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Creamy Lemon Lime Popsicles (Three Ingredients) | Make Ahead Mondays

June 4, 2012 by 10 Comments

Is school officially out for the summer where you are? We’re on the cusp here. So very close! We just have a couple standardized tests to finish up and it’s FREEDOM for a couple of hazy, lazy (I wish!) months. My kids want that break so badly they can taste it.

The weather is hot and it’s just too hard to sit at the school table without some sort of encouragement. To that end, I’ve been dangling popsicles like carrots to signify the end of the school day. There is nothing quite like a bit of quiescently frozen whatnot to take your mind off of columns of bubbles that have to be filled in ever so completely without going outside the lines. Popsicles take the sting out of the end of the school year.

Did you ever wonder if the person who invented standardized testing forms is the same one who invented ballots in Florida? But I digress. Politically and otherwise.

The popsicles I’m sharing here today hold the number one spot (not to be dislodged by number two pencils) in our home. Lemony and limey, they’re so creamy they almost eat like an ice cream rather than an ice pop. The creaminess comes courtesy of… are you sitting down?… COCONUT MILK and Lemon Lime Curd. That’s right. There’s no cream or milk anywhere near this.  You all know I’m a mega fan of cream, but there is simply no substitute here. There’s something magical about what coconut milk does when its frozen. It doesn’t taste overly coconut-y, in fact, you’re hard pressed to get the coconut flavour at all. It’s very faint. But what it lends is an unctuousness that is unparalleled. The Lemon Lime Curd is obviously the main source for the citrus punch, but gets a little helping hand from an extra splash of lemon juice.

If you’d like to make these vegan (it isn’t already because of the eggs and butter in the Lemon Lime Curd) there is an easy quick fix. Simply use vegan lemon curd (or vegan lemon lime curd) in place of the traditional curd.

In case you’re on the fence about making these thinking, “How could something so easy to make possibly be as good as she says it is?” allow me to share an example. My husband likes food but he believes in the less-is-more approach to food compliments. He does not use superlatives unless a food has earned it. He took a bite of one of these popsicles and his eyes rolled back into his head. He said, “Did you make these up?” When I replied that I had, he said, “These are incredible! Seriously. You have to blog these. Now. Go blog them. People need to make these.”

He has suggested I put things up here on Foodie With Family before, but never with this much enthusiasm. Well, there is one exception, but it’s coming next week. That’s right. I hit it out of the park with The Evil Genius twice in one month. Stay tuned. And in the meantime, whip up a batch of these Creamy Lemon Lime Popsicles. It’ll take no time at all and you’ll look like a superhero.

One batch of the popsicle mix makes quite a few popsicles, but feel free to double or triple the recipe so that you have them on hand all the time. You’re only limited by the amount of moulds and freezer space you have and the number you can eat in a month. Believe me when I tell you you’ll be able to eat more than you think! If you wanted to make these in serious quantities for a kids’ party or similar event, use little disposable paper cups and short, fat wooden popsicle sticks.

In honour of the end of the school year and an undisclosed high school reunion year ending with a zero (ACK!), I’ll close this by saying, “Stay cool! Never change! Love ya like a sister!”

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Creamy Lemon Lime Popsicles (Three Ingredients) | Make Ahead Mondays

Creamy Lemon Lime Popsicles (Three Ingredients) | Make Ahead Mondays

These lemony, limey, bright, 3-ingredient popsicles are so creamy they almost eat like ice cream rather than ice pops. These will take the edge off of the hottest days and are easily converted to being a vegan-friendly recipe by using vegan lemon curd in place of the traditional Lemon Lime Curd.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (13.5 ounces, approximately) full-fat, unsweetened Coconut Milk
  • 1 cup Lemon Lime Curd
  • 1 tablespoon lemon (or lime) juice

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 15 seconds. If you do not have a blender, add to a large mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until smooth. Pour into popsicle moulds, add sticks or handles and freeze 6 hours or until frozen solid. These are best eaten within a month of being made.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/06/04/creamy-lemon-lime-popsicles-three-ingredients-make-ahead-mondays/

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, Happy Healthy and Wise, Ice Cream, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Lemon Lime Curd (Easy Blender or Microwave Method) | Make Ahead Mondays

May 28, 2012 by 16 Comments

Many moons ago, when I was the mother of only a couple tiny kids, I had a very scandalous, very obese, very, very big dog named Hambone. Hambone was known for his lightning speed consumption of all food before him, whether it was intended for him or not. There was no food safe around Hambone.

Hambone ate his food. He ate his dog-compatriot’s food. He ate the cat’s food. He ate a pound of butter (still wrapped). He ate crayons, garbage, and -in short- anything that held still long enough for him to figure out how to get it down into his gullet. He was not discerning.

On a cold winter’s day, I laid the kids down for a nap and got to work on the snack I was supposed to bring to Bible study that evening. It was my turn and I decided to bring something indulgent, spectacular, unique… I settled on scones with lemon curd and clotted cream. The clotted cream I bought, the scones I made, and then came the lemon curd… I followed the time-honoured tradition of hand squeezing the citrus.

Lots and lots of citrus.

Then I set to whisking over a double boiler- whisking, whisking, whisking- until the egg yolks and sugar and lemon juice thickened. Then I dropped in the butter bit by bit and whisked even more until each little cube of butter was melted and incorporated. Now, I’ve been me a long time, and I’m consistent, so you may know what is coming next. I was making a quadruple batch. Of course! Why wouldn’t you make a double batch if you’re already going to so much trouble? This means I stood whisking for quite some time. In fact, I whisked my way through all of that precious nap time. My little fellows both woke or set to squawking at the same time… just about when that curd was finished.

Taking advantage of the cold weather, I set the bowl out to cool, covered with a screen, on a table on the porch. I did what moms do with freshly napped munchkins. I read, I snuggled, I tousled hair, I provided snacks. And then I heard a sound. A clatter. A sound that sounded like THE CLATTER OF A METAL BOWL SKITTERING ON A WOODEN PORCH. Empty. I had forgotten that the notorious Hambone was outside. He had eaten every last bit of my lemon curd from the bowl. It looked as clean as it had when I had taken it from the cupboard. I threw the bowl at the dog, locked the door, sat my sweet kidlets down in front of a Beatrix Potter movie and made another batch. A single one.

The dog was too full even to scratch at the door to be let in, and it’s a darned good thing because I was in no mood to let that beast into our warm abode. I got on the phone with my mom to complain and she said, “Oh no! I wonder if he’s in pain!” I responded, unkindly, that I hoped he was. Big time.

Time passed, Hambone had other memorable transgressions in the kitchen and I learned a few lessons.

  1. Never leave food near a dog under any circumstances. They’re just not built to resist the temptation.
  2. Lemon curd is far easier to make than I ever thought.

