Author Archives: Patti

BROCCOLI CHICKEN WITH GREEN ONIONS AND CASHEW NUTS

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I like life to be easy, because I’m basically a simple person at heart. I don’t like conflict, I don’t like snarky people, and some days I don’t like spending hours in my kitchen. And yesterday was one of those days when I was not in the mood to spend hours preparing our evening repast. Plus Mr. C. had a 6:00 pm zoom meeting with the rest of the board members of our HOA (Home Owners Association). Never fun to begin with, but with Covid-19 to consider, and the annual meeting less than 2 months away, there was a long agenda with many important decisions to be made by these valiant members of our community. And since we enjoy a late and leisurely dinner, we decided to postpone dining until after the meeting. So I knew that whatever I was going to serve had to be prepped ahead of time so that it could be cooked and served right after the meeting was over. So what to fix?

First of all I knew that my rice cooker, with its helpful warming function, would keep perfectly cooked rice warm until we were ready to eat. So then, what to go with brown rice?

Since there is rarely a time when I‘m not in the mood for Chinese American food, I decided to fix a chicken and broccoli dish. I desperately needed to use the head of broccoli that had been in our last farm box. Plus I wanted to use some of the chicken thighs that are currently residing in our slowly dying freezer, the demise of which is imminent! So I went online and found the bones of this recipe on the errenskitchen.com site. We enjoyed this dish very much. And it was perfect for this occasion. I had been able to prep everything ahead of time, so that when Mr. C. opened the pocket doors to our den, announcing that the zoom meeting had been adjourned, dinner was on the table within about 10 minutes.

So if you too would benefit from having a recipe for a delightful and easy to prepare chicken and broccoli dish that can be prepped well in advance, you now have a way to make that happen. (The means are up to you.)  

As always, keep smiling, stay positive, and keep cooking delicious and healthy food for yourself and your family. Peace and love to all.

1 lg. head of broccoli, peeled stems and florets cut into bite sized pieces

2 T. vegetable oil, or more if required

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 green onions, sliced  

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

3 T. Tamari or soy sauce, or more to taste  

2 T. hoisin sauce

6 T. chicken stock

2 T. honey, or more to taste

1 T. water

1 T. cornstarch

⅓ c. roughly chopped cashews

sesame seeds, opt. 

Steam the broccoli until crisp tender. Set aside.

Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook lightly on all sides. (The chicken doesn’t need to be totally cooked at this point.) Remove chicken to a container and set aside. 

Add the sesame oil and additional vegetable oil if necessary to sauté the garlic, green onions, and ginger for 30 seconds.

Add the crushed red pepper flakes, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chicken stock, and honey; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and add the partially cooked chicken and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is reduced by about half.

Whisk the cornstarch and water together and add to the sauce. Add the broccoli and simmer until the broccoli is heated through and the cornstarch has thickened the sauce.  

Stir in the cashews, remove from heat, and lightly sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Perfect with steamed brown rice.

    

LEFTOVER POT ROAST CHILI

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OK, have I got an exciting new way to cook dried beans for you to try! And BTW, this chili ain’t bad either. (But more about the chili later!) But the beans. OMG! No soaking overnight or boiling for 10 minutes and letting them sit for 2 hours, then draining, starting with fresh water, and boiling them until they’re done. While of course checking them constantly. None of that. Just plop the suckers in a covered pan and add water and salt. Bake (you read that right) BAKE for 2 hours. Voila. Perfectly cooked, creamy delicious beans. No instant pot (although an instant pot does a good job too) required. But Instant Pots cost money. This doesn’t. Assuming of course that you have a pot with a cover and an oven.

Anyway, this is the easiest way I have ever cooked dry beans. And because I am lazy (I admit it and have no problems doing so), this is such a wonderful new addition to my list of easy preparations that I am experiencing heart palpitations just keeping my excitement under control as I share this information with all of you. But for the life of me, what I can’t quite get a handle on, is why I didn’t think of this first?!?! Heck, I’ve been making baked beans for decades. And I never soak the beans overnight. I just add all kinds of wonderful ingredients (bacon, ketchup, brown sugar, onion, molasses, mustard, herbs, various liquids, etc. etc.) and plop the whole mess in the oven for several hours. So why did it never occur to me that I could do the same thing with any dry beans and get the same amazing results? (Some would say it’s because I’m obviously not very bright. And of course, they would be making a good point. But frankly, it just never entered my mind.) But now that I have been made aware of this secret to perfectly cooked beans, I plan to use this method for preparing all kinds of different dried bean varieties using a wide array of flavoring additives. Which got me to thinking, maybe some of you never thought of cooking beans this way either.    

So that’s what got me so excited about sharing this revelation with all of you. But enough about beans. On to the real subject of this post. Chili. And how it all came about.

