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Where did the past month and a half go? Yikes! Yes, I've been busy. Spring has sprung. We've been busy cleaning up the yard. I planted my recession veggie garden, which includes rhubarb!, carrots, lima beans, peppers, tomatoes (including a very sexy Mr. Stripey) onions and french green beans. We'll see how the veggies fare, we got a ton of rain last week.
Yesterday I finished up the herb garden which has basil, lemon basil, thyme, rosemary and catnip and a bunch of shallots. The sage is starting to come back- she cut out a monstrous bush of it.
Last month, I made the pilgrimage to visit JoDee in Texas. Lots of good eats along the way. Here are two recipes from my travels. One is a clone of Central Market's LOVE dip (Central Market was amazing!) and the other is a fancy pants version of my favorite meal I had down there- King Ranch Casserole. Cheesy, chickeny and served with chips and rotel- hello- comfort food galore for Lori.
This came from HomesickTexan's blog-http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/
Love Dip (adapted from the Houston Chronicle)
Ingredients:1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup tomato salsa
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried tarragon or 2 leaves fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
Method:Throw all the ingredients except lemon juice in a blender and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste. Goes well with crackers, bread, tortilla chips, vegetables, chicken and fish.
And this also from her website too. Yum yum yum
Slightly Fancy-Pants King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Ingredients:1 1/2 pounds of chicken, without skin and bones
4 teaspoons of lime juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 an onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 10oz. can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (or you can use a can of regular diced tomatoes and a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, or if tomatoes are in season, can use two cups of diced fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup of diced green chiles, such as a jalapeno)
4 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of half and half
1/3 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
3 cups of grated pepper jack and cheddar
10 corn tortillas
Salt and pepper to taste.
Method:1. Cook the chicken in the olive oil on medium, adding 2 teaspoons of lime juice, 2 teaspoons of ancho chile powder and salt to taste.
2. When chicken is done (after about 20 minutes), shred it with two forks and set aside. Should yield about 3 cups.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium, and add the onions, red bell pepper and poblano pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons of ancho chile powder, and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chicken broth and cook on low until mixture is thickened, a few minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Uncover the pot, and add the sour cream, 2 teaspoons of lime juice and 1/4 cup of cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
8. Heat up the tortillas (you can do this by adding a bit of oil on an iron skillet and then cooking the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side).
9. Ladle 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking pan.
10. Layer half the tortillas along the bottom of the pan (on top of the sauce). To make sure entire pan is evenly covered, you can rip some of the tortillas into strips to fill any gaps.
11. Add half the chicken, half the remaining sauce, half the remaining cilantro and 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese.
12. Repeat the layering, leaving the cheese layer on top.
13. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Serves 6-12, depending on how big a portion you distribute. Goes great with sour cream and cilantro on top.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Another squash adventure
Tomorrow is my birthday- so I don't think I'll get a leisurely chance to write a clever post. In the meantime, enjoy this. I made this a couple of weeks ago- had the place to myself, and the series finale of Battlestar Galactica. I used the frozen squash puree option (so easy!!) and added an onion which I sliced and caramelized, a liberal amount of Penzeys Tuscan Sunset, and used some mozzarella cheese on top instead of just parmesan.
It reheated great for lunches and confirmed my love for no-bake lasagna noodles. This is from Everyday Food magazine. And really, I love a dinner that I can pop in the oven, sit down and have a glass of wine and read a magazine, and when I'm done- dinner is ready.
Acorn Squash Lasagna
Prep: 15 minutes Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Using no-boil noodles reduces the preparation time by about 30 minutes; ricotta cheese and pureed squash make a rich, creamy filling.
Ingredients
Olive oil, for baking dish
4 cups Acorn Squash Puree, or 2 packages (12 ounces each) frozen winter squash puree, thawed
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 no-boil lasagna noodles, half of an 8-ounce package
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix squash puree with sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, mix ricotta with 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Lay 2 lasagna noodles in the bottom of prepared dish; spread with half the squash mixture. Layer with 2 more noodles, and spread with half the ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with remaining noodles and mixtures. Sprinkle top (ricotta mixture) with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Cover baking dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes more.
It reheated great for lunches and confirmed my love for no-bake lasagna noodles. This is from Everyday Food magazine. And really, I love a dinner that I can pop in the oven, sit down and have a glass of wine and read a magazine, and when I'm done- dinner is ready.
Acorn Squash Lasagna
Prep: 15 minutes Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Using no-boil noodles reduces the preparation time by about 30 minutes; ricotta cheese and pureed squash make a rich, creamy filling.
