Brats in a Blanket and Papaya Salad

This meal takes a childhood favorite (pigs in a blanket) and makes it adult food by wrapping bratwursts in a homemade roll with smoked Gouda and sauerkraut.  Served with papaya salad on the side, and mustard for dipping, of course.

 

When I was planning dinner I found a package of bratwurst in the freezer.  We had no buns or rolls so I decided to make some, and that's when inspiration struck. Why not wrap the brats in the dough and make them like pigs in a blanket?  Then I also remembered there were some smoked gouda slices in the freezer and I added  them to the recipe.  I was excited all day to make these, and they did not disappoint. Here is what I did.


Dough (a basic roll dough, that made 12 hot dog buns, cut in half)

8 oz bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 oz brown sugar
1.5 tsp yeast
1 egg
1 oz shortening
4 oz kefir or milk

Mix ingredients together until they all come together and form a ball.  Then knead (adding more flour as necessary) until dough becomes smooth and elastic, soft, and tacky but not sticky (about 6 minutes in a stand mixer longer if by hand).  Lightly oil a medium bowl, roll the dough in the oil to coat and let rise, covered, for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, cook the brats, whatever method you prefer, and let cool to room temperature.

Once dough has risen, cut into five pieces of about 4 oz each.  Roll each piece into a ball and let rest (covered) for about 5-10 minutes.  Roll each ball into an oblong shape about 2 inches longer than the brats, and about 3-4 inches wide.  Place a slice of Gouda in the center, and place a brat on top of the cheese, add as much sauerkraut, drained, as you prefer (none for me) and roll.  Place the rolls seam side down on a parchment covered baking sheet, cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.


Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes.

I served these with Papaya salad, a Thai salad made from shredded green (unripe) papaya and some other ingredients.  Here is the recipe I used.

1 small green papaya (just a little over 1 lb)
3 Thai bird chillis
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar melted in 1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp dried shrimp
juice from 1 lime

Peel and shred the papaya. Use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic, chillies and shrimp, then add the liquids and pour over the papaya.  Mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

This dinner was great.  The rolls were soft and warm, the brats were tasty, and the Gouda added a nice creaminess.  The papaya salad was great too, I love Thai flavors and it complemented the brats nicely.  These both are keepers.  Enjoy.

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Penne with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Choi Sum

A vegetarian pasta dish to help us recover from Thanksgiving overload.  This dish uses up leftover grape tomatoes, while adding mushrooms and choi sum (or you could use spinach).

For those of you who do not know what choi sum is here is a picture.  I see this all of the time in Chinatown, and it's relatively inexpensive.  I have used it before in stir-fries, soups and just boiled or stir-fried as a side. I originally planned to use spinach in this recipe but, when I got to Chinatown, the spinach looked wilted and the choi sum looked fresh and crisp.  So choi sum it was, it was also $0.89/lb where as spinach was at least $1.50/lb.  I like the choi sum because it is a hardier green than spinach, maybe a good substitute in this recipe would be kale or something similarly bold and green.  Choi sum does have a distinct flavor, but it did not seem bitter, it melded nicely with the other flavors and added a little crunch and lots of nutrition.  For more information on choi sum click here.

Ingredients:

2 small onions, chopped
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1 cup grape  tomatoes (leftover)
4-5 cups chopped choi sum
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup Thai basil, torn (leftover)
Few dashes red chilli flakes, optional
Salt and pepper
Penne

I started by cutting and preparing all of my ingredients.  Then, when I was ready to start dinner I started a big pot of, salted, water to boil for the pasta.  While the water was heating, I heated a frying pan, about medium-medium low, with  about 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  To this I added the onions and cooked until tender.  Then I added the mushrooms, minced garlic, and spices stirring until the mushrooms became tender and started to shrink.  Next I added the whole grape tomatoes and covered the pan for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes became soft and wrinkled.  By this time the water was boiling and I added the pasta (enough for two) and let it boil for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, I mashed the tomatoes with a potato masher to break them up, and added the choi sum.  The choi sum crested well above the pan, but I covered it and let it cook for a couple of minutes before I began to stir.  I added the balsamic vinegar and gently stirred while the choi sum began to wilt.  In no time it wilted to less than half of its original size and I added the basil and red chilli flakes (if the sauce seems too thick add some pasta water) then turned off the heat.  You can stir in some Parmesan if you like and add salt and pepper to taste.  When the pasta was done  I drained it and tossed it with the sauce.  Makes 2 servings.  Serve topped with Parmesan. 

