Six-Week Raisin Bran Muffins

Now here's something I don't think you see too much anymore--six-week refrigerator bran muffins.

And that's a shame really.  Granted the recipe makes a huge amount; you will definitely have to find your very biggest bowl to mix it and a good amount of space in your fridge to store it (at least in the beginning), but the convenience and specialness of homemade, hot raisin and bran muffins with melted butter is something you just can't buy at your local coffee shop.

Perhaps it's me because I'm getting older, but I value those quiet moments at home, not standing in line with twenty-five other non-morning, likely grumpy people, grins.  And if you're in that morning grump slump, we all know how annoying it can be to have that little bluebird of happiness just chirping merrily away.  So much better to be at home, get one's footing, and then go out and face the world.  These will help.

Six-Week Raisin Bran Muffins

1 (15 ounce) box Raisin Bran cereal (about 9 cups)
3 cups sugar
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 quart (4 cups) buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix cereal with raisins, sugar, flour, soda and salt in a very large bowl. Add oil, eggs and milk. Allow to rest before use.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Store in a covered container and use as needed.

COOK'S NOTE:  Yep, this does in fact last six weeks.  I stirred the batter off and on in between, sniffing to make sure that it was still okay.  I could make six muffins or a dozen, whatever time and appetite allowed.

There's Nothing Like Corn, Corn, Cornmeal Pancakes in the Morning

I'm still kind of laughing about this.  Sweetie Pie, who is the meat eater in this household, put back his ham steak to grab some more cornmeal pancakes.  Just when you think you've seen it all and miracles never happen on a Sunday morning, this happens.

We love pancakes and eat a lot of them for weekend breakfasts.  I've shared my favorite pancake recipe here.  Sweetie Pie grew up with cornmeal pancakes; I had never heard of them until I met him. I've made cornmeal pancakes in the past, usually they included a can of corn, but I'm thinking this my new favorite recipe and will be retiring the other.  

CORNMEAL PANCAKES

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
pancake syrup of choice

In a medium sized bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk to combine.

In a large measuring cup beat together the eggs, buttermilk, honey and butter.  Add to the cornmeal mixture and stir but do not overmix.

Heat a griddle or large cast iron skillet over medium.  Give a light coating of cooking spray or oil.  Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake, gently swirling the batter to make into a nice circle.

Fry until bubbles appear, about 2 to 3 minutes each side.  You're probably going to make this in batches so have a baking sheet on standby and oven preheated at lowest possible temperature, to transfer the pancakes to while preparing the rest of them.

COOK'S NOTES:  I used an electric fry pan, set it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and I found it cooked them too fast on the outside.  I reduced the heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and wiped out some of the oil, and they came out much nicer.  I use a little stainless steel gravy ladle to scoop out the batter, pouring it into a circle and using the side of the ladle to even out the edges and thickness.

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

Oooh boy!  If you like cinnamon rolls for breakfast, fresh and hot from the oven but you don't like working with yeast or don't have the time to wait for rollin' and risin', then I hope you give this recipe a try.  Have mercy, these were a winner.

I had another recipe for biscuit cinnamon rolls, and it was just like it sounds, biscuits with cinnamon.  Not horrible mind you, but clearly deserving of their biscuit claim, and they were not something I rushed to make again.

So I saw this recipe, hemmed and hawed, reflecting on my past experience, and passed over it several times.  Don't ask me what drew me to it--probably the buttermilk that needed using and the fact that we love pastry type items for our weekend breakfasts. And I don't discount the fact that I have been a huge fan of Mel's Kitchen Cafe for years and years.  She is totally amazing!

And may I say these far exceeded expectations.  While not as light and fluffy as a yeast roll, these were amazing on their own.  Definitely fluffy and tender and full of cinnamon deliciousness.  And huge.  The original recipe said serves 12 to 15.  I am not advocate of puny cinnamon rolls so I made 12.  Just let me say a single roll would easily be more than enough for someone who was wasn't a part of the super-size crowd.  Ahem.  Both Sweetie-Pie and I had two.  What can I say; that's the way we roll.

BUTTERMILK BISCUIT CINNAMON ROLLS
Discovered on Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Biscuits:

4 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour

1/3 cup  granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

13 tablespoons very cold butter

2 cups buttermilk (plus a few tablespoons more, if needed)

Filling:

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 to 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Easy Vanilla Glaze
From the good folks at King Arthur's Flour

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is like coarse meal and the butter is in small, about the size of a pea.
3. Pour in the buttermilk and mix until just combined. The dough should start to come together but don’t want to overmix the dough. If there are lots of dry patches throughout the dough, add a bit more buttermilk, just a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough comes together.
4. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured counter.
5. Gently pat (do not roll with a rolling pin!) the dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Gently fold the dough in thirds (as if folding a letter), repeating three times and pressing gently to 1-inch thick after each fold. These folds, combined with the cold butter, are what help to create flaky layers.
6. With a lightly floured rolling pin (or pressing quickly with your hands), roll the dough into a 1/4-inch rectangle, about 18" x 10". It's important to not overwork the dough if you want tender, flaky biscuits.
7. Spread the melted butter over the top. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and spread evenly over the butter.
8. Start rolling up the cinnamon rolls, beginning with one long edge, rolling tightly without pulling and stretching the dough.
9. Pinch the seam and reposition the long roll until it is seam side down.
10. Cut into 1- or 1 1/2-inch rolls. Tuck the loose end of each roll underneath and place an inch or so apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
11. At this point the rolls can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days. To bake immediately, bake for 12-15 minutes. If baking straight from the refrigerator, add a couple minutes to the baking time.
12. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes or so before drizzling with the icing.

For the Vanilla Glaze:
Stir the ingredients together, adding extra liquid or confectioners' sugar to adjust the consistency as needed. Yield: about 1/2 cup glaze.  This made just about enough to lightly glaze all the biscuit rolls.  If you lot a lot of glaze, consider doubling the recipe.

Apple Crisp

Apple crisp has been one of my desserts of choice since I first had its cinnamon-y, brown sugary, apple-y goodness as a dessert in our elementary school cafeteria.  The lunch ladies knew how to scoop it up and serve mounds of sweet deliciousness in those brown speckled melamine bowls I'll always remember.

Even as an adult dining out at restaurants, if apple crisp was on the menu, apple crisp was my dessert.  Oh, and strawberry shortcake.  If both were offered, I might forgo dinner for two desserts.  That's how much I love them.

