Catching up

It's been too long since I posted any recipes.  I have done a few new things.  Here are four worth sharing.

The Swaddle Burger

The name comes from how you have to wrap it to keep all the goodies inside.

I’d bought a package of marked-down hamburger, a bag of bolillo rolls and we decided to make burgers.  To be able to get our mouths around the burgers, I cut a slice out of the middle of each roll.  I made 3 oblong burger patties to more or less fit the rolls.  Tom did the grilling, after I sprinkled each patty with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

He added a slice of American cheese on two of the patties for our dinner tonight, and left the third patty “necked”.  Once the burgers were ready, we placed a patty on the bun, topped it with onion and tomato.  We put catsup and relish on the top of the bun; I added a bit of gourmet mustard on mine.  Then came the “swaddle” part.  We grabbed a handful of mixed greens, plopped it on the tomato and onion, quickly put the top of the bun on top of it all and “swaddled” it with a paper towel (stronger than a regular napkin) to keep it all from falling apart.  The lettuce really wants to fall all around the burger instead of staying inside.

This way, we had a burger with a salad on it – a one- hand meal. 

Sake Orange Chicken and Noodles

Once again, an idea began as a rather half-baked idea: I had chicken breast that needed to be cooked or frozen and I had orange juice on hand … and a partial bag of egg noodles …  As I was chopping ingredients I still didn’t know what it was going to be.  I had a partial bottle of sake left in the cupboard from some dish that we’d made some time in the past.

I did start by marinating the chicken.  As it marinated in the zipper bag, so did the idea in my head.  I marinated two chicken breasts so I can do it again in the future; I’ll just freeze the chicken in the marinade.  In the end, this is what it became.

Marinade:

½ cup sake

1 cup orange juice

¼ cup soy sauce (light)

1 TBS ginger root (freeze dried, equivalent to fresh)

1 tsp garlic (freeze dried, equivalent to fresh)

2 TBS spring onion (freeze dried, equivalent to fresh)

Ingredients:

8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked

Olive oil

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, marinated and cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups sliced celery

1 ½ cups colored bell pepper, in bite-size pieces

1 cup slivered carrots

½ cup onion slices, quartered

1 tsp corn starch

Sesame seeds

Mix all marinade ingredients in a quart zipper freezer bag with the chicken.  Press out all air& zip.  Squish the bag to make sure the ingredients are spread around with the chicken.  Marinate for at least an hour.

Cook noodles and set aside.

Cut chicken, vegetables.

Heat large skillet on high heat, add a tablespoon or so of oil to the skillet.  Once the pan and oil are hot, add chicken.  When chicken is done, add onions, stir.  Add carrots, stir.  Then add the celery, then the peppers.  I added the vegetables so the quickest cooking was the last added.  Stir and cook a couple of minutes, then add the noodles.  You may need to add a bit more oil to keep things from sticking.  Add about ¼ to ½ cup marinade to pan, stir in.

Pour ¼ cup marinade into a small cup and stir in corn starch.  When vegetables are at the stage of doneness you like, stir corn starch mixture again and pour into pan.  Stir until sauce thickens.  Serve.

Notes:

Thinking about it after dinner, I think next time I’ll cut the chicken before marinating so more of the flavor gets into the pieces.

Kielbasa Layered Casserole

Had I been thinking about what to do with the kielbasa sausage we bought today, I would have gotten Anaheim peppers and made “Stuff”.  But, I didn’t think of it until we were headed home, so I went a totally different direction.

We had bought a couple of colored bell peppers a day or so ago, and picked up 3 more on closeout.  And zucchini.  And I had purple onion, potatoes … hmmmm.  And the idea began to germinate.

So here’s what’s in the oven as I write this:

I sprayed a small to medium casserole with cooking spray.  I sliced a potato and layered it on the bottom and around the sides.  This was topped with a layer of zucchini slices.  Then a layer of yellow bell pepper rings.  Then a layer of thin onion ring/slices (2 thin slices).  Then a layer of kielbasa slices.  Top it all with more potato slices.  Spray the top potato slices with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil or butter) and sprinkle with kosher salt.  To make sure it doesn’t all dry out, carefully pour about half a bottle of a good beer down the side (don’t disturb the salt on the top potatoes).

