So, shit's gotten real lately. I haven't been nearly as domestic as I'd like, and that actually pisses me off a great deal. Between the usual end-of-the-school-year chaos, a bunch of pending court crap versus my ex-husband (after ten years of never asking him for a dime, I'm actually pursuing child support), and my last class EVER for my MBA? Sleep and other silly things are at a premium.
Anyhow, here's what I'm making for dinner tonight. It's a lovely summer salad, and a great way to sneak in some spinach. Enjoy.
SPINACH STRAWBERRY SALAD
1 bag baby spinach, topped with:
1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
Sugared almonds (below, I always make lots of extras)
Dressing (You can either buy some poppyseed dressing from the store, or use the recipe below. I usually double the recipe because it makes a great marinade for salmon or chicken too)
1 marinated boneless skinless chicken breast per person, cooked on the grill or on the stove (marinade recipe below)
Any other stuff you want - popular things in my house include mandarin oranges and pineapple cubes.
SUGARED ALMONDS
1 bag slivered almonds
1 egg white
White sugar
Whip egg white until frothy (not quite peaked), fold in almonds to coat. Remove coated almonds from bowl, stir coated almonds in sugar to coat, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 350* for about 10-15 minutes (watch carefully!). When you take them out of the oven, stir the almonds every minute until cooled, set aside.
Tip: use foil on the cookie sheet. It makes it a whole lot easier to get the sticky almond mess off of the pan without resorting to a bunch of cussing and a chisel.
DRESSING
1/2 cup sugar
2 tblsp. Sesame seeds (optional)
1 tblsp. Poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. Minced green onion
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Combine together, and pour over salad shortly before serving.
MARINADE FOR CHICKEN
1 tsp ginger
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, put through a press twice so that it's damn near liquified
juice and zest of one half of a lemon
juice and zest of one half of a lime
1/4 - 1/2 tsp of Siracha sauce (the red shit with the rooster on the bottle - this is optional)
1/4 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
Orange Juice
Pineapple Juice
(or you can take the lazy way out and buy some of the yummy Tropicana Pinapple / Orange / Banana juice and use that - it also is delicious with rum, just sayin' ...)
Throw a chicken breast for each person on the cutting board. Trim any of the fat off of it, and stab it repeatedly with a fork to pierce the flesh. This will help the yummy marinade seep in.
Put the stabbed chicken into a gallon ziploc bag. Throw all the rest of the ingredients except the juices in there. Smoosh the chicken around to distribute all of the good stuff evenly. Then dump enough juices in there to cover the chicken. Smoosh around again, and let sit for at least an hour before grilling or frying in a pan. Use the extra liquid to baste / brush on the chicken while grilling. Slice up the chicken into either strips or chunks to put on top of the salad.
the misadventures of a professional woman trying to find the elusive work-life balance
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Sunday, November 11, 2012
waaaaaangs
I love wings. Traditional buffalo style bits of saucy chickeney goodness? That's the way to my heart.
Lately thought, I've managed to have a real run of nasty wings. It is, indeed, possible to screw them up. They've been overdone, dry, and just disgusting. I like tasty and moist and dripping with saucy wings! So, as I've been known to do? I made my own.
Here's my sauce recipe so far. It's still under construction, but it's pretty damn good so far.
You'll need:
2 sticks butter y'all. I prefer salted, but unsalted will work too.
1 cup hot sauce. Don't laugh, but WalMart's version of Frank's is PERFECT, with no added water like its namesake. And it's literally 1/3 of the price!
2 Tablespoons plain white vinegar
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/8 - 1/4 tsp Chili Powder (omit this if you want mild wings, increase for more heat)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 -4 cloves garlic, put through a press twice and chopped until it's pretty much liquified.
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan. Heat up till just simmering (DO NOT BOIL) over low heat. Use a whisk or immersion blender to whip it up and make it a delicious saucy emulsion. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit to come to room temperature. Use at that point, or refrigerate until you need it. As this is natural (not a bunch of canola oil and preservatives), it will separate. You'll need to warm it up and whisk it again before you toss the wings in it.
