tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28255528068359449742023-11-15T05:05:24.034-08:00Alan's Kitchen ChatterUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-21880638337423477512013-08-04T21:51:00.001-07:002013-08-04T21:51:31.330-07:00Shrimp & Garlic PastaDo you ever get cravings that you just can't explain? Yeah, me too. I think all foodies go through it in different ways.<br />
<br />
Last week, my soul was crying out for shrimp and garlic. I also really really wanted some parmesan cheese, so that means pasta.<br />
<br />
I made enough to last a few days, so I'm going to tone down the proportions a little from what I did. These are approximations, so you'll have to use your best judgment and trust your instincts when you make it.<br />
<br />
I've had a glass of wine tonight, so please understand that in the Directions section I'm assuming you know how to cook.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
Whole wheat spaghetti (I don't use any other kind these days), enough for two people.<br />
1/2 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined<br />
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed<br />
4 garlic cloves<br />
1/4 of a large onion<br />
Parmesan cheese<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
This dish doesn't take long, so right away start the water for your pasta. Add the pasta when the water comes to a roiling boil and put in tablespoon or so of salt. Cook til al dente.<br />
<br />
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick pan.<br />
Finely chop the onion and garlic.<br />
Put the onion in the hot oil, and stir til it's softened.<br />
Add the garlic and spinach, sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper.<br />
Stir 1-2 minutes and add the shrimp.<br />
Stir until the shrimp is all pink, and turn the heat off.<br />
Add the cooked spaghetti and toss to mix thoroughly.<br />
<br />
You can add the parmesan at the table per serving, or toss 1/4 cup or so with the whole thing, that's up to you. Ordinarily I'd use fresh grated parmesan, but I was out used the dried stuff. I think for this purpose, it worked better than fresh grated would have.<br />
<br />
Serve with a glass of white wine and a salad, and dinner's done.<br />
<br />
Bon Appetit!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-18354250490988203052012-08-13T14:24:00.002-07:002012-08-13T14:26:11.730-07:00Everyday Wheat Bread<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Bread is one of those things we take for granted, especially if you’re
a big toast or sandwich eater.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> But have
you noticed lately that a lot of the bread is costing up to $5 per loaf?</span><span style="font-size: large;"> That is a LOT of money for something that
really isn’t that hard to make.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You’ll need about 3 hours really for this.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Most of that time is sitting around and waiting,
the actual time you’ve got your hands on it is about 20-30 minutes.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I’m doing this by hand, not using any
machinery that you may not have.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I have
cut the recipe in half and just made one loaf, and it works just fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So you’ll need 2 loaf pans, measuring cups, microwave, a <u>sturdy</u>
spoon, a nice big bowl, and the ingredients listed below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 cups of water</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">¼ cup of melted butter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">¼ honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 cups all-purpose flour</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2 teaspoons salt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2 envelopes active dry yeast</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">4 to 4 ½ cups whole wheat flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">(the following are optional)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">½ cup raw sunflower seeds</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">½ cup wheat germ </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Directions</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Put the water, butter, and honey in the microwave for about 30-45
seconds on high.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> You want it warm but
not steaming.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> If you can put your finger
in it comfortably and it feels warm, you’re good.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> If it is uncomfortable, let it cool off for 2
minutes before proceeding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In a large bowl, mix the warm liquid, all-purpose flour, salt and yeast
with a whisk until there are no lumps, about 3 minutes.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Stir in the seeds and wheat germ if you’re
using them.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Now add the wheat flour one
cup at a time until you’ve got all 4 cups in.</span><span style="font-size: large;">
If it’s not really sticky, you’re ready to move forward, otherwise add a
tablespoon or two more of wheat flour.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Use
the remaining wheat flour to dust a large cutting board so you can knead the
dough.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Wipe out the bowl after you put
the dough on the floured board, and then grease the bowl with soft butter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you’ve never done any bread dough kneading, what you need to do is
push the big lump a little flattish and then fold it over towards you and push
it away from you with the heel of your hand.</span><span style="font-size: large;">
Do this for about 5 minutes, rotating the dough so it turns into a smoother
shape.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> By the time the dough is ready,
it will be smooth and elastic – trust yourself, you’ll recognize it when it
happens.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Put the dough into the greased
bowl, and turn it over so it’s got a greasy side facing up.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Cover with a cloth and let it rest in a warm
place for an hour.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Wash your hands,
clean things up and go relax.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the end of the hour, grease 2 loaf pans with soft butter.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Punch the dough down (put your fist in it,
you don’t have to use the same force you’d punch your ex with).</span><span style="font-size: large;"> This will release some of the air.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, shape
into vaguely loaf-like shapes and put in the greased loaf pans.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Cover and let rise another hour, wash your
hands and clean the bowl out, and get back to your relaxing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 350, and when it’s ready uncover the loaf pans and
put the pans in the oven.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Set your timer
for 35 minutes, and come back to look at it when the timer goes off.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Because it’s wheat bread, it may be hard to
tell when the loaves have achieved a “golden” state.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Open the oven and pull the rack out so you
can tap the top of the loaf.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> If it feels
sort of hollow when you tap them, they’re ready.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> If not ready, check again after 5 minutes,
keep doing that until you feel they are ready.</span><span style="font-size: large;">
Take them out, close the oven, turn it off, and turn the loaves out to
cool.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I know, I know, you’re tempted to cut into it immediately.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Don’t do that, give it at least 10-15 minutes
before you cut it, it’s still coming down from 350 degrees and finishing the
last of the baking inside and firming up its structure.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Because this bread is more dense, it’s not as
full of fillers as what you buy and less likely to have the same spongy texture
as store-bought bread.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> You’ll have to
slice it thinner as a result, but hey if it turned out right then it’s going to
be crazy good and that just means you get more of it, right?</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Try the end piece with just some soft butter
spread on it to see how it is. You'll notice that less of it fills you up more than store-bought bread does.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And there you have it – homemade bread good for sandwiches and
toast.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I may throw some oats into it
next time for even more fiber and texture, but even if you don’t add any of the
extras I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If everything went right and you’re feeling great about your bread
making experience, you may also want to try this recipe - <a href="http://alanskitchenchatter.blogspot.com/2011/07/honey-oatmeal-bread.html">Honey
