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Big Batch Crisp Topping and Any Fruit Crisps | Make Ahead Mondays

October 8, 2012 by 12 Comments

Desserts are the big to-do. The thing over which you slave for hours or -in some cases- even days and present with a flourish to ooooohs and aaaahs. I’m as guilty of that as the next food-obsessed gal, from time to time.

But really? Desserts are supposed to be a relaxing thing. Grab a spoon or a fork, a plate or a bowl of the good stuff, plop down somewhere comfortable and give a good ahhhhhhhh. They’re supposed to feed your soul without taxing it first. In fact, ‘DESSERTS’ are ‘STRESSED’ spelled backwards. Tell me if this has ever happened to you.

I’m going through my day getting done what needs to be done. I make dinner and think to myself, “Oh, we don’t need dessert tonight. We have a big dinner and that’ll do the job.” Then after dinner, when it’s just me and my honey sitting on the couch, I think, “I wish I’d made dessert. I could go for something a little sweet right now.”

Is anyone with me? I know it can’t be just us with should’ve-made-dessert regrets. ‘No desserts’ backwards is ‘stressed on’. See?

I have a solution.

Make a big batch of crisp topping -essentially, this is sugar, oats, flour, a little spice and a lot of butter- drop it into canning jars or other airtight containers and pop it in the freezer.

When you hit the dessert-regret stage of the evening, fill a little ramekin or two or a big pan with fresh fruit or even canned pie filling. In a pinch, you could put jam in the ramekins.

Top with the ready-made crisp topping.

… and bake. Thirty minutes later (read: half of an episode of Justified or Top Chef) you will no longer be stressed. You will have desserts.

Here’s what happens next. At least at OUR house, it’s what happens next anyway. We get a container of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and let it set on the counter for about eight minutes. We scoot a still-pretty-toasty ramekin into another bowl and top it with a pretty massive scoop of ice cream. We let the ice cream start melting just a wee bit and then we dive in.

Not bad for a dessert you threw together over a commercial break, eh? In fact, I’d call it darned good. So good, that it is the opposite of stressed. Literally.

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Make Ahead Crisp Topping and Any Fruit Crisps | Make Ahead Mondays

Make Ahead Crisp Topping and Any Fruit Crisps | Make Ahead Mondays

The only thing better than a fruit crisp is one that you've put together in less than 5 minutes using crisp topping that you made ahead of time in a big batch and stored in the freezer.

Use your pre-made crisp topping on fresh fruit, canned fruit or pie filling for a glorious, almost instant fruit crisp.

Adapted very gently from and with many thanks to Aimee Bourque, of Simple Bites

Ingredients

  • 1 cup light or dark brown sugar)
  • 1 cup raw sugar (or 1 cup white sugar)
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • a little freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

Instructions

Combine the sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg with the softened butter and mix until well blended. Cut in the flour with a pastry cutter or two butterknives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the oats until evenly and loosely combined and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs again.

Fill jars or airtight containers with the crisp topping, top with a lid, label and freeze. This makes about 6 loosely packed or 4 firmly packed pint jars. (See note below.) This will yield about 32 individual crisps or 4 large (9"x13") pans.

Note: If you pack the crisp topping loosely in the jars, it will be easier to shake directly onto the tops of the crisps you are baking. This does, however, shorten the amount of time they will store well in the freezer to 3 months from 6 months. If you pack the topping tightly, you can keep it for up to 6 months, but you may have to chip it out of the jar with a butterknife. I prefer to pack it loosely knowing we will use it quickly. This helps me avoid the dreaded 'stabbing metal things into frozen glass jars' phenomenon.

To Bake Fruit Crisps With Make Ahead Crisp Topping:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lay out desired number of ramekins on a baking sheet (or lightly grease a 9-inch x 13-inch pan.) Fill the ramekins about 2/3 full of fresh berries, chopped stone fruits, peeled/cored/chopped apples, or pie filling. Sprinkle frozen crisp topping directly on the surface of the fruit, filling the rest of the ramekin.( If using a large pan, make sure the filling is covered with crisp topping by at least 1/4-inch.)

