Author Archives: Patti

CHEDDAR-JALAPEÑO BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

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I am a sucker for really good biscuits. But then, aren’t we all! But when I start to eat a delicious biscuit that melts in my mouth, then you might as well just get out of my way because I’m going in for the kill! Fortunately, I have trained myself well enough now, to know that I simply must share my biscuits with others. But there are times, like with these biscuits, when the little kid in me rears its ugly head and wants to throw a mini “all mine” tantrum. (I’m not proud of this tendency even if it never comes to fruition. Well, not any more that is!) But with these biscuits, complements of Mike at chilipeppermadness.com., it takes every bit of my strength and determination not to eat the whole batch myself. They are just that good!

Yesterday was an interesting day. I had made turkey soup the day before in anticipation of not feeling well after my second covid-19 vaccination. So, when we got home yesterday from me being poked, I was fully prepared to feel a bit under the weather. But as the afternoon progressed, no symptoms emerged. So, I decided to make some biscuits to go with the soup.

I had printed out this recipe several weeks before. But for whatever reason, had not taken the opportunity to build a batch. But I thought these flavorful biscuits might go well with the fairly mild flavored soup we were going to have for dinner. And what-the-heck, while I still felt OK, why not? I had changed the instructions for preparing the biscuits because I always like to make life more difficult for myself. Just kidding. I just thought the way I planned to build the dough made more sense. And man did these biscuits turn out well. Very flavorful. Not too much heat from the jalapeño, but enough to ramp up the savory quotient. Along with the granulated garlic and sharp cheddar cheese, the flavor combination was perfect.

So, I would recommend that you build some of these easy to prepare biscuits at your earliest convenience. They are wonderful. And would go well with most any entrée. And don’t forget about serving them for breakfast. With our bacon and eggs this morning, they were just lovely. I heated them in our microwave for about 20 seconds on high, and they were perfect. No butter required.

As always, keep trying new and exciting ways to feed yourself and your family. We aren’t out of the woods yet. Covid-19 is still a reality, even though people are being vaccinated at an ever-increasing rate. But it’s still going to be quite a while before we can declare ourselves pandemic free. While we are waiting it out, the more we as cooks can do to make life as pleasant as possible for our family, the better off the entire household will be. Let’s face it. There is food that is basically just fuel needed to sustain life. Then there’s super delicious food that not only supports our bodies, but also helps lift our spirits. I mean really, who can feel picked on when they are busy shoveling really tasty food into their mouth?

So, special blessings go out to all you wonderful cooks who spend the time and energy to make delicious and nutritious dishes for yourself and your family. In my book you are heroes, each and every one of you.

Peace and love to all.  

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. granulated garlic  

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

¾ c. buttermilk

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeds and veins removed, then finely diced

Whisk 1¾ cups of the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and granulated garlic together in the bowl of your stand mixer. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter looks like small, thin shards. (In other words, don’t over mix the butter into the flour mixture.)

In a small bowl, mix the cheese in with the remaining quarter cup flour and mix in with the flour/butter mixture. Combine the buttermilk and diced jalapeño in a small bowl. Then add to the flour mixture using low speed, only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly to combine all the ingredients. Pat the dough into about a ¾-inch thickness. Cut into 2-3-inch rounds, or any size you prefer.  Place on a parchment paper lined baking pan.

Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. (The larger the biscuits the longer they need to bake. Duh!) The internal temperature should reach at least 205-degrees before the biscuits are ready to come out of the oven.

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or gently warmed. Store in an airtight container.    

DARK CHOCOLATE MINT CHIP COOKIES

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So, this started out to be my recipe for knockoff Levain Bakery dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies. But alas, there were no peanut butter chips in my freezer. I had used every single peanut butter chip I owned at Christmas time, and obviously failed to add them to my grocery list. Well, slap my hand for that senior moment! (And yes, peanut butter chips are now on my current shopping list. At least I remembered to do that. And yes, mental acuity comes and goes when you get to be my age!) So, I decided to make the same cookie batter but use mint chips in place of peanut butter chips. After all, how bad could that be? And as it turned out, I may have to write Levain Bakery offering to share my recipe with them. Because frankly, I think they’re making a grave mistake by not offering this cookie in their remarkable line up of cookies. Because these cookies are amazing. And yes, I am tooting my own horn. But when fair is fair, then I go for it!

