Entries Tagged as 'recipe'

Lentil Pilaf, Side Dish

October 3rd, 2009 14 Comments

Heather says:
This side dish is great for those avoiding simple carbohydrates. It would also easily convert to a vegetarian / vegan dish simply by switching to vegetables stock. I pull out this recipe as the temperatures start to drop, I particularly like it next to the slightly sweet vegetables of Autumn (squashes, pumpkins, roasted vegetables).

Just for the record, I’d like to note that lentils are not the world’s most photogenic legume, but that doesn’t lessen their appeal.

Lentil PilafLentil Pilaf

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c. chopped bell pepper, any color (I’m cheap, so it’s green, but red or yellow would be fab)
  • 1/2 small or medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1  carrot chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup or so mushrooms, roughly chopped *OPTIONAL*
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cups chicken stock or broth or one can + 1/4 cup water
  • 1 c. dried lentils, washed (check for stones, grit etc)
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

boiling lentilsHeat the chicken stock and lentils to boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. While that happens. . .

softening vegetablesHeat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and give it a moment to heat. Add the diced onion and chopped carrot and cook for two to three minutes, stirring once in a while. Once the onion and carrot start to soften, add the bell pepper and garlic clove. Stir occasionally until the bell pepper starts to soften. Remove from heat and add the mushrooms, if you would like and give it a good stir.

When the lentils have simmered for twenty minutes, remove the cover and add the cooked vegetables and lemon juice. Stir well and continue cooking over low heat just until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Submitted to: Mouthwatering Monday at A Southern Fairytale.

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Blueberry Muffins

September 16th, 2009 11 Comments

Heather says:

This is a great basic muffin recipe. Swap out the blueberries for whatever fruit you’d like. Reduce the amount of milk for exceptionally wet ingredients such as mashed bananas.

Blueberry Muffins

Simple Blueberry Muffins

Yields 9 muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or plain flour
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • about 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Optional Streusel Topping

  • 2 TBSP cold butter, cut into small cubes or grated
  • 1/8 cup rolled oats
  • 1/8 cup white sugar
  • 1/8 cup brown sugar
  • a pinch of cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Grease  a muffin tin, you can use butter or cooking spray. If you use cooking spray, wipe of the overspray, unless you enjoy scrubbing cookware.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In a liquid measuring cup stir together 1/3 cup veg oil, 1 tsp vanilla, and one beaten egg. Add enough milk to bring the liquid volume total to one cup. Stir. Add the fruit to the dry ingredients, then add the liquid and stir just to combine.  Overmixing yields muffins with flat tops. *ahem* I don’t really mind this.

streuselIn a small bowl combine: butter, oats, brown sugar, white sugar, and pinch of cinnamon. Stir together with a fork, the mixture will be crumbly.

Fill muffin tinFill 9 muffin cups with 1/3 cup batter each and sprinkle with the topping. I find it easier to use a spatula to scrape the thick batter out of the measuring cup and into the muffin tin.

Bake for 20 -25 minutes, cool on a wire rack.

Easy peasy.

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Lasagna: The Company Dinner

September 15th, 2009 16 Comments

The hearty sauce for this lasagna recipe is made from scratch and provides enough for a very large pan of lasagna. However, if you’re going to go the trouble of preparing a pan of lasagna, double the recipe and freeze one to bake at a later date. Also, don’t get overwhelmed looking at the ingredient list. The only things that get chopped are onions, garlic, and parsley. Everything else is a simple shake, stir, or squash in.

This is one of those meals, where you could sneak a book into the kitchen and rattle pans once in a while and people will assume you’ve been hard at work the whole time, even though there is a significant down time while the sauce simmers.

If you don’t want to go to all the trouble of lasagna, serve the hearty meat sauce over spaghetti noodles or toss with ziti and mozzarella. Add some fresh spinach or sauteed mushrooms, bell pepper or zucchini and skip the immersion blender for some variety. It’s not rocket science, as long as you don’t stray too far from the bones of this recipe, you’ll have a fantastic meal.

Lasagna

Company’s Coming Lasagna

Sauce:

  • 1 lb hot or mild bulk Italian sausage
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic – minced
  • 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 6oz can tomato paste
  • 2 6.5oz can tomato sauce (or just use one 15oz one, it’s not critical)
  • 2 TBSP white sugar (cuts the acidity of the sauce, omit if you use seasoned tomatoes as they frequently already contain sugar)
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried basil (or use 2 – 3x as much fresh
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 4 TBSP chopped fresh parsley – divided

In a large, heavy pot brown the beef and sausage over medium heat, drain and set aside. I set the meat on paper towels to soak up any remaining grease. Do not wash the pot, all of the browned bits from the beef and sausage add flavor to the final sauce. If you’d like, give the pan a quick wipe to remove any excess grease.

Onion garlic seasoningPlace the pot back on the burner over medium heat and add the diced onion, dried basil (wait if you are using fresh), Italian seasoning, fennel, salt, and pepper. Once the onion begins to soften, add the minced garlic.