That second lesson is the real kicker. I learned that lemon curd does not need to be an exercise in self-flagellation. You need not whisk ’til your arms fall off. It is as easy as a burly blender or a microwave. Of the two methods, I prefer the blender method because you pop everything in, set it to high and walk away until steam billows forth from the top. If you don’t have a sturdily built blender, though, the microwave method is a vast improvement over the French galley-slave approach to lemon curd making.

Once I got the quick-curd methods under my belt, I started playing around a bit with ingredients. My favourite curd (which is really a very unappetizing word for what amounts to creamy citrus custard sauce) these days is a bright, light combination of lemon and lime, using the juice and zest of both citruses. Lemon and lime compliment each other beautifully… Where the lemon is all brightness, the lime has depth. The sugar softens up the sharpness of the citrus while the egg yolk makes the custard creamy. “Mouthwatering” is greatly overused when discussing foods, but there is simply no substitute for it here. Lemon Lime Curd truly makes your mouth water.

Even though you can quickly make curd just about any time using these quick methods, it’s nice to have it on hand ready to go at the smallest inkling of a craving. Lemon Lime curd can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If you’d like to make it last longer than that, simply freeze for up to a year. Not that it’ll ever last that long.

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Lemon Lime Curd (Easy Blender and Microwave Methods) | Make Ahead Mondays

Lemon Lime Curd (Easy Blender and Microwave Methods) | Make Ahead Mondays

Step away from the double-boiler! Sour lemons and sweet limes come together to be made into the simplest curd ever made. Using your blender or microwave you are just 5 minutes away from a perfect dessert spread that stores for two weeks in the refrigerator or a full year in the freezer! You need never be without this tart, sweet, velvety-smooth dessert maker ever again.

Dollop Lemon Lime Curd on angel food cake or pound cake and top with whipped cream for the ultimate quick dessert. Spoon it over ice cream or on pancakes or waffles. Spread it between cake layers. Or make like me, pucker up and eat it straight from the spoon!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice (I used about 4 lemons and 5 limes.)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 9 egg yolks
  • the zest of 2 lemons and 2 limes (use zest from the lemons and limes you squeezed.)

Instructions

The Blender Method (I use my Vitamix blender . Be sure your blender is well-built enough to run on high speed for 5 or more minutes without burning out the motor!):

Add the citrus juice, sugar, butter and egg yolks to the work carafe of your blender. Fix the lid firmly in place. Start the blender on low and slowly increase the speed until you reach the highest speed. Let the blender run on high until steam is pouring out of the top of the blender. Turn the blender off and -wearing oven mitts- remove the lid carefully. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the curd. It should be at or above 170°F. (If you don't have an instant read thermometer you can test the readiness with a spoon. Dip a spoon into the hot curd. Carefully draw your finger through it in a line. When the line stays for about 5 seconds before the curd comes back together it is ready.)

*Remember the curd will thicken as it cools!

Stir in the citrus zest and immediately pour into clean jars or heat-proof containers with tight fitting lids. Let cool slightly before storing in the refrigerator. If desired, once the curd has cooled slightly, you can lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin from forming on it. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 year!

The Microwave Method:

In a microwave safe bowl that is large enough to comfortably hold all of your ingredients, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until they are smooth. Whisk in the lemon and lime juice and butter until smooth. Microwave on high -uncovered- for 5 minutes, whisking well after each 1 minute mark until you reach 4 minutes. In the last minute, whisk well every 15 seconds, until the mixture has reached at least 170°F on an instant read thermometer. (If you don't have an instant read thermometer you can test the readiness with a spoon. Dip a spoon into the hot curd. Carefully draw your finger through it in a line. When the line stays for about 5 seconds before the curd comes back together it is ready.)

*Remember the curd will thicken as it cools!

Pour the hot curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any curdled egg bits. Stir in the zest and pour immediately into clean jars or heat-proof containers with tight fitting lids. Let cool slightly before storing in the refrigerator. If desired, once the curd has cooled slightly, you can lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin from forming on it. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 year!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/05/28/lemon-lime-curd-easy-blender-or-microwave-method-make-ahead-mondays/

And heads-up. You’ll want to be back here next Tuesday when I show you how to use your Lemon Lime Curd to make THESE:

 

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Comfort Food, Component Foods, Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

Best Buttermilk Pancakes and Make Ahead Mondays Breakfast Highlights

May 14, 2012 by 8 Comments

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and I’m still in a glow-y mood. The boys treated me to a cup of tea in bed (that mercifully stayed in the vessel before reaching my mouth), French toast once I was downstairs, a day full of (mostly) getting along beautifully, and a clean kitchen (for most of the day.) I know this post is coming late in the day, but it’s worth it! I promise.

Today, for Make Ahead Mondays, the spotlight is on some of our favourite make-ahead-friendly breakfast foods that have been here on Foodie With Family. You all know I’m not functional until I’ve had a cuppa tea or two under my belt. By that, I mean that I’ve consumed it, not worn it… And to complicate things,  I absolutely despise paying mucho bucks for boxes of cereal that last a day or two at most around here. Therefore, the hot and/or homemade breakfast is the preferred method of morning fuel in these parts.  So the equation looks like this: Bleary-Eyed Mom + Hungry Children in the Morning = Creativity. I need food that is made or mostly made to serve them because folks? They’re not patient when it comes to food.

In no particular order, here are some of the greatest hits from our household:

Six Week Bran Cereal Muffins

These muffins are delicious and nutritious, to be sure, but there are two more, equally compelling reasons to make these. 1.) You make the batter and it stores in your refrigerator where you can bake as few as one or as many as you’d like daily for SIX WEEKS. I’m not kidding. Six weeks. How can you beat that? 2.) You can add in whatever stir-ins you like the day you bake. Chocolate chips, apples (dry or fresh), peaches, raisins, nuts, apricots? Yes, yes, yes and infinitely more yeses. Can I hear an Amen? Or at least a yum? Because you’ll rate a bunch of each when you have these for breakfast.

Baked Maple Oatmeal

 

Just look at that, wouldya? That is what oats are supposed to look like… This is as far from the grey, mucilaginous (yes, I said it again), soupy stuff that most people think of as oatmeal. It’s sweet, chewy, almost nutty in flavour, and smells good enough to make you turn inside out in anticipation. I make two huge pans of this unadorned (sans fruits, nuts, etc…) and leave it covered in the refrigerator all week. The kids, when hungry, take a serving sized scoop, heat it in the microwave and then add whatever they prefer. The favourite toppers in our home are frozen blueberries, fresh cream, or my homemade pie filling from the pantry. In my book, that counts as fruit!

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

Are you playing for a more savoury audience? This is the bees-knees… We’re looking at a sausage patty, baked egg and cheese all warm and melty on a toasted English muffin. Even better is the fact that these are pre-made, frozen and ready for action whenever needed. We reheat them, toss on a fistful of arugula or greens (for those who are so inclined) and hot sauce to round everything out. Life is great when these are in the freezer.