As far as preparing the wings, if you suggest that I bread them, I will come there and kick you in the shins. The only acceptable way to eat wings is to FRY THEM. If you're trying to cut calories (aside from the fact that you shouldn't be eating something whose main ingredient is BUTTER, Y'ALL), you could bake them I guess. But really - frying them is the way to go. Just remember that they need to reach 180 degrees (using a meat thermometer stabbed into the meatiest part of the wing), so you don't get sick.
Lately thought, I've managed to have a real run of nasty wings. It is, indeed, possible to screw them up. They've been overdone, dry, and just disgusting. I like tasty and moist and dripping with saucy wings! So, as I've been known to do? I made my own.
Here's my sauce recipe so far. It's still under construction, but it's pretty damn good so far.
You'll need:
2 sticks butter y'all. I prefer salted, but unsalted will work too.
1 cup hot sauce. Don't laugh, but WalMart's version of Frank's is PERFECT, with no added water like its namesake. And it's literally 1/3 of the price!
2 Tablespoons plain white vinegar
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/8 - 1/4 tsp Chili Powder (omit this if you want mild wings, increase for more heat)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 -4 cloves garlic, put through a press twice and chopped until it's pretty much liquified.
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan. Heat up till just simmering (DO NOT BOIL) over low heat. Use a whisk or immersion blender to whip it up and make it a delicious saucy emulsion. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit to come to room temperature. Use at that point, or refrigerate until you need it. As this is natural (not a bunch of canola oil and preservatives), it will separate. You'll need to warm it up and whisk it again before you toss the wings in it.
As far as preparing the wings, if you suggest that I bread them, I will come there and kick you in the shins. The only acceptable way to eat wings is to FRY THEM. If you're trying to cut calories (aside from the fact that you shouldn't be eating something whose main ingredient is BUTTER, Y'ALL), you could bake them I guess. But really - frying them is the way to go. Just remember that they need to reach 180 degrees (using a meat thermometer stabbed into the meatiest part of the wing), so you don't get sick.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
bawk bawk bawk
There are two things on this planet with which I am obsessed: Chicken, and my Crock Pot. Seriously folks, the crock pot is the lazy girl's BEST FRIEND EVAR. How awesome is it to just throw shit in there, turn it on, and come back like four hours later to dinner?
I've been on quite the crock pot bender lately, and so I'll be sharing some of the recipes. However, most of the time? My crock pot happenings are because I get up and say "oh shit we need dinner, what do I have?". Then, I open the cupboard and cuss some more.
Here's what we did yesterday. I'm here to tell you that it was AMAZING. And it was so easy!
I bought four leg/thigh pieces and a big bone-in breast (my husband's a boob man, what can I say) at Mosley's. I washed them, patted them dry, and smeared a bit of butter on them, y'all. I shook some Italian seasoning on them (oregano and the Scarborough Fair mix*), and laid the first three leg/thigh pieces meaty side down. Then, I smooshed three cloves of garlic and cut up 1/4 of a medium-sized onion (enough to put two or thee slices on each piece of chicken). Threw that in there, and then did the same thing with the remaining leg/thigh piece and the breast, only I layered those meat side up. I dotted the top of those pieces with a bit of butter too, y'all. Here's what it looked like when I was ready to put the lid on:
I then let it do its thang for about 6 hours on high. I stabbed the meatiest part of the breast with my meat thermometer (poultry should be about 180 degrees when done), and then pulled the meat out of there. This proved to be a challenge, because it was so well-cooked that it fell apart.
I took the drippings that were in the bottom of the crock, and made a quick gravy with them. Here's how I make my gravy with no lumps:
Take out the drippings, and put them in a pyrex (clear glass) measure. You're going for a total of 2 cups of liquid (drippings and milk here), so it's kind of important to know how much drippings you have to work with. Measure out the remainder of the 2 cups' worth in milk, but DO NOT COMBINE THEM.
Throw 2 tablespoons-ish of the drippings into the bottom of a saucepan. Turn the heat on medium-high (I use the "7" setting on my electric stove). Have a wire whisk handy (I like a lightweight flexible one for this task). Get some basic all-purpose flour, and sprinkle it on top of the drippings. Quickly whisk the flour in. This makes a roux. Let it brown up a bit - not too dark, or it'll get weird-tasting. Once that happens, dump in your drippings. Whisk the hell out of it to make sure there are no lumps. Get that warmed up, and then dump in enough milk to make a total of 2 cups of liquid. Heat that up to a simmer, stirring almost constantly. You'll see that it thickens up nicely as it cooks down, about 10 minutes. If you've been cooking it for a while and it's still pretty runny, add a bit more flour. Just sprinkle it on top of the liquid, and whisk it in like it's your job.