Place in a 375° F oven for about 45 minutes, then check for tenderness on the potatoes.

It would have tasted better if I had used white wine instead of the beer, which left a bit too much of the bitterness from the hops.

It’s Not Lasagna

There were some bits of this and that hanging around that were playing in the back of my head.  I’d made some “taco meat” (no chile, just garlic, cumin, salt & pepper) and had leftovers.  I’d used half a pound of giant rotini, and had the rest to use.  I had veggies in the fridge. I had a large block of mozzarella that needed to be used.  This was the result.

½ pound giant rotini, cooked 1-2 minutes less than directed

1 cup, approximate, cooked seasoned ground beef

½ small zucchini, sliced & quartered

1 colored bell pepper, cubed

¼ cup red onion, diced

1 jar Classico pasta sauce

5 slices mozzarella (from a block or ball)

While the pasta cooks, cut the vegetables.  Drain pasta, return to pan.  Add sauce, meat, vegetables.  Stir together.  Put in a greased casserole dish.  Top with mozzarella slices.  Bake 45 minutes at 375° F, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Serves 4 or more.

Italian Ground Turkey Base

We wound up with a lot of ground turkey for us humans to eat.  Max (our dog) has decided to eat dog food again.  So, the ground turkey I'd stocked up on to cook his food is now for us two-leggers. 

The idea started with ground turkey goes well in spaghetti sauce ... then, what about lasagna, to bought or fresh pasta on to "I've got a ravioli maker, so I should do that if I'm going to go to the trouble of making fresh pasta.  That's how dinner happens some times.

So, here's what I came up with for the base for the filling:
1-1/4 lbs ground turkey, crumbled in frying pan as it cooks
add 1/2 red onion, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TBS dry basil
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dry rosemary
salt to taste
1 package (box 10 oz or so)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 TBS olive oil (didn't have any so used vegetable oil)

For the actual filling I mixed 1 cup cottage cheese (the Local Store - yes, that's the name of it) didn't have any ricotta, so I substituted with 2 cups of the base.

From one batch of fresh pasta I made 4 dozen ravioli and still had a bit of both left over (I got tired of prepping them and it was late enough we needed to eat dinner).  The leftover filling went into the fridge to make another dish (I'll tell you what it turns out to be) and the leftover pasta became fettucine.  I added 1 tsp of finely minced fresh rosemary to the pasta dough.

The remaining 2 cups of the turkey base went into the freezer to become something else in a few days or a week or two ... again, I'll let you know what it turns into.

From Trout Creek, Montana ....

Trout Dinner

We were at a Colorado state park for a few days.  We had just returned from a jaunt into town when a lady came up to Tom and offered him a pair of fresh-caught trout.  She'd caught them from the little lake just across the entrance road from our site.  She'd caught all she could and nobody at her camp wanted any more. 

So, we now knew what would be for dinner.  But, how to fix them.  Other than the obvious part of cleaning them.  My family had always put our trout in cornmeal, then pan fried them.  But, I didn't have cornmeal on board, so that wasn't an option.  But, I did have some Wondra flour, so I made a simple beer batter.

So, what's a simple beer batter?  It's flour and beer.  This is a great batter for making onion rings, too.  Adjust the proportions until you have a batter that is thin enough to work with, but thick enough to stick to the fish.

Get your batter ready.  Get your fish ready (cleaned*, somewhat dried off).  Heat some oil in a frying pan.  When the oil is hot batter the fish and gently (no splashing, please) drop the fish into the oil.  Fry until done on the first side - about 5 minutes, but will vary with the heat under the pan, size of fish, etc.  If you can see the eyes through the batter, watch for when the turn white and bulge.  Turn over and cook second side.

Serve immediately and eat while hot.  Carefully check for the tiny bones.  Most of the bones can be avoided, but generally a very small number may escape vigilance, so chew carefully so you can get them before you swallow.

