Art and Science of Baking.

Personally, I do not enjoy baking from scratch; all the precise measuring is tedious to me.  I enjoy cooking though; I measure by using my senses for the most part and preciseness is an option, not a must.  However, the measuring is part of the science of baking; how many parts of each ingredient that causes a reaction with each other to formulate a most delicious creation.

The art part comes along with decoration; you can leave your creation "au naturel", or add all sorts of décor that will either enhance  or totally cover up.  When someone buys a plain cake and decorates it, then this person is a "cake decorator", an artist in their own right.  Of course, this person is not a baker, so, therefore, only an artist.  The person who does both, well then art and science become unified in a common goal; create the perfect baked dessert. 

Purchasing baked goods, instead of creating your own, means you would rather not deal with either the art or the science; someone else did all the work and that is alright with you.  I am one of these people, I admit it; but lately I have found that labels on baked goods contain ingredients that I do not want to eat, nor can even pronounce.  I also notice that my body does not react well with store purchased baked goods, and I bet those strange ingredients are the cause. 

So, I gave in, and decided to bake something, but used ingredients that are considered "more healthy" than regular baking ingredients.  Instead of real sugar, I used Splenda for Baking; I am diabetic and shouldn't be using real sugar in the first place.  Egg substitute and low fat sour cream to keep the cholesterol down; applesauce instead of milk for moisture; whole grain stone ground flour instead of enriched white flour (batter will look denser).  Sounds so yummy...NOT!  Surprise, surprise though; the cake came out moist and so delicious, I was hard pressed not to keep eating more and more of it.  How did my body react to it; wonderfully, none of those "oh boy, shouldn't have eaten that" feelings at all. 

I guess playing with science in the kitchen can be fun at times, and tasty; I still don't like all the measuring though.

Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Cake (a healthier version)

Ingredients:

Cake Batter

3 cups "flour" (cake flour or Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Stone Ground Flour)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) softened butter
1 and 1/4 cups Splenda Sweetener for Baking
1/2 cup egg substitute (equals 2 large eggs)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (4 oz container) natural, no sugar added applesauce
1 and 1/2 to 2 cups low fat sour cream (1 and 1/2 for cake flour, 2 cups for stone ground flour)

Filling

1/3 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 and 1/2 Tbsps ground cinnamon

Preparation:





Preheat oven; 350F for light colored bundt (8 inch diameter) pan, 325F for dark colored. Spray interior with nonstick baking spray, or use cooking spray plus dust with flour.















Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium sized bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sweetener until smooth; add egg substitute and vanilla extract, beat together for one minute. Add in applesauce and half of the sour cream, beat on medium speed until smooth.

Add in dry ingredients, beat until smooth; add other half of sour cream, beat until well incorporated.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the batter with the brown sugar blend and cinnamon with a firm spatula or spoon until a smooth paste forms.

Spread half of the batter into bottom of the bundt pan; spoon the filling around center of batter layer and use a knife to swirl filling into the batter (avoid getting too close to the sides). Spread the other half of the batter over the filling; tamp the pan down on the counter slightly to allow the batter to fill in any open spaces.

 

















Bake the cake for 50 minutes; test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of the cake; if it comes out clean, it is done, otherwise bake another 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, place cake platter over pan and flip over; the cake will slip out of the pan and onto the platter.

Serve warm or cold; makes 12 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Slowed Cooked and Smoky Pepper Steak

Usually when I make Pepper Steak, I use a skillet or a Wok; the dish cooks quickly on the stovetop. One problem, sometimes the strips of meat are not tender enough; the quick cooking sealed in juice and flavor, but the meat did not tenderize. I do not marinade the meat overnight, so if the cut is not tender in the first place, well there you go.

Recently I purchased a three pound package of sliced round steak and intended on making Pepper Steak.  While browsing through the newsfeed on my Facebook page though, I came across a recipe for "Hoisin Beef Stew"; regular stew ingredients: beef cubes, potatoes, celery, carrots, mushrooms; but instead of a broth as the cooking medium, the recipe called for Hoisin Sauce.  Interesting concept I thought, maybe next time I make stew I'll try the recipe out.  Then it hit me, I've never done up Pepper Steak in the slow cooker, so here was a chance to try out this method and play with the Hoisin Sauce as a cooking medium.  I love Hoisin Sauce by the way; the flavor is just so above using plain soy or teriyaki sauces, and you barely need to add any other seasoning to it.  Besides adding it to recipes, it works as an excellent glaze or barbecue sauce all on its own; so yummy on ribs or brisket.  Besides beef, chicken or pork, Hoisin can be used on wild game such as Elk and Deer; it cuts the gaminess of the deer meat, and only enhances the elk meat to a whole new level.

