Grandma's Kitchen Table

Phyl's Italian Beef in Crockpot

      Every once in awhile every now and again, someone in my Twitter baking/cooking circle will come up with a recipe for us to try and we all have a go at it.  Such was the case with Phyl's Italian Beef in Crockpot.  This was fabulous. FAB U LOUS. 

      I am not, by any stretch, a lover of spicy food, so I was unsure about this one, but I knew Mark would love it as he loves Italian Beef Sandwiches and he loves spicy food.  The pepperoncini peppers are real favorites of his, so I was in when the recipe came around. 

      This is definitely a keeper and it will be making frequent appearances for ballgame days.  Here's the recipe, by Phyl's permission, and I did make just a couple of changes, very slight ones.  The recipe gave the option of using an onion, and I definitely knew that was going in when I saw it listed, and I cut the stems off the peppers when shredding the beef, but that's it, the rest is Phyl's.  Thanks, Phyl!

Phyl's Italian Beef in Crockpot

 

Ingredients:

 

• 3-4 pound chuck roast
• 3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 16-ounce jar pepperoncini peppers
• 1 peeled and sliced onion
• Crusty Italian bread

Directions:

 

1. Trim beef of excess fat and place in slow cooker. Add garlic and entire jar of pepperoncini peppers, juice and all. No need to cut up the peppers; just dump in the whole jar.  (Do not be tempted to add more water or broth as that will make it too watery at the end, really just the jar of pepperoncini and the juice in the jar is perfect.)
2. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until beef is falling apart tender. Remove beef, shred with two forks, remove any parts that make you go "ewww, yuck" and throw them away, and return the shredded meat to crockpot. (Note: I also cut the stem tops off the pepperoncini at this point and threw them away as I didn't want to eat them).  Cook on low for about 30 additional minutes.
3. Serve beef, peppers, and juices over thick slices of Italian bread or make sandwiches, top with Provolone, and broil for a few minutes to melt cheese.

Di's Virtual Cookie Exchange 2011: Orange Creme Roll Cookies

 

      You have all probably participated in an annual Christmas Cookie Exchange somewhere along the line.  Everyone makes scores of one kind of cookie, usually their specialty, and then on a given time and date everyone participating gathers and swaps cookies so that you get to take home a nice selection of cookies for your Christmas cookie platter and yet you only had to make one kind of cookie.  Fun, and sometimes, a bit taxing this time of year.

      Enter Di from Di's Kitchen Notebook, one of my online baking buddies who is whipping up tasty treats and breads in her kitchen down in Texas on a weekly basis.  Di had an inspiration last year that involved a Virtual Cookie Exchange.  "What is that?" you ask.  Well, I didn't know either, but more than a dozen people jumped on the bandwagon and before you knew it, we had a time, a date, and a cute little badge for our posts designed by Nancy's very talented daughter Allison. The tradition continues this year.

      Here's how it works:  You make a favorite Christmas cookie (or any kind of cookie actually), you post about it today (Sunday), and then you send Di a link to your post in her comment section of her post.  In a few days she will do a roundup that includes all the cookies and links and you are free to steal any of them and make them at home in your own kitchens.

      Here is my submission for the Virtual Cookie Exchange this year:  Orange Creme Roll Cookies.
 
      These little cookies start with a pie type of dough and are filled from each end with a filling of your choice, I like to use an orange buttercream frosting.  They look a little like cannoli when they are finished.  My husband's two favorite desserts are pies and cookies...this little cookie combines the two into one:  win, win. 

Orange Creme Roll Cookies
Makes 36 Cookies
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg yolk

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sour cream, butter, vanilla, and ginger as you would for a pie dough.

Roll dough quite thin, making 1" by 6" strips (I roll 2 separate rectangles by dividing the dough in half, each one 9" by 12" so that I get 18 strips out of each by cutting 9 strips 1" wide and then dividing those 12" long strips in half so that they are 6").

Butter 36 round open-ended clothespins as you will use these to wrap the dough around while baking (I have ones I bought and only use for this purpose). 

Wind the dough around the clothes pin in a circular pattern, but do not cover either end as you will need to slide the clothespins out when the dough has baked and formed the curly rolls. 

Place all the clothespins with the rolled dough onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat mat and brush them with an egg wash made with the beaten egg and a little water.  You can sprinkle them with sugar if you like.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Immediately after removing from the oven, carefully slide the clothespins out and let the cookie rolls cool completely on a cookie rack.  When cool, fill with Orange Frosting (recipe follows).

