OK, if you are new to this site, then the first thing you should know about me is that I am a bread fanatic. I love it all. Sourdough, whole grain, quick, cornbread, overnight, you name it, I will eat it with pleasure. But I am especially eager to enjoy bread that has at least some redeeming qualities. Besides of course tasting wonderful!
Doesn’t mean I always succeed in staying clear of those breads which have no nutritional value whatsoever. Because, bottom line, I am only human. But I honestly do endeavor to eat bread that is not only pleasantly palatable but would be moderately acceptable to a hard-nosed dietician. (Which BTW, is not an easy feat to accomplish!) So, in this recipe, I am using whole wheat pastry flour in place of all-purpose flour, raw honey rather than processed sugar, and veggie oil instead of butter. (I’m pretty sure a dietician would still frown on me even considering this to be a quasi-healthy cornbread. But there are just some things I do not intend to discuss with anyone who relies on scientific facts rather than how I want to perceive a situation.)
Wait! I sound just like many Americans who disvalue science in favor of what’s easier for them personally. Or believe what some nut case tells them is true. So, perhaps I should take a step backward.
So, in full disclosure, this cornbread is quick and easy to build and ever so tasty. And it is possibly healthier than other cornbread recipes. But it is never going to be considered a health food or better for you than steamed broccoli, spinach, or a naked green salad. (But it’s still really good.)
Peace and love to all.
1 c. fairly finely ground cornmeal
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 lg. egg
¾ c. whole milk
¼ c. sour cream
3 T. raw honey
¼ c. veggie oil
Whisk the corn meal, flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, milk, sour cream, honey, and oil together.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is lump free.
Pour into a buttered 8×8-inch pan. Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Warm before serving.
Miles had been enjoying the sun with his brother. But when I came in to take their picture, he had to move and then pose for me. Such a darling boy.
The true sun worshiper in the family. Max will follow the sun wherever it happens to appear. Love this little critter.
As you might have guessed by now, I am getting lazier and lazier in all aspects of my life. Even cooking. Or to be exact, mostly in the day in day out, what should I cook for dinner, realm of cooking. Which for those of you who know me, or are yourself in your late 70s, is not a condition I am experiencing any different than most other cooks my age. As a group, we are all slowing down. And most of us have been preparing dinners now for 5 decades. That’s a blooming lot of dinners to not only cook but think up! So, both the appeal of cooking 7 dinners a week and the reality of the work involved has diminished at least my eagerness to continue performing miracles in the kitchen. So, for me, it’s mainly the energy involved that has dampened my zest for providing unique and tantalizing dishes every stinkin’ night! Which is hard for me to accept since I have always been kind of an energizer bunny! But Mother Nature has put the kibosh on what was once my norm. Because boy howdy, things have changed dramatically in this old gal’s body! And one of the major changes is how I feel about cooking dinner EVERY BLOODY NIGHT!
Luckily Mr. C. understands where I am coming from because as strange as it may seem, he is slowing down too. Funny how that works. And of course, with all his gigs that are often held in restaurants, I get a break from cooking dinners every night. So, that helps. Plus, there are the days when I simply announce that I am not cooking dinner. And bless his heart, he has never questioned my decision or tried to change my mind.
Now don’t get me wrong. I still love to cook. And I especially like to prepare food for gatherings at our home. And I love to hear Mr. C. verbalize his pleasure over food items that I have set before him. So, of course I continue to enjoy that aspect of dinner preparation. I just don’t want to spend as much time in the kitchen as I did when I was younger. But I still insist that the food be as healthy and tasty as possible. Thus, the recipe you find below.
I found this recipe on the tippsinthekitchen.com site. I had some bulk Italian sausage in the freezer and a couple of zucchinis that were trying to self-destruct, so to the internet I proceeded. Not only was this pasta dish extremely quick and easy to prepare, but it was also delicious. I made a couple of slight changes, but then, that’s just what I do!
So, I hope you too enjoy this lovely main dish. I served it with a crisp green salad, and dinner was delightful.