Funny thing about apple crisp, though.  Just a few ingredients but not everyone gets it right.  I mean it has to have oatmeal in it. That's what makes it crispy.   Don't be messing me about with lumps of flour.  And it has to have brown sugar.  Simple rules, but when followed, simply divine.  One could eat this with a side of melting vanilla ice cream or mountains of whipped cream, but I am a purist.  Just a spoon and a generous portion of apple crisp and you won't hear a word from me.  Is mmm-mmm a word?

APPLE CRISP

3/4 cup quick oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter plus a little additional for greasing the baking dish
1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon
4-6 apples or even a couple more

Butter an 8 x 8 inch (or 9 x 9 inch) baking dish.

Peel and slice apples as you would for an apple pie and spread evenly in baking dish.

Combine the other ingredients, but leave the mixture crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples.

Bake at 350F for about 35 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the cooked apple. Can be served hot with ice cream. Equally delicious cold.

COOK'S NOTES:  Truth be told, I use 6 to 8 apples as I like a lot of apples. Also, I use a mix of apples, Macintosh and Granny Smith as a rule.  Since moving to Arizona, the Macintosh isn't readily available, so I switched to Crispin I think they're called.  I use an 8" x 8" pan because I like the look of abundance in the pan and consequently in the dessert dish, grins.

Copycat "Subway" Rolls

In New Hampshire, Sweetie Pie had a favorite sub shop called Moe's and they have several scattered locations throughout the state and they're well-known and loved for their famous Moe's Italian sandwiches.  It's like a cult following; generations of families are avid fans of the Moe's Italian sandwich.  Sweetie Pie and I could never drive by one of their locations where he didn't buy at least two of them, one for now and one for later.  He said when he worked at the local shipyard, on Fridays, the guys would order from their local Moe's, 200 at a time!  And Moe's would ship to servicemen just about everywhere, I guess way back when, for those who missed that special hometown sandwich.  Even now, living in Arizona, when we meet people from New Hampshire, and we ask about Moe's, a moment of nostalgic silence sweeps over us.  You can feel the longing.  Yep, they're that good.

I don't know their secret as to what makes them better than other Italian sub sandwiches, but they are pretty darned good, and I've tried to duplicate them at home, with limited success.  One thing for sure is, they have good sub rolls.

I debated on sharing this recipe, because in full disclosure, in my opinion, the dough was a stinker to work with.  I've made a fair amount of homemade bread and rolls throughout my lifetime and feel I have a little bit of a knack for working with yeasted bread dough and so I proceeded with smug confidence.  But boy, I'll tell you what, this was a bit of a challenge.

Recipe is easy enough to follow, grins.  What confounded me was the final steps where the dough had to be shaped into the "sub" shape.  It just would not cooperate the way I wanted it to.  I wanted a nice long, slender cylinder of bread, and instead I would ended up with these squat, chubby mini loaves.  Well, after working and rolling, and a bit of stretching and praying, the shape was acceptable.  Not perfect, but acceptable.

And if I didn't cause myself enough angst, after the second rising I noticed that two of the loaves were touching.  And I thought, if I'm careful, I should be able, ever so gently to move it.  Big huge, deflating mistake.  Nothing I could do.  I went ahead and baked three nicely risen sub loaves and one pathetically deflated one.  A lesson in humility, sigh.  And I swore never to make this recipe again.  Ever.  Never.  Until I ate one.

There is a step at the end of the recipe that calls for buttering the top of the hot-from-the-oven loaves and then covering with a clean tea towel.  I was going to skip this step, but let assure you, I think it makes all the difference in the world to the quality of these.  Rolls turned out better any commercially made sub roll I ever had.  Oh my word.  Tender, fluffy, flavorful, and substantial.  In spite of all the challenges, I would definitely make these again because the flavor was so worth it.

Sweetie-Pie loved these so much he ate just the bread the following morning for breakfast, grins.

Can you see the deflated roll in the back?  In spite being the ugly duckling it still tasted good.

COPYCAT SUBWAY ROLLS
(Makes 4 hearty loaves)

1 cup warm water (110* Fahrenheit)
1/2 tablespoon yeast ( 1  1/2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon sugar
1  1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
2  1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1. In a stand mixer with dough hook already attached, combine the water, yeast, sugar, salt, and olive oil.  Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes, allowing the yeast to foam and proof.
2. Add 1 cup of flour and mix on slow speed for 3 to 5 minutes.  add an additional cup of flour and mix until well combined.  continue to add 1/4 cup of flour at a time until a soft dough is formed.  the dough will stick to the bottom of the bowl but pull away from the sides.  You may have to scrape the dough from the hook time to time.  All this should take about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove the dough hook set aside.  Remove the bowl and dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and continue kneading by hand until the dough is soft and supple.  Shape into a ball and return to the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and place in a warm, draft free area, allowing the dough to rise for about 30 minutes.
4. After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a clean surface and divide it until four.  Roll each piece into a long skinny loaf that is about 9 to 10 inches long.
5. Place the rolled loaves onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or baking mat), about two inches apart, across the short way on the pan. Spray plastic wrap with a cooking spray and lightly place across the loaves so it won't stick when you remove it.  Allow the loaves to rise until doubled, about one hour.
6. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 350* Fahrenheit.  Remove the plastic wrap or tea towel, and place the loaves in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when lightly thumped with the back of your knuckle.
7. Remove the loaves from the oven.  rub the tops with a stick of butter and cover them with a tea towel to finish cooling.

COOK'S NOTES:  All right, I will make these again, the flavor and overall character of this bread warrants another try.  I'm thinking of pizza dough, you know how it's supposed to rest before shaping it into a pan to give the gluten time to relax to make the dough more manageable?  I'm thinking it's the same with this.  Needs to rest a few minutes before being shaped into loaves.  And I need to remember to give it the space it needs to rise properly and if I misjudge, not to be all confident and deflate them.

Also, the recipe says to let it rise a second time for an hour.  Well, I suppose that's true for a lot of kitchens, but here in Arizona the house is always warm.  We are cooling our house to 75 degrees.  If  I remember correctly, dough doubled in about 40 minutes, so keep that in mind.

