Think of it as a pumpkin pie, only with no crust and coffee cake crunch bits on top.
Mats:
1, 29oz can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2c white sugar
1/2c packed Brown sugar
1, 12oz can evaporated milk
EITHER 1Tbsp pumpkin pie spice OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8tsp clove and a pinch of allspice
1 box spice cake mix
1/2c butter, melted
How-to:
Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish by rubbing a stick of butter over the bottom and sides.
Combine the pumpkin, eggs, sugars, evaporated milk and spices in a bowl. Stir until it's uniform in color with no lumpies.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the greased baking dish
Sprinkle the spice cake mix on top of the pumpkin mix. Even coating, use the whole bag.
Drizzle the melted butter over top of the cake mix. You want all of it to be moistened by the butter, so feel free to use more if necessary.
Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Chicken Galantine with Spinach-Mushroom-Cheese stuffing
The technique is a bit fiddly, but is pretty jaw-droppingly impressive serving. It also is prep-ahead friendly, so do this the night before a party and it's then just a matter of popping it into the oven.
Mats
1 de-boned chicken
1 lb baby spinach
1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, minced. Toss them in a food processor and pulse a few times, just to chop them up. Baby bella or just button is fine.
1/2c cheddar cheese, shredded.
1 Tb oil
Salt and pepper
How-To
If you're cooking the bird right away, preheat the oven to 400 degrees
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until it starts to turn translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the minced mushrooms, stir, and cook. The mushrooms will start to release their liquids which is kinda on the bitter side. Stir to help the moisture evaporate, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook until wilted, stirring around to combine. Remove from heat to a bowl and let cool.
De-bone the chicken. Watch the video for the technique. After salting the meat of the bird, spread the spinach/mushroom mixture evenly over the meat. Be sure to stuff some goodness into the leg hollows! Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the stuffing, then truss.
If you're cooking at a later date, this is where you put it on the roasting pan, wrap it in aluminum foil, and toss it in the fridge. Add salt and pepper to the skin just before you toss it in the oven.
If you're cooking it now, sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper, then cook at 400 degrees for 60 minutes.
Mats
1 de-boned chicken
1 lb baby spinach
1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, minced. Toss them in a food processor and pulse a few times, just to chop them up. Baby bella or just button is fine.
1/2c cheddar cheese, shredded.
1 Tb oil
Salt and pepper
How-To
If you're cooking the bird right away, preheat the oven to 400 degrees
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until it starts to turn translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the minced mushrooms, stir, and cook. The mushrooms will start to release their liquids which is kinda on the bitter side. Stir to help the moisture evaporate, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook until wilted, stirring around to combine. Remove from heat to a bowl and let cool.
De-bone the chicken. Watch the video for the technique. After salting the meat of the bird, spread the spinach/mushroom mixture evenly over the meat. Be sure to stuff some goodness into the leg hollows! Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the stuffing, then truss.
If you're cooking at a later date, this is where you put it on the roasting pan, wrap it in aluminum foil, and toss it in the fridge. Add salt and pepper to the skin just before you toss it in the oven.
If you're cooking it now, sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper, then cook at 400 degrees for 60 minutes.
Corned Beef Soup
A different way to use up leftover corned beef.
Mats
2 Tb oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 c water
3 c chicken stock
1 can rinsed, drained black beans
Leftover corned beef. About 2-3oz per person. You'll get about 4-6 bowls of broth out of this recipe, so about 1/2lb is suggested. It's a perfectly nice soup even without the beef too.
Red Wine Vinegar - 1 Tb per bowl
How-To
In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook the onion, carrots, celery and 1/2tsp salt for 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the water and broth, bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low boil, add the bell pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add the beans, cook for 5 more minutes.
While the soup is cooking, slice a chunk of the cold corned beef off for each serving. Aim for about 1/2inch thick. Cut each slice into bite-sized bits. I like cutting it crossways first, then dicing.
When the soup is done, spoon it into serving bowls. Add the chopped beef and 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar to each bowl, then serve.
NB: If you're saving the leftover soup and corned beef, store them separately. If you just dump all the beef into the soup, all the flavor leeches out of the meat and you're left with pretty tasteless hunks. Don't add the vinegar either until the soup is hot and ready for serving.
