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Instant Vanilla Chai Mix | Make Ahead Mondays

December 10, 2012 by 21 Comments

Tea has a way -unlike coffee- of making time slow down just a bit. This time of year and this season of life, I feel like time needs all the slowing down I can possibly get.

I’m trying, with varying degrees of success, to accomplish parenting and homeschooling five boys (two of whom are teenagers), being a good wife, running a home based business, maintaining a free-lance writing career including a newspaper column, participating in my community and its activities, and keeping in touch with family and friends.

God bless my friends. They are a patient lot. For some reason or another, my time management skills lately have been more strained than usual. In fact, I committed the unpardonable friendship sin.

I forgot a commitment and it’s even worse than it sounds.

My whole family -all SEVEN of us- were invited to dine with our friends Tim and Shannon and their four kids up the road. I asked Shannon what I could bring, and she sweetly informed me that she was making the whole thing. DINNER FOR THIRTEEN PEOPLE. I balked. I insisted she let me bring a pot of beans and some homemade salsa to go with the pulled pork she would be slow cooking. The plans were set. Later that week we would show up, beans and salsa in hand, and enjoy a friendly dinner all together.

Two days before our dinner date, I spoke with Shannon on the phone and she told me how another friend had forgotten to come to dinner one night and her kids were so disappointed. I talked about times it had happened to us and we commiserated. Are you feeling some foreshadowing here? Ugh.

The day of our dinner arrived and I completely forgot what I was supposed to be doing that evening. I was running late on a couple of writing deadlines, so after finishing school with the kids, I sat down -nose to the grindstone- and finished what was due. I submitted them, tidied the kitchen and started working on two other recipes I was developing that would be due in the next week or so. My husband called and uncharacteristically offered to bring home something for dinner. I jumped on it, ran some errands I had promised other folks I would run, then came back to finish the work I’d started. The Evil Genius arrived home -late!- with dinner in  hand. We all descended on it like locusts. I settled in to go through our new healthcare plan papers that were due the next day and the kids hollered, “Someone’s in the driveway… It’s Mr. Tim!”

… You know those scenes in movies where one thing suddenly comes into sharp focus and the rest of the background drops away in a blur? Yeah. That’s how I looked at my friend.

Tim had come down the road because to top everything else off, our phone had been busy for two days because of a problem with the line.

In that moment, all my friend cred washed down the driveway with the light rain that was falling. I felt like a giant jerk. I gathered the kids, pulled a brush through my hair and said we were coming up anyway. Half an hour late and fed. In their kitchen, our troops rallied at the sight of the beautiful meal Shannon had prepared for us. Our kids played together beautifully, and I apologized profusely.

What I wouldn’t have given at that moment for a time machine. Something that would’ve granted me extra time during the day so that I could actually consult my calendar (where the date was written in Sharpie marker) and think about what I was supposed to get done that day. Isn’t that the kicker? It was written down!

I took that as a sign that I needed to find a way to make more time in my holiday season. I’m partnering with Frigidaire who has invented -wait for it- a TIME MACHINE. Not an H.G. Wells type of time machine, granted, but it’s a time machine nonetheless. Frigidaire is giving the gift of time, both in the form of gifts to enjoy time and actual Frigidaire appliances! There are daily, weekly and grand prizes. The daily prizes are indulgences like spa gift cards, the weekly prizes are honest-to-goodness Frigidaire Double-Oven Ranges (Oh, how I’d love one of these!), and the grand prize? Sit down, please. Someone is going to win an ENTIRE SUITE OF FRIGIDAIRE APPLIANCES. Seriously, that would be a gift to remember, wouldn’t it? Click on over to the Frigidaire  app on Facebook and play to win! They have some hilarious free cheer cards you can post on Facebook, Twitter or email to friends and family, too.

That is so true I almost shudder a bit…

I have a little gift of time for you, too! Foodie with Family is powered by tea, glorious tea: morning, noon and night, loose leaf, bagged and instant. I just plain can’t get enough tea. I have a tea for every occasion and whim and I love it that way. Most days, I start the morning off with a stiff black tea- something of which the purists would approve. As the day goes on, I sip on black tea blends, mixes and then move into herbal teas like lemongrass and my perennial favourite, Sleepytime Tea.

When time is short, and I have a hankering for something sweet and warming, I reach for my homemade Instant Vanilla Chai mix. It’s satisfyingly homey. It reminds me of the store-bought instant chai mixes, takes mere minutes to put together and yields enough for a generous jar for yourself and gifts for your favourite tea lovers without breaking the bank. How can you beat that? With the time you save making this for gifts, you can scoot over to the Frigidaire Time Machine and be entered to win that sweet suite of Frigidaire appliances.

As for me? I’m probably going to take a couple jars of this up the road to my friend along with a big hug.

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Instant Vanilla Chai Mix | Make Ahead Mondays

Instant Vanilla Chai Mix | Make Ahead Mondays

Creamy, spiced, sweet instant vanilla chai mix hits the spot when you want something warming and satisfying in a hurry! As usual, homemade beats store bought hands-down!

Portioned into small jars with gift cards or instructions on the label, this chai mix makes a unique and affordable holiday or hostess gift for the chai and tea lovers in your life!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups instant unsweetened tea powder (I use Nestea.)
  • 2 cups granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup non-fat instant dry milk powder
  • 1 cup plain non-dairy creamer powder
  • 1 cup French vanilla or vanilla non-dairy creamer powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (This is optional, but makes the chai spicier.)
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Process 1 cup at a time in pulses in a blender or food processor until it is a fine powdery consistency much like powdered sugar. Wait until the dust in the blender or processor dies down before removing the lid, then spoon into airtight containers for storage. Repeat until all of the mixture has been finely powdered.

