Two posts in one day? Will wonders never cease?
I've actually got to get this written down because I made it up last night and I want to remember how I did it so I can recreate it.
Now some people are not big cabbage fans. I'd have to say that once upon a time, I would have considered myself part of this group. However, my strong German ancestry is starting to make itself more and more known in my taste buds (hmmm, they probably never ate Thai food though....hmmm). Anyway, cabbage is now very much part of my diet. This is my first year growing it in the garden. It is one of those veggies that are just so cheap, why bother growing your own? I'm glad that I am though!
Alright, here's the recipe:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup onion, sliced
6-8 cups rough chopped cabbage (green or red)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice
1 Tbl sugar
1 large apple, cored and sliced
Salt & pepper to taste
In a large, deep saute pan, soften onion in the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cabbage, vinegar, apple juice, and sugar. Stir to make sure the cabbage is tossed with the liquids. Cover and allow to cook down - about 7 minutes. Add the apples, salt & pepper. Stir again. Cover, allow to finish cooking - approximately another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
We ate this with venison sausage and hot buttered noodles tossed with basil & chives. Enjoy!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Yes, Strawberry Ice Cream
I asked the kids the other week, "What kind of ice cream do you want me to make?" In my mind, the fruit and ice cream really don't go together but the answer was unanimous - any kind of ice cream that has berries!
In my fridge was a big ole package of strawberries from Fareway. We had used some but I knew the others needed to be used quickly so it was really the perfect use for them. A quick search on the internet came up with this recipe.
Now, some people suggested leaving some of the strawberries out of the puree. I, emphatically think this is a bad idea. I mean, a frozen berry in your mouth when you are eating a smooth and creamy dessert? No thank you! So I blended all the berries. Here are some before and after pictures.
As you can see, the pureeing really makes a difference in the total volume (as opposed to the mass - can you tell I'm married to an engineer?).
I didn't get a picture of making the custard. I did use a wooden spoon as opposed to a metal spoon. When you can swipe a finger across the back of it and see the trail it is done. It really doesn't take that long. What takes a longer time is for the ice cream base to cool down before you put it in the ice cream maker!
Here's one last picture just because I thought it was so pretty when I poured the custard into the strawberries:
I didn't get a picture of the finished product but it was a very lovely color and what is more important - it tasted awesome! The strawberry flavor was very intense. It was awesome with chocolate syrup and whipped cream on top. I think some cut up bananas would have made the sundae over the top! We also used this in smoothies. Very good!
In my fridge was a big ole package of strawberries from Fareway. We had used some but I knew the others needed to be used quickly so it was really the perfect use for them. A quick search on the internet came up with this recipe.
Strawberry Ice Cream |
 |
Submitted By: Christy J. Photo By: Trisha
|
"This vibrant frozen dessert offers fresh berry flavor at its best."
Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided 3/4 cup white sugar | 3 egg yolks 3 tablespoons light corn syrup |
Directions:
| 1. | Place the berries into the container of a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl, and set aside. |
| 2. | Heat 1 1/4 cups of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble at the edge of the pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup cream, and corn syrup. Gradually pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Strain custard into the berry puree through a sieve, mix, and refrigerate until chilled. |
| 3. | Fill an ice cream maker with the mixture, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. |
Now, some people suggested leaving some of the strawberries out of the puree. I, emphatically think this is a bad idea. I mean, a frozen berry in your mouth when you are eating a smooth and creamy dessert? No thank you! So I blended all the berries. Here are some before and after pictures.
As you can see, the pureeing really makes a difference in the total volume (as opposed to the mass - can you tell I'm married to an engineer?).I didn't get a picture of making the custard. I did use a wooden spoon as opposed to a metal spoon. When you can swipe a finger across the back of it and see the trail it is done. It really doesn't take that long. What takes a longer time is for the ice cream base to cool down before you put it in the ice cream maker!
