Tag Archives: 100 to Master

Visual appeal… for soup

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For some reason, when I first started cooking, I was just desprate to figure out a fantastic recipe for Chicken Tortilla soup. And then, I got scared, but I only sort of like Chicken Noodle soup so I quit trying for a while. I’m going to be honest here and tell you that while I was looking for a reliable recipe, I was also looking for a result that looked appealing. I’ve seen a lot of tortilla soups in my search and not one of them, no matter how yummy it sounded, it didn’t look good to me.

As the weather here chills, I find myself wanting to spend my afternoons curled up with the kids, instead of in the kitchen cooking. This recipe is something quick and easy and makes your home smell comforting. I will warn you though, my kids don’t eat soup (I suspect the texture wierds them out a bit in addition to the fact that it takes an awful lot of coordination to get a spoon of liquid from a bowl to your mouth…). Therefore, this is more of a date night or dinner guests sort of meal for us. I made my own tortilla chips from whole wheat tortillas, but they did not keep well at all. Oh well, at least we tried!

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • 3 large chicken breasts
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 large green pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded
  • 1 quart tomato puree
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 Tbsp. cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups black beans (optional)
  • 1 cup corn (optional)
Put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and set it on low for 4-6 hours.  When the chicken is tender, remove it from the pot and shred.  Set it aside. Remove the bay leaf.  I did not add the black beans and corn, so at this point, I used my immersion blender to carefully puree the onions and peppers into the brother. (You could still do this step if you waited until the very end to add the black beans and corn if you like as well.) Add the chicken back into the pot and stir to mix it through.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.
*Note: This soup is good for up to 1 week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.  If you choose to freeze the soup, leave adaquate headspace or it will expand and blow the top off your container. It’s messy.

It does cut the mustard

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I’ve waited a few months since making this recipe to post about it.  I’ve been trying mustard for a few years now, but never knew that you may want to let it be for about 8 weeks before you start to slather it on sandwiches because it is wicked hot fresh out of the pan. But now… it is perfect.  Now I feel safe using it as my standby ingredient in recipes and am really pleased with the taste.

This recipe was unintentionally adapted from The Organic Family Cookbook. I say unintentionally because I wasn’t going to doctor the recipe at all, but I was unable to find brown mustard seeds, so instead of splitting the volume between yellow and brown mustard seeds, it’s all yellow here. The consistency is coarse, but it’s thick so I actually like it better than store bought since it sticks to the crevices of your bread and doesn’t ooze all over the place.

Simple Mustard (by Anni Daulter)

  • 2 Tbsp. dry mustard
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 c. white vinegar
  • 1 c. whole yellow mustard seeds
  • 1/2 c. water
  • scant 1/4 c. raw honey
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp. black pepper
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, mix the dry mustard, eggs and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat after 30 seconds and simmer until the mixture is thick.  (Keep a close eye on the pan as the mixture bubbles up and then pops, spraying out of the pan.) Cover and store in the fridge overnight.
In a glass bowl, combine the mustard seeds and water.  Cover and let sit overnight.
In a food processor, combine the two mixures after they have rested over night.  Puree until smooth, adding the honey, salt and pepper to taste (you may want to add more than I did.) Store in an airtight container in your fridge.
*Notes: This recipe make 4 cups of mustard, which is a LOT. I gave at least half of mine away.  Also the author notes that it will last for 4 weeks, but since I allowed mine to mellow for 8 weeks before using, I don’t agree.  In fact, I think the longer it has sat in my fridge the better it has become, but that’s my opinion only.  Adapt as you need!