Tightly covered, this mix is good for 6 months to a year, stirring every so often to prevent clumping.

For Gift Giving:

Divide the powdered mix between small 4 or 8 ounce jars. Label jars with instructions on how to prepare the chai.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/12/10/instant-vanilla-chai-mix-make-ahead-mondays/

This post is sponsored by Frigidaire.  I received monetary compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Beverages, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Banana Churros with Butter Rum Caramel | A Party Wrap-up

December 6, 2012 by 9 Comments

Hello, gorgeous dessert. Of all the recipes  I’ve done for the Captain Morgan’s Spice Up the Holidays campaign, this is the one that disappeared the fastest. I guess it’s natural, what with being deep-fried and all…

I introduce to you my final recipe that I developed for the contest: Banana Churros with Buttered Rum Caramel Dipping Sauce. I was bouncing ideas off of my little sister (and culinary genius), Christina. She texted me with one word: Churros. DING! We looked no further. Somehow the churros morphed into Banana Churros and I replaced the usual thick chocolate dip with a seriously festive Butter Rum Caramel Dipping Sauce. Can I get an amen?

Would you just look at those babies on the party table?

When I started this competition, I really didn’t think I had much in the way of entertainment tips, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I do. Maybe my tips won’t win praise from a traditionalist, but this is how I do things.

Foodie with Family Entertaining Tips:

  1. Don’t think a party has to include a full meal. A table full of appetizers and beverages keeps people full and happy. Mingling is easier with finger food than sitting down and serving multiple courses. Bonuses: Most appetizers can be done ahead of time and no seating plan necessary. People, I didn’t even assign tables at my wedding. I’m consistent.
  2. Remember the particular talents of your guests and take advantage. Do you have friends who are exceptional musicians? Ask them to bring their instrument to play instead of or in addition to a dish to pass. Do you know someone who makes an incredible pastry? Ask them to bring it along to share. Do you have a friend who makes killer homebrew? (You lucky dog.) Have them bring some to sample with your friends.
  3. Don’t be who you aren’t for the sake of the party. Your friends love you for a reason. There’s nothing wrong with challenging yourself, but do decor and food that you’d normally love. Grab pine boughs from the woods. Use items you already own in different ways (see the cheese box top in various party photos). If you’re a super casual person, keep the party kicked-back. If you’re a heels-and-pearls kind of gal, go formal!
  4. Candles: use them. This is optional if you are having, oh say, a Jedi fancy-dress party where everyone will be swinging pretend light sabres, but otherwise, use as many candles as you practically can. Why? I just like ‘em.
  5. Serve cheese and nuts. This is not as random as it sounds. There’s a good chance that if someone dislikes everything else on the table, they’re still going to dig cheese and nuts unless they’re a vegan with a nut allergy. Since they’re both substantial foods, it’ll help.
  6. Speaking of cheese, splurge on it! If you’re going to dip into the rainy day fund for a party, splash the biggest cash on a variety of cheeses. You don’t need many -two or three is plenty- but get good ones. If you’re not sure what to pick, ask someone at the cheese counter what they recommend for an after dinner cheese plate.

Our weeknight just-because-we-could party was a riot. I spiced things up by not telling anyone what was going on. You have to love a group of friends who shows up when you text them and ask them to come “dressed festively from the waist up.” Sharon said, “it was so mysterious, this text. How could I not come?”

The cocktails and nibbles were a welcome respite in the middle of the workweek.

 

I think Gena was pleasantly surprised by the Dark & Stormy Orchard…

Bob was reaching for some goodies. Was he going for the Jerk Chicken Bites with Rum-Glazed Grilled Pineapple?

…Or the Rosemary Garlic Almonds? The cheese?

 

Staci and Sharon loved the churros. The Evil Genius and I loved the churros. Bob and Gena loved the churros. In short, churros ruled the party. Everyone seemed surprised by how light and crispy the churros were. Bob declared them to be superior to Krispy Kreme. In fact, I believe his words were, “These are four times as light and crispy as Krispy Kreme.”  I’ll totally take that.

A mellow, weeknight get together was spiced up with the help of our Captain Morgan menu from the vittles to the Dark & Stormy Orchards.

 

 

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone!

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Banana Churros with Butter Rum Caramel

Banana Churros with Butter Rum Caramel

Light-as-a-feather and deep fried don't usually describe the same food, but that's exactly what these mildly-banana-flavoured churros are. Crisp on the outside, airy and moist on the inside, these Banana Churros with a creamy, rich, rummy dipping butter caramel sauce are a surefire hit wherever and whenever they're served.

Ingredients

    Ingredients for Butter Rum Caramel:
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons Captain Morgan's Original Spiced Rum
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces
    • Ingredients for the Banana Churros:
  • 1 very ripe banana
  • fresh water
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup ( 4 1/4 ounces by weight!) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • enough peanut or canola oil (or lard) to fill a heavy-bottomed, high-sided frying pan or pot with at least 1-inch of oil
  • cinnamon sugar for sprinkling finished Banana Churros

Instructions

To Make the Butter Rum Caramel:

Add the sugar and water to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Swirl to start the sugar dissolving. Place over a high flame or high heat and bring to a boil. Do NOT stir this. Swirl it when necessary, but don't stir! Cook like this, swirling every so often, until it reaches a deep orange brown colour. Remove the pan from the heat and add the heavy cream all at once. Be careful, as it will splatter and spit quite a bit.

