Our son is away for the weekend on a youth group retreat. Why does that matter to you? Because it mean that for three whole days, I'm cooking with no dairy allergy to take into account! So the first thing I did was pull out my grandmother's Ground Beef Stroganoff recipe - full of sour cream. Honestly, I could eat the whole pot. It's just one of those comfort foods for me. She used to make it for casual family gatherings and I thought it was the most delicious thing she made. Well, that and her clam chowder. Aha! That's what I'll make for dinner tonight - New England clam chowder - since the kid doesn't get home until midnight!
Back to the stroganoff...healthy? Well, in a word, no. We're hearing more and more lately about how canned food is toxic. This recipe has two cans of condensed soup - and canned or not, we know that's not healthy. I could certainly can my own soup (in glass jars, I mean), and make it totally organic if I wanted to. But it'd be ready-to-eat, not condensed. That's going to take some research.
Meanwhile, when the opportunity arises, I'm going to make this recipe, canned condensed soup and all!
GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF
1 lb ground beef
3 med onions
garlic, optional
1 can mushrooms (save juice) - I sometimes use fresh instead, about 1/2 lb
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
2 c (16oz) sour cream
1 T worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is the only brand I buy)
4 drops Tabasco pepper sauce
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 pkg broad egg noodles or spaghetti
Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
Brown meat; add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until onions are tender, then reduce heat to low.
Combine in separate bowl: mushroom liquid (if using canned), sour cream, soups, seasonings. Pour over meat mixture. Simmer very low so as not to break down sour cream, about 1 hour. May cook for much less time, but the flavor is best if you can cook it a while. If it gets too hot, and the sour cream breaks down, it will still taste great but will be soupy.
Ladle creamy mixture over hot buttered noodles and top w/ parmesan.
Hope you enjoy this. I'm off to the store for some clams!
Grandma Scherer's Noodles
So many years have passed since I've made this creamy dish, but today was the day. Grandma called them Cheese Noodles, but that makes me think 'cheddar', like Mac & Cheese. This dish will likely be something entirely new to you, and once you try it, you'll make it again and again because it's not only delicious, but such a versatile dish. It makes a great breakfast/brunch casserole, but it's just as good for lunch or dinner, or as a side dish. Fresh berries are an amazing accompaniment. In fact, with sugared berries or a fruit compote ladled over the top, you could call it dessert!
This particular great-grandmother came from a town on the Danube called Cheb, but according to Mom, came up with this recipe after immigrating to dairy country in Ohio. It was there she married my great-grandfather, and they moved to North Florida. She was an amazing cook, but never seemed to enjoy the process much - at least not in my memory - except when we were sitting in her kitchen, watching her make crepe-like pancakes, one at a time, and we were eating them as fast as she could make them. Enjoy her original noodle recipe. And if you have any leftovers, do not miss the treat of sizzling them up in a skillet the next morning, and serving them with jam - scrumptious!PROMISED LAND NOODLES
5oz (or as close as you can get) pkg egg noodles
3 eggs, beaten
1 lb cottage cheese (500g)
1 c sour cream (8oz carton)
1/4 c sugar
dash salt
3/4 c milk
Preheat oven to 350F. In salted water, boil a until tender. Rinse in hot, clear water and drain. Pour remaining ingr into ungreased baking dish. Stir in noodles. Judge thickness and add up to 1/4 c milk if needed. (Comes with experience - I just followed the above quantities and it came out great.) Sprinkle heavily with sugar for a crusty brown top. It's ready when it's fairly firm - takes about an hour in a 13x9x2 pan.
By the way, if you want to be ready for the weekend guests, just let the noodles cool then mix the ingredients together in a large zip-lock bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Saturday morning, just pour it into your baking pan and it's cooking while you're dressing. Easy!
5 Easy Cakes - from 1 Basic Recipe
The last time we moved, I left a lot of belongings in storage, so when I came across a bundt cake recipe that consistently got 5 star reviews, I had to go out and buy a new pan. I tried silicone this time, and it wasn't cheap. Imagine my disappointment when the cake didn't bake! Granted, I changed the recipe, but only by flavor; no substantial changes in the chemistry of the recipe - so I thought.
It was important to me that I could make this cake with a yellow mix, and preferably the organic one I started using for Pumpkin Pie Cake Dessert (which you'll find on this blog), because my husband doesn't like chocolate - strange - I know - and it was for his birthday. I had decided that I was going to invent a Caramel Macchiato Cake, as that is his favorite drink. It would require a yellow or white cake mix, and you already know I like to use organics whenever possible. Finally figured out what the problem was...
Original recipe (one that many of you may already have something similar to):
1 (18.25oz) pkg dark chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16oz) container sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/2 c coffee liquer
2 c semisweet chocolate chips
The reviews were off the chart, so I was puzzled as to why my version simply didn't work. These were the only changes I made:
1 pkg organic vanilla cake mix instead of chocolate
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix instead of chocolate
1/2 c Gran Marnier instead of Kahlua
left out chips
My first attempt simply didn't get done. The alcohol didn't even cook out - I needed a chaser after each bite! So I decided to make one with a regular cake mix, since I couldn't find a dark chocolate organic mix. Here was my second attempt:
BLACK FOREST BUNDT CAKE
1 pkg devil's food cake mix
1 sm pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
8oz sour cream (not 16oz)
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/4 c Hershey's chocolate syrup
1/2 c juice reserved from cherries, below
1 720ml jar pitted sour cherries in light syrup, drained well & chopped
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour a 10in bundt pan. Combine all except last ingredient in large mixer bowl, beating until well blended. Fold in cherries. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10min in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack. Place on cake plate, garnish with whipped cream around base and fresh cherries w/ stems or marachinos out of season.
