Spiced Peach Butter

Served over Baking Powder Biscuits, shown above.

• 2-2.5lbs peaches
• 2 C sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1.  Wash and blanch peaches.  Put peaches in cold water; peel, pit, and slice peaches. 
2.  Combine peaches and 1/4 C water in a large saucepot.  Simmer until peaches are soft.  Puree using a food processor or food mill, being careful not to liquefy. 
3.  Measure 1 quart peach pulp, combine with sugar and spices in a large saucepot.  Cook until thick enough to round up on a spoon.  As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.
4.  Ladle hot butter into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles, adjust two-piece caps.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner at sea level, increasing 1 minute for each additional 1,000 feet elevation.

Yield: about 5 half-pints

Robyn's notes: the only peaches available to me were cling, where I'd rather have had freestone.  While peeling went surprisingly well, I mangled the heck out of each peach in attempting to get the pits out.  For the peeling process I had each peach in the boiling water for a full 60 seconds, while my instructions suggested 30-45.  However, I had canned peaches in light syrup the previous day and found them very hard to peel, and remembering that water boils at 208F at my altitude, felt that the longer blanch might help.  It definitely did, after each peach had been moved to a bowl of ice water for a couple minutes the peels slid right off.  The thickening took longer than anticipated, I was cooking the pulp for more than 25 minutes before I decided it was probably good enough.  Again, at this altitude, everything takes longer to cook.  We definitely liked this, and when I asked if he had a preference between the two flavours of fruit butter I made that day he said no.  Personally, I felt that this was slightly more of a winter dish, but that's probably because I made the spiced version, and I associate those spices more with the holidays.  It can also be made as plain peach butter, by omitting the ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

*** 3 Stars: Good.  At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Old-Fashioned Baking Powder Biscuits

My favourite biscuits of all time, my mom has been making these as long as I can remember.  When I struck out on my own for the first time she made me a recipe binder with some well-loved dishes, several of which she reduced to serve fewer people.  The original recipe made 8-9 biscuits, my mom did the work of cutting it down to this form.

• 1 C flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 C shortening
• 1/3 - 1/2 C milk

1.  Preheat oven to 450°F.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
3.  Using a fork or two table knives, or a pastry blender, cut shortening into flour mix until consistency of coarse meal.
4.  Add milk beginning with smaller amount; stir with fork until mixture leaves sides of bowl and forms a soft, moist dough, adding additional milk one Tablespoon at a time, if necessary to achieve desired consistency.
5.  On floured surface, toss lightly until no longer sticky.  Roll out to 1/2 to 1 inch thick; cut with 2 inch floured cutter or cut into squares with serrated knife or dough blade.
6.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 450°F for 8 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.  Serve hot.  Yield: 4 biscuits

Robyn's notes: to make these into buttermilk biscuits, add 1/8 tsp baking soda to flour mix and substitute buttermilk for milk.  For cheese biscuits, add 2oz shredded Cheddar cheese to flour-shortening mixture.  Bake on greased baking sheet.  These are a big hit around here, and we will both eat basically as many as are available, so it's good to limit it to making fewer.  You can watch me prepare these biscuits on youtube!  

***** 5 Stars: Excellent. A favourite for both of us, I will make this repeatedly

 

Now on YouTube!

I've been wanting for a long time to start uploading cooking demonstration videos, but had to wait until Google+ was uncoupled from YouTube.  First video covers one of my more popular recipes, Small-Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Soft Pretzels

I made these for a care package for my sweetheart for Valentine's Day.  He's still trying to avoid sugar as much as possible, which means no red cupcakes or pink cookies or similar, and I despaired at finding something visually related to the holiday until the light dawned: heart-shaped pretzels!  The recipe would make 4 pretzels, I used it to make 2 plus a bunch of pretzel bites. 

• 3/4 C warm water, 110-115°F
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 envelope active dry yeast (1 1/8 tsp) (not rapid rise)
• 11 oz all-purpose flour
• 1 oz unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil
• 1/3 C baking soda
• 2 C cold water
• pretzel salt (or kosher salt)

1.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Combine the warm water, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the mixture foams.
2.  Add flour and butter and, using dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Remove dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, then oil it well. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.  At the same time, spread baking soda on a baking pan and bake at 350°F while dough is rising - about 55 minutes.  Be very careful when removing pan from oven!  Do not breathe in the soda dust!
4. Turn oven heat up to 375°F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil. Set aside.
5. Add baked soda to cold water, stir to dissolve. Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, and, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place into cold water solution and allow to soak for 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
6. Remove pretzels from water using a large flat spatula or spider. Place onto lined pan and sprinkle with salt.  Allow to air-dry for 15 minutes.  Move to a fresh section of the pan and bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, watching for appropriate browning. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Robyn's notes: this is multiple recipes from other sources combined and reduced.  I can't eat anything that requires chewing at the moment (just had surgery), so no star rating or opinion on finished product until he gives me his feedback.  This was actually a very easy baked good to make, even though there are so many steps.  For the pretzel bites, I let them air-dry for about 10 minutes instead of 15, and baked for about 10 minutes instead of 20.  Each was about an inch of dough prior to baking.

Couscous Pancake with Topping Options

• 1 C cooked couscous, cooled
• 1 1/2 Tbsp beaten egg
• 3 Tbsp dried grated Parmesan cheese (Kraft)
• olive oil

1.  Mix together couscous, egg, and cheese.
2.  Heat about 1 Tbsp oil in small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Spoon one-fourth of couscous mixture into oil in skillet and flatten into a pancake.  Cook, uncovered, 3-4 minutes or until underside is golden.  Turn with large spatula and cook other side.  Repeat with remaining couscous mixture until four pancakes have been cooked.

Robyn's notes: I ate one of these pancakes alone, sprinkled with a bit of extra Parmesan, and liked it but definitely felt it would be a good base for something more.  Since the couscous I used was Parmesan flavour, I thought chicken with marinara sauce and a bit more Parmesan would go well, but have made so many things with marinara sauce recently that I wanted to branch out a bit.  Two pancakes I topped with about 1.5 oz each diced cooked chicken breast, then about a Tbsp each of marinara sauce, and sprinkled fresh Parmesan over the top.  Quite good!  The other two pancakes I topped with again about 1.5oz each diced cooked chicken breast, then about a Tbsp each of chunky applesauce, and sprinkled just a bare amount of grated Cheddar over top.  Also good, and the sweet from the applesauce was a good addition, though in this case I think I preferred the first toppings.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often 

One of my xmas gifts was a waffle-maker, which I had wanted for years, and I swore I was going to "waffle everything".  So I used this recipe to make a couscous waffle, which I have done several times.  It's good, though the pancake is a bit better. 