Oatmeal Bread</a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-35298640366702309472012-08-05T21:39:00.002-07:002012-08-05T21:47:10.117-07:00Scottish Oatcakes - Attempt #1Part of my ethnic heritage is Scottish, and lately I've been thinking about what folks eat in the countries my ancestors came from. The oatcake comes to mind, and there are various different versions of them.<br />
<br />
The thicker, dense variety are also called bannocks. I've tried those in the past and just didn't care for them, but there's a version that's similar to a crepe so I went looking for recipes. I found this charming video on YouTube about them:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/_oaikgG-pNg">http://youtu.be/_oaikgG-pNg</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Well, after watching THAT and the gentleman talking about eating them with bacon grease dribbling down his chin, I was totally wanting some right away. I probably shouldn't have watched it without having eaten first, but que sera sera.<br />
<br />
I experimented with my own version of a recipe since I didn't have any oat flour on hand and didn't want to try making my own oat flour in the food processor this time. Here's what I did....<br />
<br />
1 cup water and 1 cup milk, warmed in the microwave.<br />
<br />
1/2 teaspoon yeast dissolved in the liquid and stir in 1/2 tablespoon sugar. <br />
<br />
In a large bowl, mix together 3/4 cup wheat flour, 3/4 cup white flour, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 teaspoon salt.<br />
<br />
Pour the liquid and yeast mix into the dry ingredients and whisk together.<br />
<br />
Cover, and let sit in a warm place for an hour.<br />
<br />
Now mind you, I was looking at 3-4 different recipes at the same time, trying to come up with something that would work. At this point, you were supposed to stir in a tablespoon of melted butter and start cooking them. It was supposed to be thin like crepe batter (or a very thin pancake batter) but something went a little wild... it was thick as oatmeal and bubbling. I added a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and drizzled water in while stirring to get it thin again. It wound up taking another 1/2 cup of water to get it right.<br />
<br />
At this point, I heated up a large nonstick pan, threw a little butter in and used a big soup ladle to pour batter in the pan. Cook til the bubbles firm and flip, brown lightly on that side and it's done.<br />
<br />
I made a stack of about 12 of these babies up. Fortunately, one of them broke on me so I could nibble at a few fragments while I continued cooking the rest of the batter. After one bite, I grabbed a little strawberry jam and tried that too. Then some butter with the jam. It was awesome. I was sad that I'd only had 1/3 of an oatcake, and I still had 5 more to cook before I could stop.<br />
<br />
I had cooked some breakfast sausage up, so the other 2/3 of the broken one wound up with a bit of maple syrup on it and wrapped around the sausage while I continued to cook.<br />
<br />
It was *very* satisfying. I had a really full day of housework ahead of me, so after they'd cooled I wrapped all but 2 up and put in the freezer. I figured that if I couldn't freeze and reheat them, they were useless to me for something quick on the go. To be honest, I can't remember how I ate the 2 I'd held out, but I remember being happy with it.<br />
<br />
The next day, I cooked some bacon, 2 eggs (over medium) and sliced a little cheese while 2 oatcakes thawed out in the microwave, with my fingers crossed. The texture held up to it, and they were slightly warm after about a minute on high. So I put some bacon and cheese on half of each, egg on top and folded over to pick up and eat sandwich-style. One would have been sufficient, I wound up skipping lunch that day because I was so full. And the texture plus flavor made me blissfully happy. I also tried them with some apples I'd sauteed with a little cinnamon, topped with ricotta cheese and a very thin drizzle of maple syrup over the top. Again, pure bliss.<br />
<br />
<br />
The rest - well, my roommate never got to try any. I was completely selfish and didn't even tell him about them. I'm calling my first attempt a huge success, but next time I will try with some oat flour and see how they come out.<br />
<br />
If you decide to try these gems, do let me know how it works for you, or feel free to ask me any questions. Bon appetit!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-84028572894418438532012-06-03T13:42:00.004-07:002012-06-03T13:44:22.824-07:00Real Men DO Eat Quiche!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was going to make this for breakfast yesterday, but wound up going to
the movies instead so Sunday morning quiche it was destined to be!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In my goal to balance healthy eating with good flavor, sometimes I get
off on the wrong track, and sometimes (like this morning) the Tastebud Express glides into the
station with a gentle whisper of culinary bliss.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Does that sound conceited to say about my own
cooking?</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Perhaps so, but man… it was
really good!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The concept:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> A quiche I could
eat on for the rest of the week to avoid cooking in the summer heat.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I wanted it to have a whole wheat crust (for
fiber), and enough veggies in it that I could feel good about the fat going
into it.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> All things in moderation,
right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The final outcome:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> A quiche with
a rather firm crust, filled with bacon, mushrooms, spinach, swiss cheese and
the usual delectable custard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Quick note:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> This is a LARGE
recipe, to fit my 11” quiche pan.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> If you’re
using a regular 9” pie plate then you’ll definitely have excess crust and
filling.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Planning:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Make the crust while
your bacon is cooking and your oven is preheating to 425, then pre-bake the
crust while you’re cooking the vegetables. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> While the pre-baked crust is cooling, grate
the cheese and beat the custard together.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The ingredients:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">(some measurements approximate, so use what you think sounds good)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Crust:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2/3 cup all-purpose flour</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2/3 cup whole wheat flour</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp garlic salt (yep!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">(at this point, mix it all together in a big bowl)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 tbsp garlic butter (I had some from last night)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 cup vegetable oil</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">4 tbsp cold water</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As you can see, I threw some flavor into the crust.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I hate when you have just a little piece of
crust on your plate and you eat it and it just tastes like fatty salty
flour.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> So, as with any pastry recipe,
mix in the oil and butter with a fork until the flour is crumbly instead of
powdery, then sprinkle over the tablespoons of cold water and mix until you get
a ball.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Roll between pieces of wax paper
to the right size for your pan, trim off any excess and bake at 425 for 10
minutes, after pricking with a fork to avoid bubbles. Remove to cool, you do NOT want it browned at all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Filling:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">6 slices lean bacon cooked crisp</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1/3 red onion, diced fine</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup diced crimini mushrooms</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Pinch of dried thyme</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 tsp fresh ground black pepper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2 dashes cayenne pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 dash nutmeg</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cook the veggies until soft in the bacon fat (why waste flavor?), add
the pepper, cayenne, and dried thyme and stir it in before turning off the
heat.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> You will be putting it in a
colander to drain excess liquid out so it doesn’t make the quiche watery.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In a big bowl beat 4 eggs, add a cup of heavy cream and a cup of 2%
milk</span><span style="font-size: large;"> (or whole milk, though it will be
richer.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Assembly:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To your now pre-baked crust, add the cooked vegetables that you’ve
mixed with your chopped crispy bacon and spread evenly on the bottom of the
crust.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Top with about a cup of shredded
swiss cheese, then pour the custard over.</span><span style="font-size: large;">
