Caramel+short attention span=a no go ; Thanksgiving retrospective

Paco the guinea pig, whose attention span rivals my own.

I tried making the candied nuts from my previous post. I wound up with lots of burnt sugar and an unbreakable cluster of nuts that could pass as a lethal weapon in several areas of the Middle East. The recipe really requires patience and constant monitoring. Not my strong suit. So I won't be attempting anything caramel, probably ever again.

However, the roasted almonds from my last post came out great.

For a side dish, we made the following recipe, from myrecipes.com (originally from Cooking Light, December 2004) with butternut squash, omitting the pasta, and that may have been romano, not asiago cheese (whatever was on hand). It was delicious!

Ingredients

• 4 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• Cooking spray
• 8 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta) or fettuccine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups trimmed arugula
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Asiago cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 475°.

Combine squash, vinegar, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange squash mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan (Maggie's note: who the heck actually has a jelly roll pan? Use a baking sheet with sides or a pan like you'd use to make brownies) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 475° for 25 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

While squash bakes, cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon cooking liquid.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts, sage, and garlic; cook 3 minutes or just until the pine nuts begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Place pasta, reserved cooking liquid, pine nut mixture, and squash mixture in a large bowl; toss gently to combine. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, arugula, cheese, and black pepper; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Also, my class reunion was Friday. I ate way too much cheese, mostly gouda with the smoked rind and fresh mozzarella which was great with raspberries and honeydew. While I was there, my classmate Meredith gave me a challenge. She's tried making risotto every week, and has had disappointing results each time. So I have to successfully make a risotto, and report back on how I did it. I don't want to let Meredith down, so I have to hop to it!

Thanksgiving 2009

This year, it's just four of us at Thanksgiving: me, Chris, Mom, and Dad. (My siblings will be with their in-laws.) So I volunteered to plan the menu for a simple, laid-back, low-effort meal. Oh yeah, and this time, I have to work with not only my picky eater husband (who can be appeased with mulled cider and stuffing from a box), but I was diagnosed with diabetes this summer, and Dad's going wheat free. This is what I came up with, subject to modifications. (Numbered footnotes to follow.)

THANKSGIVING 2009 MENU

~Hors d’oeuvres~

Cheese and crackers (Sharp Cheddar and Pepper Jack with Triscuits and gluten-free crackers)

Grapes

Bacon-Wrapped Apricots (*1)

Mulled Cider (*2)

Roasted spiced nuts (*3)

~Dinner~

Turkey

Spring mix salad

Butternut squash with arugula (*4)

Green beans almondine

Smashed red potatoes

Stovetop stuffing (mostly for me and Chris)

Meat stuffing, if desired (*5)

Cranberry sauce a la can

~Dessert~

pick one

Apple Crisp or other wheat-free fruit cobbler a la mode (*6)

or

Poached pears

(*1) Bacon-Wrapped Apricots from Real Simple, December 2009. Chris doesn't like scallops, but expressed willingness to try these. Because nothing says festive like something wrapped in bacon.

(*2) Easy way to make mulled cider: 2 quarts cider, a cinnamon stick or two, and two bags Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orange Spice herbal tea (or similar). Simmer in a crockpot or in a pot on the stove for about an hour.

(*3) Either "Easy Candied Nuts" from Real Simple, November 2009 or "Rosemary Roasted Almonds" from Cooking Light, September 2009, or both.

(*4) I don't have this recipe with me, but I think it came from an O Magazine a few years back. Will post it if I find it and remember to post it.

(*5) Meat stuffing is like making meatloaf inside the bird, and uses beef and pork.

(*6) I want to try the "Autumn Apple Crisp" from this Sunday's Parade section (November 22, 2009). Also featured this week is a non-alcoholic poached pear recipe. The "Autumn Apple Crisp" does call for flour, and I did buy gluten-free flour to substitute or we could probably just use more oatmeal.

****************************************

~Selected Recipes~

~Bacon-Wrapped Apricots~

Ingredients

• 24 small fresh sage leaves
• 24 large dried apricots
• 8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thirds
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• toothpicks, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375º F. Place a sage leaf on each apricot, wrap with a piece of bacon, and place seam-side down on a baking sheet.
2. Bake until the bacon is beginning to crisp, 6 to 8 minutes per side.
3. Remove from oven and brush with the maple syrup. Serve with toothpicks.