This particular evening we had instant roasted garlic mashed potatoes (Idahoan brand) and a salad.

Cleaning trout (and similar fish)
If you've never cleaned a trout, here's the basic process.  Stick a sharp knife in the anus and slit the belly from the anus to where the jaw bones come together.  If you can, hook a finger through the gills and pull.  It should bring everything inside the cavity.  You can go back for anything that didn't come out.  If pulling the gills doesn't work, get hold of the guts and pull.  When all the "stuff" inside the cavity is out, you'll see a dark line behind a clear membrane.  I use my thumbnail to break the membrane, running my thumbnail up and down the backbone to loosen the dark matter.  Once it's all out you have a cleaned trout.  Some people take off the head and tail.  My family always considered them to the "handles" for eating the fish.

Super Simple Chicken Dinner

By lucky accident (too-full crock pot) I discovered a super simple, but very tasty dinner.  Only 6 ingredients, including water.  Having to cook for 2 humans and a dog every day does provide some additional challenges.  And additional rewards sometimes. 

I had a bargain package of chicken legs to fix.  Since I had to thaw the whole package, I had to cook the whole package.  The easiest thing was to use the crock pot.  Unfortunately/fortunately I didn't have enough room to add the additional ingredients I had planned (celery, onion, carrot, etc.).  Big surprise ... those ingredients were not needed at all. 

All three of us really enjoyed it.  Now, here it is for you to try.

Super Simple Chicken & Rice Dinner

Chenin Blanc Rosemary Country Style Ribs

Tonight we had a very simple, but very tasty dinner.  Boneless pork ribs and artichokes.  One large artichoke each, and a couple of boneless country style ribs.  The marinade was delicious and had a hint of the flavor of Chinese roast pork.  Tom had his artichoke plain and I had homemade "Miracle Whip" for dipping my leaves.

Chenin Blanc Rosemary Country Style Ribs

As we picked up a few items at Safeway, we checked the meat closeouts, just in case.  And there was a nice package of boneless country style ribs at half off.  And they had artichokes, big, tight ones, for $2.  Bingo!  Dinner.  We love to do an artichoke with meat on the side for dinner now & then.  We love artichokes.

We decided to marinate and grill the ribs while the artichokes cooked.  To make sure they’d be tender and tasty we decided to marinate them.  I asked Tom to look in our “wine cellar” and see what white wines we had available.  So the main part of the marinade was Chenin Blanc from Sutter Home (the oldest and cheapest bottle of white wine down in the box in the basement.

Marinade:

            ½ bottle white wine – any white wine you’d drink

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 large cloves garlic, sliced thick

¼ rice vinegar

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

Salt & pepper

Place the pork in a zipper bag.  Lay rosemary springs on top of meat.  Add sliced garlic.  Add liquids and salt & pepper.  Carefully press out the air & zip the bag.    “Mush” all ingredients to make sure it’s well blended.  Let marinate an hour, “mushing” from time to time to make sure all the flavors blend.

On the grill, sear the outside, then lower the heat to cook more slowly until done.

 

To make homemade Miracle Whip add rice vinegar or lemon juice, sugar (or substitute) and paprika to mayonnaise.  I like to make just enough at a time for the meal where I'll use it.  Just a tablespoon or two  Start with just a little of the flavorings, mix, taste, adjust, mix and taste.  You'll get the hang of it and it may be just like Miracle Whip or it may be better for you.  I'd suggest 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon sugar (or substitute), 1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar or lemon juice and a sprinkle of paprika. 

Ravioli for carnivores and herbivores

One of the people who was expected to be at a potluck we attended last night is a vegetarian.  So, I put my mind to coming up with a tasty vegetarian filling.  But, he didn't show.  I'll razz him about this since I spent twice as much time cooking and assembling ravioli as I would have if he weren't expected.  Luckily, we all enjoyed the vegetarian ravioli, and the meat ones.  One of the people at the potluck, although not a vegetarian, enjoyed the vegetarian version more than the meat version.

