Rapscallion

We started a small container garden last weekend and I’m equal parts nervous and excited about this.  For starters, the last time I engaged in any major gardening was when I followed my dad around the yard and into our back yard garden as a child.  I’ve grown herbs from kits and sadly they wound up becoming an abandoned mess on the kitchen counter.  In my defense, I was in graduate school and working full-time and remembering to water and feed myself was a project most days.  That apartment was also suitable for vampire living, not one room seemed to get a big amount of sunlight and moving my little herb tower outside wasn’t an option.  S0, as we picked out herb seedlings and seed packets last weekend I was determined to keep it small and keep it simple.  Now, I’m hovering over two tomato plants, four herb plants, a pepper plant, and sixteen little peat pots that I’m hoping will sprout seedlings for green beans, yellow squash, and pickling cucumbers.

Because all of that didn’t blow my “keep it small” strategy out of the water, I decided to test out the concept that you can grow food from kitchen scraps so there’s also a pot with garlic cloves (that sprouted, yay!), onion ends, and scallions.  The scallions grow wild all around the edges of our yard, and Lane always thought they would be bitter so he just mowed them down year after year.  When I heard this, and that those little scallions grow back just in time to be mowed down again, I knew this was the crop for me.  I pulled the scallions up with their bulbs and roots, cut off the tops (leaving about three inches of scallion and the roots), and plunked the ends into a cup of water.  I’ll never have to buy scallions again, two days later I had new growth.  Then, it occurred to me that maybe I should heed Lane’s warning about the bitterness and actually taste them.  They taste exactly like any scallions I’ve ever purchased or eaten anywhere.  While Lane ran off to let the neighbors know that they will also never need to buy scallions again, I started planning what I would do with my bounty of wild scallions.

Scallion pancakes were my first thought.  I love ordering these at Chinese restaurants and we were just discussing them over some great Thai food on date night so this seemed obvious.  I have made them before, so I knew that scallion pancakes are ridiculously easy to make at home.  In my quest to keep it semi-healthy around here, I wanted to see if I could get around frying them in oil and still have a tasty reproduction of the restaurant staple.  I was probably way more excited than anyone should be about scallions already, but I was even more excited when I cooked these in a non-stick skillet with a spray of olive oil (from a Misto sprayer) instead of frying each one in oil and they were every bit as awesome.  If you don’t have an oil sprayer, I have some solutions.  Any clean spray bottle can be used (please don’t use a bottle that held bathroom cleaner last week though), or non-stick cooking spray, or brushing the olive oil onto the pancake with a pastry brush are all great alternatives.  The dough is simple to make and easy to work with and even though the steps seem numerous, they are quick steps so you’ll have tasty scallion pancakes in about as much time as it would take to order them and wait for delivery.  With a simple soy sauce ginger dipping sauce, these were better than the ones I usually drool over at the restaurant.

Scallion Pancakes

Ingredients:

for the pancakes:

• 2 C. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C. warm water
• 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
• salt
  
• olive oil (I used a Misto to spray it, cooking spray or brushing it on would also work)

for the dipping sauce:

• 1/4 C. light soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

To make the dough using a food processor, put the flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade.

Turn the food processor on and stream the warm water in, running the food processor until the water is incorporated.

Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl or onto a clean work surface and knead the dough until smooth.  The dough will be firm and smooth, not sticky, when fully kneaded.

OR, make the dough without a food processor by mixing the flour and 1/4 C. of the water in a large mixing bowl.

Stir until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl, then knead until the dough is firm and barely sticky.

Once the dough is made, knead it about 20 times and then cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball.

Work with 1 ball of dough at a time and keep all others covered with a damp towel.

Roll each ball of dough out on a well-floured work surface into a thin circle about 1/16 of an inch thick.

Sprinkle salt evenly over the pancake (I used about 1/2 tsp. of salt per pancake, use more or less to taste but they should be fairly salty).

Sprinkle 1-2 tsp. of scallions over the pancake.

Roll the pancake up from one end, like a jelly roll.

Curl the roll up into a spiral like a snake and pinch the end to the roll so they stay closed.

Press the coil using the palm of your hand to flatten it, then use a rolling pin to roll the pancake out to 1/8 of an inch thick.

Spray a skillet generously with olive oil (or non-stick cooking spray) or brush both sides of the pancake with olive oil, and heat the skillet over medium heat until hot.

Place the pancake into the skillet and cook until the bottom is crisp and starts to brown.

Flip the pancake, spraying or brushing on more oil as needed and cook until cooked through and starting to brown.

