Ben's Recipes

Apple Pie

2010-10-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Pie-by-Grandma-Ople/Detail.aspx
After laying down about half of the apple slices in the crust, I poured most of the butter/sugar mixture over the apples. Then, I completed building the pie and poured the remaining butter/sugar over the top crust. This lessens the chance that the mixture will spill over the edge.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ruths-Grandmas-Pie-Crust/Detail.aspx
I used 1 stick of butter and 3/4c shortening. Here's a trick for making pie dough with butter: Freeze the butter overnight, then use a cheese grater to make small butter shavings which can be easily mixed with the flour.

This dough recipe makes enough dough for about 1.5 double crust pies.

Fondant cake how-to videos

2010-08-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

I posted a series of three how-to videos showing how I baked my last fondant cake:

More fondant cakes

2010-06-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

First fondant cake

2010-05-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

I made this cake for Mother's Day.

Cake:
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Dark-Chocolate-Cake-2496

Buttercream frosting:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Vanilla-Buttercream-Frosting-From-Sprinkles-Cupcakes-222188

Fondant:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm

The cake recipe made two thin (1" to 1.5") round 9" diameter cakes. I cut the top off one cake to flatten it, then covered it with frosting. I put the second cake on top, then trimmed the two cakes and spread frosting over the whole thing. I could have used a little more frosting than was made with the above recipes. Although the 1 cup of butter is scary. Maybe I will try to spread a thinner layer between the cakes next time.

The fondant takes a little time to knead, but it is very elastic, and I didn't have much trouble rolling it out, and smoothing it on the cake.

The ribbon, flowers, and leaves are all colored fondant. I made some fondant lettering for Mother's Day, but my handwriting is so terrible, that I was sure the cake would look better without it. I guess the most elegant cakes do not have any lettering on them anyway.

I used a thick mixture of powdered sugar and water to glue the fondant decorations in place.

Chicken pot pie

2010-04-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Delicious-Chicken-Pot-Pie-10744

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Homemade-Pie-Crust-13619

Creamy chicken and penne

2010-03-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Saute 1 chopped onion in olive oil until almost translucent

Add one (or two) cubed chicken breasts.
Cook until chicken is done.

Add:
3/4c dry sun-dried tomatoes
1c cream
1/2c chicken broth
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper

Cook 5 minutes

Cook 1 pound penne, and add 4 cups of broccoli for the last few minutes of boiling.

Drain the pasta and broccoli, then toss with the chicken mixture.

Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-20T23:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Irish-Rosies-Irish-Soda-Bread-20616

I made a half recipe in a 9x5 loaf pan:

Shrimp Portebello

2010-03-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

A friend recently shared his recipe for Shrimp Portebello (which has no mushrooms), and I made it for the first time tonight. It is absolutely delicious!

Broiled salmon with roasted potatoes and Hollandaise

2010-02-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

My Hollandaise sauce gets better each time. I like this guy's technique:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m3ulPfoiIU

Parmesan cheese bread

2010-02-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Italian-Parmesan-Bread-for-Bread-Machine-155369

Here's how I made this recipe:

Mix water, yeast and a tsp of sugar, and let sit until foamy.

Add salt, cheese, dried basil and oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and stir.

Add flour, then adjust with flour or water to make a good dough.

Knead, let sit 1 hour, punch down, fold, form loaf, let sit another hour.

Bake in a dutch oven with the lid on at 425*F for 30 minutes

Remove lid, then bake another 15 minutes.

The cheese flavor was pretty subtle. Perhaps it might be better to put the cheese on top.

Pasta with shrimp

2010-02-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

This was really tasty!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Shrimp-Sauce-for-Pasta-2862

I used some dried basil and oregano in place of the parsley.

Snickerdoodle cookies

2010-02-17T16:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Soft-Snickerdoodle-Cookies-97496

These are OK, but perhaps not as good as traditional chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies.

Beer bread

2010-01-22T22:47:00.000-08:00

100th post!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Beer-Bread-73440

I used 1/4c butter, and that was plenty. Next time, I will use a little less. Also, I used salted butter, and the bread was just a little too salty, so I will cut down on the full teaspoon of salt next time.

Oatmeal raisin cookies

2010-01-09T23:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Oatmeal-Raisin-Cookies-35813

Wow! These were really good.

Armenian nutmeg cake

2010-01-09T23:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Armenian-Nutmeg-Cake-62761

I was worried the crust wouldn't hold together well, so I packed it very tightly into the pan. I overdid it, so next time I will pack the crust more gently. I used a 10" round pan, and the cake was done at 45 minutes when I first checked it. It probably could have been cooked just a little less. Overall very good -- especially with coffee.

Growing mushrooms!

2010-01-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my mother gave me a pre-planted indoor mushroom garden. The garden consists of a plastic bag filled with soil and already-growing mushroom "roots". I cut open the bag, as the directions stated, and the mushrooms matured over the course of 1.5 weeks. Tonight, I harvested the mushrooms and made a vegetable stir-fry. Delicious!

Chinese chicken salad rolls

2010-01-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for Chinese chicken salad:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chinese-chicken-salad-iii/detail.aspx

Then, I rolled up the salad into rice paper, as is normally done with spring rolls:
http://tomorrowaustin.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/vegan-spring-rolls-with-peanut-sauce/

I'm still working on my rolling technique, but these tasted great.

Jambalaya

2009-12-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/cajun-jambalaya-recipe2/index.html

I would have preferred the rice to be just a little drier, so next time I will add more rice, or less broth. Overall, this was still very good!

Spaghetti Carbonara

2009-12-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Carbonara-II/Detail.aspx

Instead of pancetta, I used cut-up bratwurst (!). I guess that makes this a "fusion" dish. It tasted absolutely great!

Shortbread cookies

2009-12-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Uncle-Bills-Whipped-Shortb read-Cookies-46877

Fig cookies (fig newtons)

2009-11-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

http://www.nibbledish.com/people/MissJ9/recipes/fig-bars

I used fresh figs that cam from a friend's tree. I might try this recipe again with dried figs, or perhaps another flavor entirely.

Costco flour

2009-11-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

So, I like to bake a lot -- mostly bread -- and I use a lot of flour. Unfortunately, Costco stopped carrying 25lbs sacks of flour, so I have tried some of their other flours.

Thumbs down. This stuff doesn't have a great flavor, and breads baked with it are more dense and gummy than breads baked with normal flour. It's also not very versatile, since making cakes or desserts with this would probably not go well. It's only good for bread, and even then regular white flour tastes a lot better.

I've also tried the organic 2x10lbs white all-purpose flour. It's good, but relatively expensive.

Finally, I broke down and bought the 50lbs sack of flour. I think it cost around $12, and I hope it lasts about 6 to 8 months.

