Monday, December 31, 2012

Spoil Yourself with Shari's Berries

                                                     Shari's Berries

                         

Website: http://www.berries.com/

For my birthday, December 26th, my hubby spoiled me by sending me a full dozen of Shari's Berries Gourmet Dipped Fancy Strawberries.  I've seen the commercials often and wanted to try them, and now was the time.  They are delivered by UPS truck and come in a styrofoam lined box with freezer pack to keep them fresh.  The box itself is beautiful, but the strawberries win the prize for beauty and taste.

Each strawberry was large, red, ripe and delicious.  After biting into one, the juice would dribble down the chin, so have your hand ready to catch it all and yes, you will want to lick it clean.  The chocolate covering is thick, yet delicate, so be ready to catch any pieces that fall.

Besides the strawberries, Shari's website offers chocolate covered cherries and pretzels; cheesecake and cookies (with or without a chocolate coating).  They even have Zoo Animal Cake Pops to light up any child's eyes and taste buds.

Shari's Berries offers specials for every occasion and holiday.  There is a rose bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries that would win any woman's heart on Valentine's Day; or man's if so inclined.  However, something tells me that Roy and I might just be making up any old reason to order from Shari's, and we certainly plan on sampling all the other goodies offered.

Be good to yourself and/or someone special in your life for the New Year of 2013, and order a little something something from Shari's Berries.....you're worth it.

Happy New Year's to All from the Cokenour Family.


Saturday, December 29, 2012

My Holiday Adventure with a Prime Rib.

Enjoying a finely roasted slice of Prime Rib Roast is not something new to me. I have eaten them at many a wedding reception, or on a special occasion at a restaurant. However, I was not brave enough to consider making it on my own; it's an expensive cut of beef, I was so afraid of messing it up or that it would be too difficult. That was then, this is now and I'm a lot braver than I used to be, especially in the kitchen. Since the winter holidays were upon us, what better way to show off my bravery, but then to make a Prime Rib Roast. I shopped around and found lovely specimens of this beef type; one to make for me and my hubby; one for his mother and brother to enjoy. Now the big question was, what do I do with them? To the internet!!!

Into my Google search box I typed, "how to roast a prime rib?" and thousands and thousands of sites popped up; I stuck to the first 10 on the first page.  I could not believe I actually found a forum set up for discussing prime rib and almost each person had their own way of doing it.  Of course each person also stated that their way was the perfect way, and no other method could compare.  In an hour I had come up with my own cooking and seasoning methods.  How you ask?  I used averages and majority rule; I averaged out the cooking temperatures and times; figured out which seasonings people used the most and threw in my own touches to make it all mine.  Ok, here comes the bragging.....out of all the prime rib dinners I have eaten in my lifetime; mine is the absolute best I've ever had.  There, I've said it and will say it again; my prime rib is the absolute best!!!

So lets get to the perfection...

 
How to Make a Prime Rib Roast
 
 
Normally a prime rib roast comes with the bones attached.  You can do several things with the bones once removed; use them as a rack for the roast to rest on while roasting; cook them separately to eat later on; use them to make beef stock.  Or you can ask your butcher to remove them for you and not deal with them at all; to me, that's a complete waste.  Prime rib usually comes with a thick fat cap also; I removed a good portion of it so I could get the seasoning rub onto the meat itself, but left enough fat so the meat could self baste while roasting.

Ingredients:
 
1 (14.5 oz) can beef broth
1/2 can of water
4 large shallots, peeled and split into sections
2 tsp dried rosemary
3 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 lb prime rib; bones removed

Preparation:


Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil; pour the beef broth and water in.  Place the shallot sections in the pan so that the prime rib will be located over them.  Spray the rack with nonstick spray and place into the pan; be careful not to tear the foil.





Mix together the rosemary, thyme, garlic and onion powders, black pepper and salt.


Brush olive oil over top of the prime rib; spread seasoning rub onto it.







Place the roast onto the center of the rack; make sure it it over the shallots.  Roast the beef for 45 minutes at the 400F temperature; turn the temperature down to 300F and roast to desired doneness.  A meat thermometer is going to be your best friend with this process as it will tell you the internal temperature and, therefore, how you like your meat cooked.  125F is rare, 135F is medium-rare, 145F is medium and 155F is well; anything over that, in my opinion of course, is shoe leather. In the words of Doctor Who, it's a "wibbley wobbley, timey wimey" process.



Once you have the roast at the desired doneness, pull the entire pan out of the oven and let it all rest for 30 minutes.  This lets the juices from the roast redistribute back throughout itself; then place the roast on a cutting board and cut one inch slices.



You're probably wondering about the beef broth, water and shallots?  This is what you'll use to make either an au jus or a gravy; first remove the shallots with a slotted spoon.  Then pour all the remaining liquids and solids into a freezer safe plastic bowl; put the bowl into the freezer for 45 minutes; the fat will rise to the surface, solidify and you can just remove it easily with a spoon.  Pour the fat free liquid through a strainer to remove any bits of missed solid fat or herbs.  That will give you a lovely clear, herbal flavored au jus; or you can put the liquid into a saucepan, add a tablespoon of corn starch, bring it to a boil and make a gravy.  The shallots?  I chopped them up finely and added them to the au jus, but they could just as well be served on the side of the prime rib slice.

