Irish Soda Bread

Signs of Spring are in my yard!

We had friends over last night for a St. Patrick's Day dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage (see this page). 

One of our friends cannot consume gluten, but that's easy in my house! 

For dessert, I made these delicious Almond Cookies (see this page).  I doubled the recipe here so that I could mail some to our son in ABQ, but my little food processor couldn't handle it.  Note to self:  Use a regular stand mixer for doubling the cookie recipe!

I haven't really done a lot of gluten free bread baking, so I wasn't too sure about making my own GF Irish Soda Bread.  (I'm pretty sure that other years I have purchased it from my local GF bakery, "Dee's One Smart Cookie.")  But this year I tried making it myself, and darn, it was great!

First, I pre-heated the oven to 375.

I took out my 8" cast iron skillet and sprayed it with cooking spray.

I took
1/2 cup of raisins
and poured hot (boiling) water over it, letting it sit for 5-10 minutes or so, then draining them.  This plumped up the raisins.  I was hoping this would help to make a nice, moist loaf.  Considering the good results I had, I won't skip this step next time!

In the stand mixer, I put in the following ingredients, in this order, while the mixer churned at its lowest level:

2 cups of Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour,
3 Tbs sugar,
1 tsp baking soda,
1 tsp baking powder,
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum,
4 Tbs SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend
(it's a powered buttermilk that you can find in the baking aisle),
1 tsp caraway seeds, and
1 tsp salt.

I added -
4 Tbs softened butter, and let it run until it's blended with the flour mixture, into little pieces.

Then I tossed in -
1 egg,
1 cup water, and
the soaked raisins.

I mixed it up until blended, then plopped the mixture into the prepared skillet. 
I smoothed the top with wet fingers, then
cut an "X" into the top, as can be seen above.

I baked this for 45 minutes, turning the oven down to 350 after about 25 minutes. 
When I took it out and tested it, I found that an instant-read thermometer clocked it at 190.
The color was pretty dark,
but the loaf had that nice hollow "thump" sound when I rapped on the bottom.
I let it cool on a wire rack.

When I cut it just before dinner, I was delighted to see it looking like this:

My guest loved it so much that I sent a few slices home with her. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day,
and
Happy Spring!

White Sauce, Gravy, and Condensed Soups

I have been doing a little research on making white sauce.

It's not any harder than making gravy!

For gravy on Thanksgiving, I have used the technique set forth by
"GlutenFreeGirl," here. 

I used her proportions of
1/4 cup butter,
1/4 cup sweet rice flour, and
2 cups of turkey stock.

I don't like my gravy too light in color, so I add Gravy Master to this.
(I understand that Gravy Master is GF.)


What do you do when you need
a "can of condensed cream of mushroom soup" for a recipe?
Those certainly are not gluten free, for the most part.

This week I made a dish that called for just that. 

I did it this way:

I melted 2 Tbs of butter in a saucepan.
I stirred in 4 Tbs of rice flour.
I let it cook a while, stirring often,
until it started looking light tan in color.
(It's my understanding that this will
improve the flavor over uncooked flour.)

Then I took a 12-oz can of lowfat (2%) evaporated milk.
I -very slowly- mixed in 8-10 oz of this, stirring constantly.
(I did have a few lumps, but I smooshed them out with a spoon.
Next time I will use a wire whisk!)
I finally added 1/2 tsp of salt.
(You may decide to add more, to taste.)

My recipe called for "cream of mushroom soup."
I could have taken a can or jar of sliced mushrooms
and stirred it into the white sauce concoction, above.
Since it was all getting mixed together, anyway,
I just put it in with the rest of my ingredients. 

If you need a cheese sauce, you can stir 4 oz of shredded cheese into this mix,
along with some paprika and a pinch of dry mustard, if desired. 

If you want a thinner sauce, not the condensed soup version,
just add more liquid.

Not too difficult!
Give it a try!

Ketchup!

I did it yesterday.....I made ketchup!

When I researched making my own ketchup, I found that there are two ways:

1.  The quick and easy way with tomato paste, or

2.  The real old-fashioned way with fresh tomatoes.


I rather favored the quick and easy method.
I started with a recipe, but then
I adjusted the ingredients and method to my own desires.

The original recipe is here.

I put all this in a small saucepan:

1 6-oz can tomato paste,
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar,
1/4 cup brown sugar,
1 tsp garlic powder,
1/4 tsp freshly-ground allspice,
  (I only had whole allspice, so I used a mortar and pestle to grind it.)
1 tsp salt,
1 tsp molasses, and
~1/2 cup water.