Also, if you bake bread often, buy yeast at Costco. It costs about $6 for 2lbs of dry yeast. This is less than a hundredth of what you would pay for the little packets at the supermarket. I keep the 2lb bag of yeast in the freezer and use it to refill a small jar of yeast that I keep in the refrigerator.

Fruitcake!

2009-11-14T10:01:00.001-08:00

I know fruitcake is not the most popular dessert among any group of people, but I like it a lot. I searched around the web for a tasty, quick (less than a day) recipe, and didn't come up with much that looked great. I ended up modifying the recipe written on the package of candied fruits that I used. I like my fruitcake to have plenty of "cake" in it, and not be too loaded with fruit and nuts.

Soak the following in about 1/2c brandy for an hour or two:
8oz "Deluxe mixed fruit and peel" (candied fruits from Safeway -- 1/2 container)
8oz "Cherry and pineapple mix" (red, yellow, green candied fruits -- 1/2 container)
1/2c currants
about 1c raisins
1/2c slivered almonds
I should have added walnuts or pecans too

Soften 1/2c butter, and cream into it:
a pinch of salt (or more if using unsalted butter)
3/4c brown sugar
3/4c granulated sugar
5 eggs (beat after each addition)
2 Tbsp molasses
splash vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
generous dash of ground nutmeg
dash of ground cardamom

Sift:

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Add the sifted ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix to make a dough. Add in the fruits and nuts along with the brandy that is left in the bowl.

This recipe filled my 9.25" x 5.25" x 2.75" loaf pan very well.

Bake in a pre-heated 300*F oven. After an hour of baking, test if the cake is done by poking a skewer through the cake, all the way to the bottom. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Test the cake every 10 minutes until done.

After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes pour a little more brandy over the top.

Creamy broccoli soup

2009-11-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe, but used 2% milk instead of half-and-half, and also omitted the cheddar. It was still a very rich and filling soup. Really good!
http://www.recipezaar.com/Panera-Broccoli-Cheese-Soup-150384

Biscuits

2009-11-09T21:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Mile-High-Biscuits-26499

Quick, easy, and tastes great. Next time, I might try butter instead of shortening, for a richer flavor.

Foccacia bread

2009-11-02T23:19:00.000-08:00

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easiest-focaccia-recipe/Detail.aspx
The instructions are a little vague, so this is how I did it:

(double recipe)

Mix 2/3 c very warm water with 3 1/4 tsp dry yeast and 2 tsp sugar

After letting the yeast become foamy, stir in 2 1/4 tsp salt, a splash of olive oil, then 4 c flour

Mix the dough (will be very dry with excess flour), then add 1/2 c water, and continue adding 1 tbsp of water at a time until the dough pulls together.

Knead the dough, then form into a ball. Oil the dough generously with olive oil, then cover and let rise 1 hour.

Punch the dough down, and form into a 3/4" thick rectangle on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with dried oregano and basil. Drizzle with olive oil, then top with a huge handful of coarsely grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a pre-heated 475*F oven for 15 minutes.

This was really good!

Lentil soup

2009-10-30T22:33:00.001-07:00

I made this with Moong Dal
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/middle-eastern-lentil-soup-recipe.htm

I also make this by substituting chicken broth for 1/2 of the water. More flavor!

I also add MSG, of course.

Grilled shrimp and chicken dinner

2009-10-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

Simple and tasty: Grilled shrimp and chicken, simple salad, and homemade sourdough bread.

The shrimp were drizzled with butter, garlic powder, a little lemon juice and black pepper.
The chicken was marinated with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, onion slices, thyme, oregano and salt and pepper.

White asparagus, salmon, sausage, and foil-wrapped potato all grilled together

2009-10-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

I cooked tonight's meal completely on the grill. The potatoes were started first at 6:00pm.
I followed this recipe pretty closely with the addition of garlic powder:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Foil-Bbq-Potatoes-94219

At 6:40, I added the salmon (pre-marinated from Safeway) and a N.Y. brand Italian sausage.
at 6:45, I added some white asparagus, which I drizzled with olive oil and salt.
I turned the asparagus, fish and sausage after a couple minutes, and let it continue cooking.
At about 6:55 everything was done, and ready to serve.

This was the first time that I tried white asparagus, and I quickly decided that I like the conventional green asparagus much better. The white has a strange bitter taste to it, and none of the sweetness of the green.

The best part of the potato was the roasted skin that was closest to the fire. In the future, I will turn the potato every so often to expose more of its surface to the fire.

More photo enchancements

2009-09-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

I guess I've really felt like doing a lot of photo editing lately. Here, I took a picture of a sandwich, and removed a sloppy piece of lettuce:

Before

After

Chicken fajitas

2009-09-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9L-BRWg2yY

and

http://www.recipezaar.com/Steak-Or-Chicken-Fajitas-63786

The original image

I enhanced the image a bit in GIMP.

Ginger cookies

2009-09-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is similar to my other spice cookie recipe, which I guess I haven't posted. Hmm, maybe an update later.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Big-Soft-Ginger-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Cupcakes with Fondant

2009-09-12T00:47:00.000-07:00

The recipe for these cupcakes is pretty basic, so I am concentrating on the fondant. This is first time I have tried decorating with fondant and also the first time I have made it.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm

I heavily greased a large bowl with shortening, added 1/2 lb of marshmallows (half-recipe) and microwaved for 30 seconds. I stirred them, then microwaved for 30 more seconds. With enough shortening, the marshmallows will not stick to the sides. I then added 1 lb powdered sugar and started mixing. Once the mixture wasn't too sticky, I kneaded it with my hands until almost all of the sugar had been incorporated.
I left a fourth of the fondant uncolored, then added gel food coloring the the each of the other fourths, and kneaded them until smooth. I tried making black fondant with some black "gel icing", but all I got was grey.

This stuff is really fun to shape. It's just like play-dough, and tastes like marshmallow.

A half-recipe yielded way too much fondant for 12 cupcakes. I only used about half of the amount that I made.

Rosemary cheese bread

2009-09-07T10:54:00.001-07:00

The crumb came out very soft and cake-like even after a lot of kneading. I will use bread flour next time and try a longer rise time.

Mix and allow to foam:
2 Tbs yeast
2 Tbs sugar
2 c warm water

Then add:
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
4 c flour

Mix, then add:
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Let rise 1 hour, then punch down and form into two loaves. Let rise for another hour, then top with grated cheese. I used cheddar on one loaf and Parmesan on the other -- both were great. Bake at 425*F for about 25 minutes.

Cheddar, thyme and beer bread

2009-08-23T10:42:00.001-07:00

I forget where this recipe came from. I recently made it for a block party, and it turned out really well -- the entire loaf was eaten in a few minutes!