Orange Frosting

1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
grated zest from one orange

Combine all ingredients in mixer and mix well.  Fill a pastry bag or paper cone with the frosting and pipe into the cookies, a little from each end, or completely filling the cookie, depending how much frosting you would like in each one.  (I just fill a little in at each end and that is plenty for the cookie.)

Di's Virtual Cookie Exchange 2010: Candy Cane Peppermint Cookies

       You have all probably participated in an annual Christmas Cookie Exchange somewhere along the line.  Everyone makes scores of one kind of cookie, usually their specialty, and then on a given time and date everyone participating gathers and swaps out cookies so that you get to take home a nice selection of cookies for your Christmas cookie platter and yet you only had to make one kind of cookie.  Fun, and sometimes, a bit taxing this time of year. 

      Enter Di from Di's Kitchen Notebook, one of my online baking buddies who is whipping up tasty treats and breads in her kitchen down in Texas on a daily basis.  Di had an inspiration this year that involved a Virtual Cookie Exchange.  "What is that?" you ask.  Well, I didn't know either, but more than a dozen people jumped on the bandwagon and before you knew it, we had a time, a date, and a cute little badge for our posts designed by Nancy's very talented daughter in Georgia. 

      Let's see, there are people from California, Rhode Island, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Utah, Ohio, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Germany, and the Netherlands (and I might have forgotten someone, sorry) so far.  It's a rather inspired group.  Here's how it works:  You make a favorite Christmas cookie (or any kind of cookie actually), you post about it today (Monday), and then you send Di a link to your post in her comment section of her post.  In a few days she will do a round up that includes all the cookies and links and you are free to steal any of them and make them at home in your own kitchens.  (If you have a blog and want to participate, just bake and post a cookie and link it on Di's post...this is not an exclusive group, just anyone at all can participate.  Of course, if 500 people do this, Di will no longer be speaking to me for having to link all those cookies, but I am trusting this won't lead to 500 posts.) 

      Without further ado, here is my submission for the Virtual Cookie Exchange:  Candy Cane Peppermint Cookies.
      Originally this recipe came to me from my good friend, Katie, who has a cookie party each and every Epiphany in their home.  She and her family make thousands of cookies, so many kinds to choose from, and I try to fit in one time to go over and help with the sugar cookie decorating, which is no end of fun as Katie has three daughters, each and every one of them able to be talked into fits of giggles about creative decorating. 

      These peppermint cookies are my favorites of all the cookies she makes and finally one year she gifted me the recipe for my birthday.  Try as I might, I could not make that recipe work...sometimes recipes can be like that, one person can make it excellently, and the next cannot.  So I persisted and played around with the recipe until I could get it to turn out like hers but using slightly different measurements (could be my oven, could be the type of butter or flour I use, who knows), so finally, I have it where I can make them perfectly.  Which may not be a good thing as I am always tempted to eat more than one or two, so it's a good thing Matt is here to make sure that they disappear quickly.
      Here is my version of the recipe in all it's melty, crunchy, chewy, candy cane minty goodness.  Bet you can't eat just one.

Candy Cane Peppermint Cookies
1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) of unsalted butter, room temperature
I cup powdered sugar (measure, then sift)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups of sifted flour (measure, then sift)
1 cup uncooked quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes (crush, then measure)
Extra powdered sugar for rolling dough balls in before baking

Cream the butter.  Add the powdered sugar and cream some more.  Add the vanilla and the salt and cream a little more.  Sift the flour into mixture and mix until flour is all absorbed.  Fold in the quick cooking oats and the crushed candy canes.

 
Form into small balls, about the size of a quarter, roll in the powdered sugar, place on an ungreased baking sheet, and flatten slightly.

Bake at 375 degrees for 14-15 minutes (everyone's oven is different, so keep an eye on them to see the timing for your oven, as they can brown quickly).

Let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then place them on cooling racks to finish cooling. 

Makes about 4 dozen small cookies.

Let it Snow

       It's a snowy day here today...three days ago Caitlin and I started a little Lemon Anise Snowflake Bread project, so it seems fitting that the final product is arriving at the same time as all these other snowflakes.  Twitter is a fun thing...I only Twitter with my online baking pals, and on any given day, someone is making something that somebody wants "in" on and away it goes...ingredients flying off the shelves in each of our kitchens. 

      Caitlin is a busy gal, recently getting married, enrolling in a prestigious graduate school, and setting up housekeeping.  She loves to bake, so there is always something going on in her kitchen.  This week she found this bread (click on recipe title to connect to bread recipe) she wanted to make, tweeted about it, mentioning that it had lemon in it, and it took me no time at all to click over and decide this was going to be a happening thing in my kitchen as well.  