And as a gentle reminder, let’s all remember to cut ourselves some slack. Our bodies all change as we get older. So, we need to be reminded that not only are we changing, but so are others around us. And as our bodies morph into their new reality, let’s all work even harder to keep our minds focused on kindness, patience, forgiveness, empathy, and the willingness to accept what we can’t change. Because aging is not for the faint of heart! But luckily, kindness, etc. is a gift you can give others that doesn’t adversely impact your aging body in any way, shape, or form. In fact, quite the opposite. Being a thoughtful human being brings on a high that not even the best-known uplifting drugs can duplicate or exceed. A natural high, as the saying goes!
Peace and love to all.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
2 sm. zucchini squash, chopped in 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. fennel seeds
1½ c. dried orzo (Make sure the orzo was made in Italy)
3 c. chicken broth
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 c. grated Parmesan, plus more for passing
2 c. fresh baby spinach or arugula, optional
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, covered pan over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage as it browns. Add the zucchini and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Then add in the crushed red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and orzo. Cook for 1 minute.
Pour in broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes until orzo is cooked. (If the consistency seems a bit watery, remove the lid for the last bit of cooking time.) Add the Parmesan and stir until well blended.
Add the spinach or arugula and cook only till wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning. Offer additional grated Parmesan to the table.
OK, this has to be one of the easiest salads I have ever made. While at the same time, one of the best salads I have ever eaten. First of all, we love arugula. Arugula’s flavor is peppery, spicy, and a bit nutty, which makes sense considering it’s in the same family as mustard greens. And as for nutrition, arugula has been recognized to be full of antioxidants which protect against or reverse damage to our cells. These natural substances give arugula its slightly peppery taste and may also protect against certain cancers, including breast, prostate, lung, and colin cancers. Arugula may also fight inflammation. It also contains vitamin K, which is good for your bones and may help prevent osteoporosis. So, bottom line, what’s not to like?
Now, until recently, I have only used arugula as one of a mixture of greens for my salads. But a couple months ago we were having dinner at our good friends Jim and Margo’s home, and they served arugula salad. It was so good that right there and then I decided to embrace the fact that not only is arugula delicious all by itself, but it also comes pre-washed in a nice plastic container. (That I already knew and treasured, being the indolent gal I have become of late!)
But I had never thought to serve it as the only green in a salad. And OK, this salad has a bit of fresh parsley in it, so technically arugula is not the only green ingredient that is terribly healthy for us in this recipe. But for all practical purposes, this is still an arugula salad.
And for this recipe we all have Erin Clarke of wellplated.com to thank. And I must say, this simple salad dressing is one of the best balsamic vinegar recipes I have ever made. And by far, the easiest! And it would also be perfect on a spinach salad or drizzled over sliced heirloom tomatoes. Or basically whenever a balsamic vinegar dressing would be appropriate.
Well, that’s it for today. Except to remind you that if you plan to make this wonderful dressing, please use good balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. And I know. Good balsamic vinegar is expensive. And juicing a fresh lemon can be a drag. But even using the best ingredients you can afford to make homemade salad dressings is cheaper than buying bottled salad dressing at the store. And ever so much tastier and without those annoying preservatives that no one can pronounce anyway.
Although I’ve been thinking lately that maybe the reason my face is now covered with so many wrinkles is that I have always prepared most of the food we consume from scratch. Maybe I should embrace prepared foods that contain masses of preservatives. Perhaps my shelf life might actually be lengthened if I did so. I must give this idea some consideration.
In the meantime, peace, and love to all. And do make this salad. It is simply amazing!
Balsamic Lemon Dressing:
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. good balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Shake together in a lidded jar. Store in your refrigerator.
Salad:
2-3 c. baby arugula, roughly chopped
2 T. sunflower seeds
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
¼ c. shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Place arugula in a salad bowl. Toss with some of the dressing. Then top with sunflower seeds and fresh parsley. Drizzle the rest of the dressing overall or save in the fridge for another time. Garnish with shaved Parm.
Other additives that you might enjoy in this salad include apple or pear slices or chopped walnuts or almonds instead of sunflower seeds.
And again, thank you Erin for this wonderful recipe.