200 ml (scant cup) beer
100 ml (1/3 cup) water
20 g (1.5 Tbsp) fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
50 ml (3 Tbsp) melted butter or canola oil
400 ml (1 ¾ cups) wholemeal spelt flour (use all-purpose if spelt is not available)
200-300 ml (1 cup) all-purpose flour
~200 ml (scant 1 cup) oat bran (don't omit this)

filling
a handful of finely grated cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (I usually use dried thyme, and only a teaspoon or two)

topping
beer
grated cheese

Dissolve the yeast in the water and beer. Blend in sugar, salt and melted butter. Work in the flours and oat bran a bit at a time and knead until you have a springy dough.

Let rise for about an hour at room temperature.

Roll the dough into a rectangle of about 16x10 inches. Sprinkle with thyme and grated cheese. Roll up into a tight log.

Transfer the bread to a floured baking sheet and let rise, covered, for 30 minutes. Brush the breads with beer and sprinkle on some more cheese.

Heat the oven to 250°C (480°F) and mist with cold water just before putting in the breads. Lower heat to 225°C (440°F). Bake for 25 minutes, misting with more water a few times during baking.

Apricot killers (Polish apricot cookies)

2009-08-16T02:16:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's based on a family recipe, and has become a classic treat at family gatherings.

Filling:
For apricot filling
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped dried apricots (10 oz)
1/2 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup mild honey
1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup water

(I usually also add a small amount of nutmeg and tiny amount of ground cardamom)

Mix all of the ingredients in a pot, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Let the pot cool for half an hour. Strain the fruit and discard any remaining liquid. The only useful part is the fruit itself with a small amount of honey/spice stuck to it. Otherwise the liquid just runs out of the cookies during baking and makes a mess. Put the pot in the fridge for a couple hours to make sure it is well chilled.

Dough recipe:
½ lb butter (maybe use 50% shortening for less cookie spread in oven)
½ c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 ½ c sifted flour
2 tsps baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients and mix well, then add to the sifted flour and baking powder.

Chill the dough (few hours or overnight) to make it workable. Roll out small sections on a floured sheet, and cut circles or squares. Place a heaping teaspoon of the apricot mixture in the center of the dough, then bring up two edges and pinch together. Beaten eggs can be used to glue the dough if it is not sticking.

Place cookies on an ungreased sheet, and bake at 350*F for 10-12 minutes. Do NOT overbake -- keep the dough pale and just barely "done".

Frost the cooled cookies with buttercream:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Vanilla-Buttercream-Frosting-From-Sprinkles-Cupcakes-222188

Golden corn muffins

2009-08-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Juniors-Golden-Corn-Muffins-117321

Plum tart

2009-07-22T17:45:00.001-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Plum-Tart-85182

Beef Krasnoff (Stroganoff)

2009-07-21T20:59:00.001-07:00

I always seem to end up one ingredient short of being able to make a certain meal for dinner. Tonight's missing ingredient for Stroganoff was sour cream. I was also missing wide egg noodles. Drat! I decided to make the dish anyway and followed my own rules:

I cooked a little over a pound of ground beef, then added a small chopped onion. I seasoned the mix with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a very small dash of Worcester sauce. Meanwhile, I cooked some spaghetti and linguine in boiling water. When the pasta was almost done cooking, I added one 10.5oz can of condensed cream of mushroom soup to the beef. I stirred, then added one 6.5oz can of chopped mushrooms. I added water until the consistency was good -- about 1/3 of the 10.5oz can.

I drained the pasta, then served the Stroganoff on top. It was really good, and I will definitely make this again.

Cold-brewed iced coffee

2009-07-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

I read about cold-brewing coffee a while ago, but only recently tried it. I put the usual amount of coarse grounds in my French press and added cold tap water. I let it sit on the counter all evening, then put it in the fridge overnight. The next afternoon, I pushed the French press down and tasted it straight. It's less bitter than iced hot-brewed coffee, and the flavor is a little more mild, but not at all wimpy.

I usually drink hot coffee black, but I prefer a little milk and sugar in iced coffee, and so I added some.

Tortilla S'mores

2009-07-13T23:27:00.001-07:00

I have been making chocolate burritos for a while, but I decided to up the ante, and so I searched Recipezaar for tortilla desserts, and found this:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Kids-Love-em-South-of-the-Border-Smores-121031

This particular photo didn't turn out so well, so I am going to show the original version (from the camera) and the improved version from a graphics manipulation tool:

Original:

Improved:

I am not an image manipulation guru, so I'll just list the basic steps that I took:

Adjusted histogram levels to maximize dynamic range
Adjusted white balance and saturation
Sharpened the whole image
Created a false shallow depth-of-field using a blur tool
Removed some distracting background stuff in upper left corner

Most of the images on this blog are not modified much. I'll only spend a few minutes working on the image, if it's especially bad from the camera. Usually all of the problems are caused by hand-holding the camera and shooting under "warm" compact fluorescent light.

Panna Cotta and caramel sauce

2009-07-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

This was a fine dessert, but the caramel sauce made it truly great. I used half-and-half instead of heavy cream to make the panna cotta, and that might have been a mistake (I didn't have cream and wanted to make this dessert anyway). The panna cotta had a good consistency but just seemed to lack serious flavor. The gelatin gives it a very different mouthfeel than creme brule or similar custards. I think the creme brule is definitely preferable, so the only benefit would be that panna cotta is easier to make. I got the idea from Maria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt5mIJ_RroE

I also got the idea for the caramel sauce from another of Maria's videos ( I didn't make the full recipe for "floating islands" -- just the caramel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kunydHPWve8
I added a small pat of butter to the sugar as it caramelized. Wow, this was good!

Grilled asparagus with a turkey burger

2009-07-12T21:34:00.001-07:00

I bought a big bag of fresh asparagus from Costco, so I have been finding different ways to cook it (in addition to the standard practice of steaming it). Grilling the asparagus turned out amazingly well! I drizzled some olive oil over the raw asparagus stalks after cutting off the woody bottoms. I then sprinkled some salt on the oiled stalks and put them on the charcoal grill for a couple minutes per side. Wonderful!

The burger is a Costco frozen turkey burger. I like beef, but I also eat turkey burgers mainly for variety and partially for the lower amount of saturated fat. I added some cheese to make up for the reduced amount of saturated fat.

Garlic breadsticks

2009-07-04T17:31:00.001-07:00

I like to add the yeast, water and sugar to a bowl and let it foam. Then I add everything else except the flour, and mix. Finally, I add the flour and knead to make a standard dough.

* 1 cup warm water (70 to 80)
* 3 tablespoons soft butter
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 3 cups bread flour
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Cut the dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a 4 to 6" rope.

Place 2" apart onto greased baking sheets.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until doubled in volume.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Be careful not to overbake or they will become tough.