~Rosemary Roasted Almonds~

1 TBSP finely chopped fresh rosemary * 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil * 1 tsp chili powder *

3/4 tsp kosher salt * Dash of ground red pepper * 10 oz./2 cups whole raw almonds

Preheat oven to 325F. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl; toss to coat. Arrange nuts in single layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool to room temperature.

~Easy Candied Nuts~

2 cups unsalted mixed raw nuts (such as almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts) * 3/4 cup granulated sugar * 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oven to 400F. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Once the baking sheet us cool, line with parchment. In a large skillet, combine sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons water. Simmer, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir, as it will crystalize the caramel), until the liquid is amber colored, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the nuts, then spread the mixture on the cookie sheet, separating the nuts as much as possible. Let cool. Break up any large clusters before serving. (Can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.)

~Autumn Apple Crisp~

3/4 cup plus 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1 stick cold butter, in chunks

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 1/2 lbs. apples, peeled

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup maple syrup

1. For the topping, put 3/4 cup flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, and butter in a food processor and pulse to form moist clusters. Mix in pecans.

2. Cut the apples into 1/2-inch chunks and put them in a buttered 9 1/2-inch, 2-quart pie pan. Add cranberries, maple syrup, and 1/2 Tbsp flour; mix. Scatter on topping. Place pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake at 375ºF for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.Serves 10.

~Honey-Poached Pears~

1/2 orange
1/2 lemon
2 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 star anise
3-inch cinnamon stick
4 ripe, firm pears, with stems

1. Peel strips of orange and lemon zest (avoid the pith) and toss into a 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan. Stir in juice from the fruit along with other ingredients, except pears. Boil for 5 minutes.

2. Peel the pears and arrange in the pan so that they’re covered with as much syrup as possible. Partially cover the pan, lower heat, and gently poach the pears, turning occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender.

3. Remove from heat, lay a circle of wax paper over the pears, and cool. Serve at room temperature.

Adobo chicken--just as easily done as said.

This tangy, exotic chicken dish is made with ingredients you probably have around anyway.

Philippine-Style Chicken Adobo

(the recipe below reflects my modifications)

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (I used a low-sodium variety.)
• 1 tablespoon minced/crushed garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole chicken legs (2 1/2 lb), cut into drumsticks and thighs

• 
  I had peeled the skin off my chicken beforehand. The recipe calls for the skin to be on. It came out well without the skin.
• 
  Stir together vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl, then pour into a sealable plastic bag. Add chicken and seal bag, pressing out air. Turn to coat thoroughly, then put bag in a baking pan and marinate chicken, chilled, turning occasionally, 2 hours. (I did it longer, more like 3 hours.)
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• 
  
• Arrange chicken, skin sides up, in 1 layer in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan (I used a disposable foil pan with a cookie sheet underneath, to have mercy on my husband who does the dishes) and pour marinade over it. Bake in middle of oven until cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer chicken, skin sides up, to a broiler pan. (I totally skipped that step and broiled the chicken in the foil pan.) Pour marinade into a small saucepan and skim fat. (<--I did that.)
• 
  
• Preheat broiler.
• 
  
• Broil chicken about 4 inches from heat until skin is golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. While chicken is broiling, bring marinade to a boil and discard bay leaves. Serve chicken with sauce.

I served this with brown rice and sweet potatoes. I peeled the sweet potatoes, cut them into chunks, and put the pan of sweet potato chunks in the oven to cook along with the chicken. When I moved the chicken to the broiler, I took the sweet potatoes out, and tossed them up with a couple tablespoons of margarine.

In which Maggie finally learns how to make boiled eggs the right way.

It took about 29 years, bad insomnia, a show on PBS Create, and a book called The Kitchen Survival Guide by Lora Brody, but I finally did it.

I used to boil eggs with no clue what I was doing. The shell would stick to the white so badly that I'd lose an inexcusable amount of egg flesh just by peeling them.

Then one night, I was stuck awake, watching cooking shows into the wee hours of the morning on the PBS sub-channel Create. For once, I actually payed attention to an entire cooking show, and took notes. The show was Joanne Weir's Cooking Class. Unlike all those cooking shows with one person talking to nobody in particular, the format was engaging because it has human interaction on screen. I was watching Joanne Weir teaching another person how to do something. And it was hard-boiling eggs.

