I've never liked quiche. But then, I only just started liking eggs. About a week ago, I started craving quiche for no apparent reason. So I found this recipe. Of course I had to screw with it, so here's what I settled on.
4 eggs
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 lb ground turkey
broccoli ("some")
onion ("a bit")
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
Preheat to 425. Brown the meat. Saute the onion & broccoli. In a bowl, mix eggs, cream, spices, and cheeses. Add meat + veggies. Pour in to pie shell. Cook 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350, cook another 25 minutes. Filling should set.
This turned out to be really, really good. I plan to make it again soon.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
sweet potato pie
I found this recipe on some AOL site a few years back. That site appears to be gone, but a search for "Gwen's sweet potato pie" recipe shows that it has been spread around a few recipe sites. I've made a few tweaks. Please note this makes two pies.
3 lbs sweet potato
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
~1 1/2 tsp various spices (see note)
Boil the sweet potato, skin on, until they're soft all the way through when poked with fork. Put them in a colander, and while running cold water over them, take the skin off. This is easier than it sounds; it just kind of slides right off.
Blend or otherwise mush the sweet potato. Add butter, blend thoroughly. One at a time, add sugar, milk, eggs, and vanilla, blending thoroughly after each.
Now you add spices, and you can really wing it here. Original recipe called for all nutmeg. The other day I used 1 tsp clove, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and whatever ginger I had left (not quite 1/2 tsp), and I was really pleased with the results. You might consider some allspice if you've got it handy.
The original recipe notes that your filling should be smooth when you're done, not unlike a cake batter. You should be able to pour it easily, but it shouldn't be thin or runny. I've never had any trouble at this stage, so I can't really recommend action to take if it needs fixing.
Pour into two prepared 9 or 10 inch pie shells. I strongly recommend deep dish style; the results are significantly more satisfying. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the pie, bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool for at least one hour before eating. Serve warm or cold or with ice cream; it's going to be delicious no matter what.
Edit 11/23/11: Fixed the comma splice in the first paragraph of the instructions. I'm a nerd.
3 lbs sweet potato
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
~1 1/2 tsp various spices (see note)
Boil the sweet potato, skin on, until they're soft all the way through when poked with fork. Put them in a colander, and while running cold water over them, take the skin off. This is easier than it sounds; it just kind of slides right off.
Blend or otherwise mush the sweet potato. Add butter, blend thoroughly. One at a time, add sugar, milk, eggs, and vanilla, blending thoroughly after each.
Now you add spices, and you can really wing it here. Original recipe called for all nutmeg. The other day I used 1 tsp clove, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and whatever ginger I had left (not quite 1/2 tsp), and I was really pleased with the results. You might consider some allspice if you've got it handy.
The original recipe notes that your filling should be smooth when you're done, not unlike a cake batter. You should be able to pour it easily, but it shouldn't be thin or runny. I've never had any trouble at this stage, so I can't really recommend action to take if it needs fixing.
Pour into two prepared 9 or 10 inch pie shells. I strongly recommend deep dish style; the results are significantly more satisfying. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the pie, bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool for at least one hour before eating. Serve warm or cold or with ice cream; it's going to be delicious no matter what.
Edit 11/23/11: Fixed the comma splice in the first paragraph of the instructions. I'm a nerd.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
feeling saucy
On a whim, I decided to make pasta sauce recently, so I promptly called my mother and asked for instructions. We refer to this as homemade, but I'm not entirely certain it deserves that label, because it doesn't involve any actual fresh tomato. Your mileage may vary; I just know this is kind of tasty.
One starts with a 28oz can of crushed tomato, a 15oz can of tomato paste, and about 45oz of canned tomato sauce (in this case a 29oz and a 15oz, but whatever's in stock, obviously). Dump these all into a large pot, cover, and simmer. This is where I made my first mistake. In general, it has been my experience that the ideal way to simmer something in a pot is to bring its temperature up to a reasonable level, then turn the heat down, cover, and continue cooking. As a result of this reasoning, I got to clean tomato sauce off every surface in my kitchen - including the ceiling - mere moments after cracking the first can. So believe me when I say you should start it on the lowest heat your range can swing, and do so with the cover on.
Once the body of the sauce is underway, one is invited to add whatever one thinks would be appropriate. Personally I went with well-diced onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, some ground paprika, and a truly absurd quantity of garlic powder. There is certainly an argument to be made for the use of fresh garlic instead - and some day I very much want to try the razor blade trick from Goodfellas - but I went with what I had on hand. I am not a big fan of mushrooms, generally, but the sauce would have been all wrong without them, no doubt due to the fact that my mother always included them. Whatever works.
