tortellini salad

not every meal can be a freddington, and sometimes you just don't have the time or the energy to do anything fancy.  i've made this tortellini salad a few times, and i figure it's finally time to post it.

this particular dish is quick (less than 30 minutes to prepare), easy (can you boil water?), and tasty.  i'm sure there variations on the theme that are also worthwhile.


ingredients:
- one 9 oz package of pre-made tortellini (i used spinach and cheese this time)
- one pint frozen green peas (courtesy of dad's garden)
- bacon pieces
- parmesan cheese

preparation:
simmer the peas for approximately 20 minutes or until tender.  i add a little garlic powder, salt, and pepper, but other seasonings can certainly be used.

cook the tortellini per the package instructions.  yes, it's pre-made (so it's technically cheating), but whatever.  it takes approximately 8 minutes to cook in a pot of water with a little olive oil.

toss the pasta with the cooked peas, sprinkle in some bacon pieces, and top with cheese.  bon appetit!

beef freddington

what, you ask, is beef freddington?  well, it is what you get when you adapt beef wellington by removing the mushrooms.  this recipe is probably the most ambitious thing i have ever cooked (and certainly the fanciest), and i created it the day after thanksgiving (by special request from my sister).  she wanted beef wellington but hates mushrooms (and frankly, who can blame her for that).

selfie!

after reviewing the all-knowing internet, i found ways to adapt the recipe to remove mushrooms...but most resources vehemently declared that removing the mushrooms effectively makes it something other than "beef wellington."  so my sister said that i could call it "beef freddington."  i think this works just fine.

because you sometimes need to eat something other than turkey the day after thanksgiving

the basis for my recipe comes from chef gordon ramsay's beef wellington recipe (see video here and recipe here), to which i made various adaptations.  it's not a terribly difficult recipe to follow, but the preparation is a little time-consuming.

ingredients:
- about 1.5 pounds beef tenderloin (yeah, this is xpnsv)
- proscuitto (i used 6 slices)
- english mustard
- one small eggplant
- package of raw chestnuts (approximately 1 pound unshelled)
- 2 cloves garlic
- puff pastry (i used two sheets of frozen pastry)
- 1/2 granny smith apple
- rosemary and thyme
- salt/pepper
- 2 egg yolks
- olive oil

preparation:
i roasted (and shelled) the beforehand using instructions found online, which turned out to be a good thing.  shelling chestnuts is very time-consuming, and it makes ones thumbs hurt after awhile.  i ended up with about a quart of shelled nuts.

i salted/peppered the tenderloin, put olive oil in a hot cast-iron pan, and seared the meat just enough to get a nice caramelized color on all sides (including top and bottom).  as a hint, pressing the meat up against the side of the pan helps provide a nice sear.  remove the meat from the stove and brush english mustard on the entire tenderloin.  set aside to cool while preparing the duxelles.

you might think it's too much mustard...but it is not

the duxelles is the filling between the puff pastry and the meat (apparently used as a tasty moisture barrier).  where normally it's made of minced mushrooms, i made my own version.  mix the (chopped) eggplant, half a granny smith apple, the garlic, and the chestnuts and blitz together with salt/pepper in a food processor.  i made a rather coarse mixture, but i think it would work better to make a very fine mixture.  cook the mixture in a hot, dry pan (maybe medium heat) to help dry out any remaining moisture.  i also added fresh rosemary and dried thyme.  once the mixture is starting to brown (it took maybe 10-15 minutes), remove the duxelles from the pan and set aside to cool.

using a long sheet of cling wrap as a platform (leave it on the roll), take the proscuitto and overlap it a rectangle.  i made my rectangle to rows of three.  add a little black pepper.  once the duxelles are cooled, spread them on the proscuitto (leaving a clear edge of approximately 1/2" around the perimeter).  put the beef in the center and use the cling wrap to fold the proscuitto/duxelles around it.  tightly wrap the cling wrap around the beef (squeezing the ends together to create a log).  refrigerate for about 15 minutes to allow it to get firm.

 

 

encase the beef in puff pastry; i had to connect my two sheets of puff pastry together to get something long enough to fully encase the freddington.  trim any excess pastry (use it for dessert!  i cut it into squares, brushed with butter, added a little jam or honey/nuts, twisted the tops together, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and baked at 400°F for about 15 minutes) and twist the ends of the freddington together.

yummy

again, tightly wrap the freddington in cling wrap and return the cylinder to the fridge.  i did my prep in the morning and didn't cook it until evening, so i left it there awhile.  apparently this is something that you can prepare in advance for dinner parties or whatever.

when you're ready to cook, remove the freddington from the fridge and brush with egg yolk (i mixed the two egg yolks with a little water to make it easier to brush on).  for decorative purposes, use the back of the knife to create a line down the spine of the freddington, and then twist the knife down the sides to create a ribbing effect.  sprinkle the top with a little salt.

bake in the oven at 400°F for approximately 35 minutes or so.  the meat shouldn't be overcooked, so you're looking for a nice rare to mid-rare.  i used a meat thermometer to tell me when the internal temperature was approximately 125°F.  remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

almost a pretzel texture on the very outside

verdict:
this was totally worth the effort.  the aroma as i sliced the freddington was amazing; there was a sweetness (probably the chestnuts and the apple), but it wasn't overly sweet.  the eggplant was hard to distinguish, which makes me think that mushrooms may not be noticeable if they were used, either.  the english mustard (used because it has more of a kick than regular mustard) isn't overpowering, but you can definitely taste it on the palate.  obviously, the middle of the roast was a little more rare than the edges, but everything was exceedingly tender.

so good...

i would make a few changes to the recipe in the future, though:

• as i noted previously, i would chop the duxelles a little finer in the future, and i might use a little more apple.
• for future wrapping purposes, i would probably also overlap the cling wrap; the roast was a little longer than i had anticipated, so there wasn't quite enough width of cling wrap to effectively roll the freddington.  having a doubled width would make that a non-issue.
• i'd also do a better job putting the puff pastry sheets together.  as you can see below, there was a slight split in the seam.
• i would also roast this on a baking rack (as opposed to directly in a pan).  despite the moisture barrier of the duxelles, there were still some juices that the puff pastry sat in, and cooking on a rack would prevent that slight sogginess.

