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Chipotle Cilantro Lime Butter and Mexican Grilled Corn | Make Ahead Mondays

August 20, 2012 by 19 Comments

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Oregon to join a fabulous group of fellow bloggers in a tour of the Medford, Oregon area sponsored by Harry and David. It was an incredible trip filled with great food and great wine, respect and wonder for what Harry and David does as a company and how they do it (more on this and the trip in a subsequent post), and fantastic friends.

Just look at these gorgeous ladies and Matt who is not a lady but a talented and enthusiastic horticulturalist. Hi, Matt!

Photo by Sandy Coughlin: The Reluctant Entertainer

I’m telling you, I tried valiantly to figure out how to take all of them home with me. Lori, Jessica, Jenna, Rachel, Maria, Amy, Matt, Sandy- who helped pull this stupendous weekend together (see her posts about it here and here), Bridget, Kristen, me, and Heidi had a wonderful time reconnecting (in some cases) and finally meeting in real life (in other cases.) I’m taking away an obsession with Harry and David peaches and pears, Rogue creamery cheese, the entire state of Oregon (again, this is another cup of coffee. It’s coming on another post.) and the company of all those fabulous bloggers with whom I was privileged to spend time. Talk about an inspiring and motivational group of people!

As I drove home from the airport on Saturday, I was so glad to see sweet corn signs had popped up all over the local roadsides. I pulled into my favourite stand (Hi, Mrs. Morton!), grabbed three dozen ears (WHAT?!? You don’t go a little nuts over the first sweet corn of the year?), and drove hell for leather to get home and squash the tar out of my menfolk (who apparently didn’t miss me all that much since my darlink little sister was way more fun that mommy. Folks, she helped the boys catch CRAYFISH to COOK and put in their macaroni and SMOKED cheese. ) and fire up the grill.

Yes. I said fire up the grill.

I know cooler corn is all the rage now, and if anyone could justify pouring buckets of boiling water into a cooler and cooking massive amounts of corn it’d be me. Truth is, though, I tried it (the cooler corn, that is) and wasn’t in love with the process. It took too long, the idea of pouring boiling water into plastic didn’t really ding my chimes, and I just plain love the flavour of roasted corn. Stick with what you love, right? Especially when we’re talking corn. Oh corn.

I do love you.

Madly.

Grilling it somehow magnifies the, how to say, corniness of corn. You know, the sweetness, the freshness, the pure summer of the experience; it’s all made bigger by the application of fire rather than water. It is so good.

While eating it with obscene amounts of plain butter and salt is my usual method, I do so love dressing it up Mexican style with one of my favourite things: Chipotle Cilantro Lime Butter. This is the bees-knees, friends; smokey and spicy butter with the freshness of lime, studded with little emerald bits of cilantro to wake everything up. Here’s the beautiful thing- you whip up a batch of the butter, shape it into a log, roll it up in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer where you can store it for three months, lobbing off little pats of this butter to put on grilled chicken, fish, pork, corn or whatever floats your culinary boat.

Imagine this dripping down a freshly grilled ear of corn and onto your fingers. You know you’d better lick that off. It’s a sin to waste.

And gild the lily while you’re at it with a fistful of crumbled Queso blanco and a shower of freshly chopped cilantro. Mmmm.

I hate the heat, but I love summer for the corn. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I’m off to the farm stand for another three dozen. Summer only lasts so long here. I must take advantage of it!

 

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Chipotle Cilantro Lime Butter and Mexican Grilled Corn | Make Ahead Mondays

Chipotle Cilantro Lime Butter and Mexican Grilled Corn | Make Ahead Mondays

Spicy, smoky, lime laced chipotle butter is studded with bright green flecks of cilantro to wake everything up. Store in the freezer for up to three months. Serve on grilled fish, chicken, pork or on grilled or roasted sweet corn.