Now what did I do with those rib bones?  Glad you asked. 


I seasoned them up a bit differently by using my all purpose seasoning rub .  After the prime rib was done, I popped them into the 300F oven, sitting on an aluminum foil covered rack in a pan; I let them roast for 3 hours.







They made a good snack for my hubby later on.





In essence, fear is the appetite killer; take the plunge and make something that you thought could only be found at a good restaurant or a banquet hall.  New Year's Day is just around the corner, so make the resolution to treat yourself well and keep it.

Happy Holidays!!!

Mary Cokenour

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Semi-Homemade Caramel Apple Cake.

As much as I enjoy making recipes from scratch, there are those times that I want to cut corners too due to time constraints or just plain old laziness.  Now usually for the holidays I make dozens of different types of cookies and give them out.  Oh don't worry, I keep a good amount for us too.  However, this year I'm not able to do this because I had carpal tunnel surgery done on my left hand.  If you don't know what this means, basically a nerve in my wrist began to become compressed from repetitive work; for me it was from working with computers.  It begins with a tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers gradually progressing to numbness to the point of not being able to feel something you are holding.  It also can be accompanied with severe pain in the hand, wrist and radiating up to the elbow.

Anyway, it takes about 4-6 weeks for complete recovery and you have to use the hand minimally which means no heavy lifting.  The bowls I use for my baking are of a heavy ceramic and definitely need two hands for handling them when they are full of batter or dough.  It's been 4 weeks now since the surgery and I have no intention of having a holiday dinner without some sort of dessert.  So, what to do, what to do?  Basically, do it semi-homemade, so it is as easy to manipulate and handle as possible; my right hand could still do all the work while my left hand kind of just went along for the ride.  While my right hand did all the grunt work, l let my lower left arm and inside elbow cradle the bowls; it still hurt a little, but my left hand didn't have any pressure on it.

Lets get to it then; to make it especially easy, I used a Super Moist Yellow Cake mix; but remember, this recipe is semi-homemade, so don't hesitate to use your own cake batter if you prefer.  Yellow cake mix can also be bland, so I umpted up the flavor intensity by adding apple pie spice mix and a bit of ground ginger.  You could also think of this as a type of "upside down" cake where the toppings are baking in the pan underneath the cake layer, but when you flip the finished cake out, you see all the lovely apples and caramel.

Caramel Apple Cake
 
Ingredients:
 
For the Caramel Layer:
 
8 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
 
For the Apple Layer:
 
1 (21 oz) can apple pie filling
 
For the Cake Layer:
 
1 box Super Moist Yellow cake mix
1 tsp apple pie filling
pinch of ground ginger
 
Preparation:
 
Preheat oven to 350F; spray two 9 inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray.  Cut out two circles from parchment paper to line bottom of cake pans; spray the paper with the nonstick baking spray.
 
In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients for the caramel layer until it resembles coarse crumbs. 
 
Divide the mixture up between the two pans pressing to the edges and 1/4 inch up the sides. 
 
Divide the pie filling between the two pans, spreading it out up to one inch from the edges.
 
Prepare the cake mix according to packages directions, but add in the apple pie spice and ground ginger.  Divide the batter up between the two pans and use a spatula to smooth it out.
 
Bake for 35-40 minutes; cake will be golden browned and you might see some of the caramel oozing up the sides of the cakes.  Remove pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
 
When cooled, use a hot knife around the edges to make sure the caramel will not stick to the sides of the pan.  Carefully flip the cakes onto a serving plate and peel off the parchment paper.  Cut into 8 wedges and serve with a scoop of ice cream.
 
Makes 2 cakes, 8 servings each.
 
Mary Cokenour
 
 
 
 


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Cookies of Hard Packed Snow.

For two days we had snowfall here in Monticello, Utah. Now anyone who lives in an area that has snowfall has, at one time or another, did the classic stick out the tongue and try to catch snowflakes on it. Come on now, you know you have, especially when you were a child, and I bet you still try it out as an adult. What about making a snowball and putting it in the freezer? Then when summertime came, you looked for it planning to surprise someone when they get hit with it?

When it comes to "eating" snow, the first thing you might think about is the snow cone; shaved or pulverized ice with flavoring poured over it and served in a paper cone. There is a particular type of "cookie" though that you can place in your mouth and let it melt into sugary goodness; or you can mash it up to use as a topping and it will resemble snow. That cookie is called a meringue; made mostly from egg whites and sugar, then baked in the oven at a very low temperature before letting it finish off as the oven cools. Meringue cookies can be made in a vast variety of color and flavor combinations; eaten as is, used as a garnish, even tweeked into a cake called a "Pavlova" which is then topped with whipped cream and fresh berries.

If you're worried about the amount of sugar needed to make meringue cookies, don't! The Splenda brand of sugar substitute and the natural herb Stevia can be used instead; while one cup of Splenda equals one cup of sugar, only one teaspoon of Stevia equals one cup of sugar. You'll also have to use a higher temperature for the baking part of the recipe; basically it's 225F for sugar, 300F for Splenda and 350F for Stevia.