Our freezer is dying. It’s a slow demise, but never-the-less, our 17-18 year old upright freezer is on its last legs. But I still have several cuts of beef from our last two organic beef purchases. The meat is wonderful. It’s not too fatty and the flavor is marvelous. But we are not eating as much meat as we did when we were younger. And, like I said, our freezer is in a slow decline. So, in order to use up the beef ASAP, I made pot roast out of a hunkin’ big boneless chuck roast a few nights ago. It was wonderful. Full of flavor and we enjoyed it two nights in a row. But there comes a point when left-overs become a redundancy. So the leftover meat and gravy sat in our refrigerator for a day or two before I said that’s it. This has to be eaten or thrown away. But I was just not up for throwing perfectly good meat and gravy away. And I didn’t want to put it in our dying freezer either. So what to do with leftover lean meat and about a cup of fabulous pot roast gravy.

So yesterday morning, as if hit by a bolt of lightning (we do live on Lightning Way after all), I thought about using the cooked meat and gravy in one of our favorite dishes – chili. So that’s just what I did.

Now this is not a new and exciting recipe for an old standard. It’s basically just the way I usually prepare chili. Except of course for substituting already cooked beef for hamburger and gravy for beef stock. And of course including perfectly cooked kidney beans using my new cooking method.

So I hope you enjoy the recipe. And do try cooking dried beans using your oven rather than your cook top. You will absolutely love how easy it is to produce perfectly cooked beans.

As always, stay safe, stay sane, and keep looking forward. It’s a brave new world we are heading into. Might as well just lay back and not get too stressed by the ride. Nothing any of us can do about most of it anyway. Oh wait, there is one thing we can all do that might help towards a better future. We can all VOTE. Peace and love to all.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. diced onion, plus more to serve with the chili

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green pepper, diced

1 (28-oz. can) diced/chopped tomatoes (preferably Italian tomatoes)

2 T. tomato paste, or more to taste

1 c. leftover pot roast gravy (or as much as you have) or 1 cup of beef stock

½ c. water, or more as needed

1-2 c. cooked kidney, pinto, or black beans (or beans of choice) (see recipe below for No Soak 2 hour “Baked” Dried Beans)

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2-3 T. chili powder

1 T. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1-2 c. cubed leftover pot roast

Mexican sour cream, garnish, opt.

grated sharp cheddar cheese, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a large covered Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook for about a minute or until you can smell the garlic. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, leftover gravy, water, cooked beans, salt, pepper, chili powder, parsley, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook for about 30 minutes to blend flavors. Add the cubed leftover pot roast and cook for another 15 minutes or so. Stir often during the cooking time. Adjust seasoning along the way. Serve dolloped with sour cream and a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese.

No Soak – 2 Hour “Baked” Dried Beans  

1 c. dried beans, sorted and rinsed

½ tsp. kosher salt

water

Place beans in a heavy covered pot. Add salt and whatever other vegetative matter, herbs, or spices you might wish to add. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Place cover on pot.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 2 hours. After an hour, check beans to make sure they have enough liquid. Add a bit more liquid if necessary.

If the beans aren’t fully softened to your liking after two hours, add enough water to cover the bean surface, put the lid back on, and return pot to the oven. Bake in 15-30 minute increments until desired tenderness is reached.

Additions I added to the pot when I cooked the kidney beans for this chili:

1 T. dehydrated onion flakes

1 tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Please note: When I cooked my old (I have no idea how many years they have been in my pantry) large dark maroon kidney beans, they were perfectly cooked after 2 hours. There was very little liquid left in the pot, so I threw the whole mess in with the other chili ingredients, and called it good. In fact I called it absolutely wonderful.

I plan to use this recipe from now on every single time I need to cook dried beans. Why the heck not? It’s easy and the result is perfect. Frankly, I will be cooking a lot more beans now that I have this way to ensure perfect beans every time. Thank you to thekitchengirl.com site for this incredible new method.  

RHUBARB FRANGIPANE GALETTE

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OK, there is often method to my madness. But this time I can’t take any credit for what simply had to be done. You see, our freezer is dying. It’s maintaining a slow demise, which is good, because there are no upright, non frost-free freezers to be found out here in the wild, wild West.

Oh, there are chest freezers, but I don’t want a chest freezer. (Just personal preference.) And I don’t want a frost-free freezer either. (Frozen foods last much longer if not exposed to constantly fluctuating temperatures.) So that leaves me with my current freezer that has some areas working perfectly (at least currently), others, not so much. And my last two remaining containers of chopped rhubarb were in the area that was not working as well as it should. So I decided something radical had to be done. But how to use my cherished 4 cups of diced rhubarb? So I went hunting.

I found this recipe on the alexandracooks.com food site. And what a wonderful find this was. The crust was so simple to build that I will never, ever use another recipe for a tart or galette again. Never! (Mr. C. described it last evening as eating sunshine. Wow! Can anything be better than that?!?!) Anyway, the crust was tender and flaky and perfect. And oh so very easy to make! Ahhhh, blessed be the easy to prepare recipes……..

The rest of the recipe however was a bit more time consuming, what with doctoring the rhubarb and preparing the frangipane. But no more than fixing any dessert worth eating!

