At the restaurant where I work, Sundays are always special. We have a live Irish music session, as well as a big, special Sunday roast dish which is unique each week. Last Sunday was my first time doing the roast, and I was super excited. This is what I came up with:
- Irish style prime rib roast (flavored with rosemary, thyme,
garlic, and black pepper)
- Brown butter champ mashed potatoes (green onion, garlic, brown butter,
cream, black pepper, salt)
- Yorkshire pudding
- Red Wine Jus
- Braised baby onion and shitake mushrooms
- Roasted colored cherry tomatoes
- Creamed spinach
My father made these for the first time while I was away, and again now, upon my request. We have made fries and sweet potato fries in the oven before, but never in the deep-fyrer. Partly because we have only had the deep-fryer for a few years now. We are not big on deep-fried food, but a light frying with just a little oil and these fries are delicious! My father has now perfected the process - the potatoes need to be peeled and cut and placed in ice, then fried twice, with a 30 minute rest in between frying times to cool. Not exactly sure on the science on that one but it sure works. Apparently three fry times are even better, but that is a bit labor intensive. I am not a huge fry fan, but homemade fries that still resemble potatoes and not just greasy sticks I do enjoy. I eat them plain - not even a little salt or ketchup. I bet sweet potatoes would be good like this too, or even squash or carrot fries. My father has now perfected these fries - and they are delicious and crispy, even using the same batch of oil as the first time. They go well with a variety of different meals, breakfast, lunch, supper, or even a snack!
We had a few different winter squashes on our hands, and decided yesterday was a good day to cook one of them. I have roasted and microwaved squash before, both of which work. However squash must be roasted for a long time in order to become tender, and then the texture usually turns out too hard or too mushy. Microwaving also takes a bit of time and patience, and isn't exactly the cleanest method. Boiling works, it just isn't very interesting. So yesterday night to go with our supper, my father decided to try making squash fries. He peeled and seeded the squash, and cut it into french-fry like strips. Then he baked them. I thought they turned out pretty tasty. I think it was an acorn squash, but I don't know for sure. It definitely was not butternut, buttercup, or spaghetti. A few were too hard, and a few were too soft, but the ones that were just right reminded me of regular french fries. They could have used a bit of salt and a little oil, as my father just left them plain, but other than that they were good. Next time we make them, we will know how to make them better. I think a slower oven temperature at first and a higher one or broiling at the end would have made the fries nice and crispy as well! This is probably my new favorite was to eat squash.
Tonight we had popovers with our omelettes for supper. Popovers have been on my list of things I want to make for quite a while now, and apparently my mother also wanted to try them. She decided tonight would be a good night to try them. We compared a few different popover recipes to find the best technique, ingredient amount, and cooking method. The recipe we used follows. Popovers are difficult to describe. They are a simple mixture of eggs, milk, flour, and salt. They are baked at a high temperature, and rise very high without a leavening agent. They are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. They are a nice side dish served with breakfast or brunch, or even with soup. They are good plain, or with butter, jam, or honey.
Popovers
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 450◦F. Generously spray eight muffin cups (or a popover pan if you have it) with cooking spray, or grease with butter or shortening.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for about a minute, just until they are a uniform color and not yet fluffy. Whisk in the milk. Dump in the flour and salt all at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Batter will be lumpy.
Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them almost to the top. Fill the extra cups with water. Bake for exactly 30 minutes. Do not open the oven during baking!
Place pan on a wire rack, and gently pierce the top of each popover with a sharp knife to let steam escape. Cool for a minute or two, and gently turn the popovers on to a serving dish. Serve immediately, while they are warm and before they deflate.
A few notes: 450◦F for exactly 30 minutes is the perfect oven temperature to achieve a crisp exterior and fluffy interior texture. Ensure the pans are greased well so your popovers will pop right out. This recipe made eight.
My grandparents were recently here for a visit, and as usual, we did an exchange of home baked goods. Usually I make desserts and she makes more dishes for dinner, but I have made savory dishes and she makes sweets too. When travelling, the items you can bring are a bit restricted, but we manage. This time, I had some cookies for her, and made apple pie bars. She brought her usual tea biscuits (even cinnamon raisin ones this time) and waffles, as well as bean soup, coleslaw, tighe (a bean dish), and peperonata. These are all dishes she makes all the time, but we never tire of them because we love them. Usually she makes the same things, and I like to experiment and try a new recipe each time. Both of these methods work. My grandmother's recipes are tried and true ones she has been using for ages. The recipes I try can turn out to be new favorites, or it may just teach a good lesson.
