Joel's bread

Joel has been baking bread quite a bit this past year.
His latest breads are done with a simple sponge the night before-
48 hour sponge, 8.5 cups flour total, baked 35 minutes at 450 degrees
in a soup pot preheated in the oven, with the lid on.
The results are wonderful- if you love bread start the drool!

Favorite Corn bread

Yogurt Corn Bread or Corn Muffins

Makes 1 9x9-inch corn bread or 12 muffins

1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar (or 2 packets of Splenda)
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unflavored yogurt
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yogurt, egg and melted butter. Stir to blend the liquid and dry ingredients. Turn the batter into a greased 9x9-inch pan or spoon into greased muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 425` oven 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

The Book of Yogurt; An International Collection of Recipes
By Sonia Uvenzian (ISBN: 0-89286-135-5)
Pg. 122

Oven Stew

Burgudy Oven stew

What did I do different last night- I used one onion- I added some red pepper- I added cut up potatoes about 5 small.

I added the barley during the last hour of cooking and during the very last 20 minutes frozen corn.

I had less time so I cooked at 375 for the first hour and a half

cut back to 350 towards the end.

Finish on the stove top and served- no pictures of the eats!

Side of salad and some bread.

Are you tired of Turkey??

Picadillo
Recipes for picadillo vary with each country and or region in Latin America.
This one is from my mother Anna Henderson and was her favorite.
I have made some changes and so can you, add more hot or less- add more spices if you like. You can use this in tacos, burritos, or chilaquiles.
We like to make it and serve it with rice, black beans and corn or flour tortillas.

2 pounds of good ground beef- we use our locally raised grass fed beef- or you can use ground turkey or 1/2 pork
2 onions chopped 1-2 cloves garlic
1-2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
1 pound (about 3 medium) tomatoes- or canned- or homegrown frozen.
1-3 jalapenos
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup pimiento olives, cut in half
1/8 tsp. cinnamon and cloves
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper

Saute onions, peppers and garlic in 2 tbs. oil.
cook and drain meat and add to saute
add all the rest and simmer 20-30 minutes.
enjoy!

Smoked turkey and Apple Pie!

What more could you want -- turkey and pie!
It was all we could do not to eat it tonight!

Base for Cookies and two cookie recipes

Basic Cookie Mix

4 cups sifted flour (I used cake flour) you can find at any store.
4 cups sugar
1 ½ cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 ½ TBS. baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon salt (use less if your butter is salted)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix very well.
Store in a tightly covered container.
This will keep for about 1 month at room temperature.

Lemon Cookies: Preheat oven to 325-350 use your judgement here you know your oven.
2 cups of your base
½ cup butter, melted
1 egg beaten
1 tsp lemon extract
1 TBS. lemon juice
About 1 TBS. grated lemon rind, yellow only

Just mix all together.
Make and then shape into a log.
Use extra flour or mix to help make it stiff.
Roll in wax paper or plastic wrap.
Place in the refrigerator until very chilled.
Cut a small piece and with floured hands roll 1 “ balls.
Place 2 inches apart. ( I use parchment paper to bake on, it does not stick)
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Should be golden.
Cool a minute before removing.
Notes:
Cookie batter does best chilled.
Don’t put too many on pans.
Try not to burn.
email if you need tech support

Oatmeal Bars:
2 cups base
1 ½ cup oats
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup butter, melted
¼ cup cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup raisins
Spoon into a 13x9x2’ pan bake 30-35 minutes
Cool in pan 10 minutes then cut in bars.

I thought these should bake longer.
I ended up cutting and putting them back in the oven and baking another 10 minutes.