It turned out great.  For a meatless dish it was incredibly filling and all of the flavors tasted great together.  Best of all I feel healthy, and full, after eating it.  Pastas are a great way to experiment with different foods and flavors.  Be creative and enjoy.

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Bruschetta

A light, fresh snack made with tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar on top of toasted bead. Makes a great appetizer or light meal.

 

After a couple of days eating rich, heavy food (with lots of cream and butter) I needed something light.  I still had one loaf of my homemade caibatta bread that was going stale and I wanted to use it before it became hard as  rock.  My answer was Bruschetta.

I can always find grape tomatoes in Chinatown, and they are usually inexpensive (I got a big bag, about 2-3 cups of tomatoes, for $2). Then I just needed basil.  Traditional basil is not something I usually find in China town, and at a regular grocery store it can be expensive, so I picked up 1 pound of Thai basil for $1.  Here is my recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped tomatoes
20 basil leaves, sliced
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted thin slices of bread

I cut the tomatoes into 4-8 pieces each, depending on the size, and tossed them in a bowl.  Then I chiffonade-ed (I don't know how to make the past tense of chiffonade...any ideas?) the basil leaves and tossed them with the tomatoes.  Added vinegar and some salt and pepper, tossing to coat the tomatoes and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour (I think that this allows the flavors to blend).

Meanwhile, I sliced up my last loaf of Caibatta.  It was pretty tough having sat out for about 4 days (I could have put it in plastic, but in my opinion this ruins the texture of the crust.  It's fine for sandwich breads, but I usually just wrap Caibatta and other rustic breads in a kitchen towel, or paper if you have it.) but I brushed the slices with olive oil and fried them in a frying pan, on both sides.  Then, while the toast was still warm I rubbed it with a cut clove of garlic. Serve toast topped with tomato mixture. Makes enough for 2.

Toasting the bread  made it softer and the Bruschetta turned out great.  Rubbing the toast with garlic is a must.  This was the first time I did it, usually I skip this step or add some minced garlic to the tomatoes, and wow it really adds just the perfect amount of garlic flavor.  I highly recommend that you don't skip this step.  The Thai basil was great too, it may not taste exactly like traditional basil, but I can hardly tell the difference and in this recipe it tasted great.  This was an awesome meal/snack and for less than $3.  You can't get that at a restaurant.  Enjoy.

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Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies

These simple and buttery cookies are a great way to use leftover Cranberry Relish from Thanksgiving (would probably work for cranberry sauce too). 

 

 Since Thursday night (Thanksgiving dinner) I have been eating leftovers for every meal. They are good leftovers but I get bored with the same food too often.  I guess that's when I get creative.

I haven't made Thumbprint Cookies since I was a kid (usually I prefer my cookies to contain chocolate)  but last night inspiration struck.  I thought "why not make Thumbprint Cookies with Cranberry Relish instead of jam?"  Here is my recipe.

Dough (a basic Thumbprint Cookie recipe):

2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour

Cream the butter with sugar.  Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Then stir in flour gradually until it is all incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour).

Meanwhile prepare Cranberry Relish by mixing 3 Tbsps honey to about 1 cup of relish.

When dough is firm preheat oven to 375.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a, parchment lined, baking sheet about 2 inches apart .  Press each dough ball with your thumb and fill depression with relish.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges brown. Makes about 36 cookies.

These little cookies turned out great.  The citrus in the relish blends well with the vanilla cookie and they are not overly sweet.  My husband will be taking these to work with him.  I definitely recommend this recipe.  Enjoy.