Slow-Cooker Tomato Chicken Bake

This recipe has gone through some adjusting, but I was determined to find an easy way to use up some leftover pasta sauce that was in the fridge. 

• 1 C rigatoni (no substitutions)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz total)
• 1/4 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 C marinara sauce
• 2 Tbsp water

1.  Spray the inside of a 1.5 quart slow-cooker with cooking spray.  Pour pasta into crock, spreading to cover bottom.  Place chicken on top of pasta and top with cheese.  Pour marinara sauce over chicken and pasta, add water to crock.  Cook on LOW for 5 hours.

Robyn's notes: the pasta will not be al dente, because of the long cook time, but part of the point was that I wanted a recipe that I could just toss together and not worry about until dinnertime.  A medium sized, good thick pasta is necessary to hold up without becoming mush, which is why the rigatoni.  I used Barilla brand because it's the best quality my market sells and therefore the most heavy-duty.  Even penne is not as thick as rigatoni, despite being a similar shape.  The end result is not hugely exciting, but it's hearty, filling, and tasty, and requires so little work that it's worth making.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

 

Cream Cheese Mints

• 4oz room temperature cream cheese (not light or 1/3 less fat)
• 1/2 tsp peppermint or spearmint extract
• 3 C powdered sugar

1.  Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth (to get air into it), adding the extract at the same time. 
2.  Add powdered sugar 1/2 C to 1 C at a time and mix until well combined.
3.  As the dough is exposed to the air it will become less sticky.  Scoop up small amounts from the sections that aren't too sticky and roll into 1/2 inch balls, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Quickly press each ball flat with a fork, lifting fork fast before it can stick.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight.  Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Robyn's notes: the first Christmas that I made these, I batched the dough into 3 bowls, adding red food colouring to one, green to another, and leaving the third white.  I then combined half balls of multiple colours to get the effect shown above.  The following year I gently swirled red and green food colouring into the white dough, so each mint ended up lightly marbled with all three colours.  This was easier and I liked the look better.  Leaving the mints white is totally fine, too.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Cheesy Chicken Couscous Pie

This time of year it seems most people are looking to use up Thanksgiving leftovers.  While this recipe is a great use for stuff left in the fridge, it has no connection to turkey day.  Truth is, it's very cold outside (-12°F when I got up this morning), and I will basically do whatever is necessary to avoid a grocery store trip until it's a bit warmer. 

• 1 C Parmesan couscous, cooked and chilled
• 1 1/2 Tbsp beaten egg
• 2 slices prosciutto, torn into small pieces
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 C cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 4 oz chicken, cubed, cooked, and chilled

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Mix together couscous and egg, then divide evenly between two mini pie pans, pressing into base and up sides.  Bake these shells for 15 minutes, then allow to cool for 3-5 minutes.
2.  Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute prosciutto in butter until crispy, drain on a paper towel. 
3.  Combine cream cheese and milk, stir in all but 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese.   Fold in chicken and all but about 1 Tbsp of cooked prosciutto. 
4.  Divide chicken mixture evenly, pouring into cooked couscous shells.  Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and prosciutto over tops of each, and bake at 375°F for 15-17 minutes.

Robyn's notes: I had leftover prosciutto, couscous, chicken, and a mix of cream cheese and Parmesan in my fridge, which is how this recipe came into being.  But it can obviously be made from scratch if those items aren't hanging around.  While I try not to write recipes that call for specialty equipment, this one does require mini pie pans.  Without them, mini tart pans might work, but otherwise I can't advise for adjustments.  Bacon could be used in place of the prosciutto, in which case it might be wise to add a bit of salt, prosciutto is very salty so doesn't need it.  If cooking the chicken for this recipe, a bit of garlic salt might be a nice addition.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Creamy Tomato Couscous

This should look very familiar, as it's a variation on a recipe I posted not long ago.  I have this jar of marinara sauce needing to be used up, and the bulk couscous I have in the cupboard is tomato, so I thought "why not?!". 

• 1/2 C water
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp butter (if desired)
• 1/2 C uncooked couscous
• 2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 heaping Tbsp marinara sauce

1.   Bring water, salt, and butter if using to a boil in a small saucepan.  Quickly stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat.  Let stand 4-5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2.  Combine cheeses, stir mixture into couscous. When incorporated, stir in marinara sauce.

Robyn's notes: I really quite enjoyed this, the tomato sauce gave it a little extra oomph that I liked.  I tested the recipe alone, not as the side to a meal, so I can't say what it would work best alongside.  

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

English Muffin Pizzas

Change of plan for dinner tonight, because I've misplaced my notes for the meal I was going to make, and after wasting a lot of time looking (and some time watching the snow), I gave up and decided to just make something quick. 

• 2 English muffins, split
• 4 Tbsp marinara sauce
• 4 Tbsp mozzarella cheese
• various preferred pizza toppings

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Spread 1 Tbsp sauce over each muffin half, top with cheese and toppings of choice.  Bake at 375°F for 9-11 minutes or until cheese is melted and just browning at the edges. 

Robyn's notes: be careful not to oversauce, pizza really requires far less sauce than many people think.  This is a good option when needing something quick and easy, or to use ingredients left by previous meals, especially marinara sauce.  Speaking of which, for this occasion I cracked open the last jar of store-bought sauce in my cupboard--the rest are all homemade and therefore half-pints--so the clock is ticking on using it before it needs to be tossed.  Recipes utilizing it are forthcoming, and there are several listed in Using Up Ingredients.  Vegetarian if no meat is used as a topping.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Grilled Chicken with Chipotle-Orange Glaze

This is the recipe I bought the chipotles in adobo sauce for in the first place! 

• 1 Tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed (see notes, below)
• 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 oz total)
• 1/8 tsp salt

1.  Preheat grill or broiler to high, lightly oil the rack.
2.  Whisk orange juice concentrate, chipotles, vinegar, molasses, and mustard in a small bowl.
3.  Sprinkle chicken with salt.  Grill or broil chicken for 2 minutes.  Turn the chicken, brush with glaze, and cook, brushing occasionally with more glaze, 4 minutes more.  Turn the chicken again, brush with the glaze, and cook until no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 5 minutes more.