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 300 for 30 minutes.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> You’ll wind up with a golden brown top that
is the crust of cheese (nom nom nom) and just let it cool for 10 minutes before
cutting into wedges to serve.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> But, um,
don’t serve for at least 5 minutes if you don’t want your guests (or yourself)
to have their mouths scorched!</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So there you have it, that's what I did for breakfast this morning before mowing the lawns. I did snitch another bite after mowing to see how the flavors were when it was room temperature, and the flavor was fabulous. Nothing overpowering, every ingredient making an appearance on the palate. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-60801936074634643362012-02-28T07:32:00.001-08:002012-02-28T07:32:24.680-08:00My “Worst Cooks” evening in the kitchen<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had this great idea when I was at work yesterday.<span> </span>Red bell pepper pasta with a spinach parmesan
sauce, and portabella mushroom caps stuffed with Italian-seasoned ground
sirloin with some melted mozzarella on top.<span>
</span>In my head, it was beautiful and delicious.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In reality – well, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great
either.<span> </span>Lesson of the day – don’t try to
do something new without writing a recipe guideline down first and don’t try to
take shortcuts to save time.<span> </span>Oh yeah,
and don’t try to do something involving this much work on a night when I didn’t
get home from work until 6pm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was definitely a lesson in humility.<span> </span>But I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t post the
failures as well as the successes, so here we go.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The pasta</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The idea here was that I would use the juicer and run a red
bell pepper through it so I could use the pulp and some of the juice in the
pasta dough.<span> </span>Still a good idea, I
think.<span> </span>My favorite book to help me
learn to make pasta (because I’m still in the baby step stages) is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pasta-Tecnica-Pasquale-Jr-Bruno/dp/0809258951/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330440936&sr=8-1">Pasta
Tecnica by Bruno Pasquale</a>.<span> </span>It’s
seriously old, but a great resource.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">So, I juiced a bell pepper, put 1 ½ cups of flour in a bowl
with a generous pinch of garlic salt, 2 eggs and the pulp.<span> </span>I got about ½ a cup of juice from the pepper,
and put ¼ cup in the pasta dough and started beating the eggs into the
flour.<span> </span>As expected, it got a bit too
sticky so I just added flour a spoonful at a time until the dough “felt right”,
then rolled it out a little and let it rest while I got the mushrooms
going.<span> </span>So far, no mistakes really.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">With the mushrooms in the oven and the dishes in the sink, I
started rolling out the pasta dough after putting the water on to boil.<span> </span>I have a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Villaware-Pasta-Machine/dp/B000Q9YYNE">Villaware
Pasta Machine</a> that clamps to my kitchen counter and is easy to work with.<span> </span><u>Mistake #3</u> – not making the roommate
help me.<span> </span>With a manual pasta machine,
you really need more than one set of hands.<span>
</span>Because I was alternately trying to feed dough into the machine and
catch the resulting sheet of dough with my left hand while my right hand turned
the crank, let’s just say it wasn’t nice smooth rectangles of dough.<span> </span>I got impatient because it was taking too
long.<span> </span>If you’ve never done this, you
start rolling the dough at the widest setting (7) and gradually make it thinner
as you feed the dough through again.<span> </span><u>Mistake
#4</u> – I didn’t make the dough thin enough, I stopped at setting 3 and I
should have gone down to 2.<span> </span>Then I
started feeding the thinned dough through the fettucine cutters.<span> </span>Not bad, only a few strands broke off and hit
the floor.<span> </span><u>Mistake #5</u> – I didn’t
get the pasta drying rack out.<span> </span>I wound
up draping the strands of noodle dough creatively on a bowl.<span> </span>Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to
dust with some more flour so the noodles wouldn’t stick to each other.<span> </span>After getting half the dough noodled, I
realized I hadn’t started the sauce and I was running out of time.<span> </span><u>Mistake #6</u> – trying to make a creamy
cheese sauce with spinach without even thinking about how.<span> </span>I threw some olive oil in a nonstick pan
while I finished rolling the other half of the dough out and turning it into
noodles.<br /><br />
Frozen chopped spinach went into the olive oil when the noodles went into the
boiling water.
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Then I realized I was out
of fresh garlic – I had to use the garlic in the jar in the fridge.<span> </span>Urgh.<span>
</span>Here are my thought processes at this point: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“ What goes in the sauce
again?<span> </span>Oh heck, I have some red bell
pepper juice left, what could it hurt to toss that in?<span> </span>Hey, milk would make it creamy, right?<span> </span>Now where’s that fresh grated Parmesan.<span> </span>Oh crap, it’s in the freezer.<span> </span>Well, it’ll melt, I’m sure.<span> </span>Um, it’s kind of orange and the noodles are
already starting to float.<span> </span>Why do some
of the noodles look like octopus tentacles?<span>
</span>I’d better stir.<span> </span>Hmm, there might
not be enough water in the pot.<span> </span>I’ll
push them down in the water to drown them.<span>
</span>OK, cheese melted with the spinach, turning the heat down… wait, why do
I have clumps of spinach?<span> </span>The mushrooms
are done and floating in liquid in there.<span>
</span>Well, that’s totally ugly gray in there, hopefully sprinkling mozzarella
on top will help.<span> </span>Oh no, I have
mozzarella cheese sprinkles on the inside of the oven door now.<span> </span>Got to get this pulled together.<span> </span>Maybe the roommate isn’t hungry.<span> </span>OK, looks like the pasta is done, the color
got lighter and the noodles are all floating, to heck with it, it’s going in
the nonexistent sauce and I’ll just add more parmesan…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The mushrooms</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I had 2 portabella mushroom caps and ½ a pound of ground
sirloin.<span> </span>The idea was that with the
right mix of Italian seasonings I could simulate the flavor of sausage without
all the fat that goes with it, and have some mozzarella on top.<br /><br />
I grabbed my new spice grinder, put in a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for
heat, some fennel seeds, some dried basil and oregano and then let the grinder
go nuts.
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>It wasn’t quite powdered, but
it was smaller pieces.<span> </span><u>Mistake #1</u>
– not measuring, so I couldn’t tell you how much of what I used.<span> </span>I dumped the meat in a bowl, and the spices
on top and smelled fennel overwhelmingly.<span>
</span>Oops.<span> </span>Then I used the garlic
press to squeeze 2 cloves of garlic on top, some garlic salt and black pepper
and stirred it all together.<span> </span>All I could
smell was fennel, and I knew I was in trouble.<span>
</span>Luckily, I had a jar of prepared pesto in the fridge, so two spoonfuls
of that and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese mixed into the meat and I’d managed to
save it.<span> </span>Scooped the gills out of the
mushroom caps because there wasn’t enough room for stuffing otherwise, then
stuffed them with the meat mixture and put them in a 350 oven.<span> </span><u>Mistake #2</u> – forgetting that the meat
and mushrooms would be giving off juices.<span>
</span>Luckily, they were on a jelly roll pan that had sides so the liquid didn’t
get all over the bottom of the oven.<span> </span>I
had brushed the top of the caps with garlic butter so they wouldn’t stick to
the pan, and I think that added to the flavor.<span>
</span>Set the time for 20 minutes and then back to the pasta.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The final outcome</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">So, by the time everything was done, I had a pan full of
light orange noodles with clumps of cheesy spinach, and some gray blobs of
mushroom underneath some melted mozzarella.<span>
</span>We ate it anyway, and I was thinking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
was going to be the last resort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In spite of the mistakes, including the ones I probably
forgot to document, it wasn’t half bad.<span>
</span>Some of the noodles were cooked perfectly, some were still undercooked
and doughy, and while the sauce was nonexistent there was lots of flavor.<span> </span>With the leftover noodles (I made twice as
much as we needed), I’m determined to get that spinach sauce right and make it
work.<br /><br />
The mushrooms – well, the first bite was pretty amazingly flavorful and
delicious.
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>The subsequent bites tasted
mostly like ground beef, and I’m not sure why.<br /><br />
Would I try doing something like this again?