In the future, if I'm feeling feisty, I might try such things as artichoke hearts, or perhaps even corn. I'm sure there are a variety of other options - feel free to suggest some.
At any rate, I also made meatballs. My typical meatball strategy is a pound of turkey, an egg, a third cup or so of french fried onions, and whatever spices strike my fancy at the time. (Bake for 20 minutes at 350°, flip halfway through.) The biggest problem with making these meatballs is that I tend to eat way too many while they're still warm, and this time was no exception. I doubled the recipe this time around, and tossed them in the sauce as soon as they cooled enough to move, but there still weren't any left after the initial dinner, so I'll probably make some more when I serve the leftovers.
I should note that these proportions produced a reasonably large pot of sauce - I fed five hungry people, several of whom went back for seconds, and had enough left over for a half-dozen or so more servings. It freezes well, as one would expect, and I know from past experience that having meat in the sauce doesn't change that. Once this is gone I might make a pot just to freeze; it certainly is convenient to have on hand.
One starts with a 28oz can of crushed tomato, a 15oz can of tomato paste, and about 45oz of canned tomato sauce (in this case a 29oz and a 15oz, but whatever's in stock, obviously). Dump these all into a large pot, cover, and simmer. This is where I made my first mistake. In general, it has been my experience that the ideal way to simmer something in a pot is to bring its temperature up to a reasonable level, then turn the heat down, cover, and continue cooking. As a result of this reasoning, I got to clean tomato sauce off every surface in my kitchen - including the ceiling - mere moments after cracking the first can. So believe me when I say you should start it on the lowest heat your range can swing, and do so with the cover on.
Once the body of the sauce is underway, one is invited to add whatever one thinks would be appropriate. Personally I went with well-diced onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, some ground paprika, and a truly absurd quantity of garlic powder. There is certainly an argument to be made for the use of fresh garlic instead - and some day I very much want to try the razor blade trick from Goodfellas - but I went with what I had on hand. I am not a big fan of mushrooms, generally, but the sauce would have been all wrong without them, no doubt due to the fact that my mother always included them. Whatever works.
In the future, if I'm feeling feisty, I might try such things as artichoke hearts, or perhaps even corn. I'm sure there are a variety of other options - feel free to suggest some.
At any rate, I also made meatballs. My typical meatball strategy is a pound of turkey, an egg, a third cup or so of french fried onions, and whatever spices strike my fancy at the time. (Bake for 20 minutes at 350°, flip halfway through.) The biggest problem with making these meatballs is that I tend to eat way too many while they're still warm, and this time was no exception. I doubled the recipe this time around, and tossed them in the sauce as soon as they cooled enough to move, but there still weren't any left after the initial dinner, so I'll probably make some more when I serve the leftovers.
I should note that these proportions produced a reasonably large pot of sauce - I fed five hungry people, several of whom went back for seconds, and had enough left over for a half-dozen or so more servings. It freezes well, as one would expect, and I know from past experience that having meat in the sauce doesn't change that. Once this is gone I might make a pot just to freeze; it certainly is convenient to have on hand.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
chicken quick & quicker, plus misc
For reasons I don't want to get in to, I spent the summer sitting on someone else's couch eating food from the frozen section, and when I finally got home I was lazy and didn't cook for a while. I got back in to it, and in the process of trying to find a recipe I used to like, I realized I had never documented it here, so let's start with a [very] simple stroganoff.
This works best, in my opinion, with sauteed chicken breast, but leftover chicken works reasonably well, and I tried it last night with ground turkey and that came out okay as well, although slightly less interesting. Basically you just start by sauteing the meat (or reheating or browning as appropriate), then add such items as onions, mushrooms, and tomato. Then you add a mountain of paprika. Once that's settled in, you add tomato sauce, about 8 oz since that's the size those small cans come in, and a cup of sour cream. Plus more paprika, ideally. Then you mix it all up, cover it, and let it simmer for a good thirty minutes. Stir it occasionally, but mostly just leave it alone. Meanwhile make some egg noodles (or such), and poof. I recommend serving with something such as sweet peas, because if you're like me you can just mix them in, but whatever.
The reason I made this, actually, is because the night before I tried something interesting - chicken glazed with tomato, honey, and Worcestershire sauce. Just mix 3, 2, and 2 tablespoons respectively, roll some chopped chicken breast around in it, skewer the suckers, and broil them for 10 minutes or so. I served it on a bed of rice and a pile of broccoli. This was very exciting, because I had not used my broiler, and it worked very well. It was also exciting because I don't have a broiler pan, and I'll be damned if I can find one at the one store we have in this parts that might carry them, but because I was kabobbing, I was able to just lay them across a baking dish and it worked fine. The only problem was that I was dumb, and bought tomato sauce when I wanted tomato paste, so it was less glaze and more sauce - the up shot is I think that would have been fantastic if I'd let it marinade overnight. I want to try it both ways in the future.