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Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread

This yummy spread makes a great snack.  Made with smoked salmon and cream cheese it tastes great on bread, bagels, or crackers.

I have many packages of cream cheese sitting in my freezer (I always pick one up when I see it on sale).  Cream cheese is a great addition to many recipes.  It's great in dips, spreads, desserts, and main courses so it is very useful to have around.

I also had some smoked salmon left over from my Smoked Salmon Chowder and I did not want it to go to waste.  I love bagels with cream cheese and lox (which is basically smoked salmon).  So why not put them together in one spread?

 I made this for my Thanksgiving day snack.  I knew I would be spending most of the day cooking and watching football and have no time for a making breakfast or lunch, so I just munched this most of the day. It was an easy, filling, and tasty snack.

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese spread

Ingredients:

Smoked salmon (about 1/2 cup)
Cream cheese (1 package), at room temperature
Lemon juice (1/2 of a lemon)
Dill (1/2 tsp), optional
Hot sauce (to taste), optional

In a food processor I blended all of the ingredients together, until smooth.  Then I transferred it to a resealable container, for easy storage, and served it with a good, chewy ciabatta bread (100% sourdough that I made the day before).

This was so simple to make and tasted great.  I bet it would be really great with capers added, but I didn't have any.  It would also be good on bagels or crackers.  Enjoy.

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Thanksgiving for Two Continued

This is part two of my thanksgiving recipes. Sweet potato casserole, cranberry relish, and green beans. 

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

I was a little concerned that sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes would be overkill. However, I did not make a desert for this meal and sweet potato casserole is as good as sweet potato pie (to me). So why not? I think sweet potatoes are pretty sweet on their own so I did not use as much sugar as some recipes. I was also able to use some leftover pumpkin pie spiced sugar, from an earlier post of Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread.

3 large sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 stick butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin pie spiced sugar

Crumble topping:

1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp brown sugar

Cook sweet potatoes (you could boil or steam them; but, I baked them, at 350 degrees, in a toaster oven for 1.5 hours then scooped out the flesh when cool) and mash with butter, eggs, milk, and sugar.  Pour into a greased 8 by 8 inch baking pan.  Then, make the crumble.  Chop the pecans, by pulsing, in a food processor (or by hand) until evenly chopped.  Switch to the plastic pastry blade and add the rest of the ingredients.  pulse until evenly mixed, then pour over potato mixture.  Spread evenly and cover with foil.  Refrigerate until ready to bake.  Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 30 minutes.  Then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more or until nicely browned.

These turned out great, sweet but not too sweet, and the crumble added a nice crunch.  Leftovers make a great breakfast.

CRANBERRY RELISH

This recipe I adapted from No Cook Cranberry Orange Relish that I found on Foodista.  I did not use fresh cranberries I used Craisins, because I had them, and I changed a few other things, but the No Cook Relish was my inspiration.

1 cup craisins (dried cranberries), chopped
1 orange, the zest and juice
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

I pulsed the Craisins, in two batches, in a food processor until chopped.  Then I also chopped the pecans.  I mixed the two in a medium mixing bowl then added the grated zest and juice from 1 orange and the grated ginger (a last second inspiration because I had some on hand).  I mixed thoroughly and refrigerated for a day before serving.

This was amazing.  The flavors were so great together, and it was so easy to make.  I highly recommend this recipe.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE (sort of)

I picked up some fresh green beans for a vegetable side.  This dish was made up on the fly.  Some bacon was cooked, to flavor the green beans, then flour added to the drippings (making a roux).  There was about 1/2 of a can of chicken broth left over so that was dumped in along with a dash of cream and cooked until slightly thickened.  Then the cleaned and snapped green beans were added to the bacon gravy and simmered for about 15 minutes.

This made a kind of green bean casserole.  That wasn't the goal at the outset, but things were just added as they were thought about and that was the result.  It turned out very good and the beans were still crunchy, which is how I like them. 

Enjoy.