The other thing I'm thinking, perhaps I could've used a tad more water.  Living in arid conditions I think affects the humidity of my flour and perhaps it was a little parched for water.  The dough seemed to work okay, but maybe a couple extra tablespoons of water would've been in order.

Anyway, live and learn, grins.  I'm looking forward to next time.

Now to figure out their olive oil dressing.  Hmm... 

Cheers!

Lemon Crumb Muffins

All righty then.  If you love lemon and you have some time and you want to spend it on making some of the best lemon muffins Sweetie Pie and I have ever eaten, then this is for you.  These are puckery, sweet, lemony globes of deliciousness. They are not cakelike, definitely of the muffin variety, with a heavier, but not dry, crumb. This is the kind of recipe that could anchor your reputation as a top-drawer cook, believe me.

And another good thing?  The batter makes two and a half dozen but can last up to a week in the refrigerator!  How great is that.  Pretty darned great. Enough for a breakfast treat at home and enough to share at work.  I'm not so sure I want to share, though...

Anyway, enough small talk.  Here's the recipe.  It's a three-parter: batter, streusel, and glaze so I suggest you read through it first.  And it's not a mistake--there really is no baking powder in this.  I'm supposing it's a chemical reaction between the baking soda and lemon juice that gives the batter its rise.

LEMON CRUMB MUFFINS
(from the Granary at Pine Tree Barn)

Batter 
6 cup all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups (4 sticks) butter (melted)
2 cups (1 pint) sour cream
8 large eggs

2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 fresh lemons (washed, dried, and then the rind grated without the pith, set aside)

In a very large bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together.  In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, butter, lemon juice and eggs.  Whisk until smooth.  Fold in the lemon rind.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and blend well.

Streusel
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup butter, softened


Sift flour and sugar together.  Add softened butter and work into dry ingredients until well combined.

Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Stir together until sugar is dissolved.

Spray muffin tins and fill with lemon muffin batter.  Top with streusel.  Bake at 350*Fahrenheit for 18 to 20 minutes or until tests done with a toothpick.  Allow to cool.  Poke muffins with a toothpick.  Spoon glaze over muffins.  Remove from muffin tin.  Store in airtight container.

Makes 24-30 muffins.

COOK'S NOTES:  I am a pokey cook, so this took me some time to put together so plan on spending some preparing this.  I grated the lemon rind first and just kept it aside in one of a small custard cup.

The only thing that I did do differently was I heated the sugar and lemon juice in the pan I melted the butter in to make a lemon simple syrup because I can't stand sugary grit.  I heated it over medium just enough to dissolve the sugar and then set it aside to cool.

Creamed Eggs and Ham over Biscuits

Creamed Eggs and Ham Over Biscuits

Well here was a nice country-style breakfast and a departure from our normal fare.  As I wrote that first sentence, I wondered what our normal breakfast fare is.  How dull and routine we must be in our real lives, grins, always in a hurry with toast and a quick cup of coffee to get us started for a new day.  A slow breakfast is a luxury reserved for our days away from work.

This would be a perfect breakfast for those after-Easter boiled eggs and leftover ham feasts and now you're looking for a new way to serve them.  I buy the small packages of boneless ham slices, usually four or six to a pack if I recall correctly.  It's just enough for the two of us for a couple of meals:  eggs Benedict, ham and potato casserole, our favorite breakfast quiche, among others, and now this.

You have to have a pretty good appetite as this is filling.  Nice warm biscuit  baked with a sprinkling of cheese, creamy eggs and ham to bathe them in and sop up some of that deliciousness, mmmm!


CREAMED EGGS AND HAM
(over toast, English muffins or biscuits)

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups milk
1 cup diced cooked ham
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
4 biscuits

Directions

Melt butter in a deep, medium sized fry pan or a saucepan over low heat.
Stir flour, mustard, salt, and pepper into butter until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
Remove from heat and add milk.
Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; boil until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
Stir ham and eggs into milk mixture and cook until heated through.
Spoon creamed ham and eggs onto biscuits.

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie

Have mercy, this pie was good!  Sweetie-Pie and I ate this at all three meals, it was so good.  If you had ever told us several years back we'd be eating and loving a sweet potato pie, your remarks would have been met with scoffs and firm denials.

I made one a couple of years back because of all the hoopla over sweet potato pie, and we were not wowed.  We are pumpkin pie eaters, and as far as we're concerned there is only one recipe for pumpkin pie and coincidentally both our mothers and grandmothers used the same recipe which was on the back of a New England product called One Pie.  Don't be trying to trick us into eating that other national favorite; we know pumpkin pie.

Anyway, back to sweet potato pie.  So I tried a recipe a couple of years back, and it had similar ingredients to our favorite pumpkin pie recipe so I was sure we'd love it.  It was okay in our estimation, but it just didn't work.  Well, no kidding, right?  Sweet potatoes are their own vegetable.  By chance I came upon this recipe, hemmed and hawed about it, questioned whether or not there was enough spices and what not.  I mean, it seemed so plain and simple.  How could it possibly be good.

Well, that's the beauty of this pie.  The spices and sugars enhance, elevate the sweet potatoes to a heavenly pie that don't try to run over or compete with the natural goodness of the sweet potato.  I can't recommend this pie enough.

SWEET POTATO PIE

2 eggs
Cooked, mashed potatoes to equal 2 cups
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons vanilla
4 oz melted butter
One 9-inch unbaked, refrigerated (or frozen and thawed or your favorite homemade) pie shell

Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 55 minutes
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the mashed sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, butter , vanilla, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Beat to combine, 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake in the center of the oven for about 55 minutes, until filling is set.

No Knead, Whole Wheat, English Muffin Batter Bread

I love my no-knead breads.  I love my kneaded breads, too, of course, but there are times, especially in the mornings, when I just want to get a dough in the oven without a lot of fuss and bother, and have a result that is beautiful, hearty, full of glory, grins.

My Sweetie-Pie surprised me a while back with a gorgeous bouquet of lilies, for no reason, just because he saw something beautiful and he thought of me.  How sweetie-pie is that?!  I'm telling you.  So, of course I had to bake him something that he particularly likes, whole wheat bread.

I'm an early morning riser, he tends to be a sleepyhead so it's no effort for me to have this ready and cooling by the time he finally makes it out to the kitchen.  Usually it's the aroma of something wonderful that awakens him and I see him standing there rubbing his eyes with his knuckles, sniffing the air, and mumbling, "What is that wonderful smell?"  Too cute sometimes.