At this point you're going to think you've done something terribly wrong. The caramel you coaxed along so carefully will seize up in a horrid lump in the middle of the cream. Don't worry. It will all come out right in the end!

Place the pan back on the burner and reduce the heat to medium. NOW you can STIR! Stir frequently to help melt the caramel into the cream. It will bubble, that is okay! After about 5 minutes, the caramel should be fully melted into the cream. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and cold butter pieces until the butter is fully melted and incorporated.

Remove the pan from the heat and cover it, letting it cool, while you prepare the Banana Churros.

To Prepare the Banana Churros:

Peel and mash the banana until totally smooth. Scrape this into a liquid measuring 2-cup measuring cup and fill with water to the 1 1/4 cup line. Stir together and pour into a heavy-bottomed 3 quart saucepan. Add the butter and salt and bring to a rolling boil. Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously to combine, over LOW heat. Continue stirring until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. You'll know you've done it right if there's a little film on the bottom and sides of your pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or a heat-proof bowl you can use with a hand mixer. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

While the dough rests, bring 1-inch of peanut or canola oil, or lard, up to 375°F in a heavy-bottomed, high-sided frying pan.

Back at the mixer, add the eggs in all at once and beat on high speed until fully incorporated and the dough holds the shape of the beater or paddle in it.

Scrape the dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star (1/2-inch opening) or a large blank tip (1/2-inch opening). Twist the top of the pastry bag and use a twist-tie to cinch it shut. Carefully pipe 4-inch strips into the hot oil. Use a blunt side of a butterknife to help release the strips from the pastry tip if necessary. I almost always need to do this. Only pipe 4 or so strips at a time, do not crowd the pan because they will expand as they fry!

Fry them until golden brown for about 2 minutes per side, turning with tongs when necessary. Drain the churros on paper towel lined plates. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar and serve with a bowl or squeeze bottle of Butter Rum Caramel.

Pssst! Store the leftover butter rum caramel in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator. Drizzle over ice cream, mochas, coffee and directly into your mouth. You're welcome.
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/12/06/banana-churros-with-butter-rum-caramel-a-party-wrap-up/

A reminder: Please check out all the great work my competitors put into their parties and say howdy to them! Also, be sure to check in next week to find out who won!

 Disclosure: I am a participant in the Spice Up the Holidays contest sponsored by Captain Morgan USA. I received products to use in my recipe development and compensation for additional ingredients but all opinions are my own.

 

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

Salted Caramel Corn | Make Ahead Mondays {GIVEAWAY CLOSED}

December 3, 2012 by 280 Comments

 

Update: The Pick Giveaway Winner plugin chose Christi P. as the winner of the Whirly Pop and Coconut Oil. Look for the email I’ve sent you, Christi! I can’t even wait for you to get to try these things. Congratulations!

My Grandma is one of my biggest cooking heroes. She has spent the majority of her life feeding people. My Grandpa, her husband, was a pastor who couldn’t walk away from someone who looked hungry, and everyone looked hungry to Grandpa. I’ve mentioned it before, but it bears repeating that one of my most treasured possessions is my collection of recipe cards handwritten for me by Grandma in my first years of marriage. There is just nothing to compare to road-tested recipes written by the hand of someone you love bigger than the bay. The only drawback? Well, maybe I get just a touch weepy whenever I make her recipes. In other words? I weep a lot.

The recipe I’m sharing today is a holiday staple. I only allow myself to make it from December first through January thirty first because otherwise I’d be the size of a house. We give bags of this to friends, Romans and countrymen. In other other words? We give it to EVERYONE. If you walk near my house in Advent, you’re getting a bag full of Salted Caramel Corn shoved in your hands. It’s just the way we do things, because it’s how Grandma does it.

And since we’re talking about Grandma, let me tell you, she was ahead of her time. Grandma was doing Salted Caramel WAY before anyone else. As in decades. When salted caramel hit the food scene I was all, “What? You mean other people DIDN’T salt their caramel?” Honestly. I was agog. Aghast. Alarmed. Arsey-versey. Shall I stop now? Please say yes. I’m all out of words that mean agape that begin with ‘A’. Oh, no I didn’t. Oh yes, I did… Astounded, awestruck, astonished, amazed…

We were, however, talking SALTED Caramel Corn. On the back of the recipe card, Grandma wrote about the final step of the process, “This is what makes it crisp and it does not stick to your teeth-” I’m neither an orthodontist nor have I played one on t.v., but many of my kids’ braces wearing friends are able to eat this with no issues! If you’re looking for a caramel corn that fits the bill for your favourite dental appliance sporting pals, this is the one!

Think of this as the ultimate in caramel corn. It’s perfectly caramelled (new word. I made it up), just a touch salty, crispy and not at all sticky and is totally simple to make. I promise you many accolades and much affection (more ‘A’ words!) if you make a batch of two of these to give away. Here’s where ‘Make Ahead Mondays’ comes into play. This caramel corn is good for about ten days after it’s made. One batch makes roughly eight quarts. Make a batch, bag it up and give it away for the next few days. If it starts softening a bit, crisp it up in a 250°F oven for a few minutes. This is a room-temperature storage item. You want to spread some joy? ” The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear” AND give them a bag of this stuff. I’m pretty sure Buddy would approve. (My final ‘A’ word.)