Speaking of marinade, why did nobody ever tell me I could marinade salmon? I mean, it just never occurred to me. 'Why change the flavor of salmon,' I thought when I was introduced to the notion, 'when it's so perfect to begin with?' But by request, I let two salmon steaks sit overnight in Italian marinade, and good heavens was the final result lovely.
I am mindful of the fact that clear back in May, I promised you all a second pie recipe, and I do apologize. I have finally located said recipe! I know exactly where it is ... specifically, in the middle of a giant stack of paper that I will be sorting through Any Minute Now No Really I Mean It. So stay tuned.
This works best, in my opinion, with sauteed chicken breast, but leftover chicken works reasonably well, and I tried it last night with ground turkey and that came out okay as well, although slightly less interesting. Basically you just start by sauteing the meat (or reheating or browning as appropriate), then add such items as onions, mushrooms, and tomato. Then you add a mountain of paprika. Once that's settled in, you add tomato sauce, about 8 oz since that's the size those small cans come in, and a cup of sour cream. Plus more paprika, ideally. Then you mix it all up, cover it, and let it simmer for a good thirty minutes. Stir it occasionally, but mostly just leave it alone. Meanwhile make some egg noodles (or such), and poof. I recommend serving with something such as sweet peas, because if you're like me you can just mix them in, but whatever.
The reason I made this, actually, is because the night before I tried something interesting - chicken glazed with tomato, honey, and Worcestershire sauce. Just mix 3, 2, and 2 tablespoons respectively, roll some chopped chicken breast around in it, skewer the suckers, and broil them for 10 minutes or so. I served it on a bed of rice and a pile of broccoli. This was very exciting, because I had not used my broiler, and it worked very well. It was also exciting because I don't have a broiler pan, and I'll be damned if I can find one at the one store we have in this parts that might carry them, but because I was kabobbing, I was able to just lay them across a baking dish and it worked fine. The only problem was that I was dumb, and bought tomato sauce when I wanted tomato paste, so it was less glaze and more sauce - the up shot is I think that would have been fantastic if I'd let it marinade overnight. I want to try it both ways in the future.
Speaking of marinade, why did nobody ever tell me I could marinade salmon? I mean, it just never occurred to me. 'Why change the flavor of salmon,' I thought when I was introduced to the notion, 'when it's so perfect to begin with?' But by request, I let two salmon steaks sit overnight in Italian marinade, and good heavens was the final result lovely.
I am mindful of the fact that clear back in May, I promised you all a second pie recipe, and I do apologize. I have finally located said recipe! I know exactly where it is ... specifically, in the middle of a giant stack of paper that I will be sorting through Any Minute Now No Really I Mean It. So stay tuned.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
pie number one
I went on a bit of a junk food creation binge recently. I'd just calling it baking, but the pies in question were no-bake, so it's not really appropriate. The first is crazy simple, and it's one of those terrible ideas you get off the back panel of branded packaging, but it's a nostalgia item for me, and it's really tasty. So I give you the Oreo Cream Pie:
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cup half & half
1 1/2 cup crushed Oreo cookies (recommend DoubleStuf, might as well go for broke)
1 8oz package Cool Whip
1 graham cracker crust (recommend chocolate, ideally the crushed Oreo kind)
Combine half & half, let stand five minutes. Mix in Cool Whip & crushed cookies. Pour in to crust. Freeze at least two hours.
Simple, no? I like it for its honesty - there is nothing redeeming about this recipe. It is pure, unadulterated junk food. I have to be in something of a mood to make this pie, but it does tend to compliment said mood quite well.
Please note also that it can be kept frozen for quite some time, so it's good if you want to make it ahead, or if you just want a little bit at a time. Personally I like to actually consume it fresh out of the freezer, but it's equally good given some time to thaw.
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cup half & half
1 1/2 cup crushed Oreo cookies (recommend DoubleStuf, might as well go for broke)
1 8oz package Cool Whip
1 graham cracker crust (recommend chocolate, ideally the crushed Oreo kind)
Combine half & half, let stand five minutes. Mix in Cool Whip & crushed cookies. Pour in to crust. Freeze at least two hours.