Now for those of you who have never experienced a real Levain Bakery cookie (and that would probably include most of you since the bakery is in New York City) or even a knockoff Levain Bakery cookie, you are in for a treat. First of all, these are big cookies. They have a crisp outer layer with an extremely chewy, doughy center that melts in your mouth. (Think not quite set cookie dough that doesn’t fall apart!) Levain Bakery cookies are simply the best cookies imaginable. And very different from any cookies I had ever made or eaten before. And for the life of me I can’t remember where I heard or read about this bakery. But I will forever be grateful for whatever it was that turned me on to these cookies. And after you try one, I know you will be too! So, for your gastronomic edification, I offer you two other recipes for knockoff Levain Bakery cookies. Knockoff Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies and Almost Knockoff Levain Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Both are super yum!

So, as always, keep having fun in your kitchen. Keep thinking positive thoughts. And keep baking cookies. Because I don’t know anyone who doesn’t feel better with a cookie in their hand. Peace and love to all.  

And yes, look for my recipe for Knockoff Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies in the near future.

1 c. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 c. brown sugar

½ c. granulated sugar

2 lg. eggs 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. good dark cocoa powder

1 c. cake flour, fluffed 

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1 tsp. cornstarch

¾ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. coarse sea salt (I use coarse salt because it gives each bite of cookie just a lovely little burst of salt)

1½ c. mint chips

Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium low speed until smooth and completely blended, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat just until the eggs and vanilla are incorporated with the butter/sugar mixture.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix only until combined. Add the mint chips, and again, mix only until combined. Chill the dough for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 16 equal parts. Or as equally portioned as possible. (I cheat. I gently round the dough in my #16 (1/4 cup) ice cream scoop.)

Drop dough onto parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking pans about 3 inches apart. (I used three half sheet (roughly 18 x 13-inch) baking pans. Six cookies on sheets 1 & 2. Four cookies on sheet number 3.) Refrigerate for about an hour. (To make life easier on myself, and because I don’t have room in my refrigerator for 3 sheet pans, I plop the balls of dough close together on one of the parchment paper lined pans. Then I refrigerate the whole mess. When I’m ready to bake the little darlings, I take 6 from the fridge and place on another of the parchment paper lined baking sheets. The others dough balls I just leave in the fridge until I am ready to bake them off.)  

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 9-12 minutes or until the top looks set. The inside will still be a little under-baked. That’s exactly what you want.

Remove from oven and let the cookies rest for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (They finish baking and set up a bit during their 10-minute time out.)

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

BAKED PORK CARNITAS

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OK, I admit, the picture does not do the carnitas justice. But if there were any real justice anyway, someone would take my camera away from me. I give the whole “photography thing” a bad name!

For whatever reason, I had never made carnitas before yesterday. I had prepared pulled pork, but never pork carnitas. And I must say, I much prefer carnitas. Because unlike pulled pork, the meat is finished by roasting uncovered in the oven until all tender and brown with lovely crispy bits. Then removed from the pan, allowed to cool a bit, and shredded. Then returned to the pot and stirred into the remaining juice. So, in the end you have, tender, partially crisp, and very flavorful meat in sauce to use in any of your favorite Mexican recipes. Tacos, burritos, tamales, to name a few.

Last evening, I simply warmed some corn tortillas to hold the pork carnitas meat, then laid out homemade refried beans, diced avocado, finely chopped tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, and a mild red salsa. Yum! And the beautiful part, I had spent hardly any prep time on this fabulous way to use a fairly inexpensive cut of pork. Well, the prep time was insignificant, but the time in the oven would preclude this being a great weekday recipe for any person getting home after 2:00 in the afternoon. Because the total time in the oven is at least 3 hours.

However, the good news is that the cook doesn’t have to babysit the pork while it’s in the oven. So, this is a great recipe for a Saturday or Sunday evening, or whatever day of the week you are off work.   

And oh my gosh, pork is so delicious fixed this way. The smell alone emanating from your oven is worth any effort expended on this dish. And while the pork is braising/roasting away, all you wonderful cooks out there will be free to attend to other household duties. Such as cleaning your house, doing loads of laundry, hunting and gathering groceries, providing assistance with your kid’s homework, gardening, and my personal favorite – chauffeuring your kidlets all over God’s creation! (And yes, I still have vague memories of weekends when my kids were young. But a lot of my time spent being a mommy to young children and keeping a household running remain a blur, which I fervently hope will solidify as I get old. OK, get even older! Because I would really like to remember a bit more about those very busy years of my life!) (And I know, be careful what you wish for!)

Anyway, take it from me, this dish from the recipetineats.com site is one you most assuredly should make at your earliest convenience. Your family will love it. And it’s absolutely guest worthy. Perfect for a taco party. (When we can once again welcome guests into our homes, that is!) 