I covered it and simmered it for 30-40 minutes on LOW.

Then I put it into a glass container and refrigerated it to make it cold.

The reviews?  Everyone liked it!
No one asked for the plastic bottle in the fridge, anyway.

Here is a photo with my iron skillet potatoes (from August 5, 2010, here.).

I didn't find any specific recommendations for refrigerator life,

but I suggest using this up within a week to be on the safe side.

Off the Handle: A.T.O. Salad

Not long ago we had some old friends at our house for dinner.  Seeing nice avocados in the supermarket that day, I was driven to get some.  That night I served this recipe with salad greens mixed in, and everyone ate it up.

Last night I made this for my parents without the lettuce.  It was a simple addition to a simple gluten free pizza dinner.  Lo and behold, everyone enjoyed it - including my Dad, who had seconds!  (Who would guess?)

A.T.O. Salad (Avocado, Tomato & Onion)
(Serves 4-6)

Mix in a bowl:

2 cups of grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise,
2 avocados (insides only, no pit), chopped, and
1/2 of a red onion, chopped.

In a small bowl, combine for your dressing:

2 Tbs olive oil,
1 Tbs lemon juice, and
1/2 tsp salt.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently. 
Add a little fresh or dried cilantro. 

It does fine waiting in the fridge for up to a day if necessary.

Optional additions: 

lettuce torn into small pieces
chunks of cheese

*   *   *   *   *

For dessert, I made another fruit upside-down skillet cake (see entry of June 4, 2011), except this one was with peaches and cherries instead of apples.  I skipped the nutmeg and cloves, using only cinnamon in the cake mixture. 

Another hit!!

Egyptian Walking Onions

These are "Egyptian Walking Onions."  We learned about them at Old Sturbridge Village.  They have an onion flavor, and the entire plant is edible.

The reason they are called "Walking Onions" is that the bulbs at the end of the stalks eventually get heavy, and the stalk bends over as the bulb touches the ground.  At this point, a new plant will grow.  They can walk right across your garden that way!

Yesterday I made pesto (see post of 7-10-2010), as you might guess from the cropped basil in the background of the photo.  I also had a few leftover bell peppers.  As a side dish, I decided to cook up the peppers in my 8" cast iron skillet with some olive oil.  I added two stalks of the Egyptian Walking Onions, cut like scallions.  I also added a spoonful of that all-purpose "Wow" seasoning that we like.  In the photo below, you can see that the fork is pointing at one of the cut-up walking onion stalk bits.

The "Notta Pasta" rice fettuccini is a good pairing with the pesto.  Once it was cooked, I was careful to rinse it with hot water that I heated on the stove as I cooked the pasta.  Too much mixing doesn't work here (it gets gummy!) ..... so I gently mixed my pesto without the cheese into the pasta, and we generously added parmesan on top, at our individual plates.

After this dinner, John was meeting friends at a restaurant where he did not feel comfortable about it being gluten free....it was an Italian restaurant with lots of opportunity for cross-contamination.  He went ahead to meet his friends, simple joining them with a beverage, feeling comfortably full from our home-cooked meal. 

Parmesan Crisps

John is home for a short time this weekend.  I took him to Whole Foods where he picked up some GF cereal and snacks to keep in his dorm room.  He likes these crisps as a treat.  They are made by "Kitchen Table Bakers", and they are pretty tasty.  We got this package today.

A while back I purchased a silicone mat to bake on.  I had seen that these crisps can be made on them, and thought it would be fun.  I also wondered if they could be baked in a cast iron skillet.

About a month ago I gave it a try.  It was a disaster.  I used parmesan cheese that I buy in containers next to the tomato sauces in the grocery store.  They barely held together.  I added oil.  Ick.  Not for the blog!

As we wandered around Whole Foods today, I saw chunks of "Parmigiano Reggiano" cheese for sale.  We purchased a half pound chunk, and I explained to John how I tried earlier to make the parmesan crisps.  I had the impression that they may work better with a fresh parmesan. 

Well, my college boy had all the information!!  When he was in his Italian class, they had quite a discussion about cheese, and how "Parmegiano Reggiano" is different (and superior) to the "parmesan" you buy in the pasta aisle.  They use a special heirloom type of cow for it, and it's made with raw milk, and they age it differently.  It's only imported from Italy.....it's not made in the U.S.

Okay....we made plans to work on this project right after lunch.

We tried using the silicone mat, a cast iron skillet, and even some baked on parchment paper. 