Mashed

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I am sucker for mashed potatoes.  I try them everytime they come with meals and spend 364 days a year dreaming about Thanksgiving so that I can have huge servings of my sister-in-law’s mother-in-law’s mashed potatoes.  I’ve heard a few reasons why hers are the best: brown butter, cream cheese, the Bosch mixer, but no matter what I do, I’ve never been able to recreate them.  However, this recipe is so close it’s almost a clone.  I had posted on Facebook Friday night that it was going to take all my willpower to not serve them in the morning with big spoonfuls taken out and I wasn’t kidding.  Yesterday as I scraped out the last bits of the leftovers, I wondered if I had made a good decision in only making 2 and a half pounds.
The 2 1/2 pound measurement is taken after the potatoes are peeled and washed.  Then, those potatoes are tossed into a pot of salted, boiling water.  It is very important to salt your potatoes while they cook.  Not only does the salt flavor them from the start, but I feel that they are less water laden when you go to mash them.  After you’ve drained the potatoes, return them to the pan and put them on the warm stove.  If you like to use a potato masher, go for it.  I use an immersion blender.  I have to stop and clean out the blade a few times if the cream cheese gets packed in there, but I like it better than the traditional wire beaters on a hand mixer.
Because you’re keeping the potatoes warm, they don’t cool as quickly as they would in a mixing bowl therefore become that strange “mealy” texture.  I get the mashing process started before I add in the butter, cream cheese and milk.  A little salt and pepper to taste and then my favorite: horseradish.  Add as much or as little as you like, but I promise you, it brings a whole new dimension of flavor to the potatoes.  It wins over even the most skeptical of dinner guests.
Mashed Potatoes:
  • 2.5 lbs. Idaho potatoes, washed, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 stick butter
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 2 Tbsp. horseradish
Boil a large pot of salted water and add the potatoes.  Cook until they are fork tender.  Drain the potatoes and then return to the pan.  Place over a warm burner and mash using the tool of your choice.  Mix in the butter and cream cheese, streaming in the milk to help mix.  Add the salt, pepper and horseradish to taste… in my opinion, the more horseradish, the better!

**I made these the night before and put them in a baking dish instead of a serving bowl and then covered them and refrigerated them for the night.  The next day, while the turkey was resting and then being sliced, I put a few pats of butter on top and then put them back in the 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.**

My favorite

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I’m glad I got back into making my own yogurt again.  Now, I have a fresh quart of plain yogurt whenever I need it to do neat things like marinate chicken.  For months, I’ve had to make a note and a specific trip to the store if I wanted to make a lot of the dishes I’m dying to try.  Sunday afternoon, while the Pear butter was simmering, I grabbed some chicken out of the fridge and coated it in a thick bath of yogurt and spices, fully intending to grill it up for supper.  But then, we got company and company that doesn’t like Indian food.  Well, company that hasn’t ever had Indian food and I’d love to challenge their opinion of it.  I let it marinate overnight and we had this on Monday night and my goodness, I didn’t make enough of this to share.  As it was, I wept a tiny tear when I gave up the leftovers so Matt could take them to work this morning. 
Chicken Tikka Masala one of my absolute favorite Indian dishes.  I always order it when we go to an Indian restaurant and whenever I see the sauce jarred in the grocery, I buy it to try.  I haven’t had any since about a week before I had Sylvia so I was just dying to savor every bite.  And this dish did not disappoint.  Creamy and with just a hint of spice this is a dish that even the 7 month old licked her fingers over.

Chicken Tikka Masala
  • 1 c. yogurt
  • 1 c. fresh cilantro or coriander
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic
  • 3 Tbsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb. chicken
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced  (this makes a fairly mild sauce, feel free to add more if you desire)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 8 oz. pureed tomatoes
  • 1 c. whole milk
  • Cilantro for garnish
  • Naan
 Mix the yogurt, cilantro, ginger, garlic, garam masala, and red pepper flakes.  Cover the chicken in the marinade.  Allow to set for at least 4 hours, but preferably over night. 
In a large saute pan, melt some ghee and saute the onion, garlic and jalapeno until tender.  Sprinkle the cumin, paprika and salt.  Saute until fragrant.  Pour in the tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes.  Add the milk and cook over low until the sauce thickens.  In the meantime, grill the chicken until cooked through.  Cut the chicken up into small pieces and add to the sauce.  Serve over brown or basmati rice and with warm naan.  