Ingredients

    For the Chipotle Cilantro Lime Butter:
  • 2 sticks (1/2 of a pound) salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • the juice and zest of one lime
  • 1 tablespoon dried ground chipotle chiles
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3-4 grinds of fresh black pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro (depending on how strong you like the flavour)
    • For the Mexican Grilled Corn:
  • Unshucked sweet corn (as many ears as you'd like)
  • 1 tablespoon crumbled Queso Blanco or Chihuahua Cheese per ear
  • minced fresh cilantro, to taste

Instructions

To Make the Chipotle Cilantro Lime Butter:

Add the unwrapped, softened butter, juice and zest of lime, ground chipotle, salt and black pepper to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer). Whip on high for 1-2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. When it is thoroughly and evenly mixed, add in the minced cilantro and mix again for about 30 seconds or until the cilantro is evenly distributed.

Lay a 12-inch long piece of plastic wrap on the counter.

Use a silicone spatula to scrape the whisk attachment clean. Scrape the butter onto the plastic wrap in a rough log shape. Fold one long edge over the butter and use it to help you shape into a cohesive, even log. Roll the butter log along the countertop, wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and evening up the shape as you go. Pat the ends even and twist the plastic wrap on the ends. Put the tightly wrapped butter log on a plate in the freezer until firm through, then transfer the wrapped butter log into a zipper top plastic bag. Cut off pats as needed and return what remains to the zipper top bag in the freezer, storing the remainder in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For the Mexican Grilled Corn:

Preheat a gas grill on low heat. (Or start a small bed of coals in a charcoal grill. When the coals are completely covered in ash, pile over to one side, leaving most of the grill under indirect heat.

Carefully peel the husks back from the corn (keeping intact). Remove the silk and fold the husks back up over the ears. Lay the ears of corn evenly over the grill (if using charcoal, be sure to leave the area immediately above the coals free of ears of corn.) Grill with the lid closed for about 30 minutes- 45 minutes, turning and changing the ears' positions about every 5-7 minutes

When the corn is finished, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

To Serve:

Shuck each ear of corn and top with pats of Chipotle Cilantro Lime Butter, about 1 tablespoon of crumbled Queso Blanco or Chihuahua cheese and a shower of minced cilantro. Let the butter melt and dribble down the corn and serve immediately. Make sure you wash your hands before eating so you can lick your fingers to get every last bit of that wonderful butter.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/08/20/chipotle-cilantro-lime-butter-and-grilled-sweet-corn-make-ahead-mondays/

 

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Comfort Food, Component Foods, Condiments, Freezer Pleaser, Make Ahead Mondays, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,

Refrigerator Pickled Salad (Bread and Butter Style) | Make Ahead Mondays

August 13, 2012 by 13 Comments

 

I have this friend, Meseidy, who has a fabulous blog; The Noshery. Meseidy can do it all. She is a chef, a decorator, a great conversationalist and an extremely talented folder of sheets.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP66IMO_fJ0[/youtube]

I am not kidding you when I tell you that I never successfully folded a fitted sheet before Meseidy taught me to do it. It’s not my mom’s or dad’s fault… They can fold like a pro. I seem to have some double recessive incompetent-at-housekeeping-tasks gene. Ah well, better late than never, eh?

I did mention she’s a chef, right? She’s not just a chef. Girl can COOK, people. I’ve had the privilege of having her cook for me a few times and every single time I’m wowed by the food. She made these almond crisps with boozy cherries and vanilla ice cream when we were all out at The Pioneer Woman’s. Oh heavens, I could eat my weight in that.

But that is NOT what I’m talking about today. I may be dreaming about it, but I’m not talking about it. Today, I want to tell you about her Refrigerated Pickled Salad. The second she posted it, I knew it would be made. And soon.

It is best described as a bread and butter pickle salad. Crazy sounding? Maybe, but think about it. You have oodles of thinly sliced cucumbers, multi-coloured bell peppers, red onion, and garlic marinating in a sweet and sour brine of vinegar, sugar, water, and -in my case- crushed red pepper flakes. How inviting does this look?

Let me tell you, this is not to be missed.