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>
</span>You bet.<span> </span>I think the idea is
still sound, my execution and planning just needs a lot of work.<span> </span>The roommate was pretty happy with it, I
personally gave it a B- overall.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-5914587855968717742012-01-27T07:37:00.000-08:002012-01-27T07:37:06.603-08:00Vegetables with breakfastFor some of you reading this, you just did a mental double-take. That's OK, I did too at first.<br />
<br />
But in talking with folks at work who come from other cultures, I found that it's quite common. Sweet sugary things are an alien concept to them first thing in the morning, so I started experimenting a few months ago with throwing some frozen chopped spinach in a pan and then scrambling eggs with it.<br />
<br />
It's fantastic.<br />
<br />
After recently watching the movie "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" I was reminded about micronutrients (vitamins) coming primarily from produce, and the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, etc.) coming from animal products. I know this is a generality and that you can find some in either grouping, and that vegans get enough protein, so simmer down. It's just a generality.<br />
<br />
What I've discovered through my own personal experimentation is that eating vegetables in the morning gives me more energy throughout the day. Sometimes I'll juice fruits/veggies, sometimes I'll cook and eat them (see below), but I'm definitely finding a lift in my energy levels when I eat veggies in the morning versus when I don't.<br />
<br />
Try it yourself, start out easy like adding sauteed mushrooms and peppers to your omelette. Work your way up to broccoli and spinach, and note the difference in how you feel. After all, if your morning meal makes you feel great, it sets a lovely tone for the start of the day!<br />
<br />
Because my body needs protein in the morning, I do what I call a "healthier compromise", so here was this morning's breakfast.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
1 chipotle tortilla (from Trader Joe's, but you could use whole wheat)<br />
2 slices lean bacon<br />
1 egg<br />
2 mushrooms, chopped<br />
1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach<br />
1 slice of sharp cheddar cheese, diced<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
Put the bacon in a non-stick skillet, and cook til crisp. You're going to eat it on the side.<br />
<br />
Put the mushrooms and frozen chopped spinach in the bacon fat (there should be about 2 tbsp left in the pan), and sautee til it is defrosted and the mushrooms start to release their liquid.<br />
<br />
Crack the egg into the pan, and stir until it's mixed well with the veggies and cooked. Put the cheese on the tortilla, then the veggie/egg scramble on top of that, and the tortilla in the pan for about 2 minutes. It will heat up and slightly crisp, then roll up and enjoy.<br />
<br />
Because my tortilla had a nice kick to it already, I didn't feel the need to add salsa.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-10946493044454255982012-01-09T21:18:00.000-08:002012-01-09T21:18:01.604-08:00Alan's Greenlafels<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A green what?!? Greenlafel, you say? Well, yes. I wanted falafel, but I'm trying to come up with non-meat alternatives to add to my vast repertoire, and this seemed like a good idea. Happily, "good" was an understatement.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was inspired by Aarti Sequeira's Pea-lafel idea on her bellydance episode of "Aarti Party", but I didn't like the flavor combinations she used, so I didn't even look at her recipe to be honest.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Greenlafel “dough”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">16 oz bag of frozen edamame, thawed</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup frozen peas & carrots, thawed</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 tsp ground coriander</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup cilantro leaves</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">3 cloves garlic, peeled</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 tsp chili powder</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">½ tsp ground ginger</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">½ tsp fennel seeds, ground</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">½ cup chickpea flour (or whole wheat flour would work)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2 tablespoons olive oil</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sauce:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup plain yogurt (I like greek yogurt best)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">½ cup chopped cilantro</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Garlic salt </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Lemon pepper </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Accessories:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thinly sliced onion (be creative)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cucumber, sliced about 1/8 inch</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Pita bread</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Bowl for yogurt sauce</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Food processor for making dough</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Pan with ½” to 1” of oil for frying.<span> </span>(Use a deep pan like a dutch oven to reduce
the splattering on your stove)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Tongs for turning balls in hot oil</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Instructions:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Mix the yogurt with the chopped cilantro, and add garlic
salt and lemon pepper to taste.<span> </span>Set
aside in the fridge, covered.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Take the greenlafel ingredients and put them in the food
processor, blend until smooth.<span> </span>It won’t
get totally smooth, but it will reach a wet doughy consistency.<span> </span>If still too wet to form into balls that you
can handle, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until it’s right.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Form some dough into 4-5 small balls, a tablespoon should
make something about the size of ping-pong balls while the oil heats in your
pan for frying.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When the oil starts to shimmer in the pan, carefully place
4-5 balls in it being careful not to drop them and splash hot oil on
yourself.<span> </span>They’re ready to turn when you
notice the edge turning a dark caramel color.<span>
</span>They cook fast, so don’t walk away!<span>
</span>As you remove from heat and replace with uncooked greenlafel balls, if
they start to crumble as you’re turning or removing from the oil, they didn’t
cook long enough to hold together, or the dough was too wet.<span> </span>You can add some flour to the remaining dough
to stiffen it up a bit more if needed for the next batch.<span> </span>They’ll still taste great, so don’t fret if
they fall apart on you, just hide them from guests.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When you’ve cooked all you need, or all the dough, you can
turn the heat off under the oil and start assembling pitas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">With the pita cut in half, you’ll have 2 pockets. <span> </span>Figure that each guest might want to eat two
because they taste so good and it’s really just vegetables, after all.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Open one pocket up, put 2-3 greenlafels in (whatever fits
depending on how big you made them), followed by a spoonful or two of the yogurt
sauce, and whatever veggies you want in it.<span>
</span>You can use lettuce, or spinach, or small dice tomatoes in addition to
what I listed above, it’s really up to you.<span>
</span>Radish sprouts might even be interesting and lend a little kick to
things.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And as for that dough – feel free to experiment with
spices.<span> </span>What I listed came out pretty
mild (by my standards), but the flavor was still great.<span> </span>It was so good I would consider spreading it
on bread as part of a sandwich!<span> </span>The leftover
dough I have is going in a container in the fridge to use again in a couple of
days, it ought to hold up pretty well.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">And in case your inner carnivore is asking where
the meat is… chill out.<span> </span>I still like meat
too, but there’s a LOT of protein in this meal, PLUS lots of fiber and veggies,
which means vitamins! Parents might find this a good vehicle for sneaking veggies in on your kids (or spouse, or roommate).</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-30915294461232794112012-01-08T10:11:00.000-08:002012-01-08T10:11:32.923-08:00Green Juice #2I actually like this one better than the one yesterday...<br />
<br />
Again, in order of going into the juicer:<br />
<br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">1 orange</span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">1 small lemon</span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"></span><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">1 apple</span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">1 cup of broccoli</span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">1 cup of (adult, not baby) spinach</span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">3 ribs of celery</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">The reason I put the citrus in first, is because I want the apple juice to not turn the whole thing brownish when it oxidizes. I just think drinking brown juice would be unappetizing. The spinach turns it a beautiful green color, though. This one was better than the one yesterday, I think, and I made enough for 2 12 oz glasses of juice, one for me and one for my roommate. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">The reason I'm leaving the kale out of future recipes is because after cleaning the juicer out yesterday I discovered that the kale leaves merely shredded and went into the pulp catcher, for the most part. Kale is such a great source of nutrition that I won't waste it that way again. Different juicer machines will behave differently, though, so don't let my experience stop you from trying it :) </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-62359016633806238232012-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:002012-01-07T10:33:55.863-08:00The foray back into juicingAfter watching the film "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" yesterday while I was home ill from work, it occurred to me that my juicer has been dusty for far too long.<br />
<br />
Before you start worrying that I'm giving up food and won't blog about anything but juicing - fear not. I still plan on eating solid food :)<br />
<br />
