Not yo’ Momma’s

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a lazy cook. I cut corners whenever possible. I’ve no issue with frozen puff pastry, canned chicken broth, rotisserie chickens, or good jarred spaghetti sauce. When I cook dinner, I’m counting on the dish to feed my little family at least twice, if not more. For example, I bought a rotisserie chicken at my local grocery (which is the best local grocery a girl could ever ask for). At the checkout, I mentioned to the cashier that I make one chicken feed my little family at least 4 times. She looked at me in disbelief, which made me explain further. The first night I have a rotisserie, my family enjoys the roasted chicken breasts, either plain or with some sort of sauce lingering in the fridge (my favorite is a hot peach chutney I found at Earth Fare) or Jezebel sauce. The next meal is the thighs (or sometimes whole legs, if we’re reeeeaally hungry), third meal (and sometimes fourth) is the stripped chicken carcass (wings, back, butt) mixed into a salad, soup, burrito, or tacos. The last meal or two or three, is made from the stock (my stock is a lot like Tyler Florence’s).

I make meatloaf that feeds us for almost a week. Meatloaf the first night, meatloaf sandwiches the next, meatloaf tacos the third, meatloaf chili the last. This basic recipe is based on my Dad’s meatloaf—the meatloaf I grew up on (and the one I can make in my sleep). Bear with me on measurements, this is a very season-to-taste type dish.

In a big bowl, dump:

1 pound ground turkey (I grew up on ground chuck, but this is just as good and less fatty)

1 medium to large onion, diced

1-2 chopped celery stalks

1-2 grated carrots

Add:

5-7 crushed matzo crackers (my Dad always used a sleeve of saltine crackers)

1-2 TBS mustard (I usually use Dijon, but yellow is fine. I’ve even used Chinese spicy mustard)

2-3 TBS ketchup (any type, even natural or homemade)

1 tsp House Seasoning (mine’s based off of this, but with a 1:1:1 ratio)

1tsp dried thyme

1-2 large eggs

Optional, any or all of the following:

½ tsp ground dried sage, tarragon, and/or rosemary

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Finely diced sundried tomatoes

1 diced bell pepper (any type)

Oats instead of matzo

Rice instead of matzo

Ritz (or other butter crackers) instead of matzo

Frozen spinach (thawed and drained)

Lightly blend everything with your clean hands (it’s squishy, and a good stress reliever; it’s also a good task for kids) Dump the mess onto a greased or sprayed cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan) and shape. I’ve shaped this many ways, form the traditional baton with a ketchup trough karate chopped in the middle, to a good fake out of a stomach (fun for Halloween).

Of course you need to cover it with a ketchup glaze first 

Bake 375 for 40-50 minutes. Meatloaf should be completely cooked through, with no crunch to the veg, but not dried out. Serve as is, or as one of the above suggestions.

Naughty bonus feature

Bonus recipe:

My Slutty Chili

In a skillet, brown

1lb. ground turkey (or ground beef, if you want a fattier mouth feel)

--or—

¼- 1/3 crumbled leftover meatloaf

1 medium or large onion, diced

2 bell peppers (any color) diced

3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno, castrated (seeds and all membranes removed)

Drain. Season with house seasoning to taste (I use about 1 tsp). Dump into a deep pot (I use a dutch oven, or a stock pot if I double this recipe). Add:

1 12 ounce bottle of beer (doesn’t really matter what type, but I prefer a dark Mexican beer like Modelo Negro)

3-4 TBS of my Mexican spice mix (recipe here)—or—

to taste:

Chili powder

Onion powder

Cumin

Coriander

Garlic powder

Paprika (smoked is best)

Cayenne

Oregano (especially if it’s Mexican)

Salsa (about 1/3-1/2 jar)

And Dona Maria original mole sauce (can’t get it at the grocery? Find it here)

Stir, and then dump in:

1       15 ounce can black, kidney, or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1       15 ounce can chili style tomatoes and its juice

1       15 ounce can corn
      15 ounce can tomato sauce

Heat thorough. Serve with any of the following (even better the next day):

Cheddar, Colby, or Monterey Jack cheese

Jalapenos (fresh or pickled)