I often serve leftovers from the previous dinner when I have overachieved on the amount I prepare. (This happens more often than not! We simply can’t eat as much as days of yore.) So, in an effort to change things up a bit, I often add a new and different side dish to stave off gastronomic boredom. And this is the result of wanting a new and exciting addition to thrill and delight our tastebuds as we slurped down the leftover Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (on site) that I had served the night before.
I knew what I wanted was a bread product that leaned towards the nutritious side. Well as much as possible and still taste great and not at all like buttered cardboard! (Believe me, in all my years of trying to bake low calorie, nutritious bread products, I have baked my fair share of edible cardboard. So, I know whereof I speak!) Anyway, I researched several on-line recipes and came up with this recipe. And we both thought the biscuits were wonderful. Full of flavor, tender and moist, and a wonderful base for butter and jam (Mr. C.) and honey (me). And the biscuits had been ever so easy to make.
You will notice that in many of my biscuit, cookie, cake, muffin, and quick bread recipes, my instructions remind you to not overbake whatever it is your baking. I find that one of the mistakes many otherwise excellent cooks make is that they tend to leave certain baked goods in the oven just a few minutes too long. So, a quick reminder for us all.
For tender and moist Biscuits: If you are unsure if a biscuit is done, use an instant read thermometer and remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches between 205 and 210-degrees. Once out of the oven, immediately transfer to a cooling rack.
For perfectly baked Cookies: Pull the cookie sheet out of the oven when the cookies are just set unless otherwise directed. Underbaking is better than overbaking. And the good folks at Southern Living recommend letting your cookies cool right on the baking pan instead of on a separate cooling rack. The only exception is shortbread cookies. They need to be overbaked just a bit to provide that lovely crunch we all appreciate.
For perfectly moist Cakes and Muffins: When the top of your cake or muffins becomes more golden or darker and starting to pull away from the side of the pan, gently press on the top with your fingers and check to see if the cake or muffin springs back fully. That’s a good sign to reach for your instant read thermometer.
For most cakes the internal temperature should read between 200 and 205-degrees. For muffins, 205-degrees. Just be sure to avoid 212-degrees and beyond, because that’s the temperature that water turns to steam, which means you’ll start losing precious moisture very quickly. And loss of moisture results in a dry or tough consistency in both cakes and muffins.
For moist and tender Quick Breads: Quick breads are perfectly done when the internal temperature hits between 200 and 205-degrees. Most recipes almost always give the baking time rather than the temperature. So, to ensure perfectly baked quick breads, start checking the internal temperature at 20 minutes if the recipe bake time is stated between 20–30 minutes.
OK, that was my quick and dirty lesson on not overbaking some types of baked goods. And do forgive me if I seem to be preaching to the choir. But as a choir director with over 20 years’ experience, preaching to the choir just comes naturally to me. But then I figured that everyone needs a quick reminder occasionally. I know I sure do.
Well, my work is done here for the day. It’s still sunny and warm outside so I thought I might forget about all things kitchen and treat myself to a bit of a read in our courtyard. May you also make the time to treat yourself to whatever it is that brings you pleasure.
I found this on Facebook when I went online this morning. It pretty well sums up my philosophy on life as an older person. So, I thought I would share it with you.
And as always, peace and love to all.
By Mário Raul de Morais Andrade
(Oct 9, 1893 – Feb 25, 1945)
Brazilian poet, novelist, musicologist, art historian and critic, photographer
“I counted my years and found that I have less time to live from here on than I have lived up to now.
I feel like that child who won a packet of sweets: he ate the first with pleasure, but when he realized that there were few left, he began to enjoy them intensely.
I no longer have time for endless meetings where statutes, rules, procedures and internal regulations are discussed, knowing that nothing will be achieved.
I no longer have time to support the absurd people who, despite their chronological age, haven’t grown up.
My time is too short:
I want the essence, my soul is in a hurry.
I don’t have many sweets in the package anymore.
I want to live next to human people, very human, who know how to laugh at their mistakes, and who are not inflated by their triumphs, and who take on their responsibilities.
Thus human dignity is defended and we move towards truth and honesty.
It is the essential that makes life worth living.
I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch hearts, people who have been taught by the hard blows of life to grow with gentle touches of the soul.