I am, however, going to start posting recipes for my experiments in juicing.<br />
<br />
This one was approved by both me and my roommate, who is notoriously picky.<br />
<br />
I'm going to list the ingredients in the order they went into the juicer, because with this there really are no cooking instructions. Make sure you've washed everything first, of course, and cut things down to a size that will fit through the tube for your juicer. <br />
<br />
<br />
1 small lemon, peeled<br />
1 cup of spinach (including stems)<br />
4 leaves of kale<br />
3 ribs of celery<br />
1 green onion<br />
1 honey crisp apple (similar to a Gala, it's just what I happened to have)<br />
<br />
That was it, it made a little under 2 cups of juice, and the flavor of the green onion and the lemon worked nicely together. And, like all juicing experiments, my skin is flushed and my heartbeat is up after drinking it because I haven't juiced in so many months. But heck, it's all good for me, right? <br />
<br />
I won't post all of the nutritional information, but here are the highlights:<br />
<br />
Calories - 258<br />
Total fat - 3g (4% RDA)<br />
Sodium - 247mg (10% RDA)<br />
Potassium - 1994mg (57% RDA)<br />
Calcium - 475 mg (48% RDA)<br />
Vitamin C - 380 mg (633% RDA)<br />
Vitamin A (IU) - 26176 (524% RDA)<br />
Vitamin A (RE) - 2617 (262% RDA)<br />
Vitamin B6 - 1 mg (49% RDA)<br />
<br />
That's a lot of nutrition in one glass of juice. I'm not sure if the numbers are totally accurate without the fiber from the fruit/veg, but it's got to be kind of close on the vitamins.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-73156203967811313132012-01-02T20:58:00.000-08:002012-01-02T20:58:26.074-08:00Lemony Chicken with SpinachIt's that time of year again, when everyone's focused on weight loss or healthier eating or something like that. I'm no exception this year, with a LOT of motivation to create a healthier life (and slimmer waist) for myself, since I'm not getting any younger and I'd like to date someone some time.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast<br />1 Bunch Spinach Leaves, Whole<br />1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt<br />1 1/2 Teaspoons Lemon Pepper<br />4 Tablespoons Lemon Juice<br />1/4 Cup White Wine<br />2 Tablespoons Olive Oil<br />
<br />
Directions are simple:<br />
<br />
1. Heat olive oil in pan<br />2. sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic salt and lemon pepper, place in pan and cover<br />3. Turn when browned on one side, cover (to prevent splattering mostly)<br />4. when browned on both sides, add wine and lemon juice and quickly cover pan<br />5. after 5 minutes check for doneness<br />6. When done, remove chicken from pan, place spinach in immediately<br />7. Turn spinach with tongs until wilted, no other seasoning required<br />8. One breast per plate, spinach divided evenly, and serve.<br />
<br />
That's it, it serves two people and it's pretty quick.<br />
<br />
Assumptions: You know enough to wash the spinach first, the chicken breast is thawed and trimmed of excess fat, and you don't have your face in the way of the huge cloud of steam when the wine hits the pan. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-61502719454993805732011-12-19T07:42:00.000-08:002011-12-19T07:42:24.646-08:00Big Fat Garlic BreadYeah, you read the title right. This is not a healthy recipe. I'm not even going to look at the nutritional analysis, because it's so good who cares. Just don't overdo it and you won't become spherical.<br />
<br />
You'll need:<br />
<br />
A big loaf of good french or sourdough bread.<br />
2 sticks of butter, softened to room temperature<br />
5 cloves of garlic<br />
1 tsp garlic salt<br />
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese<br />
<br />
Use your best judgment on how much of the bread to use for the number of people you're serving. I cut off 1/3 of the loaf for my roommate and I, then split that horizontally.<br />
<br />
Put the soft butter into a bowl.<br />
Using a garlic press, crush the garlic cloves into the butter.<br />
Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined.<br />
Add the garlic salt and parmesan cheese.<br />
Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined.<br />
<br />
Spread on the halves of bread - liberally. You want that to really get in there. 2 tablespoons each should do it, I think. Sprinkle a little bit of garlic salt over the top too.<br />
<br />
Toast the bread under the broiler until it bubbles, then remove and serve.<br />
<br />
I highly recommend it with the Kale and Sausage soup. <span class="translationEligibleUserMessage"><a href="http://alanskitchenchatter.blogspot.com/2011/10/kale-and-sausage-soup.html" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://alanskitchenchatter.blogspot.com/2011/10/kale-and-sausage-soup.html</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-36587855758740844012011-11-28T21:53:00.001-08:002011-11-28T22:08:54.682-08:00Sausage and Mushroom stew<br />
I freely admit that I took Rachel Ray's rather complicated recipe and simplified it so I could easily toss it together after work. Honestly, it's a great dish for fall/winter, served over cheesy polenta. It looks more complicated than it is, so don't let it intimidate you out of trying it. Once you have the mushrooms chopped, it's almost as easy as making spaghetti.<br />
<br />
That's why measurements are just approximations, I didn't actually measure anything. You'll need:<br />
<br />
For the polenta:<br />
<br />
2 cups chicken stock<br />
1 cup quick-cooking polenta (found on the aisle with the flour, at my store)<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella<br />
1/4 cup shredded parmesan<br />
1 clove garlic <br />
<br />
For the stew:<br />
<br />
1 lb hot italian sausage (or you can use 2 links mild, 2 links hot for the tender tummies)<br />
1 package portobello mushrooms, or 2 large caps, chopped<br />
1 package shitaake mushrooms (fresh), chopped<br />
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced<br />
3 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped<br />
2 tablespoons chopped basil<br />
1/2 cup red wine<br />
1/2 cup beef stock<br />
1 tablespoon cornstarch <br />
<br />
Stew directions #1:<br />
<br />
If you bought sausage links, remove the casing before you start. Brown in a nonstick pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, breaking the sausage up. When it's almost done cooking, add the chopped garlic, all of the chopped mushrooms, and the basil and sage. Sautee for 4 minutes until the mushrooms start to release their juices, then add the red wine. <br />
<br />
Polenta directions:<br />
<br />
At this point, the stock and milk should be boiling in a pot for the polenta, with the clove of garlic in the liquid. You can leave it whole after smashing it a little to release the juice for removal later, or if you want to keep it in you can mince it really fine, the choice is yours. When the liquid reaches boiling, whisk in the polenta. It should reach an almost pudding-like consistency very quickly, at which point you'll remove from heat, whisk in the cheese to melt, and set aside. <br />
<br />
Stew #2:<br />
<br />
Now that you've got the polenta done and cooling so you don't burn the roof of your mouth off eating it, let's finish the stew off. The wine should have simmered all of the alcohol off by now, so mix the cornstarch with about 3 tablespoons of the beef stock. Add the stock and the cornstarch mixture to the pan of mushrooms, and simmer til it thickens up a bit. It won't be as thick as beef stew gravy, but it won't be watery either. <br /><br />All that's left is to serve some polenta up in a bowl, and ladle some of the stew on top of it, and enjoy! I don't recommend making this recipe vegetarian/vegan, because the different flavors of stock really add to the complexity of the flavor profile for the whole dish.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-72999877051793358512011-11-23T07:03:00.001-08:002011-11-23T07:21:42.238-08:00Name that dish!I need your help. My creativity is totally blank on this one.<br />
<br />
I'll change the subject of this post to the winning name, but we need to find something simple to call it. Please, keep the name suggestions family-friendly and easy to say. The most popular name in a week will be the winner!<br />
<br />
I took the recipe for my favorite dip, and turned it into a side dish to go with our Thanksgiving meal. The neufchatel cheese is mostly to bind things together a bit, but the slight bit of tartness works well with both the spinach and artichoke hearts.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
12 oz package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped<br />
10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed<br />
2 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
4 slices good quality center-cut bacon<br />
3 tbsp Neufchatel cheese (because it's 1/3 the fat of cream cheese)<br />
1/2 tsp white pepper<br />
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
I used a non-stick pan for this, to keep the fat content lower. Cook the bacon til crisp, remove from pan to drain on paper towels then crumble for later. Into the hot bacon fat (there should only be about 1 tbsp in the pan, so drain some if there's more) add the chopped garlic and stir for 2 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach, and stir occasionally while they sautee. Put the crumbled bacon in, and mix well. Add the Neufchatel cheese and pepper, and stir until the cheese is melted into the vegetables. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded Parmesan, and serve.<br />
<br />
Assuming you get 6 servings out of this, the nutrition information per serving is as follows:<br />
<br />
89 Calories; 4g Fat (43.0% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 9mg Cholesterol; 216mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.<br /><br />Surprised that I included Nutrition Information? Well, expect it in the future. I'm using the MasterCook software to keep my recipes in instead of in a folder on my hard drive, and it provides the nutritional information so I thought I'd share it from now on.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-55276775677991092112011-10-28T22:13:00.000-07:002011-10-28T22:13:20.291-07:00Kale and Sausage SoupThis recipe came from my friend Janys, who served it to a bunch of us one dark and stormy night... it has to be the simplest soup in the world to make, and if you're not feeling well and are all stuffed up (like I am tonight), you can definitely taste it. I don't know anyone who doesn't like this soup, so I think my blog friends should have access to it, don't you? :)<br />
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/4 tsp crushed red
pepper (or to taste)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 lb </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">spicy Italian sausage</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (bulk or if in casings remove from casings to
cook)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6 cups thinly sliced
