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Cucumber Gin Coolers

April 28, 2011 by 7 Comments

I’m not a very accomplished bartender. The sum of my barkeep experience was stalling the patrons at the restaurant where I worked on the late shift while the real, honest-to-goodness bartender ran into the back to make a personal phone call. When she returned to her post, I gratefully returned to mine; the deep-fryer and flat top pub-grub station in the kitchen.

I’m also not much of a drinker. The first few sips of a glass of wine or a beer leave me pink-cheeked and the last couple sips leave me looking for a pillow on which to lay my sleepy head.

For the most part, my indulgences are confined to a glass of red wine or home brewed beer. I couldn’t tell you what goes in most mixed drinks without the assistance of Google, but there is one cocktail I love in the summertime that I do very, very well: The Gin & Tonic.

As with most foods and beverages to which I am partial, there’s back story. The Evil Genius and I honeymooned in August of-way-back-when on a cruise that went up the East coast of the United States. We had used all of our funds on the wedding and the trip itself and had very little left spending money to take with us. In order to save our cash-ola for goodies in port (like lobster dinnahs in Maine and Nova Scotia, thankyouverymuch), we bought a bottle of Tanqueray Gin in the on-board duty-free shop, a bag of limes and a six-pack of tonic in the first town where we disembarked. For the remainder of the trip, instead of buying two twelve-dollar drinks in the evening, we mixed our own chi-chi hot weather G & Ts in our commemorative cups in the room before wandering around, pinkies in the air, enjoying the ship and our frugal triumph.

Those Gin & Tonics tasted like relaxation and summer. On super hot days, there’s really nothing like it. Or at least there wasn’t until I saw these Cucumber Gin Coolers over on Saveur. I knew right away that this was going to be good. A lot of gin tastes faintly of cucumbers already, so the pairing was inspired and natural. They mixed theirs a bit stronger than I like (using a 1:1 ratio of gin to lime juice with a splash of tonic) but the idea of combining my beloved Gin & Tonic with lime and seedless cucumbers caught hold of my brain. When our first legitimately warm day burst onto the scene yesterday, the evening was pre-destined to end with one of these…

To better suit my lightweight tastes, I changed Saveur’s ratios to a one part gin to two parts tonic to one quarter of a fresh lime and boosted the amount of cucumber in the drink. I fully intended to wait until the drink was finished to nibble those gin and lime and tonic soaked cucumber slices. The wait was worth it. Sitting in the glass, almost pickling a bit in the liquid left the slices crisp, bursting with flavour and a treat in themselves.

Since there are so few ingredients in this drink, it is important to use the best ingredients you can. Use a good, dry gin. I’m partial to Tanqueray, Bombay or Hendricks. Do not skimp and buy the el-cheapo stuff.  For the love of all that is good in this world, do not use bottled lime juice here. I understand that a good lime can be hard to find occasionally, but this is one instance where you’re better off waiting than settling. The oils in the skin of the lime are crucial to the outcome of the drink. Tonic water is a matter of preference. I like Stirrings for a multitude of reasons; crisp, clean, quinine-centric taste and no high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Use whichever tonic water flicks your Bic. And as for the cukes, use a nice, firm seedless variety with an edible skin. The skin of the cucumber stays in place for both visual and taste appeal here, so a thick, wax-coated number is going to be a giant sour clunker of a note in your symphonic cocktail.

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Cucumber Gin Coolers
Author: 
Recipe type: Beverage, Cocktail, Mixed Drink
Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 2
 

This cucumber and lime infused Gin & Tonic takes refreshing to a whole new level. Wait ’til you reach the end of the drink to nibble on the flavour soaked cucumber slices for an extra treat!
Ingredients
  • ½ of a fresh lime, sliced into two wedges
  • ½ cup of seedless cucumber, sliced into ⅛”-thick rounds
  • 4 ounces of good, dry gin (Tanqueray, Hendricks, or Bombay are good choices.)
  • 8 ounces of very chilled tonic water
  • ½ cup plain ice cubes

Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker or large pitcher.
To prepare with a cocktail shaker:
  1. If using the shaker, shake hard five times before dividing the contents of the shaker between two chilled glasses.
  2. Serve immediately.
To prepare with a large pitcher:
  1. Use a long handled wooden spoon to stir vigorously for about 20 seconds before dividing the contents between two chilled glasses.
  2. Serve immediately.

Notes
Try to make yourself wait until you’ve finished the drink to nibble the cucumber slices. It’s completely worth it!

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Filed Under: Beverages, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Taste of Home Old Fashioned Ham Balls

April 26, 2011 by 16 Comments

Ham Balls.

Could there possibly be a less appealing sounding name for a dish?*

*Perhaps. But it would have to be exceptionally gross… Maybe “Repurposed Egg Salad” or “Blood Sausage”.  You get the idea…

Let’s be honest, they’re also not the purtiest meatball on the block. They’re brown on the outside, but they’re a pinky colour on the inside. Not bad when you remember the presence of ham, but a bit disconcerting for the inside of your average meatball. Here’s the thing of it, though; These ham balls from an ancient Taste of Home (Yes, again with the Taste of Home. I’m feeling nostalgic.) are one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in all of my life. Allow me to paint a picture.