The results?

The silicone mat won, hands down!  Those baked on a silicone mat were lacy, crispy, and beautiful to behold.  The others were more dense and chewy. 

Plus:  these are easy!


Parmesan Crisps
(Makes 6 crisps)

Take out a silicone mat.  Place it on a cookie sheet.
Preheat the oven to 350.

Take a chunk of solid Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. 
Shred up 1/2 cup into a small bowl.

Add about a teaspoon of Italian Herbs.  Blend.

Spoon this in six tablespoon-sized heaps onto your silicone mat,
evenly spaced.

Bake 5 to 7 minutes.
You will see it bubble!
Stop when it browns slightly.

Remove from oven.
Cool.
Carefully remove from mat,
and artfully place it on a plate.
Hold one up to the light and admire its beauty.

Enjoy!

Off the Handle: Healthy but Yummy Cole Slaw

This is a photo of the bright full moon on Saturday evening, taken across the street from my home.

On Sunday evening, I wanted to make a low-sodium, low-fat dinner.  Basically, it needed to be healthy.  We grilled some turkey burgers, and served them with baked beans, red pepper strips, my healthy cole slaw, and some cooked up apples with craisins and raisins for dessert. 

My brother really liked my cole slaw!  I took the leftovers to work the next day.....I mixed the leftover cole slaw with a half can of rinsed and drained black beans.  It made a satisfying lunch!

Healthy but Yummy Cole Slaw

Serves 6

Take one 16-oz. bag of cole slaw.

Put it in a plastic bowl with an airtight lid (like Tupperware or Rubbermaid).

Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar,

1 Tbs olive oil,

2 Tbs sugar,

1 tsp instant minced onion, and

1/2 tsp celery seed.

Unfortunately, I didn't have celery seed. 

I substituted Italian herbs.

It was fine, but I decided to purchase celery seed for next time.

My original recipe called for 1/2 tsp of salt, but I left it out.

It was fine!

Put the lid on your bowl.

Shake it up.

Put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Serve.

Cole Slaw by Itself

Cole Slaw with Beans

Getting a Handle On: Eating Your Veggies!

I am always happy to see Lent arrive.  It gives me an excellent excuse and motivation to make better choices in my life. 

It seems that, for me, anyway, I eat much more "healthy" in the summer, with its preponderance of fresh produce, like blueberries and tomatoes. 

Then late autumn comes, and then the holidays hit.  My home becomes filled with cookies and other goodies....both the kind with gluten (that others may give to me) and the gluten free kind, which I love to bake so that my GF family member can enjoy similar dishes. 

It's just too darn easy to eat these types of sugary/starchy/high fat foods.  It isn't hard to get them or keep them around to nibble on, and the cold weather keeps me inside, where they call to me.

Enter Lent.  YaY for Lent!  I can make some new resolutions that I am more apt to follow just because it's Lent.  This year I am avoiding snacks and really trying to increase my vegetable intake.

Leafy green vegetables are supposed to be the king of all vegetables. 
They are powerhouses of nutrition. 

I am going to buy something dark and green and leafy every week. 
I figure my skillets will get a good workout, too.

This week I purchased a bunch of broccoli rabe. 
I washed it and sliced it up.
I heated a little bit of olive oil in my 10" skillet,
added 2 cloves of garlic
        (that I minced up with the little dish grater that I got at the flower show),
and added the greens to the pan.
After they wilted but still looked bright green, I sprinkled on a little bit of salt.
(It doesn't make any sense to overdo it on salt when I'm trying to be healthy!)

They do have a "bite" to them, but my health books assure me that I will learn to like it.
And I think I will....

Roasted Broccoli and Peppers

This is a manatee in the South Florida museum in Bradenton, Florida.  He is a pretty old manatee (over 60 years old!) that cannot be released into the natural environment. 
His name is "Snooty."  He likes lettuce and broccoli and things like that. 
I had the opportunity to see him in early 2010.

Manatees are fascinating beings.  Big and slow and adorable. 
I watched this guy for quite a while. 

Snooty likes his veggies fresh, but roasting them is nice for humans.  For my Mom's birthday dinner I roasted broccoli and red peppers.  I need to do more of this roasting. 
I could have used more leftovers on that one!

Roasted Broccoli and Peppers
(Serves 4-6)

Preheat your oven to 425.  (400 will work, too.)

Take 3 stalks of broccoli, trim the stalks a little, and halve them lengthwise.

Slice up a red bell pepper into chunks or strips.  (I made pieces about 3/4" by 2").