Topping

* 1 tablespoon melted butter
* 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Immediately brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Orange Sherbet

2009-07-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Creamy-Lime-Sherbet-Or-Orange-if-You-Prefer-51495

I made a half-recipe, but followed the ratios and instructions very closely.

Salisbury Steak

2009-07-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ_kMF3gRUI

I cooked the beef in a frying pan, but did not put it into the oven. I simply turned each piece in the pan, and continued cooking until they were done. I poured the gravy over the steaks after they were done cooking and transferred to my plate.

This is basically what I used for the gravy:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Basic-Brown-Sauce-or-Gravy-163788

I've never bought "condensed" beef broth, so I used a normal 14oz can of regular beef broth, and boiled the gravy for a while to make it thick enough.

Chocolate chip muffins

2009-07-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Chocolate-Chip-Muffins-9326

I doubled the recipe, and used less than double the amount of chocolate chips -- probably close to the original amount.

I also used dark brown sugar because light brown sugar is for weenies.

Korean Burgers

2009-07-01T22:49:00.001-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Korean-Hamburgers-28549

This is a really tasty (and easy) alteration to the standard hamburger. I used a little sesame oil instead of the sesame seeds and vegetable oil that the recipe uses.

Simple edamame and rice

2009-06-30T00:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a very light, healthful meal that is very quick to prepare: Boiled edamame (frozen from Trader Joe's) and steamed rice.

Chickpeas with spinach

2009-06-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Chickpeas-With-Spinach-Greek-81968

I followed the recipe pretty closely, but used 1 can of chickpeas, 1 can of diced tomatoes, some MSG, and chili powder instead of flakes.

Whoopie Pies

2009-06-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

OK, I didn't choose the name "whoopie pie" -- that is really what this treat is called.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Wicked-Whoopie-Pies-162298?scaleto=6

I made a half-recipe, which yielded 6 pies. Make 12 equally-sized "shells" (looks like a cookie) with the batter, and they will be sized correctly.

Also, this was the first time I tried baking with shortening. In the past, I have always used butter, but the shortening has a higher melting point, and is also flavorless (sometimes helpful).

http://www.wickedwhoopies.com/

Baked chimichanga

2009-06-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

I was skeptical about this recipe's method of brushing a flour tortilla with butter and then baking for 10 minutes, however it turned out very well. I would definitely make this again.

I made the following changes to the recipe:

Added some grated cheddar to the tortilla just before wrapping
Used large burrito-sized tortillas, and made only three chimichangas
Used normal tomato sauce with some seasonings instead of "Pace Picante Sauce"

http://www.recipezaar.com/Streamlined-Chimichangas-16371

Whole wheat muffins

2009-06-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

I used cardamom in addition to the cinnamon, and also added some raisins.

http://www.mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=872

Crepes

2009-06-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

2 tbs melted butter
1 c milk
2 eggs (beaten)

1 c flour
pinch of salt
1 tbs sugar

I use 1/4c of batter for each crepe (about 6" diameter). This recipe will make about 8 crepes.

Seared ahi with quinoa and asparagus

2009-06-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

I finally remembered to buy quinoa when I saw it at Trader Joe's the other day. It's good. I boiled it as directed on the package, then sauteed some onions and bell peppers with garlic and then added the cooked quinoa. It's starchy like rice, but it has a lot more fiber, and functions almost like a vegetable in terms of the balance of the meal. It's similar to wild rice in consistency.

Rye / pumpernickel bread

2009-06-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/004274georges_light_rye_bread.php

Cheese ravioli with asparagus and hollandaise

2009-06-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

This was my second attempt at making hollandaise sauce, and it was a great improvement over my first attempt. I was scared of scrambling or overcooking the egg yolks, but it seems this might be less of a concern as I originally thought. The yolks must be pretty stiff for this sauce to work. Also, add the butter very slowly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m3ulPfoiIU

I used two egg yolks and about 1/4 or 1/3 cup butter. This makes enough sauce for one large serving, and I can't imagine using the full 1 1/2 cups of butter as is specified in the video. I also skipped the cayenne, and added paprika on top as a garnish. In retrospect, the sauce could use a dash of cayenne, and I'd still keep the paprika garnish.

The ravioli was Trader Joe's 4-cheese variety.

French onion soup

2009-06-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't have any beef broth on hand, so I substituted chicken broth. It's not as good as beef for this kind of soup, but it works. I cooked the onions in butter and a little olive oil. I topped the soup with hearty crackers and a slice of havarti cheese. I then used a blow torch to melt the cheese and toast the crackers.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/French-Onion-Soup-I/Detail.aspx

Scones

2009-05-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/simple-sweet-scones-66409

Chicken dinner

2009-05-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

My favorite chicken marinade:

olive oil
lemon juice
soy sauce
minced garlic clove
minced onion or onion powder
thyme
tiny dash of cayenne and/or black pepper

Stab the chicken a few times to let the marinade soak into the meat. Marinate for an hour, then cook on the George Foreman.

Dinner rolls or hamburger buns

2009-05-27T13:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a recipe that I improvised to make some hamburger buns.

Combine in a bowl:

2 1/2 tsps yeast
3 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsps sugar

Add:
1 tbs oil
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water

Adjust the water/flour amounts until you have a fairly dry, firm dough. Let rise 1 hour.

Punch down, then form into 8 rolls. I used a technique where I pull the sides of each roll down and collect the dough into a knot. Then, I hide the knot on the underside of the roll. This gives the tops a very smooth appearance. This technique is much better than forming a ball by rolling between the hands. Let proof 1 hour.

Bake 10-15 minutes at 400*F.

The secret to great-tasting fried rice

2009-05-27T13:23:00.001-07:00

Butter!

Sloppy Joes

2009-05-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

I found a basic and reliable recipe for sloppy joes and paired it up with a "Kaiser Roll" from Safeway. I'd like to bake this type of dinner roll myself, but there are some tricks to making good rolls and buns that I have not figured out yet.

http://www.recipezaar.com/My-Familys-Favorite-Sloppy-Joes-63689

Mike's American Amber Ale

2009-05-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

I am not sure who Mike is, but this partial mash recipe came from "More Beer!", formerly known as Fermentation Frenzy:

1 lb Crystal 40L
4 oz chocolate

8lbs ultralight malt extract
4 oz maltodextrin

.5 oz Northern Brewer hops (60 min)
1 oz Northern Brewer hops (15 min)
1 oz Cascade (10 min)
1 oz Cascade (10-14 days dry-hopped in secondary)

This is the first time that I have tried "dry hopping", which is the process of putting hops into the secondary fermentation stage. I think that, normally, a fine mesh bag is used to contain the hops while they soak, but I didn't have one so I just dumped the pellets right into the beer. Almost all of the hops settled to the bottom after 12 days, but I racked the beer through a crude filter, which very effectively removed the remaining floating bits of hops.