The year is nineteen-ninety seven. I arrive at the home of my father and step-mother for Easter dinner with husband in tow. We are expecting our first child. I am quite firmly in mega-morning sickness mode. No food has sounded, smelled or looked anywhere near good to me for about two and a half months. And I do mean nothing. I’ve choked back sleeve upon sleeve of saltine crackers, sipped tentatively at ice water and seltzer and forced myself to take in enough calories to keep myself going and keep baby growing. I visit a bit, putz around in the kitchen with Val a bit, and ask what’s fer grub while secretly steeling myself to eat a few courtesy bites before excusing myself from the table. Val pauses, hand on covered casserole pan and says, “These are ham balls!”

If you think you know what’s coming next you just might be wrong.

What I heard was, “These are ham…” and then I blanked out. I could smell the salty ham and see the sticky brown sugar mustard glaze and deep brown crust. It smelled perfect. It looked amazing. All I wanted at that one moment was to stick my face into the casserole and not come up for air until I had licked that pot clean. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, I looked to Val with an awestruck expression. I’m not sure what I said to her, but the result was her handing me one glorious sticky ham ball skewered on a fork. I nibbled once, twice then made like the Tootsie Roll Owl and on three gobbled the whole thing down. It was the first real food I had managed to eat in weeks and I made up for lost time. The Evil Genius ate his meagre portion (from which I stole while he wasn’t looking.) Whether anyone got a proper serving after I had my fill, I don’t recall.  Quite frankly, I didn’t care. I was a monster.

Over the years, we looked forward to ham balls at Easter so much that we eventually skipped the actual ham supper and went straight to ham balls. Nowadays, a triple batch of these sweet, salty, savoury, sour, sticky ham meatballs is eaten on Easter Sunday and for a couple of meals thereafter.

Ham ball sandwiches on soft bread with bread and butter pickles, a bit of mustard and a side of baked beans is good enough to make my husband weepy. Ham balls on steamed or fried rice with sweet garlic chili sauce is a fast and well-loved dinner.

Ham balls snuck from the bowl when all the kids are asleep? Well, that’s the best of them all. A word to the wise: Make sure you wash your hands before you sneak the sticky little ham balls. You will most certainly want to lick that glaze from your fingers and I’d hate for you to be unprepared.Who’s looking out for you? Me. That’s who.

4.0 from 1 reviews

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Taste of Home Old Fashioned Ham Balls
Author: 
Recipe type: Main, Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 12-16
 

Sticky, sweet-and-sour, savoury ham meatballs in a brown sugar and mustard glaze. Use up your leftover ham, or make like us and skip the ham dinner going straight to these.
Ingredients
Ingredients for ham balls:
  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 2 pounds leftover ham
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1⅓ cups crushed shredded wheat cereal (You can use a food processor or a zipper top bag and a mallet for the job!)
Ingredients for the glaze:
  • 3½ cups brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar (Don’t use white vinegar here. It lacks oomph!)
  • 2 teaspoons ground mustard powder (Or 1 tablespoon prepared British-style mustard, like Coleman’s.)

Instructions
  1. Use the coarse setting on your meat grinder to grind your ham. (If you do not have a meat grinder, use your food processor to pulse until it is finely chopped like hamburger or chop very finely with a large, sharp knife.)
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  3. Evenly coat two 9″x13″ baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
  4. Combine all the ham ball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together with your hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  5. Roll the meat into 2-inch balls. (I use a disher to get evenly sized meatballs so they cook at the same rate.)
  6. Arrange the ham balls in the pans. Set aside.
  7. Add all the glaze ingredients to a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking just until the sugar is fully melted.
  8. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Do not cover the pan while simmering.
  9. Pour the glaze over the ham balls, dividing evenly between the two pans.
  10. Bake the ham balls, uncovered, for 70 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency and the ham balls are browned.

Notes
These freeze well, so don’t worry about the high volume of the recipe. Not that you’ll have many left, that is… They’re just a bit too tasty.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Getting Creative With Leftovers, Main Dish, Meat, Party Food, Recipes, Stretching your dollars

Bacon and Eggs Candy

April 22, 2011 by 7 Comments

I love food with a sense of humour. Something silly that makes you giggle and screams, “EAT ME!” *

*Well, unless something is actually screaming “eat me” which would be more than just a little disconcerting.

It just doesn’t get much cuter than these little “Bacon and Eggs” candies that I saw years ago in Taste of Home and again at What Megan’s Making. And it doesn’t get much easier, either. You need three ingredients. Just three. You need about ten minutes, including clean-up. In short, you get a big, adorable pay-off for a very small commitment.

Let’s talk options, shall we? I’ve seen them made with white chocolate or white baking chips, but I’m not a big fan of either of those, so I substituted yogurt candy chips. These are often available in bulk sections of better stocked groceries or in candy making supply aisles in crafting stores. Of course, if you are a white chocolate lover, don’t knock yourself out sourcing the yogurt candy chips.  It turns out looking just as cutesy with the white chocolate.