 
Meringue Cookies

This is going to be a basic recipe for vanilla meringues; you can make different flavored meringues by substituting other flavored extracts for the vanilla. If you want chocolate meringues, add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder; also add one cup of mini chocolate chips for a double chocolate experience.   To make colored meringues, use drops of food coloring; for example, a few drops of red for pink meringues, but add strawberry extract for that extra flavor boost.   When adding items such as mini chips or shredded coconut, gently fold into the stiffened egg whites so as to not break them.

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 225°F.

Beat egg whites in large, clean, metal bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high; add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Drop by rounded teaspoons about one inch apart onto two large baking sheets sprayed with nonstick baking spray; or use a piping bag with decorative tip to form cookies as they are piped onto the baking sheets.

Bake both sheets of meringues for 45 minutes; turn oven off. Leave meringues in the oven for one hour, or until completely cooled. Amount will depend on size of meringues being made; typically 6 dozen if dropping by teaspoon full.

Mary Cokenour

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Eating for Good Luck in the New Year.

When I lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we celebrated the New Year by going to one of the local churches and feasting in a family style, all you can eat, Pork and Sauerkraut meal.  This tradition came to Pennsylvania with the Amish and the Mennonite; a German or "Pennsylvania Dutch" tradition to bring good luck for the incoming New Year.

Once I moved to Utah, I found there was no typical New Year food tradition; no reason behind it, there just wasn't one is what I was informed.  Oh I went online and tried looking it up; found the Pennsylvania one, a Deep South tradition, even listings for the Chinese New Year, but no, no traditional Utah one, not even Mormon related.

The recipe I'm posting today deals with, of course, Pork and Sauerkraut; and finding the origin of this combination goes back to; well good question as pickled cabbage can be found in many cultures, even the Chinese.  My personal recipe is more of Croatian descent, except I add potatoes like they do in Germany; in the Ukraine, they add barley; however I have had one woman of Irish descent tell me that the idea of adding potatoes was stolen from the Irish.  Wherever it came from, the concept is still the same, eating it on New Year's Day to ensure good luck, good health and prosperity all year long.

I like using sauerkraut that is from a jar or a bag; it tastes better and the canned variety seems to have a metallic taste to it.  When it comes to the pork, you have lots of options; smoked kielbasa or sausage, roasted pork roast, fried or baked boneless pork chops; you can add bacon or ham too.  My recipe is a quick stove top dish, so make sure the pork product you use is cooked before hand.

 
Pork and Sauerkraut


Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup diced red onions
8 baby potatoes, peeled, parboiled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
1 (14 oz)smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp caraway seeds

Preparation:


Heat the oil in a large skillet, medium-high heat; add the onion and potato slices and cook until onion begins to soften. Turn potato slices occasionally to keep from over browning.





Add the sauerkraut and sausage slices; when the ingredients begin to sizzle, mix thoroughly. Let cook another five minutes before mixing in the paprika and caraway seeds. Continue to cook another three minutes, but check to see that nothing is browning or drying out too quickly.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Beer plus Cheese equals Soup.

Awoke this morning to find a dusting of snow upon the ground; nothing unusual for winter time in Monticello.  It was cold outside, the type of cold that bites right through you; the wind whipping the light, fluffy snow around.  My dogs enjoy playing in the snow, but even they didn't want to stay outside too long.
 
Yes indeed, it's cold out there and that calls for something to warm you to your very core...soup.  Rooting (no pun intended) around the pantry, the red skinned potatoes called to me; heck, they practically begged me to use them.  I wanted that type of soup that slides down your throat and stays with you as it warms you up.  I wanted a smooth chowder that I could remember with each little burp; with soft potatoes that would mash in your mouth with just the slightest pressure.  I wanted Beer Cheddar Soup with Potatoes.
 
Now for those of you who, for whatever reason, do not like the idea of alcohol in your food; no worries, the alcohol cooks out while leaving a hardy flavor.
 
  
Beer Cheddar Soup with Potatoes

Ingredients:

8 cups dark lager
4 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp white pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 lbs potatoes; peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and rinsed thoroughly
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided in half
1 cup diced onion
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
1 cup half n’ half

Preparation:

In a large stockpot, over medium heat, bring the beer, stock, white pepper and cayenne to a low boil. Add the potatoes and continue to cook until tender.

Prepare cheese sauce in large saucepan; saute' onions in butter until softened; stir in flour and continue to cook until mixture turns a light brown. Whisk in half n’ half; add in 2 cups Cheddar cheese and stir until smooth.

Add remaining shredded cheese into stockpot; stir until melted. Whisk in cheese sauce, turn off heat and serve.

*Garnishes: crumbled crisp bacon, sliced green onions, toasted croutons.

Makes 10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Saturday, December 8, 2012

A Chinese Dumpling by any other name.....

So you're in the mood for Dim Sum,  go to a Chinese take out, order potstickers and the biggest decision you have to make about these is, "steamed or fried".  Seems there is more to this decision than you ever truly knew about. 

 
Potstickers is just one version of the Chinese Dumpling; pan fried on the bottom and then steamed.  When they are served, the browned pan fried side is shown.  Jiaozi is the Mandarin version; the dough is thicker than for a wonton and the dumpling itself is usually boiled and pan fried.  Gow Gee is the Cantonese version; wonton wrappers are frequently used, they can either be steamed or deep fried; no boiling involved.

