Category Archives: Recipes

Tri-tip with Chimichurri

14 Friday Jul 2017

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We made a new discovery this week.  We tried it one weekend, and then decided we liked it so much that we made it again the second weekend.  So, if you noticed tri-tip in my grocery purchases twice in the same week, that’s why.

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I didn’t invent, or even much alter, these recipes.  I just put them all together.  The first time through we tried sugar snap peas as the side.  We all agreed that while we liked sugar snap peas (and I had them already needing to be eaten with something), they weren’t right for this dish.  The cauliflower was a much better option, but we may continue trying other sides.

First the tri-tip with chimichurri.  This was a nice, simple recipe from Bon Appetit.  There were a few modifications:

  • We omitted the sesame seeds.
  • I substituted 1 Tbsp sugar for the agave nectar.
  • Next time I’m going to try making the chimichurri in a food processor or blender because we’d prefer the greens a bit more broken down.

Next, the bread.  This is King Arthur Flour’s French-Style Country Bread.  I’d never made it before pairing it here, but it is very good and will definitely enter the rotation with other meals also.  Note, the first time I made this I used 2 hours for the starter and the full times for the rises.  This produced a very soft bread with larger holes.  The second time I was in a bit of a hurry so I shortened all the times a bit.  Both were tasty, but I’d recommend going for the longer times for truly light, airy bread.

Not pictured, but with the bread, we had guacamole.  Definitely recommend putting this on the bread.

The cauliflower held its own much better than the peas.  It’s a recipe we make a few times a year.  The kids prefer it without the cheese sauce which is easy enough to accommodate.

Chicken and Walnuts

02 Friday Jun 2017

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This is a very Americanized version of an Asian inspired dish.  It works equally well with tofu to produce a vegetarian version.  It is also easy to double or triple depending on your needs.  Serve over rice or noodles with a vegetable on the side.

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Ingredients:
1-2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut up
*** works equally well with tofu or boneless chicken breasts, depending on your tastes
¼ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup apple juice
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T vegetable oil
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup sliced scallions
½ cup walnuts

Directions:

  1. Combine brown sugar through pepper to create the marinade.
  2. Marinate chicken at least half an hour.
  3. Drain chicken, saving the marinade.
  4. Stir fry the chicken with the scallions.
  5. When the chicken is cooked through, add the marinade to the pan and reduce.
  6. Add the walnuts just before serving.

Rack of Lamb with Mustard Rub

19 Friday May 2017

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This recipe originally called for bread crumbs, but the crust just didn’t stick properly.  Since it was still very tasty, I adapted it a bit to keep the flavor, but loose the crumbles.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture after cooking, but you get the idea.

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Rack of Lamb with Mustard Rub
Adapted from Rack of Lamb with Mustard-Bread Crumb Crust, Williams-Sonoma Steak & Chop

Ingredients:
2 racks of lamb, frenched
Rub:
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°.
  2. Line one sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Place racks with the ribs outward (pictured above).
  3. Combine rub ingredients and spread evenly over both racks.
  4. Roast to an internal temperature of 130°, about 15 minutes.
  5. Transfer to a carving board and rest, tented, for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  6. Carve into chops to serve.

Broccoli & Cashew Stir-Fry

12 Friday May 2017

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This side is suggested with the pork dumplings, but it could go with any number of main dishes or even be a light dinner by itself.

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Broccoli and Cashew Stir-Fry
adapted from Family Fun magazine, February 2010

Ingredients:
4 tsp vegetable oil
3 scallions: whites minced, greens sliced on the bias
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
5 cups broccoli florets (or however much your family will eat)
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ cup water
2/3 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup roasted, unsalted cashews (raw will work also, but unsalted is key)

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the scallion whites and ginger.  Stir fry until just fragrant; about 30 seconds.
  3. Add the broccoli.  Cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper.  Toss to mix.
  5. Pour in the water and cover.
  6. Reduce heat to medium and steam until the broccoli is just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
  7. Uncover the skillet and raise the heat back to medium-high.
  8. Add the bell pepper and toss to combine.  Stir fry briefly to soften the bell pepper.
  9. Stir in the cashews and scallion greens.
  10. Enjoy.

Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings

05 Friday May 2017

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This recipe admittedly takes a long time.  It also uses some less standard ingredients.  But, it makes a lot so freeze some and have an easy dinner another night (or two).  Yes, there is a broccoli stir fry that goes with the dumplings.  I’ll post that recipe next week.