Yes, I’m in a hurry, I’m in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.
I don’t intend to waste any of the leftover sweets.
I am sure they will be delicious, much more than what I have eaten so far.
My goal is to reach the end satisfied
and at peace with my loved ones
and my conscience.
We have two lives.
And the second begins when you realize you only have one.”
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
2¼ c. whole wheat pastry flour, fluffed
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. kosher salt
4 T. (½ stick) frozen unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 c. cold buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, see recipe below)
Pre-heat the oven to 425-degrees. Line a medium sized baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your food processor, mix the pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the cold butter and whirl just until the butter is evenly distributed and the dough resembles coarse meal. Whirl in the buttermilk until just blended. The dough will be quite wet. Refrigerate the dough for 20-30 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured countertop or pastry cloth. Knead the dough 4 to 5 times until it comes together, dusting the dough lightly with flour as needed.
Pat the dough gently with your hands into a disc and fold the dough over itself 2 to 3 times. This will help create layers in your biscuits. Then pat the dough into a roughly 1-inch-thick square. Cut the biscuit with a sharp knife that has been dipped in flour. (I got 12 various sized biscuits.)
Transfer the biscuits to the prepared sheet pan leaving about 2-inches apart.
Increase the heat to 450-degrees and place the biscuits in the oven. Bake until a light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Do not overbake. The internal temperature should be about 205-degrees.
Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Biscuits are best served warm slathered with a bit of butter and either honey or jam.
To warm the biscuits, place in microwave on high for about 25 seconds. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE
1 T. white vinegar
milk (I use whole milk)
Pour the vinegar into a one cup liquid measuring container. Add enough milk to make exactly one cup. Gently stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes before using. You might see some light curdling, so stir the mixture again just before using. Even if you don’t see a texture change, the acid in the milk will still work its magic in the recipe.
OK, I woke up yesterday morning hungry for Navy bean soup. But when I discovered there wasn’t a ham hock in the freezer, I quickly changed my mind, and adjusted my thinking towards chicken soup. (I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to soup.) But I didn’t want to make one of my standard recipes for chicken soup. If I couldn’t have Navy bean soup, which tends to be inherently creamy as the beans break down, then I wanted to try building a creamy chicken soup for the lovely mouth feel that creamy soups provide. Thus, this recipe.
Now of course this soup includes all the usual suspects. Carrot, celery, onion, etc. But the addition of beurre manié at the end gives the soup a lovely creamy texture. And this soup is very versatile. Want mushrooms, spinach, rice instead of pasta, peas, etc. in your soup? Go for it! Want to use heavy cream instead of whole milk? Knock yourself out! This is just an easy soup to prepare and adapt to whatever your family will enjoy. Nothing special. Nothing new and exciting. Just a good soup that can be made either with freshly cooked chicken or leftover chicken or turkey.
So, that’s it for today. It’s warm and sunny here in northwest Washington. Mt. Baker is showing its beautiful countenance to its many admirers. Port Susan Bay is almost glass-like and a stunning blue/grey. And everywhere I look new leaves are decorating our vista while our lilac bushes insist upon perfuming the air. In other words, it’s a perfect day to work or read outside. And yes, I am very, very lucky.
So, with my book in hand, and my favorite chair in our courtyard just sitting there waiting for me, I leave you to spend the rest of your day also enjoying your surroundings.
The best advice my father ever gave me was to be happy with what I had. Not that I shouldn’t strive for what I wanted or needed. But I should always look around me and be grateful. I wish he were still alive so that I could thank him for his wisdom. Because I know far too many people who are always living in a world of “when I get this or that, I will be happy”. It simply doesn’t work that way. Be happy with what you have and try to help those around you to be happy also. All the rest will eventually fall into place.
2 ribs celery, cut in half lengthwise and then thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
¼ tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
1 T. chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken)
2 tsp. dry sherry
⅓ c. flour
1 c. whole milk
2 c. thick egg noodles, cooked al dente
In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the chicken cubes. Sprinkle with the seasoned salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to get good and browned and almost crispy. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and refrigerate until needed.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and parsley. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then stir in the poultry seasoning, thyme, and bay leaves.
