This is a very easy recipe for those who like Asian style chicken. It's certainly a big favorite around my house and there's nothing to preparing it. The greatest effort is remembering to prepare your marinade 12 to 24 hours ahead of time for cooking the chicken.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds of Chicken (Skin On - Use Thighs, Drumsticks or Breasts)
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar (Packed in measuring cup)
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger Root
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Garlic
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Honey
MARINADE
Put all ingredients except the chicken into an oven safe baking dish. Whisk until mixed completely.
PREPARATION
Place the pieces of chicken into the baking dish, making sure you turn them in the marinade so they are completely coated. Put the dish in the refrigerator and leave chicken to marinate for between 12 and 24 hours. Turn the chicken pieces at least once so the marinade works it's way evenly into the chicken.
COOKING
IMPORTANT!!! When preparing to cook the chicken, remove the oven safe baking dish from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up at room temperature for about half an hour, so it doesn't break going into the hot oven!!!
Preheat the oven to 475 F degrees. Make sure all of the chicken pieces are skin side up in the baking dish. Move an oven rack to the middle of the oven for baking. Place the baking dish into the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is a dark brown in color.
When the chicken is baked, set the oven to Broil and place the baking dish under the broiler for between 3 and 5 minutes so the skin on the chicken will become crispy and dark in color.
Your chicken is ready to serve and is excellent with steamed rice as a side dish. Enjoy!!
If you have questions, you may email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com. You may also like to follow my recipe blog on Google +, so you get the latest recipes as I add them or make changes. Please share your experience with this dish, if you enjoy it, on G+ and feel free to share the recipe with friends and family.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Sunday, November 20, 2016
What You Need To Know About Buying Beef....Save Money...Better Meat!
I find that people today seem to know little about buying beef....or at least are misinformed by advertising and a misunderstanding of meat safety. I want to share some information with you which will help you save money and get far better cuts of beef, no matter what cuts you are buying today. None of this information is really special, but things we have always known in the past. Sadly, the push today is for the meat industry to save expense by pushing lower quality meat through the market and our expense.
I come from a long line of cattle people....my great grandfather having owned the first butcher shop in Tucson, Arizona...back when it was still Arizona Territory. My grandfather was also a cattleman, specializing in show and breeding stock cattle. I grew up on a ranch, back in the 1940's and 50's where we raised beef cattle, as well. While we raised and sold commercial beef, we always butchered our own, as well and took the time to have the best.
I walk into the meat section in a grocery store today and look over the selection. It's just not the quality of meat in those neatly packaged little plastic packages I remember. Bright red, tough cuts of meat being pushed onto consumers and prices far above what it's really worth. It's all "fresh" beef...and you don't see a word about "aged" beef, unless you want to go to a specialty shop and pay three or four times the price of the grocery store. If you do, you won't see that bright red stuff in the package, either. Same if you're dining out. Go to an expensive, top quality steak house and order "aged beef." You'll pay the price and you'll see the difference!
So, what's the difference, you may ask. Well, this "fresh" meat you find advertised is straight from the slaughterhouse to the market. It's artificially processed to have that nice bright red color you've been told to seek. And it's so fresh, I always say, "they haven't even notified the next of kin yet." It's not good meat!!! It's tough and it lacks flavor.
"Aged beef," on the other hand, is tender, flavorful and a dark brown in color...not bright red. Why don't we get aged beef? It's expensive for the processing plants and grocery stores. Their profit lies in slaughtering the animal and selling the meat as quickly as possible. Properly aged beef has to be hung in a cool room for about 42 days before it's really at it's best and time is money. A poor quality cut of beef, properly aged...can be better than the best fresh Kansas City Strip Steak you can buy...if you know the secret to aging.
When I was a kid, we would slaughter one of our cattle for our own use. Lacking cold storage space at home, we would take the freshly slaughtered carcass to the butcher shop in town, which rented locker space for customers. The carcass was hung in a cool room....sawdust on the floor...for 42 days...then be cut up and packaged for our use. The carcass was not frozen but just kept cool. The meat would darken in color and often you would even see a coating of "fuzz" build up on the meat which was removed before being cut into steaks, roasts and other cuts for our use. Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, this is not harmful in the least!!
So, what does this all mean for you? Well, armed with knowledge, you can take advantage of advertising and misinformation to save money and dine on quality beef. I love going to the grocery store and looking at packages of fresh beef, all with little, "Use By" dates on the package. Generally, packages within a day or two of the code date are marked down...sometimes by up to half....and state it must be "used or frozen within a day or two." Often, you''ll note that the bright red color of the meat is fading to a darker tone. That's the beef you're looking to buy!! You're going to take it home, but you're not going to use it that day, nor are you going to freeze it! You're going to prepare quality aged beef to serve your family and once you try it, that's all you're going to want to have!
All you need is some spare space in the refrigerator....and once you get the hang of this, you may even want to pick up an old used refrigerator for the garage, just for aging beef, if you eat a lot of it. Oh, and salt! You're going to need a lot of salt!! Rock salt, pink Himalaya salt, whichever you prefer. And I'll be sharing another tip for tender beef, so you'll want a lot of coarse Kosher salt, as well. I promise you won't regret it!
First, let's get to the aging process. Bring your "soon to be out of date" beef home and fill a shallow dish with the rock salt or pink Himalayan salt. Set the meat on a rack, just above the level of the salt...the salt helps remove the moisture from the air around the beef. "Cool rooms" in commercial aging plants often have "salt walls" to help with this process and no, it won't make your cut of meat dry. Now, all you need is patience!!! Let that beef rest in the refrigerator for 42 days....time for it to properly age completely. That, "Use By" date is a joke! Don't take my word alone for it. Here's a great YouTube video which explains the entire process so you can see for yourself how it works. You're going to end up with very tender, high quality and flavorful meat to serve and enjoy. This is a process called, "dry aging," and there is another called "wet aging," but dry aging is easy to do.
Dry Aging Beef At Home
Now, here's another great tip for beef, if you want to quickly turn a tough cut of fresh beef into a tender and flavorful meal. Here's you're going to use the coarse Kosher salt and you'll only need about one hour for each inch of thickness of the beef you're using. You won't believe the difference! And no, the beef will not be salty when you finish...the salt stays on the surface of the meat and you wash it off before cooking. The salt merely seals the meat and breaks down the fibers of the meat, making it very tender. Forget about buying meat tenderizer....this works way better!!! Here's a short video giving you a comparison between a plain fresh cut of cheap beef and a the same piece of meat which has been through the salting process. Trust me, my kitchen is well stocked with salt!
Tenderize A Cheap Cut Of Beef In One Hour!
I really hope you will enjoy this information and give it a try. You can save a lot of money when buying beef at the high prices today and actually end up enjoying the beef you serve. It's a process used for many, many years in the industry before profit became the key motivation. Back when people demanded quality.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also follow my recipe blog here. Please share your experiences with my recipes and tips, if you enjoy the result. And, feel free to share with family and friends!!!
I come from a long line of cattle people....my great grandfather having owned the first butcher shop in Tucson, Arizona...back when it was still Arizona Territory. My grandfather was also a cattleman, specializing in show and breeding stock cattle. I grew up on a ranch, back in the 1940's and 50's where we raised beef cattle, as well. While we raised and sold commercial beef, we always butchered our own, as well and took the time to have the best.
I walk into the meat section in a grocery store today and look over the selection. It's just not the quality of meat in those neatly packaged little plastic packages I remember. Bright red, tough cuts of meat being pushed onto consumers and prices far above what it's really worth. It's all "fresh" beef...and you don't see a word about "aged" beef, unless you want to go to a specialty shop and pay three or four times the price of the grocery store. If you do, you won't see that bright red stuff in the package, either. Same if you're dining out. Go to an expensive, top quality steak house and order "aged beef." You'll pay the price and you'll see the difference!
So, what's the difference, you may ask. Well, this "fresh" meat you find advertised is straight from the slaughterhouse to the market. It's artificially processed to have that nice bright red color you've been told to seek. And it's so fresh, I always say, "they haven't even notified the next of kin yet." It's not good meat!!! It's tough and it lacks flavor.
"Aged beef," on the other hand, is tender, flavorful and a dark brown in color...not bright red. Why don't we get aged beef? It's expensive for the processing plants and grocery stores. Their profit lies in slaughtering the animal and selling the meat as quickly as possible. Properly aged beef has to be hung in a cool room for about 42 days before it's really at it's best and time is money. A poor quality cut of beef, properly aged...can be better than the best fresh Kansas City Strip Steak you can buy...if you know the secret to aging.
When I was a kid, we would slaughter one of our cattle for our own use. Lacking cold storage space at home, we would take the freshly slaughtered carcass to the butcher shop in town, which rented locker space for customers. The carcass was hung in a cool room....sawdust on the floor...for 42 days...then be cut up and packaged for our use. The carcass was not frozen but just kept cool. The meat would darken in color and often you would even see a coating of "fuzz" build up on the meat which was removed before being cut into steaks, roasts and other cuts for our use. Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, this is not harmful in the least!!
So, what does this all mean for you? Well, armed with knowledge, you can take advantage of advertising and misinformation to save money and dine on quality beef. I love going to the grocery store and looking at packages of fresh beef, all with little, "Use By" dates on the package. Generally, packages within a day or two of the code date are marked down...sometimes by up to half....and state it must be "used or frozen within a day or two." Often, you''ll note that the bright red color of the meat is fading to a darker tone. That's the beef you're looking to buy!! You're going to take it home, but you're not going to use it that day, nor are you going to freeze it! You're going to prepare quality aged beef to serve your family and once you try it, that's all you're going to want to have!
All you need is some spare space in the refrigerator....and once you get the hang of this, you may even want to pick up an old used refrigerator for the garage, just for aging beef, if you eat a lot of it. Oh, and salt! You're going to need a lot of salt!! Rock salt, pink Himalaya salt, whichever you prefer. And I'll be sharing another tip for tender beef, so you'll want a lot of coarse Kosher salt, as well. I promise you won't regret it!
First, let's get to the aging process. Bring your "soon to be out of date" beef home and fill a shallow dish with the rock salt or pink Himalayan salt. Set the meat on a rack, just above the level of the salt...the salt helps remove the moisture from the air around the beef. "Cool rooms" in commercial aging plants often have "salt walls" to help with this process and no, it won't make your cut of meat dry. Now, all you need is patience!!! Let that beef rest in the refrigerator for 42 days....time for it to properly age completely. That, "Use By" date is a joke! Don't take my word alone for it. Here's a great YouTube video which explains the entire process so you can see for yourself how it works. You're going to end up with very tender, high quality and flavorful meat to serve and enjoy. This is a process called, "dry aging," and there is another called "wet aging," but dry aging is easy to do.
Dry Aging Beef At Home
Now, here's another great tip for beef, if you want to quickly turn a tough cut of fresh beef into a tender and flavorful meal. Here's you're going to use the coarse Kosher salt and you'll only need about one hour for each inch of thickness of the beef you're using. You won't believe the difference! And no, the beef will not be salty when you finish...the salt stays on the surface of the meat and you wash it off before cooking. The salt merely seals the meat and breaks down the fibers of the meat, making it very tender. Forget about buying meat tenderizer....this works way better!!! Here's a short video giving you a comparison between a plain fresh cut of cheap beef and a the same piece of meat which has been through the salting process. Trust me, my kitchen is well stocked with salt!