      It was just so cute.  I figured it would be fun to learn new techniques, and to be able to form and shape the bread like a snowflake sounded just plain fun.  And, it was! 

      We made the sponge together late Friday afternoon, consoled each other with the lack of active rising with that, and headed into Saturday afternoon ready to mix and shape the final dough.  Finally, this morning, we baked it together...well, sort of, her in her kitchen in North Carolina and me in mine in Indiana and all, but together at the same time.
      The taste?  Well, it is not a sweet bread but it isn't savory either.  It doesn't have the typical crumb that I would expect in a yeast bread, but it didn't "not" have it either, just something a little different.  The flavorings were great (okay, I left out the anise and added almonds...they both start with "A" and I figured lemon almond bread sounded just that much better to me) and after the first bite of not knowing quite what to expect, it kind of grows on you, being lemony and almondy and not too sweet but just a little bit. The powdered sugar on the top (I thought it was a nice touch to make it look a little more like a real snowflake) added just a bit of sweetness. 

      So now you know exactly, right?  No?  Well, I can't describe it any better than that, so you will just need to make it yourself, or ask Caitlin for her take on it all.  Will I make it again?  Well, I might, I just might, it was something a little different, and come on, it's lemony!



Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes ANd Ham

       Mark has been on a scalloped potatoes and ham kick for the last couple of months.  Maybe it's a midlife crisis...I can't think that I have made this dish that many times in all our years together.  Since we had leftover ham from the "Godot" dinner, I made this on Monday and the guys were just delighted with it.   I really love this slow cooker...it's like having someone work for you while you are out and presenting a completed task to you when you return.  Love it.  (For my "at college" and "new cook" readers: you can buy ham packaged in thick slices, or even in cubed form, at the grocery these days and use that since you probably aren't having a large ham with leftovers that often.  This is an easy one, just for you all.)

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

6 cups raw potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium onion, minced

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups of cooked ham, cubed

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups of milk

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a 5 quart slow cooker, layer potatoes, onion, salt, and ham.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour.  Cook until bubbly (about a minute).  Gradually add the milk.  Cook until smooth and thickened.  Add the cheese and stir until melted. 

Pour sauce over potato-ham mixture in slow cooker and stir gently until ingredients are nicely mixed.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours (all slow cookers have their own rate of cooking and heat ranges, so you might need to play around with this for your cooker).  Makes 6 wildly generous servings. 

ANalogy: "Waiting for Ham"

       Before and after Easter, the markets were running hams at greatly reduced pricing, so I bought one as my guys all really like ham and will eat it in many forms (I also like ham, but I draw the line at "hamloaf," "ham balls," and such; and yes, I can hear you all gasp with your collective breath out there in Iowa, probably the land of origin of the "hamloaf/ham ball" cuisine). 

      Since Aunt Nan was cooking the Easter ham at her home in Cincinnati this year, we were not going to be eating leftovers here, so I bought the ham and last week on Thursday I said to Mark, "Oh, I am planning ham for dinner, so you might want to make a lunch choice elsewise" (I know that isn't a word, but I like it anyway).  One thing led to another on Thursday, and I did not get around to making the ham.  Friday we are meatless (old Catholic habits die hard), so no ham.  Saturday, we planned on having ham and then other things came up and we never got to making the ham.  Sunday, likewise, as it was A DAY FOR GOLF, and therefore no one wanted to be home for a "sit-down ham dinner."  Turns out Monday was also A DAY FOR GOLF, likewise.  Tuesday, the boys scheduled a movie outing with a couple of friends during the dinner hour, so Mark and I figured we would not make a ham dinner for just the two of us. 

      So, now it is Wednesday and I am thinking TONIGHT is going to be ham night.  I mentioned this to Mark and he said, "You know, this is a little like "Waiting for Ham."   Immediately recognizing this as being an analogy in reference to Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot," I chuckled and thought, "this is one of the reasons I knew I could be married to this man forever...he makes me laugh every single day with something along these lines with his humor"...I love his sense of humor.   In "Waiting for Godot," Godot never shows up.  The two characters wait for two days and Godot never shows up.  Won't Mark be surprised tonight when Ham actually shows up?

     And, because this is Spring Break and we are living a life of frivolity around here, we are not cooking anything complicated this week (and, dontchaknow, today is also A DAY FOR GOLF). I am posting the easiest recipe in the world, in case you don't already have it.  I am sure this recipe has been around forever, and I can't remember a time in my childhood when we did not have this salad every now and again.  If you don't like to cook, this one is for you:  it could not be easier.  Kids can make this without fuss, and they love using the electric can opener:  cook with your kids...or someone else's! 