I messed with the recipe just a wee bit (on accident, but more on that in a moment and liked the results so much that I did it again. On purpose. The first time I prepared the pickles, I doubled it. What can I say, I was confident that she wouldn’t steer me wrong. When I doubled the recipe, I doubled everything BUT the ice. Whoopsie. I stuck my finger in the brine to see if it was too punchy with the extra vinegar and loved it so much, I left it that way.

Per instructions, we let the pickles happily soak in that delicious brine for THREE. WHOLE. DAYS. When I say we, I mean my sister, her husband, my dad and stepmom, my uncle and aunt, The Evil Genius, the kids and me. After three days, all bets were off. We had the pickles on carnitas tacos, grilled white hots, cottage cheese, and with cream cheese in tortilla wraps. We stuck our fingers in the jars and snacked on them all by themselves. This was the jar when we started.

Within five days, that gallon jar was empty. Oy. We are clearly a pickle dependent family. They were so good, though! Sweet and sour like a classic bread and butter pickle, but with lovely thin strips of pickled vegetables and a little kick of spice, they were simply wonderful. Being the waste-not-want-not sort of gal that I am, I re-used the flavourful brine from the first batch for my second batch. I sliced my veggies and tossed them in the mixing bowl like before, but then poured the leftover brine in and stirred to distribute the mustard seeds. I then used tongs to transfer the veggies to the jar and poured the brine back in over everything. Hubba hubba.

Batch two is well on its way to disappearing as quickly as the first did. Thank you mille fois, Meseidy… or should I say gracias?

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Refrigerator Pickled Salad (Bread and Butter Style)

Refrigerator Pickled Salad (Bread and Butter Style)

Sweet and sour like a classic bread and butter pickle, but with lovely thin strips of pickled vegetables and a little kick of spice, these are simply wonderful. Bonus: no canning required and they're ready to eat in 3 days!

Serve this simple pickled salad with grilled meats, on sandwiches, on tacos, with cream cheese in tortilla wraps, over cottage cheese for an afternoon pick-me-up, or just on their own.

Recipe very gently adapted from and used with the permission of the wonderful Meseidy of The Noshery.

Ingredients

  • 2 seedless English cucumbers (also known as English Cucumbers)
  • 1 large red onion
  • 2 pounds baby multi-colour sweet bell peppers (or the equivalent poundage of red, yellow and orange bell peppers.)
  • 8 large (or 10 medium) cloves of garlic
  • 3 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 1/3 cups raw or granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 2 ounces (1/3 cup by volume) whole yellow mustard seeds

Instructions

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved, remove the pan from the burner and set aside to cool while you prepare your vegetables.

Cut the English cucumbers into three pieces each, then cut each piece in half. Thinly slice each of those halves. Transfer the sliced cucumbers to a large mixing bowl.

Cut the blossom and stem end off of the red onion, peel it and cut in half. Slice each of those halves paper thin. Add the onions to the cucumbers in the mixing bowl.

Remove the stem and seeds from the bell peppers and thinly slice them lengthwise and transfer to the mixing bowl.

Peel and slice the garlic cloves as thinly as possible. Add those into the mixing bowl along with the mustard seeds and toss to distribute everything evenly. Pack into a glass gallon jar (or into 3-4 glass quart jars.)

Add the ice cubes to the partially cooled brine, stir until the ice is melted, then pour the brine over the vegetables in the jar(s). Tightly lid the jars and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 days before eating. Lasts for at least a month when refrigerated.

*Notes:

You can reuse the brine for a second batch of pickled salad by pouring the leftover brine over a freshly sliced batch of veggies in the mixing bowl, toss to distribute the mustard seeds, then use tongs to transfer the veggies to clean jars and pour the remaining brine over them. Again, refrigerate for 3 days before eating.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/08/13/refrigerator-pickled-salad-bread-and-butter-style/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Comfort Food, Component Foods, Condiments, Gluten Free, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Make Ahead Mondays, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

Strawberry Wineade

July 25, 2012 by 20 Comments

I should begin by saying that serious wine snobs should probably look away. Quickly.