YUM! That one worked. NOTE: next time I make this one, I'm going to either try using cherry liquer or kirsch, or, using a small pkg cherry jello instead of the chocolate pudding mix.
Why did the chocolate work, but not the vanilla? Was there some chemical in the non-organic mix that made it rise and cook properly? Did not using a liquer make the difference? And if so, why? The original recipe called for liquer and many people who'd written reviews on the recipe had tried it with several different ones including Gran Marnier. I looked at the boxes of cake mix again. There were four on the counter, as the first attempt had yielded a small cake and I'd invited, potentially, a lot of people by saying "spread the word - cake and decaf from 7pm on". Smart. No idea how many to expect. Hence 5 cakes... And since I was going to experiment with the Caramel Macchiato flavor, I decided to a grouping of 5 bundt cakes, each a different flavor. (Crud - I forgot to take a picture for you! They were lovely - a whole collection, on different hight stands, some glazed, some decorated with whipped cream... I'm so mad at myself. I may just have to do it all again.)
Anyway, I'm staring at these boxes of cake mix, when it suddenly occurs to me that the boxes of chocolate mix are bigger than the organic vanilla mix boxes. I pick them up. The chocolate box feels heavier. I check the labels...
Yep. I had to go buy another organic vanilla mix. It took four of those mixes to make three cakes.
Here are the other cakes I made:
CHOCOLATE MINT BUNDT CAKE - this one was AMAZING!
1 pkg devil's food cake mix
1 sm pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
8oz sour cream
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/2 c chocolate almond milk
1.5 t peppermint flavouring
1 c broken chocolate mint flats (like Andes mints - my grocer didn't have Andes mint chips, but you can probably find them right beside the chocolate chips)
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour a 10in bundt pan. Combine all except last ingredient in large mixer bowl, beating until well blended. Fold in candy pieces. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10min in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.
ORANGE VANILLA BUNDT CAKE - everyone liked this one - EVERYONE!
It was important to me that I could make this cake with a yellow mix, and preferably the organic one I started using for Pumpkin Pie Cake Dessert (which you'll find on this blog), because my husband doesn't like chocolate - strange - I know - and it was for his birthday. I had decided that I was going to invent a Caramel Macchiato Cake, as that is his favorite drink. It would require a yellow or white cake mix, and you already know I like to use organics whenever possible. Finally figured out what the problem was...
Original recipe (one that many of you may already have something similar to):
1 (18.25oz) pkg dark chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16oz) container sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/2 c coffee liquer
2 c semisweet chocolate chips
The reviews were off the chart, so I was puzzled as to why my version simply didn't work. These were the only changes I made:
1 pkg organic vanilla cake mix instead of chocolate
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix instead of chocolate
1/2 c Gran Marnier instead of Kahlua
left out chips
My first attempt simply didn't get done. The alcohol didn't even cook out - I needed a chaser after each bite! So I decided to make one with a regular cake mix, since I couldn't find a dark chocolate organic mix. Here was my second attempt:
BLACK FOREST BUNDT CAKE
1 pkg devil's food cake mix
1 sm pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
8oz sour cream (not 16oz)
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/4 c Hershey's chocolate syrup
1/2 c juice reserved from cherries, below
1 720ml jar pitted sour cherries in light syrup, drained well & chopped
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour a 10in bundt pan. Combine all except last ingredient in large mixer bowl, beating until well blended. Fold in cherries. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10min in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack. Place on cake plate, garnish with whipped cream around base and fresh cherries w/ stems or marachinos out of season.
YUM! That one worked. NOTE: next time I make this one, I'm going to either try using cherry liquer or kirsch, or, using a small pkg cherry jello instead of the chocolate pudding mix.
Why did the chocolate work, but not the vanilla? Was there some chemical in the non-organic mix that made it rise and cook properly? Did not using a liquer make the difference? And if so, why? The original recipe called for liquer and many people who'd written reviews on the recipe had tried it with several different ones including Gran Marnier. I looked at the boxes of cake mix again. There were four on the counter, as the first attempt had yielded a small cake and I'd invited, potentially, a lot of people by saying "spread the word - cake and decaf from 7pm on". Smart. No idea how many to expect. Hence 5 cakes... And since I was going to experiment with the Caramel Macchiato flavor, I decided to a grouping of 5 bundt cakes, each a different flavor. (Crud - I forgot to take a picture for you! They were lovely - a whole collection, on different hight stands, some glazed, some decorated with whipped cream... I'm so mad at myself. I may just have to do it all again.)
Anyway, I'm staring at these boxes of cake mix, when it suddenly occurs to me that the boxes of chocolate mix are bigger than the organic vanilla mix boxes. I pick them up. The chocolate box feels heavier. I check the labels...
Yep. I had to go buy another organic vanilla mix. It took four of those mixes to make three cakes.
Here are the other cakes I made:
CHOCOLATE MINT BUNDT CAKE - this one was AMAZING!
1 pkg devil's food cake mix
1 sm pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
8oz sour cream
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/2 c chocolate almond milk
1.5 t peppermint flavouring
1 c broken chocolate mint flats (like Andes mints - my grocer didn't have Andes mint chips, but you can probably find them right beside the chocolate chips)
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour a 10in bundt pan. Combine all except last ingredient in large mixer bowl, beating until well blended. Fold in candy pieces. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10min in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.
