Cooking for Friends

I love cooking for friends, but I'm sure if you are anything like me more and more of your friends are on restrictive diets.  This week for small group we had the theme of "Pies" for dinner.  After naming the theme I immediately realized that many of our members are gluten free and most pies have gluten in them.  We also have several members that are dairy and egg free.  Here is my solution:

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie

To start I used Alton Brown's recipe and just applied some minor tweaks:

Ingredients
For the potatoes:
 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
1 1/2 -2 cups chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil (to taste)
1/2 tbl. The Melting Pot's garlic and wine seasoning (to taste)

For the meat filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 pounds ground beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons corn starch
2 teaspoons tomato paste (I had some, but I didn't have the original container so I omitted this ingredient)
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1-2 cups frozen mixed vegetables 

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.  Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the chicken stock, olive oil, MP seasoning, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Make a slurry of the corn starch and 1/4 cup chicken stock.  Add slurry the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the frozen vegetables to the beef mixture and spread evenly into an 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Cover with aluminum foil and place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until warm and bubbly.  Because these potatoes do not have milk or butter in them do not expect them to brown! Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  Like any other recipe be sure to check all of your ingredients before beginning for allergens!

Egg Timer

Today, for the first time in months (maybe even years) I boiled eggs to perfect doneness.  The difference between that very seldom occasion and this one was that it was on purpose!  In the past if my eggs were cooked perfectly it was on accident.  I've tried to follow several different recipes for boiling a medium-hard boiled egg, but with only mediocre results.  Not even "The Cookbook" has a recipe that gets consistent results.  But today, after receiving this little gem for Christmas I boiled eggs to PERFECT doneness!

I've had this on my amazon wish list for some time and if I would have known how awesome of a job it was going to do I would have bought it for myself a long time ago.

Did you get anything for Christmas that you can't wait to tell your friends about?  If so, tell me about it!

A new family favorite: Pumpkin Creme Pies

I ran across these wonderful cookies on Ree Drummond's blog and I made them for a recent church event.  The results were AWESOME!  Not only were these tasty, but my husband who doesn't usually like pumpkin flavored things loved these cookies.  I would describe them as being very similar to a pumpkin roll, but in cookie form.

Here are some tips for following this recipe:

• The recipe makes 24 cookies (not 12 as stated).
• Although it instructs you to pipe the cookies one of the commenters said that you can just as easily scoop them.  I will try this next time.
• Don't bother cutting the parchement into squares, as that is a huge waste of time, but do use parchement to bake the cookies on.
• A PC medium scoop (about 2tbs) delivers the perfect amount of icing on each cookie to make 24 sandwiches.

Just in case you doubted how moist and delicious these are, here is another picture:

At the church lunch these were gone in just under 10 minutes or so!  My family members were all so glad that we had tasted one at home because we did not get to enjoy them at the lunch!!  I will definitely be making these for Thanksgiving and every gathering between now and then.

Here is the recipe step by step and in printable form.

The much requested: BARK

My Aunt Linda made this for us last Thanksgiving and I couldn't stop eating it!! When I got back to Knoxville I was informed that it was called Cracker Candy. I don't care what you call it, I can't get enough!

35 saltine crackers(about one sleeve)

3/4 cup butter (don't use margarine)

1 cup brown sugar

1 8 oz. bag Toffee bits (I use about 2/3 of a bag)

1 12oz. bag mini semi-sweet morsels (I use a couple of handfuls of normal morsels)

Line rimmed cookie sheet with foil; place crackers in single layer, 5 by 7, on cookie sheet. Melt butter; add brown sugar and blend well. Spread over crackers, then bake for 5 minutes at 375 degrees. Immediately spread toffee bits and chocolate chips over crackers; set back in oven to slightly melt for 2-3 extra minutes. Refrigerate on pan until completely cool, then break apart. Place some aside in a container so that you actually get some after your guests eat it all.

Betsy also has a different variation posted on her blog called Pine Bark Candy. I see a taste test in our future!

The Holidays (and the foods that go with them!)

My friend Betsy over at fulltummies brought up a good point this year at Thanksgiving. We have all these family recipes floating around, why not post them online so that every year you know EXACTLY where they are? My next couple of posts will be about our holiday favorites.

Here is a Thanksgiving favorite that I can't imagine Thanksgiving without. It comes from the Quaschnick side of my family and I bought a meat grinder for my KitchenAid mixer just so I could make it!!