Robyn's notes: the day is not coming when I will either thaw an entire package of orange juice concentrate in order to use 1 Tablespoon or try to shave off the right amount still frozen to just thaw a bit.  So what I did was juice an orange into a thin glass early in the day, and let it sit.  The juice will separate, with much of the water rising to the top and leaving a concentrated juice at the bottom.  I poured off the watery top and used just the remaining thick juice for this recipe.  Because of my sensitivity to spice, I didn't chop up the chipotle.  I left the whole pepper in the bowl when I whisked the glaze together, so it would provide some kick but not too much.  It's a good thing, too, because this was quite spicy for me, though quite good.  After slicing the chicken for the plate I drizzled on a little extra glaze.  I broiled this, but it would be oven-free if grilled.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

 

Chipotle-Mornay Muffin Melts

I seem to be on a bit of a chipotle kick recently.  Since so much of the can is left over after each recipe, I was brainstorming and came up with a bunch of ideas that I thought would be good to try.  Then I got pretty busy elsewhere in life and had a few days in a row where I needed quick, easy dinners.  So instead of spacing those recipes out as I usually would, I had chipotle-based dishes a couple nights straight.

• 2 English muffins, split
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced into coins
• 1/4 tsp salt, divided
• pinch pepper
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 3/4 C milk
• 3/4 C shredded Gruyere
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1.  Toast English muffins, top with a single layer of egg coins, and season with about 1/8 tsp of salt and the pepper.
2.  In a small saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour, remaining 1/8 tsp salt, and pepper.  Stir in milk all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly.  Stir in Gruyere until melted; add chipotle pepper and let adobo sauce incorporate completely.  Pour sauce over egg-topped muffins.

Robyn's notes: a Mornay sauce is Bechemel (white sauce) with Gruyere and egg yolks added.  In this case the egg is not in the sauce, but under it!  I thought this worked out pretty well, I was pretty stingy with the pepper and adobo sauce, so it just added a little kick and some depth of flavour.  My only real complaint is aesthetic, I wish the final dish wasn't so pale!

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Slow-Cooked Baked Potato with Chipotle Cream Sauce

Sure, a potato can be baked in the oven, in the microwave, on a grill, even tossed into a campfire.  But sometimes on a busy or stressful day it's nice to know that your potato is ready and waiting for you, without your needing to do anything else to it.

• 2 medium russet potatoes
• 1 Tbsp oil
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/4 C mayonnaise
• 1/4 C sour cream
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped

1.  Poke potatoes in several places with a fork, rub with oil and sprinkle with salt.  Wrap in aluminum foil, place in 1 1/2 quart slow-cooker, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
2.  In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and chipotle with sauce.  Refrigerate, covered, for at least one hour to allow flavours to blend.
3.  Split potatoes, spoon sauce over top, and serve.

Robyn's notes: use as much or as little of the adobo sauce with the pepper as fits your preference for spice.  I'm very sensitive to it, so I use just the littlest bit.  The remaining sauce and peppers in the can will last a few days covered in the fridge, or can be frozen.  If freezing, pour into a zip-loc bag and seal, flattening the bag so that the peppers are in a single layer when the bag is laid on its side.  Freeze in that position.  Next time you need a pepper, you can break or cut off just the one with some sauce and allow it to thaw, without having to thaw the entire bag.  See Using Up Ingredients for other uses.  I find it really difficult to get small or medium russet potatoes anymore, unless I buy a 5-10lb bag.  If Jumbos are all that's available, one will serve two people.  It's been awhile since I had a baked potato come out as perfectly cooked as this: cooked through perfectly but not dry inside.  The sauce was a nice topping for it, though about halfway through the potato I had to start adding shredded cheese to cut down the spice.  But as I say, I'm very sensitive to heat.  I had some mashed potatoes in the fridge that I brought home from a potluck, so I saved a bit of this sauce to stir into them when re-heating.  That was ok, gave them a bit of a kick, but didn't provide much in the way of flavour, just spice.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Three-Cheese Mac with Crispy Prosciutto

This recipe comes from the cookbook "One Pan, Two Plates", which has some absolutely amazing-looking recipes.  However, from the moment I received it I simply couldn't believe the dishes inside were truthfully 2 servings.  As soon as I started this one, I had a sinking feeling about how many days this was going to have to be eaten (2 Cups of elbow mac is way more than 2 servings, according to the box of pasta it's just over 4 servings).  But I had purchased all the ingredients, looked forward to it for ages, and can't review a book without cooking from it, so I went ahead.  This is ridiculously oversized.  The only way this serves two is if one of them is a horse. 

• salt
• 2 C elbow macaroni
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 6 thin slices prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
• 1/2 C panko bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 C warm milk
• 1/3 C crumbled goat cheese
• 1/3 C grated Parmesan
• 1/3 C shredded Gruyere
• pinch grated nutmeg
• freshly ground pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Position rack in center.
2.  Fill 12-inch ovenproof skillet with water up to about 1 inch from the top.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add 2 tsp salt and toss in macaroni.  Stir once or twice to keep pasta from sticking.
3.  Reduce heat to medium-high.  Cook at gentle boil until almost cooked through, chewy but not tough (about 2 minutes less time than the package calls for).  Drain and run cold water over pasta to stop cooking and avoid clumping.
4.  Add 2 Tbsp butter to pan and melt over medium-high heat.  Add prosciutto and toss in pan until crispy, about 2 minutes.  Transfer prosciutto to plate.  Put panko in a small bowl, pour hot butter from pan over panko and toss to coat.
5.  Return pan to medium-high heat and add remaining 2 Tbsp butter.  When butter is melted, sprinkle in flour and 1/4 tsp salt.  Cook, stirring, until flour becomes foamy, about 1 minute.  Whisk in warm milk, and stir until mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and all all three cheeses, nutmeg, and pepper, stirring until cheeses are melted.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.  Stir in macaroni and prosciutto until pasta is coated and prosciutto is evenly distributed.  Smooth top and sprinkle panko over top.
6.  Transfer to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until juices are bubbly and top is lightly browned. 

Robyn's notes: so many problems with this.  I don't give a lot of 1-star ratings, so clearly I had some issues.  We'll start with the two things that were entirely my own fault: a 12-inch cast-iron skillet full of food or water is beyond my ability to easily lift.  I'm disabled, and I get that this is not a problem for many cooks, but trying to move a heavy skillet full of boiling water from the stove to the sink so I can drain it was dangerous.  Secondly, my oven is not full-size.  It's not tiny, but it is slightly smaller than a normal oven, which means I don't have a burner large enough to accommodate a 12-inch skillet.  Ok, those are the only things that were my own issues.  I was very careful about the heat level, especially since my burner is small, but when I added the first butter in step 4, it smoked up fast and sudden and started to burn immediately.  I did the best I could with it, but that meant the prosciutto was given a slight burnt taste, as was the panko.  The sauce looked luscious and thick and creamy and cheesy when I stirred in the mac and prosciutto, but when the pan came out of the oven there was no sauce left.  The noodles were just dry, and basically have no flavour.  Any bite without a bit of prosciutto in it is bland bland bland.  Since this is, as I said above, way more than two servings, and the cheeses and prosciutto were not cheap, I will be eating this terribly bland meal at least once a day for the next couple days.  I am not happy.  