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Pork Dumplings
adapted from Family Fun magazine, February 2010

Ingredients:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
¼ lb shredded Napa cabbage (about 2 cups)
¼ cup minced scallions
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove, minced
½ lb ground pork
24* round dumpling wrappers or wonton skins

Directions:

  1. Whisk together the egg white, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Stir in the cabbage, scallions, ginger, and garlic.  Add the pork and stir until fully combined.
  3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Stuff the dumplings.
    1. Fill a small bowl with water.
    2. Lay out 6 wrappers on your work surface.  Cover the remainder with a wet paper towel.
    3. Spoon 2 tsp of filling into the center of each wrapper.
    4. Using water on your finger, moisten the outer rim of each wrapper.
    5. Bring the opposite sides of the wrapper together and pinch together, eliminating as much air as possible.
      1. Avoid having too much filling as it will break the wrapper.
  5. Transfer the dumplings to the baking sheets, spacing them so they don’t touch.  Cover with a damp cloth while you finish the other dumplings.
  6. Refrigerate for up to two hours.  Or, freeze on the baking sheet and then transfer frozen, uncooked dumplings to a freezer bag for up to three months.
  7. Cook the dumplings.
    1. Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Arrange about a dozen dumplings in the pan, not touching, and leave for 2 minutes to cook the wrapper.
    2. Add ¼ cup of water, and cover.  Let cook for 5 minutes.
    3. Uncover the pan and raise the heat to cook off the remaining water.
    4. Continue frying the dumplings for 2 additional minutes.
    5. Serve immediately or transfer to a warm oven.
    6. Repeat for remaining dumplings.
    7. If dumplings are frozen, do not thaw.  Follow the same process, but increase the cooking time from 5 to 7 minutes.

*Note:  I have never been able to fit all the filling in 24 wrappers so I purchase extras (roughly double) to use all the filling.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins

21 Friday Apr 2017

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Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from The Frugal Girl

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1½ cups sugar
3 sweet potatoes (steamed and mashed)
¾ cup milk
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the first 5 ingredients (through oil) until smooth.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (through salt).
  4. Stir the dry into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  5. Add the chocolate chips.
  6. Fill greased or lined muffin tins ¾ full.
  7. Bake 15-20 minutes.

This will make 36 good sized muffins.  Or, you could fill the cups only halfway and make 48 smaller ones.  You can also use one 16-oz can of pureed pumpkin in place of the sweet potatoes.

Do I have to buy the Starbucks Snacks …

24 Friday Mar 2017

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Obviously the answer is no.  You never have to buy anything specific, least alone a snack from a drive through.

I am not a coffee drinker, but I do stop by Starbucks from time to time for a hot chocolate because it’s pretty good.  I’ve also never bought food much at Starbucks, until I was pregnant with my youngest.  Then, inevitably, I was hungry in between the preschool drop off and whatever errand I was running that day.  So, I tried a Cheese & Fruit Bistro Box.  For the uninitiated, this includes apple slices; a mix of dried cranberries and almonds; small chunks of brie, cheddar, and gouda; and some multigrain crackers.  While nothing spectacular, this was all pretty good.  But, one day they were out so I tried the Protein Bistro Box which includes an egg, apple slices, grapes, cheddar cheese, muesli, and honeyed peanut butter.  The egg was a nice addition so that became my go to box.  Though, ideally I’d have the egg, three cheese mix, grapes, and apples.  The other items are not fine, but I ate them because they were there not because they were my favorites (excessive calories are not a problem in our hose).

Then, the baby was born and not faced with 24/7 hunger I stopped buying the Bistro Boxes.  Enter the Sous Vide Egg Bites this past January.  Since we own a precision cooker (item required to sous vide things), I wanted to give them a try.  And, they were pretty good.  Add to that that soccer/baseball season is coming up pretty soon so I’ll be spending many entire Saturdays away from the house.  I thought, maybe I can replicate these snacks, only with the ingredients I want.  They would be reasonably healthy and are designed to grab and go.  They include things that, in many cases, are already at home.  And, it would be a lot cheaper to assemble them myself.

So, I purchased some divided Tupperware containers to keep the wetter things from the dryer things or the colder from the warmer (though I’m trying to keep anything extra warm or extra cold).  And, behold, I have everything I need for homemade Bistro Boxes – apples, grapes, cheese, egg, and crackers.  My plan is to assemble on Friday night so I can grab and go on Saturdays.

Then I came to the heart of the issue, the egg bites.  I found some inspiration from Anova (https://anovaculinary.com/easy-homemade-sous-vide-egg-bites/), bought some 4 oz jelly jars, and adapted the recipe to what I had at home.  These came out lighter than Starbucks’ version – more like the creme in creme brulee.  But, they were tasty, easy enough, and batch cooked so I’ll have them for a while.