So, as always, be adventurous in your kitchen, laugh out loud whenever the mood strikes, and cherish the time you spend with your family. They may drive you bat poop crazy some days, but those days will be long gone sooner than you can even begin to imagine.

Peace and love to all.

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground cumin 

2½ lb. boneless, skinless pork shoulder, trimmed of as much fat as possible

½ onion , chopped

½ jalapeño, seeded, deveined and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ c. orange juice

1½ c. water  

Combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin. Rinse and dry the pork, then rub all over with olive oil mixture. 

Place the pork in a Dutch oven or covered roasting pan. Surround the meat with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic, orange juice, and water.

Cover and braise the meat in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 2 hours. Uncover and continue roasting for another 60-90 minutes. During this time, the liquid will reduce considerably, and the meat will become brown and crisp. (Check after 60 minutes.) Add additional water if required. (You want to end up with very tender, partially crispy brown meat, and a scant cup of liquid.)

Remove meat to a platter, let cool slightly, then shred using two forks. Discard any fat. Add the meat back to the pot and stir to combine with the remaining liquid. Use in any of your favorite recipes.

Easy way to warm corn tortillas:

Wrap a stack of tortillas (five or fewer) in aluminum foil and heat at 350-degrees  for 15 to 20 minutes. 

I wish the pink in this picture of the evening sky was as vivid as what we experienced first hand the other evening. It still amazes me after living on Camano Island for 12 plus years, to see masses of clouds over the mainland. And clear skies overhead and to the West. So the setting sun often brightens up the clouds like this. It’s a wonderful world folks. And watching the beauty of nature is a gift we can all share.

 

CREAMY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP

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OK, I hate to boast, but I truly believe that cauliflower was invented mainly for this soup recipe. Because, regardless of the other good recipes I have for this simple cruciferous vegetable, this preparation is now my favorite. And I’ll bet a years-worth of broccolini, that it’s going to become your favorite way to eat cauliflower too. And never mind that you probably already have a recipe for cauliflower cheddar soup. You simply must give this recipe a try. Roasting the cauliflower imparts such a goodly amount of richness, that in combination with all the other ingredients, there is no way this soup could be anything but delicious.

I served it last evening with just baked Chewy Sourdough Baguette slices, and it made the perfect Sunday evening meal. And it had been ever so quick and easy to build. So, another point in its favor. The only mistake I made was in not making a double batch. Because for lunch today, we are going to have to fight over the leftovers. Good thing Mr. C. is always such a gracious loser.

As always, keep having fun in your kitchen and keep on preparing healthy and delicious food for yourself and your family. I’m flat out of advice on matters I have no business mentioning on a cooking blog in the first place. So, I will simply leave you with my standard hope and prayer for each and everyone of you. Peace and love to all.

Oh, and if you were concerned about me offering to give up broccolini for a full year, please do not worry. I can’t stand the stuff, so I wouldn’t be eating it anyway. But thanks for any unease my words may have caused you.

1 med. head cauliflower, cut into very small pieces (use the stems and florets)

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 T. unsalted butter, divided

1 shallot, finely minced

2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced

1 med. carrot, grated

1 lg. stalk celery, finely chopped

2 c. water 

2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken or Vegetable flavored base   

3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 c. whole milk

2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese, loosely packed 

½ tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste (I use Frank’s Red Hot)

chopped chives, opt. (you can substitute green onion in a pinch)

garlic croutons, opt. (see recipe below)

Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower pieces start to get brown around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a covered Dutch oven or soup pot, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the shallot and garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the carrot, celery, water, and bouillon base. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender. Add the roasted cauliflower.

While the veggies are cooking, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese and hot sauce. Transfer to the Dutch oven and stir until well blended. (If the soup feels too thick, add a bit more water or milk.) Taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately topped with croutons and chopped chives.

Garlic Croutons:

1-2 T. butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)

2-3 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread (really any kind of bread you want)

granulated garlic

Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently.

When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Remove from heat. Cool and store in an airtight container.

       

HEALTHY CARROT MUFFINS

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OK, I’m not going to sugar coat my next statement. (Would be hard to do so anyway since there’s no refined sugar in this recipe!) OK, here goes! The reality of this recipe is that it will never produce carrot muffins with the same lovely mouth feel and moistness associated with their cousins made with real butter or veggie oil and refined sugar. Never. Can’t happen. But what this muffin does offer is a healthy alternative while still delivering the tasty mixture of ingredients offered in the original product. But super tender and moist? Not going to happen. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like biting into flavored cardboard. But meltingly moist these muffins are not. But a great deal better for us? Indeed they are! And oh, so easy to build. And the fact that they come in portioned amounts, is also in their favor. (Can’t cut a large piece for yourself like you can with my Healthy Carrot Quick Bread, which incidentally is pretty darn delicious and healthy too.)