FIVE CUP FRUIT SALAD

1 cup of Mandarin Orange segments, drained

1 cup of Pineapple Tidbits, drained (or you can use pineapple chunks, or cut the rings into pieces)

1 cup of flaked coconut

1 cups of mini-marshmallows

1 cup of sour cream

Mix everything together gently until well mixed.  Refrigerate.  (Passes for salad and dessert around here.)

AN Easy One

       When the boys were little, and wanted to "cook," I started them out with instant pudding as they loved pudding, but even more they loved using the mixer.  Next was this recipe as it is very easy, fun for little ones to make, and is pretty much foolproof (and, as a "nod" to James Thurber today, I deleted the "pretty" as he detested the usage of that word in that way).  It's a stress-free recipe with hardly any clean-up, perfect for entertaining children on any sort of day.  Cook with your kids...or someone else's...it's a great memory maker.   And, now, upon request from my boys for this for dessert, I give you Seven Layer Bars.

Seven Layer Bars

      In a 13" by 9" by 2" pan on the stove top, melt one stick of butter.

      Sprinkle on top of the melted butter layer, in layers, in this order:

            1 cup graham cracker crumbs

            1 cup flaked coconut

            1 six ounce package of chocolate chips

            1 six ounce package of butterscotch chips

      Drizzle on top of all of this, one 14 ounce can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed milk.

      Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups of chopped nuts on top.

      Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool and cut into bars.

      *You can switch around whatever kind of baking chips you like:  white, butterscotch, mint, peanut butter, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc., just so the total equals about 12 ounces.  You can also add more, or delete, the coconut and/or nuts as your family desires.  We delete the nuts quite often, but never the coconut!   Enjoy!

Ic-ING

      Okay, here's Wednesday's recipe for this week.  You have all been asking for this recipe for thirty years and I decided I can't take it to the grave, so here it is:  one very tasty easy icing recipe, guaranteed to be appreciated by one and all.  Now, however, you will have no reason to beg for cupcakes from me! 

     I like this recipe as it is very easy and I am a no-fuss person when it comes to icing cupcakes, i.e. just slap it on and add sprinkles for distraction from the imperfections.  Spending any more time than that around here is just a waste:  4 bites and those cupcakes are history with teenage boys. 

      Please, if I may kindly ask, do not substitute ingredients and call it my recipe.  You can sub all you want, just don't call it my recipe, okay?  Thanks. 

Vanilla, Butter, and Cream Icing

1/3 cup of butter, room temperature

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons cream

     Place butter in medium mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Add confectioner's sugar, one half cup at a time, alternating with the vanilla and the cream, until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.  Add food coloring as you desire. 

     You can add more cream or less confectioner's sugar to make a thinner icing to use as a glaze for a bundt cake or cinnamon rolls.  You can add more confectioner's sugar to make a stiffer icing for sugar cookies or brownies. 

     This amount will frost one 8" round cake, a dozen cupcakes, or a pan of brownies.  Leftover icing can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator for a few days and then just re-whipped when ready to use.  Enjoy!

Glaz-ING

       Photo is of Glazed Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Carrots (please note that the plate is a small bread plate size, not a full dinner plate size, as many of you have asked about this). 

      Today I am doing double-duty volunteer sessions (from yesterday's switch-around with Mary Anne), so I am going to do a quick post here and then catch up with you tomorrow when I am cooking in the afternoon...ah, it feels so good to be back in my normal round of activities.  No trace of illness left...I need to be more appreciative on a daily basis. 

      Yesterday's meal was great (more on bread success in the comment section of yesterday's post).  I tried a new glaze for the corned beef, so I will post that for you today as it was a big success with the guys.

Glazed Corned Beef

Purchase one corned beef brisket, about 3-4 pounds  (usually pickling spices are included in the package, if not you will need to add those).

Place brisket in crockpot, cover with water, sprinkle in pickling spices.

Add 3 onions, peeled and quartered.

Cook on low for 7 hours, then add 6 large carrots, peeled and cut in halves.

Cook for another 2-1/2 hours.

Remove brisket from crockpot, scrape off the layer of fat that is on the meat (discard that), and place the brisket in an oven baking dish.  Brush with glaze.

Cook in a preheated 375 Degree F oven for 20 minutes, basting with the glaze every five minutes.

Slice against the grain and serve. 

Glaze

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup cider vinegar

1/8 cup prepared mustard

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on the stove top, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  Baste the corned beef with the sauce as directed above.  Can serve leftover sauce on the side.

