Bountiful Basket Numero Uno

So this morning I headed out bright and early to get my first bountiful basket (yay!!).   My overall reaction?  Super!  It was really exciting because I love food, and I find this as a new food challenge.  If you like cooking and trying new foods, I really recommend this (yes, already).  Why?  Because it will challenge you to find new and interesting ways to cook food, or even try new foods.  

A little information about bountiful baskets... each week you can purchase a produce basket for a flat rate of $15 (plus $1.50 for handling) which will contain half fruits and half veggies.  Bountiful Baskets also offers many other 'add-ons' which you can purchase in addition to your basket (ex: $10 for 5 loaves of bread).  So for my first time (first timers also pay an extra $3 for the baskets), I just ordered the conventional basket.

Here is the low-down on what my baskets contained this week:

The vegetable half of my basket was good... contained carrots, lettuces, spinach, sweet potatoes, zucchini and asparagus.  The zucchini and asparagus are both beautiful and I can't wait to eat them... actually I will probably grill one of them tonight for dinner!  The only negative in the veggie half was that the lettuce is really limp already, so I will need to use it up quick, but other than that, there are no issues!

The fruit half of my basket was especially exciting!  In this half I got apples, tomatoes, mangoes, grapefruit, bananas and a cantaloupe. The tomatoes are very nice and I love apples and bananas so those will definitely be put to good use, but the other fruits I don't buy as often, especially mango.  The mangos are pretty ripe so I will probably find something fun to do with them today (see how this is already testing my food and creativity skills?!).  Everything else will be good for a week or two before they have to be eaten.

So, overall I am very happy with my first experience and I will try to occasionally add posts with what I received in my bountiful baskets week to week.  I encourage you to try it out!

www.bountifulbaskets.org

Rainy Day Chili

So whether it really is raining outside, or you just want a quick easy crock pot meal, this chili is the one!  I love chili… chili with cornbread, chili cheese fries, chili on hotdogs… I can eat it almost any way, and the best part is it can literally be assembled in 15 minutes!

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs ground meat (I use ground turkey) –use however much you like, if you like it very meaty, add 2lbs, if you like it thinner, add less

1 small-medium onion

1 can pinto beans

1 can light kidney beans

1 can dark kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can chili beans (if your grocer doesn’t carry them, substitute with another can of your choice)

1 ½ - 2 cups chicken stock

3 tbsp chili powder

½ tsp red pepper flakes (change depending on how spicy you want it)

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

So here is how it goes:

Cook your meat and saute your onion together until the meat is done and the onion is translucent.  Add it into your trusty crock pot.  Drain most of the juice off the beans and add to the crock pot.  Then add the rest of the ingredients, give it a stir and let it cook on low all day!  You will have a warm and hearty rainy day meal whenever you are ready for it!  And the best part (for me) is the leftovers!  Of course, you can still eat it as just chili... but my favorite thing is to add some french fries (steak fries or crinkle cut) and cheddar cheese and call it a day!

No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls

A few months ago I inherited the recipes of my husband's mother.  The tin of recipes came with a cooking weight larger than any I had ever known, as my versions of her recipes are meant to live up to the idolized foods my husband, his father and his brothers grew up with.  Good grief!  My saving grace?  Her recipes (or the ones they insist I recreate) are simple, easy and virtually fool proof.  Here is one that I instantly added to the quick and easy section of my recipe book:

No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls

The key here?  No-rise of course!  I love cinnamon rolls, especially ones fresh from the oven.  My issue is my patience.  As I have mentioned before, I don't really have the best baking skills (exact measuring, waiting for food to rise, etc.).  These cinnamon rolls, however, are not your normal cinnamon roll where you need to wake up at 4 in the morning to have them finished by 8am (and yes, my mom did this when I was in high school).

First, sift together 2 cups of flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 cup white sugar.  After this is all sifted, cut in 1/2 cup shortening (butter flavored is best).  Cut this in much like a pie crust or biscuits, however the mixture will still be pretty dry and powdery.  Add 2/3-3/4 cup milk, depending on how much you need.  Usually, 2/3 cup or just over is fine for me.  Work this into a dough.  Turn it out onto a floured surface and kneed for 1-2 minutes or until a smooth ball is formed.

Roll out into the best rectangle you can get (mine is always an oval).  Cover it with 1/2 cup melted butter, and yes, use it all!  Then sprinkle the butter with about 2 tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves and 1/2 freshly grated nutmeg.  I usually mix the spices into the butter for better distribution.  Now, add about 1/2 cup of white sugar on top of the butter and spices.  Time to roll! 