NO KNEAD, WHOLE WHEAT, ENGLISH MUFFIN BATTER BREAD

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons whole wheat gluten (optional but gives a higher rise)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Cornmeal, for sprinkling the pan

Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or grease with shortening. Roll and shake the cornmeal around the sides and bottom of the pan.  Shake out any excess. Set pan aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, vital wheat gluten flour (if using), brown sugar, yeast, salt, and baking soda.

Combine the milk, water, and oil and gently heat until the liquid reaches the temperature directed by the yeast manufacturer, usually between 110*-120* Fahrenheit, but check package for manufacturer's recommendations. Stir the liquid together well before taking the temperature, and for best results, use an insta-read or digital read thermometer.  If you don't have one, temperature should be pleasantly warm but not hot.

Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients, then beat the mixture on high speed for one minute. The dough will be very soft, somewhat sticky, and moist, kind of goopy. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, then gently stretch it with your impeccably clean hands to make it as even as possible.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray or a clean kitchen towel, in a warm, draft-free place, until the dough just barely rises over the top rim of the pan, about 1 hour, depending upon the temperature of your kitchen. (Alternatively, you can place the loaf in your refrigerator to rise overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to baking.) Towards the end of the bread’s rise time, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400* Fahrenheit.

Once dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and bake for 22 to 27 minutes, until it is golden brown and the interior temperature registers 185*-190* Fahrenheit, or sounds hollow when given a good thump with the back of  your knuckle. Check the dough at the 15-minute mark—if it's browning too quickly, lightly tent the pan with foil, then continue baking until the bread is done.

Remove the bread from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes in the baking pan. Gently turn the bread out from the pan and place on a cooling rack. Allow bread to cool completely before slicing.

NOTE: I live in the desert, my kitchen is always warm and almost always no humidity, grins. Cooling a kitchen to 75* Fahrenheit is a lot different than heating it, grins.  My flours are parched! There was not nearly enough liquid so I ended up adding close to another 1/4 cup of lukewarm water.  The rising time for my dough was only about 40 minutes.

Creamed Spinach and Baked Eggs Breakfast

Every now and again we get a little bit (for us, grins) adventurous and we try something that we'd never thought we'd eat in a hundred years.  This time it was spinach for breakfast.  With eggs.  I suppose on the surface the combination does sound disconcerting when one has a long history of presweetened cereals or eggs simply prepared with no spinach. We love all the ingredients but just had never put them together for a breakfast meal.  So it took a bit of doing to work up the courage to try it, but this was definitely worth the test.  We are converted!  This is company worthy, would be marvelous for a brunch or special occasion.

CREAMED SPINACH AND BAKED EGGS

6 slices bacon (or more depending how many you're serving)
1/2 onion, diced
15 ounce bag of frozen spinach
salt and pepper to taste
4 to 8 large eggs (depending on how many you're serving)

1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
plain bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 400* Fahrenheit.

In an ovenproof skillet, fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined dish.  Remove all but one tablespoon of bacon fat from the frying pan.

Add onion to the bacon fat, stirring occasionally, until light golden and softened.

Add the spinach and cook until wilted.  Carefully pour off some of the liquid.  Season the spinach with the salt and pepper.  Add the cream and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Using a spoon, make wells in the spinach, one for each egg you are going to serve.  Crack an egg into each well.  If the eggs slightly flow into each other, that's fine.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Transfer to the oven and bake 6 to 8 minutes or until the whites are set but the yolks are still slightly runny.

I sprinkled with bread crumbs towards the end for a little extra color but that's totally optional.

Spoon onto plate to serve with the bacon.  Toast points are a nice addition to dip into the soft yolk.  YUM!

Chicken That Makes Its Own Gravy

Chicken That Makes Its Own Gravy

Can one have too many chicken recipes?  I think not, especially when it's as simple and flavorful and as comforting this one.  This is one of those mom meals that make adult children pine for childhood Sunday dinners at Grandma's.  The aroma alone while it's baking will have you hanging around the kitchen anxiously awaiting mealtime.

I originally saw this recipe in a cookbook which I love (and one of two cookbooks that I own two of because I love them so much) entitled Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars by Ceil Dyer.  Originally the recipe was included on the back of the back of the Carnation evaporated milk in the early 60's and became much beloved.  I can our voices to the chorus of praise for this meal; Sweetie-Pie and I raved about it for hours after.  Yep, it's a keeper in my files.

I made a couple of small changes to the recipe for my ease of preparation, portion, and method of seasoning, but otherwise followed the recipe.

CHICKEN THAT MAKES ITS OWN GRAVY

3 to 3 1/2 pounds frying chicken pieces (I used 2 thick breasts cut in half)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup undiluted evaporated milk
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup (4 ounces) grated American processed cheese (I used real cheddar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium sized onion, diced
1/4 pound mushrooms sliced or some small can mushrooms drained
dash paprika

Preheat over to 425* Fahrenheit.  Melt the butter and add to the bottom of  a casserole dish.  Add the chopped onion.

Coat chicken with flour.  (I put the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a plastic bag with the chicken pieces and shook the chicken in the mixture until well covered, to improve the flavor of the chicken.)
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the casserole dish atop the onions.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Turn, bake and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until brown.

Remove from oven; reduce heat to 325* Fahrenheit.  Pour of any excess fat.

Combine the undiluted evaporated milk, cream of mushroom soup, mushroom slices and cheese and pour over the chicken.  Give it a little stir to combine with the onions.  Cover the dish with foil and return to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken tests done (is easily pierced with  fork or has an internal temperature of 165* Fahrenheit with a meat thermometer.)

The gravy goes especially good with mashed potatoes, though noodles would be equally good.

COOK'S NOTES:  The original recipe called for the seasonings to be added with the cream of mushroom soup, but when I've done that with similar past recipes, the chicken tends to be bland.  The chicken needs to be seasoned before baking to enhance its flavor.  Also the recipe called for a one pound jar of drained onions, which I never have on hand (must've been a pantry staple back in the 60's), but I do always have fresh onions, which I used as a substitute.

Ah-Mazing Amish Pumpkin Bread

Amish Pumpkin Bread

Oh this bread is soooo moist!!!  It's ah-mazing!!!  This is so delicious!!!  Those were some of the glowing compliments I received when I shared this delicious pumpkin bread with co-workers.  I have to laugh because those ladies and I have one big thing in common--we do love our coffee break treats and when someone brings in something to share, it's like bees to the hive--we are all swarming to it.