Simple, no? I like it for its honesty - there is nothing redeeming about this recipe. It is pure, unadulterated junk food. I have to be in something of a mood to make this pie, but it does tend to compliment said mood quite well.
Please note also that it can be kept frozen for quite some time, so it's good if you want to make it ahead, or if you just want a little bit at a time. Personally I like to actually consume it fresh out of the freezer, but it's equally good given some time to thaw.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
chicken 'n dumplin's
Growing up, my father always used to make chicken and dumplings, which for some reason he always called pot pie. Just one of those weird things, I guess. At any rate, I was casting about for something to do with leftover roast chicken recently, and I found a recipe for chicken & dumplings using leftover rotisserie. The recipe is here, but read on before clicking. (Also, be advised it auto-plays music.)
The recipe called for the meat from a rotisserie chicken and "two cartons" of broth, so I knew I was off to a questionable start, but I decided to forge ahead - the two cups or so of leftover chicken that I had more or less resembled the amount pictured, and since the brand of broth they used comes in 16 or 32 oz cartons, I figured out quickly that just one quart wasn't going to get it done.
A side note: I used one of those 'instant broth' goops that are replacing bullion these days. I haven't had a lot of success making it in quantities measured in cups, but by the quart it didn't suck. YMMV.
Anyway the gist is simple - boil two quarts of broth, add 1/4 cup milk, make dumplings, cook dumplings 20 minutes, add chicken & cook another 10 minutes, enjoy. I added a package of frozen vegetable medley (beans, corn, peas, carrots) just before the chicken and it came out really well. The problem was the dumplings - this recipe was just two cups of flour, two tsp baking soda, one of salt, and 3/4 cup of milk. The final product was kind of chewey, and kind of tasteless, which I guess one should expect from the recipe, but still. I finally broke down and emailed my father to find out how he made his. The answer, apparently, is that his are just 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup shortening, and ice water until it makes dough. No wonder they taste better.
I'll try this again the next time we roast a chicken, hopefully with more success.
The recipe called for the meat from a rotisserie chicken and "two cartons" of broth, so I knew I was off to a questionable start, but I decided to forge ahead - the two cups or so of leftover chicken that I had more or less resembled the amount pictured, and since the brand of broth they used comes in 16 or 32 oz cartons, I figured out quickly that just one quart wasn't going to get it done.
A side note: I used one of those 'instant broth' goops that are replacing bullion these days. I haven't had a lot of success making it in quantities measured in cups, but by the quart it didn't suck. YMMV.
Anyway the gist is simple - boil two quarts of broth, add 1/4 cup milk, make dumplings, cook dumplings 20 minutes, add chicken & cook another 10 minutes, enjoy. I added a package of frozen vegetable medley (beans, corn, peas, carrots) just before the chicken and it came out really well. The problem was the dumplings - this recipe was just two cups of flour, two tsp baking soda, one of salt, and 3/4 cup of milk. The final product was kind of chewey, and kind of tasteless, which I guess one should expect from the recipe, but still. I finally broke down and emailed my father to find out how he made his. The answer, apparently, is that his are just 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup shortening, and ice water until it makes dough. No wonder they taste better.
I'll try this again the next time we roast a chicken, hopefully with more success.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
americana, thy name is meatloaf
A while back, I went off red meat for a year or two. During this time, I used ground turkey an awful lot, because I wasn't really that in to cooking yet, and ground meat is easy to deal with. I've long since started eating beef again, but turkey still tends to be my default ground meat - it's lighter, doesn't overpower seasonings, and generally cheaper.
At any rate, I've been experimenting lately with turkey meatloaf, and I'm quite pleased with the results. My first attempt (adapted from this recipe) was extremely basic - two pounds of turkey, two eggs, a cup of bread crumbs, some onion, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, some poultry season sprinkled on top, 350° for 60 minutes. It came out well, if somewhat boring. Also the onion was overpowering, and I hadn't chopped it anywhere near thoroughly enough. The texture was okay - I think I used a potato masher to mix it all up, but I didn't feel like that had done a very effective job.
Then I tried something a little bit more like the basic recipe here. Two pounds turkey, two eggs, two tablespoons W. sauce, 1/2 cup of oats soaked in 1/3 cup of milk, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, and some onion. The result was a lot more ... damp. It didn't hold together terribly well, although the taste wasn't bad. The texture was also too smooth, largely because I used an electric mixer, which was a terrible idea, but I was tired that day, and it seemed sensible at the time.