Tenderize A Cheap Cut Of Beef In One Hour!
I really hope you will enjoy this information and give it a try. You can save a lot of money when buying beef at the high prices today and actually end up enjoying the beef you serve. It's a process used for many, many years in the industry before profit became the key motivation. Back when people demanded quality.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also follow my recipe blog here. Please share your experiences with my recipes and tips, if you enjoy the result. And, feel free to share with family and friends!!!
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Let's Roast A Perfect Turkey
Well, we're on the countdown now for Thanksgiving and it takes time to prepare the perfect turkey, so I think we should get started. I want to share my way of making sure everyone truly enjoys the Thanksgiving bird for dinner.
Most likely, your turkey is frozen, as is mine. So, we should think ahead. An average size turkey...say 14 -16 pounds, is going to need to be removed from the freezer and placed into the refrigerator for two days so it may thaw slowly. Let's note that on the calendar!! Nothing worse than trying to work with a half frozen turkey! Of course, if you're a bit late and the turkey isn't completely thawed, you can always immerse it in cold water for a few hours and finish the thawing. Just leave the turkey in the sealed plastic wrap to make sure water doesn't get inside while the turkey is immersed.
Once the turkey is thawed, we'll move onto the next step, which you may not be familiar with doing, but will greatly enhance the bird! And we're going to need an additional day, so make sure that turkey is thawed in time!!
The morning before Thanksgiving, remove the thawed turkey from the refrigerator. Now, remove the turkey from the plastic wrap and rinse the turkey under cold water. Rinse the inside and outside of the turkey and don't forget to remove the package of giblets packed inside the turkey! I don't know how many people have managed to cook that little package inside the turkey, not realizing it's there! If you boil those giblets before making your stuffing...dice them up and add them to the stuffing mix...it's a nice addition, too. Or if you have cats, they sure love the boiled giblets, if you don't want to use them.
Now that you have the turkey all rinsed and dried, we're going to carefully loosen the skin from the meat on the breast and legs of the turkey. Be gentle and try to not tear the skin. Go slowly while doing this, separating the thin membrane separating the meat from the skin.
Take a small mixing bowl and pour in a generous amount of KOSHER SALT. Only use kosher salt, as it is much coarser than regular table salt. Now, you may add some pepper and seasonings of your choice to the kosher salt...Rosemary, Basil...whatever you like. Mix the salt, pepper and seasonings together. Pat the turkey down well to remove any moisture from the surfaces..you can use papere towels to do this. Take about 2 teaspoons of the salt/seasoning mixture and rub it all over the inside cavity of the turkey, using your hands. Make sure you thoroughly rub all surfaces. Now, using another 2 teaspoons of the salt/seasoning mix, lift the skin of the turkey and rub the breast meat and leg meat with the mixture. Again, rubbing all surfaces and being gentle so as to not tear the skin. When finished, pull the skin back into place on the turkey and follow the same procedure, rubbing the salt/seasoning mixture onto the surface of the turkey skin. Rub well into the area between the legs and body of the turkey and the wings, as well. Now, put the turkey back into the refrigerator, uncovered....until the following morning when you are ready to stuff and roast the bird.
Before stuffing the bird, remove it from the refrigerator and pat all surfaces dry....very dry. Remember to pat down the cavity inside the bird, as well.
NOTE: Don't worry about the salt you put on the turkey!!! It's not going to make it too salty! And when you pat the bird dry, the excess salt will be removed. Here's what this brine treatment is going to do. It's going to assure you that your turkey will be moist and juicy after you roast it...not all dried out....and it's going to assure you that the skin on the roasted bird is going to be very crispy and nice!
Now, you're free to stuff the bird with your favorite type of stuffing. I like to use a very moist stuffing mix...not too dry.
With the turkey stuffed and ready to go, I melt butter in a saucepan. I use a syringe type baster/injector and infuse the breast and legs with the melted butter. Inject deeply into the meat and slowly, moving around with the needle to get good dispersal of melted butter into the meat.
Now, I preheat the oven to 425 F degrees, with the cooking rack being set in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. I like clean up to be simple, so I always use one of the disposable aluminum pans for roasting the turkey. And, helping maintain moisture in the bird, I also put the bird inside one of those roasting bags before placing it into the aluminum pan. Again, clean up is easy and the bird stays moist. Seal the roasting bag and reduce the temperature in the oven to 350 F degrees. Place the turkey into the oven and begin roasting. The rule of thumb is to allow about 13 minutes per pound for your turkey to adequately roast.
For safety sake, make sure you have a meat thermometer handy. Check the legs and breast of the turkey, plunging the meat thermometer deeply into the meat to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 F degrees. Do the same with the stuffing inside the turkey. You want to see 165 F degrees there, as well. This way, you know all bacteria has been killed and your guests are going to enjoy your turkey dinner instead of food poisoning!!!
Once the turkey is ready, I cut the roasting bag open along the top, exposing the breast, legs and wings. I like very crispy skin on the turkey...one of my favorite parts of the meal, so I brush the skin on the breast, legs and wings with more melted butter. I put the turkey back into the oven for about 20 minutes, allowing the skin to thoroughly brown and become more crispy. Once done, out of the oven!
Allow about 20 minutes for the turkey to "rest" after coming out of the oven before you carve it. That will allow all the juices time to settle and surface and the turkey will carve much more easily! Ready to serve!!
That's it...a perfect Thanksgiving turkey, my way. I hope you enjoy and remember, if you roast a chicken during the year, the same process works wonderfully there, as well.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also follow my recipe blog here on G+ for updates and more recipes. And share your experience on G+ if you try my methods and recipes and also share with family and friends!!
Most likely, your turkey is frozen, as is mine. So, we should think ahead. An average size turkey...say 14 -16 pounds, is going to need to be removed from the freezer and placed into the refrigerator for two days so it may thaw slowly. Let's note that on the calendar!! Nothing worse than trying to work with a half frozen turkey! Of course, if you're a bit late and the turkey isn't completely thawed, you can always immerse it in cold water for a few hours and finish the thawing. Just leave the turkey in the sealed plastic wrap to make sure water doesn't get inside while the turkey is immersed.
Once the turkey is thawed, we'll move onto the next step, which you may not be familiar with doing, but will greatly enhance the bird! And we're going to need an additional day, so make sure that turkey is thawed in time!!
The morning before Thanksgiving, remove the thawed turkey from the refrigerator. Now, remove the turkey from the plastic wrap and rinse the turkey under cold water. Rinse the inside and outside of the turkey and don't forget to remove the package of giblets packed inside the turkey! I don't know how many people have managed to cook that little package inside the turkey, not realizing it's there! If you boil those giblets before making your stuffing...dice them up and add them to the stuffing mix...it's a nice addition, too. Or if you have cats, they sure love the boiled giblets, if you don't want to use them.
Now that you have the turkey all rinsed and dried, we're going to carefully loosen the skin from the meat on the breast and legs of the turkey. Be gentle and try to not tear the skin. Go slowly while doing this, separating the thin membrane separating the meat from the skin.
Take a small mixing bowl and pour in a generous amount of KOSHER SALT. Only use kosher salt, as it is much coarser than regular table salt. Now, you may add some pepper and seasonings of your choice to the kosher salt...Rosemary, Basil...whatever you like. Mix the salt, pepper and seasonings together. Pat the turkey down well to remove any moisture from the surfaces..you can use papere towels to do this. Take about 2 teaspoons of the salt/seasoning mixture and rub it all over the inside cavity of the turkey, using your hands. Make sure you thoroughly rub all surfaces. Now, using another 2 teaspoons of the salt/seasoning mix, lift the skin of the turkey and rub the breast meat and leg meat with the mixture. Again, rubbing all surfaces and being gentle so as to not tear the skin. When finished, pull the skin back into place on the turkey and follow the same procedure, rubbing the salt/seasoning mixture onto the surface of the turkey skin. Rub well into the area between the legs and body of the turkey and the wings, as well. Now, put the turkey back into the refrigerator, uncovered....until the following morning when you are ready to stuff and roast the bird.
Before stuffing the bird, remove it from the refrigerator and pat all surfaces dry....very dry. Remember to pat down the cavity inside the bird, as well.
NOTE: Don't worry about the salt you put on the turkey!!! It's not going to make it too salty! And when you pat the bird dry, the excess salt will be removed. Here's what this brine treatment is going to do. It's going to assure you that your turkey will be moist and juicy after you roast it...not all dried out....and it's going to assure you that the skin on the roasted bird is going to be very crispy and nice!
Now, you're free to stuff the bird with your favorite type of stuffing. I like to use a very moist stuffing mix...not too dry.
With the turkey stuffed and ready to go, I melt butter in a saucepan. I use a syringe type baster/injector and infuse the breast and legs with the melted butter. Inject deeply into the meat and slowly, moving around with the needle to get good dispersal of melted butter into the meat.
Now, I preheat the oven to 425 F degrees, with the cooking rack being set in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. I like clean up to be simple, so I always use one of the disposable aluminum pans for roasting the turkey. And, helping maintain moisture in the bird, I also put the bird inside one of those roasting bags before placing it into the aluminum pan. Again, clean up is easy and the bird stays moist. Seal the roasting bag and reduce the temperature in the oven to 350 F degrees. Place the turkey into the oven and begin roasting. The rule of thumb is to allow about 13 minutes per pound for your turkey to adequately roast.
For safety sake, make sure you have a meat thermometer handy. Check the legs and breast of the turkey, plunging the meat thermometer deeply into the meat to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 F degrees. Do the same with the stuffing inside the turkey. You want to see 165 F degrees there, as well. This way, you know all bacteria has been killed and your guests are going to enjoy your turkey dinner instead of food poisoning!!!
Once the turkey is ready, I cut the roasting bag open along the top, exposing the breast, legs and wings. I like very crispy skin on the turkey...one of my favorite parts of the meal, so I brush the skin on the breast, legs and wings with more melted butter. I put the turkey back into the oven for about 20 minutes, allowing the skin to thoroughly brown and become more crispy. Once done, out of the oven!
Allow about 20 minutes for the turkey to "rest" after coming out of the oven before you carve it. That will allow all the juices time to settle and surface and the turkey will carve much more easily! Ready to serve!!
That's it...a perfect Thanksgiving turkey, my way. I hope you enjoy and remember, if you roast a chicken during the year, the same process works wonderfully there, as well.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also follow my recipe blog here on G+ for updates and more recipes. And share your experience on G+ if you try my methods and recipes and also share with family and friends!!