More on smoked meats

Well it is long after tomorrow and the meeting at Starworks.
How did the smoked meats turn out?
I was talking to my son and he reminded me I never did a follow up.
After marinading the meats for 24 hours, I took them out and place them all on my broiler pan and tented them over with foil.
I placed them in the Beer refrigerator - we live in the county 25 minutes from a grocery store- and let them rest for another day.
Then brought them up to room temperature and handed them over to Mark.
He started the smoke at about 4 pm. He keeps the temperature between 185 and 200- but mostly around 185-
He used charcoal for heat and hardwood for smoke.
In this case oak, a bit of mesquite and apple.
He keep them on until about 11 pm- we took them off and they were a nice rare to med rare.
The next day I sliced them thin and put the meat out on one of Mark's platters.
Sorry no picture-
It took about 15 minutes for the crowd to empty the platter.
They took a bee line over to the smoked beef and it was gone.
Here is what I found of the cuts we used.
The brisket was by far the best.
The shoulder roast a good second.
The chuck roast- fair.
Although I took trimming and bones and made soup stock and the best soup-
I took Tom Gray's advice and used nothing but bones- adding no extra seasonings.
I did add onion, carrots and celery.
I let the stock simmer in the oven for several hours.
It was great and has a nice smoke flavor.

Smoking meats for Starworks Annual Meeting

We were given work space at Starworks while we are rebuilding our work building since a fire last July.

Starworks is having their annual meeting and the folks at Star are preparing the food.

Mark and I have teamed up to make smoked beef using locally raised beef from our area.

This is step one- the marinade.

I always start with red wine and soy sauce. Then I add in fresh garlic and onions- from there it can be anything you like in the amounts you like.

I added- 1/2 lemon, splash of rice vinegar, chives, ginger, chili powder, cumin, coriander, dry mustard, some hot pepper, oregano, dash salt and ground pepper.

Here is a peak at the meat which will marinate until tomorrow- turning it several times between now and then.

More tomorrow--

Roast Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze and fresh mint

Roast Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze and fresh mint
From Barbara Kafka; Roasting a Simple Art.

1 bunch fresh mint
5-6lb chicken, wing tips removed
2 to 3 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
About 4 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 1/2 cup seeds from 1 (or 2 small) large pomegranate
1/2 cup pomegranate juice from 1 large (or 2 small) pomegranate
1/2 cup of your favorite chicken stock
1. Place rack on second level from bottom of oven and heat oven to 500*.
2. Remove leaves from half of mint bunch, reserving stems.
Stack the leaves, roll, and cut them across into thin strips.
3. Remove the fat from the tail and crop end of the chicken.
Use livers, neck and giblet in stock.4. Place chicken breast side up in a 12x8x1 ½ inch roasting pan.
Sprinkle cavity with some of the salt and pepper and stuff with garlic, ½ cup pomegranate seeds, ½ bunch mint with leaves on, and reserved mint stems.
Pour ¼ cup of the pomegranate juice over chicken, Sprinkle with 1tsp salt.
Put chicken in oven, legs first.
Roast 50 minutes, moving the chicken after the first 10 minutes with a wooden spatula to keep it from sticking.
The chicken should not burn, but if it smells like it is burning, reduce heat to
400* and open oven door for a minute to lower the temperature quickly.
Continue roasting at lower temperature.
5. Chicken will be a beautiful mahogany brown color, and any liquid will seem to have disappeared. Tilt the chicken over pan, and then remove the chicken to a platter.
6. Tilt roasting pan and spoon out fat, leaving any juices. Place pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the chicken stock and the last ¼ cup pomegranate juice. Scrape hard along the bottom of the pan. Use a wooden spoon to get all the good brown gunk up from the pan.
7. Add remaining mint leaves. Lower heat. Cook 1 minute. Taste carefully, liquid will be hot. Salt and pepper to taste. Add any juices that have collected on the platter. Cook liquid 30 seconds. Pour about half of the juices over bird on platter, being careful not to overflow platter.
Top with half of the juices over bird on platter, being careful not to overflow.

Top with half of the remaining pomegranate seeds. Put the rest of the juices in a sauceboat with the rest of the seeds. Mix well and serve with chicken.

To juice pomegranates: Cut pomegranates in half like oranges and use a citrus juicer holding the cut sides down firmly and moving the pomegranate half around to extract maximum juice from the seeds.
To seed pomegranates: Cut pomegranates into quarters. Using a small spoon, or your fingers, gently pull seeds away from hard skin. Seeds are bouncy but fragile. As seeds are pulled away, they will separate. Let them drop into a measuring cup. Continue until all seeds are removed. Pick off any white membrane clinging to seeds

White chip and Craisins cookies

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups oats; put through food processor
1 1/2 cups nuts; put through food processor

Sift flour, salt, soda and baking powder.
Stir in oats and flour.