If you want to try a sample of this good stuff, I’ll be selling it as a fundraiser for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer at the 26th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair at Houghton College in Houghton, New York tomorrow (Tuesday, December 4th) and Wednesday the 5th. Come on down and see me!

 

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Salted Caramel Corn | Make Ahead Mondays

Salted Caramel Corn | Make Ahead Mondays

There is nothing that can compare to Grandma's Salted Caramel Corn with its brown sugar, nutty browned butter and touch of salt. Grandma is a genius.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 quarts plain (unseasoned, unsalted) popcorn in a very large mixing bowl

Instructions

Line 2 half-sheet pans with silpats, parchment paper or non-stick foil. Preheat oven to 250°F.

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and add the baking soda. It will foam up big time! Don't worry, it's to be expected.

Pour the molten caramel over the popped corn in the bowl and stir gently but thoroughly to evenly coat the popcorn. Split the popcorn between the two prepared pans and spread it out evenly. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, stirring well every 15 minutes. Grandma says "Watch it closely during baking to ensure it doesn't stick and burn. If it tends to do this, lower the temp a tad. This step is what makes it crisp and it does not stick to your teeth!"

Let the caramel corn cool on the pan (if it is sufficiently done, you'll hear it crackling as it cools!), then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/12/03/salted-caramel-corn-giveaway-and-make-ahead-mondays/

Now the GIVEAWAY! This one is sponsored by ME! Just me! No one else! Several years ago, my Aunt Molly sent my family a Whirly Pop. Have you ever heard of one of these? I hadn’t until she sent me one. It is, in short, the ULTIMATE popcorn popper. It’s a funky pan with built in stirring mechanism that makes up to SIX QUARTS of theatre style popcorn in under THREE MINUTES. I’m telling you, this is on the short list of things I would replace the same day if it broke, not that I see it breaking any time soon. Honestly, folks… it has a 25 year warranty on all moving parts. Can you beat that? We’ve put this thing through its paces for almost seven years and it’s still going strong! We seriously use this every. single. day.  Sometimes we eat three batches a day! Oh! And you can make the best kettle corn of all time in these bad boys, too!

It is so much more inexpensive and incredibly healthier to pop your popcorn this way. Plain bagged popcorn is FAR less costly than and contains none of the weird, nasty preservatives found in the microwave stuff. You can get away with using much less oil when using the Whirly Pop than you would using a big pot on the stove. It’s pretty much the best way ever to make popcorn.

So here’s what I’m giving away. ONE WHIRLY POP…

 

and ONE JAR OF EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL.

Believe me, you haven’t had popcorn until you’ve had it popped with coconut oil in a Whirly Pop.

Here’s how to enter! (Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry method you use so each one is counted!)

Mandatory Entry:

What’s your favourite popcorn topping? Hot sauce? Plain old salt? Sardines? (What? Could happen!) Nutritional yeast? Talk to me!

Optional Entries:

Like Foodie with Family on facebook.

Follow Foodie with Family on Instagram.

Follow Foodie with Family on Pinterest.

Follow Foodie with Family on Twitter.

Tweet the following, “I want to win a Whirly Pop and coconut oil for the perfect popcorn from @foodiewithfam ”

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by me and paid for by me. Sadly, I can’t ship this package outside of the continental US, so this giveaway is only open to residents of the aforementioned!

 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Desserts, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce

November 28, 2012 by 27 Comments

I’ve spoken before of my deep, deep love for the hot fudge sauce made by my stepmom, Val. Grandma Val’s Hot Fudge Sauce is a staple around the Foodie With Family household. It goes on ice cream, to be sure, but it is also drizzled on cake and stirred into hot milk for fabuloso hot chocolate. On days when I feel particularly frazzled or mom’ed out, a spoonful of it applied directly to my mouth is sometimes the only thing standing between me and stark raving lunacy.

The other day, a friend complained loudly about the quality of the peppermint mocha she purchased at a big name restaurant. Her description was:

If you’re considering trying McD’s peppermint mocha drink cuz it looks good and nice and warm and holiday-ish with the oncoming cold weather, here’s a tip to save some money: Make a pot of coffee, and while that’s brewing, go brush your teeth (some mouthwash after is good too). Then come back to the pot, pour some sugar and vinegar into it, pour yourself a mug, and drink up! Voila! Now you don’t have to go buy one.

Blech. That was enough to dissuade me. With all that, though, I still wanted a Peppermint Mocha. I decided to turn the ubiquitous Grandma Val’s Hot Fudge Sauce into the vehicle for the world’s best Peppermint Mocha. I turned it into Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce.

Mercy.

I’ll share the Peppermint Mocha recipe tomorrow, but first? First you must make this Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce. Believe me. All by itself it is a holiday treat second to none. If you can resist eating this by the spoonful then you’re a better animal than I am. But when you drizzle this over a bowl of Perry’s Mint Tingaling or Peppermint Stick ice cream? Oh Holy Night. It is something to remember.

When it’s still hot it’s a deep, fudgy, smooth, thick-yet-pourable, minty sauce with a hint of vanilla. When you pour it onto cold ice cream, it turns into a chewy caramel candy that keeps you coming back for more.

…Speaking of coming back for more, be sure to check in tomorrow for a Peppermint Mocha recipe that DOESN’T taste like toothpaste, vinegar and bad drip coffee and a GIVEAWAY that you will NOT want to miss.