Bake ramekins on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or large pans for about 45-50 minutes, or until the crisp is golden brown and the fruit is soft (or pie filling is bubbly.) Serve warm topped with ice cream, whipped cream or a little splash of heavy cream.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/10/08/make-ahead-crisp-topping-and-any-fruit-crisps-make-ahead-mondays/

We are just about on gift-giving and party season, folks! A jar of this crisp topping wrapped with a pretty ribbon and a recipe card giving instructions on how to use it and make more would be a beautiful hostess gift. Added to a basket with home-canned pie filling or some fresh pears or apples, it would make a thoughtful and delicious gift for any occasion!

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast Foods, Comfort Food, Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Kielbasa, Apple and Onion Stir-fry with Mini Puff Pancakes

October 5, 2012 by 11 Comments

This is a good time of year to be an apple lover in Western New York. While it wasn’t the best year ever for apples due to a late frost and weird weather, apples are still just about everywhere and I call that a very good thing. Roadside stands, farmers’ markets, and even grocery stores are carrying apples that are just about as good as if they were just pulled from the trees. Apples in October are second to none.

Everyone knows how good an apple tastes fresh or dunked into caramel dip, but so many people are missing out on one of my favourite food combinations; fried apples and onions with kielbasa. I was first introduced to fried apples and onions as a kid when I read ‘Farmer Boy’ by Laura Ingalls Wilder. One of Almanzo Wilder’s mom’s specialties was apples and onions fried in bacon grease. It was, in fact, Almonzo’s favourite dish. I didn’t get past that page in the book before I begged my mom to whip up a pan full for us.

It was every bit as good as it sounded on paper. From that day on, it’s been one of my favourite dishes, too… best served when apples are still explodingly crisp and fresh and hold up well to a little time in a hot pan. In my own home, I started frying cubed, garlicky kielbasa in the pan before adding the apples and onions and found that it turned a well-loved side dish into a better-loved main dish. This is one of those dishes that smells so good while it cooks that people congregate in the kitchen peeking at the contents of the pan, trying to sneak bits of sausage from the top of the pan and drooling like Pavlov’s dogs.

There’s something so special about crisp-about-the-edges kielbasa with tender, sweet apples and meltingly tender onions. I lack the vocabulary to explain just how perfect the dish actually is. It’s salty, sweet, garlicky… it’s wonderful.

You have options on how you want to serve it, provided you can keep folks’ forks out of the bowl long enough to get it to the table. Our preferred method is to whip up a batch of mini puff pancakes… (the basic Pannukakku recipe here, but poured into generously greased muffin tins instead of a big pan.)

The soft, custardy puff pancakes sink a little in the center when fresh from the oven, making them the perfect vehicle to hold all those little deep-brown bits of sausage and tender apples and onions.

They soak up all the good sausage grease that might otherwise make an escape.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you, though, that the stir-fry is equally delicious piled on top of hot egg noodles or fresh, hot rice. Any way you serve it, you’ll feel warm all over. Happy autumn!

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Kielbasa, Apple and Onion Stir-fry with Mini Puff Pancakes

Kielbasa, Apple and Onion Stir-fry with Mini Puff Pancakes

Highly seasoned, garlicky, classic kielbasa pairs perfectly with crisp tender tart apples and sweet onions in this fall stir-fry. Serve over hot egg noodles, cooked rice or as we did on mini puff-pancakes.

Ingredients

    For the Mini Puff Pancakes:
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • a pinch each of salt and sugar
  • non-stick cooking spray
    • For the Kielbasa, Apple and Onion Stir-Fry:
  • 14 to 16 ounces of Kielbasa or beef smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 4 large tart, firm apples (Use a variety good for cooking, such as Cortland, Spy, Gala, or Granny Smith.)
  • 2 large cooking onions, ends trimmed and peeled
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup

Instructions

To Make the Mini Puff Pancakes:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Add the eggs, flour, milk, and pinches of salt and sugar to the carafe of your blender*. Blend on high for about 30 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides.

*If you do not have a blender, whisk all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until completely smooth.

Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until they are very puffy, golden brown on top and set to the touch. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let cool for 3 minutes before removing the puff pancakes. If any are stuck, gently run a butterknife around the edge to help loosen them.