The meal I made took eight hours to cook in the crock pot before the meat was fall apart in the mouth tender; the peppers, onions and mushrooms were perfectly cooked.  Yes, I added mushrooms to this dish, mainly because I had a pound of fresh sliced mushrooms on hand and didn't want them to go to waste.  I am so glad I made that choice!  The flour I added in at the start helped the Hoisin sauce and any juices from the other ingredients to create a medium thick sauce that went well on a brown and wild rice mixture I made for a side dish.  If you've jumped onto the gluten free fad bandwagon, you can use rice flour instead of regular white flour.  Overall, this recipe came out pretty well, and I would make it again; maybe add in garlic, or some julienned carrot.

Now remember, if you try this recipe out and you think the Hoisin sauce is not enough in the seasoning genre; add sparingly and keep tasting, you don't want to lose the overall flavor of the Hoisin and you can always add, but not take out.  If you add any hot seasoning such as dried chile peppers, remember, the longer it cooks, the hotter it gets.

Hoisin Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

3 lbs. round steak, cut into 1/4 inch thick strips

1/4 cup flour
1 each large green, yellow and red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
2 cups Hoisin sauce

Preparation:

Spray interior of a 6 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray; set on low.  Place meat inside and sprinkle flour over top.  Layer bell peppers, onion and mushrooms; pour Hoisin sauce evenly over all.  Cover and let cook 6-8 hours; until meat is tender.  Serve over rice, noodles or potatoes.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Lentil Soup is Hearty and Versatile.

Lentils, I don't know why folks cringe and/or make faces when they hear that word.  The lentil is part of the Legume group; guess what, so is the peanut and I don't see many saying "yuck" to that.  Lentils are high fiber, low fat, help lower blood sugar and blood pressure and NO cholesterol; if you're a diabetic, this is great news.  In taste and texture, they're pretty similar to beans, but cook more quickly.  Now while they can be served as a side dish, my favorite way of eating them is in a soup.

When it comes to a bean, split pea or lentil soup of any kind, I'm more of a purist; the bean, split pea or lentil should be the star while the other ingredients are supporting actors.  For example, my grandmother's Split Pea Soup; even in the photo (click on the previous link) of it, you can see split pea is the main focus.  Depending on how spontaneous my want of soup is, or if it's for a later meal, decides how the soup is cooked; stove top or crockpot (slow cooker).  For the Lentil Soup recipe I'm going to post, I'm going to make it all vegetarian first; then I'll post options you can add to your soup.

Lentil Soup for the Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

2 cups dry lentils
4 cups water
4 cups vegetable broth
1 medium onion, diced
2 large stalks of celery, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp Italian herbal mix
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes

Preparation:

Put the lentils in a large bowl, cover with the water; cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit overnight.  Next day, strain lentils from water; place in a 6 quart crockpot with all other ingredients listed.  Set on low and cook for 8 to 10 hours; until lentils are tender.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.


Lentil Soup for the Stove Top

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp vegetable, canola or peanut oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large stalks of celery, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 cups dry lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp Italian herbal mix
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes

Preparation:

In a large soup pot, saute the onion and celery on medium heat until softened (about 10 minutes); add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes being careful that the garlic does not brown or burn.  Stir in remaining ingredients from the list; when bubbles begin to form around edge of pot, reduce to low, cover and cook for 60 to 90 minutes; until lentils are tender.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Options

- before serving, add in 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a 1/2 cup of chopped fresh dill.

- for a spicier taste, add in ground chile powder; the amount is dependent on how how you want it.

- skip the onion, celery and minced garlic; roast two heads of garlic, squeeze the pulp into the soup mix and let cook according to crockpot or stove top time.

- brown a 1/2 pound of bacon, ground lamb, ground beef or sausage (mild, hot, Italian), drain fat, and add with the other ingredients at cooking start.

- use beef broth instead of vegetable broth

Whether you go purist, add a ton of other vegetables or meat; Lentil Soup can be a pretty yummy meal, especially on a cold, blistery day.  Try it!

Mary Cokenour

Potato Chips? Sweet!