ORANGE VANILLA BUNDT CAKE - everyone liked this one - EVERYONE!
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
8oz sour cream
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/2 c top quality orange juice
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour a 10in bundt pan. Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl, beating until well blended. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10min in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack. You may use about 1/2 c powdered sugar and 1-2T OJ to make a glaze if you like. It's a good idea to poke small holes all over the top of the cake before glazing so that some of the glaze soaks in. Or for a harder glaze, there are many versions online, but most require cooking.
STRAWBERRY BUNDT CAKE - this one was just ok - I do have a really fabulous strawberry cake that I will share with you at some point, but this one is much easier. It would have been greatly improved by a thick glaze, I think, both in flavor and appearance. I might go back to the vanilla pudding mix on this one, or half & half jelly powder & pudding mix, and use the full 16oz sour cream.
1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
8oz sour cream
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/2 c top quality orange juice
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour a 10in bundt pan. Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl, beating until well blended. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10min in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack. You may use about 1/2 c powdered sugar and 1-2T OJ to make a glaze if you like. It's a good idea to poke small holes all over the top of the cake before glazing so that some of the glaze soaks in. Or for a harder glaze, there are many versions online, but most require cooking.
STRAWBERRY BUNDT CAKE - this one was just ok - I do have a really fabulous strawberry cake that I will share with you at some point, but this one is much easier. It would have been greatly improved by a thick glaze, I think, both in flavor and appearance. I might go back to the vanilla pudding mix on this one, or half & half jelly powder & pudding mix, and use the full 16oz sour cream.
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 sm pkg strawberry jelly powder
8oz sour cream
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/2 qt fresh or frozen strawberries, sugared and pureed in blender or food processor - reserve enough to
make glaze
1/2 qt fresh or frozen strawberries, sugared and mashed
1 sm pkg strawberry jelly powder
8oz sour cream
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/2 qt fresh or frozen strawberries, sugared and pureed in blender or food processor - reserve enough to
make glaze
1/2 qt fresh or frozen strawberries, sugared and mashed
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour a 10in bundt pan. Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl, beating until well blended. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10min in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.
CARAMEL MACCHIATO CAKE - My husband loved it, so it was a great success, as that was the whole intention. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and recommend a couple of changes even though I haven't made it this way yet: the addition of some instant espresso powder, as I think it needed just a touch more coffee flavor, the full amount of sour cream and chips as on the original recipe, and using a white cake mix to allow the coffee flavor to shine through more. This is what I'll do next time.
1 pkg white cake mix
1 sm pkg instant butterscotch pudding mix
16oz sour cream
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/2c brewed espresso
2 t instant espresso powder, if you can find it. If not, try dissolving a T of instant coffee in the brewed
espresso while it's still hot
1 sm pkg instant butterscotch pudding mix
16oz sour cream
3 large eggs
1/3 c sunflower oil
1/2c brewed espresso
2 t instant espresso powder, if you can find it. If not, try dissolving a T of instant coffee in the brewed
espresso while it's still hot
2 c butterscotch chips
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour a 10in bundt pan. Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl, beating until well blended. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10min in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.
These cakes were so very easy to make, it's obviously a very forgiving recipe, they're incredibly moist so I have every reason to think they'll freeze beautifully, and can be made days ahead. They were so easy, in fact, that if you had the ingredients on hand, you could whip one up while friends were sitting at your breakfast bar talking to you.
I will try making some with liquer again - no reason to think it won't work now that I know about the cake mix mix-up. Also, I'm thinking this might be a good cake to freeze individual slices of, so when unexpected guests arrive, just take out the number of slices you need and let them thaw during dinner. It would be worth a try. Slices, though - not great big chunks - if you want them to thaw in an hour.
Another flavour I thought of to try: Butter Rum. I'm thinking it might work to substitute melted butter for the oil, use dark or amber rum as the 1/2 c liquid, and possibly butterscotch pudding instead of vanilla, or add butterscotch chips.
I will try making some with liquer again - no reason to think it won't work now that I know about the cake mix mix-up. Also, I'm thinking this might be a good cake to freeze individual slices of, so when unexpected guests arrive, just take out the number of slices you need and let them thaw during dinner. It would be worth a try. Slices, though - not great big chunks - if you want them to thaw in an hour.
Another flavour I thought of to try: Butter Rum. I'm thinking it might work to substitute melted butter for the oil, use dark or amber rum as the 1/2 c liquid, and possibly butterscotch pudding instead of vanilla, or add butterscotch chips.
Tonight was fun - a cake flavour to suit everyone and a great experiment. I'm going to have to give these cakes away to have an excuse to make more!
Homemade Mayonnaise or 'Miracle Whip'
Mom made homemade mayo for a while when I was a kid, until she did the math and realized it was more expensive than the storebought variety. These days, however, I think this will be a money-saver, depending on the oil used. Even if you opt for the highest quality, expensive organic olive oil, it's worth making for the health benefits alone. And it'll be delicious.
This recipe isn't my mom's, but I didn't like hers, at least not as a child, and didn't save the recipe. I'm excited now, though, because I've been contemplating making my own for months but hadn't found a recipe that sounded really promising.