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Thanksgiving Dinner for Two

A typical Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans, and cranberries.  This dinner was delicious and made for two, but there were plenty of leftovers. 

 

TURKEY

 

I did not want to cook a whole turkey. This may not be very American of me, but I don't like turkey that much. My favorite thing about thanksgiving is all of the sides. So knowing it wouldn't feel like thanksgiving without turkey, I made turkey drummets (part of the wing). There were 3 in the package I bought and they were pretty big. For an easy and no hassle way to cook them I used a Crockpot/Slow cooker.  After searching online I found a general consensus of how to do this.

2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth (use the soup can to measure)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp dried sage
3 turkey drummets (thawed)

It is a simple recipe, just put all of the ingredients in a crock pot and cook all day on low (or 3-4 hrs on high). The turkey turns out moist, and falls off the bone, and you can use the cooking liquid as gravy.

STUFFING

My favorite thanksgiving food is stuffing so I have been planning this for a while. Usually I just use the store bought bread cubes, but I make homemade sandwich bread weekly.  So I  cut whatever bread was leftover and about to go bad into cubes and dried them out in the oven at a low temp. I have been doing this for a couple of months before I saved up enough. It is a great way to use that last third or fourth of your loaf (croutons are also a great use).

5 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 stick of butter
3 cups bread cubes
2 eggs
1 tsp dried sage
Garlic powder, to taste
1 tsp salt
Chicken broth (enough to moisten)

Saute celery and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, with butter in a large pan until soft. In a large mixing bowl mix the veggies with the bread, eggs and spices. Add enough chicken broth to moisten. Pour into a greased baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. This can be done a day ahead and kept in the fridge until ready to  bake. Bake in 350 degree oven (covered) for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15. This is delicious and classic, nothing fancy but still very good.

MASHED POTATOES 

 

Mashed potatoes don't really have a recipe in my family. My husband is in charge of making the potatoes, he introduced me to good mashed potatoes so he's in charge.

Growing up I always had mashed potatoes that were mashed with margarine and either skim milk, or potato water. These were fine, I knew no better and they may have been healthier but I never went back for more.

My husband's mashed potatoes are a once or twice a year treat. He mashes the potatoes with plenty of real butter an real cream. It may not be very heart health, but we don't have them often, and they are so good.

This post is getting long so I will continue this next time with my sweet potato and cranberry recipes. See ya then. Enjoy.

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Smoked Salmon Chowder

A delicious, creamy chowder with smoked salmon and other, common, ingredients.  Perfect for a cold, rainy day.

Living in Hawaii is great.  All of the warm, sunny days are wonderful but occasionally we get dark and rainy days that are a little chilly.  On these days there is nothing better than good old, cold weather comfort food...it's really the only time I have any interest in making it.  This chowder was just that.  Here is what I did.

Ingredients:

2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 potato, chopped small
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup flour
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (14 oz) can refilled with milk
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp tarragon
1 cup smoked salmon
1 tsp hot sauce
About 2-4 Tbsp lemon juice (1 1/2 lemons)

Cook bacon, over medium heat, (in a stock pot) until starting to brown.  Then add onion, celery, carrot, and potato (season with salt and pepper); cook until onions soften.  Add garlic and cook about 1 minute more, or until fragrant.  Stir in flour, cook flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.  Flour should coat everything and make kind of a paste.

Pour in chicken broth and milk, stir well and wait till it begins to boil.  Then reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes (or until potatoes are soft).  Stir in mushroom soup and herbs.  Continue to stir until chowder thickens slightly, then add salmon.  Mix salmon in well and remove from heat.  Lastly stir in hot sauce and lemon juice.  Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with sliced green onion and serve with crackers.  Serves 6.

This was a simple and tasty dinner.  I had all of the ingredients on hand and all of the prep work can be done ahead of time.  You can cut up the onions, celery and carrot a day in advance just seal them in Tupperware and refrigerate.  You can even prepare  the potato ahead of time too, just submerge the cut pieces in water so they don't brown.  If you don't have smoked salmon, try leftover cooked salmon, or maybe even the stuff you can buy in a can (although I've never tried it before).  As always be creative.  Enjoy.