Coat your skillet with olive oil, put the veggies in artistically,
and drizzle olive oil over it all.

Sprinkle with seasonings to taste.  I used that WOW seasoning that I have used in the past.  You probably want a small amount of salt in the seasoning. 
A little garlic is nice, too.

Cover with foil.  Bake 10-15 minutes.   Uncover.  Bake 10 min. more. 

Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

This photo was taken in Woodstock, Vermont.  We were able to get away for a quick cross-country ski weekend earlier this month.  We had just enough overnight snowfall to make the skiing very nice.  It was fun.

In Connecticut we have way more snow than this now. 
Today we have freezing rain on top of that. 

No fun.

At least it is fun to cook inside.  Over the weekend I made stuffed mushrooms as a side dish to our chicken dinner.  The cast iron skillet does a great job with them!!

Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 375.

Defrost 8 oz of frozen chopped spinach. 
(I usually cook it halfway in the microwave, then let it cool.) 
Squeeze out the excess liquid. 

Clean a 14-oz package of stuffing mushrooms.
Take the stems out.  Chop them up. 

Mix the spinach and chopped mushroom stems with:
1/4 tsp garlic powder,
1 egg, 2-4 Tbs of parmesan, and
1/4 cup gluten free bread crumbs.

Heap this mixture into all the mushroom caps.
Place them into a greased 10-inch skillet.
Bake 30 minutes.

Getting a Handle on: Holiday Gatherings

I mentioned in my last post that I was hosting Thanksgiving this year.  We had 14 at the table, and it all went well.  I was happy to see that the relatives all have an acceptance of the gluten thing.  I invited others to bring some gluten free dishes, but I did not require it.  I had the most wonderful positive responses where people asked questions about how to do this.  They may have brought other dishes with obvious gluten (pies, green bean casserole....), but they were open to understanding about cross contamination issues.  When I thought about the things I am grateful for at Thanksgiving, that one was high on this year's list. 

Appetizers were the easy part.  I usually stick to cheese, crackers and nuts, since I love them all.  The Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thins prompted comments of, "These are good!" and "Where do I get these?"  A cousin brought along pear halves stuffed with cheese and fruit.  Mmmm!

For the turkey, I mixed olive oil with McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning, pulled up the skin, and spread the mixture around under that.  We cooked the bird breast-side-down for the first two hours (tented with foil), which is supposed to make the meat more tender.  After two hours, we flipped it over.  I think that may have messed up the pop-up timer on it, but we always check with an instant-read thermometer nonetheless.  It was indeed tender!  We had a 12-lb turkey as I really didn't want to wrestle with a huge 24-lb one.

We also baked a turkey breast that I seasoned with a mixture of mustard, rosemary and garlic, topped it with a loose cover of foil, and baked that.  Again....very good. 

Gravy?  I found a good recipe online at http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2006/11/it-is-absurdly-easy-to-make-gluten.html.  No one seemed to notice that it was gluten free. 

Stuffing?  Last year no one really wanted to try the gluten free stuffing that I had made.  In the interest of keeping a gluten-free cooking area, I assigned "traditional" stuffing to my brother.  People enjoyed his so much that they immediately labeled him the new "stuffing man" and told him it's his job from now on!  I sent the leftovers home with him. 

For John, I made a gluten free stuffing using two boxes of Van's waffles.  We put the waffles in the oven for a few minutes the night before.  I should have cut them into cubes at this point, but I was lazy and just turned off the oven and went to bed.  In the morning we had dried-out waffles.  I cubed them, cooked up onion and celery in 4 Tbs. butter, added 1 tsp sage, 2 Tbs parsley, and 2 tsp herbs de province; poured on 1 1/2 cups of gluten free chicken stock, and popped it into a crock pot for a few hours.  This worked out well!

We had mashed potatoes.....plus some roasted sweet potatoes done in the same manner as my roasted new potatoes (11/21/10) and iron skillet potatoes (8/5/10), with olive oil and that WOW seasoning that I like.  I didn't really pay a lot of attention to the time, I just roasted them over an hour in the same 325-degree oven with the turkeys, stirring them about halfway.  The photo above is John and Peter helping out with the preparation for that dish.  They are a BIG help!  (Thanks, guys!!)

Other vegetables and sides were supplied by my cousins and aunt.  Most (not all) were gluten free, but once things are on the table the risk of cross contamination is high.  John took his food first, before others even sat down at the table.  To ensure that he had "safe" leftovers, I had him set aside a good amount of food to immediately put in the fridge for himself.  We labeled any leftovers that he could eat as "GF".  Cranberry sauce is gluten free....and Whole Foods has GF cheddar biscuits in their freezer case that are fabulous.   I think everyone enjoyed those!