Olives

Chopped Onion

Sour cream

Plain Yogurt

Chopped Avocado

Cooked spaghetti or elbow noodles

Chopped cilantro

Salsa

Feta, Queso Blanco, or Chihuahua cheese

Saltine crackers

Oyster crackers

Greatest Hits

It's been a long and busy summer in my heathen house, though you'd never know it if you read my blog. My heathen and I have been working on our adoption classes and homestudy since May. Our lives have been obsessed with the hurry up and wait game; paperwork and proof that we're decent enough humans to raise a child. Don't think we haven't had beautiful food in the meantime! I've even taken pictures---I've just not gotten around to writing or posting anything. Now that our homestudy has been approved, our base classes are completed, and our nursery is in the works of being decorated (I'm painting a mural! YAY!), I figure it's high time to get off my (seemingly lazy) rump and put up a few teasers....So my dearest readers, I will post a few pictures of some of my creations. Please feel feel to comment or email me as to which you'd like a full post about. My head is reeling from the possibilities.

Baked Gingery Asian wings

Baked turkey dim sum

Homemade Gravlax

My matzo brei

Homemade turkey breakfast sausage

21 clove salute wings

Sorta Bouillabase   

Forbidden  Greek lamb chops

Kentucky Jam cake with Caramel frosting

Healthy homemade pimento cheese sandwich

Pane di Pasta Dura

Baked Gefilte croquettes

Red Velvet cake with Neufchatel cheese frosting

Homestudy chicken

Cheater Paella

Pane di Latte e Zuccaro dragon

Challah horseshoe

Boar's bread

Smørrebrød

The Weight Watchers diet has gone well. It’s really the perfect solution for a foodie that needs to drop the pounds (and I'm down 20 so far). I can literally eat anything I please. And lately I’ve been in love with smørrebrød, beautiful open faced sandwiches that are the epitome of Danish cuisine.

Y’see, I ADORE bread, and frankly, am very unpleasant if I can’t eat it. I can easily do without the foods most people crave—sweets, salty snacks, etc.—because I tend to crave bread and fish. And Weight Watchers is a little harsh with points for bread. I also have learned that the more beautiful you make your food, the more you want to eat it, and the less you feel deprived. Hence pretty food= lose weight. Sooo, smørrebrød has become a good friend of mine.

Smørrebrød, literally means buttered bread. During the 1840s, Danish labourers and other employees had a lunch packed with different types of flat “Smørrebrød” which in their simplest form included slices of dense, dark rye bread smeared with butter or animal fat (was a moisture barrier), and topped with cold meats, smoked fish or leftovers from dinner the night before--just like an open-faced sandwich. Later, during the 1880s smørrebrød turned in to be a more sophisticated type of luncheon specialty. And the really high-falutin’ smørrebrød with delicious brown rye bread was served in restaurants with a variety of fresh, beautiful toppings. 

 

Yeah, I get a lot of info from these old things.

Smørrebrød were made beautifully and became an institution. In addition to having a regimented method of decorating the breads with toppings, smørrebrød also has a method of eating such delicacies. But I ignore some of that, since I’m at home and not in Denmark.

 

I happened to have avocado in the fridge and the other day I bought my first can of smoked trout at Trader Joe’s (man, I love that place). So this recipe, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sherried-sardine-toast-recipe/index.html , seemed like a natural jumping off point.

Alton's Smørrebrød

 Grab from the fridge

1 medium avocado (preferably Haas)

1 medium tomato

Your favorite mixed baby greens

Dispatch your avocado (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-1kj4t7DLA), and deposit all the flesh into a clean mixing bowl. Cheer that your heathen did dishes.

  

Dig in the fridge to find the old old old lemon languishing away in the fruit drawer (what DID you buy that for anyway?). Locate your microplane (or hand/cheese grater, it hits your knuckles every time you use it), and zest half of the lemon

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of  lemon zest

on top of the avocado. You can’t zest the dern thing after juicing it (trust me). Carve it’s now naked carcass and juice it to obtain

½ -1 tablespoon lemon juice

Fish around in the pantry (fish, get it? Hehehe. I haven’t had my tea yet this morning) and get out

             

1 can of oil packed smoked trout (or brisling sardines if ya want)

Open the can. Or attempt to. Realize that your lack of fingernails is hindering you and get a spoon to open the pull-top. Pray you don’t cut your knuckles (like you did that one time). Before the can is fully open, drain off the excess oil. I swear this tastes milder than that smelled. Flake and dump the trout into the bowl, 

and search through the drawer to find you kitchen shears. Get out a cup of water to heat for tea, you have to take a trip outside (Mind the lightning dogs at your feet! They’ll run you over!) and trim off about a handful of

           

Italian Parsley (cilantro is good too, if you’d rather)

Call the dogs in, have the dark one ignore you, and promise cookies. They like cookies. Watch your feet again as they race inside and to the kitchen. Give them each a cookie, and finely chop the parsley. Dump it in the bowl and squish everything together. Yeah, it looks gross, but it's yummy (and filling). Grab the pepper grinder. Salt and pepper the entire concoction to taste, and slice the tomato. Place the lettuce leaves, a scoop of trout mess, (this makes 2 hearty open faced sandwiches) and a couple of slices of tomato on a single slice of sourdough (I like a rustic country or a miche style loaf myself). Grab your tea, and smile.