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2-eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla.
Stir in oats and nuts.
Add 1 package white chips
and 1 cup craisins.

Bake 350 until light brown and done.
Depending on size of cookies anywhere from 12 to 17 minutes.

Chicken Patties

Mark and I discovered these last year and they have become one of the items I make once or twice a month. I like the way you can change them to suit your mood and they are great left over.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into chunks
1 bread slice- stale processed in the food processor.
(I don’t like bread crumbs out of the can- look at the ingredients- it is a mile long- because they don’t want the stuff to ever grow mold! So, I prefer to just use the same bread I eat. I know what is in that.)
1 egg
About ¼ cup chopped onion.
Now here is where you can vary according to mood.
Tonight I added salt, pepper, basil, paprika and oregano.
¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
Other nights this could be curry.
And yet another night try water chestnuts, soy sauce and ginger.

Pulse the bread in food processor; add onion and spices pulse again.
Add egg pulse one more time.
Throw this in a bowl.
Add chicken to processor and pulse until well ground, but not mush.
Add chicken to bread crumb mixture.
Mix well using rubber gloves if you like or wet you hands a bit.
Shape into patties.
You should get 6 out of this.
Heat a skillet with some olive oil and brown on both sides until cook through.
Make a sauce with mayo and some hot or sweet.
These are great leftover.
Double the recipe if you want.
Keep some water going in the sink for all that chicken clean up.

This is not a great picture- I have to work on my presentation.
And yes that is white rice- Mark will not eat brown rice and after 36 years I don't make him.
Pick your battles!

Roasted Beets

Preheat oven to 500*
Clean about 4 pounds of beets- use the smallish ones or med size.
Trim up stems to about ½ inch
Line a pan with foil- this helps with clean up later.
Pat dry the beets- rub them with olive oil and salt.
Roast on center rack for 30-40 minutes or until you can pierce through with a sharp paring knife.
Cool to handle- then slip off skins.
I like to marinate them in olive oil and balsamic salt pepper- maybe some fresh herbs.
These keep well for several days.

Peanut Butter Cookies

My sister Leslie gave me this recipe for the Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together:

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups chunky peanut butter.

I use any organic - just nuts, salt and oil

Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper- bake 12 minutes.

Cool- there you have it.

No flour- no baking powder - no nothing else-

You can add chopped nuts or chocolate chips if you like.

Bright Carrot Slices

I find I am quite lazy when it come to veggies and carrots are high on that list.
I like carrots eaten raw the best- but some days it seems you should be able to do wonderful things with them. This is a recipe found in Barbara Kafka book on Roasting at high temps.
I have made a few changes- but this is really good and once you get started easy.

Bright Carrot Slices -adapted from-Barbara Kafka book-Roasting

2 Tbs. Butter
2 pounds carrots
trimmed peeled and sliced into ½ slices.


Glaze:
¼ cup fresh orange juice (or frozen if you live where I do with no grocery within a 25 minute drive).
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice. ( this should be fresh)
2 Tablespoons. sugar
1tsp grated ginger ( I like to throw in some pickled sushi ginger)
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp cumin

Heat oven to 500*
Steam carrots until just tender. (2-3 minutes)
Drain well-
Place in a 14x12x2 inch pan-
Toss with melted butter
Roast 10 minutes-
Pour glaze mixture on top and roast until all is absorbed in.
At least another 10 minutes, but could be more.
Serve as a side

Mushrooms Berkley

Mushrooms Berkley:
1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half
2 medium peppers, red and yellow or orange, cut in 1 inch chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbs. butter and some olive oil in a non-stick pan
Sauce:2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbs. brown sugar
3/4 cup mellow red wine
salt & pepper

Sauté Onion, add mushrooms and peppers.
Mix sauce in small bowl wisking well.
Add as mushrooms begin to cook down.
Simmer about45 min.
This is one of Mark's favorite recipes and one I have made for most of our married life.
It is full of good memories and we have served it alone or with beef or chicken.
If you are a mushroom fan like we are- this is the best!
Can be doubled- is good leftover-

Roasted Squash

This is good day one and better day two!