The basis of this recipe came from allrecipes.com and has the advantage of using the whole egg, not just the yolk. It lasts about two weeks in the fridge. No, the eggs are not cooked, so let me insert a disclaimer here in case anyone were to get sick, ***If you get sick from eating uncooked eggs, it's not the responsibility of this blog or me, personally*** but I expect the acidic ingredient effectively 'cooks' the eggs. If you're concerned about the egg issue, you can purchased pasteurized eggs. I'll use lemon juice, myself, at least in part, though it may need to be used sooner than if made with vinegar. See some variations and tips at the bottom of this post.
Whole Egg Mayonnaise
1/2 t dry mustard (or quality prepared mustard of your choice - dijon, whole grain, etc)
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
2 T acidic ingredient of your choice (white vinegar, cider vinegar, flavoured vinegars, lemon juice)
2 c oil of your choice (veg, sunflower, canola, olive; if using olive oil, check the quality to make sure it
won't have a bitter flavor
In a food processor or blender, first four ingredients. Set your appliance on medium speed, and very slowly drizzle in the oil while it runs. Transfer to container with a lid and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Notes:
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Processing container must be very dry.
Add 1-2 T sugar to make "Miracle Whip"-like dressing.
To easily add oil slowly, make a paper cone with a very tiny hole at the bottom, or poke a hole in the bottom of a paper cup with a toothpick. Set it on top of the appliance over the hole. The "pusher" of my Cuisinart has a tiny hole in the bottom of it - I wonder if it was designed that way for this purpose?
Uses:
Not just for sandwiches, use this as a dressing for green salads and for mixing up your main- and side-
dish salads such as tuna, chicken and potato salads
Adding chopped dill pickles and a lemon-herb spice mix makes tartar sauce.
Add-ins: fresh or dried herbs - chives, basil, parsley, dill - and spices, a T or so of dip/soup mixes;
you can adjust the recipe for specific dishes, such as adding horseradish or a little dry onion soup
mix for roast beef sandwiches
This recipe isn't my mom's, but I didn't like hers, at least not as a child, and didn't save the recipe. I'm excited now, though, because I've been contemplating making my own for months but hadn't found a recipe that sounded really promising.
The basis of this recipe came from allrecipes.com and has the advantage of using the whole egg, not just the yolk. It lasts about two weeks in the fridge. No, the eggs are not cooked, so let me insert a disclaimer here in case anyone were to get sick, ***If you get sick from eating uncooked eggs, it's not the responsibility of this blog or me, personally*** but I expect the acidic ingredient effectively 'cooks' the eggs. If you're concerned about the egg issue, you can purchased pasteurized eggs. I'll use lemon juice, myself, at least in part, though it may need to be used sooner than if made with vinegar. See some variations and tips at the bottom of this post.
Whole Egg Mayonnaise
1/2 t dry mustard (or quality prepared mustard of your choice - dijon, whole grain, etc)
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
2 T acidic ingredient of your choice (white vinegar, cider vinegar, flavoured vinegars, lemon juice)
2 c oil of your choice (veg, sunflower, canola, olive; if using olive oil, check the quality to make sure it
won't have a bitter flavor
In a food processor or blender, first four ingredients. Set your appliance on medium speed, and very slowly drizzle in the oil while it runs. Transfer to container with a lid and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Notes:
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Processing container must be very dry.
Add 1-2 T sugar to make "Miracle Whip"-like dressing.
To easily add oil slowly, make a paper cone with a very tiny hole at the bottom, or poke a hole in the bottom of a paper cup with a toothpick. Set it on top of the appliance over the hole. The "pusher" of my Cuisinart has a tiny hole in the bottom of it - I wonder if it was designed that way for this purpose?
Uses:
Not just for sandwiches, use this as a dressing for green salads and for mixing up your main- and side-
dish salads such as tuna, chicken and potato salads
Adding chopped dill pickles and a lemon-herb spice mix makes tartar sauce.
Add-ins: fresh or dried herbs - chives, basil, parsley, dill - and spices, a T or so of dip/soup mixes;
you can adjust the recipe for specific dishes, such as adding horseradish or a little dry onion soup
mix for roast beef sandwiches
Reviving an Old Favorite - Broccoli Soup
When's the last time you went through your old recipes? It can be quite a trip down memory lane. I was thrilled once to find a Swiss Steak recipe my mother used to make, from her old Betty Crocker recipe book. The new Betty Crocker Cook Book, which I purchased specifically for that recipe, had an updated, healthier version with lots of added veggies; they'd ruined it. But eventually I did find the old recipe. I'll share it with you sometime.
Meanwhile, I have also made a healthier version of an old favorite. But I promise I haven't ruined it.
Remember when every restaurant seemed to have Broccoli-Cheese Soup on their menu? Well, broccoli is one vegetable my son really loves, and the combination of broccoli and cheddar sends him into a feeding frenzy. So though I haven't made this soup for years, I decided to see if it could make a comeback.
The problem, though, is that my son developed a dairy allergy a couple of years ago. He's better, thanks to desensitizing and cleansing, but we still try to be careful. Milk and sour cream are harder on him than the firm cheeses, so I decided to make this creamy soup without milk. Not without cheddar, mind you, but without milk or cream. (I will say, it was definitely good enough before adding the cheese that we could have eaten it totally dairy-free, so I've listed the cheese as optional.)
This soup was thick and rich with just enough texture to be interesting. It's ever so much healthier than most of the recipes you'll find, and so easy to make. I'm thinking that next time I make it, I might try adding some white beans - I don't think they'll interfere with the flavour at all, and will make the soup even more nutritious; perhaps "creamier", too. Grated carrots would be another nutritious add-in.