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Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce

Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce

When it's still hot it's a deep, fudgy, smooth, thick-yet-pourable, minty sauce with a hint of vanilla. When you pour it onto cold ice cream, it turns into a chewy caramel candy that keeps you coming back for more. This is also the base for the best homemade Peppermint Mocha of all time!

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ¾ cup boiling water
  • 1½ teaspoons peppermint extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (homemade is best! )
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar, corn syrup, and boiling water. Increase heat to medium and stir mixture until it reaches boiling. Boil without stirring for 8 minutes. Really. Do not stir that stuff.

Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint extract, vanilla extract and salt. It will bubble up violently, so be careful. Let rest for 5 minutes before pouring into a heat-proof container with a tight fitting lid. (A canning jar works perfectly for this situation.) Be certain the container you use is small enough to fit into the microwave for reheating purposes. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly lidded, heat-proof container.

To Reheat:

Remove lid from the jar and microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir. Heat in additional 10 second bursts until the hot fudge flows freely when poured.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/11/28/peppermint-hot-fudge-sauce/

Filed Under: Condiments, Desserts, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Whiskey Vanilla Extract | Make Ahead Mondays

November 26, 2012 by 17 Comments

 

I am obsessed with vanilla extract. Since I started making my own extract several years ago, I haven’t bought vanilla extract (either faux or pure) once. Once you’ve made your own and tasted just how much better it is (and realized just how easy the entire process is) it’s hard -if not impossible- to go  back.

Why bother when you can get pure vanilla extract relatively cheap? First, the homemade stuff is customizable. You can make it as strong or as weak as you’d like it. Normally, the method involves splitting beans, pouring a neutral high-alcohol spirit such as vodka over it, capping it, shaking it and letting it age until you can’t really taste an alcohol burn from it. The idea is that the alcohol becomes a vessel for mega vanilla flavour delivery. I told you it was easy, didn’t I? That’s wonderful, isn’t it? It’s fabulous. I have a giant jug of the stuff in my cabinet… but…

Yes, there’s a but…

Sometimes I WANT a little burn to help cut some sweetness: I want that presence of alcohol WITH the vanilla. And in those cases, I reach for this stuff; Whiskey Vanilla Extract. The process is every bit as easy. I split vanilla beans lengthwise and stuff them into an empty bottle. The prettier the bottle the better. It’s not like it effects the overall outcome, but life is hard enough: Let’s try to get some beauty in there where we can.

I pour something drinkable but not expensive* (ask the clerk at your local liquor store for a good, inexpensive but sippable whiskey or bourbon.) over the top, cap it, shake it and let it go for a week.

*I did NOT use Templeton Rye Whiskey for my extract, merely the empty bottle.

A bottle of that on your pantry shelf invites you to use it, and since we’re not going with a neutral alcohol here but highlighting the richly flavoured, slightly smokey whiskey taste, you can start using it about a week or two after starting it. It will mellow with age, so if you find it’s a little too brassy and bright at the beginning, just stash it in a dark corner and retrieve/retry it later.

I love to use this in place of the ‘regular’ vanilla extract in whipped cream, pecan pies, fruit crisps, and hot fudge sauce. What would you make with Whiskey Vanilla Extract?

A Note on Making This for Gifts:

You can use canning jars to prepare this if you’d like, but I find using an actual liquor bottle makes it easier to use the finished vanilla extract without spilling it. If you don’t have access to empty liquor bottles or want to prepare it in smaller containers for gifts, dollar stores and big box stores usually have a nice selection of small decorative bottles with corks or twist caps. Just be sure the caps fit snugly to prevent spilling when you shake them.

A Note on Finding Inexpensive Vanilla Beans (because it CAN be done!)

You can use whatever vanilla beans you prefer, Madagascar, Tahitian, Bourbon (Hey! Bourbon Bourbon Extract!). I don’t actually have one that I love better than others, I love ‘em all! I buy my vanilla beans in bulk through one of two places. Here they are in order of preference.

  1. My beloved Amazon.com has them When you consider that the best price I have found in grocery stores is about $10 per package of 2 beans, and that there are about 50 beans in a half pound, that’s akin to saving $223. Trust me. My math is good, I’m  a homeschooling mom. And better yet, when the beans are properly stored (at a steady room temperature out of direct light) they last for at least a year.
  2. eBay. Seriously! I have bought pounds of vanilla beans via eBay over the years. Sometimes you can get a better deal on eBay, sometimes Amazon has the better price. Keep your eyes peeled and get bargain happy!

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Whiskey Vanilla Extract | Make Ahead Mondays

Whiskey Vanilla Extract | Make Ahead Mondays

With its smokey, richly flavoured, high alcohol content, whiskey makes the perfect vehicle for homemade vanilla extract. There's nothing neutral about this vanilla extract, so use it where you'd love a little bite: in whipped cream, pecan pie, fruit crisps, and the like. This makes a wonderful and unique hostess gift for the holidays.

Ingredients

  • 1 clean and empty 750 ml liquor bottle with a tight fitting lid (or a glass container that can hold about 3 cups of liquid with a tight fitting lid.)
  • 5-20 whole vanilla beans, depending on how strong you'd like the vanilla flavour
  • about 3 cups whiskey, depending on the container you use

Instructions

Split the vanilla beans lengthwise then in half. Slide them into the empty liquor bottle. The fewer the beans you use, the weaker the vanilla presence will be. I like a LOT of vanilla and stuff as many into the bottle as I can while still leaving enough room for the beans to be covered by liquid and the lid to be added when I'm done.