Homemade English Muffins

You had to know I was going here. Right? There is no better way to have a Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast sandwich than on a homemade English Muffin. Just look at those nooks and crannies. They’re crying out for butter and jam, too! And added to the fact that these are as easy to make as pie -No, easier than pie!- is the fact that they freeze like a dream after being baked and cooled. Ta da!

Homemade English Muffin Bread

Do those English Muffins still look like a bit too much fuss? I have just the thing for you! English Muffin Bread. And let me tell you, this stuff is habit forming and easy to boot. Each batch makes three large loaves, so eat one, wrap the other two and freeze for those days when you just don’t have time to bake. …While we’re discussing English Muffin Bread, how about something else that you can whip up to keep in the freezer that uses this bread as a base?

Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

You can never have too many eggy type recipes if you ask me. Eggs are nearly the perfect food. Heavy in protein and all sorts of other goodies, they’re just the thing to use to start your day right and keep you full until lunch.  I like to make the Spinach and Egg Breakfast Bake, slice, freeze and then reheat to serve on freshly toasted English Muffin Bread. This also makes a great, hearty after school snack. Whichever time of day you serve it, you’ll be so happy you did!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This is one of my best successes in mommy-trickery of all time. See that gorgeous, moist, cinnamon swirl? Don’t tell my youngest child, but that’s *gasp* ground up raisins. I’ve had emails from people all over telling me that either they or their kids disliked raisins as a rule, but adored this bread. It’s happy food, my friends. And happily, it freezes very well. A loaf or two of this in the freezer can make the difference between an okay day and a great one. And if you -whoopsie- don’t eat it all before its prime, it makes the most incredible French toast you can possibly imagine- but better.

…And finally!

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

I am willing to bet that most of you -even those who have been with me for a long time- haven’t seen this recipe. Why? Because this comes from one of the first recipes I ever posted here on Foodie With Family in 2008. Wowza. So much has changed between then and now, but one thing has not. We still rely on these pancakes because of their flavour, ease of preparation and the convenience of being able to keep a bucket of this batter ready in the refrigerator for up to three days after mixing it. Double bonus: you can griddle fry all of your pancakes, cool them on a rack, store them in a Gladware container or zipper top bag with wax paper between each layer, and freeze them for even greater convenience. In the morning, grab the desired number of flapjacks and microwave them ’til piping hot. And triple bonus! This recipe is so old, I didn’t even know about printable recipes, so I present to you, today, a printable version of our Best Buttermilk Pancakes. Hooray! Hoorah! Now go forth, and make breakfast!

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Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Fluffy but thin, tangy, delicate Best Buttermilk Pancakes whip up with ease! The batter stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but the griddle fried pancakes also freeze well for added convenience.

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 cups buttermilk (or 1/4 cup cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice added to 3 3/4 cups with milk, stirred and nuked for 45 seconds)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2-4 Tablespoons sugar, to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in your blender and process until smooth. Or you can do as I usually do adding all ingredients to a large pitcher and combining them with my stick blender. It’s the cheater’s way! The batter needs to be smooth. No one likes pockets of dry flour in a pancake! The consistency of the batter when I make it is about that of ketchup because we like thinner pancakes. If you like a fluffier, loftier pancake, you can add a couple tablespoons of flour to the batter, but make sure it’s still pourable!

Heat your griddle or frying pan until water sizzles on it and carefully butter or oil the surface. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot pan for each pancake, leaving room for it to expand. You can flip the cake when the bubbles that show up on the top pop and don’t fill back in. The second side will cook much faster than the first side, so DO NOT WALK AWAY!

Serve hot! To really ease the morning time crunch, you can also cool these off on a wire rack, stack them separated by waxed paper, and seal in a bag in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, remove desired number of flapjacks from the freezer to a plate and microwave for about 30 seconds-1 minute, depending on strength of microwave.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/05/14/best-buttermilk-pancakes-and-make-ahead-mondays-breakfast-highlights/

 

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Comfort Food, Component Foods, Eggs, Freezer Pleaser, Happy Healthy and Wise, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Cream Puffs and Profiteroles | Make Ahead Mondays

April 30, 2012 by 6 Comments

 

My husband turned eleventy one on Saturday.

Okay, not really… He turned forty six, but to hear the guy talk, he sounds like he thinks he’s butter scraped over too much bread.  Don’t feel too badly for him, though. He is the only person I’ve ever known in my life who -when asked how old he is- rounds up by a year or two. Somehow or another, he combines this funny aging complex with a playful personality. When we were dating, he once insisted, “I may be eight years older than you, but I’ll always, ALWAYS be WAY more immature than you are!” He meant it.

This is the dad who does back flips off of the swings when he goes to the playground with the kids (giving me a heart attack in the process.) This is the husband who panics over the thought of picking out a gift for me, yet still pulls off the coolest gifts ever*. This is the guy who lost track of time while photo-documenting the entire process of a snake eating a frog in the side yard, thus missing a family picnic. This is the man who loves cartoons (Looney Tunes is top of the heap), anime, Laurel and Hardy, playing guitar and drums and piano and bass and, and, and… This is my guy.

*Knowing how much I love dance, he scored two tickets to a limited showing of a touring traditional Chinese dance troupe.  It required a trip to the city (he would probably rather have dental work done), going out to dinner (he’d prefer hitting his thumb with a hammer), and dressing up (he would rather let the eight year old drive the family van than dress up.) He got some serious husband points for that present.

…And whether he’s turning eleventy one or forty six, I am going to try to make him a birthday feast that will make him borderline weepy with joy. This year was my year to earn points. I made a dinner comprised of his favourite dishes of all time and capped it off with the dessert that makes him clap his hands and laugh with anticipation. I’ll be spending this week sharing my Evil Genius’s birthday feast. We’re going to start not at the beginning, but rather at the end of the meal, because it is the most perfectly perfect fit ever for Make Ahead Mondays. We’re going Cream Puffy! Actually, we’re going down Profiterole Lane, but let’s start with the cream puffs.

Cream Puffs are another of those marvelous children of pâte à choux or choux paste. I’ve already told you a little of my love for choux paste, but I have much, much more to share with you, and THIS is one of my favourites. In this case, you nix the cheese and Dijon mustard and let the choux paste stand on its own. Oh man, let me tell you, you’re going to make like my husband here and clap and laugh when you see this coming.

Profiteroles are the happy result of splitting a largely hollow cream puff in half and filling it with sweet, creamy filling. HOLLER! In this case, we’re filling our profiteroles with ice cream and then drizzling warm hot fudge sauce over the whole thing. Then we drizzle the hot fudge sauce directly into our mouths. I mean, really. This is Grandma Val’s hot fudge sauce that I’m using. I’m no fool.

