This recipe proved to be more challenging than the others, so please read the entire set of recommendations for better results! This is the last entry from my Facebook self-challenge (for a while at least). The recommended ingredient was mushrooms. I have loads of recipes that include mushrooms but wanted to challenge myself to create something new. Since eggplant was also on the list, I’ve continued to explore the vegetarian version of one of my favorite comfort meals, Beef Stroganoff. For a quick look at the process, see the following video.
The Recipe
1 medium eggplant 3.5 oz. container shiitake mushrooms, sliced 8 oz. container portobello mushrooms, sliced 2 shallots, diced 3 cloves garlic, diced
1 egg 1 C. breadcrumbs* 1 T. Worcestershire 1 C. sour cream 1 T. tarragon Salt and Pepper to taste Olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place eggplant on baking sheet. Make a few incisions into eggplant. Bake for 45 minutes. Place in ice bath for faster cooling. Peel and dice eggplant. Place in small bowl. Mash. Coat bottom of oven proof frying pan (I used cast iron) with olive oil. Saute sliced mushrooms, shallots, and garlic until mushrooms are golden brown. Move mashed eggplant to a larger bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the mushroom mixture, egg, Worcestershire, breadcrumbs, S&P. Mix thoroughly. Roll into 2″ meatballs. Remove remaining mushroom mixture from skillet. Place meatballs into skillet and bake for approx. 30 minutes at same temperature (400 degrees), or until brown and cooked through. Place skillet on burner over medium heat. Add mushrooms, sour cream, and tarragon. Bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve over cooked egg noodles (prepared per directions on package).
*The breadcrumb measurement will be dependent upon how wet the eggplant mixture is before you add the breadcrumbs. Since I was experimenting with this recipe, I ended up using 1 full cup of breadcrumbs. I used Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs. I think it might be better to absorb some of the liquid from the eggplant mash before adding anything to it. Simply pat the mash with paper towels to reduce moisture. Add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs first, then add small amounts at a time until the mixture feels sturdy enough to hold together. If it’s too sticky, it won’t hold shape. If you want to experiment further, you could use dry, parmesan shaker cheese to replace some of the breadcrumbs.
EXTRA NOTE: I was going to use some grated mace in the sauce or some nutmeg. I couldn’t find mace and opted out of the nutmeg, but I think either would be an interesting addition.
This simple but elegant dip is a great addition to your entertaining table…well, forget entertaining for a while…make it for yourself! This is part 2 of the Facebook Ingredient Self-Challenge. Today’s ingredient is asparagus.
Recipe Prep time – 15 minutes Refrigerate 1 hour Total time 1:15
Ingredients 16 thin asparagus spears, chopped 5 oz. salmon 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 T. half & half 4 scallions, chopped 2 T. fresh dill, chopped 1 tsp. smoked paprika 1 tsp. hot sauce such as Tabasco Salt and Pepper to taste
Bring a small pot of water to boil. Chop asparagus into small pieces. Boil asparagus for 1 minute only. Drain. Immerse into ice water bath to halt cooking. While asparagus is cooling, mix all remaining ingredients. When asparagus is cool, drain and add to mixture. Best if refrigerated for an hour.
This dip is delicious served with crackers or nacho chips. Optional: add a dash of Liquid Smoke to taste
Last weekend, I was looking for ideas for new recipe creations and decided to ask my Facebook Friends for help. I created a post asking for a single ingredient. Thanks to several of my friends, I found inspiration in creating a few new recipes. The next three posts are the result of this self-challenge.
I LOVE chili, particularly in the fall and winter. I mean who doesn’t? About 15 years ago, I was introduced to the combination of chili topped with cole slaw. Traditional spicy beef chili has been my go-to many Sunday afternoons during football season. However, I’ve been cutting way back on red meat so I was looking for a substitute.
This recipe includes 3 ingredients from the post: Eggplant, Poblano Peppers and Cabbage. Here’s a quick view of the process.
The Recipe Prep time 2 hours. Serves 8-10
Dill Cole Slaw 1 bag pre-cut slaw 1 C. mayonaise 1/3 C. sour cream 1/4 C. chopped fresh dill Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix All Ingredients. Refrigerate.