* 1 Star: Not Too Good. Neither of us liked this enough for me to bother making it again without complete overhaul

 

Pear Rose Cardamom Oatmeal

This recipe comes from Vegan Slow Cooking for Two or Just for You, which I've had for over a year and had not yet cooked from.

• 1/2 C steel-cut oats
• 2 C unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 small pear, chopped
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp rosewater, food grade
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• sweetener to taste (sugar, stevia, etc)

1.  Spray 1 1/2 qt crockpot with cooking spray.  Add all ingredients except sweetener.  Cook on low overnight (7-9 hours).
2.  Stir oatmeal well and add sweetener.

Robyn's notes: this tasted good, but I found the texture extremely unpleasant.  It was just a mush, and fairly slimy.  I sweetened with brown sugar and found myself adding quite a lot of it just to break up the unpleasant feel in my mouth.  

** 2 Stars: Acceptable. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, if I make changes

Curried-Pear Chicken

I love the smell of curry powder, but don't get the opportunity to use it as often as I'd like.

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper, divided
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 pear, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 C dry white wine (see notes, below)
• 1/4 C low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp chopped fresh mint

1.  Season chicken on both sides with 1/8 tsp salt and pinch of pepper.  Heat 2 tsp oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until well-browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
2.  Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 2 tsp oil to the pan.  Add pear, shallot, and curry.  Cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add wine and broth; bring to a simmer.  Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
3.  Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan.  Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to 2 plates.  Add coconut milk, cilantro, and mint to the pan and stir to combine.  Season with the remaining salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken.

Robyn's notes: I can't afford wine for cooking, so I simply used all chicken broth (or 1/2 C total) instead.  Another option is to replace the wine with apple juice.  I thought I had the fresh herbs in the house but turned out to have misremembered, so I just left them out.  I found the chicken really quite good, but it all went best when each bite had a bit of chicken with sauce, a bit of pear, and some of the Ginger Pear Rice that I made as a side.  

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently
 

Gingered Pear Rice

I was looking for a way to make a side of rice more interesting, and the entree used pear, so decided to jazz up the rice with that flavour profile.

• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp pear, diced small
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 C white rice (not instant)
• 1 1/3 C chicken broth or water

1.  In small saucepan, cook garlic in oil over medium heat until fragrant. Add pear, lemon juice, ginger, and pepper, and cook until pear is slightly softened, stirring constantly.
2.  Add rice and water, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.
3.  Sprinkle with diced green onions just before serving, if desired.

Robyn's notes: this worked out well, but it wasn't a very strong flavour.  Served with Curried-Pear Chicken. 

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

 

Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream

Without an ice cream maker. 

This recipe from Against All Grain was quite straightforward and worked well for me.  My only issue was that I had no blackberries on hand, and really just wanted vanilla anyway, so I decided not to bother making the blackberry syrup.  Without it, the honey flavour was far too strong for my taste.  The recipe made exactly 32oz of ice cream (I stored it in an empty Greek yogurt tub) and hadn't even eaten half of it after 6 weeks.  After taking the above picture, however, I topped the bowl with a few fresh raspberries, and that turned out to be perfect, cutting right through the overly-sweet honey.  So whether using blackberries or another berry, I'd call this a worthwhile recipe to try, but it needs that tart fresh aspect the recipe creator included.

Chocolate-Raspberry Surprise Muffins

I love raspberries, and used to just keep them on hand pretty much all the time.  But Yoplait has stopped selling the yogurt that is a necessary ingredient for my favourite dip for them, and the seeds do bother my tummy, so I have had a few times in the last couple years that a package goes bad without me finishing it.  This is another way to use just a few when some are in the fridge.

• 1 egg white 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted 
• 1 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam 
• 2 Tbsp flour 
• 2 Tbsp cocoa 
• 1/4 heaping tsp baking powder 
• pinch of salt 
• 1 Tbsp milk 
• 2 Tbsp chocolate chips 
• 6-8 fresh raspberries
• 2 tsp additional cocoa

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 2 liners.
2. In medium bowl, add egg white and sugar and beat until combined. Add jam and melted butter and stir until mixed. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in milk, then chocolate chips. Pour 1/4th of batter into each muffin liner.  Toss four raspberries with 2 tsp cocoa and place two in each liner gently on top of batter.  Top with remaining batter, covering completely.
3. Bake at 350°F for 16-18min, or until cake is set. Top each muffin with 1-2 raspberries, barely pressing them into place.  Let cool completely.

Robyn's notes: tossing the inner raspberries in cocoa is done to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the liner during baking, without having a clump of white flour in the middle of a lovely brown chocolate muffin.  These are good, and since they went from idea to reality in less than 6 hours, I'm pretty pleased with them.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

 

Raspberry-Glazed Chicken

For several years I found myself regularly running across recipes that called for "seedless raspberry jam", but couldn't find the stuff in any of my local stores.  I've made raspberry jam, but straining out the seeds was a pain, and due to my health problems I should avoid seeds as much as possible, so just substituting regular jam didn't seem the best idea.  I did eventually find the product, and of course bought it immediately...then couldn't find any of those recipes again.  This one doesn't necessarily require seedless, but I find it better and now that I have the jar I might as well enjoy it!

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 3 Tbsp raspberry jam
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 C raspberries (frozen and thawed is ok)

1.  In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Cook chicken in oil 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when cut.
2.  In small bowl, mix jam and mustard.  Spoon jam mixture over chicken; top with raspberries.

Robyn's notes: I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was, as I expected it to just be acceptable.  The sweet from the jam combined with the sharp bite of the mustard worked great together.  I served this with Creamy Couscous, which I think was a good choice for the dish. GF: check your mustard, some brands are free of cross-contamination, others may not be. 

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently
 

Creamy Couscous

I love couscous, and am happy to eat it in pretty much any form.  But sometimes I want a little something extra without having to go to a lot of work in the preparation of a side dish. 