Add the chicken stock, chicken base, and dry sherry and simmer covered for about an hour or until the carrots are soft. Meanwhile, mush the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with the flour in a small mixing bowl.
When the veggies are soft and just before you are ready to serve the soup, add the cooked chicken and milk. When hot, gently stir in the beurre manié (the French name for butter and flour mushed together as a thickening agent). Stir until the soup is hot and thickened. Add the al dente noodles. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Ever since I was a child, I have loved a good chocolate malt. (See recipe for a chocolate malt below.) And another thing I loved with a passion was Whoppers. (Also, maple bars, but that’s a story for another time.) But chocolate malts and malt balls, I mean really, what’s not to love? (Maple bars too, for that matter!)
But, as an older adult, having a milk shake containing malted milk powder every day is totally out of the question! (But truly, if malts were suddenly deemed health food, my blender would not only live on one of our kitchen counters, but it would also be put to use each and every day.) (And before you think to yourself that smoothies are every bit as good, keep that thought to yourself. Bananas, ice, and protein powder will never replace a truly decadent and creamy chocolate malt. Never!)
Anyway, with chocolate malts on my mind, the other day I decided to work up a recipe for a milk chocolate chip cookie with not only malted milk powder in the mix, but also crushed malted milk balls. And the result of my endeavor you now find below.
Now, to say that these cookies are OK, would be putting is mildly. To my malted milk addled brain and taste buds, these cookies are fabulous! Easy to prepare and way too easy to eat.
So, give these cookies a try. You and your family can thank me later.
Peace and love to all.
1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1⅓ c. brown sugar, packed
2 lg. eggs, room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
½ c. malted milk powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. milk chocolate chips, chunks, or callets (I use Callebaut milk callets) (Amazon)
1 c. coarsely chopped malted milk balls*
In the bowl of your mixer, cream the soft butter and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla extract.
Whisk the flour, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt together, then stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix in the milk chocolate chips and chopped malt balls.
Using a small ice cream scoop (I use a #40, 1½ tablespoon ice cream scoop), drop balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (The balls can be close together at this point.)
When ready to bake, place the cold dough balls 2-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 13-14 minutes or just until the edges become a light golden brown. Do not overbake.
Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
When completely cooled (the chocolate pieces are set) store in an airtight container.
*We are huge fans of malted milk balls. So, I go all out and order them on Amazon. Our favorite malt balls are from The Amish-Buggy. Triple Dipped Malted Milk Balls. Spendy but worth every penny.
CHOCOLATE MALT
2 c. really good vanilla ice cream (I like vanilla bean the best)
½ c. whole milk, add more if desired
2-4 T. chocolate sauce (We like Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Sauce) (Amazon)
2 T. malted milk powder (I use King Arthur Malted Milk Powder) (Amazon)
whipped cream, garnish, opt.
chocolate sprinkles, garnish, opt.
Whirl the ice cream, milk, chocolate sauce, and malted milk powder in your blender. If you prefer a thinner malt, add a bit more milk.
If desired, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
In my ever-ending quest to make life easier for myself and others, I decided long ago that refrigerator (slice and bake) cookies are the answer to every baker’s dream of building easy and less time-consuming cookies. But, in all my years of baking cookies, I had never found a recipe for a peanut butter refrigerator cookie. So, I decided to work up a recipe myself. (I’ll wait while you take time to applaud my effort.) And I decided to use vegetable shortening instead of butter. Shortening tends to trap more air bubbles and has a higher melting point than butter, so recipes that use shortening tend to produce a product that rises higher, holds its shape during baking better than when using butter, and has an interior texture that is softer or lighter. But in some cookies, especially lightly flavored cookies, there is no substitute for the flavor of butter. But for these peanut butter babies, shortening is definitely the way to go. Because what I wanted was a crisp yet slightly chewy cookie. And that’s exactly what I got.
So, is the taste of this cookie a lot different than any other peanut butter cookie? Nope. Was it easier to shape into a couple logs rather than rolling dough balls? Yup. And like every other cookie I bake, this dough is going to spend some quality time in the fridge. So, the easier I can make this whole process, the more likely I am to make these cookies again.