Remove the pancake from the heat and serve immediately, or place it onto a baking sheet in a warm oven to keep warm until all pancakes are ready to serve.

To make the dipping sauce, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.

To serve, cut each pancake into four wedges using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors and serve with dipping sauce on the side.

Makes 8 pancakes, 32 wedges.

Source: pancakes adapted from Use Real Butter; sauce from Ming Tsai

Corn Star

When I was planning the menu for the first Thanksgiving Lane and I would host together in our home, I asked if there are any “must-have” items for holiday meals on his side.  Most families have these items.  Maybe it isn’t Thanksgiving without someone’s pecan pie, or it isn’t Easter without someone else’s scalloped potatoes, or it isn’t Christmas without the Swiss Colony beef log (thank you, Eric Cartman).  For Lane, and especially for O, it isn’t Thanksgiving without corn casserole.  Or Christmas, apparently.  So it stands to reason that with Easter coming up (which we do not celebrate but have friends and family who do), I should plan on making some corn casserole.  An entire meme has been inspired in this house by corn casserole (upon O having loudly declared “Oh, corn casserole, thank you, I love that!”), it’s that good.

I like to make the cornbread mix for this instead of using Jiffy corn bread mix, mainly because I always have plenty of cornmeal on hand but rarely think to grab a box of corn bread mix.  Jiffy mix does have lard in it and I don’t care for that, but we are going to dump a melted stick of butter into this casserole so the lard may or may not be of importance to you.  The first five ingredients below can be replaced with one box of Jiffy corn bread mix if you so desire.  Canned creamed corn was another point of contention for me seeing as how I have yet to find a can of the stuff that actually lists cream as an ingredient.  Ultimately I conceded because I love Lane and I love O and they were asking for corn casserole and looking at the canned creamed corn ingredients the only real offender is the amount of sodium.  Again, we are dumping a melted stick of butter into this, and plenty of cheese, so this seemed like a good time to overlook the high sodium content of canned corn and canned creamed corn (though when it’s in season, I think real corn would be the way to go).  This is comfort food, and I’m not going to even pretend it’s healthy, but it is delicious and I think everything has a place at a holiday table where it can be shared with a crowd and enjoyed in moderation.

Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2/3 C. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C. yellow cornmeal
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 (15 1/4 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 3/4 oz.) can cream-style corn
• 1 C. sour cream
• 1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a glass 9×13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the canned corn, the creamed corn, sour cream, and melted butter.

Fold in 1/2 C. of the shredded cheddar cheese.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

Top with the remaining cheese and return the baking dish to the oven for another 5 minutes, until cheese has melted.

Makes 8 (very generous for a side dish) servings.

Source: corn bread mix from Fake-It Frugal, casserole from Paula Deen

Slow Curve

When I meal plan, I spend more time thinking about the entrée than the side dishes.  I tend to stick to familiar favorites and rotate them so that it’s not brown rice and green beans every night.  Some of this is in an effort not to flood M and O’s plates with foods that are new to them all at once.  While they have risen to the occasion of eating things that are new to them, it’s more likely that they will give the zucchini stuffed chicken or Salisbury steak a chance if it’s accompanied by things they’ve seen before.  Luckily vegetables rarely present a challenge, and the switch to whole grain egg noodles and brown rice has gone unnoticed.  Or, if they notice, they haven’t complained.  Small victories!

Every once in a while, I come across a recipe for a side dish and think “I must make this at once,” and plan a meal around that side dish.  This crock pot Spanish rice is a prime example.  I saw the recipe and decided I needed to add a suitable entrée to the meal plan just so we could have this rice.  It cooks in the slow cooker in a few hours, but if you’re using brown rice I’d give yourself a little extra time.  It took an extra hour (four hours total) for the rice to be properly cooked because I used brown rice instead of long grain.  If yours is cooked sooner than the four hours, you can leave it on the “keep warm” setting until the rest of the meal is ready.  On a side note, I love how adding tomatoes and peppers to something makes it “Spanish” much like adding an avocado slice to a burger makes it the “California burger.”  Putting that aside, M and O ate this- tomato chunks, peppers and all- and asked for seconds.  More small victories!

Crock Pot Spanish Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 C. uncooked brown or long grain rice (brown rice will take a little longer than long grain)
• 1 C. water
• 1/2 C. finely chopped onion
• 1/2 C. chopped red or green bell pepper, finely chopped (or red and green if you want to mix them)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (including liquid)

Directions:

Spray the inside of a 4 quart crock pot with non-stick cooking spray (or use a crock pot liner).

Put all ingredients in the slow cooker and stir briefly to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours (closer to 3 for long grain rice, closer to 4 for brown rice), until the rice is cooked and the liquid has been absorbed.