Bak-ING

     Here is Irish Soda Bread No. 1 -- the recipe my Granny made, with the exception that she used lard instead of butter (since I don't keep lard around and prefer the taste of butter).  It is a more dense bread than Recipe No. 2 which is also a little sweeter due to the sugar sprinkled on top (and really tasty because of that).  They look the same, this recipe making a larger loaf than the other one. 

Irish Soda Bread

Frances Viola O'Brien Baker

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons cold butter, small dice

1-1/4 cups raisins

1 beaten egg

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

In a large bread making bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt.  Work in the little bits of butter with your fingertips until they resemble small peas.  Mix in the raisins (you can use more or less depending on your family's preference, we like a LOT of raisins).  Beat the egg into the buttermilk with a fork. 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk/egg mixture into it.  Stir until well blended, but don't overwork it.  Work around the bowl with your hands, kneading it lightly until there is no dough sticking to the sides and it forms a nice ball.  Gather the ball and place it into a greased 12 inch cast iron skillet, flattening slightly.  Cut a deep cross into the loaf (it will close slightly as it bakes). 

Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes, until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped.  A cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean and dry.  Place it on a wire rack to cool.  If you would like a soft crust, cool in a teatowel, if not, cool just sitting on the rack without a teatowel.  Makes 1 round loaf of bread.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

         And, here is Irish Soda Bread No. 2 -- the recipe I printed off a fellow blogger's site last year, so I guess I should give proper credit.  Originally I saw it on a blog by someone named Addie who had lovely Greece photos on her site at the time, with a link to where she got the recipe, which was her friend, MB, who posted it on her blog, crediting Bon Appetit for its origin.  It has much more sugar in it and seemed more scone-like, so I was intrigued and made a note to give it a whirl.  It tastes REALLY GOOD! (Note:  This recipe is lighter, less dense, than the first one, which is probably due to the baking powder in this recipe...I do like that a lot.  The first recipe has more raisins which adds sweetness, the second recipe has more sugar which adds sweetness...both taste pretty sweet.)

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

from Bon Appetit via Addie via MB

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 cups all purpose flour

5 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray.  Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend.  Add butter.  Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms.  Make well in center of flour mixture.  Add buttermilk.  Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend.  Mix in raisins. 

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball.  Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan).  Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.  Cool bread in pan 10 minutes.  Transfer to rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Makes 1 loaf.

Concoct-ING

    And, this is one of the things we do with leftover couscous:  concoct something new and different. 

      In this instance, leftover shrimp from last evening's dinner (cut into smaller pieces), black olives (sliced into thirds), feta cheese (cut into small dice), a half of a lemon's juice, and one tablespoon (or less) of olive oil...served at room temperature.  Just mix it up, put it in a serving bowl, and set it on the table to pass...lunch!

      Not discussing the Hoo game, but I will say, they did not lose that game against Minnesota on that end shot...they managed to lose that game in about 50 different ways.  Likewise, Purdue.  (I wasn't too sad about that one, however.)  Now on to the NCAA Championship.  I hope we last a little longer there.  

      Before leaving this topic, however, I should say that I really like that fancy little center court emblem they have for the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco this year...very vibrant and fun.

      Paid club fees for golfing this year...that makes it seem like spring.  Matt took caddy training this morning for a couple of hours, after swim practice at 6:45 a.m., so if you are golfing at Meridian Hills and want a caddy on Saturdays or Sundays (when it is not a swim meet weekend), ask for Matt.  (He's a nice tall strong guy in terrific shape and has the rules all memorized...so hopefully he will do a great job for you.)  He can caddy other times as well, just needs to work around swim team practices (twice a day in the summer).

      Matt is working on mega homework, Mark and Alex are cleaning out the mechanical room (I try never to go in there, and I don't know exactly what that involves, but they have been at it for a bit, so I will assume it was based on need), and I am going to sneak upstairs for a shower and pretend like it will take me a good long while to get ready for the play this evening, while in fact, I am planning on hiding out up there with my book for an hour or so.  Shhhh...don't tell anyone.  Hope you are having a great weekend!

    

      

Cook-ING

     Couscous with Orange, Roasted Red Pepper, and Scallions.

      You will need these ingredients:  1 (10 ounce) box of plain couscous; 3-4 scallions; 2 jarred roasted red peppers; 3 oranges; 1 Tablespoon of butter.

Slice two of the oranges in half and juice them.  (This should equal about a half cup of juice.)  Add water to the juice to make a total of 2 cups of liquid. 