Roll up lengthwise and cut into rolls about 2 inches long.  Here is where you can be creative :) 

The first time I made these, I just put the rolls into a 9x13 and baked them.  They were delicious, but my husband said they looked nothing like his mom's.  The taste was the same, but they weren't the right shape.  So it turns out, his mother put each roll into a muffin tin to keep them separated and to give them uniformity in shape.  The woman was a genius.  Now, of course, I use her method of baking and it really does make some cute cinnamon rolls.
If you choose the 9x13 method (there really isn't anything wrong with this), they will need to be baked at 400F for about 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven.  If you use the muffin tin method, bake them at 400F for 20-30 minutes, once again depending on your oven.  Also, if you use dark or non-stick pans, the baking will take longer, but beware of the cinnamon rolls browning too fast!

The should look something like this when they are done if you use the muffin tin method:





Lastly, my husband's mother never used icing...  In fact, my husband's younger brother made sure that I knew his mother made her cinnamon rolls "dry" so that I would be sure to know that they never ate them with icing...  Well, I could eat them without icing (and the first time I made them, I did), but I also really love my icing--especially cream cheese based icing!  So, here again is another way for you to make these your own.  To ice or not to ice: that is the question!

Rosemary Gnocchi

 Left over mashed potatos...

Ever have one of those dinners where you really just went overboard on the potatoes?  Okay... I have a bit of a potato disability that causes me to always make more than enough of whatever potato dish I am working on... and that surely includes mashed potatoes.  Normally in my household, leftovers aren't a problem, however, mashed potatoes just are never as tasty the second time around.  So what do you do other than waste?  Well, today I chose to make gnocchi.  Yes it seems a little daunting, but honestly, it is my absolute favorite way to use leftover mashed potatoes.  It is a classic Italian dumpling and it is way easier and faster than any homemade 'pasta' I've seen!

Alright so dump the following ingredients into a large bowl:
-2 cups smoothly mashed potatoes
-1/2 cup parmesan
-1/2 to 1 cup of flour (depending on how moist your potatoes are, your dough should still be sticky but very thick)
-1 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-2 tsp  dried rosemary
Mix it all well with your hands and then for my easy gnocchi making technique!

**A quick note of the rosemary:
I use dried because it has a stronger flavor than fresh and I can't grow anything for the life of me... but if you have fresh, feel free!  Also, it can be substituted if you have your own favorite herb (I also think thyme would be very nice...).  The trick for this is just to not overload with a herbal mix (Herbes de Provence, Italian) or more than probably two spices.  When that happens, I think the integrity of the individual spices is lost in simple dishes such as gnocchi.  Remember, less is more!  If you haven't experimented with single spice use, I really encourage you to do so!  You might be surprised at how much wonderful flavor can come from a single spice.

 Onto piping (of sorts)!

So I've seen various chefs on FoodNetwork make gnocchi, and I've watched many of them roll the potato dumpling mixture into long logs and then nicely slice it up into small little potato squares...  This is a fine method, but I find it tedious and completely unnecessary thanks to a wonderful sous chef on Iron Chef.  I had made gnocchi before, and used the log method, which worked fine but it just took a lot of time.  As I was watching Iron Chef one night, one of the sous chefs was making gnocchi and I saw him put the dumpling dough into a piping bag, squeeze it out and cut it into perfectly sized pieces over his boiling water.  Now, this may not make for perfectly uniform shapes and sizes, but really, do we need that?  Don't we want to keep the rustic feeling of gnocchi by making it a little rough around the edges?  Of course!  So, I took his technique and boy was I ever glad!  This was much faster and easier, and hey, the gnocchi still looked amazing at the end:

So drop the gnocchi in boiling, well-salted (ocean!) water and once they float give them no more than 90 seconds before taking them out.  Leaving them in too long will make them start to dissolve and fall apart which is obviously not good for eating, so take them out!  Then lather on your favorite sauce (or these would even be good in browned butter or just a simple parmesan topping) and eat your beautifully and rustically made gnocchi!

Mushroom Risotto

Risotto... worth the effort.

Alright, so this is my second major attempt at a risotto.  Success!  This proves my theory that risottos are worth the time and effort.  As I came out on the other end today, plating my success, I realized that risottos really aren't that difficult, nor do they take much more time than other dishes.  Just a little TLC and you've got a delectable meal on the way!

First, I have to give my two cents about the rice: buy it from World Market (one of my all-time favorite stores), not from your local grocer.  The first risotto I made (see here) I bought my rice at my local Safeway and paid over 7 dollars for the box!  A few weeks ago I was meandering the food section of World Market and came across the exact same arborio rice, for 3 dollars less!  Yes friends, it really does (usually) pay to buy your oriental food items from oriental food places.