That all sounds awesome already, right? Would you like me to make it even more awesome? ‘Cause I can. And I will. It is more awesome because you can whip up that choux paste, pipe it out into the shapes you want and freeze them. Then you can have cream puffs and profiteroles any old time you want. You don’t have to thaw the dough or anything prior to baking. You just pop them on a lined pan and bake. The only concession you have to make for baking them from frozen is that you add five minutes to the cooking time. That’s do-able, right?

That’s TOTALLY do-able. Make yourself some cream puffs. Make someone happy. Then make some  profiteroles and make someone ecstatic.

 

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Cream Puffs and Profiteroles | Make Ahead Mondays

Cream Puffs and Profiteroles | Make Ahead Mondays

Did you know you can freeze cream puff dough (choux paste) and bake cream puffs from the frozen dough any time you want? It's true. Bake them up and fill those crispy, brown, mostly-hollow poufs with your favourite ice cream then drizzle with warmed hot fudge sauce as the ultimate reward for having a well-stocked freezer. Happiness is a warm cream puff with cold ice cream!

Ingredients

    For the Cream Puffs:
  • 1 stick (4 ounces by weight) butter
  • 1 cup (8 ounces by weight) water
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces by weight) all purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs (preferably at room temperature)
    • For the Profiteroles:
  • Ice cream
  • Hot Fudge Sauce

Instructions

To Make the Cream Puffs:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet (or two) with silpats or parchment paper.

Bring the water, butter and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy-bottomed, 2 quart capacity saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the burner and add all the flour at once. Stir strongly until the flour is completely wet. Return the pan to medium high heat and continue stirring strongly until a light film forms over the bottom of the pan and the dough is smooth and soft and forms a ball when stirred. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or to a large, heat-proof mixing bowl if a stand mixer is unavailable.) Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. After the final egg is added, beat on high for at least 2 minutes, but not more than 4. (If beating by hand, you can count this as a large part of your daily workout. Beat it into submission!)

You must pipe or scoop out your cream puff dough immediately, but there are two options for after you portion them out. Either way, begin by using a pastry bag with a large plain tip or spoons to portion the dough into 16 equally sized rounds on the prepared pan(s). I use a pastry bag to pipe circles, piping in smaller toward the top. Traditionally, you tap down the little peaks that form, but my kids like to bite those off, so I leave them. Alternatively, you could use two large tablespoons portion it out, using one spoon to scrape the dough from the other over the pan.

At this point you can put the pan directly into the freezer, transferring the cream puffs to a resealable zipper top bag or freezer safe container with a tight fitting lid for up to 3 months.

~or~

To Bake the Cream Puffs:

(If preparing from frozen, simply add 5 minutes to the baking time at the end.) Place pan in the oven, bake for 15 minutes. Do not open that door! After 15 minutes, lower the heat to 375°F and cook for an additional 15 minutes. When the time is up, turn off the oven and stick the handle of a wooden spoon in between the body of the stove and the door to hold it open just a little and let the cream puffs cool in the oven like that for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. You can serve them immediately or cool to room temperature.

To Make Profiteroles:

Break open a cream puff at the midline (much like a muffin). Place the bottom on a plate, put a good sized scoop of ice cream on the base, add the top part of the cream puff and drizzle with warmed hot fudge sauce.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/04/30/cream-puffs-and-profiteroles-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Component Foods, Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, Holiday Food, Ice Cream, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches | Make Ahead Mondays

April 23, 2012 by 17 Comments

I’ve been very listy lately. By that, I don’t mean I’m leaning markedly to one side but rather that I’ve been the Queen of List Making. This is how I keep track of what I’ve done and what I have to do. I’ve tried journal or diary keeping several times over the years and ended up destroying them within weeks of having written them because honestly?  I don’t want to read what I was thinking three weeks ago let alone three years or three decades ago. Egads. That’s why time moves on. Onward and upward.  But I was talking about lists…

Lists are the non-journaler’s way to keep track of what is/was/and will be.  They’re impersonal. They’re mysterious. You can enter things on a list like “Go you-know-where with you-know-who and buy you-know-what.” And there’s rarely a concern if someone else stumbles upon your lists. The chances of embarrassing secrets being discovered (like that time you sneezed and blew a giant booger onto the back of that old man’s head in church, hypothetically speaking) are low-to-nil. Ah lists.

I’ve heard it said that control freaks are list makers. I take issue with that. In fact, I have a joke to illustrate my point. Ready?

Me:  Knock Knock

You: (Who’s there?)

Me: Control Freak. NOW YOU SAY CONTROL FREAK WHO.

See? I don’t have any control issues at all. (As long as people do what I say.) Sigh. Lists are practical tools. I keep track of my grocery needs, appointments, assignments for the kids, things that need to be done, books I want to read, books I have read, and more.

But lists don’t have to be practical. That’s right. Sometimes lists are fun. Don’t look at me like that. I’m serious. Take this list, for example.

Things that always go together:

  • Raspberries + Chocolate
  • Peanut Butter + Chocolate
  • Peanut Butter + Jelly
  • Pickles + Ice Cream (Before you ask, let me assure you I’m not pregnant. But they DO go together. Try ‘em.)
  • Potato Chips + Tuna Fish Sandwiches
  • Pizza + Wings
  • Eggs + Spinach
  • Eggs + Hot Sauce
  • Eggs + Toast
  • Eggs + Cheese

It’s true. Those are matches made in heaven. Here on Earth, you don’t always get the best results when you combine these über-couples. I mean you wouldn’t really want Raspberries + Chocolate + Pickles + Ice Cream.  (Think Jennifer Aniston + Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie. That didn’t go well, did it?) But there are those occasions when the sum of combined heavenly matches is greater than all its parts. I refer, of course, to the supreme combination of Eggs + Spinach + Hot Sauce + Toast + Cheese.

*Insert choir of heavenly angels here. Alison Krauss is an acceptable substitute.*

What you get when you put all those dreamy-on-their-own combos together is the Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwich. This sandwich is not served with a side of hyperbole. It really is superior not only in flavour, but also in convenience and thrift. Let me list the ways:

  1. The most prep you have to do is grate a little cheese and mince a little onion.
  2. What we have here is a wicked cheap recipe that makes a large amount and stores well.
  3. Hey! It’s good for you! Start breakfast out with vegetables, eggs, cheese and whole grain toast. Win/Win/Win/Win!
  4. It takes about ten minutes of hands on time to prepare ten to twelve breakfasts worth of the egg filling for the sandwich.
  5. Those portions, when frozen, keep for up to six months.
  6. …And furthermore, they take one and a half minutes to heat in the microwave while you’re making toast. (Alternatively, heat in the oven on toast for thirty minutes. Your choice!)
  7. I mentioned they were wicked cheap, but I’d like to re-emphasize that. We’re talking about in the neighborhood of ten dollars worth of materials to make ten to twelve very generous servings. So let’s call that one dollar (or less) per serving, shall we? That’s fabulous.
  8. My kids are each capable of grabbing an egg portion from the freezer and heating it in the microwave while making their own toast and rousting out the bottle of hot sauce. In other words, I get longer with my cup of tea because they can do it themselves!
  9. With a stack of these egg portions in the freezer, I don’t have to think in the morning. Believe me when I tell you that is a very good thing. At least until I have the third cup of tea on board.
  10. Finally -and most importantly- they’re just plain delicious and satisfying. They keep you full and happy for hours compared to a bowl of cold cereal or a breakfast bar.