Got lumps? No worries. I highly recommend that you invest in a set of mesh strainers. I bought this set of three for $10 from Bed Bath and Beyond, and I can't tell you how many times I've used them. If you get lumps? Simply strain the gravy through one of those little puppies and TA DAH! No more lumps.
I served my chicken and gravy with some mashed potatoes. And my family was pretty happy. I think that next time, I'll use boneless chicken ... it was a royal pain in the ass to pull the meat off the bones, so I might just pay the extra 20 cents a pound and let someone else do it for me. They gave this meal a rating of "four cocks out of five", because of the creepy de-boning process.
* the Scarborough Fair mix = Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.
I've been on quite the crock pot bender lately, and so I'll be sharing some of the recipes. However, most of the time? My crock pot happenings are because I get up and say "oh shit we need dinner, what do I have?". Then, I open the cupboard and cuss some more.
Here's what we did yesterday. I'm here to tell you that it was AMAZING. And it was so easy!
I bought four leg/thigh pieces and a big bone-in breast (my husband's a boob man, what can I say) at Mosley's. I washed them, patted them dry, and smeared a bit of butter on them, y'all. I shook some Italian seasoning on them (oregano and the Scarborough Fair mix*), and laid the first three leg/thigh pieces meaty side down. Then, I smooshed three cloves of garlic and cut up 1/4 of a medium-sized onion (enough to put two or thee slices on each piece of chicken). Threw that in there, and then did the same thing with the remaining leg/thigh piece and the breast, only I layered those meat side up. I dotted the top of those pieces with a bit of butter too, y'all. Here's what it looked like when I was ready to put the lid on:
I then let it do its thang for about 6 hours on high. I stabbed the meatiest part of the breast with my meat thermometer (poultry should be about 180 degrees when done), and then pulled the meat out of there. This proved to be a challenge, because it was so well-cooked that it fell apart.
I took the drippings that were in the bottom of the crock, and made a quick gravy with them. Here's how I make my gravy with no lumps:
Take out the drippings, and put them in a pyrex (clear glass) measure. You're going for a total of 2 cups of liquid (drippings and milk here), so it's kind of important to know how much drippings you have to work with. Measure out the remainder of the 2 cups' worth in milk, but DO NOT COMBINE THEM.
Throw 2 tablespoons-ish of the drippings into the bottom of a saucepan. Turn the heat on medium-high (I use the "7" setting on my electric stove). Have a wire whisk handy (I like a lightweight flexible one for this task). Get some basic all-purpose flour, and sprinkle it on top of the drippings. Quickly whisk the flour in. This makes a roux. Let it brown up a bit - not too dark, or it'll get weird-tasting. Once that happens, dump in your drippings. Whisk the hell out of it to make sure there are no lumps. Get that warmed up, and then dump in enough milk to make a total of 2 cups of liquid. Heat that up to a simmer, stirring almost constantly. You'll see that it thickens up nicely as it cooks down, about 10 minutes. If you've been cooking it for a while and it's still pretty runny, add a bit more flour. Just sprinkle it on top of the liquid, and whisk it in like it's your job.
Got lumps? No worries. I highly recommend that you invest in a set of mesh strainers. I bought this set of three for $10 from Bed Bath and Beyond, and I can't tell you how many times I've used them. If you get lumps? Simply strain the gravy through one of those little puppies and TA DAH! No more lumps.
I served my chicken and gravy with some mashed potatoes. And my family was pretty happy. I think that next time, I'll use boneless chicken ... it was a royal pain in the ass to pull the meat off the bones, so I might just pay the extra 20 cents a pound and let someone else do it for me. They gave this meal a rating of "four cocks out of five", because of the creepy de-boning process.
* the Scarborough Fair mix = Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
here fishy fishy
We've been on a carnivorous tear lately. Steak, burgers, brats ... you name it, we eat it. However, we need to back off of that a bit.
Tonight's dinner was salmon. My husband, in all of his infinite wisdom, said it was the best dinner he's ever had. I don't know about that, but here's what we had.