Insert a funnel into the top of the bottle and pour in as much whiskey as you can, being sure to cover the beans completely. Add the lid, shake vigorously for about 2 minutes, then place in a dark, cool place for at least one week, shaking the bottle daily, before using. The longer the extract ages, the more mellow the whiskey and the more pronounced the vanilla will be.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/11/26/whiskey-vanilla-extract-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Component Foods, Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sriracha Lime Salt | Make Ahead Mondays

November 5, 2012 by 9 Comments

We are a popcorn family. We eat at least one batch every day. That is not as random a declaration as it sounds. It’ll become important in a moment…

This is Sriracha Salt. It is exactly what it sounds like: Sriracha + Salt. It is -in essence- two of my best loved kitchen friends in one tidy little package. We squeeze Sriracha onto and into a lot of stuff chez us. Burgers, fries, rice, soup, falafel, salad dressing, and -in the case of my second born son- crackers. I’m not kidding. The child eats Sriracha on crackers.

Until recently, we also squeezed Sriracha on popcorn. It was tasty. It was good. It gave a spicy punch to the popcorn but it did one thing I didn’t like. It made the popcorn near the bottom of the bowl soggy.

Blech.

I don’t do soggy popcorn.

It’s true.

In fact, more often than not I even eschew butter to keep my popcorn super crunchy. Yes, that’s right. ME giving up butter. That’s how much I dislike soggy popcorn.

And that’s how much I like Sriracha. It was a huge battle of the likes vs. dislikes every time I made popcorn for a late snack. Do I put the Sriracha on it and eat quickly so it doesn’t get soggy or do I just salt the popcorn and live with it?

…Enter Sriracha Lime Salt.

I read about the straight up Sriracha + Salt version of it in “The Sriracha Cookbook” and knew it was the solution to my little neurotic popcorn issue. I added a little lime juice to the mix and was not disappointed.

Sriracha Lime Salt is as easy as 1-2-3 to whip up and puts Sriracha flavour in places where you want it minus all the liquid. Yes, we put it on popcorn. A lot. But we also sprinkle it on fries, tots, cottage cheese, avocado cubes, hard boiled, scrambled or fried eggs and vegetable sticks. You know what’s more exciting than celery sticks sprinkled with Sriracha Lime Salt? (Okay, maybe it’s just me. I found it terribly exciting.)

…For adults only: a friend of mine enjoyed rimming a tequila glass with a little Sriracha Lime Salt. I’m not brave enough to DRINK tequila like that, but she said it was fabulous and reminded her of a margarita minus the muddling.

I’m just glad I made a big batch. I’m thinking this is going to be outlandishly good sprinkled on roasted turkey and mashed potatoes. Oh yum! And roasted sweet potatoes. Oh my! It’s going to be a very spicy Thanksgiving at our house!

P.S. This makes ahead of time BEAUTIFULLY and stores indefinitely. Filling a jelly jar with Sriracha Lime Salt and tying a pretty label around it with ribbon or rafia makes the perfect hostess gift or frugal Christmas gift for the chile heads in your life. If you accompanied the Sriracha Lime Salt with a copy of “The Sriracha Cookbook”, it’d be better yet!

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Sriracha Lime Salt | Make Ahead Mondays

Sriracha Lime Salt | Make Ahead Mondays

Anywhere Sriracha can go, give Sriracha Salt a try. Sprinkle on popcorn, French fries, tater tots, hard boiled, scrambled or fried eggs, guacamole, avocado cubes, raw or steamed vegetables.

Adapted gently from The Sriracha Cookbook by Randy Clemens

Ingredients

  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

Instructions

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl using a fork until the mixture is even in colour and moisture.

Spread out the salt on dehydrator sheets or a rimmed baking sheet (if using the oven.) Try to get the salt in as thin a layer as possible.

Dry in a dehydrator at 125°F (if the dehydrator has a temperature selection function, otherwise, just turn it on.) for 2-5 hours (depending on your dehydrator) until the salt is bone dry.

*If you do not have a dehydrator, preheat the oven to 350°F. When the oven has reached full temperature, turn it off, open the door to the oven just long enough to put the baking sheet in the oven and close the door. Let the salt sit in the oven until dry, about 2 to three hours.

If you use a dehydrator sheet, the salt should come up very easily. If you use a baking sheet, the salt will most likely stick to the pan a bit. Don't despair. A metal spatula will pry up all your Sriracha Lime goodness.

Leave as is -it will be chunky- or break up briefly in a blender or mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight container indefinitely at room temperature.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/11/05/sriracha-lime-salt-make-ahead-mondays/

 

Filed Under: Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

One-Pot Creamy Shells and Cheese | Bonus 2-Ingredient Taco Mac Hack

November 2, 2012 by 18 Comments

Friends: I’m participating in the 30 Days of Gratitude on the Foodie With Family facebook page. Won’t you join me when you can and share a little or a big something you’re grateful for every day? And if every day is too much in your life right now, how about just whenever you can? Click here to be part of a thankfulness movement!

 

I’m going to start this post with a confession and spend the rest of it haranguing you into making this my way. Sounds fun, right? Let’s get started.

My confession: I don’t like baked macaroni and cheese. Right now there are two groups of people reading this. Group A is gasping and fanning themselves and ready to storm me and revoke my foodie card. Group B is saying, “Big whoop.” It’s okay. I understand. I often feel like I SHOULD like it since it’s a little of a lot of things I love in one package. I just don’t. It’s a texture thing.