Here's one last picture just because I thought it was so pretty when I poured the custard into the strawberries:
I didn't get a picture of the finished product but it was a very lovely color and what is more important - it tasted awesome! The strawberry flavor was very intense. It was awesome with chocolate syrup and whipped cream on top. I think some cut up bananas would have made the sundae over the top! We also used this in smoothies. Very good!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 6/22/09
Whew! Summer has most definitely hit Iowa! This week is VBS at our church and I get the privilege of helping with the "game" station. So are outside and it is muggy and hot and very rewarding! But I definitely don't feel like heating up the kitchen anymore than I need to so here's the menu I came up with for the week:
Monday: Fish Tacos & Black bean-Red pepper-Quinoa Salad
Tuesday: Cheese Filled Ravioli with Red Sauce & Salad
Wednesday: Sloppy Joes & Chips
Thursday: Sassy Grilled Chicken, Cous Cous & Dilled Peas
Friday: Grilled Margerhita Pizza & Salad
Soon to come (I promise!), my attempt at making Strawberry Ice Cream. Mmmmmm.....
Friday, June 19, 2009
2009 Festival of Breads - My Experience
We are back from my first experience in the world of food competition. I could have also entitled this "The Greenhorn" or "Lessons From a Kansas Ballroom" but instead went with a more general title. I learned SO much in regards to wheat, the people of Kansas and to baking bread. I also learned more than I wanted to about how to bake in a hotel ballroom. I've come to the conclusion that I LOVE my humble kitchen!
After my oldest daughter's dance recital on Sunday, we headed off on our adventure. Traveling with the three kids went pretty well. We spent the first night in Olathe, KS and finished the drive on Monday to Wichita. The Hilton was our home base and also where the competition was held. It was a lovely hotel. Abby and I went to do some exploring soon after arriving, because quite frankly, all three kids should not be confined to a small place together for more than 2 hours at a time.
Wandering the hall, a man came up and said, "You look familiar. I think I know you." I'd never seen him before, thus I said, "I don't think so." To which he replied, "Tanna, right?" So I was introduced to the fact that everyone knew who I was by seeing my picture beforehand - a very weird feeling! His name was Bill and he was part of the Kansas Wheat Commission (KWC). Everyone from the KWC was wonderful! I've never felt so welcomed before. They put all of us contestants at ease.
We had a full three days. The first evening was a trip to Cowtown in Wichita. Cowtown is a living history town set circa the late 1800's. We had the run of the place and had fun wandering from building to building seeing how people used to live. We even got a ride in horse drawn wagon! There, we also were treated to a barbecue dinner and a concert by the Diamond W Wranglers band. Great cowboy music! Check them out if you get a chance.
Here are the 8 Finalists at Cowtown:
The next day we had an early breakfast and got to check out where we would be baking on Wednesday. We got to check all of our equipment; later we got to check all our ingredients. Then we went on a day long tour of the wheat industry. We started at the Cargill grain mill in town, then out to a farm for lunch and got to witness the combining of a small patch of wheat. Then we followed the wheat to the grain elevator where they explained the analysis and storage of the wheat. It was all very interesting and I felt right at home being a farmer's daughter. The people we met were passionate about their products from farm to mill to plate. I think the wheat industry is in good hands!
Now, let me talk about the other finalists. What a neat bunch of ladies! The majority of them had been in national food competitions before so I was definitely the youngest and the complete rookie of the bunch. But they were all very encouraging. We laughed as we were all hanging off of each others words as we chatted about cooking and our past experiences. I got a few tips of the trade and really met some characters! Marjorie Johnson was probably the biggest character there and I can see why the television world has sought her out. What fun she is! Jessie Grearson was so fun and encouraging to be around as she is another fellow gardener and cook. I really enjoyed getting to know her more. And the winner, Dianna Wara was also an encouragement when I was feeling defeated after the issues I had on baking day.
Me and Marjorie:
Ahhhh, yes, my issues. I didn't really think about the problems or issues that I may have baking bread in a large space that is not my own kitchen. I've made this bread so many times that it really is second nature. In fact, I probably ended up taking that for granted. We started at 7:30 am. The room was cool due to the air conditioning and the atmosphere was humid outside. Whatever the case, I had the worst time getting my bread to rise properly. I ended up baking it but it was a full inch or more shorter than what it usually is here at home. So before I had that out of the pans, I made another batch of dough and set that to raise in some new pans that I was given there that I hadn't used before, on the stove top to utilize the heat from the oven. Well, that dough raised well but not evenly and ended out coming out flat on top (tasting good but not pretty). I thought it was due to the new pans and went ahead and did another batch in my own pans from home. Set it again on the oven top to raise. After that had raised and was again flat, I realized my mistake was not the pans but the fact of where it was being placed to rise! So I started booking it to get a fourth batch in. I mean, I was cruising at speeds yet unseen in that ballroom. In fact, I was going so fast that I forgot some of the ingredients. My dear wonderful new Kansas friend and runner pointed out the canola oil but I totally spaced out the honey. Sigh. So that was my last batch and while I had it rise away from the oven, it came out blond and not so sweet.