So, if you too enjoy muffins for breakfast, but feel a little guilty if the muffin is full of fat (even if it’s healthy fat) and sugar, then I suggest you give this wonderful recipe from ifoodreal.com a try.  

As always, be cognizant of how your own cooking tastes. I know it may sound terribly simplistic, but if you don’t like whatever it is you just prepared, chances are your partner isn’t going to care for it either. Of course, kids don’t count. Because they are often picky eaters. (It’s in their job description after all! #1 – be a picky eater. #2 – bug your parents on a daily basis especially when they are right in the middle of a task that requires their full attention. #3 – never mind, you get the picture!) Anyway, my point is, don’t take it personally if whatever you fixed is not well received by your spouse. And especially none of this “well I worked hard on this dish and you had better damn well eat it” attitude either. Martyrdom is not an appealing characteristic in a spouse or partner. And a terrible trait for children to learn. This is the time for humor. Because if you try new recipes, you can expect to prepare your share of dishes that are not as well received as others.   

Believe me, your family will forgive you a bad dish. But it’s hard for anyone of any age to sympathize with someone who gets all bent out of shape, and mean, when a good laugh would be the proper response. Food should never be the source of family friction. The dinner table should be the place where kids learn good manners, where they witness responsible adult behavior, where they can express themselves, ask questions, and learn to accept that life is full of “not your best effort” as well as “that was really great”. After all, it’s how we respond to failure that defines us as much as how we graciously experience success.

Peace, love, and happy cooking to all.    

2 lg. eggs

⅓ c. honey

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 c. rolled oats

1½ c. coarsely grated carrots, packed

¾ c. unsweetened applesauce* 

⅓ c. golden raisins, cut in half if they are fairly large

1 c. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

⅓ c. unsweetened coconut flakes  

⅓ c. chopped nuts, plus more for the topping (I prefer pecans)   

cooking spray 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, honey, and vanilla together. Stir in the rolled oats, grated carrots, applesauce, and raisins. Let sit for about 15 minutes. (This little bit of time allows the oats and raisins to soften a tad.)

In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Add to the egg mixture and gently mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Stir in the coconut and nuts.

Using a regular sized ice cream scoop, plop batter into a greased non-stick muffin pan. (Should make about 15 muffins.) Top with additional chopped nuts. Press the nuts lightly into the batter before throwing the pans in your oven.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t over bake.

Remove from oven and let muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Gently warm just before serving. Muffins take well to being frozen.  

*If you don’t have applesauce on hand, make your own. Peel and seed 1 large apple. (I used a very large Honey Crisp apple.) Cut into small even sized pieces and place in a small covered heavy pan with a tablespoon of water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cook the apple until tender. Check periodically as the apple cooks. Add a bit of additional water if necessary. When tender, mash it up.       

SPICY MONGOLIAN CHICKEN

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And yes, another easy chicken recipe that I firmly believe everyone in your family will enjoy. Of course, if you have young children you might want to forego the crushed red pepper flakes. But all the other ingredients should be fine. I say this as if I had perfect knowledge and insight into feeding a family. Which of course, I do not. So, as I began writing this post, it brought to mind Mr. C’s comment this morning regarding knots. That’s right. The kind of knots made with rope or twine or shoelaces, or whatever.

Anyway, it all started this morning with the Daily Quiz in the Seattle Times. Monday through Saturday we attempt to answer the quiz questions while we eat our breakfast. And this morning’s topic was hobbies. And question 11 read as follows: Practitioners of this hobby make loops, hitches, splices, and coils. And we guessed the answer correctly. Knot tying. Then we took it a step further and tried to name all of the different knots we knew about. And it was actually quite a few. But the one thing that stopped us right in our tracks was that, yes, we knew the name of several kinds of knots, even knew how to actually tie a few knots, but couldn’t feel with any certainty that we knew the correct name for any of the knots we could produce, some of which we use every day! (And we think we’re so smart! Wrong!)   

Anyway, as Mr. C. was walking away from the breakfast table, he turned to me and uttered this humble truism, “the depths of my ignorance have yet to be fully plumbed”. And I thought to myself, don’t we all fall into that category. Especially me when I try to impart cooking tips when I’ve never received any professional culinary training.  

