52 Ways to Cook: September 2013

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Peach Sangria - Go ahead, add Strawberries and Apples - 52 Grilling Time Drinks

It's kind of like a fruit cocktail... With Wine!

And why not? Give those pieces of sliced fruit time to mix mingle and flavor the mix of wine and rum and you have delicious pieces of fruit. At the same time the juices and natural sugars of the fruit mixes, mingles and flavors the drink.

There really isn't a bad time to serve this. BUT, the best for me... Invite your best friends to a simple back yard BBQ. As they arrive,serve up a glass of this while you work on the final touches of whatever is coming off the grill. Drink, Appetizer and conversation starter all in one.

Keep scrolling down for this easy to follow recipe...

ENJOY!

OK... Here's what I did...

Peach Sangria - Go ahead, add Strawberries and Apples

Ingredients

1 Bottle Sweet White Wine, like a Riesling
1 Cup Coconut Rum
2 Ripe Peaches, Thin SLices
2 Firm Granny Smith Apples, Thin Slices
1/2 pound Strawberries, Thinly SLiced
16 Ounce Bottle Sparkling Soda Water to top each Glass

Cooking Directions

Combine Apples, Peaches and Strawberries in a Large Pitcher, Cover with the Rum. Add the White Wine and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
To serve, spoon fruits into glasses or goblets, pour liquid over top of the fruit. Top glasses of sangria off with a splash of soda water.
Serve Chilled and ENJOY!!!

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So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons. Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

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Monday, September 23, 2013

FRESH Tomato Tomato Soup

My garden is giving up it's bounty by the pound now. I have almost all of the tomatoes I can use... but just almost. There is just nothing better than a fresh picked tomato. And this soup shines with all that freshness and plenty of extras. Like a little nuttiness from some Parmesan Cheese. And a tiny bit of heat from a single Jalapeno. Of course, Cumin is my favorite spice to add to almost any cooked tomato dish, really kicks the flavor. Fresh herbs, an Italian Soffrito (Onions, Celery, Carrots and herbs) and even a sweet potato added for creamy natural sweetness.

A few days ago I posted a "How To" tutorial on making Chicken Stock from a Store Bought rotisserie Chicken. I always want to make sure I have plenty on hand... Especially during Fall and Winter (Prime Soup making season)! And sure enough, the rich flavorful stock is used to flavor and thin the soup.

I made this in a Crock Pot slow cooker. You can certainly make this stove top. But I love the smell of the house when I long simmer this recipe. Besides. Once everything is started this is a set and forget for several hours recipe...

What could be easier.

And finally a note about tomatoes. As I write this, mid September, I have an abundance of fresh tomatoes. There is just nothing like the flavors of truly straight from the vine tomatoes. BUT, the tomatoes that are on the store shelf in December have very little of that fresh taste. They have been sprayed and doctored to travel ( often from South America) and "look" fresh for months. If you are trying this recipe out of season, always better to use canned tomatoes. In winter, canned is freshest.

OK... Forget Caier wishes and Champagne dreams... I'll take a bowl of this soup and a Grilled Cheese (try adding a few Apple slices to that cheese) for real comfort!

OK... Here's what I did...

FRESH Tomato Tomato Soup

Ingredients

5 Pounds Fresh Tomatoes, hard stem removed, rough chopped... Out of season, better to use LARGE Can of diced Tomatoes They are the freshest in winter.
3 TBS Olive Oil
1 Large Red Onion, peeled, diced
2 Large Carrots, peeled, diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
1/4 Cup Fresh Herbs, I used Oregano, Sage and Parsley
1 Medium Sweet Potato, microwaved until soft, peeled
2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Jalapeno Pepper core and seeds removed, minced
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Cumin
2 Small cans (6 Oz) Tomato Paste

Cooking Directions

In a LARGE Crock Pot slow cooker, add the diced tomatoes, skins, seeds and all (soup will be run through a blender to smooth everything out). Set on high, cover and allow the tomatoes to simmer down for an hour.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the Onions, Carrots and Celery. Saute for about 5 minutes until the Onions become soft and translucent.
Add the herbs and stir to mix. Transfer all of this to the Crock Pot slow cooker.
Add the microwaved soft cooked peeled and diced Sweet Potato to the Crock pot slow cooker. Stir everything to combine.
Add the Chicken Stock, Parmesan Cheese, minced Jalapeno, Garlic Powder and Cumin. Stir again to combine.
Cover and simmer on Low for 8 hours (or High for 3)
After several hours of simmering, use a hand wand blender (or transfer in batches to a food processor or stand blender) and blend until smooth.
Add the Tomato Paste as needed to thicken, blending again with each can added. If your soup is still too thin, allow to simmer uncovered for 1 hour more.
Serve HOT and Enjoy