Salmon - I prefer wild-caught. Farm-raised has a host of concerns, including a sometimes-odd taste. So, I pay a little extra for wild-caught salmon. I grilled salmon steaks on my trusty gas grill until a meat thermometer measured 145 in the thickest part of the meat. Right before they were done, I brushed them with a bit of butter that I prepared with two cloves of garlic (pressed), two wedges of lemon squeezed in, some dill, and some ground pepper.
Twice-baked potatoes - Again, I'm Irish. Mmmmm taters. Anyhow, I baked some regular old potatoes until they were almost done. I cut them in half, scooped out the guts, and put them in a bowl. I added a few handfuls of Triple Cheddar Cheese, a splash of milk, and a tablespoon of butter y'all. I took the mixer to them until they were smooth, and then spooned it back into the potato skins. I then baked them at 425 for about 15 or 20 minutes until the mashed potatoes were fluffy, and then finished them under the broiler to make them crispy. I served these with some sour cream and bacon bits.
Overall, it was a good dinner. As we get further in to fall and winter, I'll miss using my grill. Ah, who am I kidding? I'll just open the garage door and cook inside.
Tonight's dinner was salmon. My husband, in all of his infinite wisdom, said it was the best dinner he's ever had. I don't know about that, but here's what we had.
Salmon - I prefer wild-caught. Farm-raised has a host of concerns, including a sometimes-odd taste. So, I pay a little extra for wild-caught salmon. I grilled salmon steaks on my trusty gas grill until a meat thermometer measured 145 in the thickest part of the meat. Right before they were done, I brushed them with a bit of butter that I prepared with two cloves of garlic (pressed), two wedges of lemon squeezed in, some dill, and some ground pepper.
Twice-baked potatoes - Again, I'm Irish. Mmmmm taters. Anyhow, I baked some regular old potatoes until they were almost done. I cut them in half, scooped out the guts, and put them in a bowl. I added a few handfuls of Triple Cheddar Cheese, a splash of milk, and a tablespoon of butter y'all. I took the mixer to them until they were smooth, and then spooned it back into the potato skins. I then baked them at 425 for about 15 or 20 minutes until the mashed potatoes were fluffy, and then finished them under the broiler to make them crispy. I served these with some sour cream and bacon bits.
Overall, it was a good dinner. As we get further in to fall and winter, I'll miss using my grill. Ah, who am I kidding? I'll just open the garage door and cook inside.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
potayto, pohtahto
Being of the Irish persuasion, I love me some potatoes. I don't know that I've ever met a potato I didn't like.
However, I also am empirically lazy. This doesn't really jive with the whole concept of peeling and cooking potatoes.
So, what's a lazy girl to do?
Make my now-infamous Lazy Girl Potatoes.
Here's what you do:
Get yourself some small potatoes. I've recently discovered the super-awesome Klondike Gourmet brand (look at the pretty colors!) ... I got them at Giant Eagle. If you can't find any cool tiny taters, slice up some new potatoes into quarters.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Throw the raw potatoes into a bowl. Add the following ingredients:
2 tablespoons EVOO
4-5 cloves of garlic, put through the press
a bit of sea salt and ground black peppercorns
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary leaves (discard the stalks). If you need to use dried, cut back to about 1 1/2 tablespoons.
Toss the potatoes in the oil and spices. Make sure that you get a good coating on everything. This is important, because there's nothing suckier than dry potatoes. Plus, the EVOO will make the skins deliciously crispy.
Once everything is all mixed up, dump the mess into a 13x9 pan. Throw it in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir to ensure a nice even coating of the sludge. Bake until the potatoes are done ... they should be soft, but still firm. Mooshy potatoes are disgusting, don't you agree?
Once you get them out of the oven, spoon them into a serving bowl. Dot with some butter y'all (I use about 3/4 of a tablespoon), and drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Toss the potatoes once again to ensure a nice even coating. Serve hot, and watch your children try to strangle each other for the last of the little joyful spuds.
My family gave this five "I will cut you" threats out of five.
However, I also am empirically lazy. This doesn't really jive with the whole concept of peeling and cooking potatoes.
So, what's a lazy girl to do?
Make my now-infamous Lazy Girl Potatoes.