Most of my knowledge comes from spending a great deal of time in my kitchen. And listening to or reading what great culinary experts have to say on many different subjects. So, after this morning’s lesson in humility, I thought maybe it was time for a general apology. And I have a request. When I make a bold statement that you know to be absolutely incorrect, first of all, please forgive my ignorance. Then please let me know the error in my statement. I can then edit the post or at least offer an alternate possibility. Thank you. Now back to this recipe.

I made this easy to prepare dish the other evening and served it over steamed brown rice. And you know, the thing is, I didn’t begin to like brown rice until recently. Before I just thought it was like eating kernels of cardboard. But I have learned to prepare the rice in such a way, that both of us can really enjoy both its flavor and texture. I use 1 cup of brown rice, 1¾ cup water, some seasoned salt, a bit of freshly ground black pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of either veggie or olive oil, depending on what I’m serving with or on the rice. Then I walk away from the rice cooker for about an hour. Perfect brown rice, every time.

I hope you enjoy this lovely recipe from Sara at dinneratthezoo.com. If you haven’t visited Sara’s site, then I highly recommend you do so at your earliest convenience. She is great!

And as always, keep having fun in your kitchen. Keep finding the joy in life. And don’t be afraid of not knowing everything. No one knows all there is to know, even about any one subject, be it great or small. So, just for the fun of it, I am delighted to share with you the technical description of a function most of us perform on almost a daily basis. It’s called the shoelace knot.

(From Wikipedia) “The shoelace knot, or bow knot, is commonly used for tying shoelaces and bow ties. The shoelace knot is a doubly slipped reef knot formed by joining the ends of whatever is being tied with a half hitch, folding each of the exposed ends into a loop (bight) and joining the loops with a second half hitch.”  

Peace and love to all. (And good luck tying your shoes next time!)

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

½ c. low sodium soy sauce

⅓ c. water

⅓ c. dark brown sugar

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste

2 tsp. + ¼ c. cornstarch, divided  

3 T. vegetable oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

5-6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal

Whisk the sesame oil, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place the chicken and remaining quarter cup cornstarch in a resealable plastic bag, shake to coat evenly. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and season lightly with salt and pepper.  

Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate. 

Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sesame oil mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 30-60 seconds or until just thickened.

Add the cooked chicken and green onions to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Great served over steamed rice.   

NAPA (CHINESE CABBAGE) SALAD

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This was one of my kid’s favorite salads when they were growing up. Us big kids too. The original recipe, including the ingredients listed below, called for iceberg lettuce, shredded chicken, and fried Chinese rice (cellophane) noodles. But Mr. C. and I have now come to terms with the fact that we are approaching incipient old age. (When, pray tell, did that happen?) So, although we would love to hold fast to our culinary guilty pleasures, the reality is that we need to watch our cholesterol, sugar, and fat consumption. And serving this salad using napa cabbage (more nutrients than iceberg lettuce) and foregoing the fried noodles is in our own best interest. (And yes, I dearly miss the fried noodles!)

And as for the chicken, we sometimes include it. Especially in the summer when it’s hot outside and a cold salad makes a perfect meal. But mainly anymore, we enjoy this salad as an accompaniment. And what a delicious and different salad this makes. It’s crunchy, and refreshingly Chinese without the almost requisite inclusion of soy sauce.

So, if you too love a salad with bold flavor, a delightful crunch, that is way different from the usual green offering, give this recipe a try. You will love it.

As always, live on the wild side. Pick up a head of napa cabbage instead of romaine, arugula, or even spinach. Because napa cabbage has a lovely mild flavor with kind of a peppery kick to it.

And while you’re at it, you might even pick up a container of distilled white vinegar. And yes, that’s plain white vinegar. (You’ll need it anyway for this recipe.) Because some of you who are on the young side, may not believe what I am about to tell you, but it’s the truth. Scouts honor.

Some of us started cooking before white wine, red wine, balsamic, raspberry, Champagne, rice, apple cider, sherry, etc. vinegars were widely available. (And yes, I own them all. Now!) But as a brand new cook, plain white vinegar was all I used. (It’s all I knew about.) And there are still some dishes that I make routinely that simply would not be as delicious without this unassuming inexpensive ingredient. For example, my dressing for potato salad, Sunomono (look it up), some barbecue sauces I make, some salads containing cucumber I adore, just to name a few. So, if you don’t already own this amazing ingredient because you have been embarrassed to be seen with it in your grocery cart, get over it! Buy a bottle with the full knowledge that you are the savvy one. You are the cook that really “gets it”! And the bigger the container the better. (It never goes bad.)

So dear friends, I wish you a wonderful weekend filled with good food, good comradery, and good health. Peace and love to all.  