Monday, November 14, 2016
Hot Smoked Mackerel
This morning's project has been smoking some freshly frozen Mackerel I picked up yesterday at the Asian market. They have a lot of fish you don't normally find in regular stores...and it's right out of the ocean into ice...so you bring them home frozen, clean them and use them as you wish. And, they sell fish very cheap! These three nice fish cost me $6.00. Gutted them, removed the heads...then packed them in rock salt in the refrigerator to cure....wash off the salt, let them set up...then into the smoker with wet Hickory chips. Low heat and a lot of smoke...and you can see the finished product! They look and smell wonderful!
 |
| Mackerel ready to be cleaned and heads removed |
 |
| Packed with coarse salt to cure in the refrigerator |
 |
| Into the smoker with wet Hickory chips on a hot bed of coals |
 |
| And the finished smoked Mackerel ready to be eaten or stored |
Vegetarian French Dip Sandwich
As you've probably come to recognize, if you follow my recipes, I'm a big fan of sandwiches and Portobello mushrooms. Here's another great one I think you will enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
3 Portobello Mushroom caps
1 Medium White Onion
1 Cup Vegetable Broth
2 Sandwich Rolls (6 inch)
4 Slices Provolone Cheese
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
2 Tablespooons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcester Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Horseradish Mustard
PREPARATION
Thin slice the Portobello mushroom caps into strips. Slice the White Onion into rings, then cut the rings in half. Mince the cloves of Garlic.
Put 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil into a skillet. Add the onion rings on low-medium heat and stir occasionally until the onions are cooked and transparent. Once the onions are done, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional two minutes...continuing to occasionally stir. Remove the onions and garlic, putting them on a separate plate.
Add another tablespoon of Olive Oil to the skillet, increase the heat to medium and add the Portobello mushroom slices. Cook them for about 5 minutes until they start to brown. Turn the mushroom slices over and cook an additional 5 minutes on the other side.
Now, add the cooked onion rings to the skillet, with the mushroom slices. Add the vegetable broth, Worcester sauce, Soy sauce, Thyme, Liquid Smoke and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, and continue to stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to about half what you started with.
Now, open the Sandwich rolls and spread the Horseradish Mustard on the inside surfaces of the buns. Using a slotted spoon so you can drain the mushroom/onion mix and divide up the mushrooms and onions onto the inside of the sandwich roll. You may press lightly on the mushroom/onion mix to remove as much juice as you can before spreading them onto the buns. Place the Provolone Cheese on top of the mushroom/onion mix and place the open face buns under the broiler, just long enough for the cheese to melt. Remove from the broiler and close the sandwich up to serve. You may elect to slice the buns in half, making 2 3 inch long pieces.
Take the juice in the skillet and pour into cups to use as dipping juice for the sandwiches. Enjoy!!
I hope you enjoy these sandwiches. If you have any questions, please email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to follow my recipe blog. And, please share on G+ if you enjoyed the recipe and share it with family and friends, as well!
INGREDIENTS
3 Portobello Mushroom caps
1 Medium White Onion
1 Cup Vegetable Broth
2 Sandwich Rolls (6 inch)
4 Slices Provolone Cheese
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
2 Tablespooons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcester Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Horseradish Mustard
PREPARATION
Thin slice the Portobello mushroom caps into strips. Slice the White Onion into rings, then cut the rings in half. Mince the cloves of Garlic.
Put 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil into a skillet. Add the onion rings on low-medium heat and stir occasionally until the onions are cooked and transparent. Once the onions are done, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional two minutes...continuing to occasionally stir. Remove the onions and garlic, putting them on a separate plate.
Add another tablespoon of Olive Oil to the skillet, increase the heat to medium and add the Portobello mushroom slices. Cook them for about 5 minutes until they start to brown. Turn the mushroom slices over and cook an additional 5 minutes on the other side.
Now, add the cooked onion rings to the skillet, with the mushroom slices. Add the vegetable broth, Worcester sauce, Soy sauce, Thyme, Liquid Smoke and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, and continue to stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to about half what you started with.
Now, open the Sandwich rolls and spread the Horseradish Mustard on the inside surfaces of the buns. Using a slotted spoon so you can drain the mushroom/onion mix and divide up the mushrooms and onions onto the inside of the sandwich roll. You may press lightly on the mushroom/onion mix to remove as much juice as you can before spreading them onto the buns. Place the Provolone Cheese on top of the mushroom/onion mix and place the open face buns under the broiler, just long enough for the cheese to melt. Remove from the broiler and close the sandwich up to serve. You may elect to slice the buns in half, making 2 3 inch long pieces.
Take the juice in the skillet and pour into cups to use as dipping juice for the sandwiches. Enjoy!!
I hope you enjoy these sandwiches. If you have any questions, please email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to follow my recipe blog. And, please share on G+ if you enjoyed the recipe and share it with family and friends, as well!
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Another Great "One Pot" Italian Dinner
I've had a lot of really positive feedback on the Italian "One Pot" dinner recipe in the recipe blog. Simple, quick, inexpensive and healthy....as well as vegetarian. Since it's been so popular, I thought I would offer another variant to it you may enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Thin Spaghetti
12 Ounces Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
4 1/2 Cups Water
1 Medium White Onion
1 Cup Sliced Fresh Mushrooms
1 Cup Frozen Spinach
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese (Dry Shredded)
PREPARATION
We're going to use a large, deep skillet to prepare this dish. Add water and spaghetti to the skillet, together with the Oregano, Basil, Salt and Pepper. After thinly slicing the onion into rings, add them to the skillet. Cut the Cherry Tomatoes in half and add them, as well. Finely chop the cloves of Garlic, or if you prefer, use minced garlic and add that to the skillet. Now, add the thinly sliced Mushrooms to the rest of the ingredients.
Heat the skillet on a burner with Medium High heat, bringing the ingredients to a boil. Stir occasionally to mix the ingredients and keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Make sure you turn and separate the pasta so it doesn't stick together. At a brisk boil, the water will evaporate, the pasta will become al dente in about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the frozen spinach, mixing it into the rest of the ingredients.
Place servings into platters and generously sprinkle with the grated Parmesan Cheese. A delicious, filling meal ready in a matter of minutes! Enjoy!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also follow my recipes on the Recipe Blog. And, be sure to share if you enjoyed the meal and share the recipe with family and friends!
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Thin Spaghetti
12 Ounces Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
4 1/2 Cups Water
1 Medium White Onion
1 Cup Sliced Fresh Mushrooms
1 Cup Frozen Spinach
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese (Dry Shredded)
PREPARATION
We're going to use a large, deep skillet to prepare this dish. Add water and spaghetti to the skillet, together with the Oregano, Basil, Salt and Pepper. After thinly slicing the onion into rings, add them to the skillet. Cut the Cherry Tomatoes in half and add them, as well. Finely chop the cloves of Garlic, or if you prefer, use minced garlic and add that to the skillet. Now, add the thinly sliced Mushrooms to the rest of the ingredients.
Heat the skillet on a burner with Medium High heat, bringing the ingredients to a boil. Stir occasionally to mix the ingredients and keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Make sure you turn and separate the pasta so it doesn't stick together. At a brisk boil, the water will evaporate, the pasta will become al dente in about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the frozen spinach, mixing it into the rest of the ingredients.
Place servings into platters and generously sprinkle with the grated Parmesan Cheese. A delicious, filling meal ready in a matter of minutes! Enjoy!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also follow my recipes on the Recipe Blog. And, be sure to share if you enjoyed the meal and share the recipe with family and friends!
Friday, November 4, 2016
Easy Greek Chicken Dinner
This is a delicious, healthy and easy to prepare dinner, using just one baking sheet. If you marinate the chicken ahead of time, you can have dinner on the table in about half an hour. Enjoy a mild Greek flavor to the dinner table.
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Baby Red Potatoes
12 Ounces Fresh Asparagus (or Green Beans)
6 Chicken Thighs (Bone in/Skin On)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves
Juice from 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Oregano
Kosher Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Parsley
MARINADE
Prepare a marinade, using a large zip lock plastic bag. Pour the marinade, consisting of the Olive Oil, minced Garlic Cloves, Lemon Juice, Red Wine Vinegar, Oregano and Salt and Pepper to taste. Add the chicken thighs to the bag, mix well in marinade and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Turn the bag occasionally to ensure the chicken thighs are thoroughly marinated.
PREPARATION
Wash and cut the Red Potatoes in half. Place them, flat side down on a baking sheet which has been sprayed with non-stick oil. Arrange the Asparagus between and around the potatoes, forming a single layer of vegetables. Now drizzle some Olive Oil over the potatoes and Asparagus, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and place them on top of the layer of vegetables in a single layer.
Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees and place the baking sheet into the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. When the thighs are completely cooked, move the baking sheet under the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes or until the skin on the chicken thighs is crispy and slightly blackened.
Place chicken and vegetables on a serving dish, topping with parsley for a pleasing appearance. Ready to serve!
I hope you will enjoy this quick and inexpensive meal. It's certainly one I enjoy around here. If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also follow my Recipe Blog on Google+ for the latest updates and new recipes as I add them. If you enjoy the meal, please share on G+ and share with friends and family!
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Baby Red Potatoes
12 Ounces Fresh Asparagus (or Green Beans)
6 Chicken Thighs (Bone in/Skin On)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves
Juice from 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Oregano
Kosher Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Parsley
MARINADE
Prepare a marinade, using a large zip lock plastic bag. Pour the marinade, consisting of the Olive Oil, minced Garlic Cloves, Lemon Juice, Red Wine Vinegar, Oregano and Salt and Pepper to taste. Add the chicken thighs to the bag, mix well in marinade and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Turn the bag occasionally to ensure the chicken thighs are thoroughly marinated.
PREPARATION
Wash and cut the Red Potatoes in half. Place them, flat side down on a baking sheet which has been sprayed with non-stick oil. Arrange the Asparagus between and around the potatoes, forming a single layer of vegetables. Now drizzle some Olive Oil over the potatoes and Asparagus, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and place them on top of the layer of vegetables in a single layer.
Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees and place the baking sheet into the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. When the thighs are completely cooked, move the baking sheet under the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes or until the skin on the chicken thighs is crispy and slightly blackened.
Place chicken and vegetables on a serving dish, topping with parsley for a pleasing appearance. Ready to serve!
I hope you will enjoy this quick and inexpensive meal. It's certainly one I enjoy around here. If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also follow my Recipe Blog on Google+ for the latest updates and new recipes as I add them. If you enjoy the meal, please share on G+ and share with friends and family!
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Beef Free Beef Stroganoff
With cooler weather coming on, we start looking for warming, hearty meals. One simple meal I enjoy this time of year is Beef Stroganoff. Inexpensive to make, filling and comforting food. If you follow my recipes, you know that I'm really getting away from beef. I'm not some sort of radical vegetarian, as I do eat meat and I don't strictly follow vegetarian practices, but I find beef to be harder to digest, the less I eat of it and prices are outrageous, at least to me.
As an alternative to beef in many of the foods I prepare, I've found Portobello mushrooms to be my favorite and rapidly becoming a major item on my grocery list. The taste and texture of these beautiful mushrooms satisfies that desire for "meat" in many of my recipes and this Stroganoff is no exception! If you like Beef Stroganoff, I really think you will love this dish!
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Uncooked Pasta Noodles
1 White Onion
1 3/4 Cup Beef Broth
3/4 Pound Sliced Portobello Mushrooms
3/4 Pound White Button Mushrooms
1/4 Cup Red Wine
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Worcester Sauce
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Dry Parsley
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Boil the pasta noodles, as usual, not overcooking them, as they will cook a bit more before we're finished. Drain and set aside. Dice the White Onion. Cut the White Button Mushrooms in half. Cut the slices of Portobello Mushroom into thin slices about the same size as you would beef, if you were going to use it in the Stroganoff.
Now, let's start making the Stroganoff!!!