• 1/2 C water
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp butter (if desired)
• 1/2 C uncooked couscous
• 2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1.   Bring water, salt, and butter if using to a boil in a small saucepan.  Quickly stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat.  Let stand 4-5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2.  Combine cheeses, stir mixture into couscous.

Robyn's notes: I used tomato couscous because it was what I had in the house, but plain would work equally well.  This could easily do with more of both cheeses, depending on what it's being served with.  I wanted a side that would stand up to the sauce of Raspberry-Glazed Chicken, but with another entree it might be better with a consistency closer to risotto.  I've made this several times and have really enjoyed it each time.  My favourite is Parmesan couscous as prepared above, but I've also been successful using plain couscous with flavored cream cheese.  I generally have a few triangles of Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Garlic and Herb spreadable cheese wedges in the fridge, and have enjoyed that quite a bit.  

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

 

Open-Face Breakfast Sandwiches

This is another quick dish I had regularly growing up. I don't buy bread products at the store very often, because they tend to start growing before I finish the package. So this is a good way to use up English muffins without feeling like I'm eating the same thing day after day.

• 2 English muffins, split
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced into coins
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 3-4 oz Cheddar cheese, sliced
• 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or diced

1.  Toast English muffins.

2.  Top each English muffin half with single layer of egg coins, season with salt and pepper.  Top with slices of cheese and sprinkle bacon on center of cheese.

3.  Microwave on high 20-45 seconds, until edges of cheese are starting to melt, but slices retain their shape.

Robyn's notes: as soon as these come out of the microwave they should be moved to a different section of the plate, or the condensation beneath them will make the English muffins wet and gummy.   Can be made without the bacon, if that's too much trouble or it's not on hand.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Tomato Soup Cake

I had never even heard of this type of cake until I got a Daughters of the Nile charity cookbook and saw the full-size recipe in it.  My immediate thoughts were a) weird; and b) if that works as a reduced recipe, it would be a great way to use up half a can of condensed tomato soup.

• 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 beaten egg
• 1/2 C condensed tomato soup (half of a 10.75oz can)
• 3/4 C flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Raisins (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a mini cake pan or mini loaf pan.
2.  Cream together butter and sugar; add egg and tomato soup.  Mix well.
3.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Fold flour mixture into batter, being careful not to overmix.  Add raisins if desired.
4.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 350°F for 33-36 minutes (loaf pan may require longer baking) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to rack to finish cooling.  Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Robyn's notes: see "Using Up Ingredients" at top of page for uses for the other half of the can of soup.  I wasn't sure how far the batter would go, so prepared a few pans.  Probably a mini loaf pan would be just the right size, my mini angel food cake pan was over-full but still worked as the tube in the center helped the cake bake quickly.  This came out basically as a spice cake, really quite good and smelled fantastic, especially good during the holidays.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

S.O.S.

I am well aware that there are a lot of people who think that S.O.S. is disgusting.  It does, after all, stand for "Shit On a Shingle", and it's not even the prettiest dish.  My stepdad and my sweetheart both refuse to eat it, but the cooks in my dad's branch of the service must have done a better job, because he had no problem with it, and therefore I grew up eating it from time to time.  And I like it. 

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• pinch salt
• dash pepper
• 3/4 C milk
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 15 slices dried beef (from 5oz can)

1.  In a small saucepan melt butter.  Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.  Stir in milk all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly.  Stir in W-sauce.  Pull apart and tear dried beef into  chunks and strips, adding to sauce.  Simmer until beef is heated through, and serve over any starch.

Robyn's notes: I always have this over toasted English muffins, but it can be served over toasted bread, baked potato, pasta, whatever the preference is.  Go really easy on the salt, as the beef has a lot of sodium and it will overwhelm the dish.  Unopened, a jar of dried beef is shelf-stable for a very long time.  This only gets three stars because he won't eat it and because it's not the most exciting dish, it's just good and filling and I have nostalgia for it from childhood.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Chunky Applesauce

My mom has been making this applesauce for a good 45 years or so.  Back when she started, my great-grandfather gave her a crate of apples every year that he'd grown, and they had to be dealt with before they turned, so applesauce was a great project.  She doesn't use a recipe, so she sent me basic instructions for her method, which I have used repeatedly and turned into this recipe.  Read all notes before beginning.

• 3 lbs apples (about 8 medium)
• 1 1/2 C apple juice
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1.  Core, quarter, and peel apples, cut them into 1 inch chunks.
2.  In large saucepan, combine apple juice and cut-up apples.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
3.  Using sugar and cinnamon, sweeten to taste.  Be careful!  These apples and the liquid they're sitting in can burn your tongue.  Be aware that the apples will taste sweeter when hot, so for a very sweet applesauce it may be necessary to over-sweeten them at this stage.
4.  Return to a boil for about 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Smash with potato masher to desired consistency.  (For creamy applesauce, press through a ricer or food mill instead)

Applesauce is ready to eat at this point, or it can be preserved in a boiling water canner as follows.

5.  Carefully ladle hot applesauce into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Remove all bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids.  Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner at sea level, increasing processing time by 1 minute for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.

Yield: 5 half-pints

Robyn's notes: I've used several different varieties of apples, but have to say that my favourite batches have been made with two varieties together.  Because of what's available at my market this has generally been Fuji and Golden Delicious.  I have been told that the best varieties for applesauce are those as well as Braeburn, Cortland, Crispin, McIntosh, Liberty, and Rome.  Use a saucepan large enough that the liquid and apple chunks combined in it fill no more than 30-50% of the interior.  While simmering, the apples will splatter and bubble up the sides, so they need a lot of room in the pan.  The juice should be enough to cover the bottom of your pan by 1/2 inch.  A larger saucepan may need more than I use.  Water can be used in place of apple juice, but the flavor will not be as deep and more sugar will need to be used.  I always use 100% not-from-concentrate apple juice.  While I'm a fan of the assembly-line method of doing practically anything, I don't use it for prepping the apples.  As soon as they are exposed to the air they will start to oxidize, but this will be slowed when they're in the juice.  So I do each apple as quickly as possible without risking my fingers and move on to the next.  I have never measured the cinnamon, instead just dashing it in.  I quite like the taste of cinnamon in my applesauce, so if I use a bit too much I'm ok with it, it just makes for darker applesauce. 

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Homemade Magic Shell

"Magic Shell" is, of course, a brand name, but it's the term most people are familiar with. This is the chocolate sauce for ice cream that is liquid when it's poured on, then goes immediately solid.

• 1/4 C semi-sweet chocolate morsels 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil 

1. In double boiler, melt both ingredients, stirring to combine.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for two minutes.
3. Pour over ice cream, wait for shell to harden, and enjoy!  