Mats
2 Tb oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 c water
3 c chicken stock
1 can rinsed, drained black beans
Leftover corned beef. About 2-3oz per person. You'll get about 4-6 bowls of broth out of this recipe, so about 1/2lb is suggested. It's a perfectly nice soup even without the beef too.
Red Wine Vinegar - 1 Tb per bowl
How-To
In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook the onion, carrots, celery and 1/2tsp salt for 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the water and broth, bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low boil, add the bell pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add the beans, cook for 5 more minutes.
While the soup is cooking, slice a chunk of the cold corned beef off for each serving. Aim for about 1/2inch thick. Cut each slice into bite-sized bits. I like cutting it crossways first, then dicing.
When the soup is done, spoon it into serving bowls. Add the chopped beef and 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar to each bowl, then serve.
NB: If you're saving the leftover soup and corned beef, store them separately. If you just dump all the beef into the soup, all the flavor leeches out of the meat and you're left with pretty tasteless hunks. Don't add the vinegar either until the soup is hot and ready for serving.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Peppers
Cooking times for the chops are for vaguely thin-cut chops, about 1/2 inch thick. Add a few minutes if you're working with thick cuts.
Sweet and Sour Peppers
Mats
Olive oil, for frying
1 red onions, peeled and sliced thinly (I used a mandolin)
2 red peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Small bunch of basil, leaves shredded
How-to
Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the onions and peppers.
Season with salt and pepper
Add the sugar and sauté over a high heat for 4–5 minutes until soft and coloured. (Make sure you can hear the vegetables hissing in the pan. If not, the pan isn’t hot enough and you’re in danger of boiling the vegetables instead of frying them.)
Add the red wine vinegar and let it bubble for a minute or two until it has reduced and the peppers are soft.
Turn down the heat, add the tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.
Stir in the shredded basil and continue to cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
Scoop into a bowl and set aside.
Pork Chops
Mats
2 pork chops, about 200g each
Olive oil, for frying
2 garlic cloves, skin on, crushed
Small bunch of thyme
Butter
How-To
Using a sharp knife, make cuts into the fat of the chops, about 5mm deep and at 3–4cm intervals, making sure you don’t cut into the meat.
Place the cleaned-out frying pan over a high heat until hot and add a dash of oil.
Add the chops, garlic and thyme and fry for 2–3 minutes until coloured.
Turn and fry for a further 2–3 minutes on the other side, pushing the thyme under the chops and breaking up the garlic a little.
Towards the end of cooking time, add 3 knobs of butter and baste the chops with it as they are cooking, to speed up the cooking process and keep the chops moist. (Push the fatty edge of the chops towards the back of the pan to help render the fat.)
Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and place with the herbs on top of the chops.
Transfer the chops to a plate, and rest for 5–10 minutes, spooning over the basting butter now and again.
Serve the chops on top of the peppers with the resting juices and a little juice from the peppers.
Sweet and Sour Peppers
Mats
Olive oil, for frying
1 red onions, peeled and sliced thinly (I used a mandolin)
2 red peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Small bunch of basil, leaves shredded
How-to
Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the onions and peppers.
Season with salt and pepper
Add the sugar and sauté over a high heat for 4–5 minutes until soft and coloured. (Make sure you can hear the vegetables hissing in the pan. If not, the pan isn’t hot enough and you’re in danger of boiling the vegetables instead of frying them.)
Add the red wine vinegar and let it bubble for a minute or two until it has reduced and the peppers are soft.
Turn down the heat, add the tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.
Stir in the shredded basil and continue to cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
Scoop into a bowl and set aside.
Pork Chops
Mats
2 pork chops, about 200g each
Olive oil, for frying
2 garlic cloves, skin on, crushed
Small bunch of thyme
Butter
How-To
Using a sharp knife, make cuts into the fat of the chops, about 5mm deep and at 3–4cm intervals, making sure you don’t cut into the meat.
- This will stop the meat from curling up during cooking and will make it cook more evenly.
Place the cleaned-out frying pan over a high heat until hot and add a dash of oil.
Add the chops, garlic and thyme and fry for 2–3 minutes until coloured.
Turn and fry for a further 2–3 minutes on the other side, pushing the thyme under the chops and breaking up the garlic a little.
Towards the end of cooking time, add 3 knobs of butter and baste the chops with it as they are cooking, to speed up the cooking process and keep the chops moist. (Push the fatty edge of the chops towards the back of the pan to help render the fat.)
Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and place with the herbs on top of the chops.