Anyway, to make the risotto:  chop up one large onion and saute in EVOO for about 3-4 minutes or until just becoming translucent.  While it is doing its thing, chop up about 4 cups of your favorite mushroom(s).  I used white button and portabellas.  Add those to your large skillet and saute for about another 5-7 minutes or until just getting soft (everything in the pan might just be a dark blackish-brown at this point from your mushrooms--this is okay!).  Now add your rice (1 and 1/2 cup) and saute it for about 3-4 minutes.  Finally, deglaze your pan with about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of white wine.  As you add the wine, add in 1 tsp of marjoram, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste (you can add more later if you need to).

Alright, the deal is the same as last time from here.  As your are fixing up your veggies/rice, have 6-8 cups of chicken broth (you can substitute part of the liquid for plain water here if you want) in a large pot on medium heat so it is hot, but not boiling.  After you have deglazed your pan, add a ladle of broth at a time until it is soaked up.  Keep adding until your rice is al dente and saucey but not soupy.

Serve alone or with a nice juicy piece of chicken and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

So my last post (pumpkin risotto) said I had two unused sugar pumpkins...  Well, I only use one for the risotto, so I was left with one in my crowded kitchen.  What to do... What to do?  Of course!  Pumpkin pie.  But HOW do I do it with a real pumpkin? 

Thank you Alton, for making it easier than I thought it would be!

For the crust: process up about 6 ounces of gingersnap cookies.  Add in about two tablespoons of butter until the cookies become crumbly.  Alton calls for ginger here... I left it out and don't feel like I missed a thing.   Move this into a pie pan and press into crust form.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees then take out of the oven to cool and to receive yummy pie filling!

For the filling: start again with one sugar pumpkin roasted.  This time, roast it without oil or pepper, just a little salt to help bring out the moisture.  Once again, puree the roasted flesh until smooth in your processor.  Put this into a sauce pan and bring it to a simmer.  Now add one cup half and half, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg.  Bring back to a simmer.

While that is cooking, whisk together two eggs, one egg yolk and 3/4 cup brown sugar in a large bowl.  After the pumpkin mixture has come back to a simmer, add it (slowly to prevent scrambled eggs) to the egg mixture then pour it right into your eagerly awaiting pie shell!  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.  Take the pie out after the sides are set and the center is still a little jiggly.  Let your pie sit out for at least 3 hours (overnight is best) and then eat up!

Saffron Pumpkin Risotto

So I had two little sugar pumpkins hanging out in my super small kitchen...  Yes, they were small, but my kitchen is extra small so they were indeed taking up too much room.  What to do... What to do?

A few months ago I and my dear foodie-friend Katie both made Saffron Pumpkin Risotto and it was delicious (based off of Rachel Ray's Milanese-Style Risotto with Pumpkin)!  So I decided to recreate the recipe for the blog hoping some of you who may come across this recipe will give it a try (mine is based off of Ina Garten's Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash).  It is so good... especially when you, like me, LOVE squash/pumpkin, etc.

So risottos may seem a little scary or intimidating, but I assure you, they are NOT hard, and they are so worth the effort it does take to create them!!  Plus, they are incredibly versatile and make a great one-dish meal (if you are okay without meat, which my husband is generally not).

Onto pumpkin risotto!  First: roast one sugar pumpkin in the oven until all the flesh is soft.  Let it sit out after it is roasted to cool down before getting all the flesh into your food processor--don't burn your fingers!  Put 3/4 of the pumpkin flesh into your processor and add about a tsp of salt and half a tsp of pepper.  Process until smooth.

Sidenote: to roast the pumpkin--cut and seed pumpkin, then cut pumpkin into four pieces. Rub with oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-45 minutes in 400 degree oven until flesh is soft when pierced by knife.

Now, make sure you keep your pumpkin seeds and roast those with salt after you removed your pumpkin and are waiting for it to cool.  Put those in a little side dish to be served as a risotto topping/mix-in.  Use the other quarter of your roasted pumpkin as another topping for the risotto.  Just cube it and put in a serving dish along side the roasted, salted seeds.

While your pumpkin is roasting away, put 6 cups of chicken stock in a stock pot on medium-low heat.  Add the saffron (one good tsp--I get mine in the perfect usable size from World Market and I just use the entire little amount in my stock) to the stock so the stock is flavored by it while it simmers, but you can add this in to the actual risotto if you prefer.

After your pumpkin is pureed to perfection and you have some pretty warm stock, saute about 3 chopped up pieces of bacon in a large dutch oven.  After the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, add 4tbsp butter and one medium onion--saute until almost translucent.  Add one and a half cups of Arborio rice (yes, this rice is a must--regular long grain or medium grain rice will not work as a good risotto rice).  Make sure all the rice has been coated by the butter/bacon fat and then add one cup dry white wine.  Reduce that until the rice seems pretty dry again and all the wine seems gone, then start adding your hot broth/stock one large ladle-full at a time.  For risotto, you need to be stirring the rice at least 75% of the time.  Yes, this process will go for at least 25-30 minutes, so make sure you have everything else done or you have a husband on whom you can count on to be the stirring man.