it split =(

stuffed shells

i am by no means an expert at cooking italian cuisine.  however, i have cooked my mom's stuffed shells recipe for italians before, and they have told me how good they are.  i figure this is pretty high praise...especially considering how she originally got the recipe off a box of pasta.

i've adapted the recipe in recent years due to my own experimentation and due to the fact that mom has incorporated vegetables into her shells.  and since i happen to like how that works, i've blatantly stolen her methods.

 ingredients:
- box of large pasta shells
- container of ricotta cheese (i used a 15 oz container)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- parsley
- garlic powder
- basil/oregano
- salt/pepper
- jar of spaghetti sauce (i used almost a whole 24 oz jar)
- one zucchini (smallish)
- sausage (i used two links of pre-cooked italian-style chicken sausage)

note that this recipe won't make enough stuffing for a whole box of shells.  i tend to overstuff the shells, so i end up with 16-20.

preparation:
cook the shells according to the package instructions.  while the shells are cooking, mix the three cheeses, the eggs, herbs, and spices.  note: reserve a little mozzarella for the topping since it melts so nicely.  in the cooking pan, spoon a thin layer of sauce.  add chopped sausage and zucchini to the dish.  i sliced the zucchini into medallions and then sliced each medallion in thirds.  the sausage, i simply cut it into small chunks.

after the shells are cooked and drained (let them cool a little bit), spoon about 1 tbsp of cheese mixture into each one.  place the stuffed shells into the pan.  spoon more sauce over the pan of shells (enough to coat them all) and sprinkle with cheese.  as i said before, the recipe calls for mozzarella, but i had to make use of parmesan...the horrors!

cover and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes (or until the sauce starts to bubble).

i only fit maybe 10 shells into my pan.  however, the lovely thing about this recipe is that you can freeze the shells for use later.  i stashed the remaining 7-8 shells on a pan in the freezer for a couple hours until they hardened.  that way, they're easy to transfer into freezer bags.

verdict:
i know this is a good recipe; it's pretty much tried and true.  there are a few things that didn't work quite so well this time, though.  i don't think i cooked everything quite long enough.  although the sauce was starting to bubble, the zucchini was a touch al dente.  this may be in part due to the pan i used; it isn't one that's cooked shells before, so i maybe needed a little extra time.  also, i didn't have any aluminum foil, so i had to tent the pan with parchment paper (with aluminum on one side).  necessity is the mother of invention!

baked pineapple

pineapple is pretty much awesome.  admittedly, it's not an apple, and it doesn't taste/smell like pine, but that's beside the point.  and baking a pineapple should make it twice as awesome.  especially if it's done to look like how (a surprisingly cheerful) gordon ramsay cooks it.  which is to say that it's baked in a salt crust.  for reference, the recipe is here.

unfortunately, i am not gordon ramsay.  which means that my experiment was pretty much a failure.  i'm not even bothering to photograph this disaster because, well, it kind of looked like a regular pinapple afterwards.  i ended up just butchering the pineapple in a traditional fashion for later consumption.

part of the problem may be that i used a non-miniature pineapple.  using a regular sized pineapple may have made it need to bake longer, which i didn't really do.  a secondary problem may have been my salt-crusting technique.  i don't think i made the salt mixture wet enough (not enough egg), so it didn't stick.  very frustrating.

maybe i'll try it again...but not anytime soon, i don't think.

shrimp creole

so jackie recently gave me an assortment of spices and a recipe for what is supposedly the most authentic gumbo ever.  said recipe came from diane at spice it to a tea (in brevard, nc).  upon closer examination, the recipe says it's for shrimp sauce piquante (aka shrimp creole), and wikipedia seems to imply that gumbo and shrimp creole are slightly different recipes.

regardless of semantics, it is in fact pretty darn good.

this particular recipe probably took me upwards of four hours to finish, and it makes about six servings.  i was quite impressed.

ingredients:
- 2/3 cup oil (i used grapeseed oil)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 3/4 cup sliced scallions
- 2/3 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 tablsepoons minced parsley
- one pound canned whole peeled tomatoes (i was duly informed that using the "san marzano" brand was imperative)
- eight ounce can tomato sauce
- approximately 1 pint of chopped okra
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
- 4 tablespoons dry red wine
- 4 bay leaves
- 6 whole allspice
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon mace
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 cups water
- 2 pounds shrimp

preparation:
instead of using water, i decided to use the shrimp shells to make stock.  the shrimp i got were headless and pre-deveined, so i just peeled them and add the shells to a pot of water.  i boiled them for about an hour or so with a little garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne.

i prepared the vegetables (it takes a surprisingly long time...maybe 30 minutes or more) and added them all to a bowl before even starting on the roux.  i should also note that i didn't specifically measure the vegetables.  if there was a little more or less, i wasn't too fussed.

for the roux, i heated the oil in a large pot and gradually added the flour, stirring constantly.  the roux should be cooked over low (to medium-low) heat until it turns a medium brown (the color of peanut butter).  this takes a significant amount of patience and constant stirring, and i ended up spending about 30 minutes getting it to look right.

remove the pot from the heat and add the vegetables (sans okra) and parsley.  mix well with the roux and return to low heat.  cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables begin to brown (approximately 15-20 minutes).

mix in the canned tomatoes and sauce, add the chives, wine, seasonings, and lemon juice, and stir thoroughly.  raise the heat and bring to a low boil for maybe 15 minutes.  add the water/shrimp stock, stir, and simmer for 45 minutes.  add the shrimp and okra and simmer for 20 minutes.  remove from heat and allow to stand (covered )for about 10 minutes before serving.

