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April 2, 2010

Chicken Pancakes....So Good!

When I was growing up one of my very favorite meals was Potato Pancakes with lots of butter, bacon and a small dish of apple sauce. I can remember calling my Mom at work and asking her if she would make Potato Pancakes for dinner. By the time I was older I had learned that if I shredded the potatoes, my Mom would always make the potato pancakes. Consequently, by the time I was in high school I was an expert potato shredder!

Sometimes my Mom would mix chicken or pork into the potato pancakes which gave the pancakes another level of flavor. I especially like chicken mixed right in the potato pancakes and I just happen to have some leftover chicken in the refrigerator! I served the Chicken Pancakes for Sunday Brunch with over-easy eggs and crispy bacon and it was delicious!

Chicken Pancakes
Recipe developed by my Mom

2 medium chicken breasts, deboned and sauteed OR you can use leftover chicken
2 c shredded potato
4 green onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons flour
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 TBL Olive Oil
1 TBL Butter

1. Saute the chicken breast in 1 TBL of olive oil. When the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork, remove and set aside. When cool finely dice breasts.

2. While chicken is cooking, shred potatoes. Make sure to squeeze as much water out of the potatoes as posssible. I lay the shredded potatoes on doubled paper towels and twist the towels. Change the paper towels and repeat at least 2 more times. Mix the dried potatoes with the chopped onion, salt, pepper. Then add the eggs and flour and mix well.

3. Add the diced chicken to the potato/egg mixture and blend well.

4. Heat 1 TBL Olive Oil and butter in a frying pan.

5. When the oil/butter is hot, with a large serving spoon, take a scoop of the chicken pancake mixture and place it in the frying pan. Pancake should be about 3" in diameter and at least 1/2-3/4" thick. Fry until golden brown on both sides.

March 26, 2010

Shrimp and Grits

"If there is one dish that makes me want to march down Fifth Avenue waving the American flag, it's shrimp and grits." Bobby Flay

A few weeks ago my husband, Mr. Tastebuds, requested Shrimp and Grits for dinner. It's unusual for him to request anything but when he does I go out of my way to make it.

There are so many recipes for Shrimp and Grits; North Carolina Shrimp and Grits, Louisiana Shrimp and Grits, Charleston Shrimp and Grits, Uptown, Cajun and I even found a Michigan Shrimp and Grits. And then of course there's variations with cheese, bacon and tomatoes and the list goes on and on. But for our first experience with Shrimp and Grits I thought it best to try something as simple as possible and not heavy with cheese. From the first bite to the last, we thoroughly enjoyed this dish and I will definitely be making it again.

Shrimp and Grits
Recipe adapted from Uncle Bubba

Grits:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups quick grits

Gravy:
1/4 cup chopped bacon (I skipped)
1/2 cup diced onion (I used 6 green onions, minced)
2 tablespoons each, diced red and green bell peppers
1/4 cup diced leek
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
36 medium shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and deveined
3/4 cup flour (I used 2 TBL flour)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 quart heavy cream (I used 1/2 c of light cream)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I used 1 clove of garlic, minced)

In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, bring 6 cups water, the butter, and salt to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits. Continue whisking occasionally for about 5 minutes, until the grits are thick and tender. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

For the gravy, saute the bacon in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered. Stir in the onion, peppers, leek, and garlic and cook until soft. Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir, making sure all of the flour is well incorporated. Add the wine and cream, stirring well until the sauce has thickened. In a small bottle or bowl, mix the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and season the gravy to taste. Serve the shrimp gravy over grits.

Tip: For creamier grits, add a small amount of heavy cream.

March 24, 2010

Savory Cheddar and Pepper Jelly Cookies

My goodness my blog has been orange lately! In fact I've posted three orange-colored recipes in the last few weeks, Carrot Cake Jam, Basil Banana Pepper Jelly and Pickled Carrots! And since I had several people ask me what I do with my Hot Pepper Jellies, I am posting another orange recipe today but this time it's cookies!