So if you too are a galette or tart lover, this is one dessert you are really going to want to build. Absolutely delicious. And just because peaches are coming into season, I have provided you, free of charge, with my recipe for a fresh peach tart (galette). (The recipes just keep flowing folks. I simply can’t help myself.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy both of these recipes.

As always, keep your sense of humor, your thoughts pure, and your conduct beyond reproach. If nothing else, it will drive those who don’t know you well to wonder what drugs you are taking! (Mr. C. has been reading Hunter S. Thompson’s book – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to me as a bedtime story. Mr. C. was semi reluctant to read this story to me because he thought I would hate the story line. Wrong. I’m finding it hilarious. Pathetic, but hilarious. And yes I lived through the 60s. But about as polar opposite from Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo as a person can be.)

Rhubarb:

4 c. diced rhubarb*  

¼ c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. loosely packed orange zest

Toss the rhubarb with the sugar and orange zest in a large bowl; set aside.

*If using previously frozen rhubarb, drain thawed rhubarb well and add 2 tsp. flour to the mix.

Pastry:

1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. granulated sugar

¼ tsp. kosher salt

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

¼ c. + 1 T. ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together. Cut the butter into small pieces, then add to the food processor. Pulse at 1 second intervals until butter is the size of peas. Should take about 10 quick pulses. Add the ice water and pulse again about 10 times until the mixture is crumbly but holds together when pinched. 

Dump the crumbly dough onto a lightly floured work surface. (Don’t wash the food processor!) Using your hands, press the dough into a flat, thick disk. Roll the dough out into a 12- or 13-inch round. Use as much flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.

Fold the dough in half, then half again. (This makes it easier to transfer the dough to a parchment-paper lined baking sheet.) I use one of my cookie sheets that has one side that has a rim, and the other 3 sides are un-rimmed. (See picture.)

You can see that there is just one edge that has a rim on this baking sheet.
Just to make certain there would be no mess in the bottom of my oven, I placed the baking sheet with the galette on a baking sheet with rims on all sides. And yes, I hate to clean my oven that much!

Only having one side with a rim on your baking pan makes life much easier when it’s time to transfer the baked galette to a serving platter. Set the pastry aside while you prepare the frangipane.

Frangipane:

½ c. almond flour or finely ground almonds (see how to make almond flour below)

2 T. granulated sugar

pinch kosher salt

2 T. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 sm. egg  

2 tsp. amaretto

Combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and amaretto in the uncleaned bowl of the food processor. Whirl until smooth.

To assemble the Galette:

2 T. melted unsalted butter

1 to 2 T. finishing sugar for sprinkling (turbinado, demerara or any large grained sugar)

vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Spread the frangipane into the center of the rolled out dough leaving a 1 to 2-inch border. Heap the rhubarb and all of the juices in the center, then spread evenly to cover the frangipane.

Fold the edge of dough towards the center to make a rustic enclosure. (See pictures above.) Brush the edge of the dough with melted butter. Drizzle any remaining butter over the rhubarb. Sprinkle finishing sugar evenly over the top, crust and all.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. (Hint: I use the convection setting on my oven for the last 10 minutes or so. This helps the pastry crust brown.)

Remove from oven and let rest on a cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully sliding the galette off the pan and parchment paper onto a serving or cake plate. To serve, cut into wedges and dollop with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Homemade Almond Flour:

Place almonds (whole, sliced, slivered, whatever), about ¼ cup at a time, in the food processor. Pulse until you reach a flour-like consistency; sift into a container. Place any remaining almonds chunks back into food processor and pulse. Repeat until all almonds are transformed into flour and you have the amount needed for your recipe.

Peach Tart (Galette): (see picture under Rustic Peach Tart)

pastry – prepared and rolled out as above

4-5 ripe but firm peaches, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp. almond extract

2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

3 T. sugar

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg

pinch salt

2 T. melted unsalted butter

1 to 2 T. finishing sugar for sprinkling (turbinado, demerara, or any large grained sugar)

vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Combine the cut peaches, lemon juice, and almond extract in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour the flour mixture over the peaches and gently stir until all the pieces of peach are covered with flour. (Use instructions for rhubarb galette above to roll out and place pastry onto your baking sheet.)

Scoop the mixture onto the pastry crust leaving about a 1½ inch edge uncovered. Fold the edge of dough towards the center to make a rustic enclosure. (See picture.) Brush the edge of the dough with melted butter. Drizzle the remainder melted butter over the peach filling. Sprinkle finishing sugar evenly over the top, crust and all.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. (Hint: I use the convection setting on my oven for the last 10 minutes or so. This helps the pastry crust brown.)

Remove from oven and let rest on cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully sliding the galette onto a serving or cake plate. To serve, cut into wedges and dollop with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

  

BASIL, SHALLOT, AND GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

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Yes, I know. I make my own salad dressings and you may or may not have the time or inclination to do so. But this blog is all about me. And this is my recipe source, or should I say, my way of keeping my favorite recipes always where I can find them. Not that I don’t know how to keep small pieces of paper or file cards with my favorite recipes in a shoe box like other people do. I’ve been there and done that. It’s just that I’m lazy and want to be able to find a recipe NOW, not tomorrow or the next day or never. (I’m still looking for my mother’s recipe for an omelet she used to make that I absolutely loved. It’s in this house somewhere, (the recipe, not the omelet) but its hiding.)