4 tsp. distilled white vinegar

1 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. granulated sugar

¼ c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

½ head napa cabbage, finely chopped (you can use iceberg lettuce in a pinch)

3 green onions, sliced diagonally

3 thin slices fresh ginger, minced

2 T. slivered almonds

2 T. sesame seeds

1 c. shredded cooked chicken, opt.

Whisk the vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and lemon juice together.

Just before serving, place the cabbage, green onions, ginger, almonds, and sesame seeds in a salad bowl. Pour on most of the dressing. Toss to coat. Add additional dressing as needed. (You want the cabbage nicely coated but not swimming in the dressing.) Serve immediately.

     

PAN SEARED TENDERLOIN OR FILET MIGNON STEAKS WITH DIFFERENT BUTTERS

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I used Garlic Rosemary Butter this time.

You know what they say about butter. That “butter makes everything better”. And in the case of a beautifully cooked tenderloin or filet mignon, they are 100% correct.

Now some would argue that the meat alone is perfect and should be enjoyed au naturale. To this I say – phooey! If they truly want their meat “naked”, then try cooking it without as much as a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Now, that’s “natural”. But I’d bet my last pound of unsalted butter that no one would admit to enjoying a good steak without the requisite liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper just before cooking begins. Especially salt. Because salt stays on the surface of meat without dissolving. This helps the meat juices stay within the muscle fibers thus helping ensure a juicy steak. Of course, along with the salt, it is important to cook the steak at a very high temperature. The high heat helps form an evenly distributed and crispy brown crust. And in the case of meat cooked using this recipe, a lovely buttery crisp crust.

FYI: Our good friend Jim, who is truly a meat expert, prepares his steaks a bit differently. He brings the meat to room temperature, then at least an hour before he cooks the meat, he liberally sprinkles it with salt and presses it into the meat. Then he sets it aside. Salting ahead of time like this ensures the entire cut gets evenly flavored.  When salt is applied to raw meat, juices inside the meat are drawn to the surface. The salt then dissolves in the exuded liquid, forming a brine that is eventually reabsorbed by the meat.

Anyway, my point is, au naturale meat can be over-rated. Of course, I’m a lover of creamy and savory. So, for me, a lovely, flavored butter melting on a perfectly cooked steak is pure heaven. I could eat a great steak prepared this way weekly except for the obvious reasons. A) too much red meat is not good for me. B) Too much butter is not good for me. C) Expensive meat is not good for our budget!  So, I prepare this kind of an entrée only for very special occasions.

So, if you too have a special occasion coming up, I would recommend serving this steak. And I know. For special occasions we love to go out for dinner too. But with Covid, dining in one of our favorite restaurants has not been possible. So, I have made sure that any special occasions are still celebrated with as much fanfare and fine dining as possible. But, like you, I am really looking forward to having someone else do the cooking, table clearing, and dishes. But even as write that sentence, I’m reminded that the slight annoyance of not being able to dine out is only a problem to people for whom poverty is not a reality. And then I sit back, say a thank you prayer to every deity imaginable, and then lift my butt out of my comfortable chair and walk into my well-stocked kitchen and fix us something good to eat. We are the lucky ones. We have food in our freezer, clean water, a warm home, and enough of everything necessary to live happy and productive lives. I hope and pray the same for you.

Peace and love to all.  

2 beef tenderloin or filet mignon steaks (at least 1½-inches thick)

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

2 T. unsalted butter

Remove the steak from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. (Having the steak at room temperature helps ensure that your cooking times are more accurate and the meat cooks more evenly.) Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Cook immediately.

Or use Jim’s method: salt the steak at least an hour before cooking. Then proceed to either cook as described below, or grill over high heat. Either way produces a really good product.

Using a cast iron pan if possible, add the 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and allow the skillet to become scorching hot before placing the steaks in the pan. Sear the first side undisturbed for 2 minutes. Carefully flip the steaks and sear the second side for 2 minutes. (This will give your steaks a lovely and tasty crust.)

Transfer the skillet directly to your pre-heated 425-degree oven. (The skillet handle may be hot, so work carefully.) For rare, bake for 3½ minutes. The internal temperature should reach 120 – 125-degrees. Medium rare, roughly 4-5 minutes to an internal temperature of 125-130-degrees. After that, don’t bother spending your hard-earned money on tenderloin or filet mignon. Might just as well buy a cheaper cut of beef and make stew!

When your steaks reach the desired internal temperature, remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, and lightly cover with aluminum foil. Leave alone for about 5 minutes.