I have to agree though, this was good, and it it keeps well.  The recipe makes two loaves.  The loaf I kept for myself was still fresh after three days; the one at work was gone the same day so no recommendations from that quarter, grins.

Thankfully pumpkin is available year round so whenever you get a hankering for something a little fallish, perhaps in the full glare of the summer desert sun, this might be the ticket to whisk you there.

AMISH PUMPKIN BREAD (makes 2 loaves)
Original recipe can be found here at Cooks.com.

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs, beaten
1 1-lb can canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt (scant)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
2/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare two 9"x5" baking pans (either spray with baking spray or use shortening and flour)

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs together.  Add pumpkin; then add the dry ingredients, and lastly add the water.  Stir until just mixed.

Divide batter evenly between two pans and bake for 1 hour (checking after 50 minutes) or until center tests clean with a toothpick.  If the outside is baking too fast, take a sheet of aluminum foil and cut a small and fold back a slit in the center of it and place the open slit over the center of the bread; drape the excess foil over the sides of the pan.  This will allow the center to continue to cook and brown but protect the outer edges from becoming too brown and overdone.

Let cool in pan for ten minutes before removing to rack to complete cooling.

COOK'S NOTES:  This business about the cutting a slit in the tin foil, you can see what I mean here
on my banana bread post.

My can of organic pumpkin was only 15 ounces but worked fine.  Does anybody make one pound cans anymore?  I wonder.

Best Chicken Fajitas Ever (Just My Humble Opinion)

Best Chicken Fajitas Ever

I think we all know by now that Mexican food is not the food of my people, but I do gleefully declare that my people love Mexican food, and we love fajitas, and these fajitas in particular. 

I've eaten a good number of fajita at chain restaurant and loved them, but it wasn't until we moved here that I figured out I could make them at home.  Now my first couple of attempts were pretty darned dismal; I kid you not.  No flavor, the vegetables and chicken were soupy or limp, just disagreeable all around.  Sometimes meals are better in restaurants.  Sigh.

But good fortune smiled on me, and I happened to be scrolling around Cooks.com looking at recipe reviews for ideas and I saw they had a fajita recipe that received numerous, numerous positive reviews.  Mmm, okay, I'm skeptical of any recipe calling itself "the best" because the concept of being best is subjective, but I decided to give it a whirl, and after the first bite I knew we had a winner.

I've shown you my fajita without all the fixings, and it definitely should have had a few more veggies for presentation, but regardless, this is deeee-licious.  I've served it to family members who are New Englanders, guests who are life-long Tusconians, and we all agree, these are fabulous.

There's a little marinating time involved, so plan ahead.  The wait will be worth it!  MMM mmm!

CHICKEN FAJITAS
 Original recipe from Cooks.com is found here.

MARINADE
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon season salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2lb chicken, sliced in strips as for fajita

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and marinate for at least 2 hours, stirring as necessary to ensure that the chicken is well marinated.

FAJITA
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 c sliced red bell pepper (or a combination of colors)

8 warmed large flour tortillas
1 sliced avocado
Salsa
Sour Cream
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Quickly saute the onions and peppers in oil on high heat until lightly browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Using a slotted spoon, move the chicken strips to the pan and saute, about ten minutes.

Toss in the vegetables to reheat and to allow them to pick up some of the marinade flavors.

Spoon into warmed flour tortillas and top with toppings of your choice,

COOK'S NOTES:   I make the marinade as stated in the recipe but for the fajita portion of the recipe I add mixed colors of peppers, use an entire onion, and omit the green onion (scallions).  Nowadays a lot of our chicken sold in supermarkets seems to be injected with flavorings (to make it juicier they say) but unfortunately it also makes for a lot of juice in the pan when quickly sauteing it.  I dump out the extra juices exuded from the chicken and might add back a couple teaspoons of the marinade to make up for what was lost and diluted.  The idea is that the chicken should be dry (if you know what I mean) and not soupy, which I think is a gross quality in a fajita.

My fajitas were served with refried beans and Mexican rice, which you can see peeking out.  One of these days, if I can get a decent picture of either one, I'll share the recipes.  One of my new friends here, a life-long Tusconian swears I make the best refried beans she's ever eaten.  I don't know about that.  Friends sometimes can be effusive with their compliments, but I will say they are pretty good.  But as I said, that's for another day.  Something to look forward to.  Grins.

Easy Cheesecake

Easy Cheesecake

I'm a fan of easy and I'm a fan of cheesecake, and when you combine the two, you've easily have a winner in my book of life.

There are certain recipe sources that I return to again and again for no-fail recipes that rarely fail to inspire or please, and the good people at King Arthur Flour is one of those.  When I lived in New England and within easy driving distance of their store, I was an occasional shopper of their Norwich, Vermont store and just loved oogling at all their fabulous merchandise and baking supplies.  This isn't an advertisement for them, just rattling on about shopping, I guess.  There were a couple of other really super cookware shops that I frequented in Vermont; it's just this recipe happens to come from KAF, hence why I mention it.

Moving on, this is a very nice cheesecake.  Full disclosure, it's not as good as my all time favorite New York cheesecake, but if you want a simple cheesecake that is simple, simple, simple, creamy smooth, and delicious flavor, I think you won't find many better than this one.  I think it took me longer to haul out the few ingredients and my cooking tools than it did to put this together.

My boyfriend took a tentative taste test and then couldn't stay away from it.  He liked it far more than I did, and I liked it, but as I said, this is very good.

EASY CHEESECAKE
Original recipe found at King Arthur Flour here for additional details and hints.

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about one and a half packages, more or less)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup melted butter (equivalent of 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

Filling
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (at room temperature)
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping of Choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the crust ingredients together and pour into a 9-inch pie plate.  Press the crust the ingredients up the sides and on the bottom of the pan, making the thicker bottom than the sides.

Cream together the room-temperature cream cheese and the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and the vanilla and again mix until smooth.  Pour the filling into the waiting crust.

Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes.  Add a crust shield or cover with a "hedge row" of tin foil so the crust won't overbrown.  Bake for an additional ten minutes.  The center will look slightly wobbly but it will be done.