So if I put a recipe on my blog, it’s because I want to make that “whatever” again. And after making this dressing last evening, I have no doubt that I will be making this incredible dressing over and over again. This is one of those recipes that is not only easy to build, but just smacks of gourmet. And you know, I am not a gourmet. My favorite food is a cheeseburger after all. But I do love good food and this ladies and gentlemen is really delicious dressing.

I’m sure you have figured out by now, if you read my blog consistently, that there is no rhyme or reason to what recipes I post. They are more a story line for our lives. When I cook our breakfasts, lunches, or dinners, I start with recipes I have either copied or concocted. If I have copied (plagiarized) a recipe, I give credit where credit is due. If I concoct a recipe, well then it’s mine, all mine. But in either case, it’s just a dish that I have prepared for us and feel compelled to share with all of you. So one day it may be a new vinaigrette, the next time a recipe for a Rhubarb Frangipane Galette. (Which BTW, I will be posting tomorrow.)

In either case, I hope you enjoy the recipes I post. I also must have a bit of journalist, preacher, snake oil salesman, political analyst, and Pollyanna in me, because I can’t hold myself back from espousing my way of life or my beliefs. Believe me, if I could refrain from telling it like I see it, I would. But that’s just not me! So if I ever offend you, please know, it was never my intent. So as always, enjoy your life, give freely of who you are, speak kindly to everyone, and wear a damn mask, dammit! Peace and love to all.

(Sorry no picture. The vinaigrette is bright green. That’s probably all you need to know anyway!)

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 lg. shallot, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

2 c. roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (not packed)

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, shallot, and garlic in a blender or food processor; blend until very smooth. Add the basil and blend until basil chopped into very fine pieces.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to dress your salad.

Recipe compliments of whatsgabycooking.com., with a couple minor changes by me.

 

     

SOURDOUGH CARAWAY DILL RYE SANDWICH BREAD (added yeast)

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OK, there are just some breads that I can hardly wait for you to try. And this is one of them. Why, you ask? Because this has got to be my new favorite sandwich bread. And I know, I say that about all the sandwich breads I bake. And it’s true each time I say it. I just happen to be the world’s most devoted fan of homemade bread. And when the bread is as easy to prepare as this one, why the heck wouldn’t I be excited to share the recipe with you? (That was a rhetorical question, BTW!)

So, if there was just one word to describe this bread, it would be OMG! OK, that’s three words, but I am not kidding when I say I could eat a piece of this bread every day for the rest of my life. This bread is JUST THAT GOOD! (Oh, and the crumb is soft and tender, and it makes really yummy toast when liberally spread with room temperature unsalted butter. But then, what doesn’t taste good slathered with butter? But I digress….)

Anyway, this recipe started from a post I read on the bakefromscratch.com site. I messed with the original recipe for Rye Sandwich Bread a bit (actually a whole hell of a lot) and came up with this variation. But it started with bakefromscratch.com. So a big thank you to those fine folks for the inspiration for this recipe.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Sure it’s easy for you Patti, because you’re crazy enough to bake bread at least once a week. OK, that’s true. I do bake bread often, and I am certifiably crazy, so you win that round. But, I have never lied to you when I state that a “whatever”, be it bread, cookies, marinara sauce, etc. is easy to prepare. And this bread is definitely easy to prepare. And absolutely worth every second put into its production. So much so, that if I were younger (much younger), I would mass produce this bread, which I’m positive would allow us to live part of each year in our very own Italian villa. This bread is JUST THAT GOOD! (Dang, I hate it when I repeat myself! But I simply must in this case! Plus I’m getting older. And repeating one’s self is part of the aging process. Simply goes with the territory!) So dear readers, I have nothing much more to say on the subject.

If you love rye bread, and you bake bread, just bake a loaf and taste for yourself what a truly delightful rye sandwich bread can taste like. IT IS JUST THAT GOOD! As always, peace and love to all.

Oh, and please don’t leave out the caraway and dill seeds. They are in the recipe for a reason. I promise their flavor is in no way overpowering. They simply make all the difference to the overall taste of the bread.

½ c. sourdough starter discard

1½ tsp. active dry yeast

¾ c. slightly warm whole milk

2 T. unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ c. regular molasses (not blackstrap)

2 tsp. kosher salt

1¼ tsp. caraway seeds, plus more for sprinkling

1¼ tsp. dill seeds

¾ c. light rye flour

1¾ – 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

vegetable oil

1 egg

1 T. water

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the sourdough starter, yeast, milk, butter, molasses, salt, caraway seeds, dill seeds, and rye flour. Let sit for 20 minutes to let the yeast develop and the rye flour absorb some of the liquid and begin to soften a bit.

Add about a cup and a half of the unbleached all-purpose flour and knead for about 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and only a bit is clinging to the bottom of the mixing bowl. Add additional flour as needed. (Please note: every sourdough starter is unique. Some contain more liquid than others. So each baker must decide how much flour to add. Sorry folks, I would give you a precise amount if I could.)  