I have to admit that I think the Savory Cheddar and Pepper Jelly Cookies are about the best cookie I have ever tasted and I remember exactly the day I tasted my first one. I was at a friend's house for a long weekend and she loves to cook and bake. So you can imagine how much food there was plus at least six or seven different varieties of cookies. I remember looking at the platter of cookies and picking out a few to try. Well, when I bit into the Cheddar cookie with the delicious tangy, spicy filling, I immediately returned to the platter and took a few more cheddar cookies and then a few more. No one else could get near the cookie platter...LOL!

The Cheddar Cookies are very easy to make and only have four ingredients, butter, Cheddar Cheese, flour and Pepper Jelly. But don't let the limited ingredients fool you, these cookies pack a punch, an excellent tasting punch too! Also, it is a small recipe and I always double it but still the cookies are gone within 24 hours. I use my home-canned Pepper Jellies and for this recipe I used the last of my Habanero Gold Jelly. But you can use any store brand of Pepper Jelly as long as it's made with some variety of hot pepper. You do need the spicy, hot pepper flavor to balance the Cheddar Cheese so make sure to read the label carefully.

Savory Cheddar and Pepper Jelly Cookies
Recipe adapted from "Thanksgiving 101" by Rick Rodgers

8 oz (2 cups) Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
6 TBL (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup flour
1/3 cup hot pepper jelly

Place cheese and butter in a food processor (could be creamed by hand or mixer); add flour and process until the mixture forms a soft dough. Gather up the dough and divide into two flat disks. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until chilled, about 45 minutes. (You really don't need to chill the dough)

Position two racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 400°. Line two baking sheets with parchment or use nonstick sheets.

Using 1 teaspoon dough for each, roll the dough into small balls and place 1 inch apart on the sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or 1/2-inch-thick dowel, poke an indentation in each cookie. I use the handle of my dough whisk to form the indentation for the jelly. Place a dollop of the jelly into the indentations.

Return to the oven and bake, switching the positions of the sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking, until the tops are very lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (Cookies will continue to crisp as they cool.) Transfer to racks and cool completely. Recipe makes about 20 cookies.

Can be baked up to two days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container and separate layers with wax paper.

March 22, 2010

Buttermilk Pudding with Fresh Raspberries

We've had the most glorious spring weather for a week. But Mother Nature is teasing us because we had a blizzard on Saturday and it was a very sloppy, cold, miserable day. It could be depressing to some but I knew exactly what was needed to remind us of warm days ahead.

I truly love raspberries and at our last home, one of the first things I did was plant ten Red Raspberry bushes. It was so nice to pick my own raspberries every morning for breakfast, even though I had to fight the mosquitoes! However, we moved and I've never planted a new patch of berry bushes! But this year we already have the new bed prepared and it's all ready for at least ten more Red Raspberry plants and I'm planning on a few Black Raspberries too.

Any kind of pudding is favorite snack or dessert in my home. And since my husband is diabetic I can use a sugar substitute in pudding with no difference in taste or texture what so ever! When I heard about Buttermilk Pudding I was definitely interested! Buttermilk is a staple in my refrigerator and I use it in place of milk in most of my baked goods and sometimes in place of water in bread recipes.

Buttermilk Pudding
Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine, May 2009

1 tsp unflavored gelatin (I used 2 TBL Minute Tapioca)
1 cup whole milk (I used 2% milk)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 Tbsp sugar (I used Splenda Sugar Substitute)
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl, allow to soften

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into a small heavy saucepan and add pod. Add remaining 3/4 cup milk and sugar, bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture to hot milk mixture, stirring until dissolved.

Quick-chill in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cold but not thickened, about 5 min.

Stir in buttermilk, then strain through a sieve into a large glass measure, discarding solids. Pour into bowls and chill until set (at least 8 hrs).

If you are using Tapioca instead of Gelatin:

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into a small heavy saucepan and add pod. Add milk, sugar and tapioca, bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Remove from heat and discard the vanilla bean. Gently blend in Buttermilk and make sure the tapioca is evenly mixed. Cool and refrigerate. To serve top with fresh berries.

March 18, 2010

Carrot Bread with Carrot Cake Jam

We've had such gorgeous weather the last few days, I'm almost ready to put my flannel-lined bluejeans away for another season! Today I was outside for the better part of the day in a long-sleeved t-shirt and I loved every minute of it! Spring is such a fun time of the year! And I am anxious to get into spring cooking which always means lots of vegetables, big salads and grilled beef!