 
The Chinese dumpling dates back to 200 B.C. to the fable of Pan Gu who ends the chaotic state of the world by separating it into two "half egg" shaped parts; the sky and the earth.  They are a staple for the New Year for expressing best wishes, happy days and good health.  It was not unusual for a tinket (coin, jewel) of some value to be hidden in the odd dumpling; very similar to the prizes in the English Christmas pudding.

While making the dough for dumplings is not difficult, premade wrappers can be found in the supermarkets along side wonton skins, or spring and eggroll wrappers.

Chinese Dumpling Dough

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2/3 cup warm water

Preparation:

Combine the flour and water until a soft dough forms; knead on a floured surface for five minutes.  Cover with a clean linen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.  Divide the dough in half, roll out each half into a 12 inch long cylinder; cut into 1/2 inch slices.  Flatten out each slice with the palm of your hand, or use a rolling pin, to a 2 1/2 inch diameter.

Makes 48 dumpling wrappers.

The filling for dumplings is very versatile and can contain any kind of protein, vegetable or combinations; using fruit will give you the filling for a unique dessert item.  I am going to post a typical filling, that you would get in any take out place, made with ground pork.

Chinese Dumpling Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground pork
2 large napa cabbage leaves, rinsed and finely diced
2 green onions, finely sliced
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Bowl of warm water

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients listed, except water, together; place a teaspoon of mixture off center in a dough circle.  Dip finger in water and trace around outside edge of dough circle; fold dough over filling, with edges meeting and begin pleating the edges to seal filling in.

To Fry Dumplings:

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 of canola or peanut oil over medium-high heat, add dumplings, 12 at a time, and brown one side; takes about 2-3 minutes.  Add a 1/2 cup of water, cover and let steam for 5 minutes; uncover and let cook for another 2 minutes.

To Steam Dumplings:

Fill a large stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil.  Line bottom of bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves, place dumplings within, cover and place steamer on top of stock pot.  Steam for 6 minutes.

To Boil Dumplings:

Fill a large stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil.  Put dumplings into boiling water and when they float, they are done.

Serve dumplings with your favorite sauce(s).

Mary Cokenour






Monday, December 3, 2012

A Spot of Tea and a Warm Scone, or Role Playing can be Quite Delicious.

Cold weather, while invigorating, also brings images of being bundled up in a warm blanket, perhaps a mug of hot chocolate soothing the trembles. For hubby and I though, we enjoy hot cups of tea with warm scones to munch on at our leisure. We put on our English accents, which we do quite well, and pretend to be in our lovely cottage in a quaint little village. Oh, you might be saying, "that's too silly for me" or "seriously?", but for us, the role play keeps the relationship fresh, new and adventurous. If more married couples indulged in each other, instead of everyone and everything else around them, the rate of divorce would certainly decline.

But I digress once again, this post is about scones, not relationship counseling.  Now back in September 2011, I did a post on the basics of scone making. There was a basic recipe and a few ideas for flavoring and textures. Now I have another recipe for you, very different from the basic one; but just as yummy. What I really love in this recipe is the addition of cinnamon chips which has become available in the baking aisle of supermarkets. They especially go wonderfully with cookie recipes. You must try them!

So without much ado, here's the latest in scone recipes.

 
 Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones with Raisins

Ingredients:

¼ cup milk
¼ cup heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups flour
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
10 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into separate tablespoon pieces
1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
½ cup raisins
¼ cup cinnamon chips
2 Tbsp milk for brushing
1 Tbsp sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the milk, cream and egg; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add in the oats, raisins, cinnamon chips and liquid from small bowl; mix until dough forms a solid mass; firm, but still soft and pliable.

Turn dough out onto board lined with lightly floured parchment paper; shape the dough into a one inch thick circle. Score the circle to make 8 triangles; gently transfer parchment paper with dough onto a baking sheet. Brush with milk and sprinkle sugar over dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes; until golden brown. Remove parchment paper to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Completely cut through previously made score marks; remove scones to wire rack to cool separately; about 30 minutes.

Makes 8 scones.

Mary Cokenour

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Ribs from the Oven?

During the colder season, I usually have the grills and smokers winterized, so they won't be ruined by the snow and ice.  This basically means wrapping them up tightly in tarps, and storing them safely against the back wall of the shed; sort of like wagons circling against attack.  So how do I get good barbequed food during the winter then?

Two options really; the first is traveling down to Blanding and eating at one of my favorite bbq places, Fattboyz Grillin', or making my own, yes I still can, by getting my oven to do it for me.   Oven grilling can't be as good as a real barbeque grill or smoker you say; and I quite agree, but when life gives you lemons.....