Continue cooking the rice on medium-low heat and adding a ladle of stock once the risotto seems a little dry.  You may not use all of your stock, but you should use at least 3/4 of it.  Once you feel your risotto has maxed liquid capacity, add the pumpkin puree and one cup of grated parmesan.  Mix well and serve, remembering to add the pumpkin pieces and pumpkin seeds for added saltiness and texture!

Fresh Veggie Pasta

Alright... so it's been a while... I'll update with the one dish I managed to photographically capture while I was so busy recently... Fresh Veggie Pasta.

Pasta is surely a go-to for me, but I get tired of the same old red sauce and meat combo so I opted for a new twist as I realized I had quite a big amount of fresh produce in my bottom drawer waiting to be cooked.  Don't get me wrong, I love veggies roasted as a side, but that too can become tiresome.  So?  So I went for the best of both worlds:
Simply adding sauteed veggies to a hearty whole-grain pasta (and of course for my meat loving hubbie: the addition of chicken).

And it gets even more simple than that, as it is almost sauce-less! 

The run-down:
Chop up whatever fresh and delicious vegetables you have lying in that bottom drawer of yours.  My veggies of choice?  Carrots, cauliflower, zucchini and yellow squash.

Boil/pan fry/cook up a meat of your choice (obviously optional here).  My meat?  Chicken, boiled and shredded. 

In the boiling process, it is always advised to season your water... A little salt, a little pepper... some oregano, etc. 

Cook pasta of your choice in that so-salty-it-could-be-sea-water.  Then throw everything into a large pan/skillet.  Here add in about 1/8 cup of fresh lemon juice and the zest of one lemon, about 1/8 good EVOO, add salt and pepper to taste, and then add your other seasonings to taste.  This particular day I chose about one tbsp of Herbs de Provence.  Mix everything together well and enjoy  :)

Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

First off, let's just say my dogs go CRAZY for this  :)

Alright.  So this is definitely NOT you mom's meatloaf.  This isn't the super-heavy, overly fatty and sweet meatloaf that you cover with ketchup.  No, it is lighter and spicier but still pretty hearty dish.  It might just change your world...

To start:  grind up your favorite garlic-y croutons in your food processor ( about 5-6oz of them).  This is definitely a food processor job too, simply for ease and uniformity.  Add in a teaspoon of cayenne, half a teaspoon of rubbed sage and half a teaspoon of thyme.  Oh and definitely add about a teaspoon of pepper and 2 of salt.

 Next:  roughly chop half of a red bell pepper, one carrot, one small/medium onion and about 6 cloves of garlic.  Empty your crumbs from the processor into a large bowl and then load it back up with the veggies and process them until they are pretty finely minced.  Now add one pound of ground pork and a pound of ground turkey.  Yes, now you see why this meatloaf doesn't make you feel like you gained 5 pounds from just one serving...  Alright, if you must I guess you can substitute this for ground beef... but at least get the leanest beef you can find for you waistline's sake!

 Form the mixture into two beautiful loaves as shown to the left.

While they bake (at 400 for 10 minutes) mix up this sauce: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup BBQ sauce, 1tbsp Worchestershire, and a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce.  Baste your meatloaves with about half of this sauce 10 minutes in and reserve the rest for use at the table.  If you are an extra saucy person... well, make more as needed.  If you are lazy... then BBQ sauce with do fine, but I assure you it will not be the same.

 Add some veggies, cut yourself a slice and dig in!  ...But you might not want to invite your mom over this time...  :)

Lemony Lemon Scones

In the morning when you need a little jump in your step what do you go for? A banana? Protein bar? The nearest Starbucks? Well, next time you're feeling a little sleepy I suggest you make these. I mean, whats better than a bright, not-too-sweet scone to grab as you run out the door?



These are really simple, a one-bowl breakfast.



Lemon Cream Scones

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup plus

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots (we didn't have apricots, we used dried cranberries)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (This really does make all the difference)

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted



Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Stir in apricots(or cranberries) and 1 tablespoon lemon peel. Add whipping cream and stir just until dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently just until dough holds together. Form dough into 10-inch-diameter, 1/2-inch-thick round. Cut into 12 wedges. (We only made 8, but they ended up being a bit too large.)

Transfer wedges to large baking sheet, spacing evenly. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon peel in small bowl. Brush scones with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Bake scones until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool slightly. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.) Serve scones warm or at room temperature.



See! As easy as pie! Or, er...cereal?



We served ours with Devonshire Clotted Cream and Blackberry Jam. Mmmm! Enjoy!