To the onions, garlic, and seasoning add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar and if you choose, fresh basil. Return the meat to the pot, stir until well combined and lower the heat to low.

Cover and simmer for 1 – 1.5 hours. Alternately, place all the ingredients in a large crockpot and cook on low all day.

While the sauce simmers, boil 8oz of lasagna noodles according to the package directions.

Also, assemble the ricotta filling.

Add 2 TBSP of parsley at the very end of cooking, unless you skip the blender step. In this case, add all the parsley.

Immersion BlenderI don’t like big chunks of meat in spaghetti or lasagna sauce, except for meatballs. I never said it was rational, it’s just one of my quirks. So, I give the whole sauce a good whir with an immersion blender. I use this thing for everything from soups to smoothies; stick blenders can be found for as little as $25. I’m sure high-end ones are great, but I’ve been happy with my el cheap-o for several years. Add the rest of the parsley and stir.

Now it’s time to assemble the lasagna.

Ricotta filling:

  • 16oz ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1 lb pkg frozen spinach, drained completely, squeeze the ever loving life out of it! I mean it

Mix all ingredients well.
That was rough, eh?

Other ingredients for lasagna assembly:

  • 1 lb mozzarella – grated
  • 1 generous cup grated Parmesan (use a Parmesan Romano mix if you’d like)
  • boiled lasagna noodles (the number depends on the size of your pan, use your judgement)

To assemble:

Preheat the oven 375F.

sauce layerSpoon just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.

noodle layerAdd a single layer of noodles.

CHEESESpread with 1/2 the ricotta mixture, sprinkle with 1/3 the mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat layers and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

**optional tip** add a layer of thinly sliced zucchini, mushrooms, and summer squash.

Cover tightly, but do NOT let the foil touch the cheese or you’ll yank off all the yummy goodness when it is removed. Alternately, add a layer of parchment paper between the lasagna and foil, this works very well.

Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. If the cheese isn’t nicely browned, broil just long enough to add some color.

**Warning, all the cheese makes this dish nuclear hot, allow it to cool some before serving.**

Enjoy.

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Fried Chicken: Fearless Friday #18

September 11th, 2009 25 Comments

Click to skip the narrative and get to the recipe.

Heather says:

fearless-fridaysFried chicken doesn’t sound fearless, does it? You must remember, Home Eccers, that I live in a part of the country where grown men will fight over whose Meemaw had the best recipe for any number of meals. For that reason, I have been shy about posting some of my favorite recipes, but no more. After all, that is why I started Fearless Friday. I will now boldly post recipes, knowing some will read them and say, “That’s not how my grandma did it.” Well, if you didn’t take time to learn from your grandmother, I’m sorry, my version will have to do until you can pester the -ahem-  right version out of someone who did listen to Grandma.

Have you been brave in the kitchen? Please feel free to share your Fearless Friday feats or failures either by linking your blog post or telling us your story in the comments. Don’t be shy about failures. They encourage others more than you may realize. We live in a funny world where sometimes our most intimate relationships form online. This is fine when we’re supportive, but there is a danger in the fact that it’s too easy to hide the imperfections, photoshop away the flaws, and only present the best, all the while our own insecurities grow as we see others seeming to move perfectly through difficult and frustrating circumstances. That’s enough of that; apparently I have a few things on my mind. Let’s get started!

Fried Chicken Dinner

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

  • 3 – 5lbs leg quarters
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 recipe frying dredge
  • 1 tsp salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 3 cups peanut oil* (exact amount may vary depending on the size of your pan)

*Peanut oil is my favorite, but feel free to use vegetable or whatever floats your boat.

chicken pieces I’m going to warn you, 5lbs is a lot of drumsticks and thighs. But if you go to the trouble of  frying chicken, you might as well fry up a little extra to enjoy later on in the week. I don’t know why, but I believe one of  life’s greatest pleasures is a picnic of leftover fried chicken.

First, separate the thighs from the drumsticks. To do this, grasp the the thigh in one hand, the drumstick in the other and bend the leg in the wrong direction. The knee joint will separate. Then use a sharp knife, to cut through the leg through the space you just created. While you have the knife out, trim any excess fat off the thigh.

5 lbs of chicken fills two 9×13 pans in a single layer.

seasoned chickenSprinkle 1 tsp of salt  (1/2 tsp per pan) over the chicken. Then give each pan a few good turns of fresh ground pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of buttermilk to each pan and place the pans in the refrigerator.

Buttermilk bathIt doesn’t matter exactly how long the chicken marinates, but it should get at least an hour in the fridge. If it’s going to be in the fridge for a long time, grab some tongs and turn the pieces at some point. I have no proof this actually changes anything, but it feels right.

About 90 minutes before you plan on cooking dinner, take the pans of chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature.

There are two secrets to great fried chicken: marinate it in buttermilk and never fry cold chicken.