Here is my grandmother's peperonata. It is similar to a ratatouille. It is a mixture of green pepper, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes in some sort of tomato sauce. It is cooked until very tender. It is a good vegetable dish for a side, or because it is so saucy, it is good to serve over chicken, steak, pork, or polenta. A piece of bread will soak any extra sauce at the end.
I found the idea for this simple potato side dish in one of my many cookbooks. It seemed very simple, not too complex in flavors - so quite versatile, and a nice change from the usual potato dishes we eat around here. Frying the potato with caramelized onion in a little margarine gives a lot of flavor, without all of the fat of deep frying. It is also a tasty change from plain baked potatoes. They can be seasoned and dressed up any way you want; cheese would also be a welcome addition. Although these potatoes require a bit more prep time, because they must be pre-baked and then allowed to cool, this may easily be done a day in advance. Once this step is done, the assembly of the entire dish only takes about 15 minutes, and does not require constant attention.
Potatoes Lyonnaise
4 medium potatoes, peeled
2 - 4 Tablespoons hard margarine or butter (butter will brown faster)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
any other seasonings you would like (salt, pepper, chili powder, parsley, etc.)
Cook potatoes in a pot full of water on the stove until just tender. Drain and cool until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. In a large frying pan, melt the margarine. Add the onion, and caramelize for five minutes. Add the potato slices and fry until browned, about ten additional minutes. Season with seasonings, as desired. Dish can be kept warm over low heat for another 10-20 minutes or so if the main is not quite ready.
This weekend is Easter weekend, which means treats left by the Easter Bunny and a delicious Easter feast. The most typical Easter dinner seems to be ham, often glazed with honey or maple syrup, to match the sweetness of all the other Easter treats around. Turkey, chicken, and lamb are also popular for Easter dinner. Lamb certainly seems to be the most elaborate, it can range from a simple leg or chop to an impressive rack of lamb or crown of lamb. Fresh lamb is most common around this time - the beginning of spring. Common side dishes for Easter dinner seem to revolve around fresh spring vegetables. Asparagus, peas, carrots, beans, and potatoes are popular choices. Of course if you are going with the turkey option, you will likely have a complete turkey dinner, similar to Thanksgiving or Christmas. However, usually Easter dinners are a bit lighter and more in tune to the springtime, and so it is not necessary to have all of the trimmings.
Many different sweet breads are also associated with Easter. Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday (the crosses represent the crucifixion). Easter egg bread and braided Easter breads are also popular, and are often flavored with a little citrus and raisins or currants. Easter egg bread is often decorated with hard-boiled eggs tucked into the pockets of the bread I love to color eggs to picture with my bread, or just alone in an Easter basket. They are great for breakfasts or sandwiches for the next few days.
There are also so many different desserts associated with Easter. I am sure we have all seen the popular bunny head cake, cut out of two round layer cakes. Easter basket and chick cakes are also cute, as are cupcakes. Decorated sugar cookies in the shapes of bunnies, chicks, eggs, and baskets are always welcome. Little nests made from coconut meringue cookies, chocolate coconut cookies, chocolate oat cookies, or haystack cookies can be filled with candy-coated chocolate eggs or milk chocolate eggs.
And of course everyone looks forward to the chocolate bunnies, whether hollow or solid, that the Easter Bunny brings, along with mini candy eggs, cream eggs, jelly beans, and milk chocolate eggs.
Have a great Easter weekend!
PHOTO CREDIT:Happy Easter.jpg" http://quiltandstitchkingston.blogspot.ca/2010_04_01_archive.html.Quilt & Stitch, n.d. Thursday, April 5, 2012.
Polenta is an Italian dish composed primarily of cornmeal, water, and salt. It can be served warm or cold, as a thick sauce or hearty squares, and goes with many different dishes. Polenta is primarily used as a starchy side dish to soak up juices and sauces from other foods. It goes exceptionally well with red sauces, olive oil, and chicken dishes. Polenta is relatively bland on its own, which is why it is used as a "broom" to sweep up other foods. Tonight I made a polenta dish based on a recipe I came across in one of my cookbooks, but I made several changes. This recipe does not have salt, but adds cheese and uses chicken broth in place of water for flavor.
Cheesy Polenta Bake
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. hard margarine
1/2 - 2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan cheese, optional
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal, whisking constantly until smooth. Add pepper and continue to whisk for another minute or so until mixture boils and begins to chicken. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Spread half of mixture into prepared casserole dish, dot with half the margarine and half the cheese, repeat. Sprinkle with parmesan, if desired. Bake covered for 25-30 minutes until firm and bubbly. Cut into large squares and serve.
