Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Pumpkin Barley Porridge


*sings*It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  Christmas is two weeks away and as usual, the holiday season is a blur of lights, tinsel, carols, shopping, fridges covered in Christmas cards, delicious baked goods and a house full of family… and also crowded stores, dwindling bank accounts, an expanding waist line (I’ve decided it’s scientifically impossible to eat only one of those little peanut butter cookies with the Kiss smashed in the middle) and a house full of family… to feed. 
While I can’t offer much advice on how to avoid the majority of inevitable holiday stressors, other than go ahead and spring for the Amazon Prime membership, I can share my nearly- effortless, power food-packed pumpkin barley porridge. With all the traditional and tempting, sugar-filled treats and butter-laden entrees that are virtually unavoidable, this recipe will guarantee you at least one stress-free, guilt-free meal  that is capable of painlessly feeding however many people are  invading filling your kitchen.  This recipe is for 8 but it can easily be adjusted to accommodate however many servings you may need. And as if this breakfast couldn’t get any easier, you can always put all the ingredients into a slow cooker overnight, and wake up to a perfectly cooked porridge (what a great way to start the day!)

This isn’t a very sweet breakfast but feel free to add some extra maple syrup or sugar (I wouldn’t recommend going over half a cup)

Pumpkin Barley Porridge

Tools needed:
  • Pot with a lid or slow cooker
  • Mesh strainer
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Large spoon
Ingredients: 
  • 2 cups barley
  • 1- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup of pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups water
  • *optional* Up to ½ cup raw sugar

Instructions:
      1. Rinse and drain the barley in a strainer
      2.Add all ingredients to desired cooking vessel, then the water, give it a big stir and cover

    3. -If using a slow cooker:  turn on low and allow 8 hours to cook
          -If cooking on stove, bring ingredients up to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about             45 minutes to an hour or until barley is soft and liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir every 10-15 minutes to prevent the porridge from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  *the longer this sits, the more liquid will be absorbed. So for reheating or to make it more fluid, you can always add more almond milk or water, just be prepared to add more seasoning if needed.

And that’s all it takes to make a delicious and nutritious breakfast that could feed twenty just as easily as two! 

*Make it Yours!*You are definitely not limited to barley here. Brown rice, oats, faro, millet, and so many other whole grains would work in this recipe.(Just adjust for the cooking time and possibly liquid amount since softer grains cook more quickly)





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Saturday, November 22, 2014

The Perfect Crust



Cold, rainy days used to mean lounging around in fuzzy socks, reading, or catching up on daytime TV. But now I have a kid, rain means one thing: we are stuck inside All. Day. To help appease the restless family, I thought this was the ideal morning to not only use up some produce before we go out of town for Thanksgiving, but also bake, which is something I don’t get to do near enough. While I love a pristine pie, my favorite go-to crust and filling combo is a gallet. A gallet is basically a more rustic version of a pie or tart that is just as warm, flaky and delicious but much less of a hassle. I also thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share my pie dough recipe.  So say sorry to the cute little dough man on the package and skip the store bought crust because in the time it takes to run up to the store, you will already have two crusts resting in the fridge, waiting to be rolled out.
As for my crust I use, I started mashing up a couple of different recipes several years ago and eventually came up with this product that has never failed me once. The real secret to getting the flawless flaking is ice cold vodka.. Unlike water, vodka doesn’t promote the development of gluten so the crust stays nice and soft. In addition, it stays cold longer than water which helps keep the butter solid for a longer period of time, also adding to the flakiness.  And don’t worry, the alcohol cooks out and is completely tasteless. This is why vodka is used and not some other liquor that would leave behind an undesirable flavor. So even if you aren’t a drinker, go buy a small bottle of the cheap stuff and keep it around for your baking needs. White vinegar also keeps the gluten strands from getting too long ensuring a soft dough. (water can also be used in place of the vodka and your crust will still be plenty tasty but definitely don’t skip the vinegar if you aren’t using vodka) 

**All liquid should be kept as cold as possible, along with the butter. This is to keep the butter as solid for as long as possible.**

**As I mentioned in my banana bread/quick bread post, while baking, measuring must be exact to ensure a good final product. Spiced Brown Butter Banana Bread
Below I will list my dough recipe, instructions for the gallets and then 4 filling options!