Pour a bit of veggie oil alongside the dough. Using your hands, roll the dough into a ball, making sure the entire ball of dough is lightly coated with oil.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours. (Mine took an hour and a half.)

Deflate the dough to remove excess air. Form the dough into a loaf shape, and place in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. (I simply tuck the dough under to form a loose rectangular shape and then flatten it into the pan with my hands.)

Cover and let rise until it’s about ½-inch above the top of the pan. Mine took 1 hour. (After 45 minutes I realized I should probably start pre-heating my oven. I’m glad I did. Because by the time my oven was hot, the dough was just where it should be. Whew – lucked out again.)  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and the 1 tablespoon of water together. Just before the loaf is ready to go in the oven, gently brush the egg/water mixture over the top of the loaf. Sprinkle with caraway seeds, if desired. Using a sharp knife or lame, carefully and lightly make 4 diagonal slashes across the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf registers at least 190 degrees. This takes about 30 to 35 minutes. (My bread only took 30 minutes.)

Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container on your counter.

               

BAKED CINNAMON NUTMEG CAKE DONUTS

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OK, your donuts will not look like these. This was my first attempt with silicon donut pans. I didn’t grease the pans. So I had to dig the little darlings out of the pans. So yes, you are looking at the bottom of the donuts. Frosted, but never-the-less they are upside down. Next time I will GREASE THE PANS. Plus, I didn’t bake the donuts long enough. Next time I will do that too. And I let the icing sit too long before I spread (tried to spread) it on the donuts. Lessons learned. But the taste? Wonderful! At least I got that right!!

OK, so here’s the deal. I am not a donut person. Why, I have no idea, except it might have started as far back as grade school for me.

Back when I was in 4th and 5th grade (around the time when dinosaurs became extinct), our elementary school was right across the street from a small convenience store. Don’t really remember more about the store than that it was quite tiny and sold the best maple bars ever. Ever!!! And I bought one every opportunity I could. Never candy bars, or ice cream bars, not even Hostess cupcakes. I bought maple bars. And ever since, I have never found another fried donut type goodie to equal those amazing, incredible, perfectly fried and frosted wonders.

So among most of my friends and relatives, I am kind of an enigma. Because, after all, who doesn’t like donuts? But when you have experienced perfection at an early age like I did, it’s very difficult to settle for second best.

But recently our friend Carol Anne posted a picture of some cake donuts she made aboard their boat. They looked so delicious. So I decided if Carol Anne could bake donuts for her and her husband Dave on a boat, I should be able to build a batch for Mr. C. and me from our kitchen. So that’s just what I did.

However, while I was plotting how to top these little babies, I thought about those maple bars I loved so long ago. (And yes, I have eaten a few maple bars over the last 65 years, but probably not more than 5. They just don’t make um like they used to! Yup, I’m getting old.)

Anyway, given the donut ingredients, including cinnamon and nutmeg, I decided a maple icing would make a really nice topping. So that’s what I did for this batch. (You notice I said for this batch. Because the donuts turned out so well, were so easy to make, and so darned delicious, I’m sure I will be making them again and again.)

The donut recipe came from one of my favorite food sites -sallysbakingaddiction.com. Sally’s recipe called for the cinnamon sugar topping you will find below. I added the recipes for vanilla glaze and maple icing recipes because I always appreciate having options, and I presume you do too. Luckily for me when I asked Mr. C. which topping he would prefer, there was no hesitation. I would have made the maple icing regardless, but it was nice of him to pick the correct choice.

So my friends, I have to eat my words once again (no wonder I have digestive issues once in a while). I now have to state unequivocally, that I like donuts. Well not all donuts. But I sure as heck like these guys. Hope you do too.

As always, peace and love to all.

Donuts:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (fluffed)  

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

2/3 c. brown sugar, packed

½ c. whole milk

½ c. sour cream

2 lg. eggs, at room temperature

1 T. vanilla extract

Spray metal or silicon donut pans with non-stick spray. Set pans aside.

Please note: Donuts baked in a silicon pan take longer to bake.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large glass mixing bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar, milk, and sour cream. Finally add the eggs and vanilla, whisking until fully combined. 

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; mix just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be quite thick.

To transfer the batter to the cavities on your donut pans, fill a quart sized zip-lock freezer bag with the batter. Zip the top closed. Cut off a corner at the bottom of the bag, and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling only ¾ of the way full.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 7-13 minutes for small donuts, or 9-16 minutes for regular sized donuts, or until the edges are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean. Do not under bake. (I made that mistake. Never again!)

Remove for oven and allow the donuts to cool for about two minutes before transferring to a wire rack set on a large baking sheet. Top the donuts with one of the three topping options listed below.