Ingredients
Olive oil, for baking dish
4 cups Acorn Squash Puree, or 2 packages (12 ounces each) frozen winter squash puree, thawed
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 no-boil lasagna noodles, half of an 8-ounce package
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix squash puree with sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, mix ricotta with 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Lay 2 lasagna noodles in the bottom of prepared dish; spread with half the squash mixture. Layer with 2 more noodles, and spread with half the ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with remaining noodles and mixtures. Sprinkle top (ricotta mixture) with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Cover baking dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes more.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Yes, now it's veggie Wednesday
Sorry for the delay- but I totally spaced on posting. I was busy on Friday, doing the errand thing and going to the PPGI book sale.
We had this last week- and what a winner. Quick and delicious, without all of that heaviness in your belly after diner. I've had issues with making sauces before, but this came together fantastic. My trick I've learned is to pay attention to the directions, and mix in the broth a bit at a time, so no lumps form. Now I never have a problem.
Enjoy!
Fettuccine Alfredo - Cooking Light
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (8 ounces uncooked pasta)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cracked black pepper
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. Garnish with black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)CALORIES 399 (30% from fat); FAT 13.5g (sat 8g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 451mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.9g; SODIUM 822mg; PROTEIN 21.3g; FIBER 2g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007
We had this last week- and what a winner. Quick and delicious, without all of that heaviness in your belly after diner. I've had issues with making sauces before, but this came together fantastic. My trick I've learned is to pay attention to the directions, and mix in the broth a bit at a time, so no lumps form. Now I never have a problem.
Enjoy!
Fettuccine Alfredo - Cooking Light
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (8 ounces uncooked pasta)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cracked black pepper
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. Garnish with black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)CALORIES 399 (30% from fat); FAT 13.5g (sat 8g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 451mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.9g; SODIUM 822mg; PROTEIN 21.3g; FIBER 2g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007
Friday, March 20, 2009
Veggie Fridays
When I was finished with 4th grade, my family moved from Iowa City (AKA the People's Republic of Johnson County) to Dubuque. It was a huge cultural shift, from a very PC (even in the 70's), college centered town to a heavily white catholic community. We didn't celebrate Easter or Christmas in the schools, now we had parties with treats for them.
So then, I was intrigued with the concept of giving up something for Lent. In our church, it wasn't required. So I was endlessly amused by my Catholic friends complaining about no meat on Friday. And yes, I did eat pepperoni pizza in front of them to taunt them- followed by chocolate bar & soda. When I gave up eating beef or pork my Senior year in high school (yes folks, my 20th no-Big Mac anniversary is this summer!), I later came to realize that I was eating that way just about every day. And the griping still amuses me. I remember rattling off a list of meals to someone next to me while I was getting my hair cut. For me, meat was easy to give up. Now coffee, that's a whole different story. You'll only be able to pry my cuppa from my cold, dead hands.
Looking into it, I did not realize that there is a spirit of reaching out to others and volunteering your time and taking stock of your own life and values. That is something I can get behind. We often don't take time to realize how lucky we are. So, I have decided to goal for buying something, even one thing a week, when I'm at the grocery store for the food pantry. And I signed up to organize a bake sale for Share Our Strength.
Ha, and now going vegetarian is the new Green option. I read Food Matters by Mark Bittman- which really deserves its own special posting. Great read- and with yummy recipes. So, I plan on Fridays to highlight a vegetarian meal, that will lighten your grocery bill and maybe your waist line too.
We had this last week, when the weather got a little chilly. Great comforting dish- which we all need once in a while. Serve it up with some roasted asparagus or sauteed broccoli. I make it with regular gouda, for me the smoked is a little too much.
Enjoy!
Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese
This American classic has been updated for heightened flavor. You can use regular Gouda or any other cheese that melts well.
1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
5 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 2 minutes). Add cheeses; stir until melted.
Add spinach and macaroni to cheese sauce, stirring until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until bubbly.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)CALORIES 399 (25% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 6.2g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 421mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.9g; SODIUM 725mg; PROTEIN 20.1g; FIBER 3.7g Cooking Light, MARCH 2003
So then, I was intrigued with the concept of giving up something for Lent. In our church, it wasn't required. So I was endlessly amused by my Catholic friends complaining about no meat on Friday. And yes, I did eat pepperoni pizza in front of them to taunt them- followed by chocolate bar & soda. When I gave up eating beef or pork my Senior year in high school (yes folks, my 20th no-Big Mac anniversary is this summer!), I later came to realize that I was eating that way just about every day. And the griping still amuses me. I remember rattling off a list of meals to someone next to me while I was getting my hair cut. For me, meat was easy to give up. Now coffee, that's a whole different story. You'll only be able to pry my cuppa from my cold, dead hands.