verdict:
served over white rice, this was a good dish for a cold, blustery afternoon.  i was expecting a little more kick, but it wasn't excessively spicy.  the tomato seems to tone things down a little, but a light burn does hit the palate after the first couple bites.  i would cook this again, though i might be tempted to throw in even more vegetables and maybe some sausage.  maybe that's not an authentic way of adapting the recipe, but it seems like it would be a most enjoyable adaptation.

a few comments, though:

• if you let someone else help measure out the spices and whatnot, it helps if said assistant can read the measuring spoons.  mine isn't sure if she used two teaspoons (or two 1/2 tablespoons) of salt!
• despite the recipe's direction to crush the bay leaves, this i would rather leave them whole (and then fish them out before serving) in the future...because crushed bay leaves seem to get stuck in teeth.
• more shrimp may be preferable.  after the fourth serving, the number of shrimp seemed to taper off.
• this is a rather time-consuming (but worthwhile) dish; apparently it is a good idea to double the size of the sauce recipe and then freeze it for future use (thaw it and drop in fresh shrimp at that point in time).  it would certainly help the problem of "what am i going to do with all these extra chives and parsley?"

pumpkin banana bread

referencing again my pumpkin experimentation, i decided to attempt a pumpkin bread with cream cheese.  things morphed when i realized i didn't have as muh pumpkin puree left as i thought.  so i tossed in a soft banana that happened to be laying around.

this attempt was based on the banana bread recipe, with some minor revisions.  the flour/sugar/etc proportions are the same, but i obviously used pumpkin puree.  i had maybe 2-3 cups of puree, which didn't seem like enough...so i mushed up a small banana, as well.  in addition, i added some ground cloves, some cinnamon, and some nutmeg because i figured it'd be a good idea.

due to poor planning and inadequate research, my attempt at incorporating cream cheese backfired.  clearly, just putting chunks of cream cheese in the bread batter does not work; it doesn't bake particularly well, it isn't particularly appetizing, and it makes the bread fall apart.  so i ended up breaking the bread open and spooning the cream cheese out.  in hindsight, the internet says that mixing the cream cheese with sugar, egg, and vanilla extract, and spooning a thin layer into the banana bread would be the way to go.  duly noted, internet...duly noted.

aside from wasting cream cheese, the bread itself is marvelous.  will have to try again!

pumpkin pancakes

once i made pumpkin puree, the next step is to do something with it.  i decided to experiment with pancakes.  for dinner, no less!

this recipe, which was cobbled together from about three pumpkin pancake recipes i found online, took maybe 30 minutes or so to prepare and cook, and it makes about three brian-sized portions.

i will also say that the ordinary syrup i had in my pantry was apparently "too old," so i was presented with a container of maple syrup on the condition that i threw the previous syrup away.  needless to say, that was done...

ingredients:
- 3/4 cup oatmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
- cinnamon, nutmeg, clove
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 egg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- dried cranberries

preparation:
mix the dry ingredients (and cranberries) together in one bowl.  mix the wet ingredients together in a second bowl, and then slowly incorporate them into the dry ingredients.

bring a pan up to just over medium heat (this is the tricky part; previous stoves required a medium-high heat for pancakes, but my current one didn't like that).  add some oil or butter to the pan, and spoon in a dollop of batter (between 1/4 and 1/3 cup per pancake).  i started with canola oil but switched to butter on jackie's recommendation.  she thinks i should use coconut oil in the future (which is probably not a bad idea; i've used it before with good results).

as with all pancakes, cook until the edges bubble and then flip.  remove and eat.

pictures and discussion:
this was a mixed result.  i started out with unimpressive results that are documented below.

initial, not-pretty pancakes:

i started out using my cast iron pan.  i've successfully cooked very pretty pancakes on cast iron before, so i know it's possible.  however, i'm fairly certain that i got the pan too hot, which made for some cajun-style pancakes.  however, despite their appearance, they still tasted good.  they didn't even have the crunchy texture usually associated with burnt food.

subsequent, prettier results:

i swapped to a regular non-stick pan (and butter) to get these results.

overall verdict:
although tasty, i admit that these pancakes are not very traditional.  they were kind of dense and not particularly fluffy.  additionally, the pumpkin inside seemed to be a little moist (not uncooked, but definitely not pancakey).  still, they were very autumnal; pumpkin and cranberry does seem to play together nicely, and the maple syrup is an excellent topping.

i think the issues were the result of several factors:  first, i may have used too much oatmeal.  i started with about 1/2 cup, but i added a little more to thicken the batter.  the oats probably made for a little extra-dense cake.  also, i may have used too much pumpkin.  none of the recipes i referenced used quite so much, but i thought, "hey, more is better, right?"  a little less pumpkin would have still given the flavor without the unnecessary moisture.  finally, getting the temperature right from the get-go is probably an important factor.

maybe next time i'll just break down and get bisquick and add pumpkin?

pumpkin puree

with the risk of being trite, i wanted to play with some pumpkin.  i've never really cooked with it before, and i wanted to see how difficult it was to work with.  the store happened to have some of said pumpkins on sale (how serendipitous and alliterative!), so why not?

in this case, i found alton brown's good eats episode on pumpkin pie to be very useful.  the recipe is here, and the video (very useful) is here.

ingredients:
- baking pumpkin (roughly 3ish pounds, maybe?)
- salt

preparation:
break the stem off the pumpkin and split it in half (top to bottom).  scoop out the seeds and guts (and save for roasting later).  sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin with salt; per mr. brown, it helps absorb some of the water content.  place pumpkin halves on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and bake at 400°F for about 30-45 minutes.  you can tell it's done when the skin is soft enough to poke easily with a fork or knife.

remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 30-60 minutes.  very important not to burn your fingers!

theoretically, you have to scoop the pumpkin out of the skin and into a food processor.  however, in my case, i just lifted the skin off the pumpkin, and then i had to spoon it from the pan into the processor.  so it works.  puree the roasted pumpkin until smooth and refrigerate/freeze.