Using a large saucepan, put in the Olive Oil and add the diced White Onion. Put on medium high heat and saute the onions for about 3 minutes. When the onions are soft, add the flour to the saucepan, stirring continually until well blended. Continue cooking for a few seconds.
Slowly, add the Beef Broth, Red Wine and Worcester Sauce. Keep stirring while the sauce thickens and bubbles. Now, add the Portobello and White Button mushrooms, Thyme and Salt. Stir and mixe the ingredients well and continue to cook until the mushrooms shrink in size and moisture is released from them. Now, add the White Vinegar and reduce the heat to simmer the mix for about 4 - 5 minutes.
When ready, add the drained pasta, Sour Cream, Black Pepper, one more Tablespoon of All Purpose Flour and Parsley. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, stirring to mix the ingredients completely.
Place the servings of Stroganoff on dinner plates and if you like, garnish with more Parsley. Ready to serve!
If you're a real hard core vegetarian, you probably know you can find "beef free" beef broth and alternatives for non dairy sour cream. I don't go to this extreme, but for real vegetarians, there are those options to avoid all non-vegetarian ingredients.
I hope you will give this dish a try and discover the wonderful taste and texture of the Portobello mushrooms as an alternative to using real beef. I am sure it will be satisfying!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may follow my Recipe Blog on Google+ getting new recipes and updates as I add them. I try to add new recipes quite often. And, if you enjoy the recipes, please share them on G+ and with family and friends!!!
As an alternative to beef in many of the foods I prepare, I've found Portobello mushrooms to be my favorite and rapidly becoming a major item on my grocery list. The taste and texture of these beautiful mushrooms satisfies that desire for "meat" in many of my recipes and this Stroganoff is no exception! If you like Beef Stroganoff, I really think you will love this dish!
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Uncooked Pasta Noodles
1 White Onion
1 3/4 Cup Beef Broth
3/4 Pound Sliced Portobello Mushrooms
3/4 Pound White Button Mushrooms
1/4 Cup Red Wine
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Worcester Sauce
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Dry Parsley
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Boil the pasta noodles, as usual, not overcooking them, as they will cook a bit more before we're finished. Drain and set aside. Dice the White Onion. Cut the White Button Mushrooms in half. Cut the slices of Portobello Mushroom into thin slices about the same size as you would beef, if you were going to use it in the Stroganoff.
Now, let's start making the Stroganoff!!!
Using a large saucepan, put in the Olive Oil and add the diced White Onion. Put on medium high heat and saute the onions for about 3 minutes. When the onions are soft, add the flour to the saucepan, stirring continually until well blended. Continue cooking for a few seconds.
Slowly, add the Beef Broth, Red Wine and Worcester Sauce. Keep stirring while the sauce thickens and bubbles. Now, add the Portobello and White Button mushrooms, Thyme and Salt. Stir and mixe the ingredients well and continue to cook until the mushrooms shrink in size and moisture is released from them. Now, add the White Vinegar and reduce the heat to simmer the mix for about 4 - 5 minutes.
When ready, add the drained pasta, Sour Cream, Black Pepper, one more Tablespoon of All Purpose Flour and Parsley. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, stirring to mix the ingredients completely.
Place the servings of Stroganoff on dinner plates and if you like, garnish with more Parsley. Ready to serve!
If you're a real hard core vegetarian, you probably know you can find "beef free" beef broth and alternatives for non dairy sour cream. I don't go to this extreme, but for real vegetarians, there are those options to avoid all non-vegetarian ingredients.
I hope you will give this dish a try and discover the wonderful taste and texture of the Portobello mushrooms as an alternative to using real beef. I am sure it will be satisfying!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may follow my Recipe Blog on Google+ getting new recipes and updates as I add them. I try to add new recipes quite often. And, if you enjoy the recipes, please share them on G+ and with family and friends!!!
Friday, October 28, 2016
Chili Relleno
Chili Relleno is one of my Mexican food favorites and vegetarian, as well. They really aren't very difficult to prepare, although you have to be careful with the chili's, but just take your time and they aren't all that difficult to do. Of course, they are a fried food, so I try to use the healthiest method I can when cooking them. A side dish of refried beans compliments them well.
INGREDIENTS
6 Fresh Poblano Peppers (Large)
Monterrey Jack Cheese (amount depends on the size of your chili peppers)
4-6 Eggs (COLD!)
Olive Oil
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
Salt (just a pinch)
Salsa
PREPARATION
I always try to pick nice, large firm peppers from the produce department at the grocery store. I use thin slices of Monterrey Jack cheese, cut into strips no wider than the peppers. Make sure the eggs you are going to use are very cold and right out of the refrigerator. Sprinkle half of the flour onto a flat dinner plate and keep the rest to sprinkle onto the chili's.
PREPARING POBLANO PEPPERS
We are going to roast the skins off the Poblano Peppers before we use them. This may be done on an open grill flame, or as I often do, using the broiler in the oven. The skin is mostly transparent and a bit stringy, but will come off without a lot of effort, if you're careful.
Roast the peppers on the grill or under the broiler until the skin appears blackened. Turn the peppers over and blacken both sides well. Watch them closely as it doesn't take a lot of flame to blacken the skins. Once blackened, remove the peppers from the flame, allowing them to sit and cool so you can handle them comfortably. Using your fingers, begin the tedious removal of the skins. The skin will pull off quite easily, but may try to still stick in places, so be careful and try to not tear the chili. Just remove the skins. You may rub the skin gently, under cold running water to help. The peppers will now be soft and easy to tear, so be gentle with them.
Carefully, make a split down the chili and gently open it so you can remove the seeds and any white colored membrane you see. Leave the stems on the chili for easy handling and appearance.
Open the cut you made in the chili and gently insert the pieces of Monterrey Jack cheese. Don't overfill the chili's and tear them! Once properly stuffed, you should be able to close the chili back up with the cheese inside.
BATTER
Put the cold egg whites into a chilled bowl and whip until the the egg whites are stiff. Now, stir in the egg yolks, along with a pinch of salt and fold the yolks into the whites until they are well mixed.
Place the stuffed chili's onto the plate of flour and using your fingers, just sprinkle the tops of the chili's with the remaining flour. You don't want a heavy coating of flour....just a light one to help the batter stick to the chili when you fry it.
COOKING
Use a large frying pan. Pour olive oil into the frying pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Apply medium high heat to the frying pan to heat the oil. One at a time, pick up a chili by the stem with your fingers and support the bottom end of the chili with a spoon, while you dip the chili into the egg batter. Completely cover the chili with the egg batter, then gently place it in the frying pan. Just fry the chili until it is a nice, golden brown, then turn it over and fry to brown the other side. The cheese will melt inside the chili while you're frying.
When the chili is cooked, remove it from the frying pan and place it on a plate, covered with paper towels to absorb any excess oil from frying.
Your Chili Relleno is now ready to eat and should be served hot and with some salsa on the side. Enjoy!!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes as I add them, which is quite regularly! And if you enjoy the recipes, please share them on G+ as well as with friends and family!
INGREDIENTS
6 Fresh Poblano Peppers (Large)
Monterrey Jack Cheese (amount depends on the size of your chili peppers)
4-6 Eggs (COLD!)
Olive Oil
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
Salt (just a pinch)
Salsa
PREPARATION
I always try to pick nice, large firm peppers from the produce department at the grocery store. I use thin slices of Monterrey Jack cheese, cut into strips no wider than the peppers. Make sure the eggs you are going to use are very cold and right out of the refrigerator. Sprinkle half of the flour onto a flat dinner plate and keep the rest to sprinkle onto the chili's.
PREPARING POBLANO PEPPERS
We are going to roast the skins off the Poblano Peppers before we use them. This may be done on an open grill flame, or as I often do, using the broiler in the oven. The skin is mostly transparent and a bit stringy, but will come off without a lot of effort, if you're careful.
Roast the peppers on the grill or under the broiler until the skin appears blackened. Turn the peppers over and blacken both sides well. Watch them closely as it doesn't take a lot of flame to blacken the skins. Once blackened, remove the peppers from the flame, allowing them to sit and cool so you can handle them comfortably. Using your fingers, begin the tedious removal of the skins. The skin will pull off quite easily, but may try to still stick in places, so be careful and try to not tear the chili. Just remove the skins. You may rub the skin gently, under cold running water to help. The peppers will now be soft and easy to tear, so be gentle with them.
Carefully, make a split down the chili and gently open it so you can remove the seeds and any white colored membrane you see. Leave the stems on the chili for easy handling and appearance.
Open the cut you made in the chili and gently insert the pieces of Monterrey Jack cheese. Don't overfill the chili's and tear them! Once properly stuffed, you should be able to close the chili back up with the cheese inside.
BATTER
Put the cold egg whites into a chilled bowl and whip until the the egg whites are stiff. Now, stir in the egg yolks, along with a pinch of salt and fold the yolks into the whites until they are well mixed.
Place the stuffed chili's onto the plate of flour and using your fingers, just sprinkle the tops of the chili's with the remaining flour. You don't want a heavy coating of flour....just a light one to help the batter stick to the chili when you fry it.
COOKING
Use a large frying pan. Pour olive oil into the frying pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Apply medium high heat to the frying pan to heat the oil. One at a time, pick up a chili by the stem with your fingers and support the bottom end of the chili with a spoon, while you dip the chili into the egg batter. Completely cover the chili with the egg batter, then gently place it in the frying pan. Just fry the chili until it is a nice, golden brown, then turn it over and fry to brown the other side. The cheese will melt inside the chili while you're frying.
When the chili is cooked, remove it from the frying pan and place it on a plate, covered with paper towels to absorb any excess oil from frying.
Your Chili Relleno is now ready to eat and should be served hot and with some salsa on the side. Enjoy!!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes as I add them, which is quite regularly! And if you enjoy the recipes, please share them on G+ as well as with friends and family!
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Craving French Fries? Here's A Healthy and Tasty Alternative!
We all seem to have been raised to like "fat and starch" foods such as French Fries. You don't get through the fast food takeout without an side order of them, it seems. They really aren't healthy in any respect, especially those from the fast food places. We know it, but we order them. The taste, texture and general eye appeal triggers our brains.
What about some healthier alternatives to plain old potatoes? And maybe considering some alternative methods of preparation to make them just a bit "healthier" and tastier?
Do you know that almost any type of root vegetable is a wonderful replacement for the plain white potato? And most of those root vegetables have way more flavor and are more nutritious, as well.
You can make your own "veggie fries," from Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Beets, and Parsnips, just to name a few. And even Eggplant, a very healthy vegetable is a great alternative for snack fries, with a bit more preparation. Preparing a batch of great fries is as easy as it gets!! You use the same basic recipe for most all the root vegetables and anyone can do it! Here's a basic recipe you can use with any of the root vegetables I mentioned, or try them with other root vegetables you may enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
Your choice of Root Vegetable
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Salt to Taste
Optional Herb (Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, as examples)
PREPARATION
Wash the vegetables you plan to use for making fries. Cut the vegetables into French Fry cuts....about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch thick. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels. Put the Olive Oil into a big plastic zip lock bag, along with salt and herbs, if you decide to use them. Add the vegetables to the bag and shake the vegetables around to coat them with the oil. Olive oil is a much healthier alternative to most of the vegetable oil used by fast food places. Place the vegetable fries on a flat baking sheet, covered with foil to help with clean up.
Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees. This high heat with make your fries crispy on the outside, while still soft and flavorful inside. Put the baking sheet into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Turning the fries about halfway through the baking time will make them more uniform in crispiness.
Now, serve them up, nice and hot, using a dipping sauce such as Ranch Dressing or some other sauce you enjoy. A pleasant alternative to ketchup.
NOTE: I always bake regular French Fries, as well, since I don't like a lot of grease soaked into my food and avoid a lot of fried foods.
If you MUST have fried food to satisfy your craving, rather than baking your veggie fries, just follow the same procedure and instead of baking, fry them with Olive Oil as a healthier alternative.
If you would rather try Eggplant, Zucchini or other softer vegetables, follow the same procedure for preparation, however when finished coating them with oil and salt, give them another quick coating of Panko Bread Crumbs to help them stay firm and enjoyable. When you finish cooking them, just before serving, try shaking a bit of dry Parmesan cheese on them before dipping. They are great!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes as I add them. And, don't hesitate to share the Recipe Blog, your comments or recipes with others!!!
What about some healthier alternatives to plain old potatoes? And maybe considering some alternative methods of preparation to make them just a bit "healthier" and tastier?
Do you know that almost any type of root vegetable is a wonderful replacement for the plain white potato? And most of those root vegetables have way more flavor and are more nutritious, as well.
You can make your own "veggie fries," from Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Beets, and Parsnips, just to name a few. And even Eggplant, a very healthy vegetable is a great alternative for snack fries, with a bit more preparation. Preparing a batch of great fries is as easy as it gets!! You use the same basic recipe for most all the root vegetables and anyone can do it! Here's a basic recipe you can use with any of the root vegetables I mentioned, or try them with other root vegetables you may enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
Your choice of Root Vegetable
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Salt to Taste
Optional Herb (Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, as examples)
PREPARATION
Wash the vegetables you plan to use for making fries. Cut the vegetables into French Fry cuts....about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch thick. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels. Put the Olive Oil into a big plastic zip lock bag, along with salt and herbs, if you decide to use them. Add the vegetables to the bag and shake the vegetables around to coat them with the oil. Olive oil is a much healthier alternative to most of the vegetable oil used by fast food places. Place the vegetable fries on a flat baking sheet, covered with foil to help with clean up.
Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees. This high heat with make your fries crispy on the outside, while still soft and flavorful inside. Put the baking sheet into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Turning the fries about halfway through the baking time will make them more uniform in crispiness.
Now, serve them up, nice and hot, using a dipping sauce such as Ranch Dressing or some other sauce you enjoy. A pleasant alternative to ketchup.
NOTE: I always bake regular French Fries, as well, since I don't like a lot of grease soaked into my food and avoid a lot of fried foods.
If you MUST have fried food to satisfy your craving, rather than baking your veggie fries, just follow the same procedure and instead of baking, fry them with Olive Oil as a healthier alternative.
If you would rather try Eggplant, Zucchini or other softer vegetables, follow the same procedure for preparation, however when finished coating them with oil and salt, give them another quick coating of Panko Bread Crumbs to help them stay firm and enjoyable. When you finish cooking them, just before serving, try shaking a bit of dry Parmesan cheese on them before dipping. They are great!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes as I add them. And, don't hesitate to share the Recipe Blog, your comments or recipes with others!!!
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Tea Talk - Matcha Tea
I'm not any sort of authority on teas, but I do love tea....many different varieties at different times of day and different moods. I'm not a drinker of iced tea nor sweetened tea...hot teas only! My taste in tea ranges from British style...thanks to the years in Africa...we had many wonderful tea plantations in the mountain region of Rhodesia... and so many British friends....to Asian...Japanese and Chinese teas...and those teas from India and even herbal teas.
I want to tell you a bit about a tea you may not have seen nor heard of before. This tea is usually associated with Japan and the very formal Japanese Tea Ceremony, as well as Zen. The usual method of preparing the tea dates back to the 10th century in China and the best quality tea is grown in Japan.
This tea should really appeal to those people interested in the healthy properties of tea, as well, since there is a lot of scientific foundation to support it's health value. The tea I'm going to talk about is known as "Matcha." You might think of it as an Asian equivalent to a green colored frothy Starbucks latte.
Growing and processing Matcha tea is a very labor intensive process. The tea plants are covered and protected from sunlight for about 20 days prior to harvesting. This forces the production of chlorophyll in the leaves. This process also triggers more flavor and a better texture in the leaves. The tea leaves are carefully selected with only the best and tenderest leaves used. Once picked, the leaves, unlike with most teas, are steamed to stop fermentation, then dried and aged in cold storage to enhance the flavor. This process takes about 6 months. The final step is to grind the leaves...again a very intricate process....until the tea is in the form of a very fine, rich green powder.
Matcha has about three times as much caffeine than regular tea...similar to a cup of strong coffee. It is very rich with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, especially one called polyphenols, which have been tied to protection against heart disease and cancer, as well as better blood sugar regulation, blood pressure reduction, and anti-aging. Matcha contains a polyphenol called, "EGCG," which research has shown causes the slowing and even halting of certain cancer cell growth.
Flavor? Well, Matcha is different. The taste is strong and some people have even described it as similar to spinach, however this may have something to do with the rich green color appearance. Since it is a strong taste, there are people who prefer to add some sugar to it, as well.
There are two traditional ways to prepare Matcha and both result in something of a "foamy" appearance. I'll explain the process in a moment. You may choose to just prepare the tea without the foam, but it's not quite the same to me. The two styles of foaming tea are called "usucha" and "koicha" in Japanese. Usucha is a "thin" tea, while Koicha is a thicker version.
You do not prepare Matcha with boiling water! If the water is boiling, you want to allow it to cool to about 185 F degrees before making your tea. There is a special, tiny teaspoon, or "chashaku" to measure the powder into the cup, or "chawan." You also MUST have a small bamboo whisk to mix the tea and to foam it. The diameter of the cup must be such that you can easily use the whisk inside the cup. Since the powder tends to clump in the container, be sure to break up all the clumps and sift it before using. Little bamboo Matcha tool sets, including the measuring spoon, whisk and tool to break up clumps are readily available on Amazon for ten dollars or less.
Let's make Usucha, or thin tea. Sift and measure one teaspoon of Matcha powder into the cup. Pour in 3 ounces of the 185 F degree water. Using the bamboo whisk, working in an "M" shaped motion, begin whisking until you get tiny bubbles appearing on the surface of the water. You dont' want big bubbles...just small ones...for a frothy sort of appearance. The tea is now ready to drink. If the taste is too "grassy," you may add some sugar.
Preparing Koicha is a very similar process except you use more tea...about 3 times as much and when whisking, you whisk in and up and down motion, creating a thicker, foamier brew...almost like a whipped cream on the surface when you're finished. Naturally, it is much stronger flavored, as well.
There are several variations for preparing Matcha and as it is becoming a very "trendy" sort of drink for many upscale specialty coffee shops, the list grows as each come up with their own concoctions.
MATCHA SHOULD BE CONSUMED AS SOON AS IT IS PREPARED, SINCE IT IS A POWDER AND IF LEFT SITTING VERY LONG, THE POWER AND THE WATER WILL BEGIN TO SEPARATE. ENJOY THE TEA RIGHT AWAY!
Once you open a jar of Matcha, air will begin to oxidize the powder and it will lose some of it's wonderful properties, so it's suggested to use an opened container within six months or less. You will find a large variety of Matcha tea available on Amazon, at many online tea businesses or probably your local Asian store. As with most products, the higher the price, the most likely the better quality tea you will get. If you've not experienced the flavor and qualities of this tea, I would recommend that you give it a try.
I have only touched on the surface of Matcha tea here.....just an introduction. If you would like to learn more about it, you may find tons of material, history and information on the Internet. If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes and information as I add it to the blog. And share with friends when you find something you enjoy!
I want to tell you a bit about a tea you may not have seen nor heard of before. This tea is usually associated with Japan and the very formal Japanese Tea Ceremony, as well as Zen. The usual method of preparing the tea dates back to the 10th century in China and the best quality tea is grown in Japan.
This tea should really appeal to those people interested in the healthy properties of tea, as well, since there is a lot of scientific foundation to support it's health value. The tea I'm going to talk about is known as "Matcha." You might think of it as an Asian equivalent to a green colored frothy Starbucks latte.
Growing and processing Matcha tea is a very labor intensive process. The tea plants are covered and protected from sunlight for about 20 days prior to harvesting. This forces the production of chlorophyll in the leaves. This process also triggers more flavor and a better texture in the leaves. The tea leaves are carefully selected with only the best and tenderest leaves used. Once picked, the leaves, unlike with most teas, are steamed to stop fermentation, then dried and aged in cold storage to enhance the flavor. This process takes about 6 months. The final step is to grind the leaves...again a very intricate process....until the tea is in the form of a very fine, rich green powder.
Matcha has about three times as much caffeine than regular tea...similar to a cup of strong coffee. It is very rich with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, especially one called polyphenols, which have been tied to protection against heart disease and cancer, as well as better blood sugar regulation, blood pressure reduction, and anti-aging. Matcha contains a polyphenol called, "EGCG," which research has shown causes the slowing and even halting of certain cancer cell growth.
Flavor? Well, Matcha is different. The taste is strong and some people have even described it as similar to spinach, however this may have something to do with the rich green color appearance. Since it is a strong taste, there are people who prefer to add some sugar to it, as well.
There are two traditional ways to prepare Matcha and both result in something of a "foamy" appearance. I'll explain the process in a moment. You may choose to just prepare the tea without the foam, but it's not quite the same to me. The two styles of foaming tea are called "usucha" and "koicha" in Japanese. Usucha is a "thin" tea, while Koicha is a thicker version.
You do not prepare Matcha with boiling water! If the water is boiling, you want to allow it to cool to about 185 F degrees before making your tea. There is a special, tiny teaspoon, or "chashaku" to measure the powder into the cup, or "chawan." You also MUST have a small bamboo whisk to mix the tea and to foam it. The diameter of the cup must be such that you can easily use the whisk inside the cup. Since the powder tends to clump in the container, be sure to break up all the clumps and sift it before using. Little bamboo Matcha tool sets, including the measuring spoon, whisk and tool to break up clumps are readily available on Amazon for ten dollars or less.
Let's make Usucha, or thin tea. Sift and measure one teaspoon of Matcha powder into the cup. Pour in 3 ounces of the 185 F degree water. Using the bamboo whisk, working in an "M" shaped motion, begin whisking until you get tiny bubbles appearing on the surface of the water. You dont' want big bubbles...just small ones...for a frothy sort of appearance. The tea is now ready to drink. If the taste is too "grassy," you may add some sugar.
Preparing Koicha is a very similar process except you use more tea...about 3 times as much and when whisking, you whisk in and up and down motion, creating a thicker, foamier brew...almost like a whipped cream on the surface when you're finished. Naturally, it is much stronger flavored, as well.
There are several variations for preparing Matcha and as it is becoming a very "trendy" sort of drink for many upscale specialty coffee shops, the list grows as each come up with their own concoctions.