While we were baking, there were baking classes being taught for the public. One of the things the instructors mentioned was how sugar was not needed in bread but it added to the color and to the taste. At the end of the last class, I brought an earlier loaf and one of my last loaves up front as a visual example of that information ;) Maybe I shouldn't have pointed out my weakness? Oh well, if it helps future bakers!
Let me also quickly mention my wheat spokespersons, Reba & Erin. Two nicer ladies I think would be harder to find. They were absolutely terrific! I really felt put to ease and it was good to have someone rooting for me and being there to help things go as smoothly as possible. So thank you again! I probably would have started crying had it not been for Erin that day.
Erin and me:
Reba and me:
So, I didn't win. But I gained a great experience, wonderful new friends, and a great knowledge of how we get from farm to fork.
Here is my recipe: Healthy Homemade Bread. All the recipes, including the winning one, are posted on the Kansas Wheat website here.
After my oldest daughter's dance recital on Sunday, we headed off on our adventure. Traveling with the three kids went pretty well. We spent the first night in Olathe, KS and finished the drive on Monday to Wichita. The Hilton was our home base and also where the competition was held. It was a lovely hotel. Abby and I went to do some exploring soon after arriving, because quite frankly, all three kids should not be confined to a small place together for more than 2 hours at a time.
Wandering the hall, a man came up and said, "You look familiar. I think I know you." I'd never seen him before, thus I said, "I don't think so." To which he replied, "Tanna, right?" So I was introduced to the fact that everyone knew who I was by seeing my picture beforehand - a very weird feeling! His name was Bill and he was part of the Kansas Wheat Commission (KWC). Everyone from the KWC was wonderful! I've never felt so welcomed before. They put all of us contestants at ease.
We had a full three days. The first evening was a trip to Cowtown in Wichita. Cowtown is a living history town set circa the late 1800's. We had the run of the place and had fun wandering from building to building seeing how people used to live. We even got a ride in horse drawn wagon! There, we also were treated to a barbecue dinner and a concert by the Diamond W Wranglers band. Great cowboy music! Check them out if you get a chance.
Here are the 8 Finalists at Cowtown:
The next day we had an early breakfast and got to check out where we would be baking on Wednesday. We got to check all of our equipment; later we got to check all our ingredients. Then we went on a day long tour of the wheat industry. We started at the Cargill grain mill in town, then out to a farm for lunch and got to witness the combining of a small patch of wheat. Then we followed the wheat to the grain elevator where they explained the analysis and storage of the wheat. It was all very interesting and I felt right at home being a farmer's daughter. The people we met were passionate about their products from farm to mill to plate. I think the wheat industry is in good hands!
Now, let me talk about the other finalists. What a neat bunch of ladies! The majority of them had been in national food competitions before so I was definitely the youngest and the complete rookie of the bunch. But they were all very encouraging. We laughed as we were all hanging off of each others words as we chatted about cooking and our past experiences. I got a few tips of the trade and really met some characters! Marjorie Johnson was probably the biggest character there and I can see why the television world has sought her out. What fun she is! Jessie Grearson was so fun and encouraging to be around as she is another fellow gardener and cook. I really enjoyed getting to know her more. And the winner, Dianna Wara was also an encouragement when I was feeling defeated after the issues I had on baking day.
Me and Marjorie:
Ahhhh, yes, my issues. I didn't really think about the problems or issues that I may have baking bread in a large space that is not my own kitchen. I've made this bread so many times that it really is second nature. In fact, I probably ended up taking that for granted. We started at 7:30 am. The room was cool due to the air conditioning and the atmosphere was humid outside. Whatever the case, I had the worst time getting my bread to rise properly. I ended up baking it but it was a full inch or more shorter than what it usually is here at home. So before I had that out of the pans, I made another batch of dough and set that to raise in some new pans that I was given there that I hadn't used before, on the stove top to utilize the heat from the oven. Well, that dough raised well but not evenly and ended out coming out flat on top (tasting good but not pretty). I thought it was due to the new pans and went ahead and did another batch in my own pans from home. Set it again on the oven top to raise. After that had raised and was again flat, I realized my mistake was not the pans but the fact of where it was being placed to rise! So I started booking it to get a fourth batch in. I mean, I was cruising at speeds yet unseen in that ballroom. In fact, I was going so fast that I forgot some of the ingredients. My dear wonderful new Kansas friend and runner pointed out the canola oil but I totally spaced out the honey. Sigh. So that was my last batch and while I had it rise away from the oven, it came out blond and not so sweet.