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So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Recipes for Soup, Chili or Chowder" (Now more than 52 and still growing)

Soup from Scratch is one of the great kitchen joys. The house smells amazing and the soup warms to the bone. From broth to chowder, vegetarian to loaded up chili... Even a great idea for a party (love the Potato Soup Bar idea). Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try. All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Ways to Cook SLOW COOKER-CROCK POT Easy Recipes"!!!

From meat dishes (Like an AMAZING Root Beer Pulled Pork that will feed a small army), to kitchen staples (FREE Gallon of Chicken Stock anyone?) to a slew of Soup and Stew recipes, these are the dishes that will change the way you cook. Start in the morning, set and forget and dinner is on the table... Easy Peasy indeed!!!

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Saturday, September 21, 2013

CheeseCake Coffee Cake EASY with Jam (Any Flavor, but this is Pineapple) - Church PotLuck Dessert

SIMPLY DELICIOUS... And a bit hard to name. The center is mostly a Cheesecake. So some how Cheese Cake had to be in the title.

But mostly it is an almond coffee cake.

But the dominate flavor is the baked pineapple jam... But, you can easily use any flavor Jam you have around. I have made this same cake with Blueberry, Apple, Peach and once even a Peach HABANERO Pepper Jam... All were equally terrific!

A few weeks ago I made some really wonderful Pineapple Jam. It is (well, now Was...) wonderful, sweet, exotically tropical. I also made this small batch, meaning I did not do a water bath, no long term storage option. the jam was going to start to go bad in a few weeks. So... what a great way to use up the last of my Jam!

This is a WONDERFUL Cake. Moist and full of Almond flavor in the cake part. The center is a thick layer of Cheesecake. Creamy sweetness to contrast with the cake portion. And all mixed in is that exotic Pineapple flavor (although you can use any flavor jam you like... Blackberry, Raspberry, peach... and really, PEPPER JAM works wonderful!

BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SECRETS...

MOIST. This cake is incredibly moist. The most moist coffee cake I have ever eaten... BY FAR! The secret is Sour Cream used as the moistening agent added to the flour. It still has that coffee cake texture, still perfect to eat with your morning cup of coffee (or after dinner with the last cup of the day). But no one would ever call this dry.

ALMOND... Sure, you can see the slivered toasted (OK, roasted, but you get the idea) almonds on the top and they do indeed add a great taste and texture. And sure, there is Almond Extract (in place of vanilla) in the cake. But there is also a quarter cup of Almond meal mixed in with the flour. If you don't have Almond Meal in your pantry, you can substitute some ground almonds. just take about 3/4 cup whole almonds, drop em in a blender, food processor or spice grinder and whirl away till you have dust (flour). Hazelnuts work fantastic as well.

Not really a secret, but the dominate flavor is whatever type of jam you use in the center.

So much of cooking and adapting a recipe is permission. Substitutions are fine as long as you know or have read about what works best. So if you are looking over this recipe and wonder if Strawberry Jam would work... IT DOES, and does fantastic! How about raspberry... YOU BET! Apple Butter... of course! You have my permission to flavor as you like.

Here's what I did...

Pineapple Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Ingredients

2 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Almond Meal, Can substitute 1/4 cup ground almonds
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup COLD Butter
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Large Pinch Salt
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1-1/2 tsp Almond Extract
For the Filling
1-1/2 Packages (12 Ounces) Cream Cheese, SOftened
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 Cup Pineapple Jam
1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, Almond Meal and sugar.
Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Remove 1 cup and set aside.
To the remaining crumbs, add baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add sour cream, egg and almond extract; mix well. Spread in the bottom and 1 inch. up the sides of a large greased springform pan.
To make filling, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg in a small bowl until blended. Pour over batter;
spoon Pineapple jam on top. Sprinkle with almonds and reserved crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes.
Allow to cool to room temperature for 2 hours, before serving
Serve room temperature (or chilled if you prefer) and ENJOY!

Delicious! One of my favorite GO TO Dessert recipes! Perfect for a PotLuck dinner, Holiday celebration, or any family/friend/neighbor event that you need to take a dessert!