Dessert is the tricky part.  I made a GF pumpkin pie, which I gladly served to anyone who wanted it, but I was determined to keep it GF for John's leftovers.  I served slices of this pumpkin pie, then put it aside while we served other pies.  If I went back to the pumpkin, it was with a clean knife and onto clean dishes! 

Most people want "a little piece of everything," LOL!

I also put out Dove chocolates, which everyone likes.

Here is my chestnut recipe, which are nice with coffee.  People can sit around the table, smacking chestnuts to open them as they continue to chat.  I did cook them in my cast iron skillet, which got them a little extra-roasted on the side that contacted the skillet.  This reminded me of chestnuts that you can get in New York City from vendors!

Roasted Chestnuts

Soak your chestnuts in a bowl of cold water for 30-60 minutes; drain.
(I find that the soaking makes peeling very easy!)

Make sure your oven is on.  I put it at 350. 
Cut a slit in the shell of the rounded side of the chestnut. 
Make sure the cut goes all the way through  the shell.

Arrange chestnuts in a single layer in your pan.
Bake 40 min.

Let cool at least 5 minutes.  Peel.

Fruity Pork Roast with Roasted New Potatoes

This is a red-tailed hawk.  We had at least one of these flying over our house this fall, screeching all the while.  It was eerie and way cool at the same time.  Peter once saw a hawk having a pigeon for lunch.  A neighbor recently told me he saw our hawk grab a rabbit and take off.  Amazing. 

Now that I have this blog, I am like a hawk only in that I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try.  With the holidays coming, there will be plenty! 

Last weekend we had friends over and served this dinner, along with some salad.  Everyone really liked it.  I don't seem to care much for pork roast, but I had a small piece, and I think the fruit was the best part.  Enjoy!

Fruity Pork Roast

Preheat the oven to 350.

Place a 4-lb pork loin roast in a roasting pan. 
Mix together:
1/4 cup deli mustard, and
2 Tbs brown sugar.

Spread it over the roast.
Tent the roast with foil.  (Leave it loose.)

Roast for 3 hours, basting with 1/4 cup apple juice after one and two hours.....
so that makes a total of 1/2 cup apple juice.

During the last hour that the roast is cooking, combine
1 cup dried plums,
1 cup dried apricots,
3/4 cup red wine,
1/4 cup brown sugar,
1/8 tsp. cloves, and
2 tsp cornstarch.

Heat it up in the microwave.  I didn't quite get it to boil.

Pour it on and around the roast in the last hour of cooking. 
Check for doneness....an instant read thermometer will register 160 when it's ready.

That's it!

Roasted New Potatoes

Take the appropriate amount of new potatoes for your number of servings.  Eyeball it.  Use red, white, or yellow potatoes.

Wash them.  If you want to be fancy, peel a little strip around the outside.

Drizzle with olive oil to coat. 
Add some adobo seasoning to taste.  Mix it all up.
Put it all into an appropriately-sized cast iron skillet....in one layer.
Bake 25 min at whatever your oven temperature is....(I have used both 350 and 425)
Stir.
Bake 25 min more.

Parmesan Bread Sticks

We will be seeing this word a lot now that the holiday season is fast approaching.  But joy is an interesting concept when you start to ponder it.  For example, my dishwasher has been broken for the last week.  I will have a new one delivered this week, but in the meantime we have been washing by hand.  Although I am not thrilled at this extra work, and I continue to automatically open the non-functioning dishwasher to put my juice glass in at breakfast time, it does have its good points, such as the teamwork of washing and drying together. 

I have also been pondering the mindfulness exercise of washing dishes.  In books about mindfulness meditation, they discuss washing a dish mindfully.  Feel the water, sense the soap, take your time and involve your whole being in it.  Come to think of it, my dishwashing liquid smells pretty nice.  It's possible to find joy in the mundane.

We continue to do a fair amount of entertaining lately.  It's much cheaper than dining out, and by doing things for others we activate the pleasure centers in our brains.  I get a lot of joy out of making food that not only does John enjoy, but everyone else does as well.  When it was his birthday last weekend I attempted to make breadsticks like the "Chebe" brand.  The recipe is below.  We then tasted both the Chebe and my attempt....and the agreement was that although the Chebe has a slightly better texture, mine have more flavor.  Everyone seemed to like them both.  If you try them, let me know what you think!

