In my high school years, I was on the Speech and Debate team. I won awards, went to state competitions, the whole nine yards; simply translated: I can be elegant and articulate on the fly. A skill that can be applied to a multitude of areas has now been applied to cooking.
A few weeks ago we had made a rich salad with a nice peppery bite to it. It had kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, arugula and dill in it, but we had made it up then and never wrote down a recipe. Obviously, it was delicious because I sat there on my Saturday wracking my brain to try and recreate this salad on paper. Then I remembered that the original cooking event was unplanned and unprepared, so might as well employ a little improv here.
The key is confidence. Confidence that your cooking have everyone salivating for the next bite, or the confidence to watch a mal-produced batch tossed this time around.
So I approached the great white countertop, and prepared what I had: olives, tomatoes, dill, arugula. Then I proceeded to ransack the cabinet and fridge for any salad seasoning ingredients. I approached the mixing bowl fully armed with olive oil, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and basil. What happened next was nothing short of crazy chemistry: no measurements, plenty of taste-testing. I give you the recipe with very general measurements. It is up to your taste buds to discern, to experiment, to create! Anyways, cooking can be fun when there is a sort of nervous excitement surrounding the outcome of the final product.
Kalamata Olive, Grape Tomato and Arugula Salad
Ingredients:
½ lb kalamata olives, sliced
½ lb grape tomatoes, sliced
1/3 c olive oil
2 T lemon juice
½ t dill weed
Dash of basil, salt and cayenne pepper
1 pgk [1 lb?] fresh arugula or mixed greens – but really just enough for those eating
Instructions:
1.Slice olives and tomatoes.
2.Add in all ingredients, except arugula/salad greens.
3.Let stand in fridge until just ready to eat.
4.Toss with arugula.
5.Eat!
*Tip, if storing any leftovers: separate the greens from everything else; they will wilt and become soggy.
Pita bread is heralded for its nutritional value, but is also often brushed aside due to its processed, flat appearance, often-dry-tasting-whole-wheat flavor, and “pita pocket” nonsense. While it’s still a “flatbread” by definition, pita can be fluffy and hearty on its own. Pita has become the victim of misuse when it serves as a mere edible plate for meals or snacks. This culinary crime masks its full potential. Store bought pitas are like withered raisins; I’m about to introduce you to the succulent, juicy grape. There is something inexplicably delectable about a freshly baked pita piping hot from the oven. WARNING: this pita might not make it to the hummus dip.
Definitely best eaten when hot, if you can’t recruit enough eaters the first go-round, these pitas can be quickly reheated in the microwave. For a snack, top with butter or hummus, or employ them as a base for miniature pizzas or veggie sandwiches. Pita has an untapped versatility just waiting to be explored. It’s a heavier pita recipe, but I think this offers a more substantial ingredient to work with. It also fits right along into my Mediterranean diet as well, which I have been dutifully trying to keep up. Overall, this pita bread has been thoroughly enjoyed.
It’s not a difficult bread to make, just carefully follow all the directions of this recipe I found in a forum and make sure to have warm water [but not hot] so as to not kill the yeast on contact. It’s totally doable in a college setting as well – no special machines required; just a nice hot oven and a non-drafty place. Other than that, enjoy being Greek for a night without having to rush a fraternity.
Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Ingredients:
1 [1/4-oz] package active dry yeast [2 ½ t]
1 t honey
1 ¼ c warm water [105˚-115˚F]
2 c bread flour or high-gluten flour, plus some for kneading
1 c whole wheat flour
¼ c extra-virgin olive oil
1 t salt
Cornmeal for sprinkling on baking sheets
Instructions:
1.Stir together yeast, honey and ½ CUP warm water in large bowl, then let stand until foamy, about 5 MINUTES. [If it doesn’t foam, discard and restart]
2.While yeast stands, stir together flours in another bowl. Whisk ½ c flour mixture into yeast mixture until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk and bubbly – about 45 MINUTES
3.Stir in oil, salt, remaining ¾ c warm water and remaining 2 ½ c flour until dough forms.
