Tasty Tuesday ~ In the Kitchen

   I heard it said that if someone has a passion, that passion brings a smile to his or her face and gives them a purpose in life. Well, baking is my passion and never am I happier than when I'm in the kitchen blowing clouds of flour everywhere and singing and jabbering away to myself in french whilst concocting something new.

  This past week I have been baking more than I can ever remember baking before, I have dirtied pretty much every dish in our kitchen cupboards at one point, and my poor little recipe box is now bursting with an influx of new tasty recipes. To be honest, all the mountains of dirty dishes I've created haven't been fun to scrub, but the food made with their help made it all worth it, at least in my books.

  Today I am going to share with you a few pictures of the foods I have been making.

 Here is  a picture of the homemade cookie crisp cereal I made, needless to say it was a long night forming each of those, but apparently Diane seems to think it was worth it.

  Then I was feeling summery one particularly sunny and cheery day, so I made two different kinds of galettes  and a tray full of berry and cream tarts. You might have guessed it, but I made a terrific mess in the kitchen that day.

    I was very much in the summer mood lately so I made a strawberry and cream cake, the recipe was from Rachel Khoo, I love all of her recipes and  she is my favorite culinary personality.

  Making my own cereal has really been one of my favorite things to do lately, and so when I found a recipe for chocolate and peanut butter cereal I jumped at it because I dearly love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

  And lastly but not at all the least, I made cupcakes, I had such a splendid time making them, and if truth be told I walked through the kitchen as many times as possible after I had made them because I loved gazing at them and envisioning them gracing a little shop window or boulangerie in Paris.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Molasses Crinkle Cookies

  Today was and still is spectacularly foggy, cold, and rainy, not to forget muddy and dreary, and it's exactly days like these that I love to bake something warm and oozing with delicious spices. I set out to the kitchen and about two hours later I am sitting back quite satisfied that not only did I discover one scrumptious cookie recipe, but also the gingerbread replacement for this Christmas since my Mum banned gingerbread cookies from ever being made again. (No one likes them, so it's not like anyone is suffering because of her decree.)

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ginger
white sanding sugar

In a large bowl beat together the butter and the brown sugar. Vigorously beat in the eggs and molasses till smooth. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Gradually add in the flour mix to the wet ingredients, mixing well till a smooth, soft dough forms. Use a cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to form round balls of the dough. This step was particularly fun for me since it was pretty much the adult activity of playing with play dough. Gently press the cookie balls into white sanding sugar till they have flattened to about half the size of the original cookie ball. Bake the cookies one inch apart on a parchment covered cookie sheet at a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Let the cookies set for about a minute once you have pulled them from the oven so that the crinkles can set, then move them to a wire rack. These are delicious with a glass of cold milk, or a cup of hot cocoa depending on your mood.

Summertime Frittata

    I have always loved experimenting with recipes in the kitchen and even though not everything has always been a good idea (pea pesto, fried cucumbers), all of my disasters have never deterred me from inventing a delicious recipe.

  A few weeks ago I was watching one cooking show where the lady was cooking a frittata, and my mouth was watering so badly, even though I am not normally a person who loves egg based things (I can not stand scrambled eggs, or omelettes) but the frittata looked so good I just knew I had to make one for me.

  I went online and researched how to make an easy frittata but quickly became frustrated when every site I found kept on saying that the equivalents of egg to dairy were very important and to be sure to not to throw caution to the wind. Well I did just exactly what they told me not to, I threw caution to the wind full force and marched out into the kitchen where I proceeded to invent my own frittata recipe which somehow turned out tasting so delicious I ended up making one for each and every one of my family members.

  Today I will be sharing my Frittata Recipe with you.