There is just one problem, though. They’re a little too easy to eat. May I suggest you make them before Easter to pop into baskets or take to fellowship hour so that you don’t eat them all yourself? Unless of course you have self-control, which I don’t. As soon as these little beasts were finished setting up, I bagged them and tied the bags with a double knot. I know myself. This was crucial.

One final note… About three quarters of the way through assembling the candies, I had a thought. I popped some orange M&Ms on a few to be “pastured eggs”. Those look much more like the eggs we get from our ladies…

For my fellow chicken owners, it’s two egg jokes (or yolks) in one. Orange you glad I did it? It’s a double yolker. I crack me up. You might want to tell me to stop now because I have some eggcellent puns. Alright. Now,shell you goo make yourself some candy? One, two, three: SCRAMBLE!

 

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Bacon and Eggs Candy
Author: 
Recipe type: Candy, Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 20
 

This uber-cute candy is done in about five minutes and only requires three ingredients. Tuck some into Easter baskets or surprise your favorite sweet-tooth with a plate of these tonight.
Ingredients
  • 1 bag thin pretzel sticks
  • 1 bag (about 1 pound) yogurt candy baking chips or discs (or white chocolate chips or white baking chips)
  • About 40-50 yellow and orange M&Ms

Instructions
  1. Lay silpats, parchment paper or waxed paper on three cookie sheets.
  2. Arrange pairs of pretzels side by side with a small space between them on the prepared cookie sheets.
  3. Put yogurt candy baking chips (or white chocolate or white chips) into a microwave safe bowl.
  4. Heat at about 70% power for 1 minute.
  5. Remove from microwave, stir, and return to the microwave.
  6. Heat at 70% power in 30 second bursts, stirring after each burst, until smooth.
  7. Use a spoon or piping bag to spread about 2 teaspoons of the melted candy over the pairs of pretzel sticks in the rough shape of an egg.
  8. Drop an M&M on top of the melted candy in the center of each pair of pretzels.
  9. Let cool and firm completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage at room temperature.

Notes
Yogurt candy baking discs are found in the bulk or candy making sections at better stocked groceries and crafting stores. If you can’t find them, or don’t prefer them, use white chocolate or plain white baking chips or melting discs.

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Filed Under: candy, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Bunny Bread

April 22, 2011 by 12 Comments

Let us observe the Easter Bunny in his natural habitat…

See how relaxed he is in the vegetable patch? The serene  -if vacant- look on his face?  He is surrounded by his favored nourishment; cucumbers, peas, carrots and his own entrails.  Wait. His own entrails? How can this be? The Easter Bunny’s tummy has been removed to make way for a *horrors* bowl.

A bowl full of dip!  Oh no! Something has eaten the Easter Bunny!

What madman or woman would do this to the Easter Bunny? Who could be so callous?

In a word? Me.

This dish (and the above narrative) are an Easter tradition in the Foodie With Family house. I’ve been making this since my eldest was a bonnie wee boy in diapers. And seeing as he is now a full-fledged, card-carrying, certified (and certifiable) teenager -pardon me while I go hyperventilate for a couple minutes- I think you could call this a truly ingrained holiday tradition.

Here’s how Easter Sunday works Chez Foodie With Family…

The boys wake up early. The Evil Genius and I lay down the law about only eating two pieces of candy from their basket, look the other way and drink something highly caffeinated while they eat six, make a protein heavy breakfast to offset the sugar, hose them all off (or run them through the shower), tell them to get dressed (and pray no one gets to church shoeless like they did that one year…), load up in the van, attend church, return home, take off church clothes, put on our fat pants and lay into the annual bunny bread with wild abandon.*

*Please pardon my run-on sentence. Which is better than a fragment. Oh dear.

That bunny doesn’t stand a chance against this ravening horde.  And this is the honest-and-for-true** reality of it; My kids look forward to the Bunny Bread more than they do their Easter Baskets. The whole ride to church, time at church and ride home from church is punctuated with our own call and response, either squawked or whispered, “We ARE having a bunny bread, right, Mom?” “You saw it on the counter, right? Yes. We’re having one.” and “How much longer is this service? I’m dying for Bunny Bread” “They haven’t even started the service. And you’re not dying. Just hang on.”and “Can we eat it as soon as we get home? Do we really have to change clothes?” “Yes. You have to change clothes because I said so.”

**You get extra super-cool points if you tell me which character says, “Honest and for true?!?”…

‘Round here, this is a strictly Easter dish (which accounts for the year old photos), but I can see this going over a treat at a bunny-loving child’s birthday party or a get together for friends.You don’t have to be a bunny-bread withholder like I am. Feel free to bust out Bugs whenever the muse strikes.

Don’t let the idea of shaping bread scare you away. This is quite simple. While I start with approximately two pounds of homemade bread dough (I recommend this recipe!) you can your favorite standard bread dough or even thawed frozen bread dough. It’s just a matter of breaking it down into steps, and I’ve done that for you.

As for the dip, put whichever one best floats your boat. I love this one the best, but use whatever makes you drool!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go whip up this year’s bunny bread. It’s about that time. Happy Easter, all!