Cranberry Relish

5 small tart apples (texture is more important than taste here, I'd go with granny smiths)
1 bag of frozen cranberries
1 6oz. can of Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
Sugar to taste

I fit my meat grinder with the larger of the two plates, but if you have more than two sizes you'll know if your plate is too small if all you are getting coming out is juice! Wash, slice and core the apples. Feed the first three ingredients down through your meat grinder. The berries can be thawed, but I don't think it makes a difference. After everything goes through the grinder stir to mix ingredients well. After sitting 24hrs. in your fridge taste and add sugar as needed.

As you can see this recipe needs to be made ahead of time and it can easily be doubled for large crowds. Delish!


Another family favorite of mine is Pumpkin Cheesecake. The recipe linked here is Martha's, but this year I substituted the graham crackers crumbs for ginger snap cookie crumbs and it was AWESOME!

"The" Cookbook

My friend Betsy had recommended this cookbook to me and at first glance I was not interested at all! It had no pictures, few illustrations, and no nutritional fact information; all of which have been previous requirements of mine for a cookbook. But oh friends, let me just tell you about this cookbook! Since getting it for my birthday a week has not gone by that I haven't made something out of it and usually I cook out of it 2-3 times a week! The title describes perfectly what this cookbook is about: everything! Want to roast some potatoes and pork and then use the leftovers for fried rice? Mark will tell you how! Or what about crepes and banana bread? He's got that covered too.

Here are some features that make this book "The" book to have in your kitchen:

• Over 2,000 recipes with tons of variations. As a matter of fact, I don't know if I have seen a recipe in here that doesn't have a variation.
• Basic ingredients. All of the recipes that I have made so far did not cause me to run to the store! His ingredients are simple things that you already have around the house.
  
• Well illustrated techniques. Want to quarter a chicken? It is all drawn out here step by step.
• Essential recipes are highlighted at the beginning of each chapter to get you started. This is especially helpful for me on chapters like beans, which I have never cooked before this year!
• Charts, charts, and more charts! This man loves his charts! My favorite one yet is one that outlines different types of vinaigrettes into their different parts: oil, acid, flavors, etc.
• Variation on top of variation: One title of a list reads, "11 More Ways to Vary Grilled or Broiled Boneless Chicken" Not only do these variations give you good ideas, but you feel freed up to make your own decisions and substitutions without the fear of failure.
• Only 7 out of 56 people on Amazon.com gave this book less than 5 stars and not a single one gave it just 1 star.
• Chapter Titles are: Kitchen Basics; Sauces, Condiments, Herbs and Spices; Appetizers; Soups; Sandwiches and Pizza; Salads; Vegetables and Fruit; Beans; Grains; Pasta, Noodles, and Dumplings; Fish and Shellfish; Poultry; Meat; Eggs, Breakfast, and Dairy; Bread; Desserts
• My favorite chapter is Vegetables and Fruit. For each vegetable and fruit that you can find at the grocery or farmers market he tells you how to pick the right one and then has several recipes on different ways it can be prepared.
  

Weather you are new to the kitchen, new to cooking, or just need some new ideas you need to add this book to your Christmas wish-list. My sister already got his vegetarian version for her birthday.

Banana Bread

My family has a banana bread recipe that I think is just divine! It is a very dense bread and it is oh so good!

Here is the recipe for a 3 (or 5) banana bread:

1 cup sugar (1 1/2)
3 mashed bananas (5)
1 egg (2)
1/2 cup shortening (3/4)
2 cups flour (3)
1 tsp. baking soda (1 1/2)
1 pinch salt (1/8 tsp)
1 cup pecans (if desired) (1 1/2)

I melt the shortening and mix with the sugar, bananas and eggs. Then I add in the pre-mixed dry ingredients (muffin method). Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Chicken Quesadillas and Simple Sopapillas

This is one of my favorite meals to cook because it really helps me use up various leftover ingredients, and my family loves it! This week I had leftover shredded cheddar (from soft tacos last week), left over chicken (from power cooking) and an extra onion (also from power cooking).
Chicken Quesadillas (ingredients in italics)

Start off by cooking one onion in a little bit of olive oil until sweet and tender. Then cook chicken (I used three breasts) in saute pan by using my favorite method or tonight I just used my grill pan and grill press. Let the chicken rest and prepare a pan with a tablespoon or so of olive oil on medium low heat. After the chicken is sliced up throw a flour tortilla down in the pan and on one side of the tortilla sprinkle cheese, chicken and onions. Fold remaining side over. Let the first side brown for about a minute or so and the flip. Brown sides until desired color is reached and serve with sour cream. Like I said before, what is so great about this meal is that the only thing I had to purchase was the tortillas. I already had the rest of the ingredients on hand.