Sous Vide Eggs
Adapted from Anova

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
½ tsp salt
4 Tbsp diced red pepper (this could be about anything, but you’re looking for 4-6 Tbsp total volume)

Directions:

  1. Set your precision cooker to 172°.
  2. In a blender, combine the eggs, heavy cream, cheese, and salt.
  3. Divide among 12 4-oz jelly jars, filling about half full.
  4. Divide the peppers (filling) among the jars.
  5. Use the rest of the egg mix to top up the jars.
  6. Use the two-part lids and close to finger tightness.
  7. Submerge the jars in the water bath for 1 hour.
  8. When done, if you are not eating immediately, move to a cold water bath to bring to room temperature before stashing in the refrigerator.
  9. They can be eaten straight from the jar.  Or, use a butter knife around the edge to loosen from the jar and invert.  When ready to eat, microwave for 30 seconds.  (Or, I’m sure a few moments under a broiler to brown would be great.  I just haven’t tried that yet.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s all About the Chocolate

17 Friday Mar 2017

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This week was chocolate desserts week.

For Pi day (3.14), I made a chocolate pecan pie.  The boys were evenly divided between chocolate cream pie and pecan pie so this was the compromise.  I basically merged the Karo pecan pie recipe with the Hershey’s chocolate pie recipe and it came out well.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
inspired by Hershey’s and Karo Syrup

Ingredients:
1 cup Dark Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Stir together all ingredients except pecans (and pie crust) thoroughly.
  3. Mix in pecans.
  4. Pour into pie crust.
  5. Bake for 60-70 minutes.  Cool for 2 hours before serving.

Wednesday we had a birthday and he, of course, wanted chocolate cake.  This cake was the best non-box-mix chocolate cake I’ve made.  I think pairing it with the chocolate icing (Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting) was a bit much.  I also think I have better icing recipes so I’m not going to duplicate it here.  I also halved this recipe to make a single round.

Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake
from the Hershey’s Cocoa packaging

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Grease & flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
  3. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  4. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in the boiling water.  (Batter will be thin.)
  6. Pour into pans.
  7. Bake 30-35 minutes.
  8. Cool 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.
  9. Frost once completely cooled.

New Recipe – Fish Tacos with Guacamole & Pico de Gallo

03 Friday Mar 2017

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First, apologies for missing yesterday’s post.  We had a high wind warning and the wind did take out the power for a couple of hours.

After many months of listening to requests for fish tacos, I finally found a recipe I wanted to try – The Frugal Girl’s Not-Fried Fish Tacos.  I made the recipe as described and it was a real winner.  I even cut the fish fillets in half per her recommendation which made each piece the perfect size for one taco.  When I repeat it, I’ll probably skip microwaving the spices (not sure that actually did anything) and I’ll significantly increase the chipotle peppers in the sauce.  Some people thought the sauce needed more kick and we determined that the only people interested in the sauce were folks who would be ok with extra spice.

She recommended serving with guacamole and pico de gallo, among other toppings, so I made those too.  These were both recipes I’d made before and ones that seem to need some doctoring.

The guacamole recipe is from food.com.  It is very good.  I just find the full recipe is well over the stated six servings.  So, I basically halved it.  But, I rounded up the avocado and kept with two limes.  Pressing plastic wrap onto the surface goes along way towards keeping the brown at bay.

The pico de gallo recipe from Food Network needs even more doctoring.  Mainly, it produces WAY more than 4-6 servings.  I HIGHLY recommending thirding the recipe unless you are serving a LARGE crowd.  I also think it does well with a rest to let the flavors meld.  So, I try to make it in the morning if we’re planning to have it for dinner that night.

As you can see we also had flour tortillas, corn chips, cheese, sour cream, diced jalapeno, and lime slices.  Nobody uses all of those things, but different people enjoy different combinations.

Sausage Stuffing

24 Friday Feb 2017

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Part of what I most appreciate about this recipe is that it freezes well.  We can’t use the entire recipe at once, but I can put some in a foil pan and then cook it directly from frozen.  We enjoy this with ham as well as turkey.

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Sausage and Chestnut Dressing
adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving booklet, 2006

Ingredients:
1 box (16 oz) stuffing
4 Tbsp butter
2 yellow onions, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
½ cup white wine
2 cups prepared chestnuts, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
1¼ lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
6 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
3-3½ cups chicken broth

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.  Butter a 3½-4 quart casserole dish.  (Butter multiple dishes if you’re dividing.  The above picture shows three roughly 8-inch square containers.
  2. Put the stuffing in a large bowl and set aside.  (I cannot emphasize LARGE enough.  You’ll regret it later if you skimp on the bowl.)
  3. Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and celery.  Saute 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent.
  4. Add the wine, stirring to scrape up the browned bits, for 3 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  5. Add the chestnuts and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  6. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the stuffing.  Mix.
  8. Using the same pan, cook the sausage until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to the bowl with the stuffing.
  9. Add the parsley to the bowl and stir to combine.
  10. Stir in 3 cups of broth.  Add more broth if needed and season with salt and pepper.
  11. Transfer to the baking dish(es), cover with buttered aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes.  (If starting from frozen, the initial bake time is closer to 40 minutes.)  Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden and crispy, another 15-20 minutes.