Overall, I think the dry hopping process preserves more hop aroma than would be possible with even just 5 minutes of boiling. 12 days should be the maximum length of time for dry hopping. This recipe is supposed to be an amber, but it tastes much more like a pale ale. It's quite good, and I have very few complaints about it. I would have liked a little more malt flavor and a little less hop, but it's still very tasty, and will be especially good on hot days.

I would make this recipe again and probably shorten the secondary time to 7 days.

Enchiladas

2009-05-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

I made these with beef (I used about 1 pound of ground beef).
http://www.recipezaar.com/Chicken-Enchiladas-18503

The sauce, which is critical for enchiladas:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Enchilada-Sauce-12877

I used one 15oz can of tomato sauce and one can of chicken broth. It would seem the recipe's proportions would be too watery for my preferences.

Pan Dulce

2009-05-05T22:01:00.001-07:00

I followed this recipe pretty closely. I did not use a blender to make the topping -- just a spatula. I also melted the butter and mixed it with the sugar and flour, then refrigerated the finished topping to make it firmer.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Pan-Dulce-dome-shaped-sweet-rolls-62413

Chicken tikka masala, green beans, and naan

2009-04-28T20:00:00.001-07:00

I enjoyed this meal just a few minutes ago, and it was really great. Here it is part by part:

Naan (bread) 6 pieces:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vow-kxTPatc
Check out Manjula's other videos on youtube. She has a lot of great-tasting and easy-to-follow recipes.

Chicken tikka (serves 1-2):

Marinate 1 diced chicken breast for a couple hours in:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
splash lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1" piece of minced ginger (or 1 tsp ginger powder)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika

After the chicken has marinated, saute half a diced onion in neutral oil. When the onion is transparent, add the yogurt/chicken mixture. Cook until the chicken is firm.

This dish is best served over basmati rice.

Green beans (serves 1-2):

I improvised this after reading some similar recipes on the web.

Cook two minced cloves of garlic with half a diced onion in oil.
When the onion is lightly browned, add a large handful of green beans (1" lengths), a splash of lemon juice, 1 tsp ground cumin, a little butter, a dash of chili powder, and a few tablespoons of water. Simmer until the green beans are tender. You may need to add water as the beans cook.

Baguette?

2009-04-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

This was my first attempt at shaping a baguette in the traditional way. It had some problems. The loaf split down each side while it was baking, and there was a seam in the middle, so that slices of this loaf fell apart into two pieces. Next time, I will try proofing longer, but I think my technique was the main problem here. The recipe itself was OK. It called for a water/egg yolk wash, which gives the crust a glossy golden color. The flavor was adequate, but not nearly as good as the overnight (ie "no-knead") bread that is also on my blog.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/French-Baguettes/Detail.aspx

Cous cous and stir-fried vegetables

2009-04-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another good vegetarian dinner that I improvised. The veggies are: Onion, baby bok choi and red bell peppers. I stir-fried these with oil, minced garlic, black vinegar and soy sauce. Very simple, but it's tasty! When you want to make dinner quickly, the cous cous is a good choice because it is pre-cooked when you buy it at the store.

Bool Kogi

2009-04-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recommended that I try Trader Joe's Bool Kogi beef. This is a pre-marinated package of raw, boneless beef ribs. The seasonings are mainly sesame, garlic, and green onion, with a lot of sugar. It's very tasty! I think it would be best served with a good helping of starch (rice or noodles), since the seasonings and sweetness are pretty strong. The package says "grill quickly". I took their advice a little too well, and my first attempt came out "medium". I am pretty sure these thin strips of beef should pretty well cooked -- probably no pink in the middle.

I grilled the beef over charcoal, and stir-fried some baby bok choi. I chose steamed rice over noodles this time.

Rosso Dolce

2009-04-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

The last time that I was at Trader Joe's, I decided to quickly choose a bottle of wine that was new to me. I saw a big TJ's "staff pick" sign and liked the "Reggiano Lambrusco" label on the bottle. Hey, it's imported from Italy. Italians know all about wine. It must be good. Oh, was I in for a surprise. I should have noticed the champagne-style wire retainer on the cork. Anyway, this turned out to be a "rosso dolce" or a "soft red" wine. It's very sweet, and carbonated. It tastes a lot like grape soda. It was $5, and would make a good substitute for fruit punch. I don't think there is any food/drinking situation that would benefit from a rosso dolce.

Cinnamon raisin bread

2009-04-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Dissolve 1 package (2 ¼ tsp) yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.

Stir in 1 3/4 cups warm water, 3 tbs sugar, 1 tbs salt, 2 tbs shortening and 3 1/2 cups flour.
(I usually add some cinnamon too)
Beat until smooth.

Mix in 1 cup raisins and then enough flour to make dough easy to handle (about 2 cups). Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up.

Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour.

(Dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched.) Punch down dough; divide into halves.

Roll each half into rectangle, 18 x 9-inches.

Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.

Sprinkle each half of the dough with 1 tablespoon water and half the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up and place in pans.

Brush with butter; let rise 1 hour.

Bake at 425 degrees f or 25 to 30 minutes.

Ceviche

2009-04-19T22:48:00.001-07:00

Serves 4-6 (a half-recipe will make a medium-sized bowl for an appetizer: ½ lbs fish maximum, one mango, etc).

I used red snapper, and it was great.

1 lb. firm white fleshed fish fillets (such as rockfish, cod, red snapper) chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Juice of 7 limes
1/2 tsp fresh oregano, minced
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 cups mango (about two mangos), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
4 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp chopped red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped into matchsticks
Salt and fresh pepper

Place fish in a glass bowl and pour in the lime juice. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or until pieces are opaque. Turn occasionally so that the juice soaks the fish evenly.

When fish is opaque, drain fish of 3/4 of it's lime juice. Add oregano, a little olive oil and season with salt. Toss, then refrigerate for another hour. (this step is optional)

Add onion, mango, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently. Serve chilled.

Chicken Soup

2009-04-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post, I said that Shepard's Pie was the ultimate comfort food. Well, it's a tough call between that and chicken soup. I make soup with the ingredients that I have on hand, but here's the basic idea:

I prepare the chicken and other cooked ingredients separately, then assemble them into the already-simmering broth. The soup is ready just a few minutes later.

Start cooking 1/2c wild rice in a chicken broth / water mixture (the amount is not critical)
The wild rice will need about 45 minutes to cook

Start cooking 1c long grain rice in 1.5 cups water
The rice will need 20 minutes to steam.

In a large frying pan, fully cook in olive oil:
Two chicken breasts cut into 1/2" cubes
3/4 of a diced onion
minced garlic
thyme, basil, chili powder

Start assembling the ingredients in a large pot:
1 can chicken broth with 1-2 cans of water
The cooked wild rice (with its broth)
cooked long grain rice
cooked chicken and onion

When simmering, add:

1/4 raw onion, diced
chopped carrots
chopped celery
basil
oregano
MSG
black pepper
maybe more chili powder

Let it simmer for 10 or 20 minutes, and it will be ready!