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This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Cakes and Pies at Home"!

These are the desserts you make for your family. No fancy amazing wedding cakes, just the rustic beauty of the classics. From pumpkin pie to cheesecakes to layer cakes, these are what your family craves for dessert. You may even see a few unusual crusts and frosting ideas to try.

You get the idea. These recipes are simple, delicious and will have your family wanting dessert first...

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".

I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church. Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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Chicken Stock for the Freezer from Rotisserie Chicken - Small Batch Canning

It's free!

It's the stuff of legend, the stuff of fantasy... Gold spun from straw... Deep Rich Flavorful Chicken Stock made fresh from garbage.

Without exaggeration, millions of store bought, pre-cooked, pre-seasoned rotisserie Chickens are sold every day all around the world.

I would be interested to know how many of those birds are tossed in the garbage before the gold can be spun.

And yet, so easy... So cost effective and will make a huge difference in your cooking.

For many, chicken stock is something you buy every Christmas and Thanksgiving and whenever we want to make a special meal. But those in the know, those that have a constant supply of free stock will constantly have a replenished supply (it freezes very well).

Suddenly soups are easy. Challenging Risotto becomes a snap and rice boiled in chicken stock is a brand new dish.

And.... IT's FREE!

Take a look at the photo above... Some see garbage, I see gold...

And there really is no trick... Take a crock pot slow cooker and set it to the LOW setting. This is the perfect temperature for a low simmer, which happens to be the perfect temperature to slow simmer out the cartilage and connective tissues that give stock it's flavors.

Be sure to use the goo in the bottom of the packaging for the chicken. That's the drippings that could be used for gravy. But if you do not plan a meal for gravy this week, use it in the stock. You will be glad you did.

So, here's what I do...

Bones and bottom goo are placed in a crock pot.
8-10 cups of cold water are added. It does make a difference, as cold water will help to open the bones and promotes the extraction of collagen.
I set the Crock Pot setting for just WARM for about 1 hour. Again, raising the temperature slowly helps to release the flavor.
Then I set the temp control to LOW.
I add a few leftover unused vegetables, Onions, peppers, Potatoes, Carrots, Celery. Again, i consider these free items as mostly I try to pick out the week old produce that is just about to go bad.
Put the cover on and leave for anywhere from 4 to 8 hours.
Strain the solids and you have stock. Freeze some for a rainy day, or use within 4-5 days.
It is optional to allow the stock to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and then skim off the solids on the top (the fat). Me, there is flavor in that fat and I skip this step.
Put into FREEZER BAGS (tighter seals). I like to put 2 Cups in each bag. Squeeze all the air out, Seal carefully and freeze flat. Then you can stack them easily.
They keep for a LOOONG Time, Use throughout the year and ENJOY!

Generally, a Pint of stock (2 cups, 16 Ounces) will cost about $2.00 if you buy canned or boxed. So you will get almost $8 worth from a single $5 rotisserie chicken. Not many bargains in the cooking world, but this is one of them.

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This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Simple but Next Level Dishes"!

Kind of an odd title for these posts. But the longer sentence is... Simple recipes that are easy and inexpensive that will take your cooking to the next level... Things like easy pickled items (I always have a jar of Pickled Red Onions for sandwiches in my fridge). Or how about the easiest bread to make in the world... Beer Bread that is tasty on it's own but also makes a wonderful open face pizza style sandwich... With easy to make Tomato Sauce. Or how about Roasting Garlic for a spread on toast points for a unique appetizer. Infusing Oil with Herbs or spices or spicy peppers. Or how about making your own BBQ sauce. Nothing sets you apart as a grill master like setting out a jar of your own specialty BBQ Sauce.

You get the idea. These recipes are very simple, take very little time but will set you apart as a better cook...

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In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
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Friday, September 20, 2013

Beer Potato and Cheese Gratin - 52 Cooking With Beer

A Crusty Crunchy Cheesy tops a sweet creamy cheesy fluffy potato casserole... Delicious!

But this potato gratin has the extra flavors of a citrus hoppy wheat beer... Any beer will work for this recipe, but the flavors of whatever you chose will shine through and flavor the dish. Of course, the alcohol will cook out, leaving the distinctive flavor of the beer. I chose my local home town brewer, Kansas City's own, Boulevard Brewing Company's "80 - Acre Hoppy Wheat Beer". This particular beer ads a lemony citrus aroma and taste. the mixture of hops used adds to the Earthy potato taste of the dish. Worked FANTASTIC! As always, when cooking with beer, always try to pick the most flavorful you can find. Like wine, do not cook with something you would not drink.