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Szechuan Eggplant

A quick and easy meatless stir fry made with eggplant, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.

*Update with new pictures and layout 5/5/14

I love Szechuan style food.  The combination of spicy and sweet with lots of ginger and garlic is so good.  I first had Szechuan eggplant as Chinese delivery and have been trying to duplicate it at home since.

All Szechuan style food is tasty but there is something about the eggplant that I love.  The eggplant is cut into 1 inch strips with the peel left on and, when it's cooked, has a wonderful texture.  It gets soft and mushy but the peel holds it together and adds more of a meaty texture.  Also eggplant is relatively inexpensive.  I can get all the eggplant for this recipe (for 2) for about $2. It makes a great meatless meal where you won't even miss the meat.

Here is my recipe, a combination of many online recipes and trial and error.  I think it's pretty good, and can be made vegetarian by omitting the, optional, oyster sauce.

Szechuan Eggplant

Ingredients:

1 Thumb sized piece of ginger, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
5-6 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
6-8 small Thai bird chillies or other chilli, minced (about 1 tsp, or to taste)
5 medium Japanese eggplants (about 2 lbs), cut into 1 inch strips
1 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 - 1 cup water
2 tsp sirracha or other chilli sauce, optional

I like to prepare all of my ingredients before I begin cooking this will be stir fried at a high temperature and things go fast.

Heat a wok or large saute pan, with 1 Tbsp oil (veg, peanut, or canola), over medium high heat until the oil starts to glisten.  Fry 1/2 of the eggplant (I add a little salt while cooking, but the main saltyness will come from the soy sauce) until browned on the out side and soft in the middle (they should spit and sputter as soon as they hit the oil).  This should take about 5-8 minutes.  Remove first batch of eggplant and do the same with the second.  I do it in two batches because I want all of the eggplant pieces to come into contact with the pan so that they brown nicely.

Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside.  Add the onion to the pan (with more oil) cook for about a minute then add garlic, ginger, and peppers.  Stir around until fragrant.  Add the eggplant back in, lower heat to low and add the sauces and sugar.

Stir to mix thoroughly, and let sauce reduce a little.  I like to have a good sauce with my eggplant, so add extra water as necessary.  I cracked some Szechuan peppercorns over top, but this is not a must, I like to add them because I have them but if you don't have them you won't miss them.

Add more chili sauce as desired.

Immediately serve over steamed rice, garnish with sliced green onions for some color.  Makes 2-3 servings.

This is a great meat free meal that is quite filling, if you would like a side to go with it, wilted/cooked greens would be great, especially Asian greens like bok choy.

Enjoy.

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Joybee Baking Journal: Pull Apart Pumpkin Bread

A delicious, sweet, and easy to pull apart yeast bread flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices. Modified from A Dash of Cinnamon.

 

When I came across this new recipe for my seasonal favorite, pumpkin bread, I had to try it. This relatively simple, but messy and time consuming, recipe takes a basic cinnamon bun dough, adds pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. Then, strips of the sugar spiced dough are stacked into a loaf pan and baked. The resulting bread is everything great about cinnamon buns but with pumpkin flavor, in loaf form, and it's easy to tear off a piece.

I keep an active sourdough starter, that I've kept alive for 2 years, in my fridge and use it for just about all of my breads. I think it adds so much more flavor and just a hint of sourness to any recipe, regular breads just taste bland to me now...I guess I've spoiled myself. Even though I use sourdough, sometimes I spike the dough with a small amount of instant yeast. This allows the bread to rise in a much shorter time yet I still get the flavor from the sourdough (just not as much). For this recipe I was too excited about it to wait so I  spiked the dough. You could easily make this without sourdough, or make it totally sourdough. Here is what I did:

Ingredients:

Makes 1 loaf

12 oz sourdough starter--2oz sourdough barm+ 5oz flour+ 5oz kefir
3.25 oz sugar (6 1/2 Tbsp)
.25 oz salt (1 tsp)
1 oz butter (2 Tbsp)
5 oz canned pumpkin (about 1/2 cup)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 oz bread flour or all purpose flour (2 cups) *16oz (3 1/2 cups) if not using sourdough
1/2 tsp instant yeast *2 tsp if not using sourdough
2 oz kefir or buttermilk (1/4 cup) *9-10 oz (1 1/8-1 1/4 cups) if not using sourdough

Sugar mixture:

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
or 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spicemix

For the sourdough version, I fed my barm the night before.  That means I took my sourdough starter/barm out of the refrigerator and 'feed' it.  I usually 'feed' it, with equal parts flour and water, at least once a week, but I keep a small amount on hand (about 10-12 oz) so when I will be using a big batch  of it I take out about 2 oz and 'feed' that.  Feeding means that I take any amount of my original barm and add equal parts flour and liquid to at least double (by weight) the amount of barm.  I always do this by weight because it is simpler, but you could measure however you prefer.  So I turn 2 oz of barm into 12 oz by adding 5 oz each of flour and liquid and let it sit, covered, overnight.

The liquid I used was kefir, a cultured milk product, but you can use buttermilk or just milk.  I use kefir because I have my own culture going and I always have some on hand.  It gives a similar flavor as buttermilk, and I don't have to go out and buy it.  As long as I have milk I can keep making kefir.  For more on kefir click here.

Now that we have 12 oz of sourdough, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer, or just a large bowl if mixing by hand.  Add sugar, salt, butter, pumpkin, egg, vanilla extract, flour and yeast.  Mix on slow speed with paddle attachment, or by hand, until all ingredients come together and form a sticky ball, add the rest of the kefir/milk as needed to reach this consistency.  Switch to dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes (it may take longer by hand), adding flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and tacky.  It should pull away from the sides of the bowl but stick slightly to the bottom.

Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and roll around to coat all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for 2 hours.  If making with only sourdough it will take at least 4 hours

Once dough has risen to at least double it's size, roll out into a rectangular sheet about 14x12 inches and about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Slather on some butter, enough to cover entire sheet. Then sprinkle on the sugar mixture.  At this point you could roll the dough up, cut into 1-2 inch sections and you have pumpkin spice cinnamon buns, but that's not what we are making.



Cut the sheet of dough into 6 strips.  Stack the sugared strips on top of each other, then cut the stack of strips into about 6 sections.  Then stack the sections into a greased 9-5 inch loaf pan.  Sprinkle any remaining sugar on top then cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour (about 2hrs if only sourdough) or until dough fills pan and crests a little above the rim.

Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes (turning 180 degrees half way through for even baking).  Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then slide out onto a plate or platter.  Wait 20 minutes, for loaves to set, before serving (if you can).  Enjoy.

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Smoked Top Round Roast

A delicious hickory smoked top round roast seasoned with common household spices. 

Today my husband brought home a top round roast (labeled as London Broil) that was on sale (for $6) and I had the pleasure of him making dinner. We have an electric smoker on our lanai. What better way to cook an inexpensive cut of meat than slow and low? Seasoned with a dry rub of steak seasoning mix and a few other spices, this roast was smoked for 6 hours while we watched football. Here is what he did.

Rub Ingredients:

Favorite spicy steak seasoning blend
Garlic powder
Dried minced onions
Fresh cracked pepper
Sea salt

There was no measuring, he just mixed the spices in a small bowl in decreasing amounts (steak seasoning was the biggest addition and salt the smallest) until the mixture smelled good. This is easy to modify to your own tastes.  Maybe try a 3:1:1:1:1/2 ratio to start or just use a prepared dry rub.

Rub the roast all over with spice mixture and place on the smoker and close lid.  Evey 30 minutes to 1 hour he 'sopped' it.  I'm not sure if this is even a real barbeque term, but that is what we call it.