To serve, plate the steaks topped with slices of your choice of flavored butter. (See choices below.)

Garlic Rosemary Butter

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

1½ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1½ tsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 lg. garlic clove, finely minced

pinch sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the rosemary, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)   

Garlic Lemon Butter

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 T. minced fresh Italian parsley

1 tsp. lemon zest

pinch sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the garlic, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)   

Blue Cheese and Fresh Thyme Butter

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 T. crumbled blue cheese, or more to taste

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

pinch sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the blue cheese, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)   

Dried Porcini Mushroom, Garlic, and Fresh Chive Butter

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 sm. garlic clove, finely minced

4 tsp. chopped fresh chives

1 T. dried porcini mushroom powder*

pinch sea salt

Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the garlic, chives, mushroom powder, and salt. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)

*Porcini mushroom powder can be purchased online or you can make it at home. Place dried mushrooms in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)

Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms. And of course, any dried mushroom can be ground into powder.

Horseradish and Fresh Chive Butter

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 tsp. horseradish, or more to taste

4 tsp. chopped fresh chives

pinch sea salt

freshly ground black pepper Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. (Don’t melt the butter.) Using a regulate table fork, mash in the horseradish, chives, salt, and pepper. Scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap forming it as much as possible into a half stick of butter. Place in refrigerator until the steak comes out of the oven and is resting. (If you make the flavored butter way ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)   

    

DRIED BLUEBERRIES, COCONUT, AND ALMOND GRANOLA

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And yes, that measuring cup stays in the container. We only allow ourselves 1/4 cup of cereal for breakfast. Of course, that’s not all we eat. We usually have half a piece of fruit, a couple bites of breakfast meat, an egg, toast, and yogurt too. So yes, our breakfasts are very hearty.

So, it’s just another routine day here at Chez Carr. Got out of bed, threw on my bathrobe, trundled out to the living room, drank my Americano while reading the paper, took my shower, got dressed, fixed breakfast, ate breakfast, did the dishes, put on my “head”. (“Head” meaning apply the minimum amount of makeup to make me less scary looking). After making myself presentable, I then sat down at my desk and read the email posts that interested me, made a quick revue of Facebook posts, and got my daily dose of reality by reading Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American. Pretty darn interesting way to begin a day, right? (Actually, at my age, any day that I wake up still alive and kicking is cause for celebration!) But, if somewhere each morning I’m fortunate enough to find even one small morsel of delight in my daily morning routine, I’m pretty much assured that the rest of my day is going to run smoothly. And today’s delightful bright spot was this granola.

And yes, I make granola all the time. In fact, there are several great granola recipes already on this site. But this one was especially fun to make because it includes freeze-dried fruit. And I’d never worked with freeze-dried fruit before. And I find that I like freeze-dried fruit – a lot! At least I like the blueberries. I also purchased freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries, and I can’t imagine that I won’t find them just as delicious. Eating freeze-dried blueberries is just about as good as eating the crunch berries in Cap’N Crunch, without the corn flour, sugar, oat flour, brown sugar, palm and/or coconut oil, salt, sodium citrate, natural and artificial flavor, red 40, malic acid, reduced iron, niacinamide, (one of the B vitamins), yellow 5, strawberry juice concentrate, zinc oxide, blue 1, yellow 6, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid (4 more B vitamins), BHT (preservative), and tocopherols (preservative). (And no, I do not routinely eat crunch berries. I wish I could because they are truly a guilty pleasure. But I must draw the line somewhere. And my Cap’N Crunch line is drawn in indelible as well as inedible ink!) But back to freeze-dried fruit.  

There is however one itsy, bitsy problem inherent with freeze-dried fruit. It’s damn expensive! So, as much as I would like to eat it every day, it ain’t going to happen! At Chez Carr, freeze-dried fruit has now been relegated to the list of “once in a while if you’ve been really, really good” that includes, but is not limited to, that crème de la crème of steaks – filet mignon, saffron, a pound of fresh cracked crab (that I don’t have to shell), and Scharffen Berger baking chocolate.

But if you happen to have some freeze-dried fruit just lying around, I would highly recommend that you use it in this granola recipe. Of course, if you don’t happen to have any around, this granola is still wonderful without its inclusion. Let’s face it, the next time I prepare this recipe, there won’t be any freeze-dried fruit in my cereal either!

As always, be happy with what you have. Some things, like freeze-dried fruit are lovely, but going without them is OK too. In fact, if we all got everything we wanted, and all our wishes were invariably granted, how would we ever know the pure joy that simple pleasures can bring?