MATCHA SHOULD BE CONSUMED AS SOON AS IT IS PREPARED, SINCE IT IS A POWDER AND IF LEFT SITTING VERY LONG, THE POWER AND THE WATER WILL BEGIN TO SEPARATE. ENJOY THE TEA RIGHT AWAY!
Once you open a jar of Matcha, air will begin to oxidize the powder and it will lose some of it's wonderful properties, so it's suggested to use an opened container within six months or less. You will find a large variety of Matcha tea available on Amazon, at many online tea businesses or probably your local Asian store. As with most products, the higher the price, the most likely the better quality tea you will get. If you've not experienced the flavor and qualities of this tea, I would recommend that you give it a try.
I have only touched on the surface of Matcha tea here.....just an introduction. If you would like to learn more about it, you may find tons of material, history and information on the Internet. If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes and information as I add it to the blog. And share with friends when you find something you enjoy!
Chinese Moo Goo Gai Pan (Chicken with Mushrooms)
I'm going to offer another healthy Asian dish here, mild flavored and should please chicken and mushroom lovers. You'll find some variation of it at most any Chinese restaurant but you can easily make it at home. It's another of my favorites around here.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Pound Chicken Breasts (Skinless/Boneless)
1 Cup Mushrooms (Sliced)
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth (Recommend Low Sodium)
1/2 Cup Water Chestnuts (Sliced)
1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Chinese Snow Peas
OR
1/2 Cup Fresh Bean Sprouts in place of Chinese Snow Peas
2 Tablespoons Ginger Root (Fresh Grated)
2 Cloves Garlic (Grated)
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sugar
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon White Wine
We're going to be making a marinade and a sauce for this dish, so I will explain them separately. They are not difficult to do. Just remember which is which! First, however, let's prepare the ingredients.
PREPARATION
Wash the chicken breasts and remove any excess fat. Slice the breasts into narrow strips, about 1/8 inch thick. If you're using canned Water Chestnuts, drain the liquid and rinse them in fresh water several times to remove the taste of the can. Slice the fresh mushrooms about 1/8 inch thick. Peel and grate the fresh Ginger Root and Garlic cloves. I cut the Snow Peas into bite size pieces, as well.
Now we'll start by making the marinade, since we are going to marinate the strips of chicken breast.
MARINADE
With the strips of chicken in a bowl, add the Soy Sauce, White Wine Sesame Oil and 1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch in that order. I know that's not much, but mix it around well and make sure it comes in contact with the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest in the marinade for at least 15 minutes....30 minutes is my preference. While you're waiting is a good time to prepare the vegetables you are going to use.
SAUCE
In another bowl, prepare the sauce we're going to use. Mix the Chicken Broth, Oyster Sauce, Sugar and remaining Tablespoon of Cornstarch. Your sauce is now ready to use.
In a big frying pan, or a Wok, if you have and use one, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and stir fry the chicken breast. Do not cook the chicken completely...just until it turns color and is no longer raw looking. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for the moment.
Now add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil to the pan. Add the Ginger and Garlic to the pan and quickly stir fry. Add the Mushrooms and stir fry them for a few additional seconds. Now, add the Water Chestnuts and the Snow Peas or Bean Sprouts to the pan and continue to stir fry.
Quickly re-stir your sauce to make sure it is well mixed. Move the ingredients in the pan to the sides, making a "hole" in the center of the pan. Pour your sauce into the hole and stir until it thickens. As soon as the sauce has thickened some, add the chicken back to the pan. Mix all the ingredients in the pan together so they are all coated well with the sauce.
Once all the ingredients are mixed together well and coated with sauce, it's ready to serve! The dish goes well with a nice side order of steamed sticky rice or fried rice. (I will soon offer a recipe for my fried rice).
Enjoy!!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com And you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog for updates and new recipes as I add them. If you enjoy the dish, please feel free to share the recipe with family and friends!
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Pound Chicken Breasts (Skinless/Boneless)
1 Cup Mushrooms (Sliced)
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth (Recommend Low Sodium)
1/2 Cup Water Chestnuts (Sliced)
1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Chinese Snow Peas
OR
1/2 Cup Fresh Bean Sprouts in place of Chinese Snow Peas
2 Tablespoons Ginger Root (Fresh Grated)
2 Cloves Garlic (Grated)
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sugar
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon White Wine
We're going to be making a marinade and a sauce for this dish, so I will explain them separately. They are not difficult to do. Just remember which is which! First, however, let's prepare the ingredients.
PREPARATION
Wash the chicken breasts and remove any excess fat. Slice the breasts into narrow strips, about 1/8 inch thick. If you're using canned Water Chestnuts, drain the liquid and rinse them in fresh water several times to remove the taste of the can. Slice the fresh mushrooms about 1/8 inch thick. Peel and grate the fresh Ginger Root and Garlic cloves. I cut the Snow Peas into bite size pieces, as well.
Now we'll start by making the marinade, since we are going to marinate the strips of chicken breast.
MARINADE
With the strips of chicken in a bowl, add the Soy Sauce, White Wine Sesame Oil and 1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch in that order. I know that's not much, but mix it around well and make sure it comes in contact with the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest in the marinade for at least 15 minutes....30 minutes is my preference. While you're waiting is a good time to prepare the vegetables you are going to use.
SAUCE
In another bowl, prepare the sauce we're going to use. Mix the Chicken Broth, Oyster Sauce, Sugar and remaining Tablespoon of Cornstarch. Your sauce is now ready to use.
In a big frying pan, or a Wok, if you have and use one, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and stir fry the chicken breast. Do not cook the chicken completely...just until it turns color and is no longer raw looking. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for the moment.
Now add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil to the pan. Add the Ginger and Garlic to the pan and quickly stir fry. Add the Mushrooms and stir fry them for a few additional seconds. Now, add the Water Chestnuts and the Snow Peas or Bean Sprouts to the pan and continue to stir fry.
Quickly re-stir your sauce to make sure it is well mixed. Move the ingredients in the pan to the sides, making a "hole" in the center of the pan. Pour your sauce into the hole and stir until it thickens. As soon as the sauce has thickened some, add the chicken back to the pan. Mix all the ingredients in the pan together so they are all coated well with the sauce.
Once all the ingredients are mixed together well and coated with sauce, it's ready to serve! The dish goes well with a nice side order of steamed sticky rice or fried rice. (I will soon offer a recipe for my fried rice).
Enjoy!!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com And you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog for updates and new recipes as I add them. If you enjoy the dish, please feel free to share the recipe with family and friends!
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Portobello Mushroom Burger
As I've been saying recently, Portobello mushrooms have been rapidly becoming one of my new favorite "meats." I've been playing with them a lot and they are so versatile!! The texture and firmness of these beautiful fungi, together with their ability to adapt to many added flavors makes me want to try all kinds of different experiments! I've found that they are perfect for many types of sandwiches and luncheon meals. Here's yet another delicious variation and again, a vegetarian treat. I know many vegetarians are extremely strict and include dairy products, which I do not in my diet. If you do, perhaps you have a vegetarian alternative to cheese and egg products. Feel free to substitute!
INGREDIENTS (4 servings)
4 Portobello Mushroom Caps
4 Slices Gouda Cheese (or your favorite cheese)
1 Sweet Purple Onion
1 Tomato (I prefer Roma Tomatoes)
Lettuce
4 Hamburger Buns
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Horseradish
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
PREPARATION
First, wash the Portobello Mushroom Caps and pat them dry with paper towels. Slice the Purple Onion into rings. Slice the Tomato into thin slices. Now, let's move on and make a marinade.
MARINADE
In a glass baking dish, large enough to hold the mushroom caps, add the following ingredients. Add the Olive Oil, Dijon Mustard, Balsamic Vinegar, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper and Horseradish. Mix the ingredients well. DO NOT include the Mayonnaise!
Now, place the Portobello Mushroom Caps to the baking dish and liberally brush the marinade over them, being sure they are completely covered and soaked with marinade. Place the dish into the refrigerator and allow the mushrooms to marinate for about 2 hours.
Now, you may fire up the grill, if you prefer, or as I often do, use the broiler in the oven. Either way works fine! Place the mushroom caps on the grill...SAVE THE MARINADE... or on the broiler pan with the gill side down. If you are going to use the broiler pan, I suggest some aluminum foil on the pan, as this will get a bit messy! Grill or broil the mushrooms for about 3 minutes, then turn them over and give them about another 3 minutes on the flame...enough you see they are a bit soft from the cooking. Flip the mushrooms over again, so the cap side is up and place a slice of cheese on top of each one. Put the mushrooms to the heat again, just long enough to melt the cheese over the top of them.
Depending upon your preference, you may lightly toast the Hamburger buns, or use them plain. In a small bowl, mix the Mayonnaise with 2 Tablespoons of the leftover marinade. Brush the inside surface of the buns with the Mayonnaise/marinade mixture. Put a cheese covered Portobello Mushroom cap on the bottom half of the Hamburger Bun. Top the mushroom cap with a rings of Purple Onion, Tomato and top it off with fresh lettuce. Cap your burger off with the top of the Hamburger Bun and you have your Portobello Mushroom burger ready to serve!
You aren't going to get a burger this healthy from a fast food drive thru and you are assured it's not "processed pink slime" pretending to be meat. Actually, you may find you like it way better!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and notifications when I add new recipes. When you find a recipe you like, share with family and friends. And above all, never be afraid to experiment! I just share what I find works with my taste and often, I'll vary the condiments, as well. Without question, the Portobello Mushrooms would go well as a "Barbecue Burger," too, substituting with some of your favorite Barbecue Sauce!
INGREDIENTS (4 servings)
4 Portobello Mushroom Caps
4 Slices Gouda Cheese (or your favorite cheese)
1 Sweet Purple Onion
1 Tomato (I prefer Roma Tomatoes)
Lettuce
4 Hamburger Buns
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Horseradish
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
PREPARATION
First, wash the Portobello Mushroom Caps and pat them dry with paper towels. Slice the Purple Onion into rings. Slice the Tomato into thin slices. Now, let's move on and make a marinade.
MARINADE
In a glass baking dish, large enough to hold the mushroom caps, add the following ingredients. Add the Olive Oil, Dijon Mustard, Balsamic Vinegar, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper and Horseradish. Mix the ingredients well. DO NOT include the Mayonnaise!
Now, place the Portobello Mushroom Caps to the baking dish and liberally brush the marinade over them, being sure they are completely covered and soaked with marinade. Place the dish into the refrigerator and allow the mushrooms to marinate for about 2 hours.
Now, you may fire up the grill, if you prefer, or as I often do, use the broiler in the oven. Either way works fine! Place the mushroom caps on the grill...SAVE THE MARINADE... or on the broiler pan with the gill side down. If you are going to use the broiler pan, I suggest some aluminum foil on the pan, as this will get a bit messy! Grill or broil the mushrooms for about 3 minutes, then turn them over and give them about another 3 minutes on the flame...enough you see they are a bit soft from the cooking. Flip the mushrooms over again, so the cap side is up and place a slice of cheese on top of each one. Put the mushrooms to the heat again, just long enough to melt the cheese over the top of them.