This recipe makes about 16 small donuts. My silicon pan cavities measure 2.9 inches across. So my pans make fairly small donuts.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

½ c. granulated sugar

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Dip the donuts in the melted butter, then dunk into the cinnamon sugar mixture coating just the top half

Note: Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Vanilla Glaze:

½ c. powdered sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 small pinch salt

1 or 2 T. whole milk

In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Add 1 tablespoon of milk, and whisk to combine. If the glaze is too thick, add additional milk, ½ teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Maple Icing:

3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. brown sugar, packed

2 T. whole milk

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. maple extract

In a small heavy saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, and milk together. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Add powdered sugar and maple extract; blend well. Add additional powdered sugar as needed.

Spread on cooled cake donuts. Let set before serving.   

Note: Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days.

You can freeze the donuts for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave. I usually just nuke them for a few seconds.

 

  

CREAMY PECORINO-ROMANO SALAD DRESSING TOO

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And yes, I already have a great recipe for Creamy Pecorino-Romano Salad Dressing on this site. But can you really ever have too much of a good thing? I thought you’d see it my way! Plus I love having a plethora of great salad dressing recipes available to choose from because my taste buds get bored easily. Anyway, this dressing is just a bit different from my other Pecorino-Romano dressing in that this one uses olive oil exclusively rather than mainly mayonnaise and a wee bit of olive oil. So for that very reason, this recipe might be a wee bit healthier for us. Plus it too is very, very tasty.

Basically, this is an easy dressing to prepare. And it uses fairly common ingredients. (And yes in our home, Pecorino-Romano is a common ingredient. We buy ours at Costco. And if you have never purchased Pecorino-Romano because you think you might not be able to use it up before it starts to go bad – forget that! This cheese must have a refrigerated shelf life of at least 9 months. I kid you not! So for us, it’s very easy to consume a whole big old wedge of it before we’d even begin to think it even remotely iffy to eat. At least it hasn’t happened yet.) But back to this salad dressing.  

Because this dressing is bursting with flavor, it pairs beautifully with greens, sliced tomatoes, or as a dressing for pasta salad. (Actually it would probably be good on shoe leather!) 

Well, I think I’ve said all that needs to be said. So I’m not going to elaborate any further. It’s up to you now.

As always, stay healthy, stay masked, and radiate positivity. This is a rough ride for all of us. But if you remain that shiny beacon for your family and friends, you will have contributed to the betterment of all. Peace and love from Chez Carr to you and yours.

2/3 c. grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

2 T. Champagne vinegar

2 T. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper (quite a bit)

¾ c. extra-virgin olive oil

Throw all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until creamy. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

 

SOURDOUGH CIABATTA HOAGIE ROLLS (added yeast)

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I get really excited when I find another use for sourdough starter discard. But don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with fed sourdough starter either. It’s just that I hardly ever think to feed my starter the night before so that I can use it the next day. I am simply not that well prepared or disciplined. I’m more of a “let’s wait and see what I feel like baking today” kind of gal. OK, I do know how to be terribly efficient and have every aspect of a large dinner party or gathering planned down to a gnat’s eyelash. (I have spreadsheets to prove it.) But I haven’t had to do that recently. Not since we a) stopped hosting JazzVox concerts in January (we held 104 concerts including a full meal over the course of 12 years in our home before we felt it was time to give ourselves a rest) and b) the coronavirus erupted and we along with everyone else were (and still are) restricted to social distancing, limiting exposure, and working hard to stem the spread of this deadly disease. So no dinner parties, cocktail parties, or gathering of any size in our home at all. (Sound familiar?)

Believe me, I am not complaining. Mr. C. and I are truly lucky, and we don’t take our wonderful life for granted. It’s just that life is different now. And so I have really changed my attitude. If something needs to be done, I usually muster up the energy to get it done. (Well most of the time I can.) But if it’s making even a small plan like baking sourdough bread ahead of time, not so much anymore. So using sourdough discard has become almost the norm for me since the old me has gone the way of dodo birds. (I know, all this rhetoric just to explain why I love sourdough discard. You must be yawning in your chair by now. Sorry about that!)

Anyway, I started with a recipe for ciabatta bread I found on-line and changed it so much, that even the original baker wouldn’t recognize it in its current state. So I’m just going to call it my recipe for ciabatta hoagie rolls. And because it’s my recipe now, I need to do a little bragging at this point. This recipe makes really delicious hoagie rolls, or French dip sandwich rolls, or even just wonderful toast to go with your morning eggs.

Anyway you cut them, these simple rolls are easy to build, take very little attention, and can be made in a day. Of course, there’s a bit of waiting for them to rise time involved. But time is what I have plenty of right now. And yes I know, I’m in the lucky minority in that regard.

So if you too have some time on your hands, build yourself and your family some type of bread. Because I tell you true, there is just nothing better than the smell of bread baking away in an oven. Why that is, I don’t know. For me, it’s like being a young child again and walking into my grandparent’s kitchen. There was always bread baking and a grandmother who loved me enough to let me cut both ends off a loaf and smear them with home churned butter and homemade jelly or jam. Sounds idyllic. In many respects it truly was.

So with pleasant reminders of my childhood drifting through my brain, I’m going to bid you adieu for today. Since it’s almost 4:00 pm, perhaps I should start thinking about what to fix for dinner. Yah think?!?!