Here's what you do:
Get yourself some small potatoes. I've recently discovered the super-awesome Klondike Gourmet brand (look at the pretty colors!) ... I got them at Giant Eagle. If you can't find any cool tiny taters, slice up some new potatoes into quarters.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Throw the raw potatoes into a bowl. Add the following ingredients:
2 tablespoons EVOO
4-5 cloves of garlic, put through the press
a bit of sea salt and ground black peppercorns
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary leaves (discard the stalks). If you need to use dried, cut back to about 1 1/2 tablespoons.
Once everything is all mixed up, dump the mess into a 13x9 pan. Throw it in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir to ensure a nice even coating of the sludge. Bake until the potatoes are done ... they should be soft, but still firm. Mooshy potatoes are disgusting, don't you agree?
Once you get them out of the oven, spoon them into a serving bowl. Dot with some butter y'all (I use about 3/4 of a tablespoon), and drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Toss the potatoes once again to ensure a nice even coating. Serve hot, and watch your children try to strangle each other for the last of the little joyful spuds.
My family gave this five "I will cut you" threats out of five.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
i can just hear my ass growing. soon it will need its own zip code.
For those that don't know, my husband is referred to in my house as "Sad Panda" or just "Panda". When he is crabby, it's "Pissy Panda". And when I'm mad at him, it's "Dammit Panda." Just wanted everyone to understand that I'm not talking about an overly large and lazy bear that eats bamboo and won't get busy with the hot lady bears. I'm talking about my awesome husband. He is not lazy, overly large, bamboo-eating, or not-busy-getting. TMI? Sorry about that.
Anyhow, Panda's grandfather liked to buy all sorts of crazy shit. A grill that operated on nuclear power (OK not really, but it did require two propane tanks ...), one of those stupid Ronco rotisseries (SET IT! AND FORGET IT!), and several chain saws. But the one thing he bought that I was very "meh" about was this Rotofryer thing.
It's made by DeLonghi. It has a wire basket that you put down in the hot oil, and a mechanism inside the heating element makes it spin while cooking. At first, I was all "we don't need a fryer." Then I was all "WTF, it spins?" And finally I was all "DUDE WE CAN FRY THAT SHIT! WATCH THIS!" I swear, I'm not a redneck, but the primal need to dunk things in the simmering vegetable oil is so hard to overcome.
It's very easy to clean, too. It's got a little tube thing that comes out from under the handle (the vertical thing in the photo), and it drains into a filtering oil container. Seriously, it rocks my socks. I can OCD-clean the oil and wipe it out every single time I use it! Win.
If you are a family that fries things, I highly recommend this little beauty.
Anyhow, Panda's grandfather liked to buy all sorts of crazy shit. A grill that operated on nuclear power (OK not really, but it did require two propane tanks ...), one of those stupid Ronco rotisseries (SET IT! AND FORGET IT!), and several chain saws. But the one thing he bought that I was very "meh" about was this Rotofryer thing.
It's made by DeLonghi. It has a wire basket that you put down in the hot oil, and a mechanism inside the heating element makes it spin while cooking. At first, I was all "we don't need a fryer." Then I was all "WTF, it spins?" And finally I was all "DUDE WE CAN FRY THAT SHIT! WATCH THIS!" I swear, I'm not a redneck, but the primal need to dunk things in the simmering vegetable oil is so hard to overcome.
It's very easy to clean, too. It's got a little tube thing that comes out from under the handle (the vertical thing in the photo), and it drains into a filtering oil container. Seriously, it rocks my socks. I can OCD-clean the oil and wipe it out every single time I use it! Win.
If you are a family that fries things, I highly recommend this little beauty.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
reason #1,593,824 why i love my husband.
Because he can grill like a mofo.
All kidding aside, the chicken I made tonight was exceptional. Yes, he actually grilled it. But I made the sauce and bought the chicken and ... well, OK. We did it together.
First of all, I bought leg quarters. Why, you ask? Well, because they stay deliciously juicy on the grill. They don't dry out like boneless/skinless breasts, which is key when you're slow-cooking the poultry. Plus, I like dark meat and I was the one that took their ass to the meat market. So I bought what I like best.
Then, I busted out one of my cookbooks. I modified a sauce recipe. Here's what I made:
COCA-COLA SWEET BBQ SAUCE
Ingredients:
1 T. Butter
1 T. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil, you heathen)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 t. dry mustard powder
1 T. honey mustard
1 T. dijon mustard
1 cup Coca Cola (but I bet this would be good with Dr. Pepper too)
2 T. balsamic vinegar (don't cheap out on this - I prefer Fini brand. I swear it's worth the money. That shit will change your life.)
