I am tired of looking for recipes and they all start with:
'Take a box of...'
'Take a Can of...'
'Use .... mix and add...'
I want recipes from scratch that use real ingredients. We have become a culture of convenience cooking. One that doesn't get how to blend flavors but relies on premade seasonings.
I'd be happy to teach but have no idea where to begin. A cooking school for the home cook, lol. No, I'm not teaching you how to make souffle but I will teach you how to roast a chicken and get at least 2 - 3 meals from it. I'll teach you about basic seasoning beyond salt and pepper (I'm not even sure some people use those).
I was watching a video on the internet and the woman said something about having 20 spices in her cabinet. I was like.. 'is that all?'. I should check and see how many I have.
I admit I have a couple of blends that I like. Bell's Poultry seasoning is one of them (Thank you April!!!). There is no other blend like it and it is finely ground. I call it 'magic'. I know the basics of what is in it, it is just so damn convenient to have it ground fine and pre blended. Also Tony's, a cajun seasoning blend. Morton's season all and season salt. These are my 'lazy blends' and often I use just a small bit to enhance what I'm already doing (Tony's, Mccormick's Season salt and season all).
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Pot Pie
I'm a few days late for once a week, I'm days early for every 2 weeks. Meh!
I grew up on 'Pot pies' usually from the freezer section but they were nice when it was cold out or we needed something quick. And honestly when I was a kid my mom wasn't much of a cook. She could follow box directions and make 2 dishes from scratch. So frozen and take out were mainstays. Maybe this is why I'm so picky about cooking from scratch for myself.
Anyway, I introduced the kids to meat pies and they have become a staple around the house. Beef, chicken and even lamb from time to time. Super simple to make and my mini pie pan from Pampered Chef makes it even easier. No, I am not affiliated I just love their products and this one is particularly fantastic.
So what am I doing. For one my pie crust is made with lard, here in Germany I am using schwein schmaltz. You can use butter or plant fat (Crisco in the US) but the pork fat really adds a nice texture and the flavor isn't heavy at all. The consistent thing is that the crust is super flaky!
I use a simple recipe:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup fat
bit of salt (I don't measure just sprinkle some on top of the flour, maybe 1/2 tsp)
and 6-8 Tbsp of ice cold water, depending on the weather.
Stir the salt into the flour
Cut the fat in until it resembles coarse crumbs (I use a fork to do this, always have)
Add 5 Tbsp of water and begin to stir together until the dough forms adding more water as needed
DON'T go to fast with the water. I find the pork fat needs less water and depending on how dry your flour is you may need more or less.
Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut to fit your pan.
This is a double crust recipe. It will provide a bottom and a top crust for your pie. If using the Pampered Chef pan or the like This is still what you need. There is a variation on the pie that requires a bottom crust but has a biscuit top crust. In that case use 11/4 c flour, 1/3 c fat, salt, and 3-5 Tbsp water.
But what shall I fill it with? Easy, whatever ya like. :)
Chicken is always a favorite and this base is easily converted to be beef or vegetable.
I start with a 'cream of anything soup'. No, not from a can silly though you can do that if you want to. I have a recipe of course.
1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 1/2 cups Broth (This is where you decide your flavor)
1/2 cup Milk
Melt the butter in a pan on med heat
Add the flour and spices and stir together
Cook 30 seconds to one minute, you do not want to brown it
Slowly add the broth and milk, stirring constantly until it is well blended
Cook until thickened
Now this just gives you a base gravy and what you fill it up with is up to you. I add a couple cups of meat ( chicken normally) and some veggies. frozen peas and carrots are good, some chopped onion and I'm all set. but If I have it I'll add celeriac, parsnips, or even a bit of potato as well. You will want to give those a bit of a cook either before in the gravy or separately as they will not cook through in the oven.
Now that everything is mixed together, fill your pie! I like to brush my top crust with beaten egg (1 egg 1 tbsp water) but it is not required for a good pie.
Bake at 375 for 1/2 an hour or until the top crust is browned and the bottom crust is firm. This can take up to an hour for a regular size pie.
If you want to top your pie with biscuits, just make your favorite biscuit recipe, cut them and place them on top and bake.
Pot pies could also be topped with mashed potatoes, I have not done it yet but I have seen it done. Could be good, who knows!
Good luck!
I grew up on 'Pot pies' usually from the freezer section but they were nice when it was cold out or we needed something quick. And honestly when I was a kid my mom wasn't much of a cook. She could follow box directions and make 2 dishes from scratch. So frozen and take out were mainstays. Maybe this is why I'm so picky about cooking from scratch for myself.