Robyn's notes: if the sauce is not used right away, it should be refrigerated, as there are no preservatives like the bottled store-bought version has. The sauce will of course harden in the fridge, it can be microwaved to return to liquid form before using, or the container it's in can be placed in a hot water bath.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Explaining

There has obviously been a very long hiatus here. I'm not going to get too deeply into the reasons, but they're all health-related. My existing health problems have continued to worsen, and in ways that have had a serious impact on my diet. Originally, the site was temporarily closed because I was put on intravenous feeding only--nothing by mouth--for 12 weeks. If I'm not eating, I'm not cooking or developing recipes. 

When those 12 weeks were over, the IV feeding continued for another year, supplemented by eating in the usual manner. I was so ill, however, that I was not physically capable of cooking. So I did a lot of convenience foods and snacks like crackers (I fell in love with 34° Natural crispbreads). There have been a lot of other severe issues with my health, which all continue to the present day, but I am able to do some real cooking and baking here and there. When I'm having a good day, I tend to do some make-ahead dishes for the freezer, to make things easier on bad days. This past Xmas, my sweetie gave me a beautiful KitchenAid stand mixer, which I adore, and we have a garden now, so some canning and preserving is planned.
While I can't say that updates will be particularly regular (and most of what I made in the past couple years I took no pictures), I'm re-opening the site. Here's hoping for good days in the kitchen for a long time to come!

Mini Cheddar Apple Pies

• pie crust dough (homemade or purchased)
• 4 Tbsp grated sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1/2 heaping Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• dash salt
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 large apple

1.  Preheat oven to 425°F.  Cut two circles of crust for the bottom of the pies (see notes, below).  Press into bottom and up sides of two mini pie pans or tart dishes.  Sprinkle 2 Tbsp cheese over the bottom of each crust. 
2.  In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.  Peel and slice apple into small pieces, coat apple pieces with sugar and flour mixture.  Place seasoned apple pieces into crusts, layering them well above the top level of the pie pan (apples will sink during baking due to water loss).
3.  Cut circles for top crusts or strips if a lattice top is desired.  If using a circular top crust, use a sharp knife to cut slits in several places.  Crimp edges of crusts together with the tines of a fork or with fingers.  Sprinkle top with a small amount of additional sugar. 
4.  Place pans on a baking sheet for easier handling and bake at 425°F for 16-18 minutes.  Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Robyn's notes: I know some people traditionally enjoy apple pie with a thick slice of Cheddar cheese alongside, though I was raised on French apple pie a la mode instead.  I thought incorporating the cheese into the pie itself might make for a nice flavour combination, and knew I would splurge on really good cheese for the purpose.  The cheese I got was Kerrygold Reserve, which is aged 2 years, but I didn't realize until I got home that I had grabbed the version that's aged with Irish Whiskey.  The taste of the whiskey is quite strong, and made the first pie attempt into more of a Drunken Apple Pie.  Still tasty.  I used a Gala apple, other good choices are Red or Golden Delicious.  Might be 4 stars with a less whiskey-flavoured cheese, and/or with homemade crust.

About the crust: a homemade crust recipe is fantastic, or just use a pre-made crust from the market.  Because this was an early test version of the recipe, I used a pre-made.  The first test I made just one mini pie, rolled the leftover crust up in plastic wrap, and refrigerated it.  For that pie I used one of my mini pie pans, which has relatively steep sides.  I placed it upside down gently on the unrolled crust, and cut a circle about one inch away from the edge of it all the way around.  For the top crust, I cut another circle just at the edges.  Because of the size of my mini pie pans, I had to fudge this process, and couldn't really get both circles out of one unrolled pie crust.  This is where homemade dough would be best, as it could be re-rolled to accommodate the second circle instead of having to be cut from the same layout.  For the second test pie, I used one of my mini tart pans, again cutting about an inch away all the way around, but I did (as seen above) a lattice top, in order to make the dough go farther.  Because I still had leftover dough from the first pie, I ended up having about a 6" diameter circle of dough left after completing the second pie.  Since I made the two test pies on different days, I was using different apples and had some apple leftover.  I dipped those apple slices into the leftover filling mixture from this recipe, grated some Edam cheese over half the dough circle, topped it with the seasoned apples, sprinkled more grated Edam on top, folded the dough over, pinched it shut, and made it a turnover.  It went onto a square of parchment paper and into the oven at the same time, on the same baking sheet, same temperature, as the pie.  Not the prettiest turnover in the world, but tasty.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Havarti-Dill Mashed Potatoes

• 1 large russet potato
• 1/4 C milk
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp shredded Havarti cheese
• 1 tsp fresh dill
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel potato and chop into 1/2 inch pieces (see notes below). Place in large saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes can be broken up with a fork.
2. Drain, return to saucepan, and shake over low heat for 1 minute. Mash in remaining ingredients, leaving some potato chunks if desired.

Robyn's notes: he likes potato skin in his mashed potatoes, I can't have the skins, so I sometimes make two versions of any mashed potatoes, peeling half the potato for mine and leaving the other half unpeeled for his.  Add the milk while mashing, depending on the size of the potato it may not be necessary to use the full amount.  Havarti, being a semi-soft cheese, is difficult to shred.  It can help to spray the grater with cooking spray, or simply cut it into small pieces off the block instead of shredding. 

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Banana Bread Mini Loaf

Since the checker at the market chose to put my canned goods in the bag on top of my bananas, some had to be sacrificed to bread.  This was meant to also have a chocolate glaze, but the unsweetened chocolate that was in my grocery basket was never rung up by the checker.  No way was I driving all the way back to town when I got home and discovered I didn't have it (since I also was not charged for it), so I decided to just make the bread without the glaze, which is of course also perfectly good.

• 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 C mashed ripe banana 
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
• 1/4 C chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a mini loaf pan (5 1/2 " x 3") .
2.  In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
3.  In another medium bowl, beat sugar, eggs, and butter until fluffy.  Slowly beat in bananas and yogurt.  Add flour mixture and mix just until blended.  Do not overmix or the bread will be tough.  Stir in nuts if using.
4.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on middle shelf for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to finish cooling on wire rack.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let stand overnight to allow flavours to mellow.