Summertime Frittata

3 eggs
1/4 cup cheese
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of salt
4 diced grape tomatoes or half of a regular tomato
2 thawed, chopped, hash brown patties (I discovered you can thaw them in a toaster)
1 tbsp butter

In a small 8-9 inch skillet melt the butter and fry the hash browns. In a medium bowl beat the eggs. Add in the spices and milk making sure to beat well. Once your hash browns are crisp cut each one into 12 pieces if you like things to be precise, if not, simply crumble, then pour the egg mixture over the hash browns, tilting the pan to level out the mixture. Sprinkle the tomatoes on top. Cook on medium heat loosening the sides of the pan and pulling the egg back gently so that the uncooked eggs in the middle ooze around the sides. Do this until everything is almost cooked. There will be a little layer of raw egg on top yet. Sprinkle the frittata with the cheese and more parsley. Broil on low for 1-3 minutes or until golden and firm. Loosen the egg from the skillet with a spatula and carefully slide the frittata onto a plate. Enjoy!

This is technically supposed to serve one but I find it makes the perfect amount for my sister and me  to share.

Sweet Hungarian Pork Chops

  Mm-m! The smell of dinner drifting through the house is definitely a very comforting thing indeed, and today's meal incorporates fresh veggies in a delightful sauce that covers a bed of noodles and spreads lazily over a luscious pork chop, one can easily imagine how incredible the aromas are!

  Sweet Hungarian Pork Chops

1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) chicken broth, divided
2 tbsp sweet hungarian paprika
2 butterflied pork chops
3 tbsp flour
1/3 cup sour cream
6 cups cooked egg noodles ( 6 ounces uncooked )

  Heat the half of the oil in a non-stick skillet and add the onions and the garlic and cook while stirring for two minutes, then to your pan add the tomato, peppers, paprika, and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, cover and simmer on low for five minutes.

   Heat the rest of the olive oil in another non-stick skillet and fry the meat 1 minute on each side. Stuff with a few of the veggies. Bake at 350º for 5 minutes.

  In a small bowl mix together the chicken broth and flour. Bring veggies back to a simmer and stir in your broth/flour mixture. Spoon a little over pork chops and return back to oven for two more minutes.

  Add veggie sauce to noodles and serve with pork chops on top.

  I thought this was absolutely delicious and wouldn't change anything, but garnishing with a parsley sprig or two would elevate the dish's elegance.

Strawberry Cream Parfaits

Sometimes a certain smell, or hearing a certain song transports me back in time, but recently it was a certain flavor that did that.

We made a special pudding for dessert and with the first bite I was transported back to when I was a little girl, about four years old. Bare feet standing in our tiny kitchen in our little log house in the Ozarks as my Mom gave me a a Schwan's  Strawberry Sundae Crunch Bars from the freezer compartment of our ancient brown refrigerator. I can even see the bungee cord she used to use to keep the door shut.

Anyway the flavor of this pudding tasted just like I remember those wonderful bars to have tasted.

  Here is the recipe if you would like to try your hand at making this pudding.

  Strawberry Cream Parfaits

1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 package (3.9 oz.) instant strawberry pudding
1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
12-14 golden oreos, crushed


In a small bowl beat your cream cheese, pudding mix, and milk until the mixture has thickened.

Then in parfait cups or large wineglasses layer a tablespoon or so of oreo crumbs,  pudding mixture, the whipped topping, another layer of pudding, more oreo crumbs, and then a dollop of whipped topping on top.

 Enjoy!

Patriotic Berry Brownies

  I have always thought that the perfect way to celebrate the "Fourth of July" is to bake a marvelous treat to enjoy with family and friends and so today in honor of the past holiday I made these Patriotic Berry Brownies to be enjoyed with my friends that are visiting today.

 
  Patriotic Berry Brownies

Brownies

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. salt
5 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream layer

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese (room temperature)
1 container (8 oz.) cool whip

Patriotic Topping

Strawberry pie filling
Blueberry pie filling
1 container (8 oz.) cool whip

  For the brownies mix together all the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ingredients and beat until smooth and the egg whites thoroughly incorporated.  Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely before adding the next layer.

  For the cream layer beat together the cream cheese and cool whip until creamy, spoon onto the brownie layer and using a butter knife the smoothing process is made much easier.