One of my favorite vegetables is carrot so I was happy to see that Carrot Bread was on the agenda for HBinFive. Besides the usual Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Salt and Yeast, the recipe calls for Coconut, Carrots, Walnuts and Dried Fruit. After much indecision, I decided to use dried apples and cherries for the fruit.

Then I took a look at my somewhat long ToDo List which is always lurking in the back of my mind and decided to make some Carrot Cake Jam which I thought would pair nicely with the Carrot Bread. But the jam recipe called for Powdered Pectin and I've never worked with it before. I have no problem with Liquid Pectin but the Powdered can be tricky. My fears were unfounded because my jam came out just fine but don't you think I need more practice? One success could have been a fluke, right? Just to be on the safe side, I think I should make more jam!

See that gorgeous blue sky..spring is finally here!

Carrot Cake Jam
Recipe adapted from The Complete Book of Home Preserving

1 1/2 cups grated, peeled carrots
1 1/2 cups cored, peeled pears
1 3/4 cups canned pineapple, including juice
3 TBL lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 package of powdered pectin
6 1/2 cups sugar

In a large saucepan, combine carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, and spices. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in pectin until dissolved. Bring back to a full boil, add sugar all at once, bring back to another boil and boil hard for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, skim off foam. Ladle into sterilized jars with 1/4 inch head space. Process jars in a BWB for 5 minutes.

Makes 6 half pints.

March 11, 2010

Banana Plantain Crisp

Plantain; Musa x paradisiaca, the plantain (pronounced plăn'tən, is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana (which is sometimes called the dessert banana).

The population of North America was first introduced to the banana plantain, and in the United States and Europe "banana" generally refers to that variety. Plantains tend to be firmer and lower in sugar content than dessert bananas. Bananas are most often eaten raw, while plantains usually require cooking or other processing, and are used either when green or under-ripe (and therefore starchy) or overripe (and therefore sweet). Plantains are a staple food in the tropical regions of the world, treated in much the same way as potatoes and with a similar neutral flavour and texture when the unripe fruit is cooked by steaming, boiling or frying.

I was surfing around the food blogs a few weeks ago and landed on Lynn's blog, Queen of the Castle Recipes and Lynn had just posted a wonderful step-by-step recipe for Sauteed Bananas. Of course this reminded me of my culinary adventures in Florida and Plantains! I then contacted Lynn and since she had never tasted Plantains we decided to have a recipe swap...so fun!

Lynn and I decided to not reveal our recipes until the last minute. So you'll have to visit Lynn at Queen of the Castle Recipes to find out what recipe she made but the below picture is a sneak peek! I do know that she tried several recipes both sweet and savory, just click on the link Versatile, Delicious Plantains to read about Lynn's Plantain adventure!

When living in Florida, as a side dish I sauteed Plantains in butter and sometimes added a TBL of brown sugar and they were delicious. But I wanted to make a dessert and found a wonderful recipe for Broiled Banana Crisp that would be perfect for substituting Plantains. But the recipe was for 1 serving which would never work in my house, so I improvised and came up with an outstanding dessert. The Plantains baked to almost a pudding-like consistency but yet held their shape and with the crispy brown sugar/cinnamon topping it was delicious. This is going on my list as one of my go to desserts!

Banana Plantain Crisp
Recipe adapted from Recipe Zaar

3 Plantains, cut into crosswise slices **See Note
2 TBL lemon juice
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c quick-cooking oats, UNcooked
1/2 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
6 TBL butter, cold but not firm

Makes 4 servings, in individual oven proof ramekins. If your using Bananas,I would use at least 5 medium bananas.

Peel Plantains, cut into crosswise slices about 1/4" thick, drizzle with lemon juice and stir gently to distribute lemon juice evenly.

Divide sliced plantains into 4 greased ramekins.