While we were baking, there were baking classes being taught for the public. One of the things the instructors mentioned was how sugar was not needed in bread but it added to the color and to the taste. At the end of the last class, I brought an earlier loaf and one of my last loaves up front as a visual example of that information ;) Maybe I shouldn't have pointed out my weakness? Oh well, if it helps future bakers!
Let me also quickly mention my wheat spokespersons, Reba & Erin. Two nicer ladies I think would be harder to find. They were absolutely terrific! I really felt put to ease and it was good to have someone rooting for me and being there to help things go as smoothly as possible. So thank you again! I probably would have started crying had it not been for Erin that day.
Erin and me:
Reba and me:
So, I didn't win. But I gained a great experience, wonderful new friends, and a great knowledge of how we get from farm to fork.
Here is my recipe: Healthy Homemade Bread. All the recipes, including the winning one, are posted on the Kansas Wheat website here.
Healthy Homemade Bread
Tanna Richard, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I developed this recipe because I needed a tasty bread recipe that would be easy on the budget and easy to prepare at home.
1 cup King Arthur Traditional 100% Whole Wheat Flour
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast2 ¼ cups very warm water (120-130°F)*
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
4 - 4 ½ cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
*Gauge water temperature with thermometer.
In mixing bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats, salt, and yeast. Stir in water, honey,and oil; beat 2 minutes. Gradually stir in 3 cups bread flour to make a slightly sticky dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead in enough remaining flour to make a smooth and elastic dough. Knead 8 to 10 minutes by hand or with dough hook.
Divide dough in half. To shape: form dough to fit into 2 oiled 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch bread pans; press dough down to fill pan. Smooth top. Cover loaves with a damp towel; let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Bake in preheated 350°F oven 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and done. Tent with foil last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.
Makes 2 loaves, 16 slices each.
Nutrition information per serving: One slice provides approximately 108 calories; 3 g protein; 18g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 3 g fat (.18 g saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 37 mcg folate; 1 mg iron and 219 mg sodium.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 6/8/09 & The Competition
Well it is Monday! Again! Time to whip out the ole menu plan (or pull it up on the Google calendar application I use) and post it here for all the world to see. I hope it gives you all some ideas!
Monday: Garlic Cheddar Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Dilled Peas
Tuesday: Mango-licious Tilapia, Cous Cous & Fruit
Wednesday: Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, & Spinach Salad
Thursday: Cerveza Lime Pork Chops, Southwest Pasta Salad
Friday: Grilled Cheeseburgers & Chips & Fruit
I am a week away from competing in King Arthur's Festival of Breads competition. So time to really get serious and figure out how I'm going to display my bread for the judges. That, of course, meant it was time to shop this past week. I went to Michael's to look for a basket. Nothing that was right was there. Then I went to Pier 1. There I found a basket I liked but - yesh! - I'm cheap and wasn't paying the price they were asking. Finally, I ended up a Gordman's and found a basket that is JUST the right size and while I was there I got some red and white striped kitchen towels to line the basket with. What do you think? I will slice the two loaves and display them like this (see below picture). I only have about 1/2 of one loaf left of the last batch I made but I think this will give you a good idea of what I'm looking at presenting.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 6/1/09
It's June! I did have a menu plan for last week but didn't get to posting it due to having my wonderful husband home both on Monday & Tuesday. So - here is this week's:
Monday: Roasted Chicken, Risotto, & Spinach Salad
Tuesday: Pancakes, Sausage, & Fruit (requested by Abby - seemed reasonable enough)
Wednesday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches (w/ leftover chicken), Chips & Fruit
Thursday: Dal, Chiliean Style (requested by Mike - he heard about the recipe from listening to NPR....)
Friday: Grilled Cheeseburgers & Grilled Potatoes
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