Perfect Pie Dough/Gallets 


Tools needed:
·         Large bowl
·         Measuring cup
·         Measuring spoons
·         Large spoon (wooden or silicone works best)
·         Plastic wrap
·         Pastry brush
·         Small bowl
·         Fork for beating
Ingredients:
  1.   2 ½ Cups All Purpose flour (measured exactly)
  2.   1 teaspoon salt (2 teaspoons if you use coarse salt)
  3.    1 ½  Tablespoons sugar
  4.    16 tablespoons (2 sticks) very cold butter (I keep it in the freeze while I’m preparing the other ingredients)
  5.    ¼ cup ice cold vodka
  6.    ¼ cup very cold water (plus a little more if your dough feels too dry)
  7.   1 Tablespoon white vinegar
  8.   1 egg yolk
  9.   1 tablespoon milk
Instructions:
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar and stir very well.
  2.  Dice the butter by slicing the sticks into 8ths and then into cubes
  3. Toss the diced butter with the flour mixture and then using your hands, squish the butter into smaller pieces, making sure it’s all well coated.
  4. Mix the vodka, water and vinegar together in a measuring cup and slowly drizzle into the bowl, stirring as you go. **if the dough comes together before you use all the liquid that’s fine, if you feel like you need a little more, add one tablespoon cold water at a time until you reach your desired texture. Remember, this dough is very flaky and not overly wet or mushy***
  5.  Once the dough has mostly come together, ditch the spoon and use your hands to finish the job.
  6.   Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape into disks, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to 2 days.
  7.  Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out. This dough can be used in pie pans, tart pans or folded for a rustic gallet 
  
To make the gallet:
(for the small fruit gallets I divided one disk into three sections and for the large squash gallet I used an entire disk)
1.  Roll out the dough into a circle. (don’t worry about it being perfect, in fact  uneven edge gives it even more of a rustic feel)  The crust should be thin, but still hearty enough to fold up and over the filling

2.  Place the dough on a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment or a non-slip baking mat 

3.Starting in the center of the round and working out, add your filling 


4.Trim any excess dough and start folding the dough over the outer- edge of the filling. There should be a 1-2 inch boarder depending on the size of the round.  You can make the folds as large or tight as you wish. (the center filling of the gallet should be exposed after folding)

5. Beat the egg yolk and milk together and brush liberally over the crust.

6. Bake until the crust is a beautiful golden brown. Depending on the size of your gallet this could be anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes

Allow to cool about 15 minutes before diving in!


My Gallet Fillings:

Squash and Onion:
1. Slice an onion in half and thinly slice into half moons

2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Toss onion slices in oil and slowly cook until soft. The last few minutes of cooking, stir in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.

3. Cut a delicata squash in half, remove seeds and thinly slice into half moons

4.In a bowl mix together, 1/3 Cup ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons chopped herbs of your choice

5.Spread the ricotta mixture in the center of the rolled out dough.

6.Spread the onions over the ricotta cheese

7.Layer the sliced squash over onions and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

8. Fold edges over and brush with egg mixture

9.Bake for an hour, rotating as needed for even browning

Pear and Honey
1. Peel and thinly slice 2 pears

2. In a bowl toss pears with 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon almond extract,2 tablespoons honey,2 tablespoons cubed butter

3. Layer in center of gallet dough before folding edges over

4. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown

Apple Cinnamon

1. Peel and thinly slice 2 apples

2. In a bowl toss apples with 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons cubed butter

3. Layer in center of gallet dough before folding edges over

4. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown
 
Persimmon Ginger
1.Thinly slice 4 persimmons (remove skin if it’s tough)

2.Toss persimmons with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger

3. Layer in center of gallet dough before folding edges over

4. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown


Make it yours! As far as gallet fillings go, you are only limited to your imagination. Use any sweet or savory pie or tart filling you love for a rustic and stress- free baked treat!
  