Transfer the chops to a plate, and rest for 5–10 minutes, spooning over the basting butter now and again.
Serve the chops on top of the peppers with the resting juices and a little juice from the peppers.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Peachy Chicken
Finally got this recipe to where I wanted it.
Mats
2.5 lbs chicken thighs, bones and skin removed
1 Tbsp oil
16oz canned peaches in juice
1/2c (about half a can) frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2c malt vinegar
1Tbsp brown sugar
1tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp pepper
How-to
Trim the fat off the chicken thighs, remove the bones and skin, then cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks
Drain the peaches and reserve the liquid
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and saute the chicken bits for 4 minutes, stirring often.
Add the OJ concentrate, malt vinegar, reserved peach juice, and spices to the chicken and stir.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes
Remove the cover and add peaches.
In a separate small dish, mix 1 tsp cornstarch and 1/4c water to make a slurry. Add to the chicken mixture and stir. Cook on low heat 3 minutes or until peaches are warmed and the sauce is thickened.
Serve over rice.
Mats
2.5 lbs chicken thighs, bones and skin removed
1 Tbsp oil
16oz canned peaches in juice
1/2c (about half a can) frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2c malt vinegar
1Tbsp brown sugar
1tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp pepper
How-to
Trim the fat off the chicken thighs, remove the bones and skin, then cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks
Drain the peaches and reserve the liquid
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and saute the chicken bits for 4 minutes, stirring often.
Add the OJ concentrate, malt vinegar, reserved peach juice, and spices to the chicken and stir.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes
Remove the cover and add peaches.
In a separate small dish, mix 1 tsp cornstarch and 1/4c water to make a slurry. Add to the chicken mixture and stir. Cook on low heat 3 minutes or until peaches are warmed and the sauce is thickened.
Serve over rice.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Rouladen
My mum makes really good dill pickles (we all fight over the jars), but there's only so many times you can have hamburgers! You'll need toothpicks or short skewers to hold these rolls together.
Mats:
Beef chuck roast, about 2.5 lbs
Whole grain mustard
6 slices of bacon
6 spears dill pickles, or 2 whole ones you spear yourself
Large yellow onion, sliced
4 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2c dry red wine
2 1/2c beef stock
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp flour
How-to:
Slice the chuck roast against the grain into 6 cuts. Pound the cuts as thin as you can get them without tearing the meat.
Working with one slice at a time, spread 1Tbsp mustard over the surface, then lay a strip of bacon, a pickle spear and a few slices of onion along the narrow end. Roll into a tight package and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until you've rolled them all up.
Melt 2Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the beef rolls. It takes about 3 min a side to get nice and seared. Don't overcrowd the pan!
When done cooking, transfer the rolls to a plate. Add the remaining onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 4 minutes.
Add wine, reduce until almost all evaporated. Add the beef rolls back to the skillet, then stir in stock and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Turn the rolls over so the other side is submerged and cook for another 30 minutes.
Transfer the rolls to a plate and remove toothpicks.
Strain the stock into a bowl, the add the remaining butter to the pan and melt over medium-high. Add the flour and stir around to make a roux! Cook for 2 minutes until the roux is nutty brown. Whisk the strained stock back into the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until thick.
Plate the rolls with a few boiled potatoes and a handful of sauerkraut and pour the pan sauce on top.
Mats:
Beef chuck roast, about 2.5 lbs
Whole grain mustard
6 slices of bacon
6 spears dill pickles, or 2 whole ones you spear yourself
Large yellow onion, sliced
4 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2c dry red wine
2 1/2c beef stock
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp flour
How-to:
Slice the chuck roast against the grain into 6 cuts. Pound the cuts as thin as you can get them without tearing the meat.
Working with one slice at a time, spread 1Tbsp mustard over the surface, then lay a strip of bacon, a pickle spear and a few slices of onion along the narrow end. Roll into a tight package and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until you've rolled them all up.
Melt 2Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the beef rolls. It takes about 3 min a side to get nice and seared. Don't overcrowd the pan!
When done cooking, transfer the rolls to a plate. Add the remaining onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 4 minutes.
Add wine, reduce until almost all evaporated. Add the beef rolls back to the skillet, then stir in stock and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Turn the rolls over so the other side is submerged and cook for another 30 minutes.
Transfer the rolls to a plate and remove toothpicks.