Fried rice with cucumber and avocado salad

2009-04-12T23:15:00.000-07:00

The rice is actually Trader Joe's chicken fried rice (frozen). Oddly enough, all of the chicken and veggies migrated to the top of the bag, and I ate all of it when I prepared the first half of the bag a couple days ago When I took the remainder out of the freezer, only plain rice was left.

The salad is great. It's just strips of cucumber and avocado with Newman's ginger and sesame dressing.

Seared Ahi tuna dinner

2009-04-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

I bought a frozen Ahi tuna steak from Trader Joe's, and it turned out great. I thawed it, then marinated for 30 minutes in lemon juice, olive oil, and soy sauce. I cooked it about 3 minutes per side on the grill. The charcoal seemed a little cool, so I might only cook 2 minutes per side over a hot fire. This leaves the inner third of the fish's thickness raw and very tasty!

Bourbon chicken with rice and veggies

2009-04-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a good one from recipezaar.com:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Bourbon-Chicken-45809

I made this with one chicken breast, and had just the right amount of sauce. If making 4 servings (as the recipe suggests), I'd double the sauce ingredient quantities. I might also cut back on the sugar a little bit. I also added bourbon since this is "bourbon chicken" after all. It tastes just like American-style Chinese food.

Beef kabob dinner

2009-04-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

I started to make Peruvian beef kabobs with a cucumber/avocado/yogurt soup and quinoa. I could not find quinoa at the store, and I forgot to get yogurt, so I improvised quite a bit here:

Marinade for 1" cubes of beef:
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cumin

Marinate for an hour, then skewer the beef, and cook on the grill for 3-5 minutes per side. If the cubes of beef are too small, they will be well-done when the outside is nicely charred. Make sure the cubes are large enough to be pink in the middle when the outside looks appetizing.

I made some cous-cous instead of the quinoa. I know, not a very ethnically-correct substitution, but I think the cous-cous worked better than rice.

I made a cucumber and avocado salad with sesame/ginger dressing. This tasted great, and the flavor worked really well with the rest of the dinner. I used Newman's Own dressing instead of making my own.

I also grilled some onions in olive oil along with the beef, so this turned out to be quite a multi-cultural meal. The combination was great, and I'd definitely make this again.

Grilled salmon with asparagus, mashed potatoes and Hollandaise

2009-03-29T20:40:00.001-07:00

The combination of salmon, potatoes and asparagus is really great. This is one of my favorites.

Marinate a salmon stake or fillet in:

1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 minced garlic clove
juice of half a lemon
splash of soy sauce
black pepper

Peel potatoes (one per person), then cut into 1" cubes. Place the cubes into a pot of salted water, and bring to a boil.

Once the potatoes start boiling, begin grilling the fish (about 5-8 minutes per side).

While the fish is grilling, cook asparagus in salted boiling water (4-6 minutes)

Start the Hollandaise sauce by very slowly cooking an egg yolk in a stainless bowl with a splash of lemon juice. Hold the bowl a few inches away from the stove burner to achieve very gentle heating. The egg yolk is cooked when it has thickened enough to form "pale ribbons" on the surface (around 8 minutes). Once cooked, add a few tbsps melted butter (some people insist on using clarified butter) very slowly to the egg. The ratio of egg:butter varies a lot among recipes. Whisk constantly. The sauce should thicken, and is ready to serve immediately. Salt and pepper or cayenne can be added.

Mash the potatoes. I prefer to only add a small amount of milk and garlic powder, since this will be served with the rich Hollandaise sauce.

Assemble everything on a plate and enjoy!

Challah (egg-twist) bread

2009-03-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

(2 loaves)

* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 (1/4 ounce) packages dry yeast
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 cups warm water (80 -90)

Glaze

* 1 egg, beaten
* poppy seed (optional) or sesame seed (optional)

Mix the yeast, water, and a little of the sugar in a large bowl. After the yeast starts frothing, add 3 ½ cups flour. Add the rest of the ingredients, making sure to add the remaining flour last. Knead the dough until it is soft and elastic. Let the dough rise in a greased, covered bowl for 1 hour. Punch it down, then shape into two loaves (braided loaves are traditional). Let rise for 30 min to 1 hour. Turn the oven on to 350*F. When the oven is preheated, put the loaves in, and bake 25 minutes. Turn off the heat, and keep the bread in the oven for another 10 minutes. Take the loaves out to cool.

Baked French Fries and chicken strips

2009-03-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is a fast and easy dish that is especially good with beer.

Serves 1:

Cut up three small or two large potatoes into strips (thickness is your preference). Dry the strips with paper towels, then put them into a large dry bowl. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil, a few good dashes of chili powder, a dash of black pepper, a dash of oregano, a dash of basil, and a dash of garlic powder. Toss the fries vigorously to coat with the seasonings and oil. Place the fries onto a baking pan, and cook in the oven (or toaster oven) for 10 minutes at 350*F

While the fries are cooking, cut a chicken breast into strips, and soak them in a scrambled egg. Add the following to the same bowl used for the fries:
1/3 cup bread crumbs
a dash of garlic powder
oregano, basil, etc
black pepper
chili powder

Toss the dry ingredients a little, then add the egg-soaked chicken and toss vigorously again. Add a little olive oil, and give it a last shake. Place the chicken next to the fries and cook together for 10 more minutes. Now, set the oven to broil (or toast) and brown the fries and chicken for a couple minutes. Add a little salt if you like, and serve.

Chicken Satimbocca

2009-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Serves 2:

Dip two chicken breasts in flour, then brown both sides in butter for a few minutes each.

Place the chicken in a glass baking pan, then arrange a slice of prosciutto on each one and top it with a slice of Monterey jack cheese. I used Muenster, and it was good too.

In the same pan that was used to brown the chicken, add some more butter, 1/2 of a chopped onion, and 3 minced cloves of garlic.

When the onion is translucent, add 1/2 c dry white wine, 1 c chicken broth, 1 tsp thyme. Boil until the liquid is almost gone (10 minutes). Stir in 1 tbsp flour, 1/2c cream (or milk) and sherry (if desired). Add salt and pepper to taste. When the sauce is done, pour it over the chicken, and bake for 30 minutes at 375*F.