While your chicken is acclimating, mix up the frying dredge. There are as many variations of frying dredge as there are combinations of cereals, crackers, instant potatoes, etc. This one is an excellent, basic mix. Feel free to use anything from corn flakes to Cheez-Its, it’s your chicken. Just know this one works well, if you need a place to start.

Frying Dredge Recipe

  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose or plain flour
  • 3 – 4 tsps salt
  • 3 tsps fresh ground pepper (if you don’t have fresh ground use significantly more black pepper, unless you hate pepper, then don’t)

frying dredgeWhisk together or place in a bag and shake together. It doesn’t matter, just make sure it’s well combined.

In a 12″ skillet that has a lid, heat 3 cups of peanut oil to 325F. If you don’t have a thermometer (and I broke mine recently) this is typically on the lower range medium heat. For those with numbers, 4ish.  Lower the heat if your first batch of chicken is too dark. It may take a little experimenting. Oil takes a while to heat, be patient. If you try to fry before the oil is hot your chicken will be very greasy. Bleh.

Turn the oven to 200F to hold the chicken until it’s time to serve the meal. Line a serving platter or a couple plates with several paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Grab a piece of chicken from the buttermilk, give it a shake to get rid of any excess moisture, then toss it in the dredge. Roll it around so it is evenly coated with the flour mixture, then pick up the piece of the chicken and shake off any clumps. We don’t want a lot of extra flour in the frying oil.

frying chicken1Carefully place your chicken, skin side down if it’s a thigh, in the skillet. Repeat with 2 – 3 more pieces, but do not overcrowd the pan. Did you pay attention to that? Put too many pieces in and you’ll lower the temperature of your oil and have greasy chicken. Bleh. Don’t do that.

Now a timer just may be your best friend. Cover the chicken and fry for six minutes.

Safety Tip: Water and oil = spatter. Remove the lid carefully, do not drip condensation into the oil.

frying chicken 2Turn the pieces over. Cover. Fry for six more minutes. Fry for an additional 2 – 3 minutes on each side (covered). Remove from the pan, allowing  the excess oil to drip, then place the chicken in the oven on the paper towels.

Fried chickenRepeat until you run out of chicken.

A word of caution. Beware of stray baby jaguars while carrying plates of chicken. . .

baby jaguarThis little guy nearly undid a LOT of work.

Enjoy!

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Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

September 9th, 2009 11 Comments

The following is a guest post from Candice of Ragamuffin Design

Candice says:

I know the term tapas is typically reserved for Spanish food, but I use it to describe meals made of appetizers. It’s just easier than making up my own word. I enjoy late night get-togethers and one of my favorite menu items is egg rolls! In fact, its my most requested! So, I usually go “tapas” style with the egg rolls and include crab wonton’s and dessert pineapple wonton’s. Served with homemade sweet and sour sauce and pineapple glaze. I’ll let you decided what you dip in what. Here is how i prepare my egg rolls and sweet and sour sauce:
Egg roll wrappers(and wontons) can be found in your produce department. If you know where to find tofu look there. A pack should be plenty for one recipe of my egg roll filling.

Egg Roll Filling:

  • 1lb ground beef: a heaping pound is better ;)
  • can of bean sprouts (found in “international” section)
  • grated carrots, about 2 large. (i actually prefer the already shredded carrots. more texture)
Here is the most important tip about seasoning your mixture…
SALT
SALT! I use kosher and believe me, putting it in a cute vintage dish makes it taste better. It does! Just salt and pepper the meat to taste. Add carrots and bean sprouts. Taste your filling before wrapping because if it isn’t seasoned before it’s wrapped up it’s not gonna taste good afterwards!
EGGROLLmixture
Before you start wrapping make a quick cornstarch and water paste. This keeps it together! You are going to drop a spoonful near one corner of the wrapper leaving a little room to make your first roll. Pull the corner over the filling and on the corners to the left and right add a dab of paste and tuck each one into the middle. Then you just roll it up…putting a dab of paste on the final corner. Voila.
EGGROLLwrapping
Keep each finished egg roll on a sheet of wax paper to avoid sticking. When you’re finished turn your oil(use peanut oil if possible. less greasy) to about medium heat. While that is heating up it’s time to make your sweet and sour sauce.
SandSingredients

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vinegar(white or rice)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 T. Ketchup(shut up!)
  • 1T. cornstarch
In a saucepan add the 1st three ingredients and turn to medium high heat. meanwhile whisk the fool out of the ketchup(shut up!) and cornstarch. I don’t want any lumps, people! Return to your sugar mixture and stir until dissolved. Add the ketchup mixture and whisk until smooth. Let this come to a boil. It’s going to thicken and rise quite a bit so don’t be scared. Once it gets to this point it’s pretty much done. You can turn it off and let cool. Sometimes I add finely cut red pepper.
SandSsauce
Once your peanut oil is ready drop a few in at a time. Keep an eye on them because they can cook quickly! Drain on paper towels and maybe add a bit of SALT from your cute vintage dish!
finishedEGGROLLS
SandSinDish
Candice and all of her cute vintage dishes can be found at Ragamuffin Design.

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