Makes about 3 cups of Spanish rice.

Source: adapted from Taste and Tell, originally adapted from Betty Crocker More Slow Cooker Recipes

Refried Dreams

There are various reasons why I make as many things at home instead of buying them already made at the grocery store.  First, it’s almost always cheaper to do it this way, even when I factor in my time.  Making big batches and canning or freezing extras when it’s safe to do so is a huge time saver.  Second, I have yet to run into a case where making it at home didn’t result in a better tasting product.  Last but definitely not least, there are health issues that I have to be considerate of and making most of our food instead of buying it in boxes and packages helps me to know exactly what’s in the food I eat.  When I look at nutrition information, making it homemade usually results in a healthier end result.  Healthy doesn’t always mean it’s low-fat or fat-free (I could write a whole separate post on what companies do to make low-fat and fat-free things taste better), but it does mean that I can control the amount of fat, and use a healthier fat like olive oil.

Refried beans meet all of my criteria for a food I’m better off making at home.  After doing the math, I need fifty cents worth of beans to make about three cups of refried beans, and a can that has two cups of refried beans costs $1.50.  Even when you factor in the olive oil, onion, and spices the homemade version isn’t coming up to $1.50 per two cups.  It also wins where controlling the ingredients is concerned.  ”Natural flavor,” “Yeast extract,” and (my favorite) “partially hydrogenated lard,” ingredients found on the nutrition labels of canned refried beans, don’t appeal to me as much as onion, cumin, and olive oil.  As far as taste, the homemade version wins the contest without question.  Using the actual natural flavors of the beans and combining them with some onion and spices results in the tastiest refried beans I’ve ever tasted.  The onion is entirely optional- skipping it or sautéing it in a non-stick skillet instead of olive oil makes these refried beans fat-free.  I know they’re not as convenient as reaching for the can opener, and cooking beans takes time, but it isn’t hands-on time.  I used the stove top cook method to cook the beans, but you can use your slow cooker to cook them and then it really doesn’t get any easier. Or tastier.

Refried Beans

Ingredients: 

• 1 C. dried pinto beans
• enough water to cover the beans in the pot with 3 inches of water (about 1 1/2 quarts depending on the pot)
• 1/2 C. finely chopped onion (optional but recommended)
• 2 tsp. olive oil (or bacon fat, or pork lard)
• 1/4 C. water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. cumin (optional)

Directions:

Rinse the beans and remove any dirt, small stones or bad beans.

Put the beans into a pot and cover them with at least 3 inches of water. (To cook the beans in a crock pot, place the beans into the crock pot and cover them with 5 C. water, then cover and cook on low for 8 hours).

Bring the beans and water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low (closer to low) and simmer, covered, for 2- 2 1/2 hours until the beans are soft and the skin is just beginning to split open.

Strain the beans from the cooking water.

Heat the olive oil in a large, sturdy skillet over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook, stirring for about ten minutes, until onions are soft and translucent.

Add the beans and 1/4 C. of water to the skillet and mash, using a potato masher until the beans are roughly pureed, or puree using an immersion blender if you want them really smooth.  Add more water a little at a time if necessary if the mixture seems too dry (this is a matter of preference).

Add salt to taste and cumin and stir to combine.

Makes about 3 cups of refried beans.

Source: adapted from Simply Recipes

Mashed Potatoes

I knew I wouldn’t have the luxury of peeling five pounds of potatoes on Thanksgiving day, so I took my chances and made them ahead of time.  It worked out really well, I think part of the trick is the butter that’s dotted on top before these go into the oven. I also think it’s critical that you let the potatoes come to room temperature before you bake them to finish heating this up.  I had never put cream cheese into my mashed potatoes before, but I can now attest to the creaminess it lends and to the fact that you don’t taste the cream cheese at all.  As far as the skin-on, skin-off debate, I prefer my potatoes skin-on, but when I’m serving company, I remove the skins before boiling the potatoes.  For seasoning, I like to add some garlic salt and pepper, but seasoned salt is great as well.  I also advise starting the potatoes in cold water and letting it come up to a boil and then reducing the water to a simmer, rather than dropping the potatoes into already boiling water.  Doing it this way helps ensure that the inside of the potato is cooked at the same time the outside is, meaning less watery (or lumpy) mashed potatoes.