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce (A1 will do in a pinch if you don't have any)
1/2 cup ketchup
Procedure:
Bust up a saute pan. I have this one, and it's perfect for this recipe. Put the butter and EVOO into the pan, and melt it on medium heat. Throw in the onions and garlic, and cook until "wilted" (softened), about two minutes or so.
Add in the brown sugar, dry mustard powder, honey mustard, and dijon mustard. Heat it back up until it simmers, and cook it down till it thickens (about 20 minutes or so). Stir it every few minutes so that it doesn't stick. I like a silicone scraper spatula for this task.
When the sauce has thickened up, dump in the remainder of the ingredients. Use a whisk to break up any ketchup clumps if necessary. Simmer this down until it's the desired consistency ... again about 20 minutes or a half-hour or so. The onions, if cut small enough, should disintegrate as they cook down. If not, and they bother you, just pulse the cooked sauce in a food processor to blend in the onions after cooking the sauce down completely.
Use this sauce on chicken or ribs ... it's a bit too sweet for beef, and too heavy for pork chops or fish. Get the meat nearly cooked through, and then brush this on during the last 10-15 minutes of slow grilling. The sugars will carmelize nicely, and you'll have orgasm-worthy dinner.
I served this with some steamed red potatoes drizzled with butter, EVOO, and rosemary. My husband made gutteral caveman noises as he gnawed on the chicken bones. I assume this gets five "OMG MAKE THAT AGAIN"s out of five.
All kidding aside, the chicken I made tonight was exceptional. Yes, he actually grilled it. But I made the sauce and bought the chicken and ... well, OK. We did it together.
First of all, I bought leg quarters. Why, you ask? Well, because they stay deliciously juicy on the grill. They don't dry out like boneless/skinless breasts, which is key when you're slow-cooking the poultry. Plus, I like dark meat and I was the one that took their ass to the meat market. So I bought what I like best.
Then, I busted out one of my cookbooks. I modified a sauce recipe. Here's what I made:
COCA-COLA SWEET BBQ SAUCE
Ingredients:
1 T. Butter
1 T. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil, you heathen)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 t. dry mustard powder
1 T. honey mustard
1 T. dijon mustard
1 cup Coca Cola (but I bet this would be good with Dr. Pepper too)
2 T. balsamic vinegar (don't cheap out on this - I prefer Fini brand. I swear it's worth the money. That shit will change your life.)
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce (A1 will do in a pinch if you don't have any)
1/2 cup ketchup
Procedure:
Bust up a saute pan. I have this one, and it's perfect for this recipe. Put the butter and EVOO into the pan, and melt it on medium heat. Throw in the onions and garlic, and cook until "wilted" (softened), about two minutes or so.
When the sauce has thickened up, dump in the remainder of the ingredients. Use a whisk to break up any ketchup clumps if necessary. Simmer this down until it's the desired consistency ... again about 20 minutes or a half-hour or so. The onions, if cut small enough, should disintegrate as they cook down. If not, and they bother you, just pulse the cooked sauce in a food processor to blend in the onions after cooking the sauce down completely.
Use this sauce on chicken or ribs ... it's a bit too sweet for beef, and too heavy for pork chops or fish. Get the meat nearly cooked through, and then brush this on during the last 10-15 minutes of slow grilling. The sugars will carmelize nicely, and you'll have orgasm-worthy dinner.
I served this with some steamed red potatoes drizzled with butter, EVOO, and rosemary. My husband made gutteral caveman noises as he gnawed on the chicken bones. I assume this gets five "OMG MAKE THAT AGAIN"s out of five.
Monday, September 10, 2012
these are a few of my favorite things
And by that I mean ... ice cream and booze.
By now, I'm sure you know that I'm obsessed with my ice cream maker. I got such a great deal on it, and hey ... ice cream. Preservative and additive free. Whenever I want it? WIN.
So, I got bored (that's how these things always get started). I rummaged in the fridge, and came up with some vanilla Greek yogurt, some frozen strawberries, a South Carolina sized bottle of low-proof rum (don't you judge me), and a few limes. Huh. What could I possibly do with this bunch of misfit food? I KNOW! Put it in the ice cream maker!