** For the Cheflets:  Liam ate this just fine, but I’ll admit he was more interested in the naan.  I gave Sylvia the rice with a small amount of sauce on it.  She got the flavor, but none of the zing.**

Pocket sized triumphs

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There are days when I realize that the reason why I haven’t done something is simply because I was too unmotivated to get started.  Case in point: pitas.  For years, I’ve read blog posts about how simple it is to make your own and I just haven’t gotten around to it.  However, since doing the October Unprocessed and behaving myself so well, it just seemed silly to buy pitas for our falafels.  The most challenging thing about this recipe is that I was a nervous wreck about how hot the oven was with Liam running around.  I did have to employ the hubs to keep an eye on the kids while I was making the pitas, but it worked out.  And I made the pitas while the falafels were frying so everything was done about the same time!  Most amazing part of making pitas at home?  Getting to watch the pitas puff up as they cooked!  I did a dance during most of the cooking, I was so excited!
Unprocessed Pitas
  • 3 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. yeast
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/4 c. warm water
* I used my kitchenaid mixer to make this recipe, but you can do all the kneading by hand if you choose.*
Put the yeast and warm water in the bowl of your mixer and allow to bloom by leaving it alone for 2-5 minutes.  Then, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix with the paddle attachment.  Once the dough is mixed, stop the mixer and switch to the dough hook.  Put the mixer on the 3rd speed and lock the mixer so it doesn’t move.  Then, set your timer for 10 minutes and let the mixer knead the dough.  At the end of the 10 minutes, the dough should be soft and smooth.  Remove the dough hook and place the dough in a warm spot covered with a damp towel.  
Allow the dough to rise for at least an hour and after that if you are not using it right away, put it in the fridge for up to 3 days.  Keep it covered and check every hour for the first 4 to make sure it doesn’t continue to rise.  When you are ready to make your pitas, preheat your oven to 475 degrees and place a baking stone or a cast iron skillet in it so that as the oven heats up, so does the stone.  (I used my pizza stone for the pitas.  It’s been used for a number of meals, so it’s well seasoned.)  Divide the dough into 12 balls and cover them with a damp towel while you are working on the pitas.  Take each ball and roll it out until it’s at most 1/4 inch thick.  Keeping the dough moist is what helps them puff up in the oven while they cook.  


I can fit 3 rounds on my stone at a time.  Quickly open the oven and put the pitas on the stone (or skillet) and close the door.  It is helpful to turn on your oven light if you have one so you don’t have to keep opening the door to check the pitas.  Cook for about 3 minutes, or until they have puffed up delightfully.  When the pitas are done, remove them from the oven the keep them covered with a towel as you work on the others.  Cut the pitas in half to use as sandwiches or into wedges to serve as dippers!

Roasted

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See that beautiful baby in the photo?  She’s sweet and precious and someone I fight to protect every moment of my day.  I started doing the October Unprocessed because I was already on a weight loss challenge and I figured it would be good for me.  As the weeks have passed, I’m realizing it was the jump start we needed to get ourselves back on track to healthy eating.  And the motivation I needed to start trying a little harder to make sure those whole foods come back and stay back.
I love that when I open my refrigerator, it’s full of glass jars with things I made myself.  Ghee, salad dressing, jams and now roasted red peppers!  I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, but just never got around to it.  However when I was stocking up on pie pumpkins, I found a good deal on local red peppers.  I bought a few with the intention of roasting them and then making my own hummus again.  It took me a few weeks (I know, you’d think I was busy or something…), but once I did it, I was thrilled with the results!  

I don’t have a gas stove so my options are either to roast them on the grill or in the oven.  The weather has been less than pleasant so I opted to do them in my oven.  It took a while since I was timid with the heat, but the result was wonderful!  I set the temperature at 425 and then cut up the peppers.  The peppers that blistered the most were the ones that were the flattest, so I know for next time that you have to cut them with purpose so that they will set on the baking sheet skin up without wobbling.  I lined the baking sheet with tin foil and filled it with peppers.  Into the oven they went and I turned on the light so I could watch them while I worked in the kitchen.  In about 25 minutes, I could see the skins blistering up and forming a bubble.  I took them out of the oven at half an hour and then quickly wrapped them up in the foil so they could steam.  Once the peppers were cool enough to handle, but still warm, I peeled the skin off with my fingers.  I used a few to make hummus and the rest, I put in a jar with some minced garlic and equal parts olive oil and water.  I’m very excited to use my peppers in future recipes and I’m so excited that I made them myself for a fraction of the usual cost!