I’ll give you a second or two.

Are they gone now?

Okay, it’s about to get all kinds of classy in here. And by classy, I mean serving wine in jars mixed with juice. Yeah, baby. That kind of classy.

I have had a couple of very crazy weeks here with various groupings of kids going to various camps, preparing for my brother’s wedding, getting the house ready for company, and then there was some very fun travel for yours truly.

How fun was that travel? Let me show you a picture or two…

DSC_1582

DSC_1568

So yeah. That’s me. Do you recognize the digs? Yes? No? How about now?

 

Maybe you recognize the lady behind my right shoulder? (Stage right. Not your left. Oh dear. Did I just make it worse?)

Last weekend, I had the incredible joy and privilege of visiting my friend and food blogger extraordinaire, Ree Drummond, a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman. For a little over a year, Ree and I have been planning a weekend workshop extravaganza of cheesemaking, bread baking, and canning. I couldn’t wait to get out there and show folks how to make some of my favourite foods. What I didn’t know was that Ree, in the way she does, was planning a surprise! She brought in a group of women and fellow food bloggers I’ve become friends with on Twitter to take part in the fun. We drank wine, we whined, we ate, we cracked adolescent jokes about cutting cheese, we made cheese, we ate cheese, we made bread, we ate bread, we ate massive steaks and barbecue chicken. We canned, we cried, and in short, had a seriously grand time.

My word. There just aren’t enough words to explain how fun it was. I was delighted to find out that Bridget, Robyn, Wendy, Sandy, Amy, and Georgia are not only every bit as nice as they seem on their blogs, they’re *gasp* EVEN NICER. And pretty. Holy wah, folks. Have you ever seen such a pretty group of women?

But there is a reason I’m bringing all of this up. Two nights before I left, I made a batch of strawberry lemonade for my kids. It was hot out that night, and I poured some into a glass (okay, a jar)  that I’d been drinking out of moments earlier. The catch is that I forgot I’d been drinking white wine out of that jar. Like I said, classy.

The result was something so refreshing I ended up having another glass. Geez. Yes, it was still a jar.

It was delicious, it was light, it chilled me when I needed it most. As good as it was, I resolved to never, ever tell anyone about the fact that I was mixing strawberry lemonade and white wine. I guess I’m a prideful creature.

Then that weekend, at Ree’s, I was offered a glass of white wine mixed with French tangerine soda. It was good. No. It was guuuuuuuuud. After sipping with the ladies, I blurted out my strawberry lemonade/white wine transgression. When no one laughed me out of the Lodge doors and into the 115°F heat (Hey, Oklahoma… 115°F? Woah. I’m relieved to know the natives don’t even like that!) I figured I’d take the leap and share it here. So there you go, friends… My super classy, super chic, super refreshing wine thingy. If you’ve stuck with me this long, you’re either an oenophile who is absolutely horrified right now or you’re with me.

Either way, I’m glad you’re here. I love you people. MWAH. (And that’s not the strawberry wineade talking…)

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Strawberry Wineade

Strawberry Wineade

Super refreshing Strawberry Wineade is the result of a happy accident in hot weather. Fresh strawberry lemonade mixed with chilled semi-dry white wine over ice. There is NOTHING fancy about this other than the beautiful pink colour but it sure takes the edge off of the hot weather!

Ingredients

    To Make the Strawberry Lemonade
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 quart cold water
  • 1 cup frozen, hulled, unsweetened strawberries
    • To Make the Strawberry Wineade
  • 1/2 cup strawberry lemonade
  • 1/2 cup chilled semi-dry white wine

Instructions

Gently heat 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water together, stirring, just until the sugar is completely dissolved.Pour it into the work carafe of a blender and add the lemon juice, quart of cold water and frozen strawberries. Put the lid firmly in place and blend on HIGH until smooth. Pour into a pitcher or a jar with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To Make a Strawberry Wineade:

Fill a pint jar with ice cubes, pour the 1/2 cup of white wine over the ice and follow that with the 1/2 cup of strawberry lemonade. Use a chopstick or straw to stir gently.