So, I present to you ... Strawberry Mojito Fro-Yo.
I realize that most booze won't freeze, but hey. This was some quality stuff. I think it may have been like, 20 proof. So I rolled the dice. I "sampled" the rum, and dumped the other half of the bottle in a blender. Then I added about a cup of yogurt. Then I added the bag of frozen strawberries (they were about a pound, it seems). Blended till smooth, dumped in the ice cream maker.
At about that point in the photo (about ten minutes in), I was all "OH SHIT THE LIMES!" I squeezed half of a lime into the top of the ice cream maker and prayed to baby Jeebus that this mess would come out okay.
Let me tell you - that was some of the most DIVINE stuff I've ever had. I had to tell the kids "that's mommy's, don't eat it." Of course, my oldest (the almost thirteen year old female garbage hole) just had to know why. I finally told her "it's got booze in it. And if I catch you eating it, you'll be eating from the litter box. And since you never clean it, your ice cream will be mighty crunchy. Got it?"
Score one for me and my stellar parenting skills.
By now, I'm sure you know that I'm obsessed with my ice cream maker. I got such a great deal on it, and hey ... ice cream. Preservative and additive free. Whenever I want it? WIN.
So, I got bored (that's how these things always get started). I rummaged in the fridge, and came up with some vanilla Greek yogurt, some frozen strawberries, a South Carolina sized bottle of low-proof rum (don't you judge me), and a few limes. Huh. What could I possibly do with this bunch of misfit food? I KNOW! Put it in the ice cream maker!
So, I present to you ... Strawberry Mojito Fro-Yo.
At about that point in the photo (about ten minutes in), I was all "OH SHIT THE LIMES!" I squeezed half of a lime into the top of the ice cream maker and prayed to baby Jeebus that this mess would come out okay.
Let me tell you - that was some of the most DIVINE stuff I've ever had. I had to tell the kids "that's mommy's, don't eat it." Of course, my oldest (the almost thirteen year old female garbage hole) just had to know why. I finally told her "it's got booze in it. And if I catch you eating it, you'll be eating from the litter box. And since you never clean it, your ice cream will be mighty crunchy. Got it?"
Score one for me and my stellar parenting skills.
Friday, September 7, 2012
as if that's not bad enough for you
Ah yes. Paula Deen. Hypocrite "celebrity chef" of the highest order. She tells you to slather everything in sugar and/or butter, and then gets the diabeetus and then sells you medication for it.
Although I don't necessarily agree with her tactics, she is right about one thing: damn if steaks aren't better with some butter on them.
During one of our family trips to Walt Disney World, I discovered the joy of "steak butter" while enjoying a meal at Yachtsman Steakhouse.
Since we've found a great local meat market with amazing steaks, I've been on a bender to find something really cool to do with them. Sure, any idiot can grill them and throw some sauce or Mrs. Dash on them. But it takes a real glutton to add butter to a massive New York Strip Steak. Of course, that glutton is ME ... and I set out to make a recipe of steak butter that I really liked.
It took me a few tries, but here's what I've been using. I served my most recent concoction tonight for my daughter's birthday dinner, and it must have been tasty. Why, you ask? Because as we were cleaning up the table after dinner, the dog jumped up and grabbed the two remaining pats and ran like hell.
I hope your family enjoys this awesome Garlic and Herb Steak Butter as much as mine has.
Oh and PS - you could double this recipe if you have a big family (or are having Paula Deen over for dinner). However, the recipe as listed below topped my family's steaks tonight with some left over. And since it's most delicious when freshly prepared, I'd advise making the recipe as-is to start.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 stick salted butter, room temperature
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, put through a press
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
dash of freshly ground pepper
1/2 - 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (I prefer fresh, but dried will work - use a bit more than you would if it were fresh)
PROCEDURE:
Put the butter in a bowl. Use the back of a large spoon (a tablespoon is best) to smash and work the butter until it is beaten smooth. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper; work in. Once the butter is fully blended, fold in the finely chopped parsley.