October fresh

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In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t been such a healthy eater these last few months.  During the last weeks of my pregnancy and early weeks of Sylvia’s life, other people were doing my grocery shopping and buying whole grains kind of slipped through the cracks.  Little by little processed foods found their way into my cabinets and freezer and I started to feel pretty crummy.  I knew every time I opened my cabinets and saw boxes and plastic containers, something really needed to change, but I didn’t have the motivation to do anything about it.
I joined a Moms fitness group and as luck would have it, they are doing a weight loss challenge.  My BMI is hideous so I signed right up. Part of the challenge involved writing down everything that I eat.  Nothing like having to admit to a woman who runs marathons that you’ve had pizza twice in 72 hours to whip you into shape.  I lost a pound in 3 days because I was conscious of what I was doing.  Part of my issue is boredom munching.  Being aware of how much I snack because I’m not doing anything else has kind of scared me.
Thankfully, I had been out a bulk food store the weekend prior to this and restocked my pantry.  The flour was empty, so I replaced it with whole wheat.  I didn’t have a single box of pasta, so I bought semolina flour vegetable pastas.  It felt good to fill my shelves with food that had value.  I did my batch cooking that weekend with food that had been harvested or raised within 100 miles.  For 2 weeks, I’ve been pulling from my freezer meals that were prepared thoughtfully and sustainably.  I’ve not been rushed at supper and tempted to order out because I’m prepared.  It took a whole day and a half to get things organized, cooked and prepped, but it’s been totally worth it.  
Yesterday, I saw a post about October Unprocessed.  I went to the site and read through and decided this was what I needed to do to really get myself back where I belong.  I had had Subway for lunch, felt guilty and told Matt we’re going to start behaving again.  There was only mild grumbling.  For supper, I made grilled turkey and cheese and homemade tomato soup from the tomatoes I canned last month.  I can’t tell you how good it was.  I’ve adapted the rules to fit what my toddler eats and what is already in my freezer for the month, but I’m not messing around any more.  
After supper, I made ranch dressing and spicy remoulade.  Matt had brought home some Boar’s Head Spicy remoulade a few weeks ago and I totally fell in love with it.  Turns out, though, I couldn’t find a recipe that suited my needs, so I played around until I got what I wanted.  Poor Matt got stuck with baths tonight while I tinkered around in the kitchen.  However, I ran samples in to him so he could help with the process so I think that it was worth it in the end.
October Remoulade
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp. minced sundried tomato
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. horseradish
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • splash Worcestershire
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 shallot, minced

Saute the shallot and garlic in a small bit of butter, until fragrant and translucent.  Stir in the sundried tomato and mustard and heat through.  Remove from the heat and mix in the remaining ingredients, the mayonnaise last.  Spread on sandwiches, use as a dip or eat it with a spoon.  Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Bagels and the week in review!

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It’s been busy around here!  I learned how to make amazing chocolate pudding, a necessity in my opinion.  I won’t be sharing the recipe since I wrote it and a few changes on a scrap of paper, but didn’t credit the original source.  Just believe me when I tell you it’s heavenly!

Yesterday, I canned my first batch of corn.  It took me most of the day since I had to work around naps and meals and train track building.  And I was nervous about using a pressure cooker all by myself.  As luck would have it when I placed a paniced phone call to my friend about how to close the lid, she was a few blocks away and dropped by to walk me through the process until I got the cooker up to the right pressure.  Even after her help, I was still paranoid about the steam, so I did let the cooker cool down to a far lower temperature than was strictly necessary.  However, in the end, I had 20 neatly packed pints of corn to add to the shelves in my store room.

Since the pressure cooker heated up my kitchen as much as it did, I went ahead and made a batch of Michael Symon’s spicy ketchup.  I didn’t read the directions right and wound up doubling it, so I tried canning it in a hot water bath.  I’m excited to open those little jars, but need to remember to buy some reusable lids for my small jars since I only have wide mouth jar lids.  The small lids will come in handy when I start cracking open my jams, too!
And while I was at it, I went ahead and made a batch of bagels.  I love these bagels so much.  I’ve played around a little with the flavors, but I just keep coming back to the plain ones.  If you like a bagel with a hard crust on it, you’ll want to do an egg wash before you bake them, but I don’t.  These are so easy for Liam to eat and we go through a batch a few days.  
Simple Bread Machine Bagels
  • 1 c. warm water
  • 3 c. flour
  • 2 Tbsp. white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 1/4 tsp. yeast
  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Combine the first 5 ingredients in the pan of your bread maker and process on the dough cycle.  (If you don’t have a bread maker, mix these ingredients well and knead for 10 minutes.  Allow to rise for 1 hour.)  Remove the dough from the pan and divide until 8-12 balls.  Flatten each ball and poke a large hole in the center.  Shape into the general bagel shape and place on a dry silpat.  Cover and rise for 30-60 minutes.  