I treasure what I do have. And I don’t pine away for the things that are out of my realm of possibility. My dad taught me to be happy. And I will always be more than grateful for his insight. Peace and love to all.  

⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil

⅓ c. maple syrup or honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt  

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats  

1½ c. roughly chopped whole almonds (or nut of choice)

1 c. coconut flakes

1½ c. dried blueberries

1 c. freeze-dried blueberries, opt. (I used a 1.2-oz. package)   

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon together. Stir in the oats and nuts until the oats and nuts are evenly coated.  

Spoon the granola evenly onto a large-rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the coconut flakes. Return to oven and bake an additional 11-14 minutes or until the oats are a lightly golden color.

Remove from oven and stir in the dried blueberries. Allow the granola to cool undisturbed for at least an hour or until completely cool. The granola will crisp up as it cools.

Stir in the freeze-dried berries. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Wonderful served with milk or for a special treat, serve as a parfait with yogurt.   

  

RUSTIC GARLIC, HERB, AND PARMESAN CHEESE BREAD

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I made this bread a couple of days ago to go along with the Navy Bean Soup I was planning for dinner that evening. It had just started to snow, so soup and homemade bread were inevitably called for. (And yes, of course the soup recipe is on this site!) I found this recipe on thestayathomechef.com site. All the herbs, fresh garlic, and Parmesan cheese in this simple bread recipe absolutely resonated with me. And as it turned out, with good reason. This bread is perfection itself. Easy to build and an ideal complement to any meal. And not even a tiny bit of butter required. Just a beautiful blend of savory flavors. But consider yourself warned. This is not a quiet, timid little bread. This is a full blown, in your face, blast of flavor in tender bread form.   

I made a couple of very insignificant changes to Rachel’s recipe because I could, but she is the real hero of this post. So, thank you Rachel, and keep up the good work at thestayathomechef.com. I am now a devoted fan.

Now, if you are a seasoned bread builder, one glance at this recipe should be enough to send you directly to your kitchen to start playing with yeast and flour. If you are new to bread baking, then you are really in luck. Because this bread is incredibly easy to produce. Even if you consider yourself “gluten challenged”. Which, BTW, is a legitimate condition with which only one person I know is actually afflicted. That being our dear friend Jim. So, you probably only suffer from cold feet. Just don’t let cold feet stop you from making this bread. Pluck up your courage, and just go for it. You will be so happy you did. Because making homemade bread is a beautiful thing. And we all need more things of beauty in our lives.

As always, have fun in your kitchen. I know I say that a lot. But for me, our kitchen is one of my top happy places. I get to experiment. I get to create. And I even get to fail, sometimes miserably, without any real harm to anything but a few ingredients. (And maybe my pride.) But that’s OK.  Because, basically, it’s OK to fail.

View of the corner of my happy place. Usually I can see the bay and snow covered mountains. And lots and lots of sky. The day this was taken however, I was looking out on falling snow. My sink is never a bad place to find myself!

I used to tell my children that I wanted them to fail at least half of the time. Because so what? At least they would have tried something new. And maybe that meant that they simply failed to enjoy whatever it was that they had just tried. Like they failed to enjoy playing baseball. Or they felt that hitting a small round ball into a tiny little hole yards and yards away for the shear fun of it was lunacy. (I can relate to that, although Mr. C., son Sven, and a few other good friends would, I’m sure, beg to differ!)

It’s that old – glass half full/half empty thing. I see a glass half full. And I see some failure as an expected result of living a full and rewarding life. Hope you live your life to the fullest also. Little failures and all. Peace and love to all.

1 T. instant dry yeast

1 T. granulated sugar

1 c. slightly warm water

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. dried rosemary, lightly crushed

1 tsp. dried basil, lightly crushed

1 tsp. dried oregano, lightly crushed

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, or more as needed

⅓ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

extra virgin olive oil

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and water with the dough hook. Let sit for a couple of minutes. Add the salt, pepper, rosemary, basil, oregano, garlic, 2 cups of the flour, and the Parmesan cheese. As your mixer kneads the bread, gradually add in as much of the remaining flour as needed to achieve a smooth, elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. (Using my stand mixer, this dough clings to the hook and practically leaves the bowl spotless when enough flour has been incorporated.)

Pour a bit of olive oil in the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a ball completely covered with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two separate round loaves. Place loaves onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Lightly brush the loaves with olive oil. Cut a shallow X on each loaf. Let rise covered for another 20 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 20-23 minutes, or until golden brown. The internal temperature should reach at least 195 degrees.

Remove from oven and let cool before serving.  

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Bread is wonderful gently rewarmed before serving.