Dessert: Simple Sopapillas

So, I don't know about your family, but we have a hard time finishing an entire package of flour tortillas. This method is from a friend and it is a great way to use up those extras! In the same skillet you used before pour about a quarter of an inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium high to high heat. You will know the oil is ready when a piece of tortilla immediately begins to bubble. Fry your tortilla on both sides (they will puff up but that is okay) and then transfer to paper towel on wire rack. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and enjoy! I know it is traditional to add honey on these as well, but I was so eager to eat these that I forgot. I also forgot to take a picture!

Food! Specifically, Beef Bourguignon

One of my all time "favorite things" is food! I know this blog started out as a mommy's guide to baby and preschool items, but I will now also feature favorite recipes and restaurant endorsements (no bad reviews here). By no means will this become a food blog, but there are just some local restaurants that I have had great expierences in lately and I just have to share!

Today as I was making Beef Bourguignon I thought, "This is a really straight forward dish that a ton of people would love, but most would be too intimidated to make." Do not be intimidated!! You can ace this dish if you can:

• dredge meat in flower
• brown dredged meat
• chop things
  

The recipe I make is from Martha Stewart and was published in her Everyday Food magazine years ago. Even though the name is fancy (use this dish to impress guests) the methods are simple. Here is my quick run down. After cooking bacon, brown dredged meat in fat. Remove meat and add chopped vegetables. After these soften add back the meat (and bacon) and dump in wine! Let cook for 3-3.5 hours (while you visit with your guests). 30 minutes before dinner you can roast off some mushrooms and onions and add these at the last minute for flair!

Okay, there are a few more ingredients to this recipe, but I promise the steps are really that easy and you and your impressed guests will love it! I also serve mine with roasted potatoes that also go in the oven 30 minutes before dinner so that is easy! You could even make it a day ahead of time and just heat it up before your guests arrive.

For wine I suggest a Cabernet Sauvignon. In the past we have used the one from Biltmore, but today we picked up one from Chili (at about half the price) and it was really good. The most important thing when choosing your "cooking" wine is not to get a "cooking wine"! When wine cooks it increases in flavor, therefore you need to start with a wine that is good to drink to begin with.

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought of it! Also, what is a "fancy" dish that you love that is really not so fancy to make?

My son eats soup!

So my son picked out this can of soup at the store a few weeks ago. He is all about the movie Cars so I indulged his request and as he was eating his first bowl of soup I noticed that he was also eating the few carrots that were included in this chicken noodle soup. Ah ha! I thought. I have since made him this soup with a half of a can of mixed veggies and a half a can of chicken breast. He loves it! He eats most of the vegetables (he still picks out the green beans) and most of the chicken along with the noodles. The great thing about these noodles is that they are perfect for little toddler hands. The are flat and about nickel sized so they are also easy to scoop with a spoon.

Bear Creek Dry Soup Mix

With all three members of my family sick the week before Thanksgiving I needed a quick meal that would be nutritious and easy. I love these Bear Creeks dry soup mixes. We have had the Cheddar Potato before, but for a sick household I recommend this Cheddar Broccoli. I even added a half a bag of frozen broccoli florets, and served it with crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar. It was SO good and it definitely hit the spot on a cold and cloudy day.

The best thing is that you just boil water, stir in the mix (and the frozen veggies) and in <10 minutes lunch is served. The bacon and cheddar leftovers were already in the fridge from other recipes so even that was easy. It was even thick enough that my 17 month old son had his bowl of soup and he loved it. He even ate broccoli! Well, he tried it at least.

Tomato Paste in a Tube!

So, I watch my friend Giada use this stuff for years, but until about a year ago I had never seen this product in the store. I still haven't seen it in Knoxville, but I've heard it is carried in certain stores. I found this product at the Albertson's by my mom's house and bought like 3 tubes because I was so excited! Anyway, this stuff is awesome! You can add just one or two tablespoons to a recipe without having to open an entire can of tomato paste. I just used it tonight to stretch my sloppy joe recipe to cover a little more ground beef than it called for.