DINE-IN BROCCOLI (& CHEDDAR) SOUP
1large head of broccoli, incl stalks
1 small onion, diced
8-9 c water
1 c uncooked brown rice
4 T chicken bullion powder or equivalent
1 t salt
Approx 2 c grated cheddar (optional)
Slice broccoli stalk fairly thinly on the diagonal, then chop. Chop remainder of head. In large pot, bring all ingredients to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about an hour, stirring often to prevent scorching. Taste and adjust seasoning - salt and bullion. Cook longer if you want the rice softer. You may also use an immersion blender to partially puree the rice and broccoli. Just before serving, stir in cheese to melt.
Leaving out the cheese and using veggie bullion would make this soup suitable for a vegan diet. If you have stock on hand, you can certainly substitute that for at least part of the water and the bullion.
Meanwhile, I have also made a healthier version of an old favorite. But I promise I haven't ruined it.
Remember when every restaurant seemed to have Broccoli-Cheese Soup on their menu? Well, broccoli is one vegetable my son really loves, and the combination of broccoli and cheddar sends him into a feeding frenzy. So though I haven't made this soup for years, I decided to see if it could make a comeback.The problem, though, is that my son developed a dairy allergy a couple of years ago. He's better, thanks to desensitizing and cleansing, but we still try to be careful. Milk and sour cream are harder on him than the firm cheeses, so I decided to make this creamy soup without milk. Not without cheddar, mind you, but without milk or cream. (I will say, it was definitely good enough before adding the cheese that we could have eaten it totally dairy-free, so I've listed the cheese as optional.)
This soup was thick and rich with just enough texture to be interesting. It's ever so much healthier than most of the recipes you'll find, and so easy to make. I'm thinking that next time I make it, I might try adding some white beans - I don't think they'll interfere with the flavour at all, and will make the soup even more nutritious; perhaps "creamier", too. Grated carrots would be another nutritious add-in.
DINE-IN BROCCOLI (& CHEDDAR) SOUP
1large head of broccoli, incl stalks
1 small onion, diced
8-9 c water
1 c uncooked brown rice
4 T chicken bullion powder or equivalent
1 t salt
Approx 2 c grated cheddar (optional)
Slice broccoli stalk fairly thinly on the diagonal, then chop. Chop remainder of head. In large pot, bring all ingredients to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about an hour, stirring often to prevent scorching. Taste and adjust seasoning - salt and bullion. Cook longer if you want the rice softer. You may also use an immersion blender to partially puree the rice and broccoli. Just before serving, stir in cheese to melt.
Leaving out the cheese and using veggie bullion would make this soup suitable for a vegan diet. If you have stock on hand, you can certainly substitute that for at least part of the water and the bullion.
Ole! Top it Off
Of all the guacamole and salsa recipes I've tried, these are my favorites. Bonus: this guac recipe is also the easiest I've ever made!
GUACAMOLE
Ripe avocadoes
Garlic powder and salt to taste
Mash ingredients together. That's it.
I sometimes add a squeeze of lime juice if I have limes on hand. But be careful - it's easy to get the guac too soupy, especially if your avocados are really soft. Also, when adding salt, keep in mind any chips you might be serving it with. I use an organic blue corn chip usually, and they're not salty. But with other brands, I'd not add as much salt. If not serving right away, place in serving bowl and lay plastic wrap directly onto guacamole, pressing out air.
SALSA
This recipe comes from Vita-Mix Corporation. It has earned my husband quite the reputation for fresh salsa. We like it with organic blue corn chips, on quesadillas, as a dip for grilled cheese sandwiches, and I even use it, if there's any leftover, topping fresh greens as a salad when he needs a lunch to take to work. Here's the recipe, adjusted for making by hand, as opposed to in a Vita-Mix.
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 to 1 medium onion, minced
1/2 to 1 small can chopped green chilis
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar or xylitol
1 tablespoon vinegar
Mix thoroughly and serve as soon as possible for maximum freshness and nutrition.
GUACAMOLE
Ripe avocadoes
Garlic powder and salt to taste
Mash ingredients together. That's it.
I sometimes add a squeeze of lime juice if I have limes on hand. But be careful - it's easy to get the guac too soupy, especially if your avocados are really soft. Also, when adding salt, keep in mind any chips you might be serving it with. I use an organic blue corn chip usually, and they're not salty. But with other brands, I'd not add as much salt. If not serving right away, place in serving bowl and lay plastic wrap directly onto guacamole, pressing out air.
SALSA
This recipe comes from Vita-Mix Corporation. It has earned my husband quite the reputation for fresh salsa. We like it with organic blue corn chips, on quesadillas, as a dip for grilled cheese sandwiches, and I even use it, if there's any leftover, topping fresh greens as a salad when he needs a lunch to take to work. Here's the recipe, adjusted for making by hand, as opposed to in a Vita-Mix.
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 to 1 medium onion, minced
1/2 to 1 small can chopped green chilis
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar or xylitol
1 tablespoon vinegar
Mix thoroughly and serve as soon as possible for maximum freshness and nutrition.
My Favorite Quick Meal - Quesadillas
I'm a sucker for the flavors of Mexico. Honestly, one of the best meals I've ever eaten was at a high-end restaurant on the west coast of Mexico in a town called Quatzaqualcos, also spelled Coatzacoalcos. It had a very interesting name, the restaurant, I mean - El Restaurante de Mexico. Go figure. I don't remember anything unusual on the menu, just that everything we ordered was made with top quality, fresh ingredients. Everything we had there was hands-down the best example of that item we'd ever had.