Put your feet up in a classy way and enjoy!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/25/strawberry-wineade/

I’d like to thank Ree for the use of the pictures of me making cheese above. The picture of people taking photos of me making cheese is by Sandy Coughlin, The Reluctant Entertainer. For more of our cheesemaking shenanigans, read Ree’s fantastic post here.

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

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

July 12, 2012 by 8 Comments

 

I’m a Fritos kind of gal. It’s hard to go wrong with a salty, deep-fried corn chip, but there’s just something special about Fritos. I’ve loved them as long as I can remember. When I was younger, there was more than one time I polished off a whole bag of Fritos in one sitting. These days, though, aging dictates that I can no longer sit and plough through an entire bag unaccompanied. Something about heartburn, calories, moderation, setting a good example for my children, blah blah blah.

Now I use Fritos not as a stand-alone food group but rather a tasty, salty, crunchy eating implement. They hold up well to my favourite kind of dips; those full of vegetables, garlic, herbs and beans. This time of year, a vegetable/bean salsa is just about the perfect way to round out a meal. Heck, when it’s hot enough, a bowl of this IS a meal at our house. You don’t have to fire up the oven. It’s cool, flavourful, substantial but not heavy, and packed with nutrition. Don’t EVEN tell me the Fritos cancel that out because I will stick both fingers in my ears and ‘LAH-LAH-LAH’ until you get tired of trying to get past my incredible display of loyalty and stubborness regarding snack food.

I did tell you. I’m a Fritos girl.

But the dip -the salsa, if you will- is where it’s really at today. Sweet corn, black beans, crunchy red bell peppers, onions, garlic, lime, jalapeños and beaucoup cilantro are tossed together in a eye-catching salsa that can even stand alone as a salad. That’s right. I’m saying you can eat it *GASP* without the Fritos. It is that good. I still dip it up with chips, but I also serve with ribs (hint, hint… not so distant post), in tacos, over baked potatoes, or tossed in cooked and cooled grains for a nutritionally complete meal. Mix up a big batch of it on the weekend and eat from it over the next several days. Fritos are optional.

Maybe.

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Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

I love this Southwestern inspired, flavour-packed sweet corn and black bean salsa for dipping, certainly, but I also tuck it into tacos, on top of baked potatoes, use it as a stand alone salad with grilled meats, or toss it together with cooked and cooked quinoa or millet for a nutritionally complete summer meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound frozen sweet corn, thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed and drained again (or 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed and drained again.)
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
  • 1 half of a sweet onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced or pressed, according to preference
  • the juice of two limes
  • a large fistful of fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toss all of the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/12/corn-and-black-bean-salsa/

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Condiments, Gluten Free, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Crispy Chorizo Dogs

July 6, 2012 by 13 Comments

I am not going to talk about how hot it’s been the past few days. I just won’t. I will, however, talk about how due to things that I won’t talk about, all my best-laid plans for elaborate Independence Day foods went pfffft. I opted, instead, for hot dogs: and lots of ‘em.

Who here watched Matlock? I remember parking myself in front of the tube (not steak) every week to watch Andy Griffith defend folks who did nothing wrong. (Except for that one episode, but I digress.) One of the things I liked best about the show was when he would stop at the food cart in front of the courthouse and order a hot dog with the works. Matlock loved his hotdogs.

Ah, the much maligned humble hot dog or tube steak. My theory on why so many people diss hot dogs is because they began as a way to use up the nasty bits left over after the beautiful primal cuts had been taken. Then something wonderful happened. The nasty bits got a make-over and started getting attention for what they were: a cheap source of nourishment. In the tradition of most foods of humble origins, they threw in spices -and lots of ‘em- and then figured out that applying fire* improved the taste and texture. Hallelujah.