4.Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic [not sticky, not dry] – 8 to 10 MINUTES.
5.Form dough ball and put in large, oiled bowl, turning to coat the dough with oil.
6.Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk – 1 HOUR.
7.Punch down dough and separate into 8 pieces.
8.Form each piece into ball; flatten ball; roll out into 6 ½ - 7 inch round on floured surface with floured rolling pin.
9.Transfer round to 1 or 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Make 7 more – 4 on each sheet.
10.Cover pitas with clean kitchen towels, let stand/rise at room temperature – 30 MINUTES.
11.Set oven rack in lower third of oven and remove other racks. Preheat oven to 500˚F.
12.Put in one sheet, 4 pitas, at a time. Bake until just puffed and pale golden – 2 MINUTES. Turn over with tongs and bake 1 MINUTE more. Repeat.
13.Cool pitas on cooling rack, wrap kitchen towel around them to keep warm.
I’m home now. That means I have a full fridge and my own kitchen. Unfortunately, the fridge is freezing everything and “my own kitchen” isn’t exactly my own yet. It’s back to cooking for the family again. Family favorites line the shelves and pack the pantry. With summer at hand, I have access to many more tools, time and budgeting. All this needs now is some new inspiration coupled with old fashioned innovation.
Few can deny the allure of the classic Oreo: two crisp chocolate cookies, encompassing a sweet cream filling; especially when it’s enjoyed alongside a tall glass of cold milk. It’s good at any occasion, any time of day. The fond memories that accompany this milk-dunking classic add to the love for this cookie. But can it compete against an all-time favorite, birthday cake?
There is something magical about a birthday cake. It always tastes so much better than a regular cake. Maybe it’s because you get to pick it out, design it, etc. – it’s everything YOU want. Or maybe it’s because you don’t have to make it and whoever does bakes care and affection into every slice.
This year’s birthday request of a family friend was Oreo. Ruling out the ice cream cake that is sometime likened to an “Oreo”, I refused to crumble Oreos on a regular cake and call it an “Oreo” cake. I’ve never been one to deny chocolate, in any form, at any time; the task at hand was one that I was made for.
I had to do some R&D, which was certainly my pleasure because it involved the guilt-free eating of a few Oreos. Happily, I turned, twisted, analyzed and ate. Afterwards, I looked at some other people’s versions and came up with the perfect concoction. Two crisp chocolate cookies would be translated into two chocolate cakes, with some Oreo’s baked into them of course. The cream filling would be a devilishly good homemade cream made from three simple ingredients. Then the hardened chocolate icing would provide for the ideal signature artistic touch.
The great thing too is that you could do this with an assortment of other types of cookies or flavors. Try Chip's Ahoy or Nutterbutters...the grocery store aisle can become your creative inspiration.
The height and size of the cake made it a bite more than you could chew in one bite, but it was one creative cookie! The filling was dangerously close to being completely demolished by the cooks before it got onto the cake and baking the Oreo’s inside was such a pleasant surprise. It was a winner for all, except maybe anyone on a diet. But it’s when it’s your birthday, you can eat if you want to.
So you can’t decide between cake and cookie? I say you can have your cake; and cookie too.
Oreo Cookie Cake
Ingredients:
1 pkg Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
1 pkg Oreo cookies
½ stick butter
1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
½ c sugar
2 c whipped topping [thick is best!]
Instructions:
1.Preheat oven.
2.Prepare cake batter according to directions [I cut the amount of oil in half].
3.Grease two 9 in cake pans; put a quarter of the batter in each pan.
4.Then layer about 10 cookies in the batter, divide remainder and cover cookies.
5.Bake cake. When it comes out, let cakes cool for a while in the pan, then transport to cooling rack if you have then. Cut off a little of the top so that they can sit flatter when layered.
6.Meanwhile, make the filling. With electric beaters, mix cream cheese, sugar, and whipped topping until well blended. Then fold in about 10 crushed Oreo cookies.