Cuban-Inspired House Rubbed Pulled Pork

Guest Entree Entry

2 tbsp Lime Riesling grapeseed oil (Oil & Vinegar, Greenville)

1 oz House Rub* (Spice it to a Tea, Brevard)

1 tbsp salt

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, ½ coarsely chopped ½ quartered

1 lime, juiced and strained

1 orange, juiced and strained

4 lbs boneless pork (roast/loin/shoulder)
 

Place the chopped onions in a Crock Pot. Mix the oil, rub, salt, garlic, and fruit juices in a medium bowl.  Cut off as much fat as you can from the pork.  It will only make it harder to pull the pork later if you leave the fat on.  Make slits in the pork and dip in the wet seasoning; coating thoroughly.  Place in the Crock Pot on top of the onions, pour remaining liquid over the pork and top with quartered onions.  Cook on low for 6 hours; flipping it once 1/2 way through.  Pull apart with 2 forks.  Put back into the Crock Pot to allow the juice to coat the pulled pork.

 

Verdict:  Melts in your mouth!  It was very tasty, full of many different flavors; all the spices coupled with the citrus fruits.  Absolutely delicious!  Plenty to freeze for a later date too.  I am very glad I had made it over to Brevard yesterday or else I wouldn't have had the House Rub to add to this dish; compliments of Diane! You have to go see her shop in Brevard, NC - Spice it to a Tea!  Well worth the trip over there, always! 

 

*Ground tea, brown sugar, Ceylon, curry powder, cumin, Szechuan pepper, cayenne pepper, black pepper, star anise, cloves, fennel seed, ginger, mace, sea salt

Simple Sprout Salad

Guest Entrée Entry

Brussel sprouts, 1 bag steamed, cut in ½

3 strips cooked bacon, chopped

3 oz Danish blue cheese, crumbled

1 cup whole walnuts

1.5 tbsp Marc de Champagne vinegar, drizzled

Salt + pepper to taste

Mix above ingredients. 

 

Verdict:  I think the whole walnuts were not a good idea; I would likely chop them in the future or try chopped pecans instead, perhaps even candied.  It wouldn’t hurt to have more bacon and cheese in this dish as well (that could be said about any dish, essentially).  Brian frowns on adding extra salt to dishes with bacon and/or cheese in them… I lightly seasoned this salad, but I would probably go a little heavier next time.  It’s missing something… an herb or a spice, maybe nutmeg and/or clove, especially if I change it to candied pecans.  The bitterness of the brussel sprouts prevailed; it was a good idea for a change up to plain brussel spouts, but I will have to keep working on this one.  I am very open to suggestions.  But I do think the presentation does look better than all the other ones I have posted! ;)

butternut squash and corn bisque

as a recurring theme, i recently obtained some butternut squash from my dad's garden.  in an effort to do something adventurous and experimental, i decided to make a soup with it.  and i'll admit, jackie's recent soup may have made me think about making something of that nature on my own.  also, i wanted to empty out my freezer a little bit...

this was a sort of time-consuming endeavor (about an hour and a half or so for total preparation and cooking), but soups aren't quick.  so i'm okay with that.  all told, there are probably about five brian-sized portions out of this pot of soup.

ingredients:
- 3 ears corn
- 3 butternut squash (one kind of smallish, two medium)
- chicken stock (about 4-5 cups)
- seasonings (nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme, cayenne/black pepper, salt)
- olive oil

the chicken stock was left over from making a pot of roasted potato soup awhile back, so i pulled it out of the freezer and made use of it instead of buying some stock or just using water.


preparation:
shuck the corn, coat with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and a little cayenne pepper.  place on a baking pan.  scrub the butternut squash, cut off the stem, and cut them lengthwise.  scoop out (and reserve) the seeds.  coat the cut side of the squash with olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne, and place face down on the baking pan with the corn.

roast the vegetables at 400°F for approximately 40 minutes or until the squash is tender to the fork-touch.  while the vegetables are roasting, wash the squash seeds and coat them with the olive oil and spice mixture (left over from coating the squash).  set aside on little pan for toasting (i actually used a small square of aluminum foil left over from some previous experiment).

once the vegetables are out of the oven, let them cool off for a few minutes (very important or else you burn your fingers...trust me, i'm all too familiar with the consequences).  cut the corn off the cob, scoop the squash out of the skin, and add it all to the chicken stock.  add salt, pepper (black and cayenne), some cinnamon and nutmeg, and some thyme.  simmer for approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  while the soup is simmering, bring the oven down to 350°F and toast the seeds for about 10-12 minutes.  if you start hearing the seeds popping around in the oven, they're probably done.  remove from the oven and set aside.

puree the soup in a blender until reasonably smooth.  note to self: do NOT put too much in the blender...it may try to explode all over the place...danger, will robinson!  serve with toasted squash seeds sprinkled on top.


verdict:
we struggled on what to call it ("chowder" seems to be nominally a cream-based potato and/or seafood soup, and "soup" seems to be too non-descriptive), but we eventually settled on "bisque," which seems appropriate.  it was surprisingly filling, and it had a nice mixture of sweetness and spiciness; the cayenne gave enough of a kick without burning out the palate.  the addition of the toasted seeds was perhaps the most important part; it provided a textural contrast that was necessary since the vegetables were all pureed together.

for future reference, i may not have added quite enough thyme (that flavor wasn't particularly noticeable in the final product).  also, i think that ground cloves would have been a good addition to the flavor profile.

this is an interesting experiment.  i admit i made it mostly as a novelty, but it turned out well.  it's something i would probably attempt again, but it isn't what i'd go back to again and again.  and i'd definitely wait until fall/winter next time...as tasty as it is, it just doesn't work for a relatively warm summer night.

hash and eggs

i felt like experimenting tonight.  and what i ended up making was nothing like what i originally intended.  but that's okay because it turned out moderately successfully.

in this case, i put a spin on hash and eggs.  total time was approximately 40 minutes (prep plus cook times), and i can probably get two brian meals out of it.

ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant (courtesy of dad's garden)
- handful of potatoes (also courtesy of the garden)
- 1 small onion (starting to see a theme yet?)
- 2 medium-ish tomatoes (yup...definitely a theme)
- 2 eggs (nope...he doesn't raise chickens)
- olive oil
- spices (paprika, rosemary, garlic powder, basil, salt/pepper)

preparation:
chop the potatoes and eggplant, and toss them in a bowl with olive oil.  for what it's worth, i quartered the eggplant lengthwise and chopped each sliver in about 1/2 inch chunks.  mix in the spices (sans basil) and stir until the vegetables are thoroughly coated.

in a separate bowl, roughly chop the tomatoes and mix with basil.

spread the potatotes/eggplant on a lined plan and roast at 400°F for about 22 minutes.  remove from oven and set aside.

add some olive oil to a large pan and bring to a medium-high heat.  stir in the tomatoes and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.  stir in the rest of the vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes.

cook eggs over-easy(ish) and serve on top of the hash.

verdict:
this was much better than i was expecting.  i've never been a fan of runny eggs (or so i thought), but it works amazingly well when the yolk coats the potatoes and eggplant.  the tomato cooks down and gives a little tang to the whole dish.  i'm not an expert on cooking eggs in this particular fashion (hence the less-than-stellar picture), but i guess i can learn.

however, i do have two mild complaints.  first, the potatoes were a little hard.  when i do this sort of thing again, i'll chop them smaller and/or roast them a little longer.  second, i had intended to sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on the mixture.  oh well...there's always next time!

Butternut Squash + Apple Soup

*Guest Entree Entry*

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp organic coconut oil
1 + ½ cups chopped yellow/white onions
2 tbsp curry powder certified organic, salt free (Spice It To A T, Brevard)
4 cups (2 medium + 1 small) butternut squash, peeled, gutted & quartered (compliments of Brian's dad's garden... Brian and I are becoming quite the "Peter Rabbits" of Farmer Richards' garden)
5 medium mixed apples (Mutzo, Honey Crisp, Gala), peeled, cored, & quartered
2 cups water
1 + ½ cups apple cider
Salt + pepper to taste

Mix butter, coconut oil, onions, curry, salt + pepper in a sauce pan and simmer over medium/low heat for 15 minutes until onions are soft.  Then add in squash, apples, and 2 cups of water.  Simmer over medium heat for about 35-45 minutes until squash + apples start to soften.  (It’s worth the wait.)

 

Then, transfer the mixture into a blender.  I used my Magic Bullet to blend about 1 + ½ cups at a time… the first blended batch created a vacuum in the blender container and I struggled for a good 10 minutes trying to get my precious soup out of it!  I was very close to knocking on the neighbor’s door at 10:30pm to help me open it!  Nevertheless, 3 minutes in the freezer helped loosen it up.  And now you are wondering why I was cooking this at 10:30pm… well, I decided I would be SMART and cook two soups simultaneously… modifying my Curried Tomato +Okra Stew (see below) with Red Thai Curry spice instead… and the prep of both soups started at 8:30pm… thank God I cut the Okra up this morning, but peeling 8 tomatoes, chopping 6 onions, chopping 3 cloves of garlic, peeling, gutting, & quartering 3 squash, and doing just about the same to 5 apples was a lot of work!  So, after about 60 minutes of prep between the two soups, I started rolling around 9:30pm, maybe not so smart after all… I digress, now back to the recipe… oh yes, so after pureeing the mixture, transfer it back into the sauce pan and add 1 + ½ cups of apple cider.  Simmer again over medium heat for another 5 minutes or so until well blended.

Verdict: This is an extremely unique soup, full of many different types of flavors.  It’s sweet but has a lot of heat at the same time.  I am speculating the cayenne from the curry powder is responsible for the magnitude of the heat. The texture is wonderful too, very smooth with a pleasant thickness.  I am interested to find out if clove sugar would work well in this as well (picked up from Spice It Up, Hendersonville).  But I am too full at the moment to try that extra ingredient.  Oh and this pairs very nicely with Clos du Bois Savignon Blanc!  YUM!  I definitely will be doing again sometime.

better with bacon

i have vegetables that need to be eaten (a terribly onerous task, too...), and i have some leftover bacon from a previous recipe.  i decided to use them all together.  because everything is better with bacon.

this would probably work as a non-traditional beans and potatoes side dish, but i just ate it as my entree for dinner.  i'd already eaten a big meal for lunch (see previous post), and this was easy enough and light enough.  all told, this takes maybe 45 minutes and provides about two brian-sized servings.

ingredients:
- new potatoes (handful)
- green beans (couple cups)
- bacon (2 slices, roughly chopped)
- olive oil
- spices

preparation:
cut the potatoes into chunks, and mix in a bowl with green beans.  coat thoroughly with olive oil and add spices.  in this case, i used salt/pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, sage, and paprika.  toss the mixture until everything is coated evenly.  pour on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400°F for about 35 minutes.

about 15 minutes into the cooking, toss the bacon onto the pan.  with about 20 minutes left in the oven, there is plenty of time for the bacon to get fully cooked.

verdict:
this is a fairly straightforward recipe.  the potatoes and beans get reasonably crisped, and the bacon gives a little extra flavor to make the whole thing come together nicely.  i bet carrots would also be a nice addition.

spoon's bbq

for the past several weeks, i've been wanting some good barbeque.  i had gotten the desire a month or two back, and the bbq place i ate at in anderson, sc, just didn't do the trick.  then i remembered having gotten bbq way back in the day from a place down on south boulevard (in charlotte):  spoon's barbeque.  it's eastern nc style pork with a tradition in bbq that goes back to the 1960s...if they've been around for 50 years, they have to have something going for them!

i had thought about it one day and mentioned it in passing to my mother.  apparently the desire for good pork barbeque is contagious because she stopped by spoon's while she was in town to pick some up for herself.  sadly for mom, the retaurant was closed for vacation that particular weekend.  and luckily for me, i happened to talk to her (and learned about their schedule) before driving down to get some.

today, though, i was down visiting some friends in the northern part of charlotte, and i figured it was a perfect opportunity to get some pork goodness.  they were open, and it was wonderful.  you know you're in the south when the sweet tea is done right, and that's just the start.  then you get the hushpuppies; some places have the spectacular quiet dogs, and i'll admit that spoon's isn't one of them.  but they're nicely browned and crunchy, and they work well for dipping in the brunswick stew.

said stew is also pretty good, and that's next to the cole slaw (which i normally don't eat, but this was sweet and crunchy and rather good) and the pork itself.  most important is the sauce.  i'd forgotten how much i like the vinegar-based sauce on the pork.  particularly, i like how the vinegar evaporates off the hot pork for the first couple bites, and you just inhale it.  granted, it makes me cough, but i likes it.

so yeah, i got a nice lunch today...and brought home some pork bbq, some brunswick stew, and some sauce for later.  i'll have to wander back again!