Add the liquid to the cooking pot for the couscous.  Add one tablespoon of butter to the pot.  Add a quarter teaspoon of salt to the pot.  Cook on stove top until the liquid boils.  Add the entire box of couscous, place the lid on the pot, take the pot off the burner, and don't touch it for five minutes.

In the meantime, slice the ends off the remaining orange and cut away the peel and white membrane.  Once this is completed, section the orange and discard all the peels and membranes.  Cut the orange slices into thirds and set aside.

Next trim and diagonally cut the scallions into small slices.  Set these aside also. 

Next select one or two roasted peppers from the jar (you can, of course, roast a red pepper yourself and use that instead but this is faster if you are looking for fast) and dice them into small bits.  Set them aside also. 

All add-ins can be ready to go when the couscous finishes cooking in those five minutes.  When the five minutes are up, lift the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork...just keeping working on it a few minutes so that all the little grains are separated for the most part. 

Stir in the oranges, scallions, and peppers with the fork so that everything is nicely distributed.  (There are so many variations on this...you can add virtually anything you feel like adding.  You can make it Greek with Feta cheese, calamata olives, scallions, and oregano.  You can make it Italian with diced tomatoes, mozarella, black olives, olive oil, and basil.  You can make it French with shallots, white wine, thyme, and a butter/olive oil mix.  You get my drift here...with very little effort this can go with any meal.)

After you have mixed it together nicely, place it in a serving bowl to pass at the table.  Enjoy! 

(Note:  You may click on all photos to enlarge.)

Goodness on a Fork

Per requests, here is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish...and you can support the Native Americans who hold the monopoly on Wild Rice cultivation in the United States by making it at your house this Thanksgiving!

Wild Rice, Mushroom, Carmelized Onions, and Dried Cranberries

(Serves 4, easily doubled, etc.)

4 oz. of pure Wild Rice grown in Minnesota (no wild rice mix or blend, although if you must, it works well with that, too)

1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth

Rinse rice until water runs clear; soak rice for an hour in room temp water, and drain.

Put chicken stock in saucepan to boil and then add the drained rice...cover with lid, reduce heat to simmer for 50-60 minutes, shut off heat, let rice continue to sit in the pot with the lid on for another half hour to steam.

While the rice is cooking:

Slice 8 oz. fresh portabella mushrooms and saute in a large skillet with 1 Tablespoon butter until they are cooked as you like them, remove from pan and set aside.

In the same skillet, cut 2 medium yellow onions into wedges, and saute with 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar on medium heat until soft and carmelized (takes about 40 minutes usually).   After the onions are carmelized, add 1/2 cup dried cranberries.  Add the cooked mushrooms and the cooked wild rice into the pan and mix all ingredients until well distributed.  (I tend to cook with less salt, and if there is salt in the broth, this is probably enough, but you can add additional salt if you feel it needs it.)

You can make all this, put it into a covered casserole dish and reheat it in the oven when you need it if you want to prepare it ahead.  I have also microwaved it to reheat it with good results...not too long.

Playing to the Gallery of All Taste Palates

CARROT SOUFFLE

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (or use short cuts)

1/2 cup butter, diced

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

Boil carrots until very tender.  Drain.  Cool.

Place all ingredients into a food processor and mix well, scraping sides to incorporate everything nicely.

Pour into a greased 8 by 8 casserole or baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes (lightly browned on edges).

Very rich...cut small pieces.  Can serve hot, warm, or cold.

Easy to double recipe...just double ingredients, process in two batches, and put into a 9 by 13 casserole or pan.  Cook for the same amount of time.  (This is a great dish to take to a potluck as it can sit and is wonderful at room temperature.  It is very rich, so it can be cut into more than the usual amount of servings and will go a long way to serve many.  I take it for all the funeral luncheons at church for the same reasons.)

Child's Play

Apples (left) and Pears (right)

      Happy Feast Day of St. Matthew!  We are rather partial around here to celebrating the Feast of St. Matthew, lucky me as I even got to attend the all-school Mass this morning at Guerin in honor of such, and it was very nice seeing our Matthew in his choir robes singing for the Mass.  Very nice Mass, very nice homily, and a very good time afterward chatting. 

      The real reason I am writing this entry is because I had 14 emails requesting the applesauce slow cooker "recipe."  (I use that word loosely as basically, here it is, a no-brainer for sure...mere child's play.)  Guaranteed to have your family coming in the door saying, "Oh, wow, what smells so good and are we having it for dinner?"  It takes so little to please them on a daily basis...am I lucky or what?

