Just wanted you to see what real baby carrots look like. They are not the ones you see in your local grocery store. Those are mature carrots whittled down. These are ones I had to pick to allow the other carrots to grow bigger and mature. They are sweet and delicious little treats at dinner. Sorry about my old arthritic thumb selfie! ^-^
Recipes are really, really, really hard to write if you don't have a plan. I have noticed more and more that many foodie blogs and radio programs have recipes that are not logical and are ambiguous on the ingredients.
Here is what I think is the logical (in my Spock voice) and best way to present a recipe for all cooks to make easily.
First should be how much the recipe makes. Don't just list 4 servings, 4 servings for preschoolers, 4 servings for the Green Bay Packers, what? Good to have an idea how much, cups or size.
If you are using the oven, list the preheat here first,
List the ingredients in the order you are using them.
Be precise in the type of ingredient. Some of the ones that really drive me crazy (among others) are flour, sugar, salt, butter, chile powder, chocolate. What exact kind are your referring to?
In making your recipe, try to be precise in each step. Look at a recipe from the viewpoint of someone that has little to no experience of cooking,
My 30 something daughter just told me a couple of weeks ago that she hates cooking. I feel really guilty that I did not teach her more about cooking. Now I am trying to do it long distance and on the phone/email!
I think any step you can take to teach someone a little about making their own food is a step forward for everyone having a better diet and more joy in the art of cooking.
AND you really really need to read a recipe at least 3 times to understand what ingredients you need, the order of cooking and the finish of the dish.
Santa Fe Chicken or Turkey Stuffing Casserole
This recipe is an old one which included Cambell's Soup. I have simplified and modernized the recipe to fit how I cook. A few times a year I crave this and just have to make it.
Makes 12 3" X 3" Servings
Preheat oven to 350º
4 C Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing
2 C diced cooked chicken or turkey (I like dark meat, but use what you like)
1 15 1/2 oz can golden hominy, drained
1 4 1/2 oz can hatch chiles or green chiles, drained or 1/3 - 1/2 C roasted hatch chiles, peeled, seeded and large diced
1/2 C fresh red or orange bell pepper, seeded and large diced
1 C corn kernels, either fresh or frozen or canned and drained
1/4-1/2 C cilantro or parsley, leaves and stems torn
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
freshly ground black pepper to taste
you can add some crushed red pepper, it has a nice little "burn" (optional)
1 C medium bechamel sauce aka medium white sauce (See Note)
3/4 C sour cream or a mixture of sour cream and plain yogurt
1/4 C chicken or turkey stock or juice from cooking the poultry
1 C Monterrey Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Lightly grease a 9" X 13" Pyrex baking dish with butter.
In a large bowl, mix the first 11 ingredients well. Mix the béchamel with the dairy and stock, and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix very well and pour into the baking dish and even out and pat down a little. Cover the dish with some aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Uncover, add the Pepper Jack on top and bake another 10-20 minutes until melted and lightly golden brown, or to you liking. Let cool on a rack for 15+ minutes before serving.
The squares freeze well (wrap individually in cling wrap and put all in a Ziploc), just reheat in a microwave quickly or in an oven until slightly toasted and hot.
Note: If you don't know how to make a medium white sauce (bechamel), here's the scoop from Wikipedia. "Béchamel is traditionally made by melting a quantity of butter, and adding an equal part of flour in order to make a roux, which is cooked over gentle heat while stirring with a whisk. As it is a white sauce, care needs to be taken not to brown the roux. Then room temperature milk is gradually whisked in, and the sauce is cooked until thickened and smooth. The proportion of roux and milk determines the thickness of the sauce, typically one to three tablespoons each of flour and butter per cup of milk. One tablespoon each of butter and flour per cup of milk would result in a thin, easily pourable sauce. Two tablespoons of each would result in a medium thick sauce. Three tablespoons of each would be used for an extra thick sauce such as used to fill croquettes or as a soufflé base. Salt and white pepper are added and it is customary, in Italy, to add a pinch of nutmeg."
SALAD LYONNAISE
This salad was a revelation. I love the mixing of the greens, bacon and egg. Please try this!
Makes 2 servings as the greens wilt a little with the dressing, so about 1 1/2 C each serving
4 C endive (about 4 oz), washed and torn into pieces when dry (aka frisee or chickory)
2 slices apple smoked bacon with fat, cut into 3/8" pieces
1 T bacon fat
1 medium lobe of shallot
1 T vinegar, red wine or white wine or sherry
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 large fresh eggs (the fresher the eggs the easier they are to poach)
garlic croutons for topping (optional) or toast :-)
Place the greens in a large bowl.
Cook the bacon in a medium, preferably cast iron, skillet in the bacon fat until golden and a little crispy. Add the shallot, vinegar and mustard and stir. Take off heat.
Pour the dressing over the greens and toss well. Add salt & pepper to taste and toss again.
Poach the eggs. My method is to use a large saucepan filled 1/2 with water. Heat until it is a good simmer with bubbles on the bottom of the pan. Crack each egg into a ramekin and then slide the egg from the ramekin into the water. Poach just until the whites are barely set and the yolks are still runny, 2-4 minutes. Believe me, the runnier the yolk, the better the dish! Remove from the water with a slotted spoon.
Plate a serving of the greens and add a poached egg on top. Serve with salt and pepper on the side. When you cut the egg yolk it runs into the lettuce, toss it and enjoy!
I like my salad without the croutons but with a good piece of toasted homemade whole wheat or cibatta or tangy sourdough bread and some garlic flavored butter infused olive oil to dip it in!
HOMEMADE DIGESTIVE BISCUITS (COOKIES)
Oh, these cookies. Wow! They are really, really tasty. My Sweetie took them to a model airplane contest and didn't get one! Everyone else grabbed them! They are that good.
Makes about 3 dozen 2 1/2" cookies
Preheat oven to 300º
1 C all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 C fresh rolled oats
10 T salted butter (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt)
3/4 C white sugar
1 T whole milk
1 tsp Lyle's golden syrup (available at World Market)
1 tsp baking soda
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the rolled oats.
Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the milk, golden syrup and baking soda, and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients and, again, mix well. Let rest covered for 15 minutes.
Scoop about a tablespoon of mounded dough onto the baking sheet about 2" apart. I use a Vollrath S/S size 100 (about 1 T) Squeeze Disher Scoop.
Pat down just a little and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. You should get a nice 2 1/2" in diameter cookie.
Let cool on a wire rack and keep in a good airtight container. They are good fresh and even better a few days later. They will last in your airtight container for 1-2 weeks. I use an old cookie tin lined with wax paper for mine.
Note: In most recipes I use unsalted butter and Diamond Crystal coarse salt.
OK, have I rattled your bones? Or whetted your appetite?
I am making a puff pastry tart with goat's milk cheese, lemon thyme and blackberries and a warm fruit salad with apples, Asian pears, spices, dried apricots, ginger and simple syrup.
Tell me what you are having for dinner. I really want to know. Cheers!