  And finally for the Patriotic topping. Using a tooth pick mark your cream layer into fourths, then spoon a little blueberry filling into the top left corner and fill it making sure not to spoon and into the other 3/4's of the pan, then take your strawberry filling and spread the other 3/4's of the cream with the strawberry filling. Finally take a Zip-Lock bag and spoon all the cool whip into it. Using a pair of scissors cut off one of the bottom corners.  Carefully pipe white rows of cool whip  horizontally across the red and then pipe little white dots across the blue corner. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

  And just a friendly warning for all of you. This is what your brownie bars will look like if you use "Reddi-Whip" or another untrustworthy spray whipped cream like I did today.

  

New Orleans Pork Gumbo

  This weeks new recipe is a hearty bowl of the South that can be brought to your very own house, I absolutely loved how this dish was bursting with robust, fresh, flavors and lots of juicy pork, and even though my list keeps growing, I just have to make this meal again!

 

  New Orleans Pork Gumbo

1 pound pork loin roast
1 tbsp margerine
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup water
1 can (16 oz.) stewed and drained tomatoes
1 package (10 oz.) frozen succotash
1 package (10 oz.) frozen cut okra
1 beef bouillon cube
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf

Slice your pork into 1/2 inch cubes and then coat the inside of a large Dutch Oven, once heated over a stove add the pork and cook and stir for 4 minutes or until browned, remove the meat from the pot and then melt the margarine in the same dutch oven and stir in the flour. Cook while mixing until the roux (a fancy name for a flour and butter concoction) has browned, then mix in the water until very well incorporated, add the meat and the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, once you have brought it to a boil cover and cook for 15 minutes. Throw the bay leaf away. And the only other thing you have to do is feel proud of your marvelous cooking while enjoying your meal.

Spicy Pork Stir-Fry

  In my household every cook strives to make a dish for my Dad with just the right amount of spice, and so often the main issue is not enough heat (spice wise), so for this recipe I had my hopes high that it would have the perfect amount of spice.

  When I made this meal my Dad admitted that it had just the right spices to give it the heat he wanted, but beware, if your taste buds are weak and heat tolerance low, you just might faint when you eat the broccoli (that is where lots of the spice likes to cling).

  Spicy Pork Stir-Fry

1 can (about 14 oz.) chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp grated orange peel
1 pork tenderloin ( about 10 oz.)
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced carrots
1 tsp Szechuan seasoning
6 cups cooked rice

Mix together 1 1/2 cups of your chicken broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and orange peel in a medium sized bowl, make sure it is smooth. Cut the pork lengthwise in half then crosswise into thin slices.

  In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp peanut oil, once heated add the pork, sesame seeds and garlic, fry and stir for three minutes or until the pork is just pink in the center, remove from the pan and heat the rest of the peanut oil in the same pan until hot, add the broccoli, carrots, Szechuan seasoning and the rest of the chicken broth. Cook while stirring for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, add the pork and chicken broth and stir well, cook over medium heat until the sauce has thickened. Spoon onto the rice and serve.

  I thought this was delicious and will make it again someday. They say your heat tolerance grows stronger as you age, right?

Pork and Potato Frittata

  I have eaten many kinds of food in my life, sophisticated, expensive, cheap, comfort, and food from many different cultures have all made their way across my taste buds, but in the end I always find myself wanting comfort food. This week's meal was the absolute perfect balance of comfort, and sophistication for my taste. The absolute deliciousness of warm cheesy potatoes, combined with classic veggies, and the ever so delicious pork chops make this dish just perfect.

  Pork and Potato Frittata

12 ounces frozen shredded hash browns
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
4 egg whites
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 ounces frozen stir fry vegetables
3/4 cup chopped cooked pork
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking pan with cooking spray, evenly place your potatoes onto the pan and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning. Then bake it for 15 minutes and remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

  In a medium sized bowl beat the egg whites, eggs, milk, mustard, and pepper, set aside and in a nonstick skillet place the frozen veggies, and 1/3 cup water, cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are slightly crisp in the center.

  Add the pork and potatoes to the veggies in the skillet, stir lightly and add the egg mixture and top with the shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, then, uncovering your skillet place it into the oven and bake for 5 more minutes or until the eggs are set and the cheese is warm and gooey. Then the last thing you have to do is enjoy it.