Remove from the oven and let cool and set it on a rack to cool.  Make topping.  Cover pie and refrigerate.  Best after several hours to allow the flavors to meld.

RASPBERRY SAUCE

12 ounce bag frozen, unsweetened raspberries (about 12 ounces) divided
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter

Stir together 1 1/2 cups of raspberries, sugar and water in a saucepan.  Stirring frequently heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling.

Reduce the heat and stir in the vanilla.

In a small cup combine the cornstarch and water, mixing well.

While stirring the raspberry mixture, slowly add the cornstarch slurry so it doesn't clump.  Continue stirring and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens and looses its cloudy appearance and looks clear, about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat.  Add the butter and mix until the butter has been incompletely incorporated.

Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes, then add the remaining berries and stir to mix.

COOK'S NOTES:  This cheesecake was definitely better the second day, so I would suggest several hours of cooling at least, or maybe overnight.  But if you're in a hurry and need dessert right away, no judgment from me if you cut into it after only a couple of hours, grins.

When I made the raspberry sauce, I totally did not see that the raspberries were divided and just dumped the whole bag into the saucepan at the beginning and cooked them.  Worked fine for me, though whole raspberries might have made a prettier presentation.  I found that the sauce was not thick enough for me, so I made another little batch of the slurry (the 2 teaspoons of water and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch) and added that.  Much more to my liking.

Cottage Pudding with Warm Lemon Sauce

Cottage Pudding with Warm Lemon Sauce

There are certain recipes that have stood the test of time and taste that reside firmly planted in my heart. Most of those foods I relate to my beloved grandmother, whose humility and simplicity and generosity of heart  left an indelible picture of how a life of gratitude should be lived.  It was she whom I wanted to model myself after. Sadly, I've missed the mark by a mile but I'm still working on it.

The one thing I can do is make some of her recipes, which I do several times a year and it gives me time to reflect on our times together, standing in the kitchen of her tiny two-room house that was filled with so much love that it should've burst open like the wild, fragrant roses she kept in her garden.  I can still see her in a tired old bib apron that she would never toss out because it "still had some life in it" and saving her other aprons for Sunday best when we'd go to her house for dinner.

One of the first desserts I ever learned to make was cottage pudding with warm lemon sauce.  My grandmother had a Rumford Baking Powder cookbook, published in the early 1900's, and I think it was one of the two or three that she ever owned in her entire life.  I have it tucked away somewhere; the pages are yellow and crumbling, and it has to be handled ever so gently but this recipe was among them.  Even as a child I loved lemon, and that warm lemon sauce over the simplest of cakes was a glimpse into heaven, I think.  This particular recipe I found on the internet but it's as good as I remember.

Not sure why this is called cottage pudding.  I would serve it in a cottage; I would serve it in a palace.

COTTAGE PUDDING WITH WARM LEMON SAUCE

1/4 cup butter (one half stick butter)
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I reduced to 1/4 teaspoon because I use salted butter)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

LEMON SAUCE

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt (about 1/8th teaspoon)
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1 tablespoon butter

Grease and flour and 8" x 8" baking pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

FOR THE CAKE:
Cream butter in mixing bowl.  Gradually add sugar, mixing well.  Add egg, beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add as thirds, alternating with half the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing in between.  Add the vanilla, mix.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until toothpick tests clean.  Allow to cook in pan for ten minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool completely. Cut into 8 rectangles, 2" x 4" in size.

FOR THE SAUCE:
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan and whisk to combine ingredients. Gradually add the water and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, translucent.  Add butter and stir.  Use warm over cake.

COOK'S NOTES:  Cake keeps well for a couple of days and on its own it seems to be typically on the drier side; you definitely need the lemon sauce.  Lemon sauce seems to be best on the day it's made.  It will reheat but it's not really at its optimum.

Sopa de Fideo

Sopa de Fideo

One of the best things about moving from New England to the Southwest is I am being acquainted with a new culture, traditions, food, and people.  So different and yet we are still so much alike!  The mind and the waistline are expanded, grins.

Fideo is like the Italian vermicelli and the vermicelli can be substituted if your grocery does not have a well-stocked Hispanic food section.  The vermicelli just needs to be broken up into small pieces and you're good to go.

It seems to me that a lot of Mexican style food is pretty spicy, with the addition of different chili peppers, cumin, turmeric and oregano.  And no question, we have acquired spicy taste buds and will crave wonderful, warm (hot!) deliciousness. But then there is this little soup.  Very simple to make and delicate in flavor as written.  I belong to a Hispanic cooking site on Facebook and one of the ladies recommended adding pinto beans and hamburg; it's the way she makes it in her home.  I love that she shared that with me, and I think that would be good as well.  Make pinto beans as if for refried beans but pull some out before they are mashed and just add them to the soup towards the end to heat through since they'll already be cooked.

This would be a great soup when you aren't feeling tip-top but need to eat something.   The one thing I really liked about this soup is that it uses fresh tomatoes and with some nice buttery avocado.  Very farmers' market.

SOPA DE FIDEO

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
6 Roma tomatoes, roasted
1 thick slice of white onion
1 large clove garlic or 1/2 teaspoon jarred minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup of fideo noodles
salt and pepper to taste
garnishes:  avocado, cilantro, lime juice

Oil a boiler proof pan and roast the tomatoes on both the top and the bottom until the sides have blacked slightly.

Add the tomatoes, the onion and the garlic to a blender or food processor and blend until pureed.

In a medium skillet heat some oil and add the uncooked fideo.  Cook the fideo over medium heat until golden brown. Add the chicken broth and the tomato mixture.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook for 7 or 8 minutes or until the fideo are almost done.  Add the cilantro, if using, and cook an additional two minutes or until the fideo are done.  The fideo will continue to expand upon cooling.

Serve in bowls with diced avocado or other garnish of choice.

DIY Dried Onion Soup Mix

Make It Yourself Dried Onion Soup Mix

Okay, true story--not the most inspiring picture in the world.  Kind of an ugly duckling, but we all know how that story ended.  The ugly duckling was actually a swan and looks can be deceiving.

It's the same with this DIY dried onion soup mix.  I haven't had the packaged stuff in a very long time.  I mean, two pouches for over $2.00, wow!  I suppose $2.00 in a world of billions is laughable chump change, but my world isn't made up of billions, millions, or even hundreds.  There have been times when I had to shake out my handbag or couch dive to find loose change.  So yeah, $2.00 does matter.  You need $2.00 before you can have a million.