So last night I did the turkey, eggs, sauce, a cup of crumbs, a much smaller amount of very finely diced onion, and about a cup of shredded cheese. Also, I added garlic & paprika, mixed it all by hand (literally, I just gloved up and squished it around for a while), and sprinkled curry powder over the top. This time it had to cook a little longer - about 75 minutes was the final total - but I was really impressed with how well it turned out. The texture was rough, but it didn't crumble the second you cut it. The flavor came out very well, and I love how the top crisped.
So, anyway. The classic suburban dinner, updated a little. Enjoy.
At any rate, I've been experimenting lately with turkey meatloaf, and I'm quite pleased with the results. My first attempt (adapted from this recipe) was extremely basic - two pounds of turkey, two eggs, a cup of bread crumbs, some onion, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, some poultry season sprinkled on top, 350° for 60 minutes. It came out well, if somewhat boring. Also the onion was overpowering, and I hadn't chopped it anywhere near thoroughly enough. The texture was okay - I think I used a potato masher to mix it all up, but I didn't feel like that had done a very effective job.
Then I tried something a little bit more like the basic recipe here. Two pounds turkey, two eggs, two tablespoons W. sauce, 1/2 cup of oats soaked in 1/3 cup of milk, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, and some onion. The result was a lot more ... damp. It didn't hold together terribly well, although the taste wasn't bad. The texture was also too smooth, largely because I used an electric mixer, which was a terrible idea, but I was tired that day, and it seemed sensible at the time.
So last night I did the turkey, eggs, sauce, a cup of crumbs, a much smaller amount of very finely diced onion, and about a cup of shredded cheese. Also, I added garlic & paprika, mixed it all by hand (literally, I just gloved up and squished it around for a while), and sprinkled curry powder over the top. This time it had to cook a little longer - about 75 minutes was the final total - but I was really impressed with how well it turned out. The texture was rough, but it didn't crumble the second you cut it. The flavor came out very well, and I love how the top crisped.
So, anyway. The classic suburban dinner, updated a little. Enjoy.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
cooking with beer
I was inspired yesterday to attempt some beer cookery. I've been meaning to do this but my girlfriend has been resistant to the idea, not being a fan of beer, and I've generally been loathe to buy a six pack since I would then have several bottles mouldering in my fridge. Fortunately I found a beer store with a wide selection of singles, and Erin was out of town for the weekend, so I decided to see what I could come up with for a planned evening of video games with a friend.
I've wanted to try beer in a crock pot for a while, and I opted to go the ubersimple route - two chicken breasts cubed, in the pot with the beer, on high for two hours, after which I added teriyaki sauce and let it sit until the chicken fell apart. I used a Yuengling lager for this, and was quite pleased with the result. (Though next time I'm going to use a little less teriyaki.) I considered adding some flour to the end result to turn the liquid into more of a sauce, perhaps to put in something taco-esque, but I wound up just serving it over rice and broccoli, which worked out quite well.
To keep up the theme, I pulled out the old beer bread recipe, using a bottle of Lagunitas' Brown Shugga'. I was hoping that the overall effect would be both sweet and dark, but I was kind of disappointed. The overall effect was just a little odd, and a little too sweet - I had forgotten that the recipe called for sugar. I think I would have been better served switching the bottles, because I know from experience the Yuengling makes a good bread. Next time, I guess.
As a side note, I'm a taster. I check the flavor of my food every single step of the way. It is incredibly odd to not do so until the food is towards the final stages (i.e. cooked until non-alcoholic). It was disconcerting enough that I think I'm fairly unlikely to make a habit of this, although I do intend to keep it in mind for special occasions.
I've wanted to try beer in a crock pot for a while, and I opted to go the ubersimple route - two chicken breasts cubed, in the pot with the beer, on high for two hours, after which I added teriyaki sauce and let it sit until the chicken fell apart. I used a Yuengling lager for this, and was quite pleased with the result. (Though next time I'm going to use a little less teriyaki.) I considered adding some flour to the end result to turn the liquid into more of a sauce, perhaps to put in something taco-esque, but I wound up just serving it over rice and broccoli, which worked out quite well.
To keep up the theme, I pulled out the old beer bread recipe, using a bottle of Lagunitas' Brown Shugga'. I was hoping that the overall effect would be both sweet and dark, but I was kind of disappointed. The overall effect was just a little odd, and a little too sweet - I had forgotten that the recipe called for sugar. I think I would have been better served switching the bottles, because I know from experience the Yuengling makes a good bread. Next time, I guess.
As a side note, I'm a taster. I check the flavor of my food every single step of the way. It is incredibly odd to not do so until the food is towards the final stages (i.e. cooked until non-alcoholic). It was disconcerting enough that I think I'm fairly unlikely to make a habit of this, although I do intend to keep it in mind for special occasions.
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