kale (about 1 lb)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Softly fry sausage on
low heat breaking up into small chunks. Do not brown. Drain off fat
and set aside. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Heat oil</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in large stock pot over
medium heat. Add onions; saute until wilted. Add garlic and saute
additional minute or two. Add 1/4 tsp salt. Add water and potato;
bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potato is
tender. Add broth, red pepper and sausage; bring to boil again.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Add kale and salt as
needed and simmer until kale is tender.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This makes 4-6
servings. Enjoy!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-73950425812620896792011-10-25T21:25:00.000-07:002011-10-25T21:25:16.698-07:00Alan's Apple Spice Cookies<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Because of a recent trip to Apple Hill with my Mom, I was thinking about ways to enjoy apples this time of year that aren't "standard". My roommate hates pie, but he likes apple cake, and I wondered if this would work out.</div>
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They came out soft, kind of reminiscent of the tops of muffins, and honestly they're sweet enough they don't need frosting at all. As of this posting, I haven't had any after they've cooled off, but for now they're pretty cake-like.</div>
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<br /></div>
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1 stick butter, softened</div>
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2 tablespoons Neufchatel cheese, softened</div>
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½ cup white sugar</div>
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¾ cup brown sugar</div>
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2 tart apples, peeled/cored/grated</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 tsp vanilla</div>
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2 cups flour</div>
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½ cup oats</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1 tsp baking soda</div>
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2 tsp cardamom</div>
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1 tsp cinnamon</div>
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1 dash nutmeg</div>
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1 pinch ginger</div>
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<br /></div>
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Beat sugars, butter, and cheese together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix eggs and vanilla in thoroughly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in grated apples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sift into wet mixture together flour, salt,
soda and spices, then add oatmeal and stir until thoroughly incorporated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet,
bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until golden.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-22834736309312039022011-07-23T16:53:00.000-07:002011-07-23T16:53:24.531-07:00The joys of the microplane graterI know, most of the time I post recipes, but today's entry is dedicated to one of the best non-electric kitchen tools ever - the microplane grater.<br />
<br />
Watching Rachel Ray use it to grate nutmeg the first time, I thought "meh, I can buy powdered nutmeg what's the big deal?"<br />
<br />
Then I saw someone else use it for zesting an orange, and I had to have one. Some of the ones you'll see are long and narrow, and while I did find one, I also found one that was wider. So I bought them both!<br />
<br />
Microplane graters are the fastest, best way (in my personal experience) to zest fruit. Lemons, Limes, and Oranges have been stripped of their color to flavor my dishes in nothing flat for a few years.<br />
<br />
But I finally bought some whole nutmeg to see if Rachel knew something I didn't. Oh boy, did I get schooled! Fresh ground spices are MUCH better than buying spices already ground to a powder. Nutmeg and cinnamon are amazing when freshly grated into something, and it's so very easy. It convinced me to try what Indian folks do - toast and grind spices myself (though not with a microplane, it's still amazingly better).<br />
<br />
Of course, you can also grate some of the hard cheeses like Parmesan super easy, it comes out like that angel hair stuff some folks decorate with around the winter holidays. It just melts on your tongue and has a very nice presentation.<br />
<br />
And last but not least - you can use your new toy (assuming you don't already have one) to grate ginger and cloves of garlic instead of mincing by hand. If you peel your ginger root and put it in the freezer like I do, you can grate it frozen with the microplane and it works just fine. It's a lot easier to clean than a garlic press, and frankly takes less work. Like all graters, you have to be careful not to grate your fingertips because this one is extra sharp.<br />
<br />
So there you have it, if you don't already have a microplane grater I really think you should go get one. It's a time-saver, and quite versatile.<br />
<br />
Happy Cooking!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-6847526888283536272011-07-21T20:17:00.000-07:002011-07-22T06:07:36.267-07:00Alan's Spicy Pork<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I blame a coworker for this recipe, he said "if you come up with a pulled pork recipe that you think I might like, feel free to pass it along". within 5 minutes, I'd written the first draft, and then the final draft the next day:</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span class="apple-style-span">The people in the Bengali region of India like to add a little sweetness to their recipes, so this is my nod to that part of India, designed for the American kitchen. You could serve this on couscous, or shred it and make it into a sandwich or a wrap, or use leftover sauce and serve it over rice. It's a pretty versatile idea.</span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">You’ll need a crockpot and a blender or food processor for this.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-style-span">Puree:</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">1 chipotle chili (from can with adobo sauce)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">2 roasted Pasilla chiles, seeded and peeled<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">6 cloves garlic<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">2 tsp ginger (I was out of fresh, so used the kind in a jar)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">½ cup lowfat greek yogurt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">¼ cup honey<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">1 6 oz can tomato paste<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">1 cup chopped onion<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">1 serrano chile, seeded<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">½ tsp ground cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">1 tsp cumin powder<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">1 tsp ground coriander</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">And of course, put a little in the bottom of the crock pot, put the pork in and then cover it with the rest of the sauce. Cook</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The review:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I used a 2 pound pork sirloin roast. It was on sale for $5 and I figured it was a nice lean option</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I was going to get poblano peppers instead of the pasilla, but honestly I don't know what the difference is and they didn't have poblanos, so you use what you can find.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I roasted the pasillas in the toaster oven to avoid heating up the whole house</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I really didn't want to take the time to make a side dish, so I just made a box of wild mushroom couscous I had on hand.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The pork, of course, was so tender I had to use tongs and a spoon to get it out of the crock pot.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">As expected, it wouldn't slice so don't plan on this being pretty for presentation.</span></span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">As for the taste - it was spicy! If you don't like it hot, you may want to consider putting only half of the chipotle in, or none at all. I was expecting a slightly more sweet/smoky/spicy balance of flavors, but in spite of the honey it wasn't that sweet. Still, it was definitely worth repeating and the next time I may just make the sauce and cook chicken breasts in it. Your comments, of course, are welcome :)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Bon Appetit!</i></b></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-17683597881671906162011-07-15T20:33:00.000-07:002011-07-15T20:33:20.575-07:00Artichoke Pesto Pasta with ChickenI made this up tonight, and am happy to say it turned out better than I'd hoped. I like to use the "garden" pasta when I can because it's good fiber and counts as a serving of vegetables, plus it's kind of pretty. The sauce on this is a pale pale green, so the different colored pasta looks nice under it all.<br />
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I adore artichoke hearts, and in a dish like this they taste so light and lemony it's pretty refreshing. This is one of those rare dishes where I would be afraid to change anything because it came out <i><b>so</b> </i>right. The spiral/corkscrew pasta was really the right choice, because the sauce had enough body to it that it got in the nooks and crannies and stayed there beautifully. I imagine you could garnish it with some basil ribbons without negatively impacting the flavor, but I don't think I'd do much more than that.<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Artichoke Pesto Pasta with Chicken</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ingredients:</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 cans artichoke hearts, drained<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(not the marinated ones!)</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 cloves of garlic, minced</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 boneless skinless chicken breast</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tsp chopped basil</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup of white wine (chardonnay)</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ tsp garlic salt</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ tsp black pepper</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup lowfat ricotta cheese</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup grated parmesan cheese</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ box of garden rotelle pasta (the corkscrew kind, aka rotini)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Assembly:</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ol><li>Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to package directions.</li>