Place a piece of wax paper on the counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto it, and spread it to the desired shape. Smooth the butter mixture, wrap in the wax paper, and place in a zippered plastic bag (lest you stink up the fridge with your garlic stank). Refrigerate until firm, at least an hour. Not only does this make the butter nice and stiff, it helps the flavors blend together in a magical festival of deliciousness.
When steaks are finished cooking, and right before serving them, add a pat or two (or five) of the butter on top.
Since we've found a great local meat market with amazing steaks, I've been on a bender to find something really cool to do with them. Sure, any idiot can grill them and throw some sauce or Mrs. Dash on them. But it takes a real glutton to add butter to a massive New York Strip Steak. Of course, that glutton is ME ... and I set out to make a recipe of steak butter that I really liked.
It took me a few tries, but here's what I've been using. I served my most recent concoction tonight for my daughter's birthday dinner, and it must have been tasty. Why, you ask? Because as we were cleaning up the table after dinner, the dog jumped up and grabbed the two remaining pats and ran like hell.
I hope your family enjoys this awesome Garlic and Herb Steak Butter as much as mine has.
Oh and PS - you could double this recipe if you have a big family (or are having Paula Deen over for dinner). However, the recipe as listed below topped my family's steaks tonight with some left over. And since it's most delicious when freshly prepared, I'd advise making the recipe as-is to start.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 stick salted butter, room temperature
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, put through a press
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
dash of freshly ground pepper
1/2 - 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (I prefer fresh, but dried will work - use a bit more than you would if it were fresh)
PROCEDURE:
Put the butter in a bowl. Use the back of a large spoon (a tablespoon is best) to smash and work the butter until it is beaten smooth. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper; work in. Once the butter is fully blended, fold in the finely chopped parsley.
Place a piece of wax paper on the counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto it, and spread it to the desired shape. Smooth the butter mixture, wrap in the wax paper, and place in a zippered plastic bag (lest you stink up the fridge with your garlic stank). Refrigerate until firm, at least an hour. Not only does this make the butter nice and stiff, it helps the flavors blend together in a magical festival of deliciousness.
When steaks are finished cooking, and right before serving them, add a pat or two (or five) of the butter on top.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
i scream, you scream, and then i'll smack you with a stock pot for making that unholy racket.
Do you have a Big Lots near you? We have one just a few blocks away, and let me tell ya ... there is some crazy shit in that place. I found clothing that was clearly not meant for human consumption, odd sorts of snack foods, and aisles of uber-tacky home furnishings.
However, nestled amongst the insanity was this little gem, for the bargain price of $24.99:
Yep, that's a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker! Squee! Of course, I snapped it right up.
Since then, I've been freezing everything that isn't nailed down. However, the Vanilla Bean Supreme has been everyone's favorite.
I used this recipe from About.com, mainly because the Food Network site pissed me off. Every time I tried to open it on my iPad, it crashed the browser. Screw that. I was perfectly pleased with what I used.
As a side note, the author of the About.com recipe? Diana Rattray. Which made me all "oooh, like the bad people that were dealing V and were going to drain Bill on True Blood before Sookie intervened. That's a sign. Self, you should make this one."
At any rate, here's the recipe. My family gave it a total of five vanilla beans out of five.
Vanilla Bean Supreme Ice Cream
However, nestled amongst the insanity was this little gem, for the bargain price of $24.99:
Since then, I've been freezing everything that isn't nailed down. However, the Vanilla Bean Supreme has been everyone's favorite.
I used this recipe from About.com, mainly because the Food Network site pissed me off. Every time I tried to open it on my iPad, it crashed the browser. Screw that. I was perfectly pleased with what I used.
As a side note, the author of the About.com recipe? Diana Rattray. Which made me all "oooh, like the bad people that were dealing V and were going to drain Bill on True Blood before Sookie intervened. That's a sign. Self, you should make this one."
At any rate, here's the recipe. My family gave it a total of five vanilla beans out of five.
Vanilla Bean Supreme Ice Cream
Ingredients:
- 7 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- dash salt
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Preparation:
Whisk egg yolks with sugar and salt in large bowl; set aside. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds (note: it works really well if you act like you're curling Christmakwanzzakah ribbon). Combine beans, seeds, half and half and heavy cream in a large saucepan. Bring just to a simmer.
Gradually whisk hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (do not let it boil - (this is 170 degrees Fahrenheit if you're all about the science like me). Strain through sieve into large bowl. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.
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