Peace and love to all.

¾ c. sourdough starter discard

1½ tsp. active dry yeast

¾ c. lukewarm water

1½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil   

1½ tsp. kosher salt

2½ – 3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

Mix the sourdough starter, yeast, and water in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the olive oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Using your dough hook, knead the dough, adding flour as required, to make a slightly tacky, smooth, satiny, elastic dough.  

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in size. Gently deflate the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 7 x 14-inches. Using a dough cutter, sharp knife, or pizza wheel, cut the rectangle into half lengthwise. Then cut each half in half. Your ultimate goal is to have 4 pieces of dough 7×3½ inches. However, don’t make yourself crazy with exact measurements. You simply want 4 rectangular rolls that are all about the same size.  

Place the rolls well apart on a lightly greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover the rolls with a clean tea towel and let rise for about 60 minutes or until slightly puffy.   

While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Just before placing in the oven, lightly spray the loaves with water, then sprinkle with a thin layer of flour.

Bake the rolls for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the rolls are a very light brown. The internal temperature should reach at least 200 degrees. 

Turn off the oven, crack the door a couple of inches, and allow rolls to stay in the cooling oven for about 30 minutes. Then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container or bag. Make great sandwich rolls, French dip buns, and fabulous breakfast toast. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Hoagie rolls used for French dip sandwiches. Yum!!

   

SOUTHERN FRIED OYSTERS WITH LOUISIANA STYLE RÉMOULADE SAUCE

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Fried oysters

Whenever I think of my favorite food, oysters are invariably right up there in the top 10. And I used to be content with just dipping the raw oysters in beaten egg, then into salt and pepper seasoned cornmeal, and quickly fried in a modicum of vegetable oil. And to dip them in? Plain old mayonnaise.

Well the modicum of vegetable oil is still part of the equation, but the batter and dipping components have radically changed over the years. Mainly because as I’ve gotten older, my palate has become more sophisticated. Which in turn has resulted in my becoming a very picky eater. And no, not in the way “picky eater” is usually defined – unwillingness to try new dishes or even any dish that includes a small amount of food a person doesn’t like, as well as showing a strong preference for only a certain type of food. That definitely is not me!

So when I categorize myself as a picky eater, it means that every last morsel of food that hits my mouth better be pretty damned delicious! And why I have continued to search for a recipe that would provide me with oysters fried to delicious and crispy perfection. I mean really, why should I settle for anything less?!?! Well, for one reason and one reason alone. I COULDN’T PRODUCE OR FIND A RECIPE THAT TRULY WORKED FOR ME EVEN THOUGH I TRIED DOZENS OF TIMES!  Plus I wanted a magnificent sauce, like the ones we experienced in New Orleans several years ago. (Didn’t realize at the time that the sauce was a rémoulade, because, well, I was born and raised in the state of Washington. What the heck did I know about fine Creole or Cajun cuisine? Well at least until we visited the fair city of New Orleans for Mardi Gras, that is!)

So bottom line, it has literally taken me decades to come up with this perfect combination. And because I would not settle for anything less than the best for you as well, I’ve refrained from posting any recipes for fried oysters or rémoulade sauce until today.

But the other night, using the fried oyster recipe from the butter-n-thyme.com site (Chef Steven), and the simplyrecipes.com site recipe for rémoulade sauce (Elise), I found the winning combination. And I am so excited to share these two marvelous recipes with you.

Of course, I changed things a bit on both recipes, but nothing of any real significance. So my sincere thanks go out to Steven and Elise. Because of you my search is over. Now I can just sit back (so to speak), pull out this recipe every time I get a hankering for fried oysters, and produce an oyster dinner fit for a king. (Or Mr. C. in this case!)  

So if you too love fried oysters dipped in rémoulade sauce, give these recipes a try. Or if you are not a rémoulade fan, dip the oysters in your favorite tartar sauce or aioli. Or if you are not an oyster fan, serve the rémoulade sauce with something else. But if you are reading this post, I just have to assume you are interested in at least part of this winning combination. Of course you could just be reading this post to keep track of what that crazy Patti Carr is up to now. That’s OK too. (Hi Rebecca. G&G send our love to you and that Brady boy.)

Well that’s about all for now. Except to tell you that I’ve provided 2 recipes for Creole Seasoning and 1 recipe for Cajun Seasoning below. All 3 are great recipes. If you are going to build your own seasoning, which I would highly recommend, read the list of ingredients in each recipe and make your choice depending on which herbs and spices you own and already know you like. Whichever recipe you choose, these fried oysters and rémoulade sauce are going to be delicious. (You can probably even buy Creole or Cajun seasoning at your local grocery store. Imagine that! Perfectly acceptable alternative.)

As always, stay safe, stay positive, and keep cooking great food. Peace and love to all.