Sop Ingredients:

Beer
Cider vinegar
Garlic powder

This is also not a precise recipe, anywhere from a 1:1 or 2:1 beer:vinegar ratio, and you can add any spices, or none at all.  We used Coors light  because that is what we had, but any domestic beer would be fine.  The beer doesn't add flavor so much as helps keep the meat moist, so you probably could just use water, or maybe a diluted beef broth.  This 'sop' was brushed on as often as my husband thought about it (about every hour).  If you have a spray bottle, you could also spray it on.

Once done, take off smoker and let meat rest, slice thin and serve with barbecue sauce for dipping and whatever sides you prefer.  This is about a 3 pound roast and we will probably make 3 dinners out of it (for 2 people).

Wow! This was delicious.  It was tender, with out being stringy, smokey, but not over powering, just super tasty.  Now I'm a North Carolina girl originally, so my favorite barbecue is pork and nothing else satisfies, but this hit the spot, definitely my favorite we have made so far.  I had to write about it so hopefully we will be able to reproduce this recipe again.  Enjoy.

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Mandarin Orange Salad

A fresh and satisfying salad with lettuce, green onions, pecans, and mandarin oranges in a balsamic vinaigrette. 

 

I picked up a can of mandarin oranges at the store a few weeks ago. I have never used them before and thought I would try something different. Tonight I finally decided on a good way to use them; in a salad. I usually like to add dried cranberries to my salads, for that extra bit of color and a bit of sweetness, so I replaced them with the oranges. Here's what I did.  For 2 salads:


Ingredients:

1 can mandarin oranges
4 cups lettuce
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup green onions (sliced)

Vinaigrette:

3 parts oil
1 part vinegar
1 part Dijon mustard

First prepare vinaigrette in the bottom of a big salad bowl.  I use olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, but any vinegar and oil combination would work.  Exact measurements are not important, I just eyeball it, just try for the 3 to 1 ratio.  Stir all vinaigrette ingredients vigorously to emulsify them, then toss in lettuce.

I'm picky about how I make my salads, I only toss the lettuce in the dressing.  I've tried tossing everything together, but I don't like that everything else falls to the bottom and it's hard to get the right amount of toppings with each bite.  So I only toss the lettuce in the vinaigrette to flavor it, then separate the dressed lettuce into bowls and top with everything else.  This not only looks better, but it also ensures that each salad has the right amount of toppings.

I like green onions because the flavor is usually not as strong, but you can also use thinly sliced red onion.  I also like pecans, and I keep them around, but you could also use almonds. You could also toast the pecans, or any nut, to make them crunchier and enhance the flavor, but it is not necessary.  I even saw a recipe that used sugared pecans, but I think that would make the salad too sweet because the canned oranges add quite a bit of sweetness. The oranges I used were packed in light syrup, I drained and rinsed them before adding to the salad.  You could also use clementine segments and I think it would be very good.

This easy and versatile salad tastes great and makes a wonderful start to any meal, or even a light meal on it's own. I ate it as a starter and them had a small sloppy joe (left over from earlier) to finish my meal.  I think this salad would be great during dark and dreary winter days (for those of you on the mainland who have 4 seasons), citrus always seems to brighten up winter days.  Wintertime isn't the only time you can appreciate this salad, it fresh and refreshing anytime, anywhere, and  for anyone (even for me in Honolulu).  Enjoy.

TC67PHDQDVEE

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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Who doesn't love sloppy Joes? I made this childhood favorite in my slow cooker with ground beef, lentils, bell pepper, onion, and some other regular house hold condiments.

I had a craving for Sloppy Joes so I decided to make them for dinner.  I keep ground beef in my freezer in 1 lb packs but I wanted to have plenty of left-overs so I stretched the recipe by adding lentils.  I also like to think this makes it healthier, lentils are a great source of fiber and who doesn't need more fiber. Also if I added more ground beef that would add more saturated fat and cholesterol and lentils have neither.  You could use only beef, or even add more lentils, maybe even try only lentils for a vegetarian meal.