In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, uncooked oats, flour and cinnamon

Cut butter into the mixture until it resembles crumbs and then spread the crumbs equally over Plantains.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

**NOTE: The blacker the Plantain the sweeter it is! The above Plantain photo is not quite ripe yet, but I prefer plantains and bananas at about the not-quite-ripe stage. But if you want your Plantain at it's sweetest, let it ripen until it is totally black and the fruit flies are starting to hover!

March 8, 2010

Caramel Pecan Cupcakes

Guess what!

I finally found some photography classes and I couldn't be happier! I signed up for 6-2 hour classes which are held on Saturdays from 10:00-12:00 pm, beginning March 13th. I am so excited! The classes are Digital Photography I and II, Introduction to DSLR Photography, Studio Lighting, Exterior/Interior Lighting and Filter Factor. I spoke to the instructor for at least an hour and she has so much knowledge and answered all my questions. AND if I need to brush up my skills, I can repeat a class for free..NO CHARGE!

And I bought a new lens for my camera...YES! I've been looking at lenses for a while now and after some trial and error I finally decided on the Nikon 60mm f/2.8G and I should have it by my birthday! Yippee! Now all I need is another set of Softbox Continuous Lights and a Tripod and I'll be all set as far as photography equipment. Mr. Tastebuds is very hopeful that I'll be set for a long time!

But I have to get to my newest Cupcakes which were over the top delicious! I had some of the Browned-Butter Caramel Frosting leftover from my last Cupcake Adventure, Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes, and it was so good I just had to use it again! So I made my favorite Vanilla Cupcakes and filled them with caramel cream which is always fun. Then topped with the Browned-Butter Caramel Frosting, drizzled with caramel cream and finally topped with Candied Pecan! And don't you just love ooey gooey!

Just Plain Good Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from "Small Batch Baking" by Debby Maugans Nakos

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c flour
1/4 c buttermilk
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 5 muffin cups with baking cups and set aside.

Combine the buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add egg yolk and vanilla and again whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix. Add the butter and half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat with a hand-held mixer on low speed until the dry ingredients are blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is slightly increased in volume, about 45 seconds, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the remaining buttermilk mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended, 20 seconds. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl

Spoon the batter evenly into the 5 baking cups. Put a little bit of water in the rest of the empty cups in your Cupcake Tin to prevent the cupcakes from scorching. Bake the cupcakes until a tester comes out clean, about 20 to 23 minutes.

Remove from the oven and as soon as you can remove the cupcakes from the pan and let them thoroughly cool on a cooling rack.

Caramel Cream

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)
2 TBL heavy cream, room temperature

In a small stainless steel saucepan mix 1/2 c. water and sugar. Turn on heat to medium high. Cook until sugar melts and turns an amber color.

When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump, sputter and spit so be careful and you may want to wear long sleeves and be prepared to step back.

Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly. Remove from heat.

Cool until you can touch the caramel with your finger without burning.

Add 2 TBL heavy cream and whisk well. Caramel should freely drizzle so you may need to add a tsp or so more of the heavy cream.

Browned-Butter Caramel Frosting
Recipe adapted from MyRecipes

1/4 c brown sugar
4 TBL Butter
6 TBL butter, cold but not firm
1/3 c heavy whipping cream
8 oz cream cheese, cold and firm
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of salt
3 c powdered sugar

Place brown sugar and 4 TBL butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. As soon as it comes to boil remove from heat and whisk in cream, blending well. Pour into a small bowl and cool, stirring occasionally to incorporate butter.

Place remaining 6 TBL butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Since the butter and cream cheese is cold, it can take some time to blend so make sure to hold onto the edge of the bowl as you beat. Beat in vanilla and salt. With the mixer running, slowly pour in cooled brown sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Continue beating and add 1/2 c. powdered sugar at a time, beating well after each addition until completely smooth. Chill for 20 minutes.

NOTE: I used a small tip in my pastry bag and although the cupcakes look loaded with frosting, I was surprised to discover that I used about half the amount of frosting I would have with one of the larger tips. So I had quite a bit of leftover frosting. But Cream Cheese Frosting will keep in the refrigerator or I've had very good luck with freezing it. When needed, just thaw, whip it with a fork and it's good to go.

To Assemble

Bake the cupcakes. When the cupcakes are cool, carve a hole in the top but not completely to the bottom. Save the "cork".