Classic spaghetti and meatballs

2009-03-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Serves 2

For the pasta sauce, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan
When hot, add:
a chopped onion
4 minced cloves of garlic
dried basil
dried oregano
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
black pepper
6 oz tomato paste
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes
1/3 c dry wine
a little sugar and salt to taste

While the sauce is heating, make the meatball mixture in a bowl:
1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small egg -- or half of a large one (beaten)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
dried oregano
fresh parsley (chopped)

Form 1" meatballs, then drop them into the simmering pasta sauce. Cover and do not stir. After 20 minutes, gently stir, then continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. The sauce and meatballs are now ready, and can be served atop your favorite pasta.

Pancakes!

2009-03-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

Makes about 8 large pancakes:

Mix the dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1.5 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar

Mix in a separate bowl:
2 eggs (beaten)
1 3/4 c milk
1/4 c melted butter

Combine everything, and do not over-mix. Use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake, and cook in an oiled pan for 3-4 minutes per side. Yum!

Soft pretzels

2009-03-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buttery-Soft-Pretzels/Detail.aspx

My brand of parchment paper sticks to these pretzels if the baking sheet has been pre-heated. Either let the baking sheet cool between batches, or don't use parchment paper.

Blondies

2009-03-04T00:22:00.000-08:00

Blondies are brownies without the chocolate.

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007188blondies.php

I enjoyed this recipe as written, but next time, I will reduce the amount of flour and baking soda. This should make the blondies less cake-like and more chewy. Mmmm.

Update: I use about %75 of the recipe's flour and %50 of the baking powder.

Let the blondies cool for at least a couple hours before serving. Since these are made with butter, they will firm-up and be less gooey after they have fully cooled.

Classic shepherd's pie

2009-03-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

This is the king of comfort food, and much less fatty and easier to make than pot pie.

Serves 2

Cut 3 or 4 potatoes into 1" cubes and boil for 20 minutes

While the potatoes are cooking, cook the following in a little olive oil:

1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery

When the onion is translucent, add:
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
a couple minced garlic cloves

When the peas/corn are warm, add 1 lbs ground beef
I like to use a very large frying pan, and push the vegetables off the side while the meat browns. Depending on the fat content of the meat, you may have to drain off some of the tallow as it cooks.

Mix the meat with the vegetables and add some seasonings (eg salt, pepper, chili powder, basil, etc).

Put the mixture into saucepan with metal handle, or 9" square casserole pan. When the potatoes are done, mash them with a few tablespoons of butter, a splash of milk and a dash of garlic powder. Spread the mashed potatoes over the mixture in the casserole pan.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400*F. The peaks of the potatoes should be lightly browned.

Beef and bean burrito

2009-03-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

I like to cook ground beef with onions and garlic, and add salt, pepper, lots of chili powder, cayenne, a tiny bit of basil and oregano. I heat canned refried beans separately, and then cook the tortilla by splashing it with a little water, putting it on a plate, and microwaving for 20 seconds. I put the beans, meat, shredded cheese, and some raw chopped onions on the tortilla and roll it up. The hot beans and meat will melt the cheese.

Tomato and bread soup

2009-02-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

Cut 3 slices of bread into 1/2" cubes, and toast on a baking sheet in a 300*F toaster oven until light brown.

Cook 1/2 diced onion in olive oil in a large pot until it is soft, then add a few cloves of garlic (minced). When the garlic is light brown, proceed to the next step.

Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 1 can chicken broth, the toasted bread cubes, a pinch of MSG, a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of black pepper, dried basil (fresh might be better), a bay leaf, and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes, then serve in a bowl and top with Parmesan cheese.

Quick yellow curry

2009-02-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

I was in a hurry, and had a strong desire for curry, so here is a fast and easy recipe:

Stir-fry a diced chicken breast in neutral oil

Put the chicken aside, then stir-fry half a chopped onion, and other vegetables of your choice. I used mini corn cobs and celery. Bamboo shoots would be a better choice.

Add 1 can of coconut milk

Add a few tablespoons of curry powder (I've never tried the paste, but it is probably better)

Add a pinch of MSG, a pinch of cayenne, basil, the cooked chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Water can be added if you prefer a lighter consistency. I tried using "light" coconut milk, and it was not good. I think normal coconut milk mixed with water would be a better choice.

Serve over rice!

Coconut milk is extremely fatty, so I decided to try Trader Joe's light coconut milk. I don't like it. It seems like they replaced the fat with some other strange thickening agent that is not pleasant. I think using regular coconut milk mixed with water would be a better choice.

Olive bread

2009-02-24T23:08:00.000-08:00

Next time, I will use less olive oil in the dough, and more olive oil on top of the bread. (I'll update this posting, if I make this recipe again soon)

* 4 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
* 2 cups luke warm water
* 3 teaspoons dried active yeast
* 1/4 cup finest olive oil
* 1 cup black olives (remove pits)
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt

Combine the yeast, sugar and 1/2c of the water and wait until the yeast is dissolved.
Add all of the other ingredients (exluding the olives) and knead for 5 minutes. Add the olives, then knead gently to mix. Let rise for an hour. Punch down the dough, and form into a loaf. Let rise for an hour, drizzle with olive oil, then add some coarsely-grated Parmesan cheese. Cook in a preheated 425* oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Monosodium Glutamate

2009-02-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

Ah yes, MSG. Almost everyone seems to have a negative opinion about this seasoning, even though the vast majority of knowledge is hearsay or anecdotal at best. People who suffer from "Chinese restaurant syndrome" are most likely affected by the chili and spices used in the food, not the MSG.

I use MSG in lots of saucy and soupy recipes. Usually, I substitute all of the salt in a recipe for MSG. It tastes great, costs almost nothing, dissolves instantly, and has a near-infinite shelf life. How could you ask for anything more from a seasoning?

I've tasted the stuff right out of the package, and it tastes salty, with a meaty flavor -- like chicken stock. The technical name for this flavor is umami. Read more about MSG here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami

Holy mole chile

2009-02-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, I stole the title from the Fresh Choice restaurant, and I guess I stole the idea for the recipe too, but hey. This is my favorite way to make chili, and it's really easy and only requires one pan! The mole is unsweetened cocoa, which gives this dish a really nice full flavor.

Serves 2:

Cook either 1/2 lbs of ground beef, or 1 diced chicken breast in a very large saucepan until light brown.
If cooking chicken, use a few tbsp of olive oil. If cooking beef, drain the excess fat once it is browned.

Add 1/2 diced onion
Add 1/2 diced green bell pepper (optional)
Add a few minced garlic cloves

When the onions turn translucent, add:
1 can of diced tomatoes (with the juice)
1 can kidney beans (drained and washed)
1/2 can (3 oz) tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp of MSG (I'll make another post about MSG...)
a few hearty dashes of black pepper
dash of cinnamon
dash of allspice

Mix well, and turn up the heat. As soon as the mixture starts to simmer, it can be served, however, the flavors will mix and improve if the chili is covered and simmered for 30 minutes or so.