Looking into it, I did not realize that there is a spirit of reaching out to others and volunteering your time and taking stock of your own life and values. That is something I can get behind. We often don't take time to realize how lucky we are. So, I have decided to goal for buying something, even one thing a week, when I'm at the grocery store for the food pantry. And I signed up to organize a bake sale for Share Our Strength.
Ha, and now going vegetarian is the new Green option. I read Food Matters by Mark Bittman- which really deserves its own special posting. Great read- and with yummy recipes. So, I plan on Fridays to highlight a vegetarian meal, that will lighten your grocery bill and maybe your waist line too.
We had this last week, when the weather got a little chilly. Great comforting dish- which we all need once in a while. Serve it up with some roasted asparagus or sauteed broccoli. I make it with regular gouda, for me the smoked is a little too much.
Enjoy!
Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese
This American classic has been updated for heightened flavor. You can use regular Gouda or any other cheese that melts well.
1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
5 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 2 minutes). Add cheeses; stir until melted.
Add spinach and macaroni to cheese sauce, stirring until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until bubbly.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)CALORIES 399 (25% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 6.2g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 421mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.9g; SODIUM 725mg; PROTEIN 20.1g; FIBER 3.7g Cooking Light, MARCH 2003
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Polenta Pizza
Last week I was watching the Today show before work and Mark Bittman was on whipping up savory breakfasts. Among which was a polenta breakfast pizza, which looked very yummy. I started thinking and got out HTCEV and saw that I earmarked the polenta pizza to make, and Angel said she'd try it.
So, I picked up some cornmeal, beans, salsa and cheese after work and got busy in the kitchen. It's a great method for a really filling, and frugal, dinner. Feel free to experiment with the toppings, add leftover grilled veggies, swap out different cheeses. Since my cornmeal was a little finer than coarse ground, it cooked up a bit quicker. Here's the recipe, adapted from Mark Bittman.
I liked that you can make the crust the morning or even the day before and just leave it in the fridge. The leftovers heated up great, sorry I ate them all. Just a little.
Time: About 45 minutes, plus one hour’s chilling
1/2 cup milk, preferably whole ( didn't use milk, cause we were out- just increased the amount of water)
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
Freshly ground black pepper
Salsa
Can of refried beans
Mexican shredded cheese
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. (I just used a pie pan and a spray of Pam) In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.
2. Stir 1 tablespoon oil (I used butter) into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).
3. Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. I mixed a can of refried beans and some salsa together (makes it easier to spread)
4. Take polenta out of oven, spread bean mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese. Put pizza back in oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt . Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings.
Variation: Before you put polenta in oven, top it with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, two or three thinly sliced Roma tomatoes or a bit of tomato sauce, and a handful of fresh basil leaves.
So, I picked up some cornmeal, beans, salsa and cheese after work and got busy in the kitchen. It's a great method for a really filling, and frugal, dinner. Feel free to experiment with the toppings, add leftover grilled veggies, swap out different cheeses. Since my cornmeal was a little finer than coarse ground, it cooked up a bit quicker. Here's the recipe, adapted from Mark Bittman.
I liked that you can make the crust the morning or even the day before and just leave it in the fridge. The leftovers heated up great, sorry I ate them all. Just a little.
Time: About 45 minutes, plus one hour’s chilling
1/2 cup milk, preferably whole ( didn't use milk, cause we were out- just increased the amount of water)
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
Freshly ground black pepper
Salsa
Can of refried beans
Mexican shredded cheese
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. (I just used a pie pan and a spray of Pam) In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.
2. Stir 1 tablespoon oil (I used butter) into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).
3. Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. I mixed a can of refried beans and some salsa together (makes it easier to spread)
4. Take polenta out of oven, spread bean mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese. Put pizza back in oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt . Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings.
Variation: Before you put polenta in oven, top it with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, two or three thinly sliced Roma tomatoes or a bit of tomato sauce, and a handful of fresh basil leaves.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Holiday hermits
I finally got the last of my holiday care packages sent out last week. I just got too busy over the holidays with moving, working and oh, everything to bake at least one thing to include with it. I had picked out a very classic recipe to make, which a form was displayed in Penzeys around Christmas: Hermit Bars.
As much as I adore new trendy stuff, the single orgin chocolate, mixing chipotle into chocolate chip cookies and espresso whatnot, there is something about the old-fashioned tried and true stuff that is just outstanding. And it seems to be going around- Rachel made just chocolate chip cookies this weekend- no pecans, raisins, bourbon, no ne plus ultra, just chocolate chip. And I had three.