Green Giant Multigrain Chips

Website: https://www.greengiant.com/pages/ProductsSnacks.aspx

Green Giant, that big green guy who sells us loads and loads of vegetables, has decided to expand his industry to snacks. Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips is the newest item out on the market, and I have to tell you that it tastes good! I like crunchy foods and to find a sweet potato chip that has a ton of flavor and crunch is perfect for me. I've tried many brands of sweet potato chips, mostly they are either extremely bland or over seasoned. I've even tried sweet potato tortilla chips, but they ended up being simply tortilla chips with flavoring and no real vegetable mixed in.

These Green Giant Chips are different, real sweet potatoes is the third item on the ingredient list; we all know that the higher up on the ingredient list, more of the item is actually in the mixture. The whole grains are corn, rice, brown rice and buckwheat flours; while the oil used in sunflower and the flavoring agent is natural sea salt. The nutritional facts are: NO cholesterol, 6 grams of fat, 80 milligrams of sodium and 19 grams of carbs for a serving size of one ounce (about 18 chips). The average size of a chip is about one inch wide by two inches long; you can eat 18 of these...not too shabby!!!

Now my one big problem is going to be, will the supermarket keep these chips in stock; and will they be bringing in the other flavors to try???  If you're looking for a healthier snacking chip, give these Green Giant Multigrain Chips a try; just make sure to leave some in the store for me to purchase.

Mary Cokenour

An American Version of an Italian Classic.

Braciole is the Italian Classic; thinly sliced steak stuffed, rolled and cooked in a tomato sauce. So when I pulled out the package of thin round steaks, I asked my hubby, do you want Braciole, or something entirely different?  He wanted the different, well what he really wanted was what I had had for my birthday dinner, but not until I found Rib Eyes on sale again.  I could, however, accommodate him with the sautéed mushrooms and onions, but what to do with the steak was still the main question.  Then I thought about mixing the sautéed mixture in with stuffing, that would be one side dish, and browning zucchini slices in olive oil would be the other side dish.  The steak...oh yeah, what about the steak?  "Hunny, what if I made up some cornbread stuffing and mixed in the mushrooms and onions?", I asked.  "Oh, that sounds good!", says hubby.  "Hunny, what if I took that stuffing mixture, rolled it up in the steak and made a brown gravy to do on it?", I asked.  "Oh, that sounds even better!!", he says.  Off to the kitchen I flew!

It wasn't difficult to put together, and I decided that rolling the steak the traditional "Braciole" way wouldn't do, as the stuffing was too bulky this time.  It was better to just draw one end over the stuffing, pull over the other end and then seal the sides with toothpicks.  It still was in the shape of a "rolled" steak, so that aspect stayed in the name...Stuffed Steak Rolls.  I used beef broth as my cooking liquid which could be strained and then used to make a rich gravy.  I did not season the steak before I began working with it; the inside will pick up flavors from the stuffing, while the exterior will be absorbing flavors from the broth.  Yes, I keep boxes of stuffing mix, or bags of seasoned stuffing cubes in the home; it works great for those spontaneous recipes that call for it.  The zucchini slices were easy too, and I'll give further details on that after the steak recipe.

Stuffed Steak Rolls

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped
1/2 tsp each salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 (6 oz) box of cornbread stuffing
2  and 1/2 lbs. (8 pieces) thinly sliced round steak
1 (10.5 oz) can beef broth
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Preparation:

 

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet, medium-high heat; spread on onions, sprinkle seasoning over them, spread out mushrooms over the onions.  Let cook for 3 minutes before mixing the onions and mushrooms together; let cook another 3 minutes before removing from heat.  At the same time, prepare the cornbread stuffing according to package directions; add the sautéed mixture to stuffing and mix together thoroughly.

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 4 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Onto the center of each slice of steak, put a half cup of stuffing keeping it in a mound.  Any extra stuffing can be served as a garnish to the side of the rolls when served.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold one end of the steak over the stuffing; fold the other end over the first; seal the ends with toothpicks and place the roll into the baking dish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once all the rolls are done and in the dish, pour the beef broth over the rolls; cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. 

 

Bake for 30 minutes covered; uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove rolls from baking dish, strain liquid and pour into a small saucepan.  On high heat, whisk in cornstarch and bring to a boil; continue to boil for 3 minutes before serving over the steak rolls.

Makes 8 servings.

 

For the zucchini side dish, take two large zucchini and cut 1/4 inch slices; either round, or hold the knife at an angle to make oval slices; lightly season both sides of the slices with ground black pepper.  Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat; place the zucchini into the skillet and brown both sides; about 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Remove the slices to a serving bowl and season with medium crushed sea salt; it will give a salty surprise crunch to the zucchini.