*No matter what my husband says or Matlock would’ve said,  I will not be swayed. I think the most horrific thing you could do to a hot dog is steam or boil it. Yeeeeeeee-uck! He maintains that a steamed or boiled “dirty water dog” is one of the wonders of the world. I think he is -while adorable- completely nuts. Come on folks. Take sides here. Weigh in. I promise I won’t brag if I’m right. Much.

I am personally in the “too much stuff on a hot dog is just about right” camp, much like Matlock. Unlike an expensive steak where I don’t want to overwhelm the intrinsic beefiness of the meat with extraneous flavours, I feel a-okay with loading a hot dog with all sorts of craziness. I’m no hot-dog purist. (Is there such a thing?) I see a hot dog as a blank canvas made for fun.

What goes better with meat than more meat? Nothing! Well, okay, more meat with mustard and onion. Specifically, crispy chorizo nuggets. When you add super crisped bits of spicy, Mexican-style chorizo to the top of grilled hot dogs, it elevates the simple meal from phoned-in to party-fare.

Do yourself a favour. Make some tonight. Do it to avoid the heat. Do it to defend and elevate the hot dog. Do it for Matlock.

May you rest in peace, Andy Griffith. Thank you for the memories!

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Crispy Chorizo Dogs

Crispy, spicy bits of chorizo top a grilled dog to elevate the summer classic to party fare!

Ingredients

Instructions

Place a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Break up the chorizo with your hands into the hot pan. Use a sturdy, heat proof spoon to continue breaking up the chorizo into tiny bits as it cooks. Continue cooking the chorizo past the point of fully-cooked, breaking it continually with the spoon, until it is deeply browned and the bits are crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a paper towel lined plate to drain, if necessary.

Place each hot dog in a bun, top first with mustard, then crispy chorizo, then onions and candied jalapenos.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/06/crispy-chorizo-dogs/

 

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Holiday Food, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fabulous Homemade Ranch Dressing

July 3, 2012 by 12 Comments

This one’s for my friend, Peg. Peg bakes magnificent bread and sells it at our farmers’ market in Angelica, New York. Peg pointed a baguette at me last Saturday and said, “Rebecca. You need to do Ranch dressing. Soon.”  When someone brandishes bread at me, I listen.

It didn’t hurt that Peg was doing a little mind-reading. I had just been thinking that Foodie With Family was sorely lacking in the salad dressing category and it is BIG GREEN SALAD season and we all know how I feel about BIG GREEN SALADS (if not, click here.) It’s dunking season, too. Don’t forget all the summer snacking possiblities. Carrot and celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets -oh heck- and breadsticks, and chicken wings, too. Just about everything is better with a little coating of Ranch dressing, isn’t it?

Remember that Ranch dressing doesn’t just come in packets. And good golly… that pre-made stuff in the bottle is horrific. Ranch dressing is -at the heart of things- a tangy buttermilk dressing loaded to the gills (were buttermilk to have gills, that is) with herbs. We all know fresh herbs taste better than dry ones, so why are we content to dress our salads with dry ones? This Independence Day, I call for a revolution. A Ranch revolution. A herby, garlicky, tangy, creamy, buttermilky dressing revolution.

Put pitchers of this out at your party! Put bowls of this out on your buffet for dipping! Celebrate your freedom from packets and bottled dressing!

Peg will lead the charge with a baguette.

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Fabulous Homemade Ranch Dressing

Yield: 3 cups of dressing/dip

Fabulous Homemade Ranch Dressing

No need to buy packets of mix or bottles of the stuff, Fabulous Homemade Ranch Dressing is just minutes away. Tangy buttermilk thickened with sour cream and mayonnaise is the base for the classic herb dressing that kids of all ages love on salads or as dip. Once you try the homemade version, you may never go back!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups cultured buttermilk (homemade, or storebought)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup, packed, finely chopped dill
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (flat-leaf or curly)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped chives or green parts only of scallions
  • 3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 large clove garlic, peeled and finely minced or pressed (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a canning jar or pitcher, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/03/fabulous-homemade-ranch-dressing/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Comfort Food, Component Foods, Condiments, Gluten Free, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Salads, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Sweet Tea Ice Pops | Make Ahead Mondays

July 2, 2012 by 6 Comments

I have a confession to make but I’m going to do it quickly and quietly because I’m going to offend the entire South in one fell swoop. (Idon’tlikesweettea.)