I do confess, I did over bake this batch a wee bit as I was a bit leery about the underbaking instructions. But next time I am sticking exactly to the directions, because the bit that was underdone was quite yummy. A couple people who tried them remarked how they don't like raisins, but they liked these. When did raisins get such a bad rap? I used a great blend of three jumbo raisins, nice and plump.
This will definitely be a repeater for me every holiday season. It makes a huge batch of cookies and they keep pretty well. I did use all-purpose flour, and if you do - they recommend to increase the amount of water to 3/4 cup. And I may increase the amount of allspice and cinnamon. Hey, I'm a spicy girl.
The Very Best Hermit Bars Ever
Yield: about 8 1/2 dozen 1-inch cookies
For bars:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
5 cups cake flour, divided use
1/3 cup water
2 cups raisins, packed
For glaze:
3 tablespoons milk
1 cup powdered sugar
Procedure:
1. Prepare bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan.
2. In large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, shortening and butter, beating at medium speed until fluffy. Add molasses, salt, spices and baking soda. Mix 1 minute, then stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of flour. Once it’s mixed in, add water, then other half of flour. When batter is mixed completely, add raisins and stir until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake bars 18-20 minutes, until edges are light brown. They’ll puff up in oven and top will get shiny. As soon as you see this, pull pan from oven. The top will fall back down and interior of cookies will have an almost fudgy consistency. Remove hermit bars from oven and cool them in pan on rack before glazing.
4. Prepare glaze: In small bowl, stir together milk and powdered sugar until smooth; glaze will be quite thin. Use pastry brush to brush it on top of hermit bars before cutting bars.
Source: “The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion”
As much as I adore new trendy stuff, the single orgin chocolate, mixing chipotle into chocolate chip cookies and espresso whatnot, there is something about the old-fashioned tried and true stuff that is just outstanding. And it seems to be going around- Rachel made just chocolate chip cookies this weekend- no pecans, raisins, bourbon, no ne plus ultra, just chocolate chip. And I had three.
I do confess, I did over bake this batch a wee bit as I was a bit leery about the underbaking instructions. But next time I am sticking exactly to the directions, because the bit that was underdone was quite yummy. A couple people who tried them remarked how they don't like raisins, but they liked these. When did raisins get such a bad rap? I used a great blend of three jumbo raisins, nice and plump.
This will definitely be a repeater for me every holiday season. It makes a huge batch of cookies and they keep pretty well. I did use all-purpose flour, and if you do - they recommend to increase the amount of water to 3/4 cup. And I may increase the amount of allspice and cinnamon. Hey, I'm a spicy girl.
The Very Best Hermit Bars Ever
Yield: about 8 1/2 dozen 1-inch cookies
For bars:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
5 cups cake flour, divided use
1/3 cup water
2 cups raisins, packed
For glaze:
3 tablespoons milk
1 cup powdered sugar
Procedure:
1. Prepare bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan.
2. In large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, shortening and butter, beating at medium speed until fluffy. Add molasses, salt, spices and baking soda. Mix 1 minute, then stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of flour. Once it’s mixed in, add water, then other half of flour. When batter is mixed completely, add raisins and stir until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake bars 18-20 minutes, until edges are light brown. They’ll puff up in oven and top will get shiny. As soon as you see this, pull pan from oven. The top will fall back down and interior of cookies will have an almost fudgy consistency. Remove hermit bars from oven and cool them in pan on rack before glazing.
4. Prepare glaze: In small bowl, stir together milk and powdered sugar until smooth; glaze will be quite thin. Use pastry brush to brush it on top of hermit bars before cutting bars.
Source: “The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion”
Friday, February 13, 2009
Restaurant Reviews
See, this is me playing catch-up.
First: Zuzap
I adore Thai food. The complexity and freshness of it just calls to me. It's like my eating life was just in black and white before diving into my first dish of pad thai. But now, I just about know the menu by heart at my favorite place. It seems just a bit too familiar.
Enter Zuzap- also owned by Liam Anivat who opened and operates Cool Basil and Thai Flavors bring us something new to the Des Moines Thai scene. Wonderful curries and noodle dishes await. Frankly, it's been a while since we ate there- but my dish was wonderful. I didn't like too much the type of noodle I selected- a wide rice noodle, but since they have 5 or 6 different types- no worries next time. My only complaint- it's too far away from my house.
Next: Fong's Pizza
Yes, an asian themed pizza joint. How can you not be excited?