Basically you have to do a little compromising, remember what you know about outdoor cooking, and adapt it for the indoors.  A good rack of ribs would be prepped the same way; removing the membrane located on the curved inside of the rack.  The membrane acts like a "condom", keeping rubs and marinades from seeping into the meat to do their jobs of flavoring and tenderizing.  Secondly you want to remove as much excess fat as possible; keeping the fat on doesn't give the ribs extra moisture.  As it melts, it's taking your rubs and marinades with it and there goes your flavor.  Also, did you ever get flareups when barbeque-ing?  It's mostly caused by melting fat dripping onto your fire source.  No, that won't happen in the oven, but any fat dripping into your pan will eventually dry out, smoke and just cause one heck of a mess.  Using aluminum foil does help, but then your ribs are cooking in a mass of molten fat which gives them a greasy, slimy texture.  Just trust me on this one, and remove as much fat as you can.

After prepping your ribs, give them a good rubdown and here's a repost of my all purpose rub:

All Purpose Rub for Smoking and Grilling

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp each sea salt, ground black pepper, ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp each paprika, onion powder, garlic powder

Preparation:

In medium bowl, mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Rub onto all sides of meat or poultry; refrigerate overnight. Smoke or grill.

Now this recipe will cover a nice 4-6 pound rack, or two racks of 2-3 pounds each; give or take an ounce here or there.  Generously cover both sides of your rack(s), cover in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge all night.  Oh, and if you want your ribs to have that Kansas City style taste, throw in a heaping tablespoon of chili powder; I recommend New Mexico chili powder which has a sweeter, smokier flavor to it.

You want to start cooking up your ribs early in the morning if you want them ready for dinner time.  Set your oven temperature to 185F; line a metal baking sheet or pan with aluminum foil and place a rack on or into. 

Unwrap the ribs from the plastic wrap and rewrap them in aluminum foil; not too tightly, but not too loosely either.  Place this package on the rack; place the entire pan in the oven and leave it all alone for 8 hours, if two separate racks; 10 hours if one large rack.  As you can see, it's going to take as long as if you were using an outdoor smoker. 

To get some char on the ribs, remove the pan from the oven and get your broiler going on a high setting.  Open up the aluminum foil to expose the ribs and place the pan under the broiler; five minutes will give a slight char and dry out the meat a little bit; keep it under the broiler until it's the way you like it, but watch it!  You want char on your ribs, not ashes on your plate.


Once they're ready, slop barbecue sauce on them before serving, or not; your choice of how you like them.  Enjoy!!

Mary Cokenour

Saturday, December 1, 2012

The Corning of Beef

My first experience with corned beef was as a teenager in New York; going to a Jewish deli for, what else, a corned beef on rye with spicy brown mustard. Then came the Reuben; corned beef on grilled rye with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. As an adult I discovered corned beef and hash for breakfast; chopped up corned beef heated up on a flat top grill with diced potatoes, sometimes diced peppers thrown in.

No, I'm not a novice to the corning of the beef, but what exactly does that mean, corned beef I mean.  In age old England, grain was called corn; but the discovery and exploration of America introduced the English to a Native American staple which the English settlers named corn.  This "grain" was nothing like the wheat or rye which grew in the homeland; this grain prospered on a tall stalk and had many "ears".  Cooked on its own, it tasted pretty good, but dried and ground up into flour; even better

So back to corning beef though; how did the process of pickling or curing beef come to be called "corning"?  Well, perhaps it was that corn became a major feed source for cattle; cattle ate the corn, so they, themselves, became corned.  When I lived in Lancaster, PA, one of the major crops grown was corn; the other was tobacco.  Most of the crops were harvested and stored as cattle feed; some was sold at the local markets for human consumption.  Those were the days; going to the local markets with paper or plastic bags to fill; 13 ears, a baker's dozen, for only one dollar.

Sorry to keep digressing like this; corned beef refers to "corns" of salt, salt being the major ingredient in the pickling or curing of meat.  It basically comes from an intertwining of languages and cultures to what we know now.  Therefore, depending on which culture you want to rely on will give you the pickling spice recipe and technique to use.  Another ingredient used is either saltpeter (potassium nitrite) or pink salt (sodium nitrite); either of these is a chemical agent which interacts with the meat, giving the meat its red coloring.  You don't have to use either, but then the meat will come out of the pickling process with a sickly grayish coloring; not appetizing to look at.  These ingredients can be found in supermarkets in the home canning aisle, as well as farm/country stores.

The recipe I'm going to post for you here comes from Alton Brown, one of the popular chefs and hosts of Food Network Channel.  On a 2007 episode of his show, "Good Eats" called, what else, "Corn the Beef"; Alton gives you the low down on making corned beef.  By the way, this method can also be used with wild game such as deer (venison) or elk; there's a little tip for our hunter friends.

Corned Beef (Recipe courtesy Alton Brown)

Ingredients:

2 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons saltpeter
1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice berries
12 whole juniper berries
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds ice
1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed
1 small onion, quartered
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.

After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.

Now for a quick and easy breakfast item made with corned beef...Corned Beef and Hash.  You have two options here, the seriously easy way is to use 2 cups of defrosted O'Brien potatoes from a package; the potatoes, onions and peppers are already diced and mixed up for you.  Or you can go the strictly fresh route which is the one I'll be posting for you.