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Bunny Bread
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer, Bread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8-12
 

This golden brown, soft bunny bread filled with dip is irresistible. Be sure to position yourself closest to the ears so you can nab one when you give the go-ahead! (While I lost the copy of Taste of Home where I originally read this recipe, a little trial and error and years of experience yielded a bunny bread perfect for devouring.)
Ingredients
  • Approximately 2 pounds homemade bread dough [or 2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed]
  • 2 pieces of dried fruit (raisins, currants, cherries, blueberries, etc…)
  • 1 egg, beaten
For serving:
  • Your favorite dip
  • Vegetable sticks or florets (carrots, celery, cucumbers, pea pods, cauliflower, broccoli, etc…)

Instructions
  1. Cut your ball of dough into two pieces that are approximately 1 pound each.
  2. Set one piece aside.
  3. Cut about ¼ off of the remaining hunk of dough.
  4. Roll the piece into a ball and then flatten slightly on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet to form the bunny’s head.
  5. Roll the other ¾ of the dough piece into a ball and flatten into a large oval that is about 6-inches across. This will be the bunny’s body.
  6. Place the body directly below (and in contact with) the head on the cookie sheet.
  7. Cut the second dough ball into four equally sized pieces and roll into balls.
  8. Roll two of the pieces into long, snaky ropes (about 15 or so inches long) and then fold the ropes in half.
  9. Place on either side of the head as ears and tuck the ends slightly under the head.
  10. Take a third dough ball, split into two equally sized pieces and roll into balls.
  11. Position one ball on either side of the base of the bunny’s body like back paws.
  12. Use a bench knife or butter knife to cut two slits at the outside edges of the back paws to form bunny toes. What? They have toes.
  13. Divide the last remaining portion of bread into 3 equally sized pieces.
  14. Roll two of the pieces into balls and place against either side of the upper third of the bunny’s body to serve as front paws.
  15. Take the remaining dough and cut off ¼ of the dough.
  16. Roll the tiny piece into a ball and position on the bunny’s head to serve as the nose.
  17. Cut the final piece of dough into two equal pieces.
  18. Roll those pieces into balls and position under the nose for the bunny’s cheeks.
  19. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and almost doubled in bulk (about an hour in a warm room.)
  20. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  21. Remove plastic wrap, brush lightly with beaten egg and push the two pieces of dried fruit into the bunny’s head for it’s eyes.
  22. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bunny is golden brown and lovely.
  23. Let rest on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  24. Transfer the cooled bunny bread to a serving platter.
  25. Cut a hole equal to the size of the bowl you will use for your dip from the belly of the bunny.
  26. Set the bowl of dip down into the bunny bread.
  27. Arrange vegetable sticks and crudites around the bunny and serve!

Notes
You can, alternatively, line the hole in the bunny’s belly with lettuce leaves and put the dip directly into it. We prefer to put the bowl of dip in to better salvage any leftover dip after we devour the bread. This would also be preferable if you think you may have leftover bread.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Potato Recipe Round-up

April 18, 2011 by 23 Comments

The other day I received an email from a PR company that read:

Dear Rebecca Lindamood,

Are you ready to show that [name brand stuffing mix] “tops” the
potato?

[name brand stuffing mix] is challenging families to escape the
same old, boring potato routine through a contest held by (blankety blank) to win a (blankety blank) gift card!

What We Want You to Write About

We’re inviting the blogosphere to participate in a contest to create humorous posts about how potatoes are a boring alternative to [name brand stuffing mix]. By providing creative, funny and memorable
content that takes a jab at potatoes as “boring,” we want to encourage
families to consider [name brand stuffing mix] as an everyday and
easy-to-make side dish alternative to instant potatoes. [name brand stuffing mix] is so “un-boring” it’s the “un-potato!”

With its everyday meal appeal, delicious taste and easy prep, [name brand stuffing mix] is the perfect side dish solution that complements meat and vegetables alike. Each serving from the
convenient [name brand stuffing mix] flex canister takes just
two minutes to prepare in the microwave no extra pots or dishes to
wash. The [name brand stuffing mix] canister is re-sealable, so
you can make as little or as much as you need, as quickly as you need
it.

Examples:

- An image and story of talk show host potato that has put its guests
to sleep

- An image and story of a potato totally underdressed in it’s plain
old skin for an event

- Showcase kids talking about how boring potatoes are and how they
love [name brand stuffing mix]

- Showcase how potatoes don’t cut it – they’re so worthless to eat -
doorstoppers, brick-fixes (spoof on home entertainment show sponsored
by [name brand stuffing mix])

Seriously, the more creative your posts and images are (as well as
appropriate and non-offensive) the better! If it helps, think of the
type of humor found in The Onion (http://www.theonion.com) and
incorporate that style of comedy into your story.

All you need is your sense of humor (and we know bloggers have the
best sense of humor in the world)!

Post Requirements For Contest

- At least 200 words with your “story” about the [name brand stuffing mix]
Mix being the “HERO” over th BORING POTATO.

- At least one image and/or video about your BORING POTATO or [name brand stuffing mix].

(And so on and so forth…)

Now I pose you this question. You all have been with me a while now. Does this strike you as me? At all? Even in an alternate universe? Because frankly, it annoyed me big time.  Hard core. Spuds to the wall.