Well, it was their first week. And we ended up with a mishap in the kitchen. The table next to ours got our pizza instead- and we ended up with theirs later (at no charge- but we wanted ours!) and got our speciality like 45 minutes later. We had crab rangoons to start, which were quite good. They were wrapped in egg roll wrappers for a different twist. The mistake pizza was the happy family, which wasn't really my thing- fake krab just grosses me out after a while. Our pizza was the vegetarian with the hoisin bbq sauce, which was good.
The drink menu is worth a look see- it brings that tradition of Trader Vics to Des Moines. I had a Singapore Sling, a classic. Angel had a sip and remarked that at first it didn't seem there was any alcohol in it and then said "Oh wait there it is." Yep, and that's why froo-froo drinks are deceptively deadly and you end up wearing the tropical umbrellas in your hair by #3. And the Sling was the reason I wasn't too upset about the kitchen mishap- whee!
We'll try again- am very intrigued by the homemade pizza rolls. Totino's pizza rolls were a childhood treat, nice to see a homemade version of them. (Hey, why don't I do that?) http://www.fongspizza.com/
But not last: Sweet Binneys
I got an invitation to their Spring open house and tasting. WOW! We sampled a chocolate mousse cake with a cheesecake filling, white chocolate & apricot cheesecake with oreo crust, plum and almond tart, raspberry bavarian cream torte, and a cherry & almond cake which was enrobed with marzipan. Sugar rush, oh yes. My favorite was the chocolate- but of course, I love chocolate- within a group of equals, it always outranks them just by the virtue of being chocolate. The plum tart was my second fave (I love plums) and next was the white chocolate apricot cheesecake.
And since I was there on Wed. night, I have had peanut butter pie on the brain. They had it in the pastry case and it was singing to me. Maybe next week...
I love this bakery so much- everything I've ever gotten from there was been scrumptious, and I know my pastry. Angel is quite amused by the fact that I can spot a pastry shop from six blocks away- no fooling. I love their individual desserts, just the right size for a special occasion or just because it's Friday.
http://sweetbinneys.com/
First: Zuzap
I adore Thai food. The complexity and freshness of it just calls to me. It's like my eating life was just in black and white before diving into my first dish of pad thai. But now, I just about know the menu by heart at my favorite place. It seems just a bit too familiar.
Enter Zuzap- also owned by Liam Anivat who opened and operates Cool Basil and Thai Flavors bring us something new to the Des Moines Thai scene. Wonderful curries and noodle dishes await. Frankly, it's been a while since we ate there- but my dish was wonderful. I didn't like too much the type of noodle I selected- a wide rice noodle, but since they have 5 or 6 different types- no worries next time. My only complaint- it's too far away from my house.
Next: Fong's Pizza
Yes, an asian themed pizza joint. How can you not be excited?
Well, it was their first week. And we ended up with a mishap in the kitchen. The table next to ours got our pizza instead- and we ended up with theirs later (at no charge- but we wanted ours!) and got our speciality like 45 minutes later. We had crab rangoons to start, which were quite good. They were wrapped in egg roll wrappers for a different twist. The mistake pizza was the happy family, which wasn't really my thing- fake krab just grosses me out after a while. Our pizza was the vegetarian with the hoisin bbq sauce, which was good.
The drink menu is worth a look see- it brings that tradition of Trader Vics to Des Moines. I had a Singapore Sling, a classic. Angel had a sip and remarked that at first it didn't seem there was any alcohol in it and then said "Oh wait there it is." Yep, and that's why froo-froo drinks are deceptively deadly and you end up wearing the tropical umbrellas in your hair by #3. And the Sling was the reason I wasn't too upset about the kitchen mishap- whee!
We'll try again- am very intrigued by the homemade pizza rolls. Totino's pizza rolls were a childhood treat, nice to see a homemade version of them. (Hey, why don't I do that?) http://www.fongspizza.com/
But not last: Sweet Binneys
I got an invitation to their Spring open house and tasting. WOW! We sampled a chocolate mousse cake with a cheesecake filling, white chocolate & apricot cheesecake with oreo crust, plum and almond tart, raspberry bavarian cream torte, and a cherry & almond cake which was enrobed with marzipan. Sugar rush, oh yes. My favorite was the chocolate- but of course, I love chocolate- within a group of equals, it always outranks them just by the virtue of being chocolate. The plum tart was my second fave (I love plums) and next was the white chocolate apricot cheesecake.
And since I was there on Wed. night, I have had peanut butter pie on the brain. They had it in the pastry case and it was singing to me. Maybe next week...
I love this bakery so much- everything I've ever gotten from there was been scrumptious, and I know my pastry. Angel is quite amused by the fact that I can spot a pastry shop from six blocks away- no fooling. I love their individual desserts, just the right size for a special occasion or just because it's Friday.
http://sweetbinneys.com/
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