 
Corned Beef and Hash
 
Ingredients:
 
3 Tbsp butter
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bell peppers (green or green/red combination)
2 cups diced potatoes, previously boiled until fork tender
2 cups chopped corned beef
salt and ground black pepper to taste
 
Preparation:
 
In a large skillet, medium-high heat, melt butter; saute' onion and bell peppers together until onions are translucent.  Mix in potatoes and corned beef; press mixture down onto skillet with spatula and let brown.  If needed, add more butter to keep from sticking to skillet.  Carefully use spatula to peek underneath mixture; if browned, flip over and press mixture down again....do not stir!  Let other side brown, use more butter if necessary.
 
Add salt and ground black pepper if necessary.
 
Makes 4 servings.
 
Note:  Each serving goes great with two eggs either over easy or sunny side up.
 
Mary Cokenour


Thursday, November 29, 2012

Simply to Supreme Pizzaiola.

Pizzaiola is a Neapolitan style of cooking cheaper cuts of meat in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil and oregano; some versions include garlic, capers, peppers and basil. It is a way of making a hardy meal with what little you have to work with. So on to my story...

I had recently purchased 3 round steaks that were thinly cut to 1/4 inch thick; I'd had a recipe in mind for them, but then suddenly I was in the mood for pizzaiola.  I made it several times during my first marriage, but my ex-husband always hated it.  Funny thing about him was, his ancestry was Italian and he disliked Italian foods.  Should have known right then there was something not quite right about him, but he died four years after our divorce, so that's water under the bridge.  Anyway, back to the pizzaiola which I typically made with chuck steak which was cheaper, but also fattier in texture.  Here I was about to embark on a new adventure into pizzaiola making and I was going to make it a luxurious cruise.

Inside my freezer were one quart containers of both homemade pasta sauce and vegetarian pasta sauce. The homemade pasta sauce would work since it contained mostly tomatoes and Italian herbs; however I was looking to ump this dish up to the maximum. After deciding to choose the vegetarian pasta sauce, I then hit the vegetable bin: tomatoes, onions, green zucchini, mushrooms and green bell pepper. The colors would be amazing in the skillet, simmering in my rich sauce with slices of steak.

Now lets put this masterpiece together, shall we?

 
I served my pizzaiola with rigatoni; this tubular pasta with ridges caught onto and held the sauce so well.


So like I mentioned before, I used 2 1/2 lbs of thinly cut round steak which I cut into 9 separate pieces (they were large steaks). Whatever cut you use, the steak will be simmering and finishing off in your sauce.
You want to use a large, deep skillet for this dish; get it very hot and put a sear on your meat. Round steak is not very fatty, so I left in just long enough to get the sear, but not cook it completely. Fattier meats will take a bit longer and you want to discard the melted fat, or you'll end up with an oil slick on your sauce. Yuck!


Remove the steaks, give the skillet a wipe down with a paper towel; now spread 2 cups of sauce in the pan and lay the steaks on top of the sauce.
When I made this recipe before, I would just use sliced onions, but this time I was going for the whole color palette. Two tomatoes cut into wedges, 1/4 lb of sliced white mushrooms, two sliced zucchini, one julienned green bell pepper, one sliced large onion. There was no need for extra minced garlic or Italian herbs as it was already in my sauce. Yes, yes, all these vegetables were already in the vegetarian pasta sauce, but they had been cooked down and pureed. We were going for texture here.





Spread the vegetables over the steak.







Spread remaining sauce over all and work it between the vegetables with a spoon.   Remember, I used a one quart container of sauce.





 
Cover the skillet with a lid, set the heat on medium-low and let it cook for two hours. Occasionally stir the sauce throughout the vegetables and steak; if the sauce is bubbling hard and splattering, reduce the heat to low. Since it will be cooking for two hours, you don't have to rush to make your pasta, but have it ready once the pizzaiola is done. Use a slotted spoon to remove the steaks and as much of the veggies as you can to a serving platter. Take your cooked pasta and immerse it into the sauce remaining in the skillet and let it cook together for about five minutes. This will allow the pasta to pick up the flavors from the sauce.

I only got eight servings of steak as my current husband stole another piece of meat while I wasn't looking. I just love that man, and he so loves my cooking. Wish you could see the big grin on my face as I thought about that time and wrote about it for you.

Anyway, if you want to impress your family and/or guests, consider making this Italian dish. Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Redemption of the Frozen and the Canned.

Recently on the Food Network show "Next Iron Chef: Redemption", the chefs had to transform a canned good into a five star dish.  After all the whining and complaining, many accomplished what they thought to be the impossible.  Honestly, I did not feel their pain, I did not have any sympathy for them; the average home cook doesn't get the privilege of five star ingredients.  Depending on the average financial budget and the goods available in the supermarkets, the average home cook works with many canned, boxed and/or frozen goods.


Now I have explained before that Utah is a landlocked state and fresh fish is near to impossible to be obtained.  The fish I have to work with is frozen or canned; no shame in that if you can make it into a great dish though.  So, if those potential Iron Chefs don't like that idea, then be generous and send me even half your yearly budget for fresh ingredients.  Thank you, thank you very much.  Anyway, I am going to go through how to make a seafood stock that you can use to make a rich seafood bisque which includes ravioli and shrimp.  I'll write up the recipe for Seafood Stock as if you can find the fresh shellfish, but then tell you what to do if you cannot.