Boil a pan of water and add the brown sugar to it.  (The brown sugar can be interchanged with Malt Syrup if you’d like.  It’s purpose is to give the bagels that nice golden color we’re all used to, so if you don’t want to add the sweetener, you don’t have to; the bagels will still be wonderful.)  Boil each bagel for 1 minute, flipping halfway through.  Drain them on a towel before placing them on a buttered baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.  Keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week… if they last that long!

Easy Peasy Rice Pilaf

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Cooking rice has been hard for me.  Generally speaking, it turns out a bit crunchy still and for the longest time I just made orzo instead.  It’s taken me a while to get the hang of cooking rice in the first place, but I just wanted to make a pilaf that I could serve as a side dish instead of the ubiquitous potato.  A pilaf is simply rice that is cooked in broth.  Often people add vegetables or seasoning, but the broth will suffice.  And I think that the broth makes the rice more tender in it’s own right.  Since I make my own broth, minuscule bits of meat and the flavorings are also added into the rice.  I made this to go with some Indian butter chicken the other night and Liam couldn’t eat it fast enough!  In fact, Matt and I were long done with our suppers, just waiting for him to finish up so we could play!  Recently, he’s been a little picky about textures, so I was super excited that he ate the peas as well.  I made this dish with Indian flavors so it went well with our chicken, but you could leave those out, and put in some Cajun spices and have a totally different side!  I love how versatile this dish is and have plenty of ideas for the future.
Simple Pilaf
  • 2 Tbsp. Ghee
  • 1 1/2 c. Jasmine Rice
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 c. peas
  • 3 c. Chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. Turmeric
  • 1 tsp. Garam Masala
  • Cilantro, salt and pepper to taste
Melt the Ghee in the bottom of a 2 qt pan on medium heat.  When the pan is coated, add in the onions and saute until tender.  Then, add in the rice, turmeric, and Garam Masala and saute until the rice is coated with the spices and ghee.  Carefully pour in the stock and bring to a boil.  Once the rice boils, turn the heat down to a simmer, add the peas and cover.  Cook, stirring from time to time for about another 20 minutes or until the stock is absorbed into the rice and is soft.  When the rice is done cooking, fluff with a fork and season to your taste.

For your cheflet: This is a great introduction to spices for your little one!  Depending on your tastes, you can use the rice and peas as a canvas to bring some variety into your little one’s palette.  Since peas and rice are such simple foods, I would actually start this with a child as young as 6-8 months.  Once they are at least 9 months, I would mince bits of tender chicken and add that to the mix as well.  Warning:  If you make this dish like I did, don’t be surprised if your little one’s clothes are stained yellow from the Turmeric.  I always make sure Liam is wearing something dark and a large bib when we eat Indian food!

Homemade Baklava

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As I sit here typing this, my husband is struggling outside in the weather trying to keep up with the snow.  We had thought it wouldn’t start until late this afternoon, but were surprised to wake up to serious ground cover and snow that was reminiscent of cotton balls falling from the sky. So this afternoon, we staying in, cuddling up and watching Christmas movies.  I’m so glad that the baklava baking was done yesterday while the weather was perfectly clear.  Although, had I gotten stranded coming home from the house we were at, I would have had something wonderful to munch on!
Baklava
1 (16 oz) package phyllo dough
1 lb chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or pistachios)
1 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. water
1 c. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. honey

 

 

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan or a baking sheet with deep sides.  Chop nuts finely (I used a food processor) and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place 7-8 sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Sprinkle nut mixture on top. Top with another stack of 7-8 sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 – 8 sheets deep and buttered generously.  Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
 
While the baklava is baking, make the sauce. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.