I had missed the couple minutes of the show, so I didn't have all the details. So I turned to the book. I had bought my copy of The Kitchen Survival Guide at a library book sale. The subtitle is A Hand-Holding Kitchen Primer with 130 Recipes to Get You Started. Lora Brody wrote it as her children were coming of age, leaving the nest, and needed all this knowledge. It includes glossaries, meat temperature charts, how to pick the best produce, how to fix culinary disasters, and lots more.

Between my two sources, I learned how to make hard boiled eggs perfectly.

Fill pan 2/3 full with water, put on stove, add eggs (single layer).

Turn heat on High (or whatever setting you need to use if you have special pans), bring to rolling boil. Cover pan, turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes.

Drain off the hot water.

Put the eggs in a bowl with cold water and ice. Keep them there until the ice cubes melt.

Smack each egg around a little to crack them. Put back into the water for a couple minutes. The water will get under the shells and make it easier to peel the eggs.

Peel the eggs immediately, since it will be harder if you wait. The eggs will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

The Quest for the Heavenly Pumpkin Whoopee Pies

After baking for the church sale, I went and bought other people's baked goods, of which there were an impressive variety. (I need to ask Mrs. Miller about the crunchy cookies she makes with potato chips and pretzels, dipped in chocolate. Sounds odd, tastes great; they seem like they have nuts, but they don't.)

Anyhow, I picked up a pair of pumpkin whoopee pies for us to have a for dessert that night. Basically, it's two fluffy pumpkin cake layers with cream cheese frosting in the middle, made with way more sugar than cream cheese. I don't know who made them, but they were awesome. I just had to have the recipe. So I turned to the internet. Here's what I found. (I haven't made any of the following recipes, at least not yet. I don't make any frosting-type substances, because I don't have a hand mixer, though I am putting it on my Christmas list.)

The recipe I found on Martha Stewart's website actually comes from a bakery in Brooklyn called Baked. This is very simple for a Martha Stewart recipe. The filling is definitely more frosting than cream cheese, and has a more than generous amount of sugar in it, so this might be the recipe used for the pies I bought.

A Canadian blog, Culinary Concocotions by Peabody , alters the recipe from Baked by adding maple syrup to the filling. Sounds good, though I would trim the amount of sugar a little, so that the maple syrup replaces some of the sugar instead of piling that on top of the already ample amount.

Of course, Rachel Ray also has her version of the pumpkin whoopee pie.

This recipe makes a smaller batch. Proportionately, the filling uses less sugar, and unlike the others, no butter. It's just cream cheese and sugar. I prefer my cream cheese frosting to be more about the cream cheese, and not overly sweetened, so I think this will be the recipe I make.

C is for Cookie, Congregational, Church, Common, and Craft fair

Today, I am baking for the "Harvest Festival" to be held tomorrow at First Congregational Church on the common here in West Springfield, a.k.a. "my church".

Right now, I am baking the beer bread I posted back on October 6. My apartment smells AWESOME. It just occurred to me today that this is a vegan recipe. It's nice to have another vegan recipe in my repertoire.

I am also making these cookies, which I posted a long time ago but am reposting to bring them back to the forefront:

Heavenly Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Yeah, I'm making them for church, and the recipe came from a church cookbook, bearing this name. It's corny, but apropos.)

1/2 cup softened margarine
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1- 12 oz. package semi-sweet chips
Cream margarine and shortening until smooth. Beat in eggs, sugars, and vanilla; mix until well-blended. Gradually add flour, salt, and baking soda. When well-blended, fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls unto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 F for 8 but no longer than 10 minutes. These cookies will be golden brown in spots. Even if they look underdone, do not cook them for longer than 10 minutes--they will settle into perfection. As a variation, these are also good made with white chocolate chips.

Quickie: Grilled Pepper Jack Cheese with Avocado

Not much different from a regular grilled cheese.

You can get pepper jack cheese in sandwich slices, or you can also cut it off a block and arrange to cover the area a sandwich slice would.

Butter both sides of both pieces of bread. Put a slice of pepper jack cheese on each slice, insert 1/2 an avocado, smoosh it down, and close the sandwich. Spray cold pan with cooking spray. Cook sandwich in skillet or grill pan on medium.