Now the reason I am baking cookies today is for the faculty concert at Warm Beach this evening. Mr. C. has been working with the rhythm section during a weeklong jazz band camp for adults. I thought it would be nice to offer an after-concert treat to the concert attendees. And of course, to the fine musicians attending the camp and the faculty for all their hard work.
In addition to these cookies, I am serving Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies (recipe on site) and another new cookie (Malted Milk Ball Chocolate Chip Cookies) that I worked up for the occasion. If the malted milk cookies are a success, you will find the recipe posted within the next few days. If the cookies are not as tasty as anticipated, the recipe will be relegated to the “try again” pile. (It’s a huge pile already, so what’s one more recipe that didn’t quite hit the mark!) Anyway, I hope all three cookies are enjoyed. Since I know a good many of the faculty and have met some of the camp attendees over the years, it should make for a fun evening. And I do so love to feed people. So, a great concert to attend, renewed friendships to anticipate, new acquaintances to make, and cookies to seal the deal. What better combination could this old gal ask for? Well, maybe, that you enjoy making and eating these cookies as much as I do.
As always, peace and love to all.
1 c. vegetable shortening
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. creamy or crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
2 tsp. baking soda
In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugars, and peanut butter; beat in vanilla and eggs until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda; gradually beat flour into the creamed mixture until combined.
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a log.
Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Slice the dough and place 1½-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Flatten in a crisscross pattern with fork tines and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Do not overbake.
Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Before leaving on our spring trailer vacation, I decided to take some pork tenderloin along with us. Mr. C. loves to grill, and pork tenderloin is so wonderful when BBQed. Plus, I had a new marinade recipe I wanted to try.
But this was not the vacation to do any grilling. It rained, it snowed, and the wind was exceedingly busy. So, I kept putting off using the tenderloin. Finally, the day our good friends Margo and Jim were due to arrive, and I had previously told them not to worry about dinner after their long drive, I decided to put the pork tenderloin to good use. It was either that or go to the local grocery store and try to find some other kind of meat to serve. And grilling was out of the question. So, I took inventory of what I had on hand that could work its’ way into a pork dish and decided on some type of pork stew. And what immediately came to mind was paprikash.
So, the recipe you find below is the result of me making do with what I had on hand. And it worked. All 4 of us declared it a winner and the stew had been so very easy to prepare. Even in our trailer.
Sure, I had to simmer the stew for about 90 minutes to tenderize the meat and break down both the onion and red bell pepper. While occasionally giving the whole mess a stir. But, really easy to do in a trailer. (Especially when you must remain in the trailer anyway because of inclement weather!) And as it was burbling away, it smelled so good that I was surprised some of the other campers weren’t lined up at supper time to claim their fair share! So, this is definitely a recipe I will be making in our trailer again. (And at home too, of course!)
So, if you too love Hungarian food and are particularly fond of tender pork in a paprika and sour cream sauce, this is the recipe for you. Easy to build, fairly inexpensive to produce, and totally yummy.
Well, that’s it for today. We are off to a piano recital this evening in Seattle. Works by Frédéric François Chopin. One of our favorite composers. So, I am stoked. What can be better than paprikash for dinner followed by Chopin for dessert? Not a thing I can think of.
Peace and love to all.
Since I am posting this recipe the day after I wrote the preface, I feel duty bound to mention that the concert was fantastic. And if you live in the Seattle area and love music, you might avail yourself of the concerts that are performed at Meany Hall on the U of W campus by the School of Music faculty. Since we are seniors, our concert tickets cost us $10 each. If you are not a senior or a U of W student, the cost is still reasonable – only $20. The best bang for your buck in town. And to hear and watch a world class pianist like Craig Sheppard is magic in and of itself. And hearing all of Chopin’s nocturnes played so beautifully was heavenly. To learn more about upcoming recitals etc., visit the U of W School of Music’s web site.
2 T. veggie oil
1 pork tenderloin, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4-6 tsp. paprika, or more to taste
2½ c. chicken stock
2 T. unsalted butter, room temp.
3 T. flour
1 c. sour cream, or more as needed
2-3 c. dry thick egg noodles, cooked al dente (I use Homemade Style Country Pasta Egg Pasta) (Costco)
In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the pork cubes, salt, and pepper. Brown the pork. Add the onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and paprika. Stir and cook for a couple minutes. Then add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for about 90 minutes or until the pork is tender.