Makes 8 servings.

Here is the final dish, one Stuffed Steak Roll with gravy, zucchini slices browned in olive oil and some extra stuffing on the side for a little preview of what is inside the steak roll.  Very nice, very nice indeed.

Mary Cokenour

Goodbye 2013 and Hello to 2014; Wonder What's in Store for the New Year?

Wish List for the 2014 New Year

Every New Year, it's a tradition to make a list of "resolutions" that most people end up not keeping. It's a good concept, but unfortunately we tend to make goals for ourselves that are more wishful thinking than practical. Then there is the "wish list"; concepts or ideals that we hope will get resolved for the New Year, but is dependent on others, not just ourselves; for instance, "World Peace". Back to being practical, this will more than likely not happen in our current lifetime, perhaps not at all in the lifetime of mankind itself. War is profitable, oh not to those fighting, losing their lives and leaving loved ones without them; but for those who are either greedy or need to prove that they are right. Politics and Religion do not go hand in hand, they are Siamese Twins joined in such a manner that any type of "surgery" guarantees death. The leaders of these groups have been raised up to the status of "omnipotent gods" instead of being recognized as simple human beings with flaws and capable of being wrong. Until the populace develops "common sense" and refuses to hold these humans in higher regard than their own lives, the business of war will always be more profitable than life itself. The popular quote from Rodney King is, "Why can't we all just get along?", but we cannot so long as the majority of human beings meekly follow along as "sheeple" those that they consider "right". If each political and/or religious leader is right, than how can anyone be wrong, and what is all the fighting truly about?

So for the New Year of 2014, I'm not going to waste my time making resolutions that I probably will not keep, perhaps not even begin. I am going to make a wish list that is dependent on others. Why? I want to see if anyone is listening, not just hearing; I want to see if anyone cares about a stranger and wants to help her obtain her "wish list" for a very simple reason...just because.

Wish #1: All loans and credit card debts are paid off in full. Start the New Year off free of all old debts; begin at zero and build upwards instead of being held down.














An old fashioned "comfort food" diner; yeah, that's my dream.

Wish #2: My food blog, Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook, becomes so popular that an entrepreneur actually wants to invest money into the restaurant idea I dream about.



Wish #3: My travel blog, The Southwest Through Wide Brown Eyes becomes so popular that a company actually gives me a brand new Jeep or SUV (with their advertising printed on the vehicle) for my use in furthering my excursions.








 



Wish #4: For my husband, Roy, that his Artwork becomes so high in demand, he can finally afford to build his own art studio and do what he went to school to study for, and loves. Or he gets that high paying job with a studio, either way he would be doing what he loves. The picture I've posted is one he did by taking one of my photos of Agathla Peak and doing "photo manipulation" to it; Roy's passion is graphic arts and digital artwork.

"El Diablo Towers" - a photo manipulation of Agathla Peak

Wish #5: This wish is for the town I live in, Monticello, Utah and has several parts.

A: That common sense finally prevails, more businesses are allowed into the town limits, allowed to flourish and, thereby, providing more funds for the town itself.






B: That the housing market has an upsurge; all properties are finally purchased, homeowners have, or receive, the finances to upgrade their homes; that Monticello, Utah makes it into the "Top 100 Places to Live in the USA" list.














C: That the town becomes a tourist mecca; employment will be non-existent due to the need; businesses of all types will, again, flourish.




Wish #6: That the medical professions and pharmaceutical companies stop jerking everyone around and finally release the cures for cancer, diabetes, AIDS and other diseases/illnesses that are so very profitable for them. I have Type 2 Diabetes and am so sick and tired of pills and insulin shots; I'm sick of pharmaceutical companies putting out commercials saying that as soon as you're diagnosed, you must use their products or suffer the consequences, including death. I'm sick of organizations asking for research donations, and they're the same organizations I've been seeing begging for money for over 50 years. What are they doing with all that money, over all those years, that they haven't developed a cure yet!!??!!

Six wishes, I'm not going to be greedy; then again, I'm not a politician or religious leader. Not all the wishes are about me either, they're about my husband, the town I live in, and for those suffering medically. I have lots of wishes inside my head, but I'm sticking to these six, since they're the most important of all to me.

Have fun at your end of the old year parties; don't drink till you end the year looking like a total ass; the next day is a whole new year and people will be remembering. Most especially do not drink and drive; don't end the year by ending your own life and/or the lives of others.

A Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone, everywhere; and for my wish list...bring it on!!!