The gratin is pretty straight forward. You simmer the beer down to enhance the flavors. This replaces part of the milk or cream used in most recipes but the dish in no way suffered a lack of creaminess. The inside (sorry, no photos) was the best potato gratin I have ever made. So much flavor and so creamy sweet and cheesy!

You will love this!

OK... Here's what I did...

Beer Potato and Cheese Gratin

Ingredients

1 (12 Oz) Bottle Beer (I used Boulevard 80 Acre)
2 Spirigs Fresh Rosemary
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 TBS Flour
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
3-4 Pounds Russet Potatoes, sliced thin (Use a mandoline if you have one... Thinner the better)
Large Pinch each of Salt and Pepper
4 Cups Shredded Smoked Gruyere Cheese, divided (any god melting cheese will work),
2 TBS Fresh chopped Chives

Cooking Directions

Bring Ale and Rosemary to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce by @ 1/4th... About 7 minutes
Combine cream flour and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk to thoroughly mix and combine. Once totally mixed, add the reduced beer to this and whisk again to combine.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a large shallow baking dish. Layer 1/4th the potato slices covering the bottom of the pan and layering around. Spread 1/4th of the cheese and 1/4th of the Beer/Garlic/Cream mix. Repeat 3 more times, being careful to reserve enough of each (cheese and goo mix) to cover the top layer of potatoes.
Cover with Aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes
Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and DELICIOUS!
Serve HOT and ENJOY!!!

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So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Cooking With BEER Recipes"!!!

Everyone knows about cooking with wine, but BEER has so much more complex flavors. I imagine the day after beer was invented, someone made an Irish Stew. Cooking with beer infuses recipes with this intoxicating concoction of hops and barley in an effort to enhance and enrich everyday food.. Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try. All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
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Roasted Garlic - 52 Simple But Next Level Dishes

Garlic... Love the stuff!

But when raw, it is a bit harsh. It does always take just a bot of work. Be careful and try to resist temptation and buy whole heads of garlic, Avoid the prepackaged, pre minced jugs you can find in big box stores. They are bitter and really do not cook up nice at all. Totally different flavor than fresh.

Besides, Strings of whole heads are usually very inexpensive and once you get the hang of thin slicing and mincing, they are easy to work with.

And once you have tried this incredibly simple cooking technique for roasting garlic you end up with an almost sweet spreadable cloves. Not even a tiny hint of the harsh raw taste... A FANTASTIC Treat!

As you can see from the photo to the left, my favorite use for roasted garlic is to simply spread on a lightly toasted piece of bread. I drizzle a little olive oil on the bread, toast under a broiler and squeeze the fresh from the oven heads. Spread like butter and you have a sweet, crispy treat.

But, once you crush into a paste (easy, crush with the flat of a chef's knife and instant paste), it adds a sweet garlic extra home made taste to any...

Tub of Dip
Store bought Hummus
This makes amazing Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mix with butter for a sweet garlic butter
Mix the paste with a pizza sauce OR Use whole heads around a sausage pizza
Add whole heads and halved cherry tomatoes to some green beans for a wonderful vegetable treat
Even served on a steak!

And best of all... This is very very easy to do...

Use whole heads of garlic. Rub off the loose paper like skins, but leave some intact.

Slice off about 1/4 inch of the top, exposing the garlic heads...

Get out an expensive Terra Cotta Garlic roaster (don't waste your money) or simply get a large sheet of aluminum foil and center the garlic on the foil...

And generously drizzle olive oil over each of the heads,being sure to coat each individual exposed clove.

Add a pinch of Kosher Sea Salt to bring out the flavor...

And finally, a few turns of a fresh peppercorn grinder...

Next, wrap and seal the aluminum foil. The Olive oil will steam the garlic, so put the seam side up or the oil will seep out into your oven.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Roast the aluminum pouch for 45 minutes

Pop out of the oven, open the pouch to cool slightly. As soon as the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the bulb and each roasted garlic clove will just pop out. No need to remove skins or anything more...

Spread on toast and ENJOY!

Now that's simple and will certainly tale a simple piece of toast to an all new level!

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***********************PINTEREST*********************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
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