My newest trick is to run the potatoes through a potato ricer.  I seemed like a potato ricer was a kitchen gadget we didn’t need, but having used one for five pounds of potatoes (and five pounds of sweet potatoes!), I can confirm that the potato ricer earned its keep.  Whatever you do, PLEASE do not use a hand mixer, or a food processor to make mashed potatoes.  I know, it’s easy.  I also know that this results in a gummy mashed potato.  I know, you’ve been making them that way forever instead of using a food mill, potato ricer, or a hand masher.  That means you probably haven’t noticed just how long you’ve been eating gummy mashed potatoes.  Once you have truly mashed potatoes, you’ll notice a difference and never go back.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. Russet (or Yukon Gold)Potatoes
• 3/4 C. butter
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream  cheese, Softened
• 1/2- 3/4 C. half-and-half
• 1/2- 1 tsp. garlic salt or seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s or Penzy’s 4S)
• 1/2- 1 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size.

Place the potatoes into a large pot of cold water.

Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook the potatoes for 30-35 minutes, until the potatoes almost (but don’t entirely) fall apart when pierced with a fork.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander.

When the potatoes have finished draining, either place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove and mash the potatoes over low heat with a hand masher, allowing the steam to escape OR put the potatoes through a potato ricer, adding the riced potatoes back into the pot on the stove.

Turn off the stove and add the butter, cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half to the potatoes and mash the additions in using a hand masher.  Add the remaining half-and-half only if necessary.

Next, add about ½ teaspoon of the garlic (or seasoning) salt and ½ teaspoon of  the ground black pepper.

Stir well and place in a 9×13 inch baking dish, taste for seasoning and add remaining garlic salt and pepper if needed.

Put a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes (optional, but highly recommended if making these ahead of time), cover in foil, and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through, about 20 minutes.

To make the potatoes ahead of time, complete all steps until the dish is wrapped in foil and refrigerate (only for a day or two).  Remove the dish from the refrigerator three hours before serving time, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until warmed through.

Makes 12 very generous side servings.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Hey Sweet Potato

Sweet potato casserole is one of those things, along with green bean casserole, that I thought made an appearance every year on the holiday dinner table just because it’s tradition.  In fact, I was going to try to get away with not making sweet potato casserole this year.  I had a guest request it, and I’m not known for being a bad hostess, so I added it to the menu.  I’m so glad I did, as it ended up being my favorite side dish this year.  The guest also stated that the sweeter the casserole, the better and this didn’t disappoint in that regard.  As far as the “extra” work that adding this as a side dish created, I’m pleased to say that this recipe is nearly effortless.  I did use my stand mixer to do a lot of the work, but a hand mixer would be fine as well and either one makes quick work of mashing the potatoes, which is really the most labor-intensive part of this.

I should warn that the cinnamon did settle to the bottom of the baking dish at some point before I baked this.  I made the potato puree mixture a day ahead of time*, and stored it in the refrigerator in the baking dish overnight.  When I baked it, I didn’t stir up the puree again before I put it into the oven, but I suspect that if I had, the cinnamon wouldn’t have been settled in a dark layer on the bottom of the baking dish.  In fact, I saw the dark layer at the bottom of the dish and feared I had served my guests burnt sweet potatoes.  One guest had a large amount of the dark layer on his plate, and when I noticed, he told me that was all of the cinnamon, “the best part.”  Whoops.  I did take a spoonful of the dark stuff just to be sure he wasn’t merely being polite, and it was indeed, delicious and cinnamon-y  Even with the cinnamon snafu, this was very tasty and had a good cinnamon flavor.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

for the potatoes:

• 5 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 10)
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2/3 C. granulated sugar
• 1/2 C. light brown sugar
• 1/2 C. honey
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 1/2 C. hot milk

for the topping:

• 1 C. all-purpose flour
• 1 C. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 -inch dice and chilled
• 1/2 C. (2 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/2 C. (2 ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.

Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes, then peel.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), beat the hot sweet potatoes on low speed.

Beat in the butter.

Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, salt and nutmeg and beat until blended.

Add the eggs and then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the hot milk.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish and pour in the sweet potato mixture, spreading in an even layer.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt (or combine in a mixing bowl).

Add the butter and pulse (or cut it in) until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add the pecans and walnuts (if using a food processor, pulse until the nuts and butter mixture are almost smooth, otherwise, stir in the chopped nuts).

Sprinkle the nut mixture evenly over the potato mixture and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the topping is golden brown and crisp.

If the topping browns too quickly around the edge before the center is crisped, cut a large hole in the center of a sheet of foil and rest it on the dish while it finishes baking.

Serve hot.

*To make ahead, The sweet potato puree and the topping can be refrigerated separately for up to 1 day, bring to room temperature before baking at 375 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours as directed above.

Makes 12 generous side servings.

Source: adapted from Food and Wine