My great-grandmother was known to be an extraordinary cook. Her secret wasn't a secret at all. She simply purchased her ingredients fresh every day. That's just a little 'aside', as it doesn't have much bearing on this specific recipe.
Back to these quesadillas. We always have cheddar and sour cream in the fridge, but I make a point of keeping a can of organic refried beans in the pantry, a jar of salsa in the fridge and a package of large tortillas in the freezer. Whenever I don't know what to fix, or I'm in a big rush, quesadillas are my go-to.
Amy's Organics Refried BLACK Beans have a really nice flavor. As for the tortillas themselves, I usually buy multi-grain or even sprouted grain varieties. I prefer the multi-grain over whole wheat. And even though I try to avoid the white flour tortillas, I have to admit they come out light and cripsy.
The best thing about quesadillas is that you can put anything in them. Just cheese, cheese and beans, or add most any leftover meats or fresh veggies you have on hand. They're easy, quick and forgiving. And delicious, too, of course.
All this makes them an excellent, fun, last minute fix when you have unexpected guests. Just lay out any cooked meats and fresh veggies you have on hand, with refries and grated cheese, and everyone can make their own.
Did I mention in an earlier post that I read recently that adding a serving of beans to your diet every day would CURE diabetes? That's Type 2, but the article also said that Type 1 sufferers could reduce their meds by 80%! Quesadillas are a yummy way to get more beans in your diet.
QUICK QUESADILLAS
2 large tortillas
refried beans
grated cheddar
meats or veggies of your choice (optional & totally unnecessary)
optional garnishes: salsa, sour cream, guacamole (see guacamole & salsa recipes in upcoming post)
Heat healthy oil of your choice on medium-low in a large skillet. (I try to use unscented (flavor removed) coconut oil.) Spread one tortilla with a generous slather of refried beans. Place in hot skillet. Top with optional ingredients and grated cheese. Top with second tortilla. Press down lightly. Cook with your nose - if it starts to smell like it's burning, remove from heat momentarily and reduce burner setting. When bottom tortilla is browned, flip quesadilla using large spatula, or two spatulas, and cook until that side is also golden brown. Cut into wedges with pizza cutter. Top with garnishes of your choice.
NOTE - Want to cut down on carbs? Make your quesadillas open-face by toasting on the rack in a conventional or toaster oven, and serve folded or like a Mexican pizza.
My great-grandmother was known to be an extraordinary cook. Her secret wasn't a secret at all. She simply purchased her ingredients fresh every day. That's just a little 'aside', as it doesn't have much bearing on this specific recipe.
Back to these quesadillas. We always have cheddar and sour cream in the fridge, but I make a point of keeping a can of organic refried beans in the pantry, a jar of salsa in the fridge and a package of large tortillas in the freezer. Whenever I don't know what to fix, or I'm in a big rush, quesadillas are my go-to.
Amy's Organics Refried BLACK Beans have a really nice flavor. As for the tortillas themselves, I usually buy multi-grain or even sprouted grain varieties. I prefer the multi-grain over whole wheat. And even though I try to avoid the white flour tortillas, I have to admit they come out light and cripsy.
The best thing about quesadillas is that you can put anything in them. Just cheese, cheese and beans, or add most any leftover meats or fresh veggies you have on hand. They're easy, quick and forgiving. And delicious, too, of course.
All this makes them an excellent, fun, last minute fix when you have unexpected guests. Just lay out any cooked meats and fresh veggies you have on hand, with refries and grated cheese, and everyone can make their own.
Did I mention in an earlier post that I read recently that adding a serving of beans to your diet every day would CURE diabetes? That's Type 2, but the article also said that Type 1 sufferers could reduce their meds by 80%! Quesadillas are a yummy way to get more beans in your diet.
QUICK QUESADILLAS
2 large tortillas
refried beans
grated cheddar
meats or veggies of your choice (optional & totally unnecessary)
optional garnishes: salsa, sour cream, guacamole (see guacamole & salsa recipes in upcoming post)
Heat healthy oil of your choice on medium-low in a large skillet. (I try to use unscented (flavor removed) coconut oil.) Spread one tortilla with a generous slather of refried beans. Place in hot skillet. Top with optional ingredients and grated cheese. Top with second tortilla. Press down lightly. Cook with your nose - if it starts to smell like it's burning, remove from heat momentarily and reduce burner setting. When bottom tortilla is browned, flip quesadilla using large spatula, or two spatulas, and cook until that side is also golden brown. Cut into wedges with pizza cutter. Top with garnishes of your choice.
NOTE - Want to cut down on carbs? Make your quesadillas open-face by toasting on the rack in a conventional or toaster oven, and serve folded or like a Mexican pizza.
Drowning in Zucchini Yet?
Until today, I hadn't made this delicious bread in years. It's a recipe that was shared with me by my late mother-in-law, but today I altered it just a little to make it a bit healthier. Two cups of grated zucchini is only one or two small squash, so it won't make a big dent in your harvest, but still, it is a delicious way to eat your veggies.
I made three recipes today, or six loaves, using the store-bought aluminum disposable loaf pans, but they overflowed. So if you're using that type of pan, which is great for gift-giving, I'd say that a double recipe will make five loaves. Also, fyi, a double recipe will just barely fit in the standard KitchenAid mixer bowl.