No one -and I mean no one- disses my potatoes. The food of my people. Not in my house. Potatoes are quite possibly the most perfect food in all of the world (except maybe for bacon, with which they -not entirely coincidentally- pair beautifully.) They’re a nutritious, mineral packed, inexpensive, simple to prepare food. They’re versatile. They store well. They make people happy. And they are most emphatically NOT boring.

And so… because I am quite firmly a member of the “don’t whine unless you’re going to do something about it camp” I am presenting for your unboring cooking pleasure a round-up of the greatest potato hits here on Foodie With Family. And as a bonus? A homemade *gaspshriekfaintthud* stuffing recipe. That doesn’t involve anything at all from a box. And it doesn’t have any unpronounceable or unidentifiable ingredients*. BONUS!

*Unless you have a problem with the following words; cornbread, bread, buttermilk, chicken stock, onion, celery, sage. I know. Sage can be tricky. But under perfectly controlled lab environments with a herb guide book, sage is known to be safe and identifiable. Don’t worry. I’ll be right there with you.

My grand dreams for this round-up come in two parts. Part I (today’s part) wherein I plaster images of all the potato recipes from here on FWF, and Part II (next week’s part) where I publish a round-up of all YOUR favorite spud-centric recipes. The recipes can come from your blog, or link to another blog, or just be your Great Aunt Sally’s famous recipe.

So, pretty please, when you’re done reading this, leave me a comment or shoot me an email with a link to your mouthwatering potato recipe. If you don’t have a blog, please leave the recipe in the comment area or send it to me in an email. I may even get prizes involved. (Pssst. Maybe a jar of candied jalapenos to the recipe my family likes the best? What do you all think? Candied jalapenos are THE BOMB on baked potatoes. See? It all goes together!)

Let’s begin our celebration of the potato with dishes that are made either entirely or mostly from the humble and amazing tater.

Potatoes are the star…

Roesti (Swiss Crispy Potato Pancake)

All hail the perfect potato dish. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. This makes it onto our table to accompany many, many main dishes, but it’s not just regulated to meal time. I make this dish for late night snacks for The Evil Genius and myself. I’m not a doctor or a fertility expert, but let me just say this. It’s one of our favorite snacks and we have five kids. Draw your own conclusions.

Colcannon Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

I mentioned that potatoes are the food of my people, right? As in the Irish people? This is Irish on Irish (which sounds bad, but is really quite tasty. Stop it.) Cabbage and onion studded mashed potatoes stuffed back into a baked potato shell, topped with Guinness and cheddar potted cheese, baked once more for good measure and crowned with glazed corned beef and more onions. Phew. I got happy just typing that.

Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

Pure posh potatoes. These elegant, intriguing potatoes are much simpler to turn out than you would ever think. Crispy on top and bottom, creamy and garlicky on the interior and making ample use of blessed butter, these would never, ever be mistaken as boring.

Loaded Baked Potato Skins

Oh my yes. And a big Amen. Potatoes, skins, bacon, cheese, creamy good stuff and green onions. Are you bored? I’m sure as heck not.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This is the glorious companion recipe to the Loaded Baked Potato Skins. You want this and you want it ba-a-ad. Creamy, thick potato soup made from baked potatoes and topped with all your favorite toppers for baked potatoes. Make this the night before or after you have the Loaded Baked Potato Skins. Or, dear ones? If life is treating you wrong, make them both on one night. The grey skies WILL clear up. That’s a guarantee.

Roasted Crispy Cheese Potatoes

I think the name pretty well explains this but I’ll break it down a bit. First, let me say this is my Grandma’s recipe which is pretty much all you need to know. Grandmas + potatoes= amazingcomfortfoodglorioushappiness. Am I right? But I digress. You cut up potatoes into bite sized pieces, put them on a baking pan with a full stick of butter (Oh merciful Father in heaven, you DO love us.) and a seriously dangerous amount of grated parmesan cheese. Ta da!

Campfire Home Fries

Being away from home is NO excuse to skip the potatoes. A little advance preparation can give you some of the best homefries of all time under the sky and canopy of trees. If I skipped the Campfire Homefries on our annual camping trip the minions would revolt.

Potatoes have a supporting role…

Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Pot Pies

Much like Natalie Portman’s dance body double in The Black Swan, potatoes don’t appear in the credits here, but they’re CRUCIAL to the overall finished product. No potatoes? No pot pie. No pot pies? Tears. And lots of them.

Yooper Pasties

As a self-respecting Yooper-born gal, I was acquainted very early on in life with the wonders of potatoes. A Yooper Pasty without potatoes is, well, like a pasty without rutabagas. It just ain’t done, people. You might as well leave off the ketchup. (Now sit back down. We’ll get into the ketchup vs. gravy debate another time. Right now we’re rallying behind the long suffering potato.)