Anyway, I introduced the kids to meat pies and they have become a staple around the house. Beef, chicken and even lamb from time to time. Super simple to make and my mini pie pan from Pampered Chef makes it even easier. No, I am not affiliated I just love their products and this one is particularly fantastic.
So what am I doing. For one my pie crust is made with lard, here in Germany I am using schwein schmaltz. You can use butter or plant fat (Crisco in the US) but the pork fat really adds a nice texture and the flavor isn't heavy at all. The consistent thing is that the crust is super flaky!
I use a simple recipe:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup fat
bit of salt (I don't measure just sprinkle some on top of the flour, maybe 1/2 tsp)
and 6-8 Tbsp of ice cold water, depending on the weather.
Stir the salt into the flour
Cut the fat in until it resembles coarse crumbs (I use a fork to do this, always have)
Add 5 Tbsp of water and begin to stir together until the dough forms adding more water as needed
DON'T go to fast with the water. I find the pork fat needs less water and depending on how dry your flour is you may need more or less.
Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut to fit your pan.
This is a double crust recipe. It will provide a bottom and a top crust for your pie. If using the Pampered Chef pan or the like This is still what you need. There is a variation on the pie that requires a bottom crust but has a biscuit top crust. In that case use 11/4 c flour, 1/3 c fat, salt, and 3-5 Tbsp water.
But what shall I fill it with? Easy, whatever ya like. :)
Chicken is always a favorite and this base is easily converted to be beef or vegetable.
I start with a 'cream of anything soup'. No, not from a can silly though you can do that if you want to. I have a recipe of course.
1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 1/2 cups Broth (This is where you decide your flavor)
1/2 cup Milk
Melt the butter in a pan on med heat
Add the flour and spices and stir together
Cook 30 seconds to one minute, you do not want to brown it
Slowly add the broth and milk, stirring constantly until it is well blended
Cook until thickened
Now this just gives you a base gravy and what you fill it up with is up to you. I add a couple cups of meat ( chicken normally) and some veggies. frozen peas and carrots are good, some chopped onion and I'm all set. but If I have it I'll add celeriac, parsnips, or even a bit of potato as well. You will want to give those a bit of a cook either before in the gravy or separately as they will not cook through in the oven.
Now that everything is mixed together, fill your pie! I like to brush my top crust with beaten egg (1 egg 1 tbsp water) but it is not required for a good pie.
Bake at 375 for 1/2 an hour or until the top crust is browned and the bottom crust is firm. This can take up to an hour for a regular size pie.
If you want to top your pie with biscuits, just make your favorite biscuit recipe, cut them and place them on top and bake.
Pot pies could also be topped with mashed potatoes, I have not done it yet but I have seen it done. Could be good, who knows!
Good luck!
Monday, June 10, 2019
Macaroni and Cheese please
A favorite here in our house is Mac n Cheese. Our stand by used to be Kraft brand as it was fast and easy compared to how I had first learned how to make it. Then after searching and testing and experimenting I have found a recipe that is sooo much better, more versatile and just as fast to make.
The biggest trick is boiling the pasta in a mix of milk and water. Yes, water AND milk. This really enhances the flavor and the creaminess of the dish.
Now recipe then I'll talk more:
1 1/2 cups Milk
1 cup Water
1 tsp salt
8 oz Dry noodles (I use elbow shaped but you can use almost any shape you want)
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar is best but feel free to mix and match and try different things)
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup water on the side ( just in case)
Now comes the complex part.
Put the milk and 1 cup of water in a pan
Add the salt
Bring to a simmer
Add the pasta
Simmer for about 20 minutes until tender
This is where it gets complicated! The pasta will absorb the water and milk, you do not want to let it get DRY!! This is where that cup of water on the side comes in. You want your pasta to be tender so as the water is absorbed give it a test now and then. If the liquid is almost gone and your pasta is too firm add a BIT ( no more than 1/4 c at a time) of that extra water to it. When your pasta is tender there should still be a bit of liquid in the pan too.
Add the butter and shredded cheese, stir well!
Viola! you're done.
Now... here are some things you can do to 'punch it up' a bit.
First a few cranks of fresh ground pepper when you add the cheese are always a good idea.
Second you can add a tsp of mustard to give it some zip. Yellow, Dijon or in my case Mittelscharf. Just a bit really adds another dimension of flavor.
Third, don't be afraid to add things in. Roasted red peppers, sure! Peas! Ground beef! Ham! Really the options are limitless.
The biggest trick is boiling the pasta in a mix of milk and water. Yes, water AND milk. This really enhances the flavor and the creaminess of the dish.