                                                        Slow Cooker Chunky Applesauce

10 medium apples

Juice of one fresh lemon

1 or 2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup of white sugar (for tart apples) or brown sugar if you want a caramel taste

      Splash a little water in the bottom of a 3 quart crockpot...just to barely cover the bottom.  Wash, peel, core, and slice apples (not too thinly if you want it chunky) and add to the crockpot.  Juice one fresh lemon and mix with the apples.  Add cinnamon.  Add salt.  Add sugar (or not), depending on tartness of apples...you can always add more, so don't add it all at the beginning and adjust as it cooks.  Cook on high about 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.  (I also made one with pears, used 1 t. ginger, 1/4 t. cinnamon, and did not add sugar as the pears were very sweet...no need to add any water as pears are very juicy when cooked down.)  Enjoy...we did!

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

Tonight's slow cooker dinner...it was a hit (even with the people who like non-touching food). 

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

6 Bell Peppers

3/4 pound of cooked ground sirloin

3/4 cup cooked rice

1/2 medium onion, diced finely

1 cup marinara sauce or chili

Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash and core the peppers. 

Submerge peppers in boiling water for 2 minutes and then drain.

Mix ground sirloin, cooked rice, diced onion, and tomato based sauce.

Stuff peppers with mixture, top with a little extra sauce, and a few banana pepper rings.

In the bottom of the slow cooker drizzle a mixture of 1/4 cup tomato based sauce and 1/4 cup of water so that it just covers the bottom of the cooker. 

Place peppers into cooker.

Cook on low for two hours.

(I made it all up in the morning when I had more time and kept it in the frig until time to cook it at 4:00 p.m.)

Pas-Tability II

(Click on photo for enlargement.)  Monday.  Last day of April.  5:00 a.m. swim practice...we are off and running with a good start.  Spring spruce up begins today, as do the choir rehearsals for the Italy tour this summer.  We can see the end of the school year coming down the road...hip hip hooray!  It's a great day just to be alive...and excitingly enough, tomorrow is May!  Here is another favorite pasta salad.

SHRIMP PASTA SALAD

1 pound farfalle (bowtie) pasta (cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water)

Pint or more of grape tomatoes

1/2 English cucumber, peeled (or not) and diced

1/2 pound Feta cheese (diced)

6 green onions, whites and greens, (sliced)

16 oz. steamed shrimp (peeled and deveined), cooled

Banana Pepper rings, optional

Black or green olives (sliced), optional (best with Greek olives if you have them around)

Green pepper (diced), optional

1 teaspoon capers, optional

DRESSING:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2/3 cap grated Parmesan Cheese (fresh is best, but the green tube works also)

Put the first ingredients in a very large bowl.  A very large bowl.

Mix the dressing in a small bowl or glass measuring cup (easier to pour when you are finished) and whisk it until it becomes thicker and creamier.

Pour dressing over Pasta ingredients and mix well.  Cover.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for several hours and serve cold.  Because of the shrimp in it, serve cold and keep only for a day or two.  (Usually I put the shrimp in a separate container and we mix it in as we need it so that the salad can keep a little longer.  You can always use the shrimp up easily in shrimp cocktail or something if it goes beyond the second day and you haven't eaten it all. )

                                                      

Pas-Tability I

It's pasta season around here!  The golf clubs come out of storage, the backyard pool is open and ready for warm weather, there are even more swim team practices, scouting activities, biking, roller-blading, the joy of being outside, and a busy family on the go...pasta salads are our favorite way to eat when the weather is nice and we want to be out in it...our oven gets a rest most of the summer and we make friends again with the outdoor grill.   Here is the all-time favorite of the guys around here, and coincidentally enough, my most-requested-ever recipe.  You can keep it in the frig all week, but it never lasts that long around here.  Don't use bottled dressing...this one listed is what makes the salad so yummy! 

PIZZA PASTA SALAD

1 pound rotini pasta (cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water)

3 medium tomatoes (seeded and diced) (or whole cherry or grape tomatoes as desired)

1/4 pound brick cheddar cheese (cubed)

1/4 pound brick Monterey Jack cheese (cubed)

3 green onions, whites and greens, (sliced)

3-4 ounces sliced pepperoni

Black or green olives (sliced), optional

Green pepper (diced), optional

(Basically whatever you like on a pizza or salad you can add it…artichokes, banana      

            pepper rings, capers, etc. – I change it up depending what is on hand at the time.)

DRESSING:

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dried oregano

½ to 1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2/3 cap grated Parmesan Cheese (fresh is better but the green tube works also)

Put the first ingredients in a very large bowl.  A very large bowl.