It's a dense, moist sweet bread, especially made with wheat flour as I did today. You'll love it for breakfast, dessert or a snack. Of the six loaves we made today, three are in the freezer, one is ready for tomorrow, one we'll give to a friend, and, well, that first one out of the oven...you can guess where it is.
DELICIOUS ZUCCHINI BREAD
3 eggs
2 c sugar
2 t vanilla
1 c light-tasting healthy oil of your choice
2 c grated zucchini
3 c flour (I used 1 c whole wheat & 2 c unbleached all purpose)
1 t each: baking powder, baking soda & salt
1 c drained crushed pineapple
1 c chopped pecans, optional
Preheat oven to 325F. Measure flour into large measuring cup and add other dry ingredients. Stir together. In mixer, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla & oil on lowest speed. Add dry ingredient mixture until incorporated. Fold in remaining ingredients. Divide between two loaf pans sprayed with oil. Bake for approx 1 hour (I put the pans on a foil-lined tray) or until firm and toothpick inserted in center comes out moist but clean.
I made three recipes today, or six loaves, using the store-bought aluminum disposable loaf pans, but they overflowed. So if you're using that type of pan, which is great for gift-giving, I'd say that a double recipe will make five loaves. Also, fyi, a double recipe will just barely fit in the standard KitchenAid mixer bowl.
It's a dense, moist sweet bread, especially made with wheat flour as I did today. You'll love it for breakfast, dessert or a snack. Of the six loaves we made today, three are in the freezer, one is ready for tomorrow, one we'll give to a friend, and, well, that first one out of the oven...you can guess where it is.
DELICIOUS ZUCCHINI BREAD
3 eggs
2 c sugar
2 t vanilla
1 c light-tasting healthy oil of your choice
2 c grated zucchini
3 c flour (I used 1 c whole wheat & 2 c unbleached all purpose)
1 t each: baking powder, baking soda & salt
1 c drained crushed pineapple
1 c chopped pecans, optional
Preheat oven to 325F. Measure flour into large measuring cup and add other dry ingredients. Stir together. In mixer, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla & oil on lowest speed. Add dry ingredient mixture until incorporated. Fold in remaining ingredients. Divide between two loaf pans sprayed with oil. Bake for approx 1 hour (I put the pans on a foil-lined tray) or until firm and toothpick inserted in center comes out moist but clean.
A Taste of the Old South in the Pacific Northwest, plus, using your imagination in the kitchen
Recently in Seattle, I was able to visit a childhood friend; perhaps our fourth visit since the third grade. Don't tell anyone, but we're 50 now. Or 29 with 21 years' experience. Isn't it wonderful to have friends that you were so close to that time and distance are irrelevant?
Mary took my son and me to a restaurant specializing in southern cookery, and after 3 years away from home, you can bet we were excited. We wanted to order everything on the menu, and nearly did. The menu wasn't what I'd call Old South cooking; New Southern Cuisine might be a more appropriate description. They offered fried chicken, catfish, hushpuppies (thank you, Lord), turnip greens, and many other southern staples, even cajun/creole offerings like red beans and rice. But many of them were presented with a new twist.
Take the lowly hushpuppy for example; balls of deep fried cornbread, basically. At Kingfish, they were quite large, and the appetizer plate of hushpuppies could have fed a crowd. One was enough, so we only ate three or four each. They were piled up and plated with small dishes of two sauces; each sauce had also decorated the pile by use of a squeeze bottle. Minced parsley completed the presentation. They were so good, after not having a single hushpuppy for well over three years. However, they could have been better.
One sauce was chipotle based, and while it was good, it didn't give me that down home comfort food feeling I was craving. Not an issue for most of the diners there, so I'm not taking issue with the chef. But the aioli or whatever the white sauce was just didn't quite do the trick. With anything deep fried you simply need an acidic or spicy foil. Something to cut the grease; both your taste buds and your gall bladder will thank you. Even tartar sauce at least has some pickles in it. There you go - for a really down home appetizer, serve hushpuppies with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce. But for something dressier, more deserving of this particular restaurant, maybe they'd have been better off with a horseradish aioli, or an orange or lemon aioli. (Note: do a little research into cooking with essential oils. You can get an intense flavor without affecting the texture as you would by adding a tablespoon or more of liquid - lemon juice, for example, to a sauce/dip/aioli.) Aioli is by definition, oil. Serving oil with something deep fried just doesn't make sense to me unless it's going to have an intense kick to it of spice or acid.
Now, when it comes to hushpuppies, everybody down south has their favorite version - some like them plain, others love the addition of minced onion, bell pepper, etc... Contrary to my grandfather's instructions, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!", what can you think of that would be a good addition to hushpuppy batter?
What about bits of crisp bacon, speaking of grease? A dash of cayenne? Jalapenos - particularly pickled ones to cut the oiliness. Corn kernels? Cheddar...
Sometimes appetizers are re-worked versions of a full meal or entree: BLT Dip and Pizza Fondue come immediately to mind, not that I've ever made either one. I wonder if it would work to put flakes of cooked catfish into appetizer hushpuppies? What if they were served as a first course on a bed of coleslaw? Just a thought. (If you try it, a vinegary slaw will work better as a foil for the greasy bread, and a longer shred on the cabbage, wth a little purple cabbage for interest, will be more attractive than the minced type.) Add horseradish aioli and onion relish? Man! I think I'm onto something.