Robyn's notes: I did not use the nuts, because I'm not able to eat them.  For me, the amount of banana needed was one-and-a-half medium bananas once the completely black bruised sections had been cut out.  This probably translates to one large banana that hasn't been manhandled by a checker who was presumably having a lousy day.  My baking time was 40 minutes.  I made this bread again after we moved, so I can confirm it was as good without any needed changes at 4,500ft.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Fudge-Ana

When I was young, I had a lot of activities, from piano to Camp Fire to various things involving horses. For a lot of years one of those activities was ballet, and I was really into it. Throughout my ballet years, a tradition existed in my hometown of going to the small downtown ice cream parlor after performances and treating the performers to a sundae.  Back then, I had a hard time choosing a favourite sundae, but as I've gotten older and the family has continued to make the occasional visit there, I've settled on the Fudge-Ana.  It's not flashy, like the Cherry Hawaiian (coconut pineapple and burgundy cherry ice creams topped with pineapple and creamy marshmallow, chopped toasted nuts, whipped cream, and a cherry).  It doesn't have a pop of flavour like the Mint Delight (chocolate mint and peppermint stick ice creams topped with hot fudge and creamy marshmallow, chopped toasted nuts, whipped cream, and a cherry).  And it isn't surprising, like the Honeycomb Buzz (I'll let you wonder).  What it is, is delicious, every time.  It's just that little bit more than a hot fudge sundae, and every time I eat one, I'm transported right back to that pink and white shop, sitting in a chair with a heart-shaped back while I kick my ballet shoes under the table and spin the free glass of ice cold water they give you as soon as you walk in the door. 

• hot fudge ice cream topping
• one medium banana, sliced into coins
• vanilla ice cream

1.  Melt hot fudge as instructed on package.  Drop a spoonful into bottom of sundae glass or tall drinking glass.   Top with three or four banana coins.  Add one small scoop of ice cream.  Repeat in layers until glass is full.  If desired, top with whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry.

Robyn's notes: no measurements, because it's really about how much you feel like eating, how large the serving vessel is, and how much you like hot fudge. I don't generally bother with the whipped cream, nuts, and cherry when I'm making a Fudge-Ana at home, because it means having them sitting around waiting to be used up.

 ***** 5 Stars: Excellent. A favourite for both of us, I will make this repeatedly

Simple Muffin Tin Meatloaves

We didn't have meatloaf very often when I was growing up, but I still find it to be a nice comfort-food dish.  This recipe can be made with either beef or turkey, I've used turkey for the picture above.  When using turkey, it may be necessary to increase spices, and be careful not to overcook the mini-loaves, since turkey can get dried out easily.

• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 2 Tbsp dry bread crumbs (any flavour)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp barbecue sauce or ketchup

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  In medium bowl, beat milk, egg, and Worcestershire sauce with fork.  Mix in meat, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.  Scoop into ungreased muffin tin.  Brush loaves with barbecue sauce or ketchup.
2.  Bake 20-25 minutes until cooked through.  Let stand 5 minutes.

Robyn's notes:  since I used plain bread crumbs and turkey, I decided to spice it up a bit by adding grated Parmesan cheese and dried basil.  I didn't measure either one, just eyeballed them.  Turned out to be a good thing, the basil especially added good flavour to the finished product.  While the standard side dish for meat loaf is mashed potatoes, we were both in the mood for rice, so had that instead.  I cooked 20 minutes and the loaves were nicely juicy inside.  This is a good meatloaf recipe for when I don't have a lot in the house, since every required ingredient is always on hand.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Small-Batch Frosted Sugar Cookies

I have a weakness for grocery store bakery frosted sugar cookies.  Those fat soft cookies with thick frosting and sprinkles on top?  I'm forever in search of a recipe for homemade sugar cookies that come out like those, and I have yet to find one.  This recipe is not the long-awaited successful completion to that search, but it is a perfectly good recipe, if I do say so myself, so I figure I might as well share it for those who are looking for a simple recipe for whipping up a few thin sugar cookies quickly.

Cookies

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 3/4 tsp buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt
• 1/2 C + 1 rounded Tbsp flour
• 1/8 tsp baking soda 

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in flavourings, mayonnaise, and buttermilk; mix.  Stir in flour and baking soda.
2.  Shape dough into teaspoon-sized balls, drop on parchment-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart.  Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass that's been dipped in granulated sugar (see notes).
3.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until just set.  Do not overbake.  Allow to cool for 1 minute on baking sheet, remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.  Frost when completely cooled.

Yield: 8-10 cookies

Robyn's notes: to flatten the cookies, I used the underside of a 1/4 C measure.  I gently pressed it briefly against one of the dough balls first, then dipped it in granulated sugar, to get the sugar to stick to the measuring cup for flattening all the dough balls.  Another option is to roll the dough balls in sugar and then flatten them, but I didn't want that much sugar on the outside of the cookies.  It would be best to mix the dough in an electric mixer, but since my mixer is here with us and the mixer's beaters are apparently still in storage, that wasn't an option.  I therefore mixed the dough with a fork as fast as my arm would move, to get air into it.

Frosting

• 1 C confectioner's sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter
• approximately 1 Tbsp + 1-1/2 tsp milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• food coloring if desired

1.  In a medium bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and butter. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Robyn's notes: again, I had to do this by hand, and frosting is never as good when mixed by hand because it's very difficult to get the air in.  It's also exceedingly difficult to cream that much powdered sugar with that little butter by hand.  Add the milk slowly, until you've achieved the desired consistency.  The entire amount may not be needed, and since this makes a very sweet frosting, if you add too much milk it's hard to firm it back up.  Replacing the butter with shortening is an option and might actually be better, but I didn't have any shortening in the house.  

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often 

Peanut Butter Bread Mini Loaf

This is a very simple recipe that produces a bread that's good for snacks or pbj sandwiches.  I've eaten it toasted or not, spread with jelly or honey.  While it's baking the whole house gets a nice smell of peanut butter, but the flavour of the finished loaf is pretty subtle.

• 1 C flour
• 2 rounded Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp beaten egg
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp peanut butter

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, milk and peanut butter; stir just until combined. Pour into greased mini loaf pan (5 1/2 by 3 inches).
2.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.  

Robyn's notes: I own steel mini loaf pans, but for households that don't, disposable ones can generally be found in the kitchen supplies aisle of grocery stores (I always keep a few of those on hand for cooking gluten-free breads, so there's no danger of cross-contamination from my regular pans).  As I've said before, I suspect that my oven thermostat is off, so while this took 40 minutes to bake for me, it may take longer for more accurate ovens.  This makes a fairly dense bread, but I still think it has good texture.  It would get a higher star rating if there was more peanut butter flavour, it's just a bit too mild for my taste and adding much more peanut butter would keep it from baking properly.  Chunky peanut butter is an option for those who can have it, I'm not supposed to.