<li>While the water is heating up to a boil, in a large skillet turn the heat to medium high and put a tablespoon or two of olive oil in the pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>Slice the chicken thinly, then cut the slice into 2 inch pieces.</li>
<li>With one can of the artichoke hearts, dice it very fine with the basil and garlic to make your faux pesto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quarter the other can of artichoke hearts so you've got a different texture in the dish.</li>
<li>Put the chicken in the pan until it’s lightly golden on one side, and turn the pieces over to brown on the other side.</li>
<li>Add the pesto and the quartered hearts, and stir in the wine and cheeses, sprinkle in the garlic salt and pepper and stir well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it almost sounds like a fondue sauce at this point, but what the heck.</li>
<li>When the pasta is cooked, drain, rinse to cool it off and stop the cooking process, and add to the sauce and toss well.</li>
</ol><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Recipe makes 2 generous portions.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-5227814925970161572011-07-15T18:15:00.000-07:002011-07-15T18:15:21.286-07:00Alan's LasagnaLike everyone, my recipe is based off of my mother's recipe, but I made a lot of changes and they worked out so well it's the only way I'll do it anymore.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Caveats:</b></div><ul><li>I’m assuming you have dried oregano and basil in the house.</li>
<li>If you goof and use too much sauce in the first layer, you can skip the sauce for the ricotta layer without hurting the taste.</li>
<li>If you still wind up with a bunch of water in the bottom of the pan when you take the first piece out, it won’t hurt anything just use a baster to suck it all out and dispose of it (or a spoon).<span> </span>Just reduce the sauce more next time, not a big deal.<span> </span>People will still love it.</li>
<li>If you forget to cook the mushrooms first, you can put them in raw, but you will wind up with the aforementioned water in the pan.</li>
<li>You can cook the onions/garlic/mushrooms with the meat layer and use more “pure” sauce, and perhaps save some time, I just like doing it this way.</li>
<li>Don’t be afraid to add or subtract seasoning, like tossing in some black pepper or using more parmesan, make it your own.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Alan’s Lasagna</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shopping List:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 lb ground sirloin (or see substitution list)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 lb mild italian sausage</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 package sliced provolone</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">2 packages shredded mozzarella</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 8 oz container lowfat Ricotta</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 canister parmesan (you’re dusting the top, really)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 jar prepared pesto (you’ll need 2 tablespoons of it)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 package sliced crimini mushrooms (or regular mushrooms, I’m just a fan of criminis)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 box lasagna noodles</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">3 large cans tomato sauce</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 large can tomato paste</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 large tomato</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Red wine of your choice</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Onions</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Garlic</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Allow yourself 2-3 hours to make this, don’t try to rush it. And don't drink too much of the wine until after it's in the oven. :)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Substitutions:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ol><li>Sirloin can be substituted with ground pork, or turkey, or an additional pound of Italian sausage</li>
<li>If using an additional pound of sausage, you could use the hot kind if you prefer, but at least one needs to be the mild/sweet to get the flavor right</li>
<li>Sauce shortcut – buy prepared marinara sauce and add a small can of tomato paste and just simmer to reduce it down.</li>
</ol><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Assembly:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"></div><ol><li>Cook the meat together in a pan, breaking up into lumps. After it’s all browned, put in a colander lined with paper towels to take as much grease out as possible.</li>
<li>Saute a chopped onion and 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the mushrooms, and when they’re done and have released their liquid drain the liquid out of the pan and add the tomato sauce, paste, and diced tomato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add some dried basil and oregano, and about ¼ cup of red wine and simmer til the sauce is thick enough to not be watery.</li>
<li>Boil noodles as described on the package, then remove from heat and rinse with cold water to stop cooking (and make them easier to handle).</li>
<li>Mix 2-3 tablespoons of prepared pesto with the 8oz of ricotta cheese</li>
<li>Put about ¼ cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of your baking dish (11x9, or whatever fits)</li>
<li>Put a layer of noodles in the bottom of the dish</li>
<li>Add a layer of meat, using about half of the meat mixture</li>
<li>Ladle some sauce over the meat, about a third of your sauce should be enough you don’t want to drown the thing</li>
<li>Put slices of provolone on top of the saucy meat, sprinkle mozzarella to fill in the gaps</li>
<li>Top with a layer of noodles</li>
<li>Spread all of the pesto ricotta on top</li>
<li>Spread a third of your tomato sauce on top of the pesto</li>
<li>Put a last layer of noodles on top</li>
<li>Put on the rest of the meat</li>
<li>Put on the rest of the sauce</li>
<li>If you still have some provolone slices left, use it up now on top, otherwise sprinkle liberally with shredded mozzarella.</li>
<li>Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan.</li>
</ol><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: 0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bake at 350 for about 45 mins to an hour, you want the cheese on top bubbly and just starting to brown a tiny bit.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-25443433524697506222011-07-15T18:01:00.000-07:002011-07-16T10:53:01.468-07:00Chicken, Blue Cheese and Bacon - paradise!<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you're not a fan of blue cheese or bacon, this is not the recipe for you. But for the rest of us - yum! After rolling up the chicken, I recommend wrapping the bacon around it so that the bacon covers the "open" sides of the rolled chicken to prevent the blue cheese from melting out. Serve it with a nice mixed green salad and a balsamic vinaigrette.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Blue Cheese and Pecans<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px;">Ingredients</span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Salt and freshly ground black pepper <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup blue cheese crumbles <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2 scallions, sliced on bias <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">4 slices good-quality center cut bacon <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2 tablespoons butter <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2 tablespoons all-purpose flour <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup chicken stock <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 cup half-and-half or cream <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2 tablespoons grainy mustard <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Special equipment: toothpicks <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><h2><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Directions<o:p></o:p></span></h2><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Melt the butter in the same skillet pan the chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and grain mustard, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to warm.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="instructions"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Halve the chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top. Serve with rice (or pasta) and greens, if desired. Ooh, a nice crusty warm bread with some light garlic butter would work well too.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-47625110115859511892011-07-15T17:56:00.000-07:002011-07-15T17:56:54.588-07:00Creamy Broccoli SoupOK, so it's got a lot of vegetables other than broccoli in it, but this recipe has been a big hit any time I've served it. It's also a *great* way to get nutrients into someone who isn't feeling well. <br />
<br />