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Friday, October 31, 2014

Spiced Pumpkin Butter



Happy Halloween everyone! October is in its last day, but the weather here in Texas has just now decided to start behaving like fall. No joke, kids spent the weekend SWIMMING at the neighborhood pool! But no matter what the weather app on my phone reads, fall is in fact here which means mainly one thing to many people: Pumpkin. Everything. Take one step into any grocery and you will be immediately thrown into an ocean of pumpkin baked goods, chips, drinks, pastas and more.  What accompanies all these pumpkin products? Astronomical prices, preservatives and oftentimes bland or over- spiced flavors that hardly ever taste like pumpkin. That’s why I started making my pumpkin butter. This spread is easy, fast and also as healthy as it is delicious. But, best of all it actually tastes like pumpkin! The secret to this butter is using the freshest spices possible and adding a little apple sauce which, thanks to my son I make at least twice a week and always have on hand. The apples lend complexity and the pectin acts as a thickener, which gives the butter a better texture.  So, with minimal effort and minimal ingredients you can have the best tastes and aromas of fall in your home in minimal time! Pumpkin butter isn’t just for your toast either! I stir it into my oatmeal,  mix it into smoothies, spread it on pancakes and will even reheat it with yogurt to create a delicious fall soup. 

Spiced Pumpkin Butter

Tools needed:
  • 1 aluminum pot
  • Can opener
  • Measuring spoons
  • Large spoon
  •  Grater and plastic wrap (if using fresh ginger)
Ingredients:
  • 1 (29 ounce) can of pumpkin puree (or 4 cups of pureed, roasted pumpkin)
  • 1 cup apple sauce
  • 3 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (or two teaspoons ground ginger)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
Instructions:

1.       Grate the ginger (if using fresh) While it is totally acceptable to simply grate ginger straight into your pot, I have never been a fan of the fibrous texture. That’s why I was so happy to learn this simple trick in culinary school. Just cover the smallest side of a box grater, microplane or whatever you use to grate with plastic wrap. Then, run your peeled ginger up and down, grating like you usually would. (don't grate too much in one spot or else the plastic may rip) The fibers collect on the plastic wrap and you can then squeeze the juice into your pot. You get an excellent, concentrated ginger flavor without the not always desired texture.

2.       Mix in all of your ingredients into the pot, stir and bring up to a boil

3.       Once the butter is boiling, lower the heat and leave everything simmering until it reduces down and thickens (about 15-20 minutes)

And that is all it takes to make this healthy, versatile and most importantly tasty scratch-made pumpkin butter. Nine simple ingredients, three easy steps and 20 fast minutes? What are you waiting for?! Go make something delicious!

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Spicy Corn and Crab Soup


I don’t know about you but I more than enthusiastically welcomed that nation-wide cool front this past weekend. Yes, fall is slowly moving in and with it bringing all the foods and flavors of the season and I can’t wait. But before we exchange our tank tops and flip flops for sweaters and boots, how about we give one last cheer to good ol’ summer by making one of my favorite warm-weather meals; Spicy Corn and Crab Soup. This soup is summer in a bowl: light and silky with a touch of heat. I finished it off by stirring in some freshly-shelled crab for a substantial sweetness that melds perfectly with all the pureed, garden-fresh veggies.

Before we get started...
This soup is a puree which means of course needing a blending apparatus and for me, only an immersion blender will do. Yes, I consider the immersion blender to be the Elder Wand of the culinary world. With it, I can blend, chop and puree whatever I please right in the pot I cooked it in without having to mess with (and clean) my clunky blender . (If you make your own baby food, I don't have to tell you how convenient that is.) If you are a classic- blender purist than by all means continue on as usual but if you are looking for an awesome alternative, run down to Bed Bath and Beyond, because I know you have a coupon, and pick one up.
Please direct your attention to my fridge and take a moment to admire the stunning portrait inspired by my likeness that my niece gave me 

moving on...

Cleaning corn has the potential to get quite messy, so to prevent you from finding corn silk around your kitchen weeks after cooking it, I am sharing the ultimate shucking-hack guaranteed to be as mess-free as possible:

1. Cut about ¼ inch off the top of each cob
2. Microwave on high at five minutes per cob. So, if microwaving two cobs at a time, microwave  for ten minutes.

3. Using nice, thick oven mitts to handle the corn because it will be HOT, remove the cobs from the microwave and cut off the shank (stem end) and about 1/4- 1/2 inch of the actual cob
Holding the top of the cob squeeze/ pull/shimmy the corn right out of the husk. The silk should remain in the husk, leaving you with perfectly cleaned cobs of corn. 