Roasted Squash:
Cut up 2 pounds of yellow squash
Trim squash cut in half lengthwise and cut again.
Scoop out seeds and slice about 2 inches.

Marinate squash overnight in plastic bags- or save the world and use pottery bowl or glass.
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh parsley or mint
salt


Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Place oven rack into the very top position.

Put squash into a 14x12x 2 inch roasting pan.
Roast for 15 minutes, stir and roast for another 15 minutes, stir and roast 15 more minutes.
The trick is to absorb all liquid without going to far to burn- just keep a close eye and nose as yoy are going along.

Can be served hot or room temperature.

I think it is better at room temperature.
It gives the squash time to rest and absorb flavors.

Ada Darling's Skillet Pineapple Upside down Cake

This was giving to me by my husband's grandmother.
It does not get any better than this.
The cake batter made with good local organic eggs turns a beautiful yellow color.
I also use this cake batter to make a cake for berry shortcakes. I like to bake it alone in a 8X8 pan for about 20-25 minutes. ( be sure to grease and flour your pan)
It is better than any store bought cake you will ever buy and very easy.

 Let it cool then you can layer with berries and whip cream or ice cream.

Use either a good seasoned cast iron skillet or  a deep  Stainless steel skillet.

The cake:
Ada Darling's Skillet Pineapple Upside down Cake
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 can of pineapple rings, drained
 The cake batter

1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour (130 grams)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pineapple
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter in skillet, add brown sugar melt.
Place pineapple rings over melted butter and sugar.
Pour cake batter over the pineapple mixture.
Bake 30 to 40 min in a 375* oven.
Turn over on to platter to serve.
It is tricky to turn this over as it should be done while still hot or not complete cooled.
Be careful it is hot!

Burgundy Oven Stew

Burgundy Oven Stew
2 pounds chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium stalks celery, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned, sliced
½ cup barley
3 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. thyme and basil
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 16 ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
1 cup dry red wine
Mix beef, carrots, celery, onions, barley and mushrooms in a
4-quart Dutch oven or casserole. Mix flour, salt, herbs, mustard, and pepper; stir into beef mixture.
Mix in remaining ingredients. Cover and bake 325*about 4 hours.

NOTE: I add potatoes to this but cook them separate and add in the last 30 minutes of cooking. I find the potatoes cook through and hold better when reheating.
This can be doubled.
We make this on New Years day for family and friends

Tomato, Barley, Chicken Soup

Tomato, Barley, Chicken Soup

Serves 4 - 6 Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 11⁄2 hours

Combine in large pot.
3 cups chicken broth
Bring to boil.
Add:
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, with juice, chopped
Turn heat down, cover pot, simmer
Add:
2 cups diced carrots
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp peeled, grated, ginger root
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp crumbled oregano
1 tsp prepared hot Chinese mustard
6–8 chicken legs, skinned or whole cicken cut up or thighs- I prefer thighs.
1⁄2 cup barley
1 cup dry white wine - optional
1⁄2 tsp fresh ground pepper


Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
or until soup is thickened. Turn heat lower(or even off). Transfer
the chicken to a platter and let cool. Strip meat from the bones and
cut into bite size pieces. Return chicken to the pot and reheat soup
if necessary.

Serve with good bread and a good salad.

Notes: I put most of my soups in the oven these days- the gas stove top cooks too hot and does not allow a nice simmer. I can put a soup in the oven at lunch time on a low heat and it will be ready for dinner- better than a cock-pot- which I have never mastered.