There. I said it.

I just don’t. I love tea -don’t misunderstand me- but I like my tea black and bitter… like my attitude in hot weather. I recognize that there’s an entire industry built around sweet tea and that the love for it has crept north steadily. I just don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I was analyzing my feelings about sweet tea the other day* trying to figure out why I don’t like it when everyone else seems to love it. Conclusion: it feels desserty to me and I don’t like to drink my dessert unless it involves a blender, sinful quantities of ice cream, and a drizzle or seven of chocolate syrup.

*Everyone else analyzes their feelings about food, right? I’m totally normal, right? RIGHT?!?

But in the same self-analysis, I had a thought. What if I turned the sweet tea into dessert? Well, that would make sense! I just happened to have root beer syrup on hand, so I opted for root beer sweet tea  but any simple syrup (syrup made by boiling equal amounts of sugar and water together until sugar is dissolved) would work in its place. I mixed the root beer syrup with the freshly made iced tea and poured it into ice pop moulds and popped those into the freezer.

I used decaffeinated iced tea because I can’t handle caffeine past a certain hour and a caffeinated dessert would be a sure-fire way to keep me up into the wee hours of the morning cursing myself. I’m a caffeine weakling. If you’re tougher than me, feel free to make yours more high octane by substituting regular black tea for the decaf variety I used.

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Sweet Tea Ice Pops | Make Ahead Mondays

Sweet Tea Ice Pops | Make Ahead Mondays

Sweet Tea takes a chill in the form of ice pops. Kick back on the front porch with your feet up and a Sweet Tea Ice Pop in your hands. Summer just got a little sweeter and a lot cooler.

Ingredients

    For Sweet Tea Ice Pops:
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 4 standard-sized black tea bags (Lipton, Red Rose, Luzianne, etc...) either regular or decaf or a blend
  • Simple Syrup to taste (see ingredients and recipe below)
    • For Simple Syrup:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

To Make Simple Syrup:

Stir the sugar and water together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Pour into a clean canning jar or pitcher, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to one month, using as needed.

To Make Sweet Tea Ice Pops:

Pour the boiling water over the 4 teabags in a heat-proof container such as a canning jar. Let steep between 3-5 minutes. Keep in mind that when frozen, the tea will taste less strong, so you may want to let it brew longer than you normally might. Remove the tea bags and sweeten to taste, again remembering it will taste less sweet when frozen.

Pour the sweet tea into ice pop (popsicle) moulds or small, disposable paper cups, insert sticks or handles and put into the freezer. It will take about 8 hours for the ice pops to freeze solid, depending on the size of your moulds. These are best eaten within 1 month of being made.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/02/sweet-tea-ice-pops-make-ahead-mondays/

 

Filed Under: Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, Gluten Free, Happy Healthy and Wise, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

Greek Millet Tabbouleh (Gluten-Free)

June 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

I’ve been wilting like spinach in a screaming hot pan in this humidity and heat. I dropped two of my boys off at camp and drove away after giving the hairy eyeball to all the counselors to try to ascertain whether or not they were secret closet psychos. Conclusion: They are all wonderful people. I’m the one who is crazy.

I blame the weather and a colourful family history of wild men and wilder women. As in the sort of folks who slept with shotguns under their pillows.

Here is where my dilemma comes into play. I love food. Love it madly. (Queen Obvious makes an appearance today.) There are, however, few things I like less than sweating just because I’m breathing. With the spontaneous combustion level temperatures this week, I honestly didn’t want to go anywhere near the stove. In fact, I swallowed my pride when dropping the two aforementioned boys off at camp and handed over packages of storebought shortbread cookies in lieu of actual baking. *hangs her food blogger head in shame and shuffles past table*

So what is a gal to do when she wants to eat and doesn’t want to cook? Enter the rice cooker, stage left.