Mix the dressing in a small bowl or glass measuring cup (easier to pour when you are finished) and whisk it until it becomes thicker and creamier.

Pour dressing over Pasta ingredients and mix well.  Cover.

Refrigerate for several hours if you want to serve cold.  We also like it just room temperature.  We even warm it for 30 seconds in the microwave until the cheese just starts to ooze and serve it that way at times.  It packs well for picnics.

Often, I sprinkle large Caesar Cut Croutons from Marzetti on the top before serving as the crunch is a nice addition.  (Don’t do it earlier or they will get soggy.)  At home we serve them on the side and each one can add them or not.

Eggs-ci-table!

Around our table yesterday we colored Easter eggs, as we do each year, the boys (teenagers now) maybe doing it more to "humor Mom" with memories of years past than for the out and out glee it had inspired previously.  I have seen all those beautifully colored labor intensive Polish Easter eggs and always wanted to attempt making one.  Maybe next year.  This Easter we colored them as always, bright and beautiful with minimal efforts at anything artsy.  Comes from being in a family of men...I am in need of some feminine cohorts around here.  We had a dye kit that was going to be my salute to craftiness as it used oil based paint, put on with a swirling technique, complete with a finishing touch of glitter.  What a mess...we had a good laugh over it after making only six before Mark and Alex headed out to purchase the plain old Paas Egg Coloring Kit with good humor about Mom's efforts at trying to jazz up the egg coloring process.  Here is my favorite recipe for Egg Salad to use up all those brightly colored eggs.  Happy Easter...we are truly Blessed in the Risen Lord. 

EGG SALAD for SANDWICHES

One hard boiled egg

1 teaspoon Hellman's mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon Gray Poupon mustard

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish

pinch of salt and pepper

pinch of celery seed

pinch of paprika

pinch of dill

Peel egg, dice, and mix in bowl with the remaining ingredients.  Use immediately or refrigerate for later.  Can increase recipe by multiplying ingredients times the number of eggs you wish to use.

My Grandma's Kitchen Table

April is my favorite month.  My birthday is in April, so maybe fulfilling the continuum of time makes that so.  Today is April 1st:  my mother's grandmother's day of birth in 1896.  If she were alive today, she would be 111 years old.  It seemed like a good day to learn something new...blogging.  I stumbled upon blogging quite by accident and found it interesting.  The lure of the curious Kat in me.  My name is Kathryn and I live in the Midwest.  I am midway through life, a life that is very good. 

 

Bloggers all seem to have such purpose in their blogging endeavors.  I would like to say that I am directed and have a clear cut mission.  Alas, like most things in my life, I am directed, but the clear cut mission part usually comes later.  As I was growing up, I was fortunate to know two great-grandmothers and two grandmothers, all of whom we visited regularly, finding ourselves sitting around the kitchen table chatting while preparing meals or visiting over cups of coffee and glasses of ades.  For now, that is my vision:  to be back in thought around my grandmothers' kitchen tables, chatting, doing, being together.  So, in honor of the birthday girl, today's table is dedicated to my great-grandmother Birdie.  On the day of her birth, her mother, convinced that this baby would be a boy playmate for older brother Charles, did not pick out a name for a girl.  During labor she would hear over and over again that spring bird whose call sounds like "Birdie, Birdie, Birdie" outside her bedroom window.  The sound was comforting and distracting for her and when the baby girl finally arrived, she decided her name would be Birdie.  Today I am hearing that little bird signaling that spring has arrived and as I look out the kitchen window at the various budding trees, the spring flowers, the bright green grass, and warm temperatures, I agree:  it is April 1st and Spring has arrived!  Happy Day! 

BIRDIE'S SPICE CAKE

Birdie Asenath Gilbank Lawver Luck

In a medium stove pot, mix together:

            1 cup sugar   

            1 cup cold water

            1/2 cup unsalted butter

            1/2 teaspoon salt   

            1 teaspoon cinnamon

            1/8 teaspoon cloves   

            1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

            1/2 pound raisins

Stir until butter has melted.  Boil one minute.  Remove from stovetop.  Add 1 teaspoon baking soda.  Cool.

When cooled, mix in 1-1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour and stir one minute.  Whisk one egg in a small bowl and add that to mixture, stirring for another minute.

Pour into buttered 8 or 9 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

If your conscience allows, you can frost when cooled, but it is very fine with no frosting or just a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar on top.  This is great to bake when you want the house to smell wonderfully inviting and cozy.  And be forewarned, if you bake it with your windows open, your neighbors will all find excuses to drop in!  The recipe can be doubled easily and baked in a 9 by 13 pan.