Curried Tomato & Okra Stew

Guest Entree Entry

 

4 tbsp extra light olive oil

2 medium-small yellow onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp yellow Indian curry (Spice It To A Tea)
1 tbsp dried parsley
Salt + pepper to taste, generously
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2 tbsp chardonnay garlic grapeseed oil

2 cups cut okra

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3 cups peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 bullion chicken stock cube, melted in 1c boiling water

 

In a skillet, heat olive oil and add onions, garlic, and seasonings.  Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add in okra and the grapeseed oil and sauté for another 5 minutes.  Then add tomatoes and chicken stock.  Allow to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, covered.

Verdict:  Very good and tasty!  I would suspect that this would go nicely with orzo in it or over rice as well.  Oh the possibilities. 

Summer Casserole

Guest Entree Entry

1-1.5lbs lean ground beef (1.36lbs 93%/7%)

2 medium-small yellow onions chopped

4 gloves garlic chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

------

1 heaping tsp cumin
16oz medium salsa

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2 large zucchinis quartered and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
2 ears of corn, boiled/cooked and cut off the kernels

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Wheat tortillas
Pepper jack cheese
Sour cream

In a large skillet, combine beef, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper, cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then sprinkle the cumin over the mixture and add in the jar of salsa. Cook over medium heat for about another 10 minutes. Then add in the zucchini chunks and cooked corn kernels and cook over medium heat for about another 10 minutes.

Serve over a wheat tortilla topped with shredded pepper jack cheese and sour cream.

Verdict:  Very flavorful, though I could stand for more heat.  Next time I will try it with a hot salsa.

eggplant, tomato, and turkey

last year, i had attempted a casserole that was moderately successful.  and when i raided my dad's garden this past weekend (i'm a regular peter rabbit, i am!), i absconded with a couple (small) eggplants.  he apparently wanted to see what they looked like while growing, so he planted a few this year.

i decided to tweak my previous recipe and try something a little different.  this time, i took some ground turkey, some eggplant, and some fresh tomato to make a casserole.  i was going to add some green peas, but they just didn't seem appropriate for this recipe.

prep + cook time was approximately 45 minutes.  this appears to be about three brian-sized portions.

ingredients:
- one large tomato
- two smallish eggplants
- one pound ground turkey
- olive oil
- various spices (salt/pepper, chili powder, oregano, basil, garlic, paprika, sage)
- feta cheese
- some parmesan (because it was there)

preparation:
brown the turkey on medium-high heat, pour off the grease, and layer in the bottom of a casserole dish.  i added salt and pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and some oregano while browning the meat.

peel/slice the tomato and layer it on top of the turkey.  add salt/pepper, basil, oregano, and whatever else smells nice.  i added a little sage. just because.  sprinkle a good amount of feta cheese on top of the tomato.

peel (most of) the skin from the eggplant and slice thinly.  brown the eggplant on medium-high heat with some olive oil, salt, and pepper.  once browned, layer the eggplant slices on top of the casserole.  sprinkle a little parmesan on top.

bake at 350°F for approximately 25 minutes.

verdict:
taste-wise, this is amazing.  the chili powder and pepper gave it a bite that wasn't too overpowering, and the overall spice mix gave a nice, savory flavor.  texture-wise, the eggplant proved problematic again.  the general consistency of the casserole worked nicely, too.  i was afraid that there wouldn't be enough juice, but the tomato cooked down just enough to allow a little something in the bottom of the pan -- but without everything being too soupy.

i had hoped that browning it in the olive oil would provide a sufficient barrier against over-cooking and toughness.  sadly, this is not the case...the eggplant was kind of chewy.  i'm at a loss on how to adjust things for the future.  possibly, i could put the tomato slices on top of the eggplant.  theoretically, this could allow the tomato to caramelize (which is an interesting notion).  this bears consideration.

in the meantime, go me!

ratatouille

so i was looking at my supply of vegetables, and i wanted to do something different with my zucchini.  since i have this nifty copy of joy of cooking (courtesy of my sister), i went to the index to see what it would have for summer squash.  lo and behold, it sent me to a ratatouille recipe.  i decided to modify the recipe (slightly).

prep time is about 15 minutes, and total cooking time is about 45 minutes.  no rodent assistance with the cooking is required, even...i can do the preparation without a rat pulling my hair and jerking my arms around!

there appear to be about three brian-sized portions.

ingredients:
- 1 small eggplants (probably about a half-pound)
- 2 zucchini (again, about a half-pound)
- a few small sweet onions (hey, i had them so i figured i'd use them...)
- 3 garlic cloves
- a pint of diced tomatoes (canned from dad's garden)
- olive oil
- basil, thyme, salt/pepper

preparation:
although the recipe implies that the vegetables can be prepared as the food is cooking, i'd prefer to prepare everything before i start the cooking process.  as such, peel the eggplant (apparently the skin is tough) and cut into one-inch chunks.  also, cut the zucchini into chunks (skin can remain).  on a separate plate, slice the onions and finely chop the garlic.

add olive oil to a large skillet and to a medium heat.  add the zucchini and eggplant and cook, stirring until golden and barely tender (about 10 minutes).  remove the vegetables.

