick another crust for the base. Or, if I were to use phyllo dough again (I have a whole lot left over), I might make these as little tarts or bourekas. <br />
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To see how others fared with this tart check out <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/lyl-summer-vegetable-tart/" target="_blank">Tuesdays with Dorie.</a> Better yet, join us. There's always room for more. Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-52358933607566334592013-07-02T09:59:00.001-04:002013-07-02T09:59:19.997-04:00TWD & BWJ: Baked Yogurt TartI almost didn't make the Baked Yogurt Tart (page 378 from <em>Baking with Julia</em>). But I have missed so many other recipes from the book and frankly, this looked very easy to make. As it turns out it <em>was</em> easy to make. So why the reluctance? Well, the recipe looked kind of bland. Plain, non-fat yogurt is the basis of this tart with some vanilla and fruit thrown in for good measure. The tart is also a contradiction of sorts; the basis of the filling is non-fat, but it's encased in the loveliest, flakiest, crust loaded with butter and shortening. Hmm...but also, yum. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked Yogurt Tart</td></tr>
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This tart comes out very creamy and tangy. The vanilla flavor comes through. The blackberries would have a been a wonderful addition, but they were too sour. I had even let them sit in some sugar before adding them to the tart, but apparently I didn't add enough or I didn't let them sit long enough. Certainly, most any soft fruit could be added. Some of my fellow <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/lyl-baked-yogurt-tart/" target="_blank">Tuesdays with Dorie</a> bloggers added lemon zest and other flavorings. Next time, maybe I'll try adding cinnamon. Any recipe that is great on its own, yet allows for variation is a keeper in my book. <br />
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Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825261721594188835.post-19362497614307797592013-06-18T12:16:00.000-04:002013-06-18T12:16:35.750-04:00TWD & BWJ: Tomato GaletteI love pizza and was looking forward to this galette. It is made with cheese and tomatoes after all. But -- lesson one -- a galette is no pizza and if you are considering serving this as a main course for dinner, don't. It makes a great snack or appetizer, but I can only say that three teenagers and two adults went rather hungry last night. And this is after I made a full recipe for the galette dough instead of half. Even two galettes were not enough. <br />
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The second lesson for me is this: read the instructions through before starting and then read them again. Although I read the recipe a couple of times, I managed to forget to put the rolled out galette dough on the baking pan <em>before </em>adding the toppings and folding over the edges. Oh, rats. The galette, not very round to begin with, got rather misshaped in transference. It was tasty enough, but I think next time I want pizza, I will make pizza. The Oasis Naan (page 149 in <em>Baking with Julia</em>) or the pizza dough (page 157) are perfect for pizza. The galette dough is better suited to a sweet, fruit filling<br />
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Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570238670684633796noreply@blogger.com6