Classic margarita

2009-02-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

Add to a cocktail shaker:

2 oz light tequila (I like Sauza Blanco)
1 oz lime juice
1/2 to 3/4 oz simple syrup (use 1 oz if you like it sweet)

Shake vigorously with plenty of ice until the outside of the shaker freezes, then strain into a cocktail glass.

I make simple syrup with a 4:3 ratio of sugar:water because I've heard that one teaspoon of dry sugar will have the same sweetness as 1 tsp of 4:3 syrup. This makes it easy to use the syrup in recipes that call for dry sugar.

Rice pudding with coconut milk

2009-02-15T10:04:00.001-08:00

This came out extremely rich -- perhaps too rich. Next time, I will use light coconut milk, or substitute half of it for low-fat dairy milk.

Cook 1/2 c of dry rice with 3/4 water and half of a cinnamon stick for 15 minutes

Add to the cooked rice:
2 cups coconut milk (maybe use light coconut milk, or substitute some dairy milk)
1 - 2 tsp vanilla
a pinch of ground cardamom
1/4 or 1/2 c sugar (how sweet do you like it?)
a splash of lemon juice
a handful of raisins

Continue simmering the mixture until it is thick enough for your liking (about 20 minutes for me). Stir frequently.

Dutch Crunch bread (rolls)

2009-02-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

The recipe for the bread itself is pretty solid, and I think does not need any tweaking. The topping is very sensitive to hydration level, and adding just a little more flour or water will change the character of the end result a lot. I am still making small adjustments..

Bread (12 rolls):
Mix:
5 tsp yeast
1/2 c water
2 tbsp sugar
and let sit until foamy

Add:
4 tsp oil
3 tsp salt
2 c water

6 c flour

Let the dough rise for an hour, then punch it down, and divide into 12 rolls. Place these rolls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and let them rise while preparing the topping.

Topping:

Mix:
1 tbsp yeast
1/2 c water
2 tbsp sugar

Let the yeast dissolve, then add:
1/4 c oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 c rice flour (not "sweet rice flour")

Add more water or rice flour until the mixture is the consistency of cookie icing. Getting this hydration level correct will take a little experimentation -- it's worth it. Spread the topping in a very thick coating over the rolls, and let them rise for 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 425*F.

Bake at 425*F for about 20 minutes. When the topping is nicely browned, they're done!

I like the parts of the rolls that were touching each other while baking. It's chewy and sweet from the topping, so I purposefully place them close together on the sheet. Of course, the little pools of topping that form at the bottom of the rolls are great too!

Stuffed bell peppers

2009-01-22T21:34:00.000-08:00

This recipe is purposefully vague so that it can suit whatever ingredients are currently available. Here's the general idea:

Cook 1/2 c dry long-grain rice in 3/4 c water (15 minutes) in a small pot

Brown 1 lbs of ground beef in a large saucepan, then drain excess fat
Add 1/2 chopped onion, and cook until almost translucent
Add a couple chopped cloves of garlic
Add cooked rice
Add salt, pepper, chili powder, oregano, basic, etc
Add 1 can of diced tomatoes (or, hey, use fresh)
Cook a little longer, and season to taste

Cut 4 bell peppers in half. I like to cut them down the stem so each half still has some stem on it
Fill each half generously with the mixture, then top with grated Parmesan cheese. Put the filled bell peppers on a sheet, and cook in oven (or toaster oven) for about 10-15 minutes. I like the peppers to be a little firm, so I don't cook for too long.

Light and dark rye bread (could be marble rye)

2009-01-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

Both the dark and light rye breads have the same recipe with just a couple exceptions (see notes below).

Mix the following in a bowl, and let sit overnight. The mixture will be very watery.
1 ¼ c Rye Flour
1 ⅓ c Water
1 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 tsp Caraway Seeds - optional (omit for the dark recipe)
¼ tsp Onion Powder - optional
1-3 tsps cocoa powder (use only for the dark recipe)

After rising, add the following:

⅓ c Water
1.5 tsp Salt
1 tsp Caraway Seeds - optional (omit for dark recipe)
3 ¼ c White Flour
1 tsp Active Dry Yeast

Mix the dough well, and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Let rise for 1-2 hours. Punch the dough down, then form it into a loaf. Let the loaf proof for an hour, then slash the top to allow expansion in the oven. Spray the loaf with water, then place into a preheated 435* degree oven for 30-40 minutes. The bread can also be rolled in corn meal for added crust texture.

I haven't tried marble rye yet, but I imagine it's fairly simple to roll out each dough into a rectangle, and roll them up together.

Carrot, raisin, and pineapple salad

2009-01-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a very quick recipe for a carrot salad. This recipe will make four small servings.

Mix in a bowl:
2 cups shredded carrots (about 2-3 large carrots)
2/3 cups raisins
1 cup 1/2" cubes of pineapple
splash of lemon juice
1/4 cup salad dressing (ranch, mayonnaise, maybe sour cream)

Vietnamese Bánh Bèo Appetizers

2009-01-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

This recipe is very time-consuming but the end result is unique and a very useful appetizer that keeps well at room-temperature and appeals to a wide variety of tastes. It looks great too!

Makes 20 (or more?) appetizers

To make scallion oil: thinly slice 2 scallions (white and green part) and have ready while heating 2 tbs neutral (canola) oil. When oil is hot enough to sizzle a test piece of scallion, add all of the slices and stir constantly for 30 seconds. DO NOT OVERCOOK. The scallions should be soft, but not soupy. Remove from heat and let cool in a bowl.

To make topping: cover ½ lb medium shrimp (peeled and de-veined) with water in a saucepan. Add a little salt and bring to boil. Cook 8 minutes or until all water has evaporated. Yes, they will be very overdone -- this is okay. Transfer shrimp to small bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Chop up the cooled shrimp in a food processor. The shrimp will be light and fluffy. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs neutral oil, and add 1 tbs finely minced shallot. Cook 1 minute. Add shrimp and also a pinch of sugar and a pinch of pepper. Stir constantly over heat for 3-4 minutes until shrimp are crumbly and dry. Remove from heat and reserve.

To make pancakes: mix 1 cup rice flour (Thai brand -- NOT glutinous rice flour), 3 tbs corn starch, 1.5 tbs oil, 1.75 cups water. The mixture will be very watery. Oil a bunch of small 2.5” dia porcelain dishes. Put dishes in a steamer tray, and put the try in a closed pot of water. Boil the water for a couple minutes before adding about 1 tbs of batter into each dish. Cook 3 minutes, then remove dishes. Remove the pancakes and re-oil dishes if necessary. Return empty dishes to the steamer to pre-heat again. Repeat this process until all the batter is used.
Assemble the appetizers by putting about ½ tsp of shrimp on each pancake with a pinch of the scallion oil. It’s easiest to eat these by folding them up like a taco and going directly from serving platter to mouth.