To Make the Kielbasa, Apple and Onion Stir-Fry:

Place a skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add the cubes of kielbasa to the pan. Slide the pan back and forth a few times to distribute the sausage cubes. Let the pan rest on the heat without stirring for about 1 minute to help develop a little colour on the sausage cubes. Toss or stir the sausage until some fat has rendered and the sausage has browned evenly, about 3-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the sausage fat.

Cut the onions in half, end-to-end. Cut each half in quarters and then each quarter in half again. Set aside.

Peel, core and halve the apples. Cut each half in quarters and then each quarter in half again.

Return the pan to the burner and lower the heat to medium-high. Add the butter to the pan drippings to melt. When they have melted, add the onions and toss gently to coat. Let them cook alone for about 3 minutes. Add the apples to the pan and toss to coat. Fry the apples and onions, tossing or stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender but still hold together, about 3-5 minutes. Season with black pepper to taste. If desired, drizzle the tablespoon of maple syrup over the mixture and toss to coat.

Serve hot over Mini Puff Pancakes, cooked egg noodles or rice.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/10/05/kielbasa-apple-and-onion-stir-fry-with-mini-puff-pancakes/

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Main Dish, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , ,

Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

October 3, 2012 by 13 Comments

Why did the chicken cross the road? I’ll get to that in a moment.

One thing I absolutely, positively adore about living in Western New York is that I can honestly say I live in the birthplace of the hot wing. If you order ‘wings’ in a nearby restaurant or bar, you’re going to receive that hot, spicy, zippy, deep-fried, buttery tip-of-a-chicken’s-wing that is known the rest of the nation over as Buffalo Wings or hot wings. If you order Buffalo wings here, they’re going to know you’re not a local.

You know the story of how the ubiquitous bar food came to be, right? A hungry Buffalonian and his college buddies piled into the Anchor Bar where his mom was working. They begged for something -ANYTHING- to eat. (Right here is where the story gets me in the heart. I know how boys eat. I feel this story deeply.) Mrs. Bellissimo (the mom in question) threw a bunch of wings into the fry-o-later and tossed them with a special sauce, served them to the hungry boys, and a legend was born. There are other versions of the story, but they too all center around Mrs. Bellissimo and her restaurant. In short, Mrs. Bellissimo is widely acknowledged to be single-handedly responsible for one of the best-loved snack foods in North America. God love her, ’cause chickens fear her very name.

I’m going to go ahead and assume you’ve had real, proper wings before now; you’ve had that magical combination of vinegar based hot sauce and butter tossed on deep-fried chicken wings. Am I right? So you know how a wing is supposed to taste; buttery, spicy, zingy, chickeny, and altogether addictive.

This hot dip is everything that a good wing dunked in blue cheese or Ranch dressing is, but in dip form. You start with a generous portion of cooked, cubed chicken mixed into a concoction of cream cheese, Ranch dressing, and hot sauce and bake it until it’s bubbly and steaming hot. Your brain will scream “WINGS” when you scoop a cracker or celery stick into this dip.

You’re not going to be screaming from the heat. In wing parlance, you’ve got mild, medium and hot, in most cases. This dip is a medium. It’s not going to make your head leap from your neck and run away yelping unless you’re the wussiest of  all wussy eaters. If you are, and you still want to try the dip on for size, reduce the hot sauce but don’t you omit it…. then it would just be creamy chicken dip and that would be sad. Just sad.

…And now for the blue cheese issue, because I know some of you have one. If (sigh) you don’t like blue cheese (sigh again), yes, you can substitute mozzarella or Monterey Jack, but it will not pack that true wing punch. Wings are almost always served with a side of blue cheese dressing (Ranch if you ask for it) and some celery sticks.

Speaking of celery sticks, they would make an admirable conveyance for dip-to-mouth if you have them handy. I, however, did not. This is mainly due to the fact that my children have lately taken a serious fancy to ants-on-a-log for breakfast, lunch and dinner and had cleaned out my crisper drawer of all available celery whilst I was whipping up this dip for them at their request. *Shaking fists toward children.*

Ah well. Lack of celery sticks notwithstanding, this is mega-satisfying and fun. Crackers, tortilla chips, corn chips or breadsticks are all fantastic when dunked into, dolloped with or otherwise spread with Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip.