End of Summer Ratatouille

Anne down at StarWorks has a garden going and Mark called with the good news she was selling veggies at bottom price.
Bring home whatever she has.
Basil, tomatoes and eggplant.
I am a big eggplant fan- this was good news.
I use to garden on a large scale, but have not done much the last several years. So I now buy from folks who still garden. Our favorite is our good customers Rick and Henrietta. Rick grows the best -save your own seeds- vegetables I have had since my youth. The tomatoes-brandy wines- are sinful and with some sharp cheese...... whoops off the subject.
Back to the eggplant: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
I like to cut up some onion, red pepper, mash some garlic, peel and slice the eggplant, clean and slice some mushrooms - I am throwing all of this in a rectangular glass baking pan- why glass I am going for high heat-
I peel and slice the tomatoes placing them in a colander to drain before adding them to the pan.
How many, well like the peaches- as many as you like- but don't go overboard.
I then add 1/4 cup good olive oil and some splashes of balsamic vinegar.
Salt pepper, fresh basil and oregano.
Cover the pan tightly with foil and Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, stir and bake 20 more minutes.
Now if you want to add some squash you can do that at the 1/2 way point.
Make sure you stir a time or two, keep a close check and turn down the oven to 400 degrees or less if needed and you can bake longer- don't burn. If it is a bit runny add a tablespoon or so of tomato paste.
When you are done you will have the best Ratatouille.
It is so creamy.
You can serve as a side, on top of pasta or with some really good bread.

Apple Crisp

Apple crisp or any crisp is my favorite quick dessert.
In the summer I use fresh blueberries.
Or fresh peaches or both.

When Anna was home I had some peaches and the last few handfuls of blueberries from our garden.
The peaches were not as ripe as I liked and as I peeled them for just eating a plan started.
I layer them in a bowl and threw on 3 tablespoons of triple sec and a tablespoon of sugar.
What the hey- I have maybe two cups blueberries- in they go.
On top of the peaches.
Oh, you want to know how many peaches-
well as many as it takes to fill up the pie plate I was using.
Anyway-
The topping:
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup old fashion oats
1/2 stick butter- you can use more if you like- but I try to use a Little less if I can.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
and cinnamon of course- do you really need me to tell you how much???
As much as you like!
Place this all in a bowl and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour/oats/sugar
throw in 1/2 cups nuts - we used almonds because I had them.
I also like walnuts or pecans.

Throw the whole mess on top of your fruit and bake 350 for about 35-45 minutes.
Serve slightly warm with ice cream.
Go for it after all it's dessert.

In the fall I use apples.

Our Favorite Banana Nut Bread

A quick sweet bread that I made for years when the kids were young.
We love this toasted- with butter or if you are feeling really decadent.
peanut butter!

Our Favorite Banana Nut Bread
cream:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
beat in one at a time:
2 eggs
Add:
3 ripe bananas, mashed
Sift and add
2 cups flour and 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda, dissolved in 3 Tbs. water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pecans
Bake 1 hour at 325 * check with toothpick
Makes two small or 1 large loaf

Whole Wheat and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

This is such a quick bread.
I don't get the time to bake bread like I use to.
And- I don't eat it as much as I use to.
In my family bread was king. We love the smell the taste the butter.......warm.
Sigh, we love bread.
My father was convinced that white bread was an abomination.
And would compare it to eating Library paste.
He thought that the peasants were lucky to have the whole grains while the royalty ate the processed stuff. He was a real snob when it came to food. He never ate fast food. He thought a piece of cardboard was better then a burger from McDonald's.
I begged him when McDonald's first opened to take us there. I was positive it would be great. He would say. " Just let me put Catchup and Mustard on a piece of cardboard, it will taste the same".
My mother finally took us to McDonald's and My thought was , "he is right"! I never developed a taste for fast food.
thank Goodness


Whole Wheat and Rosemary Focaccia Bread
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 envelope dry yeast ( ¼ ounce)
Place warm water in a large bowl along with sugar. Sprinkle with yeast and let stand 5 minutes.
Stir in:
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
Add:
2 cups white flour
½ cup whole wheat
1 tsp. salt
knead until smooth –but soft

place in oiled bowl -cover with towel and let rise in warm area for about 1 hour.

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried
1 glove garlic finely chopped
heat oil and throw in garlic and herbs- cook quickly- but don’t let it burn.

Punch down dough and put on baking sheet- make about a 12” circle.
Top with garlic-herb oil.
Bake in 400 degree oven close to bottom rack for 15-20 minutes.
Cool a bit and cut and serve.