Ultimate Corned Beef Hash

Here’s the thing you need to know about this dish. You can never make enough. It’s true. I made an 18-inch cast-iron skillet brimming with it. I counted on a couple days of leftovers. There. were. none. Sad doesn’t begin to cover it. The moral of the story? Make way more than you might ever think you could possibly consume. Not to put too fine a point on it…

Oh, stuffing. We love you, too. Just not from a box…

Grandma’s Famous Cornbread Stuffing

This is also not boring. And this is also not the aforementioned brand of stuffing. This is the best stuffing you will ever stuff in your face. Trust me. You’re going to stuff it in your face. Or you might stuff your face in the stuffing. It’s very stuffable. And it will stuff you. In a good way. With all pronounceable and identifiable ingredients. And it’s another one of my Grandma’s recipes. ‘Nuff said?

Here’s where you come in…

Please, Please, pretty please with potatoes on top send me your favorite potato recipes, either by links or full recipes down in the comments or by email. It is our privilege and our duty to protect and defend the ever wondrous potato’s reputation.  Here are a couple fabulous ones from good blogger buddies for inspiration:

Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon and Dill from Very Culinary

Hubba hubba. Smoked salmon AND dill AND crispy potato latkes? Amy, you temptress. I could eat approximately fifty bajillion of these  little gems. I might need some help standing up later, but I’d go happy.

Potatoes Antico Modo from Evil Chef Mom

Speaking of going happy, Evil Chef Mom discusses last meals and potatoes with her Potatoes Antico Modo. I believe Antico Modo is translated loosely as “Heavenly thing to do to potatoes with butter and cream.” I’m pretty sure about that. Because look at these. Sigh.

Yukon Golds with Shallot Butter by Alosha’s Kitchen

 

WHU-POW! That was the sound of my head exploding thinking about these Yukon Gold potatoes with Shallot Butter from Melissa at Alosha’s Kitchen. And all God’s people said? (Here is where you say “Amen!”) First, you have my favorite variety of potato. Second, you’re bathing them in shallot butter. Oh yes, she did. And you should, too.

Crispitty Crunchitty Potato Crack by Saint Tigerlily

If you’re going to tell me that you can resist these accurately named, duck fat roasted, crispy potato rounds from Saint Tigerlily, I’m going to call you a liar. A big, sad, liar. Because no one can resist these. Unless they have no tastebuds in which case, we should feel pity. No. Never mind. Even those without tastebuds couldn’t resist these because of the otherwordly texture. So we’re back to people who say they can resist this being liars. So there.

One quick note. Pictures, while not necessary to participate in the round-up, are certainly appreciated. If you send them to me, pretty please size them to about 550 x 400 or at least 400 x 400. Give me a shout if you need help with that!

One last question. Were you bored by these recipes?

Filed Under: Rebecca, Round Ups Tagged With: , ,

Orange Vanilla Creamsicle No Bake Cheesecakes

April 15, 2011 by 5 Comments

My childhood tasted great. It tasted like homemade pizza, tacos, lumpia, big green salads, sourdough pretzels, Jell-o Pudding Pops (swirl was my favorite), sun tea, grilled hamburgers, Necco wafers and cookies. It tasted like summer.

Raised on the grounds of the summer camp and retreat center that my father managed, summer was a blur of colors, a whirl of voices and faces, a perfect blend of the chaos of hundreds of new children arriving and leaving each week and the moments spent laying in the tall grass of the meadow looking up at the white cotton ball clouds in the sky that was as blue as the crystal lake across the dirt road.

Summer also meant endless trips -sanctioned or otherwise- into the camp’s walk-in freezer to raid the cases upon cases of quiescently frozen treats, cans of juice concentrate, frozen whipped topping and bins of pepperoni. Life is pretty sweet when you are a twelve year old eating a bowl of frozen pepperoni slices followed by a can of just-beginning-to-thaw orange juice concentrate with your feet dangling off the end of a long aluminum dock into the lake.

My youth was a symphony played in the key of iced treats. From my walk-in raids to my first job outside the camp at Worley’s Whippy Dip ice cream stand, I munched my happy, chilly way through childhood into adulthood. Of all the flavours of ice cream and popsicles and frozen goodies that ever were, one screams summer more than all the others combined: the orange and vanilla of  Creamsicles and push-pops and a bowl with one scoop each of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream.

That is the thing I think of when I eat these adorable no-bake mini cheesecakes straight from the freezer*. They smell like summer. They taste like summer. Maybe, just maybe, if we eat enough of them right now, and hold our breath just a little we can hasten summer’s arrival.

*Of course, you’re welcome to thaw them completely. When frozen, they taste more like ice cream. When thawed, more like a creamy, mousse-y no-bake cheesecake. However you slice it, they’re delicious.