Yes, John took every last one back to school.  They are considered to be a successful recipe that brought joy to all. 

Parmesan Bread Sticks
(Makes 16)

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix in a bowl:

1 7/8 cups gluten free flour (I used a tapioca blend, specifically "Jules" brand.  If you use GF flour that doesn't have xanthan gum already in it, consider adding a tsp or so.),
1/2 tsp salt,
1 tsp Italian herbs,
1/2 tsp garlic powder, and
1/2-3/4 cup parmesan.  (I used 1/2, am wondering if 3/4 will work better.)

Add 2 Tbs oil, 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup milk. 
Mix, adding more milk as necessary to make a dough consistency.....like pie crust.  Use your hands and knead it a little. 

Separate dough into 16 pieces.
Form dough pieces into sticks about 1/2" in diameter.

Place sticks into an ungreased pan.  I did put some into my cast iron pan and that worked nicely, but some also went on a cookie sheet.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Flying Off the Handle: Avocado Salads

These are angora goats.  We get mohair from them. 

(And you may have thought we get mohair from mo's!!)

These goats were at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival a few weeks ago.  They are funky looking, in a cute sort of way!  Mohair is fun to knit with.  It is super-warm, and the finished project has a "halo effect" from the fuzziness of the fiber.

When I met with my knitting friends last week, we discussed ways we all get vegetables into our meals.  My friend, Monica, shared that she buys little bags of avocados at Whole Foods and makes salads from them.  My ears perked up.  Avocado?  I love avocado, but I am not sure what to do with it other than guacamole.  A few days later I bought my own bag of avocados.  The first salad is one I threw together; the second is from Monica. 

Monica is from Chile.  She says that lemon trees (and avocados) grow very well in most parts of Chile - hence the use of lemon juice as a dressing for her avocado salad.  Nice and easy to throw together as you are heating up other parts of a meal!  

Chunky Guacamole Salad
(Serves 2)

Toss together:

One avocado, chopped,
1/2 of a red onion, chopped,
1/2 of a 14.5-oz can chopped fire roasted tomatoes,
3/4 tsp. WOW seasoning,
a splash of lime juice, and
1 tsp. sugar.

Avocado and Chick Pea Salad
(Serves 2)

Toss together:

1 avocado, chopped,
1/2 of a 19-oz can of chick peas, rinsed,
1/2 Tbs. olive oil,
1 tsp lemon juice, and
1/2 tsp garlic pepper seasoning (with salt in it).

Hash Browns

This is another photo from the Connecticut Science Museum.  There is no one inside this space suit replica.

However, there is plenty of substance inside this recipe, which unfortunately I developed after John went back to college.  It is out of this world!  Will definitely do it again!

HH's GF Hash Brown Potatoes

(Serves 3)

Take two medium potatoes.  Clean and peel off any skin that might have yucky stuff underneath.  A little bit of skin adds to the charm, however. 

Shred your potatoes with a grater.  Be careful not to grate your fingers.  Rinse these potato shreds by placing them in a colander and pouring cold tap water on them until the water is clear.  Drain and squeeze dry.  You can use a clean towel to squeeze it dry.

Put the potato shreds in a bowl.  Add: 

1 onion, finely chopped,

1/4 cup white rice flour,

1 Tbs of WOW! seasoning (or other blend with a little salt in it), and

1 egg.

Heat 2 Tbs oil in a 10" skillet.  It will be ready when a single drop of water sizzles when you drop it on the pan.  Turn your heat to medium low.

Divide your potato mixture into about 6 globs.  Drop these globs into the skillet.  Cook about 8 minutes.  Flip with a spatula.  Cook about 8 minutes more. 

Any astronaut would be happy to have this after living on freeze dried food all week! 

It looks like this:

Veggie Stuffed Shrooms

Remember the three pinch pots I made and posted a photo of on July 22?  Well, I finally have them back, all fired up and finished.  There is one in particular that I thought would be perfect for a candle.  It cooperated by allowing a glass votive candle holder to fit perfectly inside.  We have been using it during dinner to provide a little ambience.  Here it is:

Something I am proud of, asymmetrical and imperfect by design.....

I am proud of my recent stuffed mushrooms, as well.  I was in the store to buy chicken for our cookout last weekend (with the drunken nectarines for dessert), standing in the produce department, and looking over the big portobellos.  They were just too big for our party of four.  What could I do with them? 