Depending upon your preference, you may lightly toast the Hamburger buns, or use them plain. In a small bowl, mix the Mayonnaise with 2 Tablespoons of the leftover marinade. Brush the inside surface of the buns with the Mayonnaise/marinade mixture. Put a cheese covered Portobello Mushroom cap on the bottom half of the Hamburger Bun. Top the mushroom cap with a rings of Purple Onion, Tomato and top it off with fresh lettuce. Cap your burger off with the top of the Hamburger Bun and you have your Portobello Mushroom burger ready to serve!
You aren't going to get a burger this healthy from a fast food drive thru and you are assured it's not "processed pink slime" pretending to be meat. Actually, you may find you like it way better!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and notifications when I add new recipes. When you find a recipe you like, share with family and friends. And above all, never be afraid to experiment! I just share what I find works with my taste and often, I'll vary the condiments, as well. Without question, the Portobello Mushrooms would go well as a "Barbecue Burger," too, substituting with some of your favorite Barbecue Sauce!
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Asian Mushroom Soup
This is a pleasant and warming soup. It makes a great lunchtime soup with a cup of tea, or a nice soup to be served with an Asian main course for dinner. Easy to make and just common ingredients you can easily obtain.
INGREDIENTS
3.5 Ounces Vermicelli Pasta
6 Fresh Mushrooms
1/3 Cup Scallions (Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
1 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
PREPARATION
Slice the mushrooms into thin slices. Cut the Scallions into pieces about 1 1/2 inches long. Soak the Vermicelli Pasta in cold water until soft.
Put the Chicken Broth and water into a saucepan, together with the mushrooms and Vermicelli Pasta and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes on medium - high heat.
Now, add the Scallions, Soy Sauce and salt and continue to simmer the saucepan for an additional 3 minutes.
Mix the Corn Starch with 1 Tablespoon of water to make a thickener. Stir and mix well. While stirring, add the thickener to the saucepan and continue to stir until the soup thickens.
When the soup has thickened nicely, drizzle the Sesame Oil into the soup. The soup is now ready to serve while hot and fresh.
NOTE: Depending upon your taste and what you may serve with the soup, you may always consider using Beef Broth or Vegetable Broth, especially if you enjoy the vegetarian fare, in place of the Chicken Broth. It's still a very good soup and may compliment your main course better this way.
If you have questions, feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com And you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog where you will receive updates and new recipes as I add them. And as always, please share any recipes you enjoy with family and friends! I'm sure these mild Asian style soups will be a pleasant change and have a bit of the flavor you enjoy from eating at a Chinese restaurant!
INGREDIENTS
3.5 Ounces Vermicelli Pasta
6 Fresh Mushrooms
1/3 Cup Scallions (Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
1 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
PREPARATION
Slice the mushrooms into thin slices. Cut the Scallions into pieces about 1 1/2 inches long. Soak the Vermicelli Pasta in cold water until soft.
Put the Chicken Broth and water into a saucepan, together with the mushrooms and Vermicelli Pasta and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes on medium - high heat.
Now, add the Scallions, Soy Sauce and salt and continue to simmer the saucepan for an additional 3 minutes.
Mix the Corn Starch with 1 Tablespoon of water to make a thickener. Stir and mix well. While stirring, add the thickener to the saucepan and continue to stir until the soup thickens.
When the soup has thickened nicely, drizzle the Sesame Oil into the soup. The soup is now ready to serve while hot and fresh.
NOTE: Depending upon your taste and what you may serve with the soup, you may always consider using Beef Broth or Vegetable Broth, especially if you enjoy the vegetarian fare, in place of the Chicken Broth. It's still a very good soup and may compliment your main course better this way.
If you have questions, feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com And you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog where you will receive updates and new recipes as I add them. And as always, please share any recipes you enjoy with family and friends! I'm sure these mild Asian style soups will be a pleasant change and have a bit of the flavor you enjoy from eating at a Chinese restaurant!
Ratatouille -A Delicious Vegetarian Dish
I'm really big on fresh vegetables and vegetarian dishes. I'm not militant about vegetarian foods...I eat a lot of chicken, seafood, a bit of pork and the rarely selected red meat. But, vegetarian is sort of just a preference by taste.
This is a nice vegetarian...call it a stew or casserole side dish you may enjoy. While it carries a French name, the origin is a bit in question...may be French or Basque and carries a Mediterranean flavor. It's quite tasty, as with most dishes created from fresh vegetables. I hope you will enjoy trying it!
INGREDIENTS
1 Eggplant
2 Zucchini Squash
1 Large White Onion
2 Cups Fresh Mushrooms
1 Green Bell Pepper
2 Large Tomatoes
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
3 Cloves Fresh Garlic
2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoons Dried Basil
Salt to taste
PREPARATION
Cut Eggplant into 1/2 inch squares. Slice the Zucchini into thin slices. Slice the Onion into thin rings. Slice the Mushrooms into thin slices. Slice the Tomatoes. Grate the Parmesan Cheese and finely mince the Garlic cloves.
TIP
Eggplant...and a reason many people don't like it...is that it has a somewhat "bitter" flavored dark colored juice. Removing this juice greatly enhances the mild flavor of the eggplant. You simply "sweat" the bitter juice out of the eggplant after cutting it. I sprinkle coarse Kosher salt onto the meat of the eggplant, then put the bowl into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. When you remove the eggplant from the refrigerator, you will see the brownish colored liquid in the bottom of the bowl. "Pat" the eggplant dry, using paper towels, which will remove the excess Kosher salt and the bitter liquid still on the surface of the eggplant. You're now ready to use the eggplant in any dish.
STEP ONE
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 1 1/2 quart oven safe glass casserole dish with 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil.
STEP TWO
Heat the remaining Olive Oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced Garlic and stir...cooking until the Garlic is beginning to brown. Now, add the Parsley, Oregano, Basil and Eggplant cubes to the skillet and continue stirring and cooking for about 10 minutes, until the Eggplant is soft. Now is the time to salt the Eggplant to your taste.
Begin by spreading some of the Eggplant mixture evenly into the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle the layer of Eggplant with Parmesan Cheese. Now, place a layer of Zucchini on top of the cheese, lightly salt and sprinkle more Parmesan Cheese. Continue the layering process....Onions, Mushrooms, Bell Peppers and Tomatoes...lightly salting each layer and sprinkling with more Parmesan Cheese.
With all the layers in place, sprinkle the top with more Parmesan Cheese and place the casserole dish in the preheated oven to bake for about 45 minutes.
There you have it! Out of the oven comes a delicious, cheesy, layered vegetable dish.
If you like fresh vegetable dishes on your dinner menu, I hope you will give this a try.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Please consider subscribing to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes. No advertising...this is just a personal recipe blog. And feel free to share recipes you like with everyone!
This is a nice vegetarian...call it a stew or casserole side dish you may enjoy. While it carries a French name, the origin is a bit in question...may be French or Basque and carries a Mediterranean flavor. It's quite tasty, as with most dishes created from fresh vegetables. I hope you will enjoy trying it!
INGREDIENTS
1 Eggplant
2 Zucchini Squash
1 Large White Onion
2 Cups Fresh Mushrooms
1 Green Bell Pepper
2 Large Tomatoes
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
3 Cloves Fresh Garlic
2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoons Dried Basil
Salt to taste
PREPARATION
Cut Eggplant into 1/2 inch squares. Slice the Zucchini into thin slices. Slice the Onion into thin rings. Slice the Mushrooms into thin slices. Slice the Tomatoes. Grate the Parmesan Cheese and finely mince the Garlic cloves.
TIP
Eggplant...and a reason many people don't like it...is that it has a somewhat "bitter" flavored dark colored juice. Removing this juice greatly enhances the mild flavor of the eggplant. You simply "sweat" the bitter juice out of the eggplant after cutting it. I sprinkle coarse Kosher salt onto the meat of the eggplant, then put the bowl into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. When you remove the eggplant from the refrigerator, you will see the brownish colored liquid in the bottom of the bowl. "Pat" the eggplant dry, using paper towels, which will remove the excess Kosher salt and the bitter liquid still on the surface of the eggplant. You're now ready to use the eggplant in any dish.
STEP ONE
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 1 1/2 quart oven safe glass casserole dish with 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil.
STEP TWO
Heat the remaining Olive Oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced Garlic and stir...cooking until the Garlic is beginning to brown. Now, add the Parsley, Oregano, Basil and Eggplant cubes to the skillet and continue stirring and cooking for about 10 minutes, until the Eggplant is soft. Now is the time to salt the Eggplant to your taste.
Begin by spreading some of the Eggplant mixture evenly into the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle the layer of Eggplant with Parmesan Cheese. Now, place a layer of Zucchini on top of the cheese, lightly salt and sprinkle more Parmesan Cheese. Continue the layering process....Onions, Mushrooms, Bell Peppers and Tomatoes...lightly salting each layer and sprinkling with more Parmesan Cheese.
With all the layers in place, sprinkle the top with more Parmesan Cheese and place the casserole dish in the preheated oven to bake for about 45 minutes.
There you have it! Out of the oven comes a delicious, cheesy, layered vegetable dish.
If you like fresh vegetable dishes on your dinner menu, I hope you will give this a try.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Please consider subscribing to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes. No advertising...this is just a personal recipe blog. And feel free to share recipes you like with everyone!
Chinese Chicken Lo Mein Soup
As we come into the cooler time of year, I really start thinking soup. Especially, comforting, easy to digest soups for when you're fighting a cold or the flu and want something quick, easy and nutritious. I really hate canned soups...mostly preservatives and salt and contents of questionable origin. It's so easy to make a nice pot or slow cooker of soup and have it ready. Or, you can freeze small batches to warm up later.
With my love for Asian dishes, this really falls into the "comfort food" category, as well as being extremely healthy to eat. It's perfect when you're fighting a cold or the flu...and a great alternative to ordinary chicken soup.
INGREDIENTS
8 Cups Chicken Broth (packaged low-sodium or homemade)
2 Medium Sized Skinless Chicken Breasts
16 Ounces Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables
6 Ounces Dry Chow Mein Stir Fry Noodles (or Angel Hair Pasta as an alternative)
1/4 Pound Fresh Mushrooms
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Grated Fresh Ginger
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
PREPARATION
Slice fresh mushrooms very thin. Use a very sharp knife and slice chicken breasts into thin strips about 1/8 inch thick and about 1 inch long pieces.
Handy Tip
In most of my Asian dishes, meat is cut into very thin strips and requires a very sharp knife. When the meat is cut this way, it cooks very quickly and seems to go much further in use. I can use 2 chicken breasts, sliced paper thin when making Fried Rice...and it looks like I've used twice that many chicken breasts. I can easily feed 5 people and everyone feels they received a healthy serving of chicken. This method really stretches the use of meat.
Put all your ingredients, except the pasta, into a medium size stock pot and place on medium - high heat, bringing the ingredients to a boil. Stir occasionally.
Once at a boil, break the Chow Mein noodles or Angel Hair pasta into smaller pieces and add to the stock pot. Continue to boil for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the pasta is cooked and there is no pink color left on the chicken. Stir occasionally. Do not overcook, as you want the vegetables to still have some "body" to them and not be mushy.
You're ready to enjoy some vitamin rich comfort soup, sure to make you feel better. The Ginger is good for everything and I use it in most foods. Very healthy stuff!
If you have questions, please email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes as I add them. Feel free to share recipes you enjoy with friends and family.