Chili 1 Medium Eggplant 1 Sweet Potato 3 Poblano Peppers 1 Large Onion-Chopped 3 Cloves Garlic 1-28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
1-16 oz. Can Black Eyed Peas 1-16 oz. Can Black Beans 3 C. Water 1 Tsp. each Chili powder, Cumin, Smoked Paprika Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange eggplant, sweet potato, and peppers on a baking sheet. With a knife, make several small incisions into the sweet potato and eggplant. The poblanos with be ready first after about 30 minutes, the eggplant and sweet potato will take about 45 minutes. For faster cooling immerse the eggplant and sweet potato into an ice bath. In the meantime, heat a large pot over medium heat. Drizzle enough olive oil to cover bottom of the pot. Chop the onion and garlic, add to the pot, saute until onions are translucent. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove tops, slice, scrape out seeds and chop. When the eggplant and sweet potato are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and chop to desired size. Add all to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes and water. Drain the black eyed peas and black beans and rinse. Add to the pot. Add seasoning. Allow to heat through. I like to wait about an hour for all to meld together.
For Serving Ladle chili into a large soup bowl. Garnish with Dill Cole Slaw.
I’ve been making traditional ribollita (with chicken broth and pancetta) but wanted to experiment with a vegetarian version to serve to one of my vegetarian friends. I’m not a huge fan of pre-made vegetable broth and I needed a smokey substitute for the pancetta – so I chose fennel, leeks and smoked gouda.
Watch this video for a quick view of the process.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hr. 30 minutes
Servings: 8 hearty bowls
Vegetarian Ribollita
Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, Rough Chop
1 Fennel Bulb, Rough Chop
2 Leeks, Rough Chop
5 Carrots, Rough Chop
4 Cloves Garlic, Rough Chop
6 Cups Water
1 – 28 Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
3 – 16 Oz. Cans Cannellini Beans, Drained
1 Box Frozen Chopped Spinach
3 Bay Leaves, 2 Tsp. Oregano
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 – 3 oz Block Smoked Gouda
Cover the bottom of a large pot with olive oil. Over medium heat, saute onions, fennel, leeks, carrots and garlic until onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for about an hour until carrots are tender. Before serving, remove bay leaves.
Croutons
1 Loaf Ciabatta Bread (pre-sliced or whole)
Olive Oil Drizzle
Preheat oven to 375. Slice bread into chunks. Drizzle with olive oil and toss. Bake about 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on the process. For best results, stir the croutons after about 5 minutes.
Plating
Place desired amount of croutons on bottom of large bowl. Ladle soup over croutons. Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
Alternatives
Replace the water with 48 oz. chicken broth. Replace smoked gouda with 6 oz. chopped pancetta.
I’m listening to Meghan Trainor’s song All About That Bass as I write this post and if I’m not careful with bread consumption this winter, it could be all about MY b-ass. It’s hard to resist eating half the loaf when it’s warm from the oven. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take since baking bread while the snow falls is one of my greatest pleasures.
I’ve been baking bread since I was in college. While others were deeply involved in clubs, studying or partying I was hanging out at my Philosophy professor’s home baking with his wife. (OK, by then I was a junior and had my fill of partying.) While he mentored me on the finer points of theories by Hume and Kant, she introduced me to “Beard on Bread.” Those folks influenced my life more than I could have ever guessed.
I think a lot of people hesitate to try bread since it’s time consuming and has the potential for utter failure. Not to mention the CARBS. That’s understandable. However, in case you too are craving the most wonderful comfort food there is – warm crusty homemade bread – keep reading and you’ll see 3 recipes and a relatively easy method.
Below are the ingredients for three different breads, white, wheat and cinnamon raisin. My method for all of them is similar so I’ve made a chart of ingredients and will explain the simple steps I use to make 2 loaves at a time.