7.Afterwards, make the icing by melting butter and chocolate chips in either a double boiler or a saucepan on LOW heat. [Icing spreads better when hot]
8.When putting the cake together, put one layer right side up, then top with the filling, followed by the other cake flipped upside down [you want the flattest surface for the top].
9.Coat the top and edges of the cake with icing, then when it has cooled at the ridges on the side and the “OREO” label on the top.
10.Perfect Oreo bliss.
Makes one giant Oreo[cake]. Recommendation: many glasses of milk :)
Poor dill, eternally confined to pickle seasonings. Tonight I sprung him from that stereotypical prison and together we wrecked delicious havoc on my shrimp and mushrooms. Our accomplices were few; admittedly, dill did most of the work. So, you might want to rethink your preconceptions about his “pickle past”; dill’s influence is sure to grow in your kitchen after your first few encounters.
Dill has a very aromatic smell and a grassy, crisp taste, with some lemon, caraway or even pine aftertastes. It is best used in its fresh ferny form I am told. However, when your budget for herbs and spices is limited, a tiny bottle of dried dill will serve you well. Also, while we are on the topic of fresh foods, I also used frozen shrimp even though the ‘fresh’ ones were on sale. Why? Well, first off because I have developed a bad habit of letting fresh things go bad because I buy too much food on a regular basis. Second, frozen shrimp is flash frozen when caught. You could think of these shrimp in a state of suspended…freshness? Maybe that’s pushing it. The point is that they taste the same, but are usually cheaper and stay longer in the freezer. There is no “use ‘em or lose ‘em” game.
The recipe itself is simple. The cooking process, however, can get a bit tricky. Overcooking mushrooms or shrimp can turn light delicacies to pieces of chewy leather. Mmmmm. So be aware of these signs:
-mushrooms should be darker in color and just fork-tender
-shrimp should be light pink throughout – once they have curled, take them off!
Enjoy this dish by itself for a light spring/summer meal, or pair it with cucumber, mild cheese, cream sauces, potatoes or some fluffy lemon rice for a side. Just remember that the shrimp and mushrooms cook relatively quick, so plan your other dishes accordingly – cold shrimp and mushrooms, yuck!
Either way, dill will fit your dinner bill.
Dill Shrimp and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
9 raw shrimp
8 mushrooms, sliced about ¼ in thick
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 T lemon juice
1 t or so of dill [to taste, really]
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1.Thaw shrimp in cold water for about 15 min. Clean and devein shrimp.
2.In large skillet, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, wash and slice mushrooms.
3.Once oil is hot, add mushrooms. Cook for about 5 min, or until brown and fork-tender. Remove and keep warm.
4.Add butter and lemon juice to skillet. Add shrimp; cook for about 2-3 min, or until pink throughout.
5.Season with salt, pepper and dill. Add mushrooms back in, toss.
Blogging is certainly something I love, but I continue to struggle finding the adequate time to commit to it. Therefore, I have come up with this week’s “Package Deal” where you get three recipes for the cost of one blog entry!
Let me preface these entries by saying, I have decided to embark on an experimental variance to my diet: the Mediterranean Diet. I prefer the term “eating pattern” to “diet”, but either way, it is different than the norm. Yet, it is all the more applicable to the health conscious, as well as the money and time conscious people out there. My dinners now take a bit more planning ahead, but cook time is still less than 30 minutes for the most part.
Why I Did It
Heart Healthy: Although I’m still young and reckless, I do realize even I could benefit by cutting down on red meats, high processed foods and sweets. The switch from meat to fish and chicken has not been devastating, and I am by no means swearing off red meat – ha, I love bloody tenderloin, sausage meat sauce and thick cheeseburgers way too much for that.
Currently my meals are still hearty, savory and sometimes even rich [without the fat!]. I am using more fruits and veggies, and trying to figure out the secret to cooking beans. These aren’t canned beans, mind you. I’m working to get the whole “overnight soak, cook tomorrow” method down, but I’ve never done that before, so it’s still a work in progress.