Drop Biscuits

Growing up, my mom had an old recipe for baking powder biscuits that we all loved.  Soft and fluffy and flaky, perfect with jam or honey or even just butter.  I've made the recipe myself a few times, but don't have the recipe available just now. These drop biscuits aren't a replacement for the old cut-out biscuits I love, but they're an easy substitution, especially for a leisurely morning.

• 2/3 C flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/3 C buttermilk, cold
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus 1 tsp extra for brushing the completed tops

1.  Preheat oven to 450°F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.  In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.  In a small bowl, combine chilled buttermilk and melted butter until butter forms small clumps.  Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
3.  Using a greased 1/4 C measure or #16 scoop, drop four mounds of dough onto prepared baking sheet (see notes, below), about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake 12-15 minutes until tops are golden brown and crisp, turning pan halfway through baking.
4.  Brush additional melted butter on tops of baked biscuits, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool for 5 minutes, serving warm.

Robyn's notes: I used a 1/4 C measure to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet, and got exactly three biscuits.  The original recipe gives a yield of four, so it's up to you whether to scoop the dough into four equal portions or measure out in 1/4 C amounts as instructed.  Be aware that smaller biscuits will cook faster.  These came out slightly dry for my taste, but I strongly suspect that my oven thermostat is wrong and that they were baking at a temperature higher than the oven claimed.  Since I haven't found my oven thermometer in any of the boxes we have here, I can't check it yet.  The biscuits were still good, easy to pull apart and tasty both with jam and just with dabs of butter.  

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Queso Blanco

Last Wednesday I leaned over the bed to pull off the fitted sheet for washing, and immediately felt a series of spasms in my lower back.  I have a herniated disc that leads to sciatica, so this is not the first time I've experienced this, it generally happens about once a year.  This time I fell forward onto my face screaming from the pain, which is where I remained until my sweetheart got home and rescued me.  He moved me onto my back in bed with pillows under my knees, and I stayed there until Thursday morning when we went to the ER for stronger pain meds and muscle relaxants.  Monday was the first day I was truly up and moving around, but since it's best for this sort of back problem to keep moving as much as possible, I decided that today I'd make the most basic of cheeses.  Queso blanco is not a melting cheese, but it's good on crackers or bread, sliced and fried, or sprinkled over tacos or refried beans.  Read all my notes at the bottom before beginning, the recipe I followed was not perfect.

• 1/2 gallon cow's milk (raw or pasteurized is ok, not ultrapasteurized)
• 1/4 C lime juice (for me this was every drop of 3 limes)
• salt to taste

1.  Heat milk in a non-aluminum pot on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes (see notes, below) or until it looks like it’s just about to boil. If you have an instant-read thermometer, heat until milk is between 185°F and 190°F.
2.  Pour in lime juice. The curds will separate from the whey and the mixture will begin to look lumpy or grainy.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
3.  Pour the pot’s contents into a cheesecloth-lined colander and drain for 2-3 minutes.  Sprinkle curds with salt (see notes, below).  If desired, add herbs, spices, or chopped chiles (about 1/4 C of chopped chiles would be right, or about 1/2 Tbsp of fresh herbs.  Really it's whatever tastes best to you, you'd need to experiment).
4.  Gather curds in the center, tie the cheesecloth’s ends and hang the cloth on the faucet so it can drain for 4 hours or overnight.
5.  Untie cheesecloth, and store cheese in sealed container in the refrigerator.  It will keep as long as the milk would have, so note the expiration date on the milk before disposing of the packaging.

Robyn's notes: I used raw cow's milk because it's easily available, but as mentioned above, pasteurized is fine.  Ultrapasteurized should never be used for making cheese.  The recipe I was following phrased step 1 almost exactly as I've written it here, and since it didn't say whether or not to cover the heating milk, I left it uncovered so I could see better when it was getting close to a boil (I have many thermometers of various types, all are still in storage).  When, after 15 minutes, the milk was just slightly warm to the touch, I put the lid on.  Another 30 minutes later, it still wasn't coming up to a boil and I bumped the burner to a slightly higher heat.  Counting from the time I first turned on the stove, it took 50 minutes to get the milk to the proper temperature, and I've seen other people comment that they had the same experience.  A lot of this will depend on your stove, the size of the pot you use, etc.  Visually for me, the milk quickly got a yellow skin on top, and after all that time tiny bubbles started to form all across the underside of that skin.  When I poured in the lime juice I did give it a quick stir, but didn't agitate it very much.  The entire pot separated without my having to do so.  I only used two thicknesses of cheesecloth over my strainer, and I lost a lot of curds, so in future I'll probably use four thicknesses.  The recipe I followed gave no guidelines as to amount of salt.  It just said it was ok to use more than you normally would, because a lot of the salt will drain out as the cheese dries.  Since I didn't know how much "normal" was, I used about 1/2 tsp.  It was definitely not enough.  As I was draining in the strainer, I scraped the cheesecloth with a spoon in several places to help the whey drain out.  I would recommend not pressing with the back of a spoon, as that will just force the curds through.  The completed recipe worked, but the cheese was completely tasteless.  I've had queso blanco many times, and while it's a mild cheese it does usually have some flavour.  This did not.  Obviously if I'd added herbs, spices, or chiles it would have been different, and I will try that in the future and revise my rating if it improves.  For now I'm being generous in a 3 star rating, as so many of the instructions were vague and the final product tastes like nothing.
 

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Spider

Generally, if someone told me there was a spider in my kitchen, my response would not be one of joy or excitement.  In our house the eight-legged kind get liberated instead of decimated (unless a cat sees them before I do), and the wire kind shown above get waved happily around like a magic wand. 

A spider is a fairly simple tool, a straight handle with a shallow wire-mesh basket at the end.  It's not a kitchen necessity by any stretch of the imagination, everything it does can be done by other tools, but it's a great addition to your kitchen and it does its jobs better than the other options.  If you're making a holiday wishlist, a spider might be a good thing to include. 

The most common use for a spider is to lift and remove food from hot water or oil.  Those of us who can and preserve can use it for moving blanched vegetables quickly from boiling to cold water.  It's also a great tool for gnocchi and any stuffed pasta, which should ideally be lifted from their cooking liquid instead of being poured into a colander.  Doing the latter can burst delicate pasta or crush gnocchi, while lifting them out individually with the spider is gentle enough to keep this from happening.  Spiders are sometimes referred to as basket skimmers, because they are very useful for skimming foam from stocks and soups.  Additional uses include fishing a bouquet garni or whole bay leaves out of a pot and deep frying foods.