You can thin it a little (if it's too rich for someone convalescing) by just adding some milk instead of cream or half & half, and the flavor doesn't suffer a bit. I don't recommend over seasoning the soup, because the blend of vegetables really makes up most of the flavor profile in the dish.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Cream of Broccoli Soup<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">1 bunch broccoli (2-3 stalks) diced into small florets -add as much stalk as desired<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">4 stalks celery with lots of leaves - chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">2 large leeks - diced (both white and green parts)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">2 carrots - diced<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">6-7 large mushrooms - chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">3 bay leaves<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">marjoram to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">2 cans vegetable broth<span style="color: blue;"> (or chicken)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">1 can water<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Combine all above and simmer covered until vegetables are tender.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Then:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">1/3 c butter<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">1/3 c flour<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">2 c half & half<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyTextIndent">Melt butter in saucepan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Slowly add half & half and mix until smooth, slightly thickened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour into vegetables and heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>**If you have a hand blender, using it to chop the veggies down a little further before adding the creamy mixture makes for a smoother soup.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-16791036419474536202011-07-15T17:54:00.000-07:002011-07-15T17:54:00.487-07:00Congo BarsI got this recipe from my friend Janys, and I haven't made a single change to it because it doesn't need it. When you make these (and you will), you're going to have a tough time resisting the urge to dive into them because the aroma is so very intoxicating. With regard to the orange peel, I used the zest from 2 oranges, and I use a microplane grater because it makes it so easy/quick to zest citrus. You'll need to eat or juice the oranges because without the zest they tend to dry out, so use the orange pieces in a spinach salad with some thinly sliced fennel bulb or something while you wait for these to bake.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Congo Bars<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Preheat oven to 350 </div><div class="MsoNormal">Line a 15x10 jellyroll pan with foil</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Ingredients<o:p></o:p></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">½ cup butter at room temperature</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">2 cups packed dark brown sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">3 eggs</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 tsp vanilla</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">2 tablespoons grated orange peel</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">¼ tsp salt</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">2 ½ cups flour (all-purpose)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">2 tsp baking powder</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">¾ cup chopped walnuts</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Beat butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange peel and salt til light and fluffy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add flour & baking powder, beat until blended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in nuts and chocolate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spread evenly in foil lined pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool in pan, then cut into bars.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-28581626761512662642011-07-08T17:52:00.000-07:002011-07-08T17:52:38.860-07:00Honey Oatmeal BreadThis recipe is <i style="font-weight: bold;">fantastic</i> for company, especially the overnight variety. Say you've got guests arriving Friday night, staying over. Make the dough up Friday before they arrive and stick it in the refrigerator to rise. Saturday morning, as you start the coffee or teapot, take the dough out and preheat the oven. Bake the loaves while you cook breakfast, and voila! Warm bread with your breakfast!<br />
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Honey Oatmeal Bread<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 C boiling water<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/4 C butter (soft)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/3 C honey<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 C sour cream<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 1/2 C oatmeal<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 C warm water<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 envelopes yeast<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 eggs (room temperature)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 C flour<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4 - 5 C flour<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a large bowl, combine the boiling water and the butter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the butter's melted, add the sour cream, oatmeal, honey and salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In another large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the eggs and the 2 cups of flour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When mixed well, add the yeast mixture to the oat/honey mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After blended completely, add 4 cups of flour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add additional flour if necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Knead for 10 minutes on a floured surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Divide into 2 loaves and place in greased loaf pans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put the pans in plastic bags and refrigerate 2-24 hours before baking.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
To bake, preheat oven to 375 and take the bread dough out of the refrigerator 10 minutes before baking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake for approximately 40 minutes until golden in color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The loaves should sound hollow when tapped.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-71678139365723786102011-07-08T17:39:00.000-07:002011-07-08T17:39:50.154-07:00Alan's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookiesI can't take credit for creating this recipe. My mom got it from the mother of a high school friend, and I've been making these cookies since I was in high school. <br />
<br />
I've taken them to work, parties, and even delivered them warm to some friends who were working at my morning radio station - still warm.<br />
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They're almost an instant bliss hit, especially for hung over comedians. (She was at the radio station, and she said on the air "These cookies are so good I want to mount the whole tray".)<br />
<br />
Now for some words of warning - don't eat the frozen dough. Not because anything bad will happen, but I've known people to eat an entire batch of raw frozen cookie dough and they never got a baked cookie out of it. Don't make these if you're on a diet, either. <br />
<br />
If you have tremendous willpower, these are great to have in the freezer so you can just slice two off and bake them in the toaster oven. If you let them rest on paper towels long enough, they'll get chewy and stay that way forever. If you want them crispy, put them in an airtight container as soon as they've cooled off. And lastly, make sure they've cooled off enough so you don't burn your tongue or the roof of your mouth on the melted chocolate. It may be worth it, but it still hurts.<br />
<br />
So, here you are:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Alan’s Oatmeal Cookies</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup solid white Crisco (do NOT substitute)</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup granulated white sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup packed brown sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 eggs, beaten</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 tsp vanilla</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 ½ cups flour</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 tsp salt</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 tsp baking soda</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 cups uncooked oatmeal (not the quick-cooking/instant kind)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli double chocolate ones)</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mix first 3 ingredients together until fairly smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in eggs and vanilla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sift the 3 dry ingredients together and stir well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix in the oatmeal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then mix in the choc chips and nuts.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Shape dough into rolls, wrap in wax paper and freeze at least 2 hours before baking.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Preheat oven to 350.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slice dough into ½” thick rounds, place on ungreased cookie sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you want to use the drop cookie method and avoid the freezing time, it works well too.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2825552806835944974.post-76407880610521534292011-06-20T18:08:00.000-07:002011-06-20T18:08:04.542-07:00Cinnamon BiscuitsWhile I made these over the weekend, I wanted to hold off on blogging the recipe until I knew how they were the next day. If you live alone, or your housemate(s) aren't voracious eaters, there will be leftovers and I thought it important to taste-test them at all stages.<br />
<br />
Happy to report, they're awesome fresh out of the oven and they're also good at room temperature the next day without anything extra on them. I left off the frosting idea, because I had a hunch they'd be sweet enough on their own, and I was right. I plan on using the same biscuit recipe for something savory at a later date, because it was pretty awesome on its own. Here you are:<br />
<br />
Whisk together in a large bowl:<br />
<br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
4 teaspoons sugar<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
<br />
Add 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces.<br />
<br />
Cut the butter into the flour until it's the size of small peas (pastry blender for the win!), and add:<br />
<br />
3/4 cup half and half (note, I didn't have half & half, I used 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup whipping cream)<br />
<br />
Stir the moo juice (hey, you try describing it any other way) into the butter/flour mixture until it all comes together.<br />
<br />
Turn out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out into a rectangle about 1/2 and inch thick.<br />
<br />
Brush lightly with a tablespoon or two of room temperature (ie softened) butter. Sprinkle some brown sugar over it, and sprinkle cinnamon over to taste (I used a lot but didn't measure, be creative). Roll the dough up on the long edge. Seal the ends, and cut into 1 inch pieces.<br />
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Put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and into a 400 F degree oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. The cinnamon smell is going to make you nuts, thankfully it doesn't take that long.<br />
<br />
And there you have it. If you eat one too soon, you're going to burn your mouth (voice of experience), but you can knock these out in a jiffy. Remember, it *is* a biscuit recipe so they won't be light and fluffy cinnamon rolls, but good heavens it's certainly a worthy substitute when you don't want to wait for yeast to rise!<br />
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<b><i>Bon appetit</i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0