By the way, lists are an extremely helpful way to keep track of your Make Ahead Mondays projects. Did you whip up Soup Dumplings, Pulled Pork, Meatballs, Mini Fruit Pies and Sloppy Joes? Make a list and post it to the front (or top, as the case may be) of your freezer. Cross off each item as you use it or make a note that you’re getting low. Control freak who?

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Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches | Make Ahead Mondays

Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches | Make Ahead Mondays

Hearty, healthy, frugal and filling, these simple egg and spinach breakfast sandwiches are the happy combination of a spinach, egg and cheese bake that is made ahead of time and frozen in individual portions. When it's time to eat, just reheat as many portions as you need. What a great way to start the day!

Ingredients

    To Make the Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Bake:
  • 2 dozen eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 cups fresh baby or tender spinach leaves, pre-washed or washed and dried
  • 3 cups grated Cheddar, Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack Cheese (or a blend)
  • 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup finely minced onion
  • freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
  • nonstick cooking spray or softened butter for the pan
    • To Make Each Breakfast Sandwich:
  • 1 piece of the Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Bake
  • 2 pieces of bread, toasted ( English Muffin Bread is an obvious choice! )
  • hot sauce to taste

Instructions

To Make the Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Bake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Generously butter a 9-inch x 13-inch x 2-inch baking pan or spray well with non-stick cooking spray. Be sure to get the corners and sides well, too.

Evenly distribute the spinach leaves over the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter the onions over the spinach, then about half of the grated cheese and set aside.

Crack all of the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the 1/2 cup of milk and use a whisk to beat together until the mixture is an even colour. Pour gently and evenly over the spinach, onions and cheese. You can gently shake the pan a little from side to side to get the egg to fill in spaces around the spinach leaves if necessary. Scatter the remaining grated cheese over the top and bake for 22-25 minutes or until the eggs are set in the center (no longer liquidy, but they can still have just a little shimmy to them.) and golden brown around the edges and in places on top.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before using a knife or thin spatula to run around the edges and loosen the cooked egg. Lay a cutting board on top and invert the pan and board carefully together. The egg should come out (mostly) in one piece. Allow it to cool for 10 more minutes before slicing into 10 to 12 pieces. I like bigger sandwiches, so I tend to cut it into 10 pieces. For a more delicate sandwich, cut into 12 pieces.

To Eat a Sandwich Right Away:

Place one piece of the egg bake on one piece of toast, drizzle with hot sauce to taste, top with the remaining piece of toast and eat! These are nice and moist, so you may wish to wrap one end of the sandwich with a towel or paper towel.

To Freeze the Supreme Spinach and Egg Breakfast Bake:

Place a single layer of plastic wrap down on a tray or pan. Use a spatula to arrange the pieces of egg bake on the plastic wrap with a little space between them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in the freezer until solid. When they are firmly frozen, wrap each piece of egg bake with plastic wrap.

Transfer the wrapped pieces to a resealable freezer bag. Mark the date and contents and freeze for up to 6 months.

To Reheat the Frozen Egg Bake and Make a Sandwich:

Unwrap one piece of egg bake, place on a plate and cover loosely with the plastic wrap that contained it in the freezer. Heat for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on HIGH in the microwave. Remove plastic wrap, carefully move the egg bake to a piece of toast (because it will be hot!), drizzle with hot sauce, and top with the remaining piece of toast. Happy Breakfast!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/04/23/supreme-spinach-and-egg-breakfast-sandwiches-make-ahead-mondays/

 

 

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Component Foods, Eggs, Freezer Pleaser, Happy Healthy and Wise, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Dijon Cheddar Scallion Puffs (Gougères) | Make Ahead Mondays

April 9, 2012 by 7 Comments

Nicolas Sarkozy has banned cheese from the Elysée Palace? Woah.

That, my friends, is trés, trés scandalous. The French meal -such as is my experience with it- revolves around the cheese course. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin -the French gastronome extraordinaire- is widely quoted as saying, “A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman who is missing an eye!” To put it in other words, France runs on cheese.

All politics aside, the man is off his nut.

In a nation so brimming with luscious and unique cheeses, how could he possibly eschew such glory? Such possibilities. Oh, Nicolas, tsk… tsk…

…Because if he has pronounced, “Pas de frommage!” he has tossed out not only cheese plates, but also a list of delights longer than my arms and legs put together: tartiflette, quiche, fondue, tartine, soufflé, and gougères, just to name a few. And it’s that last one that we’re going to talk about today because- Qu’est-ce un miracle!- gougères are perfectly suited to Make Ahead Mondays.

One day last week, my friend, Pamela, sent me the following text:

“I think you should do gougères for a Make Ahead Monday. Freezable comfort food? Yes, please.”

I know a good idea when I hear one, friends. I was on it. What could possibly be better than crispy, airy, chewy, cheesy, versatile gougères within minutes? Nothing, I tell you! Nothing could be better! (Except maybe for eating them while actually sitting -oh, say- IN FRANCE. But I digress.)

Here’s the thing… if you’ve never had a gougère or perhaps never heard of them, I should tell you why you’re going to want these so badly. It’s like a cross between a hand-held souffle but far less delicate, far less difficult to mess up, far more versatile as an accompaniment, and far more fun to say. Try it. Gougère (GOO-zhair!) vs. Soufflé (SOO-flay!) Alright. They’re both fun, but the edge goes to gougére for that fun zhhhhhhh sound in the middle. It just feels so Frahnsh to say it. N’est-ce pas?

It’s time for a little food nerd interlude. Don’t worry! It all applies to the end deliciousness…

Gougères are made from that ubiquitous French building block pâte à choux, or for ease’s sake, Choux pastry. It is a simple concoction to whip together, but somehow manages to pull off as versatile a collection as eclairs, cream puffs, gougères, Paris-Brests, croquembouches, profiteroles, and more… Holy. I’m telling you, if you master choux pastry, the culinary world is yours. A plain choux pastry, unadorned, piped onto parchment and baked can be used filled with ice cream or crab salad. As if that isn’t enough, the choux pastry itself can be dolled up, studded with all manner of sweet or savoury add-ins. Today’s choux pastry adventure is the savoury puff known as (duh) gougères but with a TWEEST. I’ve replaced the the traditional Swiss or Emmental cheese with a good, hearty American extra-sharp Cheddar (yes, I know Cheddar is originally English, but people, we make good Cheddar these days!), some of the water with a pungent Dijon mustard and tossed in a few finely minced scallions for good measure.