Mary Cokenour

My Birthday Dinner.

Yesterday, December 26th, was my birthday and I am 21...again.  You know how some women, when they're about to turn 30 decide to be "29 again"; nope, not me, I'm 21.  Someone on Facebook posted one of these quizzes, one about your mental age; well mine came out to 28, so see, I still don't even qualify to be 29 again anyway.  If you're a reader, and hopefully a follower, of my travel blog, you can tell from my adventures that becoming and feeling "old" is not on my agenda. 

Actually, I have my life pretty much planned out to the age of 200.  "Impossible!", you say, but why; why shouldn't we all have expectations of a very long life and do what we can to make it all worthwhile?  For my first 50 years of life, I lived on the East Coast, primarily in New York and Pennsylvania; at age 50 though, I moved to Utah.  For the next 50 years I intend on enjoying life in the Southwest, exploring Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah; maybe even get to a few other states out here.  That takes me to age 100 where I intend on going to Europe and spending 50 years exploring England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.  I've been a "ghost hunter" since about 1999, so experiencing the haunted castles of these countries is number one of the to-do list.  Roy and I, oh yes, my hubby plans on doing all this with me, want to also visit all those places from our favorite British mysteries: Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Morse.  Our biggest thrill would be to meet Doctor Who, and Captain Jack Harkness (Torchwood); perhaps a Cyberman and Dalek too.  "Ridiculous!", you say; but then again, you're the old becoming old with the nay saying, not me.  Which takes me to age 150 when Roy and I intend to head off for Australia, New Zealand and whatever other lands are in that area.  "Why?", you ask..."Why Not!!!"", I say.

You have to admit these are pretty adventurous goals for a woman who wasn't supposed to have even been born, or continued on living after being born.  No, no; I was not planned; I was supposed to be born a male and named Stephen.   Oh I got the day of birth correct, December 26th, Saint Stephen's Day, but I got the sex all wrong, born with the wrong genitals and all that comes with it.  I did get very sick after I was born, doctors thought I would die, but nope, I lived; and messed up the plans and lives of family members...or so I was led to believe for so many sad years.  With the help of a couple of friends, and most especially Roy, I accepted myself, developed love for myself, and realized that these family members brought their own misery upon themselves; and missed out on a wonderful chance to enjoy a wonderful female...ME!  I didn't quit, I didn't give in, I didn't commit suicide; I knew my death would make others happy and I'd be damned before I'd allow that satisfaction.  That past, however, is past and cannot be changed; now I'm living everyday to its fullest and having a great time!!!  I truly hope what I've just written inspires someone else to pick themselves up and say, "Yes, I am worth every bit of living!!!"

Anyway, last night I cooked up one of the most delicious steak dinners I've ever eaten.  "What!?!  You didn't go out for your birthday?"  No, Roy was out of town on business, but promised to take me to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants when he returns; so it was up to me to treat me.



Steak; I purchased two Rib Eye (one for my birthday, and one for a weekend meal) that were a half pound each, 1 and 1/2 inches thick and very little fat.  I seasoned both sides simply with cracked black pepper and crushed sea salt.  First I preheated the oven to 425F and sprayed an aluminum baking dish with nonstick spray.  For ten minutes I seared one side of the steak in the oven; ten minutes for the other side; I reduced the heat to 350F and let the steaks cook to medium-rare for another 10 minutes.






While the steaks seared, I sautéed sliced mushrooms (8 ounces) and a julienned onion (large) in a large skillet; three tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat; again simply seasoned with the black pepper and sea salt, with a dash of garlic powder.

Once the steaks were done, I added a baked potato and a small side salad (Green Goddess dressing and shredded Cheddar cheese).  For dessert, a slice of New York Style Cheesecake with whipped creamed and chocolate sauce.  "Holy Moly Mary, you're not supposed to eat all that!!!"  Hey, it was my birthday, and I deserved every bit of it.  ...and now to make you even more jealous, my blood sugar two hours after was only 97...97!  Another three hours later, I was ready for bed, took my blood sugar and it was only 112.  Next morning, I found I had lost a half pound....oh yeah, you're all jealous and you know it!

Overall, I had a happy birthday; yes, my past still rears its ugly head at times and overwhelms me with sadness.  I find a way to deal with it, to overcome; as the saying goes, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" and I am living proof of this.  Next birthday you have, do not push yourself down by saying, "I'm old", lift yourself up and say, "I AM all that, and the whole potato chip factory too!"

Mary Cokenour