Some years back I used to ride the bus to work, and there were a couple of young people who were having a loud conversation for the benefit of their bus buddies, being snarky about people trying to save nickles and dimes at a local gas station. Waiting in line at a gas station to save five cents a gallon at the gas pump was incomprehensible.  Well, I said to them, if you found fifty cents on the ground in a parking lot, would you pick it up or would you walk over it. They quite smugly assured me they'd walk over it, that fifty cents was "nothing" but I think most people would pick it up and pocket it. When I find money like that I tend to donate it to charity but okay, whatever.  Bless your heart.

Anyway, saving money is as close as your spice cabinet or pantry and I kid you not when I say this is superior to the packaged mix. Big beefy and onion flavor, just what you'd expect. How many spices do you have in your cabinet that go stale from years of not being used.  Many of us are guilty of that.  We buy a spice for a recipe and then don't use that spice or herb for another year or so.  Like celery seed.  Just how often do you use that?  I use it in my potato salad that I make several times a year but other than than it's pretty neglected.

So, with making your own spice mix or bulk food mix, not only do you save money and have equal to or better quality and flavor, but also in the long run save money because you are using ingredients that you have on hand at their optimal freshness and not tossing them out.

I repurposed a spaghetti sauce jar (it was a jar of Classico spaghetti sauce); I love these jars.  They have markings for ounces on the side, which I don't use, but it gives a bit of pizzazz to the jar, and I feel green re-using it.  I appreciate that it has a wide mouth so I fit a tablespoon in it. No fighting to get the spoon in and out. Just as an aside I'm keeping more of the jars to store other pantry items in it, like brown sugar and flaked coconut, dried beans and the like.  It looks nice, takes up less space on my pantry shelves, and is a great way to store food if you're not one who happens to like a lot of plastic.

To fill the jar, I double the recipe.

MAKE-IT-YOURSELF DRIED ONION SOUP MIX

3/4 cup dried, minced onion
1/3 cup beef-flavored bouillon (I use Knorr)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed celery seed
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients.  Shake to combine.  Makes 1 cup mix.

5 tablespoons is equal to one store-bought packet.

COOK'S NOTES:  I wrote the recipe on a 3x5 card and taped it with clear packing tape to the side of the jar so that way I always have the recipe on hand and I don't have to do a search to remember how much to use to equal one packet.  I suppose I could've posted a picture of the jar but how many ugly brown pictures do we want to look at?  LOL

Breakfast is Ready

Darned Good Salsa on Cheese Omelet and English Muffin Batter Bread

Breakfast Burrito

No new recipes, just messing with my camera.

Previously posted recipes are here though.  Some recipes I just have to make over and over because they're that good.

https://cactuskateskitchen.blogspot.com/2018/04/darned-good-salsa.html

 https://cactuskateskitchen.blogspot.com/2017/09/english-muffin-batter-bread.html

Just a word about that salsa on the egg and cheese omelet.  Stop the train!  It was so darned good with the "darned good salsa."  Never thought I'd eat salsa on eggs, but boy am I glad I tried it.  Oooh the flavors. Swoon.  Swoon.  The salsa definitely kicked up the omelet to new heights.  I question whether I'll ever be able to eat a "plain" omelet again.  We've since been out to breakfast and I ordered the restaurant's omelet and salsa special, and all I'm going to say, in all humility, is they do't have anything over on me.  Going to save myself a bundle and make it at home.  Plus I get to eat breakfast in my pajamas.  Win-win all around I'd say.

And, of course, I love the buttery crunchiness of my English muffin batter bread and warm yeasty aromas.  It's a bread that has substance, not air.  Mmmm.  If I want to spoil myself, a little jam goes great.  My Sweetie Pie likes to dob on peanut butter and let its melty goodness just sink into it.

Nothing fancy with the breakfast burrito.  Just some scrambled eggs and diced ham rolled up in a tortilla.  A burrito makes everyday items look kind of fun and fancy, plus it's convenient to eat.    

Tender Beef Tips in Gravy

Tender Beef Tips in Gravy

We have a favorite steakhouse that we go to and when we go there, I almost always order the steak tips.  Considering I eat beef maybe only two or three times a month, it's a big deal for me when I find a beef meal that I like and would go back and order again.  I've been looking for that copycat recipe for ages.

Ah, this isn't it, but it sure is good!  And without doubt this is one that I would make again and enjoy again.  My Sweetie Pie, who is the beef eater, absolutely raved about this and had a hard time putting his fork down.  It was a fight to the finish, grins.  No question in his mind, he would definitely eat it again.

This takes a little bit of time, about 2 hours on the stove top, so it's more of a Sunday dinner special.  I don't know if it could be made in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot but if you're good at converting recipes, then I say go for it.  Me, I don't mind doodling about in the kitchen and giving the pot the occasional stir while it's doing a slow simmer, filling the kitchen with maddeningly delicious aromas.

BEEF TIPS IN GRAVY
Adapted, original recipe can be found here 

3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
2 pounds cubed beef stew
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Knorr beef bouillon
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic (either dried, fresh, or jarred)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup of water mixed with 1/4 cup of cornstarch to create a slurry

Heat a large deep skillet over high heat, add a couple teaspoon of oil and add the onions.  Saute until the onions are tender and translucent.

Add the beef and brown the cubes, stirring to brown all sides, maybe five minutes or so.

Add all remaining ingredients except the slurry mixture.

Allow it to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cover and allow to cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally so your food doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan.

Just before end of cooking time mix the 1/4 cup of cornstarch in 1 cup of water.  Slowly add maybe a half cup of the mixture of the gravy, gently stirring all the while, and let it cook for a bit to see how much it thickens the gravy.  Add more of the slurry until you get the desired thickness.

You may need all of it, you may need less.  Gravy will thicken as it cooks so try not to be heavy handed in the beginning or you could end up with a brown glop.  If that happens, just add more liquid to loosen it up.  Not thick enough to your liking?  Make a little more slurry and add it slowly, stirring to allow it to cook and thicken up.

Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Joyce's Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

For me one of the ironic things about getting older is I look back on those youthful days and have keepsakes to remind me of those times. I just couldn't understand why my grandmother would hold onto antique toys and black and white photos of her family.  Dusty old things!  I would have nothing to do with old ideas,old recipes, history or antiques.  Then I was very much "in the now."  But now I'm in the then, grins. 