Seafood Stock (fresh shellfish available)

Ingredients:

6 cups combination of shrimp, crab and lobster shells, broken up
1/2 cup white wine
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
water to cover

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water until one inch over all ingredients.  Set heat on high and let cook until water just begins to bubble; reduce heat to medium and let cook for one hour.  During cooking, skim off any foam that may develop; do not let the liquid boil, reduce heat if necessary.

Use a cheesecloth to strain the stock into a large bowl; discard the ingredients.  The stock can be used immediately or up to 3 days later if stored in the refrigerator.  The stock can also be frozen for future use.

Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

Now if you can only find frozen shrimp which is most readily available, don't panic as you have two choices.  Simply make shrimp stock, or add clam juice which is available in cans or bottles.  For the clam juice, put 4 cups of juice into a large sauce pan; add 1 tsp fresh thyme and 1 tsp fresh chopped basil.   Start with high heat until bubbles begin to form; reduce to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain through cheesecloth and the clam stock is now ready to be added to your large stock pot with the water you need to add.

The seafood stock is now ready for creating an indulgent seafood bisque; rich, creamy and full of flavor.

Seafood Bisque

Ingredients:

2 cups seafood stock
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
4 cups heavy cream
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large sauce pan, heat the stock, tomato paste and butter on high heat until butter is melted; whisk in flour until completely incorporated.  Continue whisking as the heavy cream is slowly poured into the stock.  Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.  Add salt and pepper if necessary.

Makes 6 servings.



Now lets add some ravioli and seafood to that bisque and make one heck of a meal.  I like spoiling my husband and myself, so instead of using plain cheese ravioli, I used Buitoni's Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli.  I cooked it according to package directions, but instead of using the garlic butter sauce it comes with, I add the drained pasta to soup bowls and spooned the bisque over it.  I had also purchased medium shrimp which I shelled, deveined, sauteed in butter until just turning pink; added diced tomatoes, diced celery, diced carrot (cooked before hand till just softened) and thyme leaves and finished the shrimp up.  Into the soup bowls this combo all went and wallah: Seafood Bisque with Ravioli and Shrimp.  If you don't want to add the vegetables, that's fine; remember, it's your creation in the long run.

So here's my meal using frozen and canned ingredients; maybe the potential Iron Chefs could do better, but I made mine with love.

Mary Cokenour










Monday, November 26, 2012

Mongolian Grill is #1 in Durango.

Mongolian Grill

1135 S. Camino Del Rio, #230 (next to WalMart)
Durango, Colorado, 81303

(970) 259-7228 or 7229

Normally when you see "Grill", you think barbecue and you'd be partially correct.  Mongolian Grill does have barbecue, but Chinese style; and, in general, awesome Chinese food throughout their vast menu.



The interior is open, airy and bright; the all you eat buffet and grill situated away from the main dining area, so no people crowding near the tables while getting their food. This is a family run establishment and they're all friendly, and attentive to the needs of their guests.
After ordering, condiments and rice are placed on your table. The egg drop soup is light in flavor and taste; the wonton soup's broth is highly seasoned with black pepper and the wontons themselves are out of this world.





We wanted to sample all the appetizers, so ordered the Pu Pu Platter for Two (minimum order); it was all outstanding! No one appetizer outshone the others, they were all done very well in taste, flavor and texture.





The Beef Ho Fun is very similar to Cantonese Chow Fun except the noodles are not as wide. Mongolian Grill did an excellent job on this dish with thinly sliced grilled beef and perfectly cooked noodles.  It all tasted just as yummy when I reheated the leftovers the next day.




The Sizzling 3 Flavor with Vegetables is a House Specialty which contains chicken, beef, shrimp and vegetables in a rich, savory brown sauce. It is presented on a very hot cast iron platter; the food sizzling and steaming; absolutely delicious!




Sadly, we have one complaint about Mongolian Grill; they are not in our own area and we have to travel two hours for the opportunity of enjoying their wonderful atmosphere and, most especially, the food.  If you are in Durango and want sumptuous Chinese cuisine, go to Mongolian Grill.

Mary Cokenour


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Sunday, November 25, 2012

These Saddlebags are for Eating.

While watching rerun episodes of Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel, Adam Richman was at The Buff Restaurant of Boulder, Colorado.  One of their specialty items was a breakfast called "Saddlebag Pancakes".  Two giant pancakes, one with sausage, one with bacon; big deal you say?  The meat was inside the pancakes, not on the side; every forkful was a mixture of meat and pancake without having to root around on the plate.

Not being able to travel to Boulder to try the place out, I decided to make my own.  The first thing I had to decide was what type of pancake to use, so I let my hubby choose and he wanted honey wheat. While the restaurant braised their eggs, I did a simple over easy; mixed with the maple syrup, the egg yolks helped to create this rich, indulgent syrup for the meaty pancakes.


I used thick cut bacon and cooked it up till just crisp; I wanted a little remaining fat for when it was cooking up in the pancake batter.  Also, they would crumble up into small pieces if too crisp, but require being cut into bite sized ones. The sausages, however, were not the typical breakfast links you find in the supermarket.  Instead I used an all pork, fresh sausage without the additional seasonings you would find in breakfast sausage.  I love this type as it cooks up in the pan bubbling, squeaking and hopping around; the flavor is awesome and fun to watch, and listen to, cooking.  Reminded me so much of making the English dish "Bubble and Squeak", but that's for another blog post. I used an angle cut for the sausages for more surface texture.  For the six inch pancakes, I used 3 strips of bacon or 3 sausage links; but if you want both meats in your pancakes, then I would suggest just using 2 of each.