½ c. buttermilk

1 T. hot sauce (I use Frank’s RedHot) 

20 oz. oysters, washed and drained (I use 2 – 10-oz. jars of oysters for the two of us)  

½ c. cake flour (see recipe for homemade cake flour below)

½ c. cornmeal

2 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning (see recipes below)

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. granulated onion

1/8 tsp. dried oregano, crushed in the palm of your hand to release the natural oils

1/8 tsp. dried thyme, crushed in the palm of your hand to release the natural oils

vegetable oil

lemon wedges

Whisk the buttermilk and hot sauce together. Add the drained oysters, cover, and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  

Mix the cake flour, cornmeal, creole seasoning, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, oregano, and thyme together in a shallow pan. Taste the mixture and add more of whatever you think is missing.

When ready to cook, heat the oil in a large frying pan. (I use just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.)

Remove the oysters from the buttermilk, shake a bit to remove some of the buttermilk, then place in the flour mixture. Coat both sides. Place so they are not touching each other in the hot oil. (Oil temperature should be about 360 degrees.)

Fry the first side to golden brown, then gently flip to the other side. Remove from pan and onto a paper towel lined serving plate when the second side is also nicely browned. Serve with rémoulade sauce (see recipe below), tartar sauce, or aioli. Pass lemon wedges.

LOUISIANA STYLE RÉMOULADE SAUCE

 

¾ c. mayonnaise

1 T. yellow mustard

1 tsp. paprika (not smoked)                                            

1 tsp. Cajun or Creole seasoning

1 tsp. prepared horseradish

1 tsp. dill pickle juice  

2 squirts hot sauce, or more to taste (I use Frank’s RedHot)

1/8 tsp. granulated garlic

Mix it up. Refrigerate until ready to use.

EMERIL’S ESSENCE CREOLE SEASONING

2½ T. paprika

2 T. salt

2 T. garlic powder or granulated garlic

1 T. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. granulated onion or onion powder

1 T. cayenne

1 T. dried oregano

1 T. dried thyme

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

CREOLE SEASONING MIX (my recipe) 

1½ tsp. onion powder

1½ tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. dry mustard

½ tsp. dried thyme

½-1½ tsp. cayenne (depends on how much heat you like or can tolerate)

½ tsp. gumbo file

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

CAJUN SEASONING (I have no idea whose recipe this is or where I found it)

2 T. paprika

1 T. granulated onion or onion powder

1 T. granulated garlic

1 T. dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred) (If the dried oregano leaves are large, break them down a bit in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder)

1 T. dried thyme

1 T. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. kosher salt

1 tsp. cayenne

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Cake Flour:

½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour (fluffed and leveled off)

1 T. cornstarch

Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour and place it back in your flour container. Add the cornstarch and whisk it all together. (This aerates the mixture so the consistency is similar to “real” cake flour.)

Use in any of your recipes that call for cake flour. And yes you can double or triple, etc. this recipe.

MARINATED GRILLED FLANK STEAK

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OK, sometimes I don’t even have the strength to mess with someone else’s recipe. And you know what, in this case it was absolutely the right thing to do. OK, I did halve the marinade ingredients, because I often find that some cooks are much more liberal with ingredients than I am. And it makes me feel that I am being wasteful if I use more of an ingredient than I think is necessary. Even though the cost might not be that great, I just can’t make myself do it. (And yes, I am over 70!) Some might even go so far as to call me stubborn, but pig headed works just as well. Anyway, I made this recipe a couple of days ago, marinated the meat for about 7 hours, and Mr. C. grilled it to perfection that evening. Absolutely delicious, tender, and just right served with oven roasted new potatoes and steamed fresh green beans.

So I actually don’t have much more to say today. I’m feeling terribly lazy, and with temperatures in the 80s, I’m being drawn outside. The Cascade Mountains including Mt. Baker are out in all their glory, the birds are having a raucous time flitting from tree to bush to fountain. And the water (Port Susan Bay) is calm and absolutely replete with boaters. (Two boats – that’s a lot for Port Susan Bay.) Plus the protagonist in the book I’m reading is in desperate trouble. I feel it only right to get back to him and offer any help this benign observer can offer. (Like I can change the plot line and help him defeat the bad guy! But I’m there beside him none-the-less!) So, I’m going to keep this post short and sweet. (Well as sweet as it’s possible for me to be!)

BTW- this recipe is courtesy of Sara at dinneratthezoo.com. (Visit her site. She cooks good stuff.)

As always, from our sunny home to yours – peace and love to all.

6 T. low sodium soy sauce

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. brown sugar, packed

1½ tsp. apple cider vinegar

1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

freshly ground black pepper

2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced

1½-2 lb. flank steak, trimmed of silver skin and as much fat as possible

Combine the soy sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper in a re-sealable bag; seal and shake to combine. If you prefer, marinate the steak in a shallow pan. Works either way.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade for later use. Stir the garlic into the marinade. Add the steak and marinate for several hours.

Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high. Place the steak on the grill and cook for 3-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your meat and your desired level of doneness. For medium rare, the internal temperature should read about 130-135 degrees.

Remove the meat from grill and tent with foil. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and then slice diagonally against the grain into thin pieces with a very sharp knife. Drizzle with reserved marinade, then serve.