So this is a recipe my mother obtained when she was a factory work that made smoke alarms.  I have absolutely no idea who Joyce is.  She could've been a co-worker or a friend of a co-worker, or?  Regardless this is a recipe I've have for thirty years or so, and it's the only zucchini bread recipe I think I've used all these years.  It's moist, is a bit spicy with the addition of the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

This bread keeps well.  It makes two loaves.  I freeze the second one and kept the first one well wrapped and took  fat slices as a work treat all week long.  Mmm!

JOYCE'S ZUCCHINI BREAD

2 cups grated zucchini (peel and all) (I used two small organic zucchini)
2 cups of sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup of vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Grease and flour two 8"x4" loaf pans and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wash the zucchini, trim the ends and grate into a large bowl.  Add the sugar, beaten eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.  Mix to combine well.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.  You don't have to overbeat it, just make sure it's well combined.

Divide batter into the two loaf pans and bake about 50 to 60 minutes or loaves test done with a toothpick.

30 Seconds to Perfect Hollandaise Sauce

30 Seconds to Perfect Hollandaise Sauce

We love Eggs Benedict; it's our special occasion breakfast.  It's our going-out-for-breakfast breakfast.  It's our breakfast when we just feel like indulging ourselves because we feel as if we earned it, grins.  And if I really want to make it special, I make my no-knead English muffin batter bread.

Now the one thing Sweetie Pie laments about is the restaurants don't give him enough sauce. He wants every bite to have that lemony goodness on it.  When I make it at home, he'll go back to the pot and just eat the sauce straight from the pan.  Yep, he loves Hollandaise.  And so do I, of course, but goodness there has to be limits.  Or not.  No one's looking; no one here's going to judge you.  Have what you want, as long as you're not hurting yourself or anyone else, I mean.  Those kinds of limits.

So the question remains:  can you make a perfect Hollandaise sauce in thirty seconds?  And the answer is a resounding yes.  But (and isn't there always a but?), you are going to need an immersion (stick) blender.  I don't use my stick blender nearly enough and when I saw this, I just had to try it.  And in a whizz, it was done.  Less than thirty seconds.  More like ten.  The other twenty seconds must be for tossing  the simple ingredients in the blender cup.

30 SECONDS TO PERFECT HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

3 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup butter (1 stick or 8 tablespoons)

Separate the eggs.  Put the egg yolks, salt, butter either in an immersion blender cup or a wide-mouth Mason jar. 

Heat the butter until melted; allow to cool slightly and add to the jar.  Immediately insert your blender and turn it on, using a slight pumping action to give it a good churn, combining all the ingredients until thick and golden and creamy.

Taste and adjust for seasoning.  I add a pinch of cayenne pepper to mine.

COOK'S NOTES:  Hinkey about using raw eggs?  I don't blame you.  Pasteurized eggs are available at many supermarkets and you can pasteurize the eggs yourself at home.  It's a bit of a song and a dance but no one needs Salmonella in their life.

Coffee Walnut Layer Cake

Coffee and Walnut Layer Cake

I was going to try and teach myself how to bake using metrics--I bought myself the scale and metric measuring spoons and visited British baking sites and was all gung-ho and then I backed out.  It's not my fault entirely, I swear.  I discovered that my food weighed differently when I put it in different places on the scale.  I mean just millimeters away from the center of the scale caused it to show a different weight.  This is one of those times when I needed somebody who knew exactly what they were doing to be by my side to weigh in on the subject.  So the kitchen scale sits in my cabinet.  

In my forays into British food, I began seeing multiple recipes for coffee and walnut cake.  I'm a pushover for just about mocha and walnuts anything and I fell in love with the recipes when I saw them.  Everyone raved about it and so many had said it was the choice of cake for birthdays.  This cake evoked a lot of memories for a lot of people, and I wanted this cake. I was convinced I was going to perish if I didn't have it.  But alas, there were no imperial measurements anywhere that I could find for it, and I am serious when I tell you I looked for it.

After resigning myself to a life without this, I found that Nigella Lawson had converted the recipe so I could make it too, and it was on the New York Times.  Hooray!

And yes, this cake lived up to my every expectation.  Walnuts and coffee are a love match. The cake is sweet and rather dense (due ground walnuts in the flour mix), with a pleasant coffee flavor.  I used espresso powder, but as I said I like the flavor of coffee.  You can double the frosting recipe to frost the entire cake, but the cake does not need it.  I found just frosting the middle and the top to be quite adequate without being overpoweringly sweet and decadent.

COFFEE AND WALNUT LAYER CAKE
Original recipe here on the New York Times 

For the cake:
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if using salted butter)
4 large eggs

2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

For the frosting:
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

walnut halves for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Butter two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper to fit the bottom. 

In the bowl of a food processor add the 1/2 cup walnut pieces and the sugar.  Process until ingredients are a fine powder.

(Original directions said to add remaining ingredients to the food processor, but I moved everything to a separate bowl and used a hand mixer at this point.)

Add the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and eggs.  

Add 2 tablespoons of milk to the coffee mixture.  Mixture will be kind of heavy but should be soft enough to drop from a spoon.  If not, add droplets of milk, stirring.

Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake about 25 minutes, or until springy to touch and cake tester tests clean.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before moving to a rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting:  In a bowl, mix the sugar, salt (if using) and butter until smooth.  Add the coffee mixture and beat until well combined and of desired spreading consistency.

To frost the cake, place one of the layers upside down on a serving plate or stand.  Spread about half the frosting.  Take the second layer and that that one right side up on the first layer.  Frost with remaining frosting and decorate with walnut halves.

 












 




COOK'S NOTES:  I think this is a cake I would have to make again to get it perfectly right, and I will most certainly make it again.  In the spirit of honesty, one of my layers was slightly sunk.  Of course I filled it with gobs of wonderful frosting and no harm done and the taste was absolutely unaffected.  I have no idea what that happened.  Maybe I removed it from the pans too soon or not soon enough?  Maybe because I didn't use a food processor for the entire recipe?  That seemed ridiculous to me.  Cakes are finicky creations.  Regardless, this cake was good!  It lasted very well for a couple of days, well wrapped.  Flavors seemed to deepen a bit, becoming even more delicious.  As I said I used an espresso powder, but I like the flavor of coffee.