Rice cookers aren’t just for rice, folks. They cook all sorts of grains to perfection. In this case, my rice cooker cooked millet to perfection without heating up my stove. Are you familiar with millet? It’s a tiny grain that’s a major food source in many parts of the world. Coming from a family of grasses, millet has no gluten at all, making it suitable for consumption by folks with coeliac disease or gluten-intolerance.  All that aside, it just plain tastes great. It cooks much like rice when done right and has a slight nuttiness to it that makes it a stand out in cold salads like tabbouleh.

Tabbouleh. Is there anything better on a hot, hot day than a cold bowl of vibrant vegetable, olive, feta and dill laden tabbouleh dressed with lemon juice and olive oil? I don’t think so! Tabbouleh hails from the Middle East which seriously knows how to survive heat waves. This tabbouleh is a departure from the normal bulghur wheat version, using millet instead. It’s a lovely change, with that little nutty hint the millet lends the dish, that -as a pure bonus- renders the dish gluten-free.

Before anyone says it, yes. This dish makes a large batch! Let’s consider, though, what time of year this is. This is picnic, pool-side, lunch-under-a-tree, road-trip, too-hot-to-cook, lay-in-a-hammock-with-a-book season. When you make Greek Millet Tabbouleh, you can eat off of it for a whole week. (Well, unless you’re a family of our size, in which case you get two meals from it. Tops.)

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Greek Millet Tabbouleh (Gluten-Free)

Greek Millet Tabbouleh (Gluten-Free)

Toasty, nutty, fluffy millet takes the place of bulghur wheat in tabbouleh and is studded with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, crumbled feta, and fresh dill then dressed with freshly squeezed lemon juice. This big batch, gluten-free summery salad stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dry millet
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, separated
  • 1 seedless cucumber, cut lengthwise into eighths and then into small wedges
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup feta crumbles
  • 3/4 cup black kalamata olives, pitted (I used garlic stuffed kalamata olives for extra oomph.) and chopped
  • 1/2 of a sweet onion, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 cup, packed, fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
  • The juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • additional extra virgin olive oil for serving

Instructions

Put the millet in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat, stirring or tossing constantly, until you hear the grains popping and they toast to a very light golden brown. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes.

Quickly transfer the toasted millet into a deep bowl and immediately pour cool water over it to cover. Be careful when you do this as it will create a lot of hot steam very quickly. Swirl a couple of times then pour the water and toasted millet into a fine mesh strainer. Put the millet into the bowl of a rice cooker, add the 1 1/3 cups water and 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil. Program the rice cooker for 'regular' or simply turn it on if it is an on/off variety.

If you do not have a rice cooker, toast and rinse the millet as directed above, then cook according to package directions but using the same ratio of millet/water/olive oil as instructed in this recipe.

When the rice cooker (or stove top cooking) is done, open the lid and fluff with a wooden spoon or rice paddle. Scoop into a large mixing bowl and toss in the chopped onions and garlic. Let cool 10 minutes, fluffing every so often to help it cool more quickly.

After 10 minutes, toss in the last 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and the cucumbers, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, feta crumbles, kalamata olives, chopped dill, juice and zest of the lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, but an overnight chill is best. Toss gently and drizzle with a little additional olive oil just before serving.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/06/23/greek-millet-tabbouleh-gluten-free/

If you’re looking for a good rice cooker, look no further than the model that gets a hard-core workout in my own kitchen. This Sanyo rice-cooker is one of the few things I would replace immediately if it kicked the bucket even though it hasn’t kicked the bucket yet and shows no signs of doing it despite being used several times a week for the past four years. It is practically titanium folks. The link below IS an affiliate link but I put it there because I believe in the product.

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Gluten Free, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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