Even better...those of you down south, when you're having friends over for dinner, go to your favorite catfish restaurant and buy some slaw and some puppies on your way home from work, and when your guests arrive just put it all together. If the onion relish is too vinegary to pair with a vinegary slaw, what about thinning down some Durkee's Famous Sauce or using something sweeter like a ChowChow?
I know one of the reasons the restaurant served a chipotle sauce and an aioli was to have two different colors that showed up against the brown of the hushpuppies. That should also be a factor in the sauces you choose. Just remember the pups are cornmeal, so anything that would work with corn will work with hushpuppies. My mom has a favorite storebought Raspberry Chipotle sauce - worth trying; it's a beautiful deep red.
For my northern readers, what would be your equivalent to hushpuppies? British Columbia, English influence... I'm guessing Yorkshire pudding! Try making small ones to use as dippers. What about filling them with a bit of roast beef? Dip/topping/sauce options would of course be your standard gravy, horseradish sauce; the onion relish once again sounds promising. What about hot English mustard? It wouldn't quite be the same, but an easy version might be to wrap chunks of cooked roast in store-bought crescent roll dough. Pile them up on a platter with a variety of dipping sauces, and you'll have a winnner on your hands. Great Grey Cup appy. Just hand out my blog address at the door.
Have fun with comfort food. It's a great way to turn what you have on hand into a culinary presentation worthy of a very special event. Share your ideas with us!
Mary took my son and me to a restaurant specializing in southern cookery, and after 3 years away from home, you can bet we were excited. We wanted to order everything on the menu, and nearly did. The menu wasn't what I'd call Old South cooking; New Southern Cuisine might be a more appropriate description. They offered fried chicken, catfish, hushpuppies (thank you, Lord), turnip greens, and many other southern staples, even cajun/creole offerings like red beans and rice. But many of them were presented with a new twist.
Take the lowly hushpuppy for example; balls of deep fried cornbread, basically. At Kingfish, they were quite large, and the appetizer plate of hushpuppies could have fed a crowd. One was enough, so we only ate three or four each. They were piled up and plated with small dishes of two sauces; each sauce had also decorated the pile by use of a squeeze bottle. Minced parsley completed the presentation. They were so good, after not having a single hushpuppy for well over three years. However, they could have been better.
One sauce was chipotle based, and while it was good, it didn't give me that down home comfort food feeling I was craving. Not an issue for most of the diners there, so I'm not taking issue with the chef. But the aioli or whatever the white sauce was just didn't quite do the trick. With anything deep fried you simply need an acidic or spicy foil. Something to cut the grease; both your taste buds and your gall bladder will thank you. Even tartar sauce at least has some pickles in it. There you go - for a really down home appetizer, serve hushpuppies with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce. But for something dressier, more deserving of this particular restaurant, maybe they'd have been better off with a horseradish aioli, or an orange or lemon aioli. (Note: do a little research into cooking with essential oils. You can get an intense flavor without affecting the texture as you would by adding a tablespoon or more of liquid - lemon juice, for example, to a sauce/dip/aioli.) Aioli is by definition, oil. Serving oil with something deep fried just doesn't make sense to me unless it's going to have an intense kick to it of spice or acid.
Now, when it comes to hushpuppies, everybody down south has their favorite version - some like them plain, others love the addition of minced onion, bell pepper, etc... Contrary to my grandfather's instructions, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!", what can you think of that would be a good addition to hushpuppy batter?
What about bits of crisp bacon, speaking of grease? A dash of cayenne? Jalapenos - particularly pickled ones to cut the oiliness. Corn kernels? Cheddar...
Sometimes appetizers are re-worked versions of a full meal or entree: BLT Dip and Pizza Fondue come immediately to mind, not that I've ever made either one. I wonder if it would work to put flakes of cooked catfish into appetizer hushpuppies? What if they were served as a first course on a bed of coleslaw? Just a thought. (If you try it, a vinegary slaw will work better as a foil for the greasy bread, and a longer shred on the cabbage, wth a little purple cabbage for interest, will be more attractive than the minced type.) Add horseradish aioli and onion relish? Man! I think I'm onto something.
Even better...those of you down south, when you're having friends over for dinner, go to your favorite catfish restaurant and buy some slaw and some puppies on your way home from work, and when your guests arrive just put it all together. If the onion relish is too vinegary to pair with a vinegary slaw, what about thinning down some Durkee's Famous Sauce or using something sweeter like a ChowChow?
I know one of the reasons the restaurant served a chipotle sauce and an aioli was to have two different colors that showed up against the brown of the hushpuppies. That should also be a factor in the sauces you choose. Just remember the pups are cornmeal, so anything that would work with corn will work with hushpuppies. My mom has a favorite storebought Raspberry Chipotle sauce - worth trying; it's a beautiful deep red.
For my northern readers, what would be your equivalent to hushpuppies? British Columbia, English influence... I'm guessing Yorkshire pudding! Try making small ones to use as dippers. What about filling them with a bit of roast beef? Dip/topping/sauce options would of course be your standard gravy, horseradish sauce; the onion relish once again sounds promising. What about hot English mustard? It wouldn't quite be the same, but an easy version might be to wrap chunks of cooked roast in store-bought crescent roll dough. Pile them up on a platter with a variety of dipping sauces, and you'll have a winnner on your hands. Great Grey Cup appy. Just hand out my blog address at the door.
Have fun with comfort food. It's a great way to turn what you have on hand into a culinary presentation worthy of a very special event. Share your ideas with us!
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