Rustic Cinnamon Raisin
Ingredients
White
Wheat
Cinnamon Raisin
Milk
1.5 c
1.5 c
1.5 c
Butter
2 T
2 T
6 T
Sugar
1 T+
1 T+
1/3-1/2 cup +
Salt
1 T
1 T
1 T
Water
½ c
½ c
½ c
Eggs
0
0
2 (step 3 below)
White Flour
5.5 c
2.5 c
5.5 c
Wheat Flour
0
2
0
Yeast
1.5 T
1.5 T
1.5 T
Honey
0
¼ c
0
Cinnamon
0
0
yes
Raisins
0
0
yes
Risings
single
single
double
Step 1: Pour 1.5 cups of milk into a glass measuring cup. Add butter, sugar and salt. Microwave for approximately 1-2 minutes (depending on your microwave power). Milk should feel hot (but not boiling) and butter should start melting. Stir ingredients to dissolve sugar and salt. If you over heated, allow a few minutes for this combination to cool slightly – if you stick your finger in and it burns it’s too hot! It should be about the same temperature as the water below. You don’t want to kill the yeast.
Step 2: Pour ½ cup of warm water (officially 110 – 115°) into another glass measuring cup. Sprinkle about ¼ tsp. sugar into the warm water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add 1.5 T yeast and stir. Then let it rest and watch it grow!
Step 3: Pour milk mixture into large mixing bowl. (If you are making Cinnamon Raisin add the two eggs now, they should already be cracked and whisked in a smaller bowl. If you are making wheat, add the honey now.) Add yeast. Begin adding flour with mixer on slow mode.
Use the dough hook attachment of your mixer.
When most of the flour is mixed, increase the mixer speed. Alternate adding flour, reducing mixer speed each time (otherwise the flour spews out of the bowl – the voice of experience). When you remove from the bowl it can still be slightly sticky.
White bread read for kneading
For the wheat bread: Begin with 1 cup of white flour to get the yeast mixed in properly. Then add the wheat flour. Finish with white as needed. Don’t try to use all wheat flour in an attempt to be “healthier.” For this recipe, it won’t work and becomes far too dense.
The consistency for each bread is slightly different. The white bread when ready for kneading will be slightly more silky than the wheat bread which will be more dense and grainy. (makes sense right?)
Step 4: Sprinkle flour on counter top, place dough on the prepped counter, sprinkle more flour over dough and begin kneading. Knead dough about 20 times.
Step 5: Cut the dough into 2 sections and knead a few more times, then shape into loaves.
White bread read for kneading
Wheat bread ready for kneading
Minimal kneading required.
You can see the difference between the white and wheat consistency.
Dividing the dough into 2 loaves
White is much smoother.
Smaller loaves because the wheat flour is so dense.
Step 6: Place loaves into greased loaf pans and place in oven to rise. I have a “proof” setting on my oven but you could preheat to low temp then turn off just to have a little heat. I cover my pans with a dish towel.
Step 7: After the bread has approximately doubled in size, bake at 350° for about 25-30 minutes. I test to see if it’s baked by tapping on the top. If it sounds hollow, it’s finished.
Bread has doubled.
The Cinnamon Raisin Bread requires more work and time but is well worth the effort. Unlike many versions of CR bread that can be super sweet, my recipe is more earthly with a subtle hint of sugar.
After you have added and completely mixed approximately 5 cups of flour add the raisins to the bowl and mix on slow speed. TIP: I place raisins in a small microwave safe bowl and cover with water. I microwave warming the water and allow to cool as I’m making the rest of the recipe. Drain the water from the raisins and pour into the mixture. These raisins are much more tender than raisins directly from the box. Not a bad idea for cookie recipes as well.
This dough, when removed for kneading will be more sticky and silky than the other two. Knead the dough using the same method as above and place into a greased bowl for the first rising.
Cover dough, let rise for approximately an hour to double in size. Then the fun begins. Hover over each photo below to see the next steps in this recipe.
Divide bread into 2 sections
On floured surface, using rolling pin flatten dough. Notice pan above for approx width of bread
Butter pads
Spread butter across dough
Sprinkle with cinnamon. It looks like a lot but remember the dough will once again double in size.
Roll dough.
Place in prepared loaf pan for 2nd rising. Approx. 1 hr to double in warmed oven, covered as above.
Rustic Cinnamon Raisin
Seem like too much work? If so, let me do it for you! Contact me for more information.