I DO, however, ADORE creamy mac and cheese and I’m OVER-THE-MOON in love with shells and cheese. There’s just something so awfully cute about shells and I love the way they trap all the good saucy stuff. What I didn’t love about that, though, was how ever-loving messy the process was with the bechamel in one pan and the noodles in another and the blah blah blah. Then a few years ago, I read my beloved White on Rice couple’s creamy stove top mac and cheese recipe and the clouds- they parted. They cooked the pasta IN the milk. Well, duh. Why didn’t anyone ever think of that before?

Over the past couple of years, I’ve tinkered with the recipe to reflect my family’s preferences. While there are many versions of stove-top creamy mac and cheese out there, this one is our favourite (and if you pile my Taco Mac Hack on top, it’s garner-cheers-at-the-table good.)

I’ve made countless versions of this one-pot mac. I know what DOES work and what DOESN’T. I am giving you my version today: the one that never fails us. But here’s where the haranguing comes into play. This recipe is easy IF YOU DO IT EXACTLY AS I SAY. If you’ve been around here for long, you know I don’t say that often. When I say it, I mean it. Of course, there are still a couple of items up for negotiation (like what milk you use and whether you pursue the taco mac angle or go au naturel. The noodles not the nudie, if you follow my meaning…)

Here are the rules:

  1. Choose your milk: You can absolutely choose to use skim, one-percent, two-percent or whole milk here. That is not going to effect the end texture as much as how decadent the final product is. That’s a choice.
  2. Use small shells: not medium shells, not elbow macaroni, not ditalini, not spaghetti, not linguine… You get the picture. This recipe was refined using small shells. And yes, it really DOES make a difference here. I tried doing this using equal weights of other types of pasta. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. It worked EVERY time with the shells.
  3. Use half Monterey Jack cheese and half extra sharp Cheddar. The reasons are multiple. Monterey Jack is a smoother melting cheese than Cheddar and it’s milder. Combining the two in equal parts gives you the tang of Cheddar and the smooth gooey loveliness of Monterey Jack. Win/win… And while we’re on the subject of cheese.
  4. Grate your own cheese. No, I know. The bags of pre-grated stuff are super convenient. I use them from time to time, too. The thing is, the little shreds of cheese in those bags are coated with powder that keeps them from sticking together. Handy for pre-grated cheese, but not so wonderful when you’re melting it and WANT it to come together. Just hike those socks up and grate the cheese. It’s a one-pot meal, you’re still a head of the game even after you mess up the cheese grater. And speaking of cheese, make sure you have it grated before you start cooking. Why? Because you…
  5. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE POT. Heck, you probably shouldn’t even stop stirring. You’re using the starch coating the pasta as  thickening power in the sauce. As the pasta cooks, that starch goes into the milk (as the milk is being absorbed by the pasta) to make it thick and creamy. Thick and creamy likes to stick to pans. Things that like to stick to pans like to scorch. Scorched creamy shells and cheese is a sad, sad thing. Just keep stirring. It’s a small price to pay for fabulous creamy mac made in just one pot. You’ll be so glad you did.

Alright, that’s it for my brow-beating. Is anyone still with me? If so, let me tell you about my Taco Mac Hack. It’s so simple it hardly counts as a recipe, so it’s a freebie here. Top your One-Pot Creamy Shells and Cheese with leftover taco meat or browned Mexican-style chorizo and a couple candied jalapeños on top. Ta da! You’ve hacked your mac into Taco Mac. If you’re the ketchup on your mac and cheese type, add a dollop of salsa!

 

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One-Pot Creamy Shells and Cheese | Bonus 2-Ingredient Taco Mac Hack

One-Pot Creamy Shells and Cheese | Bonus 2-Ingredient Taco Mac Hack

One-Pot Creamy Shells and Cheese takes creamy mac and cheese to new heights of decadence and ease while only dirtying one pan. For creamy mac lovers and last minute mac and cheese cravings.

Bonus: 2-Ingredient Taco Mac Hack included in the recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound small shells pasta (Do NOT use medium shells.)
  • 4 cups milk (plus extra, in case!)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 cup grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Optional for Taco Mac:
  • Fully cooked taco meat or browned chorizo
  • Candied Jalapenos

Instructions

Add the small shells, milk, butter, mustard, salt, garlic and onion powder to a large saucepan over medium heat. Stirring nearly constantly and taking care to scrape the spoon across the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking and scorching, slowly bring the mixture to a simmer then drop the heat to LOW. Don't forget this or you'll be sorry!

Continue stirring and simmering the pasta for about 15 minutes, or until the milk is almost completely absorbed. Test a piece of pasta (carefully, though, because this stuff is MOLTEN at this point.) If the pasta isn't fully cooked and the milk is almost gone, add more milk in -1/4 cup at a time- until the pasta is fully cooked. This will add a small amount of cooking time (3-5 minutes) to the overall cooking time.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheese.

Put a lid on the pan and let it rest, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes. Give it one more stir and taste. Add the black pepper to taste and serve hot.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly lidded container and heated up with a splash of milk in the microwave or in a saucepan.

To Make Taco Mac:

Sprinkle re-heated taco meat or crispy brown chorizo over bowls of hot Creamy Shells and Cheese and top with candied jalapenos if desired.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/11/02/one-pot-creamy-shells-and-cheese-bonus-2-ingredient-taco-mac-hack/

Filed Under: Comfort Food, kid food, Main Dish, Pasta, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Julio Sauce and Julio Tots | Make Ahead Mondays Cornell University Food Truck Style

October 29, 2012 by 12 Comments

 

I mentioned in my Cuban Sandwiches post that my mom, Free Range Nana, and my sister, Jessamine, and I went to Cornell University to visit my baby sister, Airlia.