Fill the cupcake with a tsp or so of the Caramel Filling. And place the "cork" back in place.

Dip whole pecans, 1 per cupcake, in the Caramel Cream. Lay pecan on a piece of parchment to dry.

Frost the cupcakes. Drizzle with Caramel Cream. Top with a Whole Candied Pecan.

March 4, 2010

Braised Pulled Pork, All-American Cheese Burger and Avocado-Gaucamole Bread

Tonight if the Season Finale for The Real Housewives of Orange County. I know you are probably surprised that I watch it. Yep I.am.addicted and can't help myself. I watch it every week and never miss an episode. I am totally and without a doubt amazed by the behavior, dress and overall attitudes of some of the major players. I know they call each other friend but geesh, my friends don't act like that! Mr. Tastebuds thinks it's a waste of time, so I watch it in my office and I love it! And sometimes I watch an episode twice, just to make sure I did not miss anything...LOL!

Thursday nights are reserved for me and the Housewives and dinner is usually something quick and tasty with little clean up so I can enjoy my TV viewing with limited interruptions. I decided to braise a Pork Loin in the afternoon for Pulled Pork Sammies which Mr. Tastebuds would enjoy. And being I still have to be careful with spicy food, I had a Cheeseburger Deluxe. Both served on Avocado-Gaucamole Buns which is our assignment for this weeks HBinFive Bread.

I was a little hesitant to make this bread being that Avocados are not a favorite of mine, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and try it out anyhow. The dough was fabulous to work with, very smooth and elastic and I had the hamburger buns formed in no time and they were delicious.

Oven Braised Pork Shoulder With Apple Juice
Recipe adapted from Southern Food

1 bone-in pork shoulder roast, about 6 pounds
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced or coarsely chopped
2 1/2 tsp of a seasoning blend for pork or chicken or salt and pepper
1 c apple juice
1 to 1 1/2 c barbecue sauce

Lightly grease a large covered Dutch oven or casserole.
Heat oven to 300°.

Put onions in the casserole. Rub the pork with the seasoning blend or sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place the roast on the onions and add apple juice. Cover and bake for 5 hours, basting occasionally.

Remove the roast to a large platter and shred or chop the meat. Discard bones and fat.

Strain the juices and put the solids back into the casserole or Dutch oven. Discard the liquids. Add the shredded or chopped pork. Add barbecue sauce and stir to blend ingredients. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

February 25, 2010

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes and the WINNERS!

We have our two winners of Marty Embry's Coney Sauce Spice Mix!

And the first name drawn out of the hat is...

Jewel of The Tiny Jewel Box

And the second name is...

Bonnie of City Home/County Home

Please send me your full name and home address so Marty and I can get your Jar of Coney Sauce Spice Mix in the mail ASAP!

If you are interested in ordering the Coney Sauce Spice please visit From the Court to the Kitchen Spices and Apparel. And if you're interested in any of Marty's cookbooks, poetry or artwork you can find a listing at Marty Embry's Storefront.

I've been tweeting, watching the Olympics and mentally writing this post all night. And I thought it was time I sat down and started typing. Which reminds me I found the most wonderful blog today, Gail Carson Levine, with fabulous information and ideas on How to Write. And with just reading that last sentence, you can tell I need all the help I can get!

I've often wondered if enough of my own personality comes across in my blog? Should I reveal more about my life as a teacher, an artist, a wife? I do write of dear, sweet Mr. Tastebuds and his escapades in the kitchen. Although he does not read my blog, he thinks I stretch the truth about him..honey please with you I don't need to embellish, not one iota! I know I'm not an open person like Ree Drummon of The Pioneer Woman who has such an exciting, idyllic life and writes about every aspect of it for all the world to read. Hats off to Ree but I'm not sure if I could go quite that far. But oh my, the stories I could tell.....

But I digress and need to get back to my cupcakes which were truly delicious! I used my very favorite Chocolate Cupcake Recipe and made a new frosting by adding browned butter mixed with brown sugar and heavy cream to a traditional Cream Cheese Frosting. Now doesn't that just sound scrumptious! I love Cream Cheese Frosting but after tasting the Browned-butter Caramel Frosting, I'm not sure if I could make plain Cream Cheese Frosting again!

Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe developed by BigBlackDog

Makes 12-13 regular sized cupcakes

7/8 c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
1/2 good cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 TBL Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 c buttermilk
1/4 c EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

NOTE: This cupcake batter is thin but it bakes beautifully. I use my 1 cup glass Pyrex liquid measure and just pour it into the cupcake liners.

February 23, 2010

Welsh Pasties and Aloo Partha

This week for HBinFive we are making 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil which makes a good flatbread. I had some trouble with this recipe in the beginning and I don't know why. Maybe it just wasn't my week for making bread, but then I settled down and got to work!

For some reason I've been thinking so much about Michigan lately and many of my memories involve food. When I lived in Flint, right across the street was a tiny restaurant, King Arthur Pasties, pronounced PASS-tee. King Arthur's had a very limited menu with Welsh Pasties, some people call them Cornish Pasties, being the main item and they were excellent. The unique flavor in the Pasties is Rutabaga, a large, clunky looking root vegetable with a flavor similar to a peppery potato and when cooked it turns a beautiful deep yellow.

Instead of adding Olive Oil to the HB5 Whole Wheat Dough I decided to use butter and make a flaky pastry dough or detrempe and whip up some Pasties. Detrempe is easy to make, just mix up the dough and chill. Then roll out the dough about 1/4" thick, spread a thin layer of soft butter, fold up the dough letter style and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Then again roll out the dough, spread with soft butter, fold and refrigerate. This makes the dough nice and flaky similar to puff pastry.

The Welsh Pasties were outstanding..totally delicious..definitely a keeper recipe!

Welsh Pasties
Recipe adapted from Milwaukee Journal March 28, 1943

Dough:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 sticks butter (cold and cut into bits)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. water

Filling:
1 lb. round steak, coarsely ground
1 lb. boneless pork loin, coarsely ground
5 carrots, chopped
2 lg. onions, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. rutabaga, chopped (can substitute turnip)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Dough:
In a large bowl, combine flour, butter and salt. Blend ingredients until well combined and add water, one tablespoon at a time to form a dough. Toss mixture until it forms a ball. Kneed dough lightly against a smooth surface with heel of the hand to distribute fat evenly. Form into a ball, dust with flour, wrap in wax paper and chill for 30 minutes.

Filling:
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. I browned the meat and added the vegetables and sauteed for a few minutes.

Making the Pasties:
Divide the dough into 6 pieces, and roll one of the pieces into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Put 1 1/2 cups of filling on half of the round. Moisten the edges and fold the unfilled half over the filling to enclose it. Pinch the edges together to seal them and crimp them decoratively with a fork. Transfer pasty to lightly buttered baking sheet and cut several slits in the top. Roll out and fill the remaining dough in the same manner. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Put 1 tsp. butter through a slit in each pasty and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Remove from oven, cover with a damp tea towel, cool for 15 minutes.

For our second recipe we made Aloo Partha. For the filling I used white potato, sweet potato, peas, garlic and salt/pepper. I have to admit this was not one of our favorite breads but in all fairness, if I had rolled the dough thinner I think the loaf would have been better. But you can see in the below photo that the "crust" is far to thick. In the dog world we call this a handler error meaning the dog was not at fault but rather the handler had made the mistake but in this case it was the cook!

Whole Wheat is a strong flavor and if I was making this bread again, instead of making one large loaf, I would roll the dough thinner, less then 1/8" thick, into individual loaves and add a bit more garlic and maybe some bacon bits to the filling.

If you'd like to see Tradtional Aloo Partha, Aparna, a member of HBinFive, has a wonderful post on her site My Diverse Kitchen. And please take a minute to watch the video embedded in her post, definitely worth your time.

February 21, 2010

Pomegranate Molasses Cookies!

Haven't the Olympics been fun so far! Maybe it's just me but I cried right along with Lindsey Vonn when she won the Gold Metal in the Women's Downhill. I was just so happy for her! So thrilling to work so hard and meet your own personal goal and to do it with so much grace and style!