The first time I made hamburger soup was in my home economics class, 7th grade, 1973. Mom used to make vegetable soup on a regular basis, but as a kid I didn’t like it much. When I was introduced to a soup with fewer veggies and ground beef instead of stew meat, I was thrilled. I came home from school that day, insisting we make a batch together. Mom liked it too.
A lot has changed since 1973. I now like vegetables in soup. Home economics is now called “Family and Consumer Science” – seriously. Beef in any form is not really viewed as a healthy choice.
What hasn’t changed is the ease and irresistible flavor of this simple recipe.
Ingredients
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 32 oz. box beef broth
1 can San Marzano whole tomatoes (I like to put the whole tomato in and after it cooks I stir through and cut each in half or quarters.)
2 cans water
4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 T. Oregano
2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
1.5 c. uncooked ditalini (more or less your preference)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Using a 6 quart pot, brown ground beef. Add all other ingredients except ditalini. Bring to boil. After boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender. Add uncooked ditalini. Boil until dilalini is al dante.
Variations: add a few diced potatoes. Top with your favorite cheese when served.
Total prep and simmer time about 2 hours to allow flavors to meld together.
By now you know I love food. I love to eat it, prepare it, shop for it, learn about it and talk about it. Most of my readers thus far probably know I have two sons and through my marriage have two step daughters and two step sons. When I first became involved with my husband Keith, our kids ranged in age from 15-28 and only one of them was involved with the person he ultimately married. Today, our family has grown from seven to 22! We now have five married kids, the youngest getting married this year, and 8 grandchildren. For the first several years of gatherings at the farm, when the kids packed in, home from college or work, I did most of the shopping and cooking and my husband was the dish guy. I enjoyed cooking for the kids because they like food too.
Over the years, through marriage and maturity, many of the kids have developed a love for food almost as much, and in some cases more than, me. So you can imagine how excited I am when they prepare food for me. With each passing year at family gatherings the kids and I happily take turns with the food planning and prep. I get a huge kick out of the obsessive planning. I used to think it was a “McGee thing” to be talking about the next meal while eating the current meal. But it’s not, it’s a food-lovers thing.
I’m currently visiting Keith’s daughter Ellen and her family in sunny Florida. Here, I’m enjoying darling grandchildren, spectacular sunrises and sunsets, the remarkably clear emerald gulf coast, pure white sand, and Ellen and Christopher’s delicious food.
Last night Christopher prepared a whole deboned chicken roll. I’m kicking myself for not documenting the entire process, but I have to confess to taking a nap while he attempted the deboning process. “It’s a lot easier on youtube.” He remarked. “You definitely need the right tools to debone a chicken.” (Note to self, Christopher needs new a filet knife for Christmas.)
When I awoke from my slumber and entered the kitchen, the bird was skin side down, boneless and ready for stuffing. I just couldn’t help myself, I had to get involved. The following recipe is Christopher’s chicken roll preparation. I cut the garlic and the string, he did the rest.
Ingredients: One deboned whole chicken (I might have the butcher do it for me), wings keep bones
The following are estimates on quantities. We didn’t really measure anything.
1 lb. diced potatoes, fried until tender
1 bag of raw baby spinach
½-1 lb. feta cheese
4-5 bacon slices
4-5 garlic cloves, pressed
fresh basil, thyme
paprika, salt and pepper
cooking twine
Christopher deboned the chicken, fried the potatoes to pre-cook.
With the chicken skin side down, I rubbed the minced garlic around the cavity, sprinkled in all other seasoning.
Next, we placed the raw spinach covering the center of the cavity, we put in as much as we thought we could roll. Then added potatoes and cheese.
The roll is not a pinwheel, instead, you bring both sides up and flip.
He topped with bacon, then secured with the twine.
He lined the bottom of the pan with more diced raw potatoes, then placed the chicken on the rack.
350° for 1.75 hours.
The possibilities for stuffing the bird are endless. And of course while we ate it, we discussed many of them. Sausage bread stuffing, prosciutto lining the cavity, mushrooms, olives, more spinach…can’t wait.