Meanwhile mash the butter and flour together. (I use a table fork) When the pork is fork-tender, stir the beurre manié (the French name for butter and flour mushed together as a thickening agent) into the pork. Let burble for a couple of minutes or until the sauce thickens. (If the sauce doesn’t thicken enough, add another beurre manié using 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour). Reduce the heat to very low and whisk in the sour cream.
Add the al dente noodles to the sauce and serve immediately.
OK, I know, everyone who makes peach pie has a favorite recipe. But in case you don’t have a favorite recipe, I am going to share mine with you. Because I strongly believe that peach pie is one of God’s greatest gifts to the human race. And that peach pie should be made as simply as possible. No gilding the lily in the preparation of this pie. But, of course, served with vanilla bean ice cream.
But no pudding over the peach slices, or streusel on top, or other fancy enhancements. Just a great crust, not too much sugar, a touch of good almond extract to bring out the inherent almond like flavor of the peaches, and a bit of cinnamon. Because cinnamon always makes most fruit or berry pies taste better. I don’t know why that is. But give me a piece of apple pie without any cinnamon in the mix, and I’ll give it right back to you!
So, without further ado, my recipe for a peach pie for the masses.
Now don’t get me wrong. There are other perfectly wonderful recipes for peach pie worthy of your time and energy. Of course, there are. But I have been basically making this pie since I was 20 years old. And every time I would pull one of these babies out of my oven, a good friend of mine would magically appear on my doorstep. How he knew I had just made his favorite pie will forever remain a mystery. But there he was as sure as God made little green apples.
So, I’m just sayin’, if you want company, this is the pie to make.
Well, today is a day for both Mr. C. and me with no commitments. And believe it or not, that is a rare occurrence. Because of all the musical adventures Mr. C. is involved with, and at our ages the myriad doctor’s appointments, follow-ups, shots, and other medical and cosmetic requirements to keep our bodies in good working order and acceptable to be seen in public, we are rarely allowed a day off. So, I am taking advantage of this delightful hiatus to catch up on my blog posting and make Pork Paprikash Stew with Egg Noodles for dinner. I made this stew while we were on vacation and it turned out to be not only easy to prepare, but quite tasty. So, look forward to finding it on this site in the next couple of days.
In the meantime, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay committed to making your own life and the lives of those around you better.
And as always, peace and love to all.
pie crust for a 9-inch two crust pie (see my favorite pie crust recipe below)
7-8 fresh peaches, peeled (see my method of peeling a peach below) and sliced
¼ tsp. good almond extract
½ c. granulated sugar
¼ c. brown sugar, packed
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
3 T. unsalted butter
Place the peach slices in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in the almond extract. In another bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Gently mix the flour mixture with the peaches.
Place the bottom crust in the pie pan.
Pour the peaches into the pie shell. Dot with butter and cover with the top crust and crimp the edges as desired. Cut small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Cover edges of pie crust with strips of aluminum foil.
Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil strips for the last 5 minutes or so before the pie is ready to come out of the oven. The pie crust should be a very light golden brown and the filling should be bubbling a bit into the slits in the top crust.
Remove pie from oven and let sit at least 25 minutes before serving. Great with vanilla bean ice cream.
BTW, I recently made this pie using frozen peaches. For whatever reason, the peaches remained crunchy. And there was a lot of liquid in the bottom of the pie plate. And I had baked the pie for at least 30 minutes longer than usual! I either did something wrong, or those peaches were as hard as rocks when they were picked and packaged. Lesson learned for me. Use fresh peaches or make apple pie!
PIE CRUST
¼ c. + 2 T. very cold water
2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
1 tsp. salt
heaping 2/3 c. Crisco
Step 1 – Pour cold water into a small bowl.
Step 2 – Measure flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Step 3 – Take 1/3 cup of the flour back out of the mixing bowl and stir it into the water. Make a paste. Set aside.