Now recipe then I'll talk more:
1 1/2 cups Milk
1 cup Water
1 tsp salt
8 oz Dry noodles (I use elbow shaped but you can use almost any shape you want)
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar is best but feel free to mix and match and try different things)
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup water on the side ( just in case)
Now comes the complex part.
Put the milk and 1 cup of water in a pan
Add the salt
Bring to a simmer
Add the pasta
Simmer for about 20 minutes until tender
This is where it gets complicated! The pasta will absorb the water and milk, you do not want to let it get DRY!! This is where that cup of water on the side comes in. You want your pasta to be tender so as the water is absorbed give it a test now and then. If the liquid is almost gone and your pasta is too firm add a BIT ( no more than 1/4 c at a time) of that extra water to it. When your pasta is tender there should still be a bit of liquid in the pan too.
Add the butter and shredded cheese, stir well!
Viola! you're done.
Now... here are some things you can do to 'punch it up' a bit.
First a few cranks of fresh ground pepper when you add the cheese are always a good idea.
Second you can add a tsp of mustard to give it some zip. Yellow, Dijon or in my case Mittelscharf. Just a bit really adds another dimension of flavor.
Third, don't be afraid to add things in. Roasted red peppers, sure! Peas! Ground beef! Ham! Really the options are limitless.
Monday, June 3, 2019
Let's talk tacos
Tacos seems to be a favorite around most houses. They go together quick and taste great. Simple, compact and fun. Now, I admit for me, tacos is an all day affair. First I like to cook my meat for a good long time so that it is soft and full of flavor. Second I make my own (flour) tortillas. This step seems to scare people but honestly, it is easy! and takes about an hour total to do a full batch (I get 16 tortillas from my recipe). I also get security know what the ingredients are. I'm feeding me (1 adult) and 2 kids (ages 9 and 12). So one batch of meat and one of tortillas is enough. I am still buying corn hard shells though. I have a press and have made soft corn tortillas I have yet to experiment with turning them into hard taco shells.
So, what do I do that is different than most people. Well, I have 2 ways of making my meat. One I learned from a friend long ago. If you live in the US it's easy as pie. 1 pound of ground beef and 1 can of Rotel with green chilies in it, mild or hot depending on your preference. Brown the beef, drain if needed, add the can of Rotel. If you are making more than one batch at a time drain all but one can. Add it to the browned beef and cook until the liquid from the Rotel is gone. Easy peasy.
But!!! I don't live in the US and no longer have regular access to a US base so I have had to adjust my recipe, and I'm ok with that. These days I use my own blended 'taco seasoning' and cans of diced tomatoes. I cook mine all day so I don't drain them no matter how many batches I am doing at the same time. 500 g of ground meat (I use beef but this could be done with mixed or even chicken) browned and drained if need be, just before the meat is completely cooked through I add the spice 2-2.5 Tablespoons per 500g of meat. It gives the spices a little bit of a toasting and brings out the flavor. Then like the Rotel, I add the canned diced tomatoes, and as I already said, no matter how many batches I don't drain them. This can be done on the stove or you can toss the browned and seasoned meat into a crockpot with the tomatoes and let it cook all day like that. If you are trying to speed up the process drain the tomatoes and cook for about 1/2 an hour.
After the meat is started I start my tortillas. The recipe is simple ( and will be found further down). For a complete batch start to finish it takes about an hour. Once you get a rhythm going they go quick. Many people thing you need a press for these, Nope! They get rolled out with a rolling pin on a floured surface. What you do need though is a cast iron skillet. I have not tried them in any other type of pan but ... I wouldn't want to. They are cooked in a 'dry' pan. While you do not need oil, I lightly oil my pan between tortillas. This cleans the loose flour out of the pan and keeps the pan from drying out as well as keeps it well seasoned. I use olive oil. The longest part of the recipe is the 'resting' phase. It has 4 ingredients and nothing fancy. Super simple. I make them up to a day ahead of time and if there are leftovers they will last a couple days on the counter in a ziplock bag.
Tortillas:
You need a big bowl, a rolling pin and some plastic wrap or a damp towel
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil (Canola, corn, or veggie. You could use schmaltz but melt it.)
1 cup water as hot as you can stand it
Mix the salt into the flour
Pour in the oil
Immediately pour in the hot water and start mixing with a wooden spoon or by hand
Knead it smooth
Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and rest for 20 min
Portion into approximately 1.5 ounce balls ( i use a scale and measure them between 1.4 and 1.5 ounces, feel free to just divide into 16 pieces)
Rest 10 min covered ( usually by the time I have measured all of them I can start rolling them)
On a floured surface roll into circles that will fit your pan or just a tiny bit smaller
On a medium heat cook each tortilla about 2 min on each side
Remove to a plate and stacking them one on another is fine
While the first side is cooking I begin rolling out the next tortilla, flip the tortilla and finish rolling.