I guarantee this as man/boy friendly food, given that my man/boys ate up a batch in about ten minutes flat. I can also personally guarantee this as chick food, so long as your fellow chicks like wings as much as I do. Chicks and Wings. For a multitude of reasons, don’t ever let anyone tell you they don’t go together.

So why did that chicken cross the road? To get the heck out of Buffalo!

Buh-KAWK!

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Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Bubbly, cheesy, spicy, and full of chicken, Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip is a snacker's dream. Welcome at parties, on game day, or just for a fun hot snack, this dip is everything you love about Buffalo wings minus the bone.

Instructions for preparing this with a slow-cooker are also included.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce brick of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dry Ranch dressing mix
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce, preferably Frank's Red Hot or Sriracha
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (or grated mozzarella or Monterey Jack if you dislike blue.)
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely minced or pressed
  • 2 cups of cooked finely chopped or shredded chicken

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add the softened cream cheese to mixing bowl. Use a fork to break up the cream cheese and smoosh in the milk, mayonnaise and ranch dressing. Switch to a sturdy spoon to continue smashing it and mixing it until smooth. Mix in the hot sauce next, whisking to combine until smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients until evenly combined.

Scrape the mixture into a casserole dish or oven safe bowl and bake* for 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

*This mixture can also be prepared in a slow-cooker on low (2-3 hours) and kept warm for a couple hours afterward.

Serve hot with crackers, corn or tortilla chips, celery sticks, or bread sticks.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/10/03/hot-buffalo-chicken-dip/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Comfort Food, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Thai Red Curry Shrimp with Coconut Rice (How to Freeze Rice) | Make Ahead Mondays

October 1, 2012 by 4 Comments

 

 

My husband doesn’t like curry. …Or at least he SAYS he doesn’t  like curry. He claims it makes him belchy. (Since when did that deter him, I ask…) This is one of my eternal frustrations because I do like it. A lot. It goes both ways.  My husband adores angel hair pasta cooked past al dente served with piles and piles of meat sauce. I say this is sloppy joes on pretend pasta. Ah, love; it’s not all wine and roses. Sometimes it’s burps and mushy noodles. The important thing is that we both recognize that we don’t have to have the last word.

I question how much my husband actually dislikes curry, though, because over the years I have featured at least four recipes in our regular rotation that lean heavily on curry whether in powder or paste form. One of them is one of the most popular posts ever here on Foodie With Family. Another is one of our family favourites and a prize winner. I think it’s more accurate to say that he’s picky about curry. I don’t blame him. In my opinion, the balance of curry is easy to mess up. It can go from complex and tantalizing to muddy and overwhelming if too heavy a hand is used.

I have realized after years of experimentation, that the one kind of curry my husband will invariably love is a Thai curry, specifically a red curry. Red curry is a blend of lemongrass, garlic, Thai ginger and red chiles (among other things). How could you possibly go wrong with that?  When RiceSelect sent me a jar of their Texmati light brown rice*, I knew right away what I was going to do with it. It was getting a red curry topping.

*What I love about this rice is that it cooks quickly like white rice and tastes a great deal like it, but gives you much of the nutritional content of brown rice. As a mom of many, I call that a win.

Because the curry we were making was a Thai curry, we decided to turn our dinner into a party to explore Thai culture along with our meal. In Thailand it’s considered unlucky to eat alone*, so we loaded our table up with friends and family. This is an easy task given that our family makes seven per meal all by itself. Since our dinner party was on Sunday, we all wore red; the traditional colour assigned to Sunday in Thai culture.

*Well, gee. I must be the luckiest woman alive, then. I almost never eat alone. (Unless you count me hiding in the bathroom to inhale a chocolate bar.)

In keeping with the Thai theme, we used bamboo mats on red place mats to decorate the table. My son Ty declared it to be his day. Thai. Ty. Oh my. This same child also selected a knots and rope-work class based on the fact that he should be great at it since his name is Ty. Ty. Tie. Help.