add the onions with a little olive oil until slightly softened and then add the garlic.  stir occasionally until tender but not brown (it took me about 6 minutes).

add the tomatoes, thyme, and salt/pepper.  reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.  add the eggplant and squash, and cook until everything is tender (about 20 minutes more).  stir in basil.

verdict:
i think it was the combination of the basil and tomato, but the dish was sweeter than i expected.  it also needs something to sop up all the juice; if i hadn't already planned on the starch of the corn, i'd've cooked some rice.  i like the flavor combinations, but it does seem to lack something.  maybe it has something to do with the fact that the diced tomatoes didn't really have any structure (they all fell apart in the pan).  if/when i cook this again, i'll have to play with it and see what else could work.  possibly carrots and green beans?

beyond all this, i had planned on sprinkling feta cheese on top.  but i forgot.  sadness.  i'll just have to remember to do it for the leftovers!

parmesan green beans

it's summer!  and as everyone knows, summer means vegetables...preferably raided from a garden.  in this case, i raided my dad's garden this weekend and brought home lots of produce (thank you, dad!).  today, i decided i wanted to do something with green beans.  as previously noted, roasting green beans is a worthwhile endeavor, but i wanted to play with it a little bit this time.

now, if i were an awesome cook, i'd do this as one of several side dishes...and make an entree on top of it all.  but i worked all day, which means i was tired and hungry.  so i just took it easy this evening and ate half of the beans and a tomato (not shown).

using about a pint and a half of green beans, i followed my recipe (though i did add a little sriracha to the mix) and roasted the beans at 425°F for about 20 minutes.  after putting the vegetables in a corningware dish, i mixed in a little parmesan cheese...you know, just because.

i think the sriracha added a nice dash of heat to the dish, but i'm thinking that parmesan didn't quite work.  maybe it's the fact that it was the shredded variety (not quite the powdered parmesan-in-a-can, but still probably not "real"), but it didn't seem to melt all that well.

maybe reheating tomorrow will melt the cheese a little more.  and i'll have squash and more tomato and maybe potatoes to go with it!

stir fry

for the past several days, i've been planning on making stir fry.  between work and eating late lunches and just not wanting to cook (or various combinations of the above), i didn't get around to it until today.

this turned out to be a fairly quick and easy dinner.  preparation and cooking took probably less than a half-hour.  it appears that this will be enough for about three brian-sized servings.

ingredients:
- beef (about 1 pound, cut into stir fry strips...and i already put the container in the trash, so i don't know what cut of meat it was)
- garlic (about 1/3 of a head)
- carrots
- broccoli
- water chestnuts (one can)
- one ear of corn
- soy sauce
- orange juice
- sriracha sauce
- dry mustard, ground ginger, black pepper
- corn starch

preparation:
first step is preparing the vegetables.  chop the carrots and broccoli and set aside in a bowl.  cut the kernels off an ear of corn and add to the same bowl.  note that cutting corn off a cob is apparently a very messy proposition; if anyone knows a neater way of doing it, i'd be interested in hearing it.

in a separate bowl, mix some orange juice (about 1/4 cup or so), some soy sauce, and some sriracha.  whisk in some dried mustard, ginger, and corn starch.  i just recently realized that corn starch (a thickener) would be useful in stir fry...which is part of the reason i wanted to cook this.

mince the garlic and add to a large pan with a little oil (i've been using flax oil lately).  brown on high heat, and then add the strips of beef.  dust the beef with some ginger and black pepper.

when the beef is mostly cooked, add in the vegetables.  cook the vegetables for a minute or so and then pour in the liquid mix.  let simmer for a few more minutes (until the vegetables seem tender enough).  remove from heat and serve over rice.

verdict:
first, i forgot the green peas.  sad panda.  second, i was rather heavy-handed with the sriracha.  panda with runny nose and seared tongue.  not that this is a bad thing, mind...

all told, i think this worked pretty well.  i'm pleased with myself.  maybe next time i'll attempt fried rice instead of regular white rice (albeit white rice cooked with rosemary).  hmm...

pear walnut crescents

at some point in the past, i was discussing nutella bombs with my sister (crescent rolls with nutella baked inside), and we started brainstorming other worthwhile additions to crescent rolls.  these things aren't limited to just hot dogs, you know!

at any rate, one potential recipe we both thought sounded interesting was pears and honey.  over time, i refined what i thought should be used...and i finally got around to implementing the recipe.

total prep/cook time for this is about 30 minutes.

ingredients:

- 1 can crescent rolls (8 count)

- 1 pear (i used d'angou)

- walnuts

- honey

- butter

- cinnamon

preparation:

coarsely chop a handful of walnuts and one-quarter of a pear, and mix in a small bowl.  immediately eat the rest of the pear (this step is very important).

in  a separate bowl, melt a couple tablespoons of butter in the microwave.  stir in a little honey and cinnamon and reheat a tad just to loosen it all up.  pour honey-butter mixture over the nuts and fruit and stir to coat.

unfold the crescent rolls, spoon on a little fruit/nut mixture, and wrap up the crescents.  drizzle a little extra honey-butter on top.  place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375°F for approximately 12 minutes (or until golden brown).

verdict:
this was a neat experiment, and i rather enjoyed the results.  however, there were a few points that i recognized as being problem.  first, the pear wasn't quite ripe enough.  i tend to prefer crunchy pears for eating, but in this case, i think a little riper/softer/juicier would have improved the overall flavor of the stuffed crescent roll.

second, i don't think i used enough honey.  i added a good dollop to the butter, but it really didn't go far enough in terms of sweetness.  i don't mind savory by any means, but i had expected this to be more like a sweet dessert.  so next time, i need to have a little more honey in the butter...and brush the top of the crescents with it before baking (instead of just spooning a little on top).

finally, i will provide a caution: a quarter of a pear and a handful of walnuts goes a loooong way.  these crescent rolls are pretty small, and you can't really fit a whole lot in them.  i ended up eating the last few spoons of pear/walnut mixture because they didn't fit in the rolls.