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Orange Vanilla Creamsicle No Bake Cheesecakes
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert, Freezer Pleaser
Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 9-18
 

These creamy, mini no-bake cheesecakes are a grown-up version of those favorite summer orange and vanilla ice-pop treats. They’re freezer friendly so they make a great last minute dessert!
Ingredients
  • 20 cream filled vanilla wafer cookies (Think Golden Oreos or Newman’s Own)
  • 4 ounces by weight (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages Neufchatel Cream Cheese (Commonly labeled ⅓ less fat.), softened to room temperature
  • the zest and juice of one orange
  • 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
  • 1½ tablespoons real vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon orange extract
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • Optional: Paper thin slices of orange for garnish

Instructions
  1. In a food processor fitted with a blade, pulse the cookies until they are pulverized to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until evenly combined. (If you do not have a food processor, put the cookies in a zip-top bag and beat the tar out of them with a rubber mallet, heavy pan or rolling pin, then empty into a bowl and toss the butter in with a fork.)
  2. Arrange 9 removable bottom tart pans or mini springform pans on a platter or pan with an edge and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add 2 packed tablespoons of the cookie crumb mixture to each pan and use your fingers to distribute the crumbs and pack them firmly and evenly against the bottom of the pan. (If using one large pie pan, add enough to cover the bottom of the pan and pack down firmly.) Put the crusts in the refrigerator to firm up while you work on the filling.
  3. Use an electric or stand-mixer to blend the cream cheese on HIGH until smooth and creamy. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the orange juice and zest and mix again, on HIGH, until even and smooth.
  4. Add the heavy cream, blending on HIGH until slightly thickened.
  5. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides, add the sugar, vanilla and orange extracts and mix on HIGH until quite thick.
  6. Divide the filling evenly between the pans, slightly mounding the filling in the pans.
  7. Freeze for at least 2 hours prior to serving.
  8. You can either serve them or freeze them once chilled.
  9. Garnish, if desired, with thin slices of orange.

Notes
These beautiful little cheesecakes are rich! One mini cheesecake can easily be split in half for those who prefer a lighter dessert. Of course, if you prefer to eat the whole thing, like me, I won’t tell! They can be served chilled or directly from frozen for a more ice-cream like dessert. Either way is delicious. If you’d prefer them thawed, just set out on the counter-top for 10-30 minutes before serving.

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Filed Under: Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Crepes | How to Make Crepes

April 13, 2011 by 10 Comments

France exports many fine culinary things; cheese, chocolate, bread and the like, but none is as well loved at our home as the merveilleuse crêpe. Crêpes are most often served sweet and dessert-like here in the States. (Think Crêpes Suzette and whatnot…) I’m on a mission, though, to bring their savoury counterpart some well-deserved attention and devotion.

Thin, eggy, and faster than fast to make, savoury crêpes are an easy and elegant way to stretch out odds and ends in the refrigerator.  But poor crêpes… There’s such a mystique surrounding their preparation that many folks have never even attempted this French classic. I want to assure you, it doesn’t get much easier than this.  Although I might make many a French chef* blanch at the thought, I toss all the ingredients for my batter straight into the blender. A lid and a “HIGH” button and a few seconds later, I have perfect crêpe batter that only requires a half hour (bare minimum) or more (to a maximum of 24 hours) of resting before it’s ready to jump into the frying pan. And once it’s there? Hey ho butter brush plus one minute (give or take) over a middle flame gives you a perfect golden brown crêpe. You don’t need a sexy accent or years in a professional kitchen to master these. It really IS that simple. To prove it, I put together a little video showing just how easy the whole process is.  If I can do this with my five sons hollering in the next room,  you can certainly pull it off for dinner!

*That is, in the unlikely event that there are a multitude of French chefs reading this silly blog.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2vMHitvF2Y[/youtube]

 

See how simple that was? And did you hear my children? My eldest son sounds like a man. Excuse me while I go breathe into a paper bag for a minute or nine.

Back to the food.

Punched up with a little parsley and onion flavour, these are spread with a Dijon mayonnaise, layered with salty, paper-thin ham and Swiss cheese slices, rolled, topped with yet more cheese and baked until everything is hot and the cheese is melted through and through. I like to accompany mine with a simple salad of baby arugula dressed with oil, vinegar, a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Try these for dinner soon. You will be so happy you did!

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Ham and Cheese Stuffed Crepes | How to Make Crepes
Author: 
Recipe type: Main, Meat, Pork
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6
 

Wonderfully thin, savoury crepes spread with Dijon mayonnaise, stuffed with paper thin, salty ham and Swiss cheese slices, topped with more cheese and baked through.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Savoury Crepes:
  • 16 ounces (about 8 large) eggs
  • 16 ounces (2 cups by volume) whole milk
  • 8 ounces (1¾ cups to 2 cups by volume) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh onion (or 1 teaspoon dried granulated onion)
  • hearty pinch of salt
  • also needed for cooking crepes: melted butter
Additional ingredients for stuffing crepes:
  • 36 paper thin slices deli ham
  • 12 thin slices of Swiss cheese
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup or more of finely shredded melting cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc…)

Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to the work carafe of a blender, add the lid, and blend on HIGH for about 20 seconds. Stop the blender, scrape down the sides, replace the lid and pulse three more times. Put the blender carafe in the refrigerator and let rest for 30 minutes to 24 hours before proceeding.
To Cook Crepes:
  1. Place a heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet, crepe pan or well-seasoned cast-iron pan over medium heat. Use a heat-proof pastry brush to lightly brush the pan with melted butter, taking care to get the edges of the bottom of the pan as that is where batter tends to stick.
  2. Pour about 2-4 ounces of batter into the center of the pan and immediately tilt and swirl the pan so that the batter covers the entire bottom of the pan.
  3. Set the pan back over the heat and let it cook until the crepe has no visible wet areas on top.
  4. Use a semi-flexible spatula to run around the edges of the crepe before lifting and turning the crepe. Cook the second side for about 10 seconds only. The goal is just to lightly color that side.
  5. Transfer the finished crepe to a cooling rack. Repeat until you have used all the crepe batter.
To stuff crepes:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Butter a 9″ x 13″ baking pan.
  3. Spread about 2 teaspoons of the Dijon mayonnaise one one crepe. Arrange 3 pieces of deli ham and 1 slice of Swiss cheese over the top. You may wish to rip the Swiss cheese into pieces to better distribute it. Roll the crepe up and arrange in the buttered baking dish.
  4. Repeat until twelve crepes have been stuffed and arranged in the baking dish.
  5. Sprinkle the melting cheese evenly over the top.
  6. Bake the stuffed crepes for 20 minutes, or until the cheese on top of and inside the rolls has melted completely and they are hot through.
  7. Serve hot.

Notes
You will likely have extra crepes left unstuffed. To store leftovers, stack crepes between sheets of parchment or waxed paper before putting the stack into a resealable zipper top bag and freezing. These store frozen quite well for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours prior to serving. (Or you can speed it up and microwave thaw them!)

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Filed Under: Main Dish, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes

Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites

April 11, 2011 by 8 Comments

 

You might have noticed I have a real thing for soft pretzels. Usually, I whip up the savoury variety (here or here) but my kids are partial to the ones you see up above.  Chewy little two-bite pretzels tossed with butter and cinnamon and sugar.

I know I’ve mentioned how popular other varieties of soft pretzels are around my house. But these? These are the big guns. These are the ones that make my kids gaze at me with eyes aglow.

My kids know I’m making these before I even tell them. They love them so much that my second born recognizes the smell of the dough. He comes drifting into the kitchen led by his nose much like Bugs Bunny sniffing out a world-class carrot. He assumes a dreamy expression and he breathes, “Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels. Oh Mom!” The inevitable follow up is a little mini-Riverdance routine accompanied by, “When will they be done? Oh, when will they be done?” An answer and the sound of sprinting feet and a bellowed “MOM’S MAKING CINNAMON SUGAR SOFT PRETZELS!” later, all five boys come barreling through the door with expectant faces.

This snack is the way to my boys’ hearts. Take note, all ye who wish to woo them later. They are exceptionally handsome young men and the competition will be thick. You’ll want to remember this recipe.

While my kids like a long, tall glass of icy cold milk with theirs and my husband prefers a hot cuppa coffee I say the only real requirement is a big stack of napkins.

 

 

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert, Snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

These sweet, soft, cinnamon sugar two-bite pretzels are a great after school or late night snack.
Ingredients
Ingredients for dough:
  • 4 cups (1 pound 1 ounce, by weight) bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder (preferably) or sugar
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup hot tap water
  • 2 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast
Ingredients for pretzel boil:
  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda
Ingredients for topping:
  • 1 stick butter (4 ounces by weight), melted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions
To Make the Dough by Hand:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast. Set the whisk aside and switch to a sturdy wooden spoon. Stir in the milk and tap water until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a generously floured surface and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough from adhering to the counter. You do not want a firm dough… it should be fairly slack, a little tacky and soft, yet smooth. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.
To Make the Dough by Stand Mixer:
  1. In the work-bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast. Mix on low just to combine dry ingredients. With mixer still on low, carefully pour in the milk and water. Continue mixing on low until you have a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough. Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.
To Make the Dough by Bread Machine:
  1. Add the milk, water, flour, malt powder or sugar, and yeast to the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “Dough” or “Dough Only” cycle and hit start. Allow the cycle to complete.
To Form Pretzel Bites:
  1. Line two 11×13-inch baking sheets with silicone or teflon pan liners. Set next to your work area.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface. Use a bench knife to cut the dough into four pieces. Keep three pieces covered with a tea towel while working with the first. Roll the piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the circumference of two thumbs squashed together. Use your bench knife to cut 1-inch pieces from the dough snake. Transfer the dough pieces onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between pieces and rows. They will expand both as they rise and again as they boil and bake. When you have dealt with all the dough, cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy looking, about 20 minutes.
To Cook the Pretzels:
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a stainless steel or other non-reactive pan (enameled cast-iron, tempered glass, etc…) When water boils, add the baking soda. Gently lift the pretzel dough pieces one at a time into the boiling water. (You can boil more than one at a time, but be sure not to crowd the the pan as they will expand as they boil. Let simmer for about 45 seconds, flip the pieces and simmer for another 45 seconds-1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to drain and return each piece to its place on the pan. Continue until all pieces have been boiled and returned to the pan.
  3. Place pans in oven and bake at least until golden brown (at least 15 minutes), but you can bake until they are deep brown. It’s up to you!
  4. Use a fork to combine sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
  5. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer the hot pretzels to a large mixing bowl, drizzle the melted butter over the top and sprinkle with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Toss until evenly coated with butter and cinnamon sugar (Do in batches if necessary).
  6. Serve warm or room temperature.

Notes
Serve with an ice cold cup of milk or a hot cup of tea or coffee, but don’t forget the napkins!

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Desserts, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks
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