Then I noticed the huge white stuffing mushrooms next to them, and I suddenly saw the light.  I could make stuffed mushrooms in a cast iron skillet!  As I put it together at home, however, the stuffing appeared rather soupy.  It was getting late, and I didn't have a choice....I stuffed the mushrooms with it, regardless.  I tasted the leftover.  It tasted good, but I could just see the whole thing collapsing into the plates as we cut into them.  I doubted it would make it to my blog like this.

Obviously, I was wrong!

What did I learn?  I learned to heed the lesson of my wabi-sabi pinch pots!  As I embrace imperfection, I just may come up with something that is darned near perfect. 

Veggie Stuffed Shrooms

(Serves 5)

Clean the mushrooms from a 14-oz pkg. of big stuffing mushrooms (about 10). 

Remove the stems, saving them.  (Rocking them back and forth helps to remove them.)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Chop up finely (I used my electric chopper):

1/2 onion,

1/2 green pepper,

1/2 red pepper, and

the stems removed from your mushrooms.

In your 8" skillet, saute the chopped veggies in 1 Tbs. olive oil.

Add 1 tsp Worstershire sauce

and a few turns of the pepper grinder. 

Remove from heat. 

Stir in 1/4 cup cream cheese, and

1/4 cup of gluten free feta cheese (I used Alouette brand).

Quickly beat in 1 egg white.

Lightly grease your 10" skillet.

Arrange your shrooms in it.

Stuff your shrooms.

Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. parmesan cheese.

Bake 30 min. 

Admire the pretty flecks of color.

Eat slowly and savor.

Flatbread

This photo is of the horse I rode on the carousel at the Heritage Museum on Cape Cod a short while ago.  Sometimes I feel like I am on a permanent carousel.  Up and down, round and round.  Life doesn't stop.  Up, with weddings or babies or awards/honors....down, with illness or deaths or divorces.  Going round and round all the while, life continues on.  Sometimes it seems like there are more downs than ups, so we need to pay attention to the ups and celebrate them, no matter how small they may be.  More on that in another post.....

I forgot to mention the nice cupcakes I got for John to eat at the rehearsal dinner and wedding last weekend.  They were from Dee's One Smart Cookie, and the link is here.  Delicious jumbo cupcakes with raspberry filling.  Awesome! 

Last night I made another quick dinner of Jones Canadian Bacon, which is gluten free, eggs, and some flatbread.  I was first introduced to the idea of flatbread from the book, Food Matters, by Mark Bittman.  I always change my recipes, knitting patterns and other directions.....and here is what I wound up doing.  I changed many things, like the proportions and cooking method.  The result is an interesting mix of textures:  crunchy on the bottom, with the onion imparting a creamy mouthfeel, and a dense top of something between bread and a cracker.  Next time I think I will dust the top with parmesan or cracked pepper or sesame seeds or something to give visual interest.  I would like to try other flours, too....there are many different gluten free flour blends available!

HH's Flatbread

This is also known as "Socca."

 

Preheat oven to 450.

Chop 1/2 a small onion into tiny bits. 

Mix 1 cup garbanzo flour (Bob's Red Mill makes this),

1/2 tsp. salt, and

1 cup water. 

Use a wire whisk to make it smooth.   Set it aside for now.

Heat 1-2 Tbs oil in the 10" skillet

Add chopped onion and 1/2 tsp Herbs de Province.  This is something I picked up about a month ago....it has thyme, rosemary, savory, basil, lavender, and other stuff, too.  If you don't have this, use whatever strikes you that day.

Cook a little until the onion softens.  By this time your oven should be preheated. Pour the flour and water mixture over the onions.  Pop the skillet into the oven and bake 25-30 min.  Cut into wedges.  Serves 3-4. 

 

Update 10-12-2013:  Flatbread Pizza!

 

Today I used this basic recipe for a flatbread pizza for two. 

We were heading out for a car show in the afternoon, so in the morning I combined:

 1 cup garbanzo flour 

1/2 tsp. salt,

~1 tsp. of Italian herbs,

~1 Tbs of olive oil, and

1 cup water.

 

I covered this and set it in the refrigerator to allow the flour to absorb the liquid while we were away.

 

When we came home, I turned on the oven to 450.

I put another tablespoon of olive oil into my 10" cast iron skillet.

I put that into the oven to heat up, then I poured the batter into the hot pan.

I baked it about 22 minutes.  It looked nice.

I shifted the oven to broil.

I topped the flatbread with some tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, and grated parmesan.

I returned the pan to the oven/broiler until the mozzarella was melted.