I also made homemade sandwich buns.  Obviously Sloppy Joes are great on store bought bun, and it would be much less time consuming, but I love making bread and I had the time so I made my own.  I served these Sloppy Joes with a Moroccan Carrot Salad, which goes very well with the Joes, it's kind of like a carrot slaw flavored with lime juice, olive oil, cilantro and cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup dried lentils
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp prepared mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
a few dashed Worcestershire sauce
dash of habanero flakes, optional (any other pepper flakes or hot sauce would work too)


First, cook the lentils in about 4 cups of salted water until tender and drain (should come to 1-2 cups cooked). Meanwhile, brown ground beef with onion, pepper, and garlic (season with salt and pepper)  until meat is fully cooked. Drain meat mixture and place in slow cooker.  Stir in lentils, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper flakes if using .  This can all be done the night before and refrigerated.  Turn slow cooker on low and let cook for up to 8 hours or high for 3-4 hrs.  Makes 6-8 Sloppy Joes, depending on how sloppy you make them.

A pretty easy and delicious homemade meal.  Enjoy.

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Pesto Pasta

A simple and quick pasta dish made with an easy basil pesto sauce.

Updated:  3/20/16 new pics, pin-able image, minor editing, tweet-ables, similar recipes links

Pesto is traditionally made with basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil.  The combination of those simple flavors makes an amazing sauce.  It's a great addition to just about everything from pasta and pizzas to sandwiches and soups.  A little pesto adds big flavor.

A little #pesto adds big flavor | Pesto Pasta  [Tweet this]

Often I find that store-bought pesto sauce can be kind of expensive.  It's so simple to make and so delicious fresh that it's worth the time and effort to make your own.  Sometimes, it can be difficult to find fresh basil and pine nuts at smaller grocery stores and they can be pricey.  The great news is you can make a pesto sauce with any green herb or vegetable and any nut.  The flavor will be different, obviously, but it will still be fresh and delicious.  The trick is to use green herbs or vegetables with a strong flavor that you enjoy such as arugula, kale, parsley, chives, garlic scapes; I've even seen a recipe for broccoli pesto.  Just use what you have and be creative.

Pesto is very versatile | Pesto Pasta  [Tweet this]

For this pesto, I used basil and a little parsley.  I grow both in small pots out on my lanai and as long as I keep them watered they grow well year round (they make great indoor plants too if you live in a cold climate).  I didn't have quite enough basil for a full recipe of pesto so I added the parsley.  I didn't have pine nuts on hand but I always have pecans so I used those.  They don't add the flavor that pine nuts do but they add a very nice mild nutty flavor.  Parmesan is always a staple in my kitchen, and the same goes for garlic and olive oil.  Since I had everything on hand, the pesto whipped up in no time (thanks to my food processor), was incredibly fresh, inexpensive, and absolutely delicious.

Pesto Pasta is a quick, fresh, and tasty meal.  [Tweet this]

Basil and Parsley Pesto

Cook and prep time:  15 minutes
Servings:  4-6

Ingredients:

2 cups basil and parsley, chopped and packed in any combination
2-3 cloves garlic
1 handful pecans
1/4 cup parmesan
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil

Place all of the ingredients, except the oil, in the bowl of a food processor.  With the chopping blade, pulse until the ingredients are well chopped and mixed.  Wipe down the sides with a spatula.

Then, turn the processor on and slowly stream in the olive oil until everything is well mixed and creamy.

Remove the pesto to a small covered bowl and let rest for at least 1 hour for the flavors to meld.  I've kept fresh pesto in the fridge for up to a week and even frozen it with fine results.  Allow the pesto to come to room temperature before tossing it with warm pasta.

Top with fresh cracked pepper and parmesan.

Pesto is great tossed with pasta but it's also great as a spread on sandwiches, pizza, or garlic bread. Try it in salad dressings and soups. Pesto adds a big punch of flavor to any recipe.

Enjoy.

For more recipes to use pesto in or with check out:

Gnocchi           -

Green Lasagna       -

Turkey & Rougette Crescent Sandwiches

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