 -To clean the kernels from the cob, simply rest a small bowl upside down inside a large bowl. Place the cob upright on the smaller bowl and while holding the cob in one hand, run your knife the length of the corn where the kernels meet the cob, releasing the kernels.
  *hang onto your cobs; you aren’t quite done with them yet!*

 now onto our recipe.....

Spicy Corn and Crab Soup

Tools needed:
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Large pot
  • Large spoon
  • Blender


Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 small red bell pepper
  • 2medium carrots
  • 1-2 jalapenos (depending on how spicy you like your soup. Don’t like it spicy? Leave it out!)
  • Corn from 6 cobs or about 6 cups frozen corn
  • 64 oz vegetable broth
  • 2 cups spinach or other leafy greens
  • 1 cup whipped cream (dairy cream or coconut cream)
  • 16 oz or 2 cups chopped or lump crab meat
  • Salt and pepper


Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil in the pot over a medium to medium high heat

       2. Dice your onion. (1-2 cups of pre diced, frozen onion works well too, just reduce cooking time)

       -Start by slicing the onion in half starting at the root to create two equal portions.  

       -Remove the paper skin and lay the onion half flat towards the edge of your board for better leverage

       -Now, CAREFULLY make horizontal slices without going all the way through the onion. (Don’t go too far back to the root until you are comfortable with this technique because your knife can quickly slip. 
        -Next, while using one hand to hold the horizontal slices in place, make vertical cuts. 
        This will create your dices. Again, everything is still intact on the root end
  * make your horizontal and vertical slices closer together for a smaller dice and further apart for a larger dice.
-While holding the onion together with one hand, carefully make horizontal cuts to release the dice.      

*Remember, this is a blended soup so it doesn’t matter if your dices are pretty, but for the sake of even cooking, it’s important to try to get everything as close to the same size as possible *

3. Dice the bell pepper
 -slice the pepper in half and clean out the white membrane and seeds

-laying it skin-side down on the cutting board, run your knife vertically and then horizontally,  creating dices
 4. Add both the diced onion and bell pepper to the pan with some salt and stir to coat in the oil.
5. Slice the carrots into fairly thin disks and add them to the pot and toss with the onion and bell pepper 

  6. Dice the jalapenos just like the bell pepper, making sure to remove the white membrane and the seeds and add them to the pot.

7. Once the vegetables have begun to soften, add the corn kernels. 
*if you hung onto the cobs, glide a spoon all around each cob to get the remaining pieces of kernel that might have been left behind while slicing. You will also notice a white, chalky liquid being released with the kernel bits. This is corn starch and not only will it provide additional corn flavor to the soup, but also help give it a slightly silkier texture as well.*

8. Stir to incorporate all the veggies and add the broth


9. Bring the pot to a boil and continue to cook until all the vegetables are very soft and the soup is fragrant.

10. Roughly chop the spinach and stir into the soup
*One thing you will quickly learn about me is that I incorporate greens anywhere I can. You need at least 3 serving of leafy vegetables a day and this is an easy way to accomplish that, however this is not a mandatory ingredient as most corn soup recipes leave it out*

11. Once the spinach is wilted, either transfer the soup into a blender or use an immersion blender, and blend until it is smooth and creamy. Salt and pepper to your heart's content.

12. Pour the soup back into the pot and fold in the whipped cream

(to make your own whipped cream or coconut whipped cream, which I think goes great in this soup, simple use whole fat, canned coconut cream, or heavy whipping cream and whisk until  thick and fluffy)
 13. Stir in the crab, portion your soup into bowls and garnish with any leftover crab

**Make it all yours!**  if you can’t get any, or just don’t want crab, chicken, shrimp, crayfish, oysters and even tofu could be great protein- rich additions to this soup.

- Also, experiment with your peppers, different kinds of peppers offer different levels of heat, sweetness and other unique flavor characteristics, especially after roasting. Try them all and give your soup a subtle switch up each time you make it!
 -Use the techniques and methods in this recipe to create any pureed soup by using your choice of veggies. Now go make something Delicious!




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