  I had served this as a supper but it would be just as delicious served as a breakfast or lunch.

Fajita Salad

  This week's new recipe I made on my cooking through an entire recipe book challenge has been my favorite so far.

  I love the combination of flavors. For a salad this was very hearty and could be made as a meal in itself. I thought it was delicious paired with baked potatoes, but you of-course can pair it with anything you desire.

Fajita Salad

6 ounces beef top sirloin steak
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
2 medium red bell peppers
1 medium onion
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 tomato, cut in wedges
1 cup salsa

Slice your beef into strips that measure about 2x 1x1/4 inch and place into a bowl, then in another bowl mix together your lime juice, cilantro, garlic, and chili powder, poor over your beef and mix with your hands to coat the beef in the juices, cover the bowl and let it set for 10 minutes turning it once.

  Julienne the peppers, and cut the onions into thin strips, then in a large non-stick skillet add the olive oil, peppers, and onions, cook it for about 6 minutes or until crisp tender (make sure to stir them if you don't like burnt food) Remove them and cook your beef in the same pan and cook and stir for about 3 minute or until cooked thoroughly, then remove from heat and add your cooked veggies and the garbanzo beans and stir to coat with pan juices.

  Then arrange the lettuce onto your serving platter and top with the meat and veggies. Then all there is left to do is serve it with the salsa and enjoy.

Mediterranean Meatballs and Couscous

  I love cooking interesting new dishes every week and even though sometimes I wouldn't make them again, it is lots of fun trying new things in the kitchen.

  Now this week I took a big risk by making this extraordinarily spiced dish, if you love trying out new foods and flavors then this dish is for you. If you like to try this masterpiece of "different smells and flavors" then the recipe is listed below.

Mediterranean Meatballs and Couscous

1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
2 1/2  cups water
1 1/2 cups precooked couscous (it will say so in the ingredient list)
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 chopped parsely
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tsp grated lemon peel
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 pound ground round beef
1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Pour chicken broth and your water in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring it to a boil and remove from heat, add the couscous, raisins, parsley,2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp lemon peel, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and add your turmeric and cumin. Cover your saucepan and let it stand for 5 minutes.

  Then in a large bowl combine your beef, crackers, milk, remaining 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon peel, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and oregano. Mix until well combined and shape into 24 meatballs. Bake at 350 for half an hour or until cooked through.

  Mix your couscous and spoon it into a serving bowl and arrange the meatballs onto the couscous.Serve immediately and enjoy!


Now I thought that the dish was delicious but next time I would omit the raisins because they added too much sweetness for my taste.

Spicy Beef and Onion Sandwiches

  I still remember my brother Eldon telling my Mom that she had made the best beef sandwich ever and that he would never forget it, fast forward a few years and with that image still in my mind I set out to make the BEST beef sandwich ever, so with cookbook in hand and determination in heart, I fried and cooked and plated until I heard the words I so longed to hear " Hey Sis, these are the best beef sandwiches ever" and with my beef sandwich cooking destiny fulfilled, I feel free to share the  recipe with you.

Spicy Beef and Onion Sandwiches

6 ounces beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup water
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
3 kaiser rolls
3 tbsp spicy brown mustard

Start off by melting a tablespoon of butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat until the pan is hot. Add your beef and partly cover your pan and cook 4 minutes on each side or until completely cooked, then remove the beef from the pan. Add the onions, water, and mustard seeds to the pan and cook on medium high heat, or until all the water has evaporated. Add your mushrooms, vinegar, sugar, and olive oil. Cook five minutes or until the onions have browned.Cut your rolls in half and spread the mustard onto them. Slice your meat thinly and place onto the sandwiches and top with the onion mixture. Serve and enjoy!

Roast Beef and Pasta Salad

The one thing that I have always wanted to do before I died and happens to be on my bucket list is making every single recipe in a cook book.So last week I started the challenge of making all the recipes in my favorite cookbook and made the very first dish in the book, which, by the way I will be sharing with you today.