If your tortillas are cooking faster turn down the heat in the pan.
Note: If the tortillas are 'pulling back' and not rolling smoothly just let them rest a little longer. They should roll smooth with no pull back.
Taco seasoning:
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Chili powder
3 Tablespoons Cumin
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon finely ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Paprika (I use Roßenscharf but you can use Edelsuß, regular or smoked)
2 teaspoons Garlic powder
2 teaspoons Onion Powder ( I can not find powder so I use dry onion)
2 teaspoons dry Oregano
I use 2-2.5 Tablespoons per 500 gm meat
If you are not using a can of tomatoes like above add 1/3 cup water or broth to the meat
These are just guidelines! Feel free to increase or decrease as you like
Feel free to add cayenne if you like it spicier or ground chipotle
So, what do I do that is different than most people. Well, I have 2 ways of making my meat. One I learned from a friend long ago. If you live in the US it's easy as pie. 1 pound of ground beef and 1 can of Rotel with green chilies in it, mild or hot depending on your preference. Brown the beef, drain if needed, add the can of Rotel. If you are making more than one batch at a time drain all but one can. Add it to the browned beef and cook until the liquid from the Rotel is gone. Easy peasy.
But!!! I don't live in the US and no longer have regular access to a US base so I have had to adjust my recipe, and I'm ok with that. These days I use my own blended 'taco seasoning' and cans of diced tomatoes. I cook mine all day so I don't drain them no matter how many batches I am doing at the same time. 500 g of ground meat (I use beef but this could be done with mixed or even chicken) browned and drained if need be, just before the meat is completely cooked through I add the spice 2-2.5 Tablespoons per 500g of meat. It gives the spices a little bit of a toasting and brings out the flavor. Then like the Rotel, I add the canned diced tomatoes, and as I already said, no matter how many batches I don't drain them. This can be done on the stove or you can toss the browned and seasoned meat into a crockpot with the tomatoes and let it cook all day like that. If you are trying to speed up the process drain the tomatoes and cook for about 1/2 an hour.
After the meat is started I start my tortillas. The recipe is simple ( and will be found further down). For a complete batch start to finish it takes about an hour. Once you get a rhythm going they go quick. Many people thing you need a press for these, Nope! They get rolled out with a rolling pin on a floured surface. What you do need though is a cast iron skillet. I have not tried them in any other type of pan but ... I wouldn't want to. They are cooked in a 'dry' pan. While you do not need oil, I lightly oil my pan between tortillas. This cleans the loose flour out of the pan and keeps the pan from drying out as well as keeps it well seasoned. I use olive oil. The longest part of the recipe is the 'resting' phase. It has 4 ingredients and nothing fancy. Super simple. I make them up to a day ahead of time and if there are leftovers they will last a couple days on the counter in a ziplock bag.
Tortillas:
You need a big bowl, a rolling pin and some plastic wrap or a damp towel
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil (Canola, corn, or veggie. You could use schmaltz but melt it.)
1 cup water as hot as you can stand it
Mix the salt into the flour
Pour in the oil
Immediately pour in the hot water and start mixing with a wooden spoon or by hand
Knead it smooth
Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and rest for 20 min
Portion into approximately 1.5 ounce balls ( i use a scale and measure them between 1.4 and 1.5 ounces, feel free to just divide into 16 pieces)
Rest 10 min covered ( usually by the time I have measured all of them I can start rolling them)
On a floured surface roll into circles that will fit your pan or just a tiny bit smaller
On a medium heat cook each tortilla about 2 min on each side
Remove to a plate and stacking them one on another is fine
While the first side is cooking I begin rolling out the next tortilla, flip the tortilla and finish rolling.
If your tortillas are cooking faster turn down the heat in the pan.
Note: If the tortillas are 'pulling back' and not rolling smoothly just let them rest a little longer. They should roll smooth with no pull back.
Taco seasoning:
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Chili powder
3 Tablespoons Cumin
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon finely ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Paprika (I use Roßenscharf but you can use Edelsuß, regular or smoked)
2 teaspoons Garlic powder
2 teaspoons Onion Powder ( I can not find powder so I use dry onion)
2 teaspoons dry Oregano
I use 2-2.5 Tablespoons per 500 gm meat
If you are not using a can of tomatoes like above add 1/3 cup water or broth to the meat
These are just guidelines! Feel free to increase or decrease as you like
Feel free to add cayenne if you like it spicier or ground chipotle
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