And Shaun White...is this guy cute or what! Loved it when twitter went viral with "Super size it Shaun" as Shaun prepared for his second run at the Half Pipe. So exciting and with no fear what.so.ever and then to top it off with a Double McTwist 1260 and all in Super Hero Style! And he did it after hitting his head on the top of pipe wall during a practice run! Unbelievable!!

I'm not a big fan of David Letterman but Shaun's commentary is wonderful. Please take a minute to view the below video.

I don't know about you but this winter weather is getting ridiculous and thank goodness I have my baking and the Olympics to keep me sane, otherwise I'd be climbing on the roof and waving a white flag of surrender for sure! I'm not a big Milk and Cookies person, but a tall, cold glass of milk with some chewy Molasses Cookies seemed like the perfect treat while watching the Olympics.

I used my Mom's Molasses Cookie Recipe but of course I had to tweak it a bit! And sorry Mom but I think my tweaked Pomegranate Molasses Cookies are beyond delicious!

Pomegranate Molasses Cookies
Recipe adapted from my Mom

1 c sugar
3/4 c. shortening (I used butter)
1 egg
4 TBL Molasses (I used 1 TBL Molasses and 3 TBL Pomegranate Molasses)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c. flour

Mix all ingredients. Chill dough for at least an hour. Makes ball into size of walnut and roll in coarse white sugar. Place balls of cookie dough on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. DO NOT PRESS DOWN. Bake at 350 degrees until bottoms are just slightly browned about 10-12 minutes.

February 16, 2010

Pickled Carrots

Carrots?? Yes, carrot is the theme for this months Can Jam. Carrots can not be canned in a Boiling Water Bath and since I don't own a Pressure Canner, my only alternative is to pickle them. So here I am faced with picking a recipe for Pickled Carrots..okay now say that three times really fast!

I looked but could not find a recipe I thought would work for us. And when I'm in a situation like this, I usually call my Mom. But she said she never canned pickled carrots and come to think of it I don't remember my Mom pickling much of anything! Darn, I can usually count on Mom for a recipe!

But I did finally find a Pickled Carrot recipe in a pamphlet from our local County Extension Office and with some minor additions, black pepper corns and fresh Dill, it should be pretty good. But I can't tell for sure until I taste them in a month or so. But if anything, my Pickled Carrots are pretty but of course I'm partial to anything in a canning jar!

Pickled Carrots

2¾ pounds peeled carrots
5½ cups white distilled vinegar at least 5% acidity
1 cup water
2 cups sugar or Splenda (I used Splenda)
6 tsp black pepper corns
2 teaspoons canning salt
8 teaspoons mustard seed
4 teaspoons celery seed
4 large cloves of garlic, cut in half
1 large sprig of fresh Dill per pt jar

Makes 4 Pints

1. Clean and peel the carrots. You can slice the carrots crosswise into rounds or slice them into sticks. I used the Baby Carrots which just fit a 1/2 pint jar perfectly.

2. In a large pot combine the vinegar, salt, sugar or Splenda and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and boil for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add carrots and bring to a boil.

4. Prepare the jars. Put 2 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp celery seed, 8-10 Black Pepper Corns in the bottom of each clean, hot pint jar.

5. Pack the hot jars with the hot carrots, leaving 1/2" head space. Pack the jars fairly tightly. I packed my carrots standing on end which was not easy with a hot jar and hot carrots but it can be done!

6. Don't forget to add your slices of garlic and sprig of fresh Dill per jar.

7. I used my pyrex measuring cup to pour the hot pickling liquid into each jar. Still making sure to leave at least 1/2" of head space. The carrots should be totally covered with the pickling liquid.

8. Remove air bubbles by sliding a knife inside the jar or gently shaking the jar. Adjust head space if needed.

9. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel and put the lids on each jar. Make sure that you screw the lid on to just finger tighten.

10. Process jars in a Boiling Water Bath for 10 minutes. Remove and place on a flat surface covered with a thick kitchen towel. Let cool.

11. Anything pickled should be left unopened for at least a week, to let the flavors develop.

Can Jam, a monthly canning event, is hosted by Tigress of Tigress in a Jam. Canning is so much fun, you really should try it! The February Theme, Carrots, was chosen by fellow CanJammer, Doris and Jilly Cook.