Back to the good stuff…

The curry we had was a Thai Red Curry Shrimp: a dish that appears far too simple to have the complex and comforting flavour that it delivers. Coconut milk and red curry paste simmer with onions, peas and shrimp and are ladled over fragrant coconut rice. A simple scattering of chopped fresh cilantro and basil over the top of the dish seems insignificant until you taste it. The fresh herbs, sweet shrimp, and umami laden curry coconut sauce with vegetables all come together in a symphony of flavour, including all four of the main seasonings of Thai cuisine: salty, sour, bitter, and sweet.

Because the curry itself comes together in very little time, the recipe I’m including here calls for making a larger amount of rice than you’ll need for the meal. Coconut rice freezes and reheats beautifully, so the recipe includes instructions for freezing the extra rice for last minute cravings and nights when you’re on the run. Do take advantage of this!

Coconut rice is a beautiful base for stir-fries, sweet and sour meatballs, hamballs. Coconut rice also adds a little unexpected flair to fried rice; simply use your hands to break up the frozen rice directly into the hot pan.

Give this super-fast, exotic, satisfying meal a whirl some evening. You’ll be so glad you did. It’s way better than mushy angel hair with sloppy joe topping.

Oh shoot. Did I just get the last word?

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Thai Red Curry Shrimp with Coconut Rice (How to Freeze Rice) | Make Ahead Mondays

Thai Red Curry Shrimp with Coconut Rice (How to Freeze Rice) | Make Ahead Mondays

Thai Red Curry Shrimp: a dish that appears far too simple to have the complex and comforting flavour that it delivers. Coconut milk and red curry paste simmer with onions, peas and shrimp and are ladled over fragrant coconut rice. A simple scattering of chopped fresh cilantro and basil over the top of the dish seems insignificant until you taste it. The fresh herbs, sweet shrimp, and umami laden curry coconut sauce with vegetables all come together in a symphony of flavour. Instructions on how to freeze extra rice for future meals are included in the recipe.

Ingredients

    For the Coconut Rice:
  • 5 cups Texmati Light Brown Rice
  • 3 cans full-fat Coconut Milk
  • additional water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • For the Thai Red Curry Shrimp:
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 medium cooking onion
  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk (13-14 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar or light brown sugar
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 pound raw, shelled, cleaned shrimp
  • Chopped fresh basil and cilantro for garnish
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste (available in the produce section at grocery stores.)

Instructions

To Make Coconut Rice:

Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a rice cooker, select regular rice cycle (no need to cook on the brown rice cycle) and begin the cycle. When finished, fluff with a fork and serve.

(If you do not have a rice cooker, combine all ingredients in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring once, then cover with a tight fitting lid or foil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, undisturbed, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

To Freeze Extra Coconut Rice:

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or rinse the pan with water and shake off excess. This will keep the rice from sticking. Spread the rice out on the pan and let stand until it is no longer steaming hot. Rinse a measuring cup with water and shake out the excess. Measure meal-sized portions into re-sealable zipper top bags. Use your hands to gently flatten the rice and distribute it evenly in the bag. Seal the bags, label and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To Reheat Rice:

Transfer the frozen rice to a microwave safe container and microwave on high in 1 minute bursts, until the rice is hot all the way through. Fluff with a fork before serving.

To Make the Thai Red Curry Shrimp:

Heat the coconut oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions to the pan and saute, stirring or tossing occasionally, until the onions have a touch of brown to them.

Add the coconut milk and red curry paste to the pan and bring to a boil, whisking to combine the red curry paste into the coconut milk. Lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Add the fish sauce, sugar and water and return it to a boil. Again, lower the heat and let it simmer for 8 minutes. Add the optional lemongrass paste (if using) and whisk it in carefully.

Add the frozen peas and cook until the peas are hot all the way through, about 2 minutes. Bring the liquid back to a gentle simmer and add the cleaned, shelled shrimp. Cook just until the shrimp are curled and pink. This should take between 3 to 5 minutes.

To Serve the Coconut Rice and Thai Red Curry Shrimp:

Scoop a serving of coconut rice into each bowl and spoon the shrimp with the sauce and vegetables over the rice. Scatter some chopped cilantro and basil over the top and serve immediately.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/10/01/thai-red-curry-shrimp-with-coconut-rice-how-to-freeze-rice-make-ahead-mondays/


This post is brought to you by Rice Select. All opinions are, as always, mine alone.

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Comfort Food, Freezer Pleaser, Main Dish, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,
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