Double Aix

I’m on my own this week; my heathen is on a business trip. That means I have to either a) cook normally, and eat the same thing for days (like roast chicken); or b) make single person meals. As anyone who has cooked for one can attest—it’s not always that easy to eat healthfully. To compound things, I’ve a cold. That means all I want is to have comforting classics made magically, that I didn’t have to cook or work hard at. Normally that means Matzo ball, Udon, Chicken Noodle, or Miso soups. For my Mom, it would mean tomato soup. From the can. Made only with water. Um yeah, I’m wanting more than that.

Aix-en- Provence duo

My Mom went to Aix recently (yes, I’m jealous). It is with her in mind that I made this meal—perfect for sicky me or anyone who wants a yummy soup/sammich combo. First, take

1 can of your favorite condensed tomato soup (it doesn’t really matter what brand)

1 can of your favorite chicken broth

1 tomato

Dump the soup and half the can of broth into a saucepan, over medium-low heat. Chop the tomato and toss it in. While this is working on the stove, rummage through your really messy spice cabinet (that you wish you could re-organize) and find

Saffron (a hefty pinch)

Basil (1/2- 1 tsp, depending on how much you like basil)

Oregano (1/4-1/2 tsp) OPTIONAL

Black Pepper and kosher salt (to taste)

Toss it all in the pot, stir, and turn your attention to your sandwich. Locate

Camembert or Brie

Dijon (or you favorite Deli style mustard)

Tomato

Your favorite deli style thin-cut turkey (or if you like ham, get a mandrange or Bayonne)

Sourdough bread

Stir the soup, and taste. Correct seasonings as necessary. Take the sliced sourdough and spread the mustard on one side (both if you’re really a mustard fan). Add a wad of your turkey. On the other bread slice, place a couple slices of cheese and 2-3 sliced of thinly cut tomato. In a skillet, warm over medium-high heat

½ tsp (or slightly less) olive oil

Place the cheese covered slice on the olive oil and turn it in the pan once to thoroughly coat the bottom of the slice.  Stir the soup, and find a plate and bowl. When the cheese looks slightly melty, add the turkey covered slice.  Go find a clean spoon in the dishwasher, since there’s none in the drawer. Sigh as you realize that you need to do some dishes, even if all you want to do is curl into a ball with a blanket, some tea, and the remote control. Using a spatula, or spoon, or whatever, lift the sandwich and pour in another

½ tsp olive oil

Flip the sandwich so that the turkey covered slice is on the bottom, and cook another 1-2 minutes (depending on heat), until both sides are lovely, grilled, brown yumminess. Stir the soup again, and cut the heat. Find your tray (you’re eating this on the couch with that tea and remote, right?) Pour the soup into a bowl, pull apart the grilled sandwich and tuck in some lettuce or cabbage leaf (to pretend you’re getting veggies), plate, and enjoy.

This dish has 3 Weight Watchers points for the soup, and 12 for the sandwich. It’s a little high for a meal, but it includes your healthy fat. And you’re sick, so you’re not eating much else anyway.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The heathen and I went out for breakfast with friends Saint Patrick's morning at a local pub. We had a lovely time; free food, good drinks, lots of laughs, and best of all, cupcakes. A dear friend of mine created these delicious little monsters. We're thankful they're minis, they're bursting with big flavor.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 40 minutes | Bake Time: 17 minutes

For the Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

For the Baileys Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream

1. To Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.

3. To Make the Whiskey Ganache Filling: Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

4. To Fill the Cupcakes: Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

5. To Make the Baileys Frosting: Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.

6. Using your favorite decorating tip, or an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes and decorate with (green ) sprinkles. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container.

**Please note: I did not really measure the Jamesons & the Bailey's. I used more of um... a "free pour" method until I thought it tasted right. 

 

Thanks again to my friend for these yummy flavor bombs =)