Strain the stock into a bowl, the add the remaining butter to the pan and melt over medium-high. Add the flour and stir around to make a roux! Cook for 2 minutes until the roux is nutty brown. Whisk the strained stock back into the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until thick.
Plate the rolls with a few boiled potatoes and a handful of sauerkraut and pour the pan sauce on top.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Creamy Tomato Soup (and the best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches)
One of my husband's childhood favorites. This tomato soup is worth eating, unlike the horrific canned stuff.
Tomato Soup mats
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb butter
1 onion, chopped into 1 cm chunks
5 cloves crushed garlic
2 celery stalks, chopped into 1 cm chunks
1 carrot, chopped into 1 cm hunks
1 Tb flour
2 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes. Or 2 of Mom's mason jars of tomatoes (14 down, 13 to go!)
1 tsp white sugar
4 leaves fresh basil
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream. This is the smallest of the little cardboard containers they sell. Or just use regular milk.
How-To:
Melt the butter and olive oil in a pot over low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add the carrots, celery and garlic. Cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the veg from browning.
Add the flour and stir until you can't see white flour bits anymore.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes (uncovered! We're reducing it). If it starts to bubble so much you're getting tomato splatter, your heat is way too high. You want the bubbles to be just barely breaking the surface. Stir every 10 minutes or so.
Turn off the heat and it's time to blend. Either run it through a food processor, a blender, or your handy-dandy stick immersion blender until it's completely smooth. No chunky bits!
With the heat still off, add the cream/milk and stir to combine.
Dish into bowls and top with the basil leaves, torn/snipped into little bits.
DOUBLE FEATURE!
Awesome Grilled Cheese
Mats:
6 slices nice bread. I use sourdough because it's chewy and doesn't have a hard crust.
1/4 lb Munster cheese
1/4 lb Cheddar cheese
1/4 lb Provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated Peccorino-Romano cheese
Mayonaise
How-to:
Spread the tiniest bit of mayo on one side of all the slices of bread. You're just using it as a cheese binder. Or you can use soft butter, but mayo is, regrettably, easier to work with.
Put the bread mayo-side-down in the grated Peccorino-Romano and press gently to get the grated cheese to stick to the bread.
Put two slices each of the other cheeses on the mayo-free sides of the three sandwiches you're making.
Close the sandwiches with the other bread, cheese side out.
Grill until the cheese on the inside is melty and the cheese on the outside is crisp and browned.
Tomato Soup mats
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb butter
1 onion, chopped into 1 cm chunks
5 cloves crushed garlic
2 celery stalks, chopped into 1 cm chunks
1 carrot, chopped into 1 cm hunks
1 Tb flour
2 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes. Or 2 of Mom's mason jars of tomatoes (14 down, 13 to go!)
1 tsp white sugar
4 leaves fresh basil
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream. This is the smallest of the little cardboard containers they sell. Or just use regular milk.
How-To:
Melt the butter and olive oil in a pot over low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add the carrots, celery and garlic. Cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the veg from browning.
Add the flour and stir until you can't see white flour bits anymore.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes (uncovered! We're reducing it). If it starts to bubble so much you're getting tomato splatter, your heat is way too high. You want the bubbles to be just barely breaking the surface. Stir every 10 minutes or so.
Turn off the heat and it's time to blend. Either run it through a food processor, a blender, or your handy-dandy stick immersion blender until it's completely smooth. No chunky bits!
With the heat still off, add the cream/milk and stir to combine.
Dish into bowls and top with the basil leaves, torn/snipped into little bits.
DOUBLE FEATURE!
Awesome Grilled Cheese
Mats:
6 slices nice bread. I use sourdough because it's chewy and doesn't have a hard crust.
1/4 lb Munster cheese
1/4 lb Cheddar cheese
1/4 lb Provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated Peccorino-Romano cheese
Mayonaise
How-to:
Spread the tiniest bit of mayo on one side of all the slices of bread. You're just using it as a cheese binder. Or you can use soft butter, but mayo is, regrettably, easier to work with.
Put the bread mayo-side-down in the grated Peccorino-Romano and press gently to get the grated cheese to stick to the bread.
Put two slices each of the other cheeses on the mayo-free sides of the three sandwiches you're making.
Close the sandwiches with the other bread, cheese side out.
Grill until the cheese on the inside is melty and the cheese on the outside is crisp and browned.
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