One disclaimer I need to put out here - measurements are approximate.  I rarely measure ingredients when I cook.  I "eyeball" what goes into the pot.  I also usually write things down after we've eaten the food.  There's a possibility I've missed something, especially in the "herbivore" version.  A lot went into it and last night I had forgotten to include the all-important Italian seasoning that went into the vegetarian version, same as the meat version.

We enjoyed them so much, and with the KitchenAide mixer (with its attachments) makes the pasta so much easier, I think Mother's Day (less than a week away) will bring one of those cool little tools for making ravioli so I don't need to hand seal each one with a fork.  Just lay out a sheet of pastas, put filling in the depressions, lay on the second sheet of pasta and run the rolling pin across to seal and cut them a dozen at a time.

The recipe is pretty long - 2 pages - because it includes both versions, and a little bit of history ... the link should go to the pdf file.  Please let me know if you have problems - I'm new at doing things this way.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_cpeEnZbviBbl92TENhS3IxRHM/view?usp=sharing

Sourdough Bread Supreme Pizza

This can be done with a conventional crust, but the tangy sourdough adds an extra taste dimension.  We had a partial loaf of sourdough, plus a partial fresher loaf, so it was time for homemade pizza.

The sauce is the key to homemade pizza.  I first started developing this sauce back in the 1960s.  Over the years it’s been tweaked and adjusted.  Preheat oven to 450 (425 if it has convection “Pizza” setting).  Line sheet pan with parchment paper.  I've gotten hooked on parchment paper and for these pizzas you get the bonus of "cheese chips" when the cheese that spills off the edges bubbles, browns & crisps on the parchment paper.  And it peels right up.  And no cleanup, just toss the paper.

The basic sauce ingredients:

1 small can Contadina tomato sauce

1 small can Contadina tomato paste

1 heaping Tablespoon Italian seasoning, crushed to release flavor

Salt & pepper to taste

Dash of cinnamon

4 drops Dad’s Jalapeño sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Mix all sauce ingredients, set aside for flavors to “marry” while you do the rest of the preparations.  There will be more than enough sauce.  I like to make "torpizzas" with the leftover sauce & cheese.  Spread sauce, toppings & cheese on a flour tortilla and microwave until the cheese melts.  Sometimes you can even get the tortilla crispy, especially if you partially cook it before you add the sauce & toppings.  Nice, quick lunch.

 

Toppings:

½ cup diced summer sausage

¼ cup sliced pimento-stuffed olives (low sodium, if possible)

½ small jar sliced mushrooms

3 mini peppers, sliced thin (color variety if you like – I used red, orange & yellow)

Small amount of very thinly sliced red onion

½ pound shredded Mozzarella cheese

Assembly:

Cut 4-5” sections of sourdough loaf (use the tangiest you can find) into 3 horizontal slices to make a reasonable thickness for the crust.  If necessary, cut a thin slice off the crust of the outermost slices to stabilize.

Spread generously with sauce.  Top with peppers, mushrooms, onion, olives, summer sausage.  Top generously with Mozzarella.  Some of the cheese will fall over the edges – it makes great “cheese chips”, and the parchment paper makes cleanup easy.

Bake 11-13 minutes, until cheese begins to brown.

 
Note:  I have used Contadina brand tomato sauce and paste since I started cooking.  There’s something special about the taste, different than the other major brands and house brands.  I find other brands to be missing something.  You may prefer a different brand, or may not even notice a difference; use whatever brand suits your taste.  In cooking, it doesn’t matter how spectacular a flavor is for someone else – if it doesn’t suit you, it’s not worth cooking.  Learn your preferences.  Brands, varieties, etc.  When brands taste the same, use what’s cheapest or easiest to get; when you can tell a difference, hold out for the one you like.   You’ll enjoy your food more, and so will the people you feed.

Sourdough note: I can't get real San Francisco sourdough bread in Colorado.  The best I can do for tangy flavor is the sourdough from the Safeway stores.  It's a chemical sourdough instead of a true sourdough, but it's got the flavor I crave.  Like all foods, use the bread that works for you.  If you like a milder crust, use any French bread or artisan bread that will give you the flavor that delights you.