It slid out of the pan easily.  Once on a platter, I cut it into six slices.

 

Okay, truth be told, I made two of these.  But one was all we needed for the two of us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flying Off the Handle: Boudro's Guacamole

In April 2009 I was happy to have the chance to visit San Antonio's Riverwalk.  We asked at the hotel desk where they would recommend that we dine to experience the local cuisine.  They immediately responded that we should head to Boudro's Restaurant.  Here is a photo of a section of the Riverwalk:

We were lucky enough to get a table for two outside, right along the Riverwalk.  On recommendation from the hotel, we ordered the tableside guacamole. 

I decided that this stuff could sustain life all by itself. 

I watched our server prepare the guacamole and could see how easy it is.  I took notes, then went home and found the recipe online.  The recipe is available here.

For the tomatoes, I just use canned roasted tomatoes,  like Hunts Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes.   I may use a tablespoon of orange juice instead of the "juice of 1/4 of an orange," and a tablespoon of bottled lime juice for the "juice of 1/2 a lime."  I use 1/2 tsp. salt.  I understand the Serrano pepper is optional. 

I think the lime really does it for me.   I usually double the recipe and use two avocados.  I have had more success when I stick to the Haas avocados....they have a nicer texture.  Delicious!

Iron Skillet Potatoes

Fuschia are so lovely....the colorful cascading blossoms are one of my favorites. 

I actually got the idea for this blog while thinking of one of my favorites:  skillet potatoes!  This is what I basically previously made with my 10-inch skillet.  Easy, delicious, and gluten free, even when I didn't care about gluten free recipes.  Enjoy!

Iron Skillet Baked Potato Fries

Preheat the oven to 425. 

Cut up 4 medium potatoes.

Cut them any way you wish:  chunks?  steak fries?

Put them in a bowl with 2 Tbs olive oil.

Mix it up.

Add a Tbs. of seasoning.  I love this WOW! seasoning that I picked up in one of our jaunts to Rhinebeck, NY.  If you use your own creativity, be sure to add some salt.  Mix it up again.

 

Pour it all into your 10" skillet.

Place skillet of potatoes into oven for 20-25 minutes.

Stir.  BE CAREFUL because it's VERY HOT!

Put back in oven for another 20-25 minutes. 

WOW!!!!

Skillet Onions and Peppers

We have a birdhouse.  Peter got it for me last year as an anniversary gift.  We were happy when house wrens moved in.  They are cute and have a pleasant song.  Here is a house wren:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Wren/id 

About a month after the house wrens established their home, we heard a big ruckus outside.  After a brief fight, house sparrows moved in.  Here is a house sparrow:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/id 

The house sparrows tend to be those birds you find everywhere, like at McDonald's, or living above store entrances.  They have an annoying "cheep."  No song.  But I am biased at this point.....

I didn't like the way they just took over. 

John and I tried to drive them away by spraying them with water (using a super soaker), but we soon found that these guys are *very* persistent.  When I saw them procreating in my tomato plants, I decided that was too much.  On the fourth of July, 2009, we took down the house and made a smaller hole (exactly one inch in diameter) of metal, so they couldn't enlarge it.  Here is the house:

The house sparrows could not get in, but they don't give up easily.  It took weeks before they finally left.  The wrens were back in business.

This year, a similar situation ensued, although the sparrows attempted to set up house earlier.  Beats me why they continue like this.  They positively can't get in.   On the day in early July that we visited Old Sturbridge Village, a full battle was raging.  The wrens were dive-bombing the sparrows, who sat on the house like it was their own.  Sometimes they were fighting on the ground.  It wasn't pretty.  I came home and looked outside for any carcasses.  Thankfully, none were found. 

The wrens won.  They have been nesting peacefully for a number of weeks now.  The cool thing is that the babies are hatched.  If you sit outside and listen, every so often you will hear a lot of noise coming from the house.  When you look up, you will see a parent at the door, bringing food to their cherubs.  It makes me happy. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Here is a recipe that makes us happy.  It's easy to cook up some onions and peppers in the 8-inch cast iron skillet, then throw them on pasta.  Yum!  Eat and smile!

Skillet Onions and Peppers

Heat 1-2 Tbs Oil in a skillet on medium-low.

Add:  1 cut up green pepper, and one cut up onion.

Increase heat to medium.

Add salt-free garlic and pepper blend to taste (I used McCormick).

Cook and stir every so often, about 15 min. total.

Top your cooked pasta with these veggies, then put on some sauce and cheese.  Smile!