What I failed to mention in that post is that Airlia is not just my sister, she is a braniac. Want proof? Here she is outside of the building where she has most of her classes and spends most of her free time.

That’s right folks. Nanoscale science. My sister is a PHYSICS major at Cornell University.  She is currently building a machine to reduce light to its smallest state. As in visible only as a mere particle. Need another example? This is the stuff she does for fun:

I took this picture understanding NOTHING of what was on there except the word torque. For some reason, the word torque has always cracked me up. Anyone else have words that crack them up? No? I’ll be quiet now.

The point is this. She spends her FREE TIME in the LAB. Do we even need to discuss what I did with my free time in college? It’s probably best if we don’t.

Airlia took us all over campus…

And I DO mean all over campus. Up the slope, down the slope, up the slope again, up the one hundred and sixty one steps into the clock tower to watch a chimes concert, into libraries…

The stacks made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. At least until Free Range Nana and Airlia almost got us kicked out of the library for giggling and I almost got us kicked out for sloshing a cup full of ice water as I tried to walk ever so silently after reading the big old SHHHHHHHHHH sign. I failed.

Don’t blink. The angels have the library… Heh. Oh come on. I have to have at least ONE reader that loves Doctor Who.

 

Uncharacteristically, Jessamine didn’t do ANYTHING to get us kicked out of the library. She behaved like a saint, but only in the library. She looks downright beatified right here.

Then all bets were off… I can’t even tell you what she’s saying here. It is so not ‘G’ rated. She took her naughty vitamins before leaving home that day.

 

Gosh, I do love my sisters.

We got to see Airlia’s favourite study spots and her dorm from last year. As we stood in a study hall in the old dorm, she pointed down through the trees and said casually, “That’s where I get Julio fries.”

“Julio-whats?” I asked.

“Julio fries. They’re fries tossed with Red Hot and oregano.”

Go on. Seriously? Are you all aware of my Frank’s Red Hot fixation? If not, let me just say this… by this point in life, I should own stock in the company. It’s not the hottest or fanciest hot sauce, by far, but it is like your best friend for life… you always know it’s there and you can trust it to do what it’s supposed to do.

You know I beat a hot path down to Louie’s lunch truck, trying to act all casual so I wouldn’t embarrass the Rocket Scientist who is my little sister. I didn’t want her to be forever associated with that crazy woman who sprinted down the hill in not-sensible high boots and stood panting at the window of Louie’s Lunch. I was chill. I did a run-walk instead of a sprint.

These Julio Fries are the brainchild of Louie’s Lunch truck on Cornell’s main campus. Louie, whoever he was, was a genius. Red Hot is a vinegar based hot sauce and vinegar is a natch with fries, right? So hot vinegar? Hubba hubba. And I don’t know WHY he put oregano in there, but I’m AWFULLY glad he did, because holy moly. I thought Red Hot was great the way it was, but I don’t know if I’ll ever eat it sans oregano again. It’s the flavour component that I didn’t even know was missing.

Airlia showed us the proper Julio fries eating technique. Yes. She was down by the school yard. Help me out here people. Tell me someone is a Paul Simon fan…

At least Airlia thinks I’m funny. And while I’m no nanoparticle scientist, my little sis thinks I’m pretty smart, too. Especially after I told her as soon as I got home I set to work and figured out the perfect ratio for making our own Julio sauce and then doused a big old batch of crispy tater tots with it. In fact, she called me brilliant.

I’m just going to revel in that for a moment or two. Okay, I’m going to revel in that with the aid of some Julio tots…

In the spirit of scientific inquiry -because I felt so inspired by the trip to Cornell- I did a little experiment with the Julio Sauce and the tots. One bowl had the pre-doused tots. The other had nekkid tots next to a big bowl of Julio Sauce for dipping purposes.

We put on very serious faces and sampled the pre-doused ones then dipped nekkid ones.

The consensus was that we preferred dipping the tots vs. pre-soaking them. They stayed crispier thatta way. Hey Louie! Sauce on the side- is it an option?

God love Louie and his sauce.

Go make yourself some Julio Sauce. It’s what smart people eat.

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Julio Sauce and Julio Tots | Make Ahead Mondays Cornell University Food Truck Style

Julio Sauce is my take on the classic Cornell University dish and sauce served by Louie's Lunch- Julio Fries. The vinegar based hot sauce mixed with oregano adds a burst of flavour to fries -to be sure- but it's also fantastic on all potato dishes. We loved them on tots, home fries and baked potatoes. What will you douse with Julio Sauce?

Ingredients

    For Julio Sauce:
  • 3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
  • 1 heaping tablespoon dry oregano leaves
    • For Julio Tots:
  • 1 bag frozen tater tots

Instructions

To Make the Julio Sauce:

Add the Red Hot and oregano to a container with a tight fitting lid. Fix the lid firmly in place and shake. Store in the refrigerator for up to three months.

To Make Julio Tots:

Prepare frozen tater tots according to package instructions but cook them long enough to be terminally crispy. Super crunchy. Make 'em make noise when you bite 'em is what I'm saying.

Transfer hot, crunchy tots to a bowl and either serve with a side of Julio Sauce for dipping or pour over the tots for a softer dish.

Don't you feel smarter already?

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/10/29/julio-sauce-and-julio-tots-make-ahead-mondays-cornell-university-food-truck-style/

 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Comfort Food, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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