addendum:
i think the crescents work even better the next day.  i refrigerated them and popped one in the toaster oven this morning, and it was wonderful.  the flavors melded a little overnight, and i took the crescent out of the toaster when the outside was nice and warm -- but when the pear bits were still a little chilled.  that juxtaposition was rather pleasant.

banana pudding

i've recently been trying several of my mom's recipes for the first time.  in this case, i followed up the banana bread with another banana recipe last weekend: banana pudding!

as far as banana puddings go, most seem to be confections full of whipped cream, and i'll admit that i'm not a fan...i'm much more partial to my mom's recipe.  granted, my preference is probably related to the fact that this is what i grew up with...and that growing up with something means other versions aren't generally as good.  but i'm okay with that.

when i was talking to my mom about it, she told me that she learned the pudding recipe during a microwave cooking class she took many moons ago.  and she simply added bananas to it.  simple and easy!

in fact, this only takes about 20 minutes (if that) to make.  and it makes about 8 servings.

ingredients:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups milk
- 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- vanilla wafers
- bananas (not overripe, about 4)

preparation:
combine the sugar, corn starch,, and salt in a two quart bowl.  gradually stir in milk.  microwave for 8 minutes (or until thickened) on medium high, interrupting thet cooking time twice to stir with a wire whisk.  once thickened, stir a little of the hot mix into the egg yolks and then blend the warmed yolks into the hot mix.  microwave 1-1.5 minutes on medium high or until the custard coats a metal spoon and stir well.  stir in butter and vanilla until the butter melts.

while the pudding is cooling, layer whole vanilla wafers at the bottom of a large bowl (my mom always used a large, square corningware dish, but alas, i don't have one the correct size).  the wafers should be all along the bottom and extend up the side (at least part of the way).  slice bananas (as much as you prefer; i used about two), and layer the banana medallions on the wafers.  spoon about half the pudding on top.  add a layer of crushed vanilla wafers.  add another layer of sliced bananas, the rest of the pudding, and more crushed wafers.

you can eat it warm or cold!

verdict:
when i was making the pudding itself, the mixture looked sort of lumpy.  however, its ultimate consistency was fine (no lumps were noticed during taste testing), so i don't think i did anything wrong.

all in all, i was fairly pleased with how i made this pudding.  it wasn't quite as perfect as my mom's, but then again, this was my first attempt.  i also think that part of the problem was that i obtained reduced fat nilla wafers (they were on sale...).  these particular wafers weren't as brittle as i remembered regular nilla wafers; instead of breaking easily/cleanly, they were rather too crunchy.  this tends to make the warm pudding a little less enjoyable because you end up with a whole wafer in your mouth since the spoon/fork won't break the cookie in half.

when cold, however, it works just fine.  fresh out of the fridge, the cookies are adequately softened.  yum!

i wonder whether mixing in pulverized banana chips would be a worthwhile experiment...?

Grilled Spicy Sweet Potato w/ Tangy Sauce

*Guest Entrée Entry*

Grilled Spicy Sweet Potato w/ Tangy Sauce

 

Ingredients

~2lbs sweet potatoes

Oil (your cooking preference, I like grapeseed oil because of the high smoke point)
½ tsp ground cumin
2 pinches cayenne pepper
4 oz sour cream
1 Lime
Lime salt (Spice it to a Tea – Brevard, NC)
Ground pepper
 
Boil ~2lbs sweet potatoes ~45 minutes or until the skin becomes “loose” but not too soft
Place in cool water for ~15 minutes and then transfer whole sweet potatoes into refrigerator x 1 hour
 
Sweet Potato Seasoning
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a sauce pan
Add in ½ tsp ground cumin
Add 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
Stir until evenly mixed, set aside to cool
 
Remove skin from sweet potatoes and slice lengthwise into about 6 thick pieces per potato
Evenly lightly coat each slice with the seasoning prepared above (it just makes it with little to spare)
Place these in 1 layer on a cookie sheet
While waiting for the grill to heat up…
 
Tangy Sauce
In a small bowl, mix 4oz sour cream (I used light sour cream) with the zest of 1 lime along with its juice
Season with lime salt and pepper to taste
 
Grill the sweet potatoes about 4 minutes on each side.  Serve with a delicious medium rare Sirloin steak!

 

Verdict:  The mild sweetness of the potato, the heat from the seasoning, and the tanginess from the sauce is phenomenal!  The flavor combination is out of this world.  I was very skeptical when I looked this recipe over, but I am so glad I gave it a chance along with a few alterations!  I will definitely be doing this again!  Since then, I’ve mixed up the tangy sauce and used it on fish tacos.  It’s a really interesting topping. 

banana bread

what do you do when you have some brown, mushy bananas that aren't really worth eating just by themselves?  make banana bread out of it, of course.  so that's what i did this past weekend.

my mom says this recipe comes from my great-grandmother(mother ruth).  honestly, i've never cooked this recipe before, but i remember having it growing up.  as it turns out, it's very simple...and very tasty.

ingredients:
- 3-4 ripe bananas
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups plain flour
- 2 eggs
- dash salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 cup nuts (i used pecans)

preparation:
smush the bananas, and mix in all the other ingredients.  pour into a greased, floured pan, and bake at 300°F until done.  apparently, the recipe doesn't have a time listed, so i was very careful not to burn the bread.  the pan was in the oven about 52 minutes before it was golden-brown on top.  doneness is verified with a toothpick stuck into the top (the toothpick should come out clean and relatively dry).

i let the pan sit out for about 10 minute before i removed the bread and put it on a rack to cool.
 

verdict:
as i said, it is very tasty.  however, it should be noted that the banana bread is not quite as good toasted as it is just plain.  when toasted, it dries out just a bit too much, and spreading butter on it isn't sufficient to rehydrate it.  the bread doesn't need to be eaten warm, but zapping it in the microwave would probably be perfectly fine if you insisted on something more than room temperature.

the pan i used made a weird-looking loaf (very oval, yes?), but it certainly worked out well.  i approve.