While choux pastry must be piped or scooped out immediately after being made, it can be frozen in that form and then transferred to zipper top bags or tightly sealed containers for up to three months before baking. That’s right. Cheesey, pouffy, scallion-studded, crisp-exteriored, crackly, golden brown, moist-in-the-center French comfort food baked straight from the freezer. Can I get an amen?

Is anyone out there wondering what to serve alongside these little beauties? (Because these do rather steal the show…) Any good brothy soup or stew would love to play second fiddle to a plate of fresh, hot gougères. Serve alongside roasts, braises, or a simple salad. Give your kids the best after-school snack of their lives. Serve with a cup of tea for a quick breakfast. But for the non plus ultra, serve with cocktails or a glass of wine: something you know that deep in his French heart, Nicolas Sarkozy desperately wants.

I’ve heard it said that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels, but I disagree violently. Skinny doesn’t taste as good as cheese. C’est vrai. C’est carrément vrai!

Pauvre Président Sarkozy, (Sad violins) we shall have to eat his share. (Insert Gallic laugh here.)

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Dijon Cheddar Scallion Puffs (Gougères) | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Yield: about 72 puffs

Dijon Cheddar Scallion Puffs (Gougères) | Make Ahead Mondays

These cheesy, pouffy, scallion-studded, crisp-exteriored, crackly, golden brown, moist-in-the-center puffs are French comfort food baked straight from the freezer. Serve with soups, salads, roasts, braises, for snacks or for breakfasts with a cup of tea. These also make the perfect accompaniment to the cocktail hour or a glass of wine.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), cut into pieces
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons strong Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature (you can hasten this by putting chilled eggs into warm -not hot- tap water for 10 minutes.)
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 4 scallions, dark and light green sections only, thinly sliced (put the white parts- about 2-inches worth, root end down, in a glass of water. The greens will re-grow!)

Instructions

To Make and Freeze:

Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, butter, water and salt to a full rolling boil. Add the Dijon mustard and return to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour- all at once. Stir vigorously with a sturdy spoon until all is combined then return the pan to medium-low heat, stirring vigorously still, until the dough comes together- balling up slightly around the spoon, and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan. Stir hard for 1 minute. The dough should seem cohesive, but still soft enough to break apart with the spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and let the dough sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed. After 10 minutes, you should be able to stick your finger -up to the first knuckle- into the dough and hold it there for several seconds before it becomes uncomfortable. In other words, it should be hot, but not blisteringly so.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl in which you can use a hand mixer or a sturdy spoon and some serious effort). Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. After the last egg is added, beat the dough for 2 minutes before beating in the grated cheese and scallions.

You can use spoons, dishers or a pastry bag to portion out the pastry, but it must be done immediately! I prefer to use a disher (cookie scoop) or pastry bag to pipe out mounds that are about 1-1/2 tablespoons in size. Leave enough room between the mounds so that they are not touching. Immediately put the pan into the freezer and freeze until firm, about 6 hours. When they are hard to the touch, you will use a spatula or your hands to transfer all of the mounds to a re-sealable plastic freezer bag or container with a tight fitting lid. Keep frozen for up to 3 months, baking as many gougères as you need at a time.

To Bake from Frozen:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat and arrange desired number of frozen gougères so that there is at least 2 inches of space around each one to allow for expansion in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, lower the oven heat to 375°F, rotate the pan(s) and bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until the gougères are puffed, firm, and deep golden brown. Serve warm for most pronounced flavour, or at room temperature.

To Prepare to Bake Immediately:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, butter, water and salt to a full rolling boil. Add the Dijon mustard and return to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour- all at once. Stir vigorously with a sturdy spoon until all is combined then return the pan to medium-low heat, stirring vigorously still, until the dough comes together- balling up slightly around the spoon, and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan. Stir hard for 1 minute. The dough should seem cohesive, but still soft enough to break apart with the spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and let the dough sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed. After 10 minutes, you should be able to stick your finger -up to the first knuckle- into the dough and hold it there for several seconds before it becomes uncomfortable. In other words, it should be hot, but not blisteringly so.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl in which you can use a hand mixer or a sturdy spoon and some serious effort). Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. After the last egg is added, beat the dough for 2 minutes before beating in the grated cheese and scallions.

You can use spoons, dishers or a pastry bag to portion out the pastry, but it must be done immediately! I prefer to use a disher (cookie scoop) or pastry bag to pipe out mounds that are about 1-1/2 tablespoons in size. Leave 2 inches of space around each mound to allow them to expand in the oven.

Bake for 12 minutes, then lower the heat to 375°F, rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back, and bake another 12 minutes, or until they are puffy, firm, and golden brown. Serve warm for most pronounced flavour, or at room temperature.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/04/09/dijon-cheddar-scallion-puffs-gougeres-make-ahead-mondays/

“The pleasure of the table belongs to all ages, to all conditions, to all countries, and to all eras; it mingles with all other pleasures, and remains at last to console us for their departure.”

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Breakfast Foods, Comfort Food, Freezer Pleaser, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Pasties and Beef Gravy | Make Ahead Monday

March 26, 2012 by 18 Comments

Way back in 2008, one of the first recipes I ran on Foodie With Family was for my beloved pasties. (Pronounced PAH-steez, not PAY-steez, thankyouverymuch!) Today’s Make Ahead Monday recipe is a feature of those absolutely wonderful meat pies along with a (tada!) printable recipe and another for *gasp* beef gravy. Read on for why I’m all a-twitter over the gravy.

I was talking with my stepmom, Val, on the phone the other day when she said, “Oh no! Beccy! I have to go!” I said, “Are you alright, Val?” She responded, “I forgot I have to pick up our pasty order from the church. They’re going to close in a couple of minutes.”

All my sympathy and concern that I had queued up for her flew right out the window.

She got to scoot half a mile down the road to pick up a half dozen of the finest Finnish grandmother produced, hand-made, Yooper pasties. I got to drool.

I indulged in a certain amount of self-pity and then roused myself to action. I wheeled on my heel when my husband entered the room and announced, “There WILL be pasties. And it WILL be soon!” imperiously.

While on the whole I find it against my nature to march around making pronouncements, pasties warrant a massive exception. I queened it up big time.

“You must find me a rutabaga! A big one!”

My husband looked at me askance.

“…And we’ll need ketchup!” I added in my most royal tones. Then I said, “You know, Val eats her pasties with gravy. I love her anyway.”

That is where he revolted. “Hey. I know you Yoopers eat ‘em with ketchup and everything, but why? I’d give anything for some gravy with a pasty.”