This is a little rice side dish I made to go with our grilled salmon for supper. It is quick, easy, and convenient, it just bakes in the oven while the rest of your supper cooks. I didn't really get the recipe from anywhere, and it can certainly be adapted to suit your tastes! This is a simple and tasty recipe!
Rice Pilaf
1 small carrot, finely diced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/4 head cauliflower, finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, peeled and finely diced
2 packets chicken bouillon powder
3/4 cup dry white rice
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Preheat oven to 350◦F. In a casserole dish, mix all ingredients except water. Add water and mix. Bake for 30 minutes. I then had to microwave it for 3 minutes, until all the liquid was absorbed.
Note: If you want to use brown rice, add 1/4 cup more water and allow another 20 minutes or so for baking. Also, feel free to vary the vegetables any way you like!
Today I am going to share a master recipe for a type of biscuit that may be able to save the day! Crunchy Drop Biscuits are a delicious and versatile accompaniment to any meal. They are fast and easy to make. As the name suggests, these biscuits do not require any kneading, rolling, or cutting; you just drop the dough from a spoon onto a cookie sheet. The recipe makes a good-sized batch that can easily be doubled, and these biscuits also freeze fairly well. They are especially good dipped in homemade soup! The recipe comes from Company's Coming "Muffins & More".
Crunchy Drop Biscuits
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Make a well in center.
In small bowl beat egg with spoon. Add milk. Pour into well. Stir lightly to mix. Batter should be sticky. If it isn't, stir in 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until it is. Drop by teaspoonful on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 450◦F (235◦C) oven for 10-12 minutes or until browned. Yield: 15-20 drops.
You can make the biscuits as big or as small as you want, adjust the baking time accordingly. As with most biscuits, space them far apart for crispy edges and close together for softer edges. I find 450◦F too high, I usually use 425◦F and also as another precaution, use two baking sheets stacked together so the bottoms do not burn. Bake until the tops are just lightly golden. If you are unsure, be sure to check the bottoms, they should be just light brown.
The recipe also says you can just form the dough into a circle to bake, and break off mounds to eat. I have never tried this, but if I am ever in a real hurry, I sure will!
Paré, Jean. "Crunchy Drop Biscuits." Recipe. Muffins & More, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1987. 86.
A few months ago, I came across a recipe in a magazine for homemade hashbrowns.
These hashbrowns are baked, not fried, and the amount of fat and salt could easily be controlled.
They are also an easy, delicious, and convenient side dish to go with almost any meal, because they can bake in the oven along with the main course.
After many trials, and a few modifications, here is how I make homemade hashbrowns.
Homemade Hashbrowns
potatoes, peeled, washed, and diced into bite-sized pieces
oil
salt
*Choose the amounts of ingredients based on how many people you want to serve. Generally, allow one large potato per person, and about one tablespoon oil and one teaspoon salt for four servings, depending on your personal taste. You can always adjust the amounts after tasting.
Place the diced potatoes in a large bowl of cold water, and soak them until you are ready to use them, at least one hour and up to three hours. Preheat oven to approprite temperature (see below) and place a rack in the highest position. Drain the potaotes (I use a colander, which works really well) and place in an appropriately-sized pot, cover with fresh cold water, and add some salt. Bring to a roaring boil, covered, over high heat. Immediately turn off heat, and let the potatoes sit on the burner, covered, until the water is still. Drain again very throughly in the colander.
Drizzle some oil on a baking sheet, and spread it around. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet, spreading them evenly with a spatula. Drizzle potatoes with desired amount of oil, gently toss with the spatula to coat. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt, and toss again. Spread evenly.
There are two baking options here:
IF YOU WANT TO BAKE HASHBROWNS ALONE -
Use an oven heated to 425◦F and the top oven rack. Cook potatoes for 30 minutes, turning them with a spatula every ten minutes. Then, broil the hashbrowns on high heat for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy.
iF YOU WANT TO BAKE HASHBROWNS ALONG WITH A MAIN COURSE -
Use an oven temperatue suitable for your main course, anywhere from 325◦F to 400◦F, and the top oven rack. Cook potatoes for about 45 minutes (more or less, depending on temperature), turning them with a spatula every ten minutes for the first half hour, then just before broiling. Broil the hashbrowns on high heat for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy. Sometimes hashbrowns actually cook faster or crispier with another dish in the oven as well.
This may seem like a lenghty explaination, but all of the steps are short, easy, and crucial. Most potato dishes require a similar amount of steps and processes. If you happen to have some hashbrowns leftover (unlikely) they can be refrigerated for a day or so and reheated in the oven for 5-10 minutes (325◦F - 425◦F).