Roast Beef and Pasta Salad

9 ounces uncooked radiatore pasta
6 ounces lean roast beef
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) whole baby corn, drained and rinsed
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 cup cherry tomato halves
2 TBSP minced fresh parsely
1 TBSP minced fresh oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives (optional)

Prepare the pasta like the package tells you to, omitting the salt; drain and rinse your pasta with cold water; and then drain again.

Slice your roast beef into narrow strips and then combine your pasta with the beef and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly and if you want to be fancy garnish each serving with a sprig of fresh oregano.

This makes six servings and is best if served fresh. Enjoy!

Now I thought this was a delicious addition to our dinner and the only thing I would change is swapping the beef for ham the next time I make it, but then again that is just me being me.

Homemade Butter

  I have always thought making homemade butter would be fun. In the Little House series they churned butter, and my Mom used to churn butter, it would simply be marvelously vintage-like, (even romantic) to churn butter. My obsession with vintage things started a year ago and churning butter was a definite "need to try."

  A week or so ago some of our Amish neighbors were giving away free milk because the milkman had some kind of problem and couldn't pick up the milk from their farm. They of course had far too much for their own use, so when they offered it to us my Dad went and got us some and Mom skimmed the cream from it to make butter.

 I was excited! Finally I was getting my chance, but as it turns out we don't have a churn so Mom goes and pours the cream into a quart jars and instructed us to shake it. Well I shook my jar , Diane shook that jar, Eldon shook that jar, even Mom and Dad shook that jar, and finally we had butter. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious and all, and I guess worth the effort. But oh what a let down to my high vintage-y/romantic ideals.

  In case you want to give making butter a try, here are the instructions.

  Oh, and even though it was not at all old-fashioned and dreamy, it was a very good work out.


Home Made Butter

The ingredients you need are as listed:

Cream (approximately two and half cups)
salt, to taste


Pour all your cream into a quart jar leaving space to shake the cream.

  Once you have been shaking for a while your cream should have thickened and have become considerably harder to shake.

After a bit more of shaking your cream will have formed into butter.

Pour out the butter milk and put your lump of butter into a bowl and cover with really cold tap water, chill for five to ten minutes then drain the water and work the butter by using the back of a spoon to squeeze out all the extra buttermilk. Salt your butter by sprinkling the salt over the butter and mix.

When the salt has been mixed in well you can shape your butter any way you like and store in the fridge for an hour before using, though if chilled too long you might have to soften it before it is able to be spread.

We enjoyed it on fresh, warm, homemade bread.

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

 

I love trying out new recipes and today I had the opportunity to make these gorgeous little cheesecakes. They were exceptionally fun to make, a little time consuming, but all in all fun.

 In case you all want to try your hand at making these, here is the recipe,

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup cold butter
2 tbsp cold water

Filling:

2 packages (3 ounces each) of softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg (I used medium)
1 can cherry pie filling

In a small bowl mix together your flour, sugar, and cocoa, once combined mix in your butter with a fork (It makes mixing easier) until it is all crumbly. Gradually pour your water onto the mixture and mix with your fork until the dough is moistened, then roll up your sleeves and mix the dough with your hands until it forms a ball. Put your ball of dough on a cutting board, using your hands, form your dough into a log, and cut in half, then to achieve 24 equal balls of dough, cut each of those halves into six pieces and finally cut all twelve pieces in half, which makes 24 balls of dough. Shape each of those little balls into a liberally greased mini muffin pan.

 In a large mixing bowl, beat your cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the milk, vanilla, and your egg, beat until creamy then spoon about a tbsp of filling into each cup. Bake at 325º for 15 to 18 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool on a rack for about 20 minutes then place a towel over the top and gently flip your pan over to release your mini cheesecakes, if they don't all fall from the pan I find gently twisting them helps. Then finally garnish each cheesecake with a cherry, and store in the refrigerator.  This recipe makes 24 Mini Cherry Cheesecakes. They are bite sized, but if you're feeling ladylike you can get two, maybe three tiny bites from each one.