My every fiber screamed, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”*

 *And here, perhaps, it is time for a brief cultural lesson. People who live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are referred to –both by themselves and those below the bridge- as Yoopers. Yoopers love pasties. But even more than Yoopers love pasties, they love ketchup on pasties. Why? I haven’t the foggiest idea, but we do. And the quickest way to find out whether someone is a Yooper by passing them a gravy boat and a ketchup jar. Watch them carefully. A moment’s hesitation, a feint for the gravy boat, and you know without a doubt that you are not in the presence of a honest-to-goodness Yooper.

It was my turn to look askance. And askew. And aghast. “What do you MEAN you want gravy?”

He responded, quite reasonably, “I’m not saying YOU can’t have ketchup, but really, we’re talking about a meat pie with potatoes and stuff. What could be better on that than gravy?”

I had to admit that I didn’t have anything other  a traditional leg to stand upon in the argument.  There was no way I could deny him gravy. I’m not ashamed to admit, though, that my head spun a bit as I whipped up the beef gravy. Through my head whirled jokes family members had made about gravy-on-pasty eaters. I remembered a story my dad told about being at a county fair and overhearing some folks talk about being from the U.P. He then approached the couple and said, “Excuse me. I just have one thing to ask. Ketchup or Gravy?” They clapped him on the shoulder and said, “KETCHUP!” They became fast friends.

I put pasties on plates. I put ketchup and –horrors- a gravy boat on the table and watched quietly as all my offspring and my husband poured gravy on their pasties. I reached for the ketchup and scooped a generous portion onto my plate. (Another argument, but one for another day, is whether you put your ketchup on the side or on top of the pasties. What can I say? It’s cold and very rural. We do what we can to keep things interesting.) And then. Then they looked at me and used on me the argument I always use on them, “Aren’t you even going to try it?”

I sensed my authority hanging in the balance and said, “Oh ALRIGHT. Gimme the gravy boat. I’ll try it.” (I was less than gracious about it, but there’s only so much going back on tradition a woman can take with equanimity.) I poured a bit on the corner of my pasty and took a hearty fork full. And then I about died.

It really was not bad. In fact, it was pretty alright. Oh dang. It was good.

Rats.

I won’t have you believe I chucked my Yooper card and ate it wholesale with gravy. Oh no. I still had my ketchup, too, but I grudgingly admit the gravy will be on the table every time I make pasties.

Darnit.

Yoopers, look away.

In this fresh printable version of the old Yooper Pasty post, I’ve included a lovely beef gravy recipe. Just in case, ya know, you wanna freak out a Yooper you love. Or eat a pasty with it. Sigh.

 

 

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Pasties and Beef Gravy | Make Ahead Monday

Yield: 16 large pasties

Pasties and Beef Gravy | Make Ahead Monday

This is comfort food at its finest; hand held meat and potatoes pies with rutabaga, carrots and onions. Traditionally, these pasties are served with loads of ketchup, but folks have been known to love (read:inhale) them when covered with good beef gravy, too.

Ingredients

    For the Filling:
  • 1 large rutabaga and 1 small rutabaga
  • 2 large carrots
  • 2 medium onions
  • 8 medium potatoes, preferably a waxy variety like Yukon golds or reds
  • 4 pounds lean ground beef
  • salt and pepper to taste
    • For the Crust:
  • enough sturdy pie dough for eight double crust pies (or eight boxes prepared refrigerated pie crusts) I use a double or triple batch of this pie crust.
    • For the Beef Gravy:
  • 4 tablespoons butter or beef fat drippings
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 teaspoons browning sauce
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • a pinch of thyme and granulated onion
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Slice a sliver off one end of the rutabaga so that it stands sturdily on your cutting board. Then use your biggest, sharpest knife to lob it in half. If it’s freaking you out too much to try to hold a slippery, wax covered, round and really hard vegetable while trying to cut it, feel free to whack it in half with a hatchet or an axe. Just don’t do it on your kitchen counter!

Once you have the brute opened, lay it on the flat side and dismantle it further so your original sphere is in quarters. Take another little bit off the bottom so you can stand the quarters up on their ends and use another sharp knife to remove the peel from the sides.

Cut the rutabaga into 1/4? slices and stack them like a deck of cards. Slice them into 1/4? strips that will then be cut into 1/4? cubes.

Peel and dice the carrots, onions, and potatoes in the same way. Combine all diced vegetables in a gigantic mixing bowl. Break the lean beef over the top, add salt and pepper, and use your hands to mix thoroughly.

Roll out a piece of pie crust to a diameter between 8? and 10?. Lay on a pie plate with the crust hanging over the lip of the plate by about 1/4?. Use your hands or a large spoon to transfer as much filling onto the crust as you can, mounding and pressing down lightly with your hands, to fill the half of the crust that is hanging over the plate.

Now fold the empty part of the pie crust over the filling, pinch the seams together, transfer to your countertop and crimp the edges with a fork.

Transfer to a parchment lined pan and slice a couple of small vents into the top of each pasty.

Slide those pans into the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Since pasties don’t traditionally get an egg glaze, they won’t be a shiny brown when done, but a deep crispy looking golden brown.

Serve immediately with beef gravy (see below) or cool completely, wrap with foil and freeze for later use.

To Reheat from Frozen:

Place foil wrapped pasty in a preheated 350°F oven on a rimmed baking sheet for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, open the foil so the top crust of the pasty is exposed and heat for an additional 10 minutes, or until hot all the way through.

To Make the Gravy:

Melt the butter or pan drippings in a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often until bubbly and fragrant smelling, at least 2 minutes. Whisk in the cold beef stock, thyme and granulated onion and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Taste the gravy, adjust the seasonings and serve hot.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/03/26/pasties-and-beef-gravy-make-ahead-monday/

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Comfort Food, Freezer Pleaser, Instructional, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: ,

Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork and Carnitas Rice Bowls | Make Ahead Mondays

March 12, 2012 by 14 Comments

Let me tell you about last week. It was busy. Oh, it was biz-ay. B to the HOLY-COW-HOW-WILL-I-GET-ALL-THIS-DONE to the U-S-Y, man. Or wo-man. Woah, man.

I was hauling my rear (and a bunch of children to boot) all over this stretch of God’s country in my big ugly purple van. I drove people here. I drove people there. I dropped people off. I picked people up. In fact, I went one place with my five boys and came home with seven, only three of whom I had birthed. I balanced brooms in the kitchen to show off the awesome wackiness of the solar flares. I spent the entire week wondering how we could possibly make it to all of our commitments.

On the subject of solar flares, I’d just like to say one word. WEIRD.

Okay, I have a couple more words. Did you balance your broom? I’m not even kidding. Did you know that during solar flares you can take a broom –even a raggedy old angled one like mine- and balance it with no support? Go on. Test it. All the cool kids are doing it. You know you want to. (As a homeschooling mom, I have to practice my peer pressure skills so my kids don’t have to miss out on all the good stuff.)