Step 4 – Add the Crisco (heaping 2/3 cup) to the flour and salt mixture. Mix together. (I use my KitchenAid mixer.)
Step 5 – Add the water/flour paste to the flour/shortening bowl and mix just until blended. Do not over-mix.
Roll out a little less than half of the dough and place in pie plate. Then roll out the top crust to be about an inch all-around larger than the pie pan. This recipe makes enough dough for a double crust 9-inch pie.
Best way I have found to peel fresh peaches:
Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Carefully add your peaches. (I lower the peaches into boiling water with a slotted spoon.) This technique, officially called blanching, helps to loosen the peach skins so they peel easily using either your fingers or a paring knife. The process is quick (about 30 seconds), so take care not to leave the peaches boiling for too long.
Using the same slotted spoon, remove the peaches into a large bowl filled with ice water. (You should set this up before starting the boiling process.) Shocking the peaches stops the cooking process and allows you to hold the peaches without scalding your hands.
Once the peaches are cooled, remove the peaches from the ice bath. Using your hands or paring knife, gently peel away the skin. The skin should release from the flesh with minimal effort.
I have found that cutting the peaches by making the initial cut around the middle rather than from stem to stern works best for me. And I personally like Clingstone peaches best. But I take what’s available and always remember to say thank you. I love peaches just that much!
I usually make some type of quick bread before we head out on a trailer trip. Maybe some muffins too. And a couple kinds of cookies to munch on any time a goodie is called for, along with 3 or 4 appetizer spreads for happy hour. And of course, homemade granola. And marinara sauce, meat loaf, etc. etc.
But for our recent month-long adventure, I wanted to change things up a bit. And I decided that blueberry bread would be perfect. So, onto the internet I went in search of the perfect blueberry bread recipe. And I found this recipe on thebestblogrecipes.com. I made a couple of minor changes, but all our thanks for this great recipe go to Shauna and Bailey.
I made two small loaves for the trip. I froze one and kept the other in the trailer’s fridge. And I was amazed at how well the one in the fridge stayed fresh. Of course, I had to ration out thin slices or the first loaf would have been totally consumed within 2 days. This bread is just that good. And I don’t know what made me think to include a bit of almond extract and place sliced almonds on the top along with the coarse sugar to give the bread a tiny bit of crunch. But boy did it work. And this bread had been so stinkin’ easy to build. I didn’t even have to get my mixer dirty.
So, next time you need a yummy treat for either breakfast or coffee breaks, I recommend you give this recipe a try. Easy and quick to prepare, and absolutely delicious.
Well, that’s it for today. Mr. C. and 4 other guys are rehearsing in our living room for an upcoming gig. So, after preparing a sandwich and chips lunch and two peach pies for the guy’s break, my body is telling me that what it needs now more than anything else is a nap. So, I’m going to give my body what it wants. Dynamic and scintillating rhetoric will just have to wait for another recipe preface when I can hopefully keep my mind focused and my eyes open. And my thoughts directed at my writing rather than towards my pillow.
But as always, peace and love to all.
2 c. fresh blueberries, washed and air dried
2 tsp. unbleached all-purpose flour to coat the blueberries
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
¾ c. granulated sugar
2½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 lg. eggs
½ c. + 2 tsp. whole milk
½ c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure almond extract
½ c. sliced almonds
2 tsp. coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top
Lightly spray 1 (9×5-inch) loaf pan or 2 (7½ x 3½-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray. Set pan or pans aside.
In a small mixing bowl, sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of flour on top of the fresh blueberries, and gently stir them together.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the 2 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk the eggs, milk, veggie oil, vanilla, and almond extract together until all the wet ingredients are thoroughly blended.
Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until no flour streaks are visible. Do not over mix. Carefully fold in the blueberries, taking care not to crush the berries while mixing.
Spoon the blueberry batter into the prepared loaf pan or pans. Evenly sprinkle on the sliced almonds. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of coarse sugar on top of the bread for garnish.
Bake the single loaf in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bake the two loaves for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow the blueberry bread to rest in the pan or pans for 20 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Gently warm before serving. Great for breakfast or with your late morning or afternoon coffee or tea.