Make Better Use of My Food Funds: a 2lb bag of beans is slightly over $1 at Walmart and a 1.5lbs of catfish was only $7 at Farm Fresh. In total last week, I spent $45 on groceries and I am still eating that food, 9 days later!
Feel Better: Reviews have said that this diet gives you more energy by not planting a belly bomb in you after every dinner. The foods are said to metabolize quicker and help you move on from eating to action. So far, I have been feeling happily satisfied with taste during the meal and less hungry afterwards, which hopefully means I am adjusting well to the switch. I always thought my taste buds were from the Mediterranean…
White Bean and Tomato Soup
This White Bean and Tomato soup brought a savory sweetness to my dinner bowl. The type of tomatoes is the key to the flavor, while the beans and homemade roasted vegetable broth make it heartier than a regular tomato soup.
Ingredients:
1 cup white or navy beans, dry
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 ½ cups roasted vegetable broth - homemade
1 14.5oz can diced stewed or Italian tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1.Soak beans overnight, cook according to package instructions. [Basically until desired tenderness. About 30-45 min. That is the time consuming part]
4.Simmer until liquid has reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Eat!
Makes a WHOLE lot. Leftovers anyone? NOMS: 8
Ginger and Celery over Couscous
This dish is so simple, but we have ginger to thank for the creativity.Add some finely chopped ginger to celery, broccoli, rice, couscous, salads, etc. and you will find your taste buds will experience a bite of pungent flavor, but are then quickly refreshed by its clean aftertaste. You will invite ginger back into your meals again and again.
Ingredients:
About 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and finely diced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ c plain couscous
Instructions:
1.Cook couscous according to package instructions.
2.In small frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery, cook until fork tender.
3.Add ginger, lemon juice and s&p to taste.
4.Mix with couscous.
Makes about 1 large serving. NOMS: 7
Pesto Pasta
Having a fresh, crisp basil pesto on hand is your ticket to the Land of Tasty Dishes. It’s best, I think, with just pasta and maybe some plump, red tomatoes.But I doubt any veggie would mind being slathered in homemade pesto.
Ingredients:
Pesto-
2-3 cups fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
About ½ cup walnuts, chopped
4 T finely grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil – to desired consistency
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1.In a blender or food processor, blend basil, nuts, garlic and parmesan until finely chopped.
2.Slowly pour in olive oil while the blender is on low. Add to desired consistency.
3.Season with salt and pepper. NOM!
Makes about ¾ cup of pesto, good for a few meals NOM: 9
From my sleepy college town on the coast to my super-suburban pocket in the boonies, not much changes: most of my day is spent in and around the kitchen. Last night we divided about least 3 hours between watching Food Network on a stained yellow couch and working on a homemade French baguette in a dorm kitchen. Today I took the hour long journey back home to spend 8 hours of it the kitchen making an Easter feast. Then right as I returned back to my dorm I was already starting up a vegetable stock. This is just the way I like it. My life is food.
I took that one-way ticket to the world revolving around food a while ago, and I do like it here. I’ve been cooking for myself for a while now, that’s nothing new. But this venture back home gave me the odd sensation of unfamiliarity with my setting. One would expect cooking to be transferable. Wherever there are wide, open gas-ranges and a water tap nearby, we should be right at home. Though now I am not so sure. There is an unsettling out-of-control feeling when we are not in our own element. It’s strange to think that my comfortable kitchen setting is now the hectic, community dorm kitchen. What I have taken away from this environment are the time and sharing sacrifices, along with the reward of having cooked a meal just the way I like it. I am forming “my own place” in a sense, one meal at a time.