I’m still not entirely sure how we did it, but we did manage to get to everything we had on the schedule and threw in a big family get together on Saturday for good measure. The biggest yeehah of them all, though,  the icing on the cake, was when the entire family (including those who had come to visit earlier in the day) went to watch a battle of the bands in which my fourteen year old bass-playing eldest son and my eight year old “Animal” drummer participated. It started at eight o’clock at night.

Did you catch that?

As in the same night as the time change. In other words, my  husband and I and our fourteen, twelve, ten, eight and six year olds were in a large auditorium full of big, loud, boomy amplifiers and microphones and screaming rock guitars (and some screaming vocalists) along with my sister, her husband and their eight, six and two year olds, and my mother. Nana was banging her head. At least I’m fairly certain she meant to and wasn’t being thrown back against the wall by the sub-woofer.

This brings me to another point. Can I talk about how much I despise this time change? They are taking an hour from me! Who decided that was a good idea? Do they not know how much I’m trying to cram into a day?

When we were in the process of moving to where we live now, I joked with friends that in order to buy the home, we had to convert to the Amish faith. Since moving here, I’ve gotten to know many Amish and one of the most fascinating things I learned was that they don’t  “do” the time change. Well, hallelujah. I think I’ll convert after all.

Solar flares, time changes, extra kids, battles of the bands, and go, go, GO! I hit my freezer food bank pretty hard this week. And on the subject of a stash of food…

You all know I love me some pulled pork. In fact, one of the all-time most popular posts ever here on Foodie With Family is my Cuban Pulled Pork recipe. It tastes wonderful and it makes enough to stash away three or four meals worth of food (even for a family our size!) It is so good. So good, in fact, that for a very long time (longer than I care to admit), I didn’t make pork shoulder in any other way. Why?

Because IT WAS SO GOOD!

You know what? It’s still that good, but I realized something really crucial. Expanding the pork shoulder repertoire does not mean I love the Cuban Pork any less. It just means I have more opportunities for eating pork!

Pork shoulder is the busy person’s best friend. You wouldn’t think it to look at that massive cut of meat, would you? You look at the marbled hunk of meat with that bone down the center and think, “All that work! Who has time?” You do! I promise. It is one of the most economical cuts of meat and requires so little hands-on time that it’s almost criminal not to take advantage of it.

For this Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork, we begin with the same method used in the Cuban Pork recipe; cook overnight in the slow-cooker, chill during the day, shred the pork, reduce the pan juices, and pour it over the pork. Instead of our well loved Cuban spices and juices, we add cola, onions and chipotles in adobo. Rawr. Then we diverge a bit more… Instead of baking the pork, we press a goodly amount of the shredded pork into a super hot pan until it’s crispy brown around the edges. Flip it over, make it crispier and then? And then. Oh, then.

This, my friends, is the stuff of dreams. Crispy pork carnitas.
We can serve that crispity yet juicy, delectable, slightly spicy and sweet, flavour-packed pork on tostadas, pizza, in tacos, or like we’re doing today on Carnitas Rice Bowls. You cannot possibly imagine a meal that is this easy to throw together can taste this incredible.

This is good enough to bump itself into the rotation with my beloved Cuban Pork.

And much like Cuban Pork, it makes enough to feed a massive crowd ~or~ sock away several meals worth of already cooked meat. With that in the freezer, like all of our other Make Ahead Mondays recipes, dinner is just minutes away.

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Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork and Carnitas Rice Bowls | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork and Carnitas Rice Bowls | Make Ahead Mondays

Slightly spicy, smoky and a little sweet, this slow-cooker cola pulled pork is so easy to make you'll be shocked and is so good that you'll be thankful it yields enough for several meals-worth to be stored in the freezer. One of our favourite ways to use it is on Carnitas Rice Bowls; hot cooked rice piled with the crispy "little meats" and a variety of flavourful toppings. Go wild and really pile it high. This meal pleases all ages and is easy on the wallet.

Ingredients

    For the Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork:
  • 3 large onions
  • 6-9 pound bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt
  • 2 small cans of chipotles in adobo
  • 2 (12 ounce) bottles or cans of your preferred cola (I like Mexican Coca-Cola.)
    • For Each Serving of Carnitas Rice Bowls:
  • ½-3/4 cup slow-cooker cola pulled pork
  • 1 teaspoon canola, peanut or vegetable oil
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups hot, cooked rice
    • Optional, but oh-so-tasty:
  • salsa
  • shredded pepper jack or Cheddar cheese
  • Smoked Paprika and Chipotle Sauce
  • sour cream
  • sliced or diced avocado
  • finely diced red onion
  • chopped cilantro or parsley
  • lime wedges

Instructions

To Make the Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork:

Cut the stem and root-ends from the onions, cut the onions in half and remove the peels. Arrange the halved onions over the base of the slow-cooker. Position the pork roast –fat layer facing up- on top of the onion halves. Pour the cans of chipotles in adobo (with all the sauce) over the pork shoulder then pour the colas over the chipotles. Cover the slow-cooker and cook on ‘LOW’ for 8-9 hours.

Cool the pork roast (still in its juices in the slow-cooker insert) completely until the pork fat congeals around the roast on top of the cooking juices. Scrape away and discard the fat. Transfer the pork roast to a cutting board and pour the remaining contents of the slow-cooker into a sieve positioned over a saucepan. Push the contents of the sieve with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Set the saucepan over medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Let it boil and reduce until it is about ¼ of the original volume.

Pull the cooled pork roast apart and scrape excess fat from the meat. Use your hands or two forks to shred the pork. To get smaller pieces of pork, you can chop through the pile of shredded pork with a large knife a couple of times. Put the pulled pork into a large mixing bowl, pour the reduced pan juices over the top and toss until the juices are evenly distributed.

To Freeze to Serve Later:

Divide the pulled pork between zipper top bags in meal-sized portions. Try to squeeze as much excess air from the bag as possible before sealing. Try to flatten the bag so that it takes up less room in the freezer. Freeze for up to 8 months.

To Serve from Fresh:

Put a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat and add the oil to the pan. Swirl to coat, then pile the pulled-pork in the center of the pan. Use a spatula to press the pork into the pan. Fry until the pork is brown around the edges. Use a spatula to flip the pork until crisp on the other side.

To Serve From Frozen:

Thaw the pulled pork in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Put a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat and add the oil to the pan. Swirl to coat, then pile the pulled-pork in the center of the pan. Use a spatula to press the pork into the pan. Fry until the pork is brown around the edges. Use a spatula to flip the pork until crisp on the other side.

To Assemble the Carnitas:

Put the hot, cooked rice in a bowl, use a spatula to place the crispy pork on top. Pile any or all of the toppings on the crispy pork.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/03/12/slow-cooker-cola-pulled-pork-and-carnitas-rice-bowls-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Comfort Food, Component Foods, Freezer Pleaser, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Main Dish, Make Ahead Mondays, Meat, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, slow-cooker, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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