Into my 7th week of the Ten in 10 Challenge. I'm still doing my weight exercises every day while I watch the news. And I've started repeating the exercises while watching the Olympics. I find that if I have something interesting to watch on TV I will exercise longer! However, last week I was sick for the entire week so did not work out at the gym at all. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. By the way, even though I am not dieting, I've lost 6 lbs.

All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

February 14, 2010

Welcome to the 5th HBinFive Bread Braid

I was so looking forward to making the Red Beet Bread for HBinFive. **WOW** I was not disappointed in the least! This bread was over-the-top fabulous!

One thing this recipe taught me is that I am not a very tidy baker. But grating has never been one of my specialities and grating juicy, red beets is an accident just waiting to happen. I tried to keep the juice contained but honestly afterwards I felt like a member of a CSI team at a multiple murder investigation! Geesh, there were spatters of red beet and juice every where! I was careful to not use anything that could stain easily but one of my spatulas did suffer and it's now a gorgeous shade of pale pink!

I made Hamburger Buns with the Red Beet Dough and served Grilled Turkey Burgers Deluxe. And to dress up the Turkey Burgers just a bit I made a Mayonnaise with Tarragon and Roasted Garlic which is definitely a keeper recipe!

Mayonnaise with Tarragon and Roasted Garlic
Recipe developed by BigBlackDog

6-8 large cloves of garlic, not peeled
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon water, or more if mayonnaise is too thick
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp dried Tarragon
5-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups canola oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 Green Onions, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Topping: Save some of the chopped green onion stems for garnish.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Take a small piece of aluminum foil. Put the unpeeled garlic cloves in the middle and fold the aluminum foil letter style so it covers the garlic cloves. Roast in oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cloves are soft. Set aside.

In a food processor or blender add the egg yolks, mustard, water, Thyme, Tarragon, salt and pepper. With the machine running, drizzle the oils in a thin stream until completely blended. If the garlic has cooled squeeze out the softened garlic. Add softened garlic, onions, lemon juice and blend thoroughly.

With the Chocolate Espresso Bread I made Chocolate Cherry Pocket Pies and Mini Loaves of Bread which I sliced and served with fresh Kiwi Fruit drizzled with Ganache. Just click on the title to visit the post and recipe.

Chocolate Cherry Pocket Pies

Mini Espresso Bread with Kiwi and Ganache

If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.

Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!

All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

February 12, 2010

Hot Chocolate, Hot Cocoa or Spicy Mocha?

When I was growing up my Dad made me Hot Cocoa and Toast every morning for breakfast. And still today every once in a while I crave Hot Cocoa. We're having another very hard winter, with bitter cold temperatures and way too much snow and ice. Hot Cocoa is such an under utilized comfort food and with more snow predicted for this weekend, I thought it would be perfect for our Valentine's Day Brunch.

The Hot Cocoa recipe was inspired by Giada De Laurentiis' Spicy Mocha. I say inspired because when I wanted to make Giada's recipe, of course, I was short on the proper ingredients. So I used what I had on hand and substituted this and that and the end result was incredibly wonderful. And since we have the most wonderful local dairy, Oberweis, which has the best creamy, ultra thick 2% Chocolate Milk, I used Chocolate Milk as my base. A few weeks later, I made the recipe exactly as per Giada's original recipe. Honestly and with no disrespect to Giada, I think my recipe is better.

And I'm from Michigan and we drink Cocoa not Mocha or Hot Chocolate. :)

Michelle's Hot Cocoa
Recipe developed from what I had on hand at the time

4-5 cups chocolate milk, use a good brand that is thick and creamy
1/2 tsp Hot Hungarian Paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon (I use Penzeys Vietnamese Extra Fancy)
1 heaping TBL instant espresso powder

Topping: Whipped Cream and Sprinkles

Heat chocolate milk in a small sauce pan. Add hot paprika, cinnamon and espresso powder and thoroughly whisk until well blended. Pour Hot Cocoa into thick mugs and top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Enjoy!!

Devils Workshop

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Big Black Dog