So lets get started, first I'll give you my recipe for the Honey Wheat Pancakes and then the construction of the actual Saddlebags.

 
Honey Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups old fashioned oatmeal (ground to flour or use oat flour)
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 ½ cups buttermilk
2 tsp canola oil
1 egg
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp honey

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients; slowly add to dry ingredient bowl, mixing together as added. Do not over mix batter; let rest 10 minutes while griddle (stove top or electric) heats up.

Lightly oil griddle before each batch if using nonstick appliance. Use a regular ladle (1 ½ ladles per pancake) to portion out batter; using bottom of ladle to smooth out batter to a 6 inch circle. Each pancake will take 2-4 minutes per side depending on type of griddle used.

Makes 8 pancakes.

The construction of the Saddlebags begins once the griddle is ready for the batter. Remember to have your bacon and sausage cut up and ready to go. First get the batter on the griddle for two pancakes.

Add bacon pieces to one pancake, sausage to the other. Depending on how your griddle browns up pancakes, you'll know when to flip them over. Once flipped, leave them alone and just let the batter brown up as usual. Remove to a plate once done.



 
It was that easy; now have your eggs going at the same time, so everything will be pipping hot. Maple syrup goes best with these beauties, and eat enough of these saddlebags, you'll develop your own.

Mary Cokenour

Friday, November 23, 2012

Still Getting My Greek On.

While I still have not committed to going on a totally Mediterranean diet, I still make recipes with a Grecian accent. Participating in the Bountiful Baskets program sometimes give me the incentive to experiment. There are times I receive items in my basket and say to myself, "Now what in the heck am I going to do with this?"

Well here's the answer; not only is it quick and easy, but light and delicious.

 
Mediterranean Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz tubular pasta (ziti or penne)
8 spears baby asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1/2 tsp crushed dried oregano
2 Tbsp crumbled Feta cheese

*Optional: 1/2 cup grilled chicken or shrimp

Preparation:

Cook pasta until al dente'.  To save time and water; place the asparagus pieces in a colander; put on top of pasta pot of boiling water and steam asparagus until they turn a bright green.  Immerse asparagus into cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large skillet, medium-low heat, warm up olive oil; add in pasta and asparagus; toss to coat and let cook 2 minutes.  Mix in tomatoes, parsley and oregano (also optional chicken or shrimp) and let cook another 3 minutes.

Divide between 2 plates and sprinkle tablespoon of cheese over each.

Makes 2 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Fruity Adventure into Cheesecake.

Adding or putting fruit into a recipe, including desserts, isn't something new.  It adds sweetness, nutritional value and, in most cases, just makes it so much prettier and inviting to eat.  Once again I've been making cheesecakes, so want to share how to make those lovely swirl and/or fruit topped cheesecakes you "Oooooo" and "Awwww" in the bakery windows.

While you could cook up fresh fruit, and by adding sugar make the needed puree; the easiest thing to do is go to the supermarket and buy a can of pie filling.  Yes, that's all you need to make a "WOW" cheesecake and impress your family, friends and guests when dessert time comes around.

Lets get to some artistic work in the kitchen.  The photos I'm posting will be of cherry and blueberry cheesecakes; it's that easy!  Also, with this type of cheesecake, you don't have to use the Bain Marie method to bake it.  Any cracks that develop during baking will be covered up by the fruit topping.  However, you should use the Bain Marie method if you are just going to use the puree to make the swirl; then no cracking in the cake.

 
Fruit Swirl and Topped Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the Crust

1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers
5 Tbsp melted butter

For the Cake

1 (21 oz) can fruit pie filling (cherry, strawberry, blueberry or mixed berry)
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
1 (8 oz) package mascarpone cheese (use regular cream cheese if not available)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Preparation:

Spray a 9 inch springform pan with baking spray; place a piece of parchment paper, cut to fit the bottom, inside the pan; spray also with baking spray. Mix the crushed graham crackers with the melted butter; press onto bottom of pan. Place in refrigerator for a half hour to set.

Preheat oven to 325F. Place a strainer over a small mixing bowl; pour contents of pie filling into strainer; use a spatula to move filling around to allow puree to strain into the bowl. The puree is thick, so lift strainer up slightly and scrape off bottom to allow continuous straining. One cup is needed for the cake swirl. Place remaining puree and fruit into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to use as topping.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla extract on high until well blended. Add the eggs and beat on low speed until well blended. Pour the batter over the crust and smooth out with a spatula. Gently pour the one cup of fruit puree onto center of batter; use a small spatula to swirl the puree throughout the batter.

Place inside oven on center rack; bake for 60 minutes; sides of cake will rise up more than center. Turn off heat, prop open oven door and wait for 30 minutes before removing from oven. Set pan on counter, run a knife around the rim of the cake to loosen sides; refrigerate overnight.

Before serving cake, evenly spread out the reserved puree and fruit over indented section of the cake.

Makes 12 servings.

Mary Cokenour