My blog tonight has another purpose as well. As I was going through my old photos I realized that I have neglected a great summer/grilling recipe, a blue cheese and cracked peppercorn burger and Jamaican sweet potatoes. I made it for a few of my friends the other weekend and they were a hit. The burger was simple, a lot like the ultimate bacon and guacamole one I made a while back. This time however, I put some crumbled blue cheese and caramelized red onions on the top [with a little guac on the side]. The Jamaican sweet potatoes are the focus of this recipe tonight though. We all know about roasting kabobs, meats, and maybe even potatoes, but sweet potatoes? It turned out to be an absolutely delicious grill buddy to the burger – the sweetness from the bourbon and the brown sugar, along with a little tang from the ginger and nutmeg complimented the twinge of the blue cheese and salt and peppery-ness of the burger.
Jamaican Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
2 T butter
2 T bourbon
¼ c dark brown sugar [maybe more?]
½ t fresh ginger, grated
1 t ground cinnamon
¼ t ground nutmeg
Instructions:
1.Wash off sweet potato, poke holes in it with a fork.
2.Microwave for about 7 min, or until just tender.
3.Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients into a basting sauce for the potatoes.
4.Slice sweet potato and situate on top of tin foil.
5.Brush sauce onto the potatoes.
6.Seal tin foil pouch, place on grill for about 15-20 min.
** You can also try putting the slices straight on the grill for different type of texture.
Ever had that warm soft pretzel from a street vendor in the city? Yeah, me neither.I know, I know: “this is an experience I must have someday”, but my travels have been limited thus far in my life.This summer I hope to be northbound, visiting the Tri-City area. Assuredly, my opportunity will arise then. I’ll give you my verdict on the taste test comparison when the moment comes.
This story however, focuses bringing the city pretzel flair to the comfort of your own kitchen.Dough making is a skill that requires patience and precision – everything takes a while and has to remain at a pretty stable temperature until it enters the 450 inferno we call an oven.And this is where the only drawback to this whole experience came in: burning the hell out of my arm.We were attempting to take it out and use it as a cooling rack; too bad the oven had already preheated to 450 degrees.Anyway, it left a nice red, blistered stroke on my forearm. I was told to think of it as more like a cook’s “beauty mark”. Admittedly, that made it feel better.
Not sure what spurred the pretzel making, I believe it was stumbling on the internet?Regardless, it was a worthwhile, all night adventure that was enjoyed among friends. It is a recipe that uses yeast, and you know what that means: the infamous “waiting for it to rise”.This can take anywhere from 20 min to an hour, depending on your recipe.The more you time you give it, the higher it rises, aka the fluffier it gets. But this allows for other activities to occur alongside the pretzel making, like Frisbee! While the bread was rising I attempted throwing a plastic discus in the dark.I think I had better keep on making homemade pretzels; my area of expertise is the kitchen.Homemade soft pretzels are not for the instant snacker – so don’t start this at 1 A.M.
We made three different types of pretzels:
1)Original: a salty shell that encompassed a soft, warm bready center.
2)Herb/Spice: a combination of garlic powder, rosemary, and basil made this the one everyone was fighting over.
3)Sweet: you really have to add sugar to the dough mix.Brushing sugar and butter on the outside…doesn’t work.
I haven’t yet fine tuned the recipe – I want them to be browner next time, maybe the loops a bit more separated – but even though our pretzels resembled fat blobs of dough, fresh out of the oven these were perfect: warm, soft and salty.Taste is always first and foremost.
Overall, it’s a great way to spend a lazy afternoon with friends, or procrastinate doing your statistics homework on a Wednesday night.The snack is best enjoyed straight out of the oven with some spicy Dijon mustard [for the original at least] and is something you’ll want to do again and again.
Homemade Soft Pretzels
[I used Smitten Kitchen’s soft pretzel recipe]
Makes 16 full-sized or 32 miniature
2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1. Pour warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar into bowl and stir. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.
2. Add 1 cup flour to yeast, and mix until combined. Add salt and 4 cups more flour, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup flour, and knead more. If dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about ten times, or until smooth.
3. Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
4. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels, and wrap in plastic.
5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. [I find the pretzels much easier to roll on an unfloured board, oddly enough, but see what works for you.] Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda (and step back, it foams up quickly) and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.
7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.