With my love for Asian dishes, this really falls into the "comfort food" category, as well as being extremely healthy to eat. It's perfect when you're fighting a cold or the flu...and a great alternative to ordinary chicken soup.
INGREDIENTS
8 Cups Chicken Broth (packaged low-sodium or homemade)
2 Medium Sized Skinless Chicken Breasts
16 Ounces Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables
6 Ounces Dry Chow Mein Stir Fry Noodles (or Angel Hair Pasta as an alternative)
1/4 Pound Fresh Mushrooms
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Grated Fresh Ginger
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
PREPARATION
Slice fresh mushrooms very thin. Use a very sharp knife and slice chicken breasts into thin strips about 1/8 inch thick and about 1 inch long pieces.
Handy Tip
In most of my Asian dishes, meat is cut into very thin strips and requires a very sharp knife. When the meat is cut this way, it cooks very quickly and seems to go much further in use. I can use 2 chicken breasts, sliced paper thin when making Fried Rice...and it looks like I've used twice that many chicken breasts. I can easily feed 5 people and everyone feels they received a healthy serving of chicken. This method really stretches the use of meat.
Put all your ingredients, except the pasta, into a medium size stock pot and place on medium - high heat, bringing the ingredients to a boil. Stir occasionally.
Once at a boil, break the Chow Mein noodles or Angel Hair pasta into smaller pieces and add to the stock pot. Continue to boil for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the pasta is cooked and there is no pink color left on the chicken. Stir occasionally. Do not overcook, as you want the vegetables to still have some "body" to them and not be mushy.
You're ready to enjoy some vitamin rich comfort soup, sure to make you feel better. The Ginger is good for everything and I use it in most foods. Very healthy stuff!
If you have questions, please email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipes as I add them. Feel free to share recipes you enjoy with friends and family.
Friday, October 21, 2016
Rumaki - And Old Time Favorite Hors D'oeuvre Or Possibly Light Main Course
Rumaki is an old favorite, popular back in the 1950's and 1960's. Many younger people have never tasted it. Rumaki was wildly popular at some of the best restaurants and served everywhere. I believe it's of Japanese origin, but during the 1960's, "Tropical Restaurants" and bars were in fashion, so there were some minor modifications and Rumaki became known as a "tropical" treat. Around that time, I sort of became hooked on the tropical trend, especially an old tropical fruit juice and rum drink known as a "Fogcutter." I'd order Rumaki to go with the Fogcutters and enjoy them before the Fogcutters put me on the floor. They have a nasty habit of sneaking up on you! LOL
Well, Rumaki sort of lost popularity, as did the tropical fare. Then, in the 1970's, I was very involved with political campaigns and fundraisers. In fact, I was a campaign manager for two state level campaigns during that time and always was looking for inexpensive ways to come up with snacks to serve when I'd have gatherings in my home. I decided to try Rumaki again and was so surprised! Everyone loved it! One State Senator I worked for could eat a couple of plates of it by himself. He was so surprised to see it...hadn't seen it in years and always requested that I make it.
So now, many more years have elapsed and I'm sure many people are totally unfamiliar with Rumaki. There's nothing new in the world...everything sort of recycles, so this is going to be my day to share and recycle Rumaki with you!
Before we start, I have to say there are many, many variations of Rumaki and I've prepared many of them. You can let your imagination run wild. And, I'm going to mention "chicken livers," but don't get put off by that until you try them this way!!! And, to compensate for using those words, I'm also going to say, "BACON," so stay tuned!
I'm going to give you my Rumaki recipe here and I'll suggest some other options, as well. Rumaki may be fried, baked or broiled. I always broil, as I do a lot of broiling and prefer that method.
Let's begin.
INGREDIENTS (makes 24 pieces)
1/4 Pound Fresh Chicken Livers
1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce
1 Can Water Chestnuts
12 Slices Bacon
1 Clove Fresh Garlic (or minced garlic if you prefer)
Fresh Ginger Root
24 Toothpicks
PREPARATION
Put 1/3 cup of Teriyaki Sauce in a bowl, mixing in the diced or minced garlic. Rinse the chicken livers, remove any excess fat and cut the livers in half. Put the livers in the marinade and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Be sure to save the rest of the Teriyaki Sauce for basting while broiling. Cut the bacon strips in half, crosswise. Peel the Ginger Root and cut 24 very thin slices. Rinse the Water Chestnuts several times to remove the taste of the can. While marinating the livers, allow the water chestnuts to sit in fresh water, after cutting them in half, if they are whole when you buy them. Put your toothpicks in a bowl of water and soak them for about an hour, so they don't burn up under the broiler heat.
Now, drain the marinade from the livers. Lay a strip of bacon on a flat surface. Place a piece of chicken liver on the bacon, near one end of the bacon strip. Now, place a sliver of Ginger Root on top of the liver, followed by a piece of Water Chestnut. Now, tightly roll the ingredients around the bacon strip, until you have the bacon fully wrapping the liver and other ingredients. Stick a toothpick through the Rumaki to hold it together while it cooks.
Place the pieces of Rumaki onto a broiler tray....I usually put down aluminum foil to avoid a mess. The Rumaki should be about 2 inches below the broiler flame. STAY WITH THE BROILER....YOU ARE GOING TO BE BUSY FOR A FEW MINUTES!
Broil the Rumaki for 4 minutes. Remove the broiler tray from the oven and turn the Rumaki pieces over. Now, back under the broiler for another 2 minutes. Remove the broiler pan again, flip the Rumaki over one more time, brush on the extra Teriyaki Sauce you have kept and give the Rumaki another 2 minutes under the broiler.
All done!! Remove the Rumaki from the broiler, put on a plate and serve immediately, while nice and hot! Enjoy!
COMMON VARIATIONS
As I say, Rumaki can be prepared in many ways. You may use Soy Sauce instead of Teriyaki Sauce....for marinade. Add a pinch of brown sugar on top of the piece of liver before cooking. Likewise, I've prepared Rumaki, rolling up a chunk of Pineapple with the chicken liver, instead of the Water Chestnut. Comes out great!! Use your imagination!
You may also choose to fry the Rumaki cooking in a small amount of Olive Oil. If you wish to bake the Rumaki, place the bacon on a flat baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes....not letting the bacon get crisp...before wrapping the Rumaki inside of it to bake.
I hope you enjoy this little dish from days gone by. If you have questions, you may email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog for new recipes as I add them. And be sure to share recipes you enjoy with family and friends.
Well, Rumaki sort of lost popularity, as did the tropical fare. Then, in the 1970's, I was very involved with political campaigns and fundraisers. In fact, I was a campaign manager for two state level campaigns during that time and always was looking for inexpensive ways to come up with snacks to serve when I'd have gatherings in my home. I decided to try Rumaki again and was so surprised! Everyone loved it! One State Senator I worked for could eat a couple of plates of it by himself. He was so surprised to see it...hadn't seen it in years and always requested that I make it.
So now, many more years have elapsed and I'm sure many people are totally unfamiliar with Rumaki. There's nothing new in the world...everything sort of recycles, so this is going to be my day to share and recycle Rumaki with you!
Before we start, I have to say there are many, many variations of Rumaki and I've prepared many of them. You can let your imagination run wild. And, I'm going to mention "chicken livers," but don't get put off by that until you try them this way!!! And, to compensate for using those words, I'm also going to say, "BACON," so stay tuned!
I'm going to give you my Rumaki recipe here and I'll suggest some other options, as well. Rumaki may be fried, baked or broiled. I always broil, as I do a lot of broiling and prefer that method.
Let's begin.
INGREDIENTS (makes 24 pieces)
1/4 Pound Fresh Chicken Livers
1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce
1 Can Water Chestnuts
12 Slices Bacon
1 Clove Fresh Garlic (or minced garlic if you prefer)
Fresh Ginger Root
24 Toothpicks
PREPARATION
Put 1/3 cup of Teriyaki Sauce in a bowl, mixing in the diced or minced garlic. Rinse the chicken livers, remove any excess fat and cut the livers in half. Put the livers in the marinade and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Be sure to save the rest of the Teriyaki Sauce for basting while broiling. Cut the bacon strips in half, crosswise. Peel the Ginger Root and cut 24 very thin slices. Rinse the Water Chestnuts several times to remove the taste of the can. While marinating the livers, allow the water chestnuts to sit in fresh water, after cutting them in half, if they are whole when you buy them. Put your toothpicks in a bowl of water and soak them for about an hour, so they don't burn up under the broiler heat.
Now, drain the marinade from the livers. Lay a strip of bacon on a flat surface. Place a piece of chicken liver on the bacon, near one end of the bacon strip. Now, place a sliver of Ginger Root on top of the liver, followed by a piece of Water Chestnut. Now, tightly roll the ingredients around the bacon strip, until you have the bacon fully wrapping the liver and other ingredients. Stick a toothpick through the Rumaki to hold it together while it cooks.
Place the pieces of Rumaki onto a broiler tray....I usually put down aluminum foil to avoid a mess. The Rumaki should be about 2 inches below the broiler flame. STAY WITH THE BROILER....YOU ARE GOING TO BE BUSY FOR A FEW MINUTES!
Broil the Rumaki for 4 minutes. Remove the broiler tray from the oven and turn the Rumaki pieces over. Now, back under the broiler for another 2 minutes. Remove the broiler pan again, flip the Rumaki over one more time, brush on the extra Teriyaki Sauce you have kept and give the Rumaki another 2 minutes under the broiler.
All done!! Remove the Rumaki from the broiler, put on a plate and serve immediately, while nice and hot! Enjoy!
COMMON VARIATIONS
As I say, Rumaki can be prepared in many ways. You may use Soy Sauce instead of Teriyaki Sauce....for marinade. Add a pinch of brown sugar on top of the piece of liver before cooking. Likewise, I've prepared Rumaki, rolling up a chunk of Pineapple with the chicken liver, instead of the Water Chestnut. Comes out great!! Use your imagination!
You may also choose to fry the Rumaki cooking in a small amount of Olive Oil. If you wish to bake the Rumaki, place the bacon on a flat baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes....not letting the bacon get crisp...before wrapping the Rumaki inside of it to bake.
I hope you enjoy this little dish from days gone by. If you have questions, you may email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog for new recipes as I add them. And be sure to share recipes you enjoy with family and friends.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Hard Boiled And Soft Boiled Eggs - The Easy Way!
I've been rather busy for a couple of days and under the weather, as well. I really haven't had the opportunity to post more recipes, but thought a few simple tips on cooking eggs might be of interest.
I really like soft boiled eggs now and then for breakfast. No frying and grease. Likewise, I often poach morning eggs for the same reason. Soft boiling eggs has always been a bit of a challenge for me, as they just seem to come out not cooked enough or overcooked. The same with hard boiled eggs. I have a bad habit of overcooking them.
I don't know about your experience, but often, I'll prepare hard boiled eggs, then battle them while trying to remove the shells. The shell will often be stuck to the egg and by the time I finish shelling the egg, I have about half an egg left. I think it may have something to do with the age of the egg, the moisture content of the egg, or maybe my overcooking.
But, I've found the easy way to prepare eggs...hard or soft boiled and be much happier with the result. And the eggs are way easier to shell. I've read about experiments in professional kitchens for preparing eggs and this seems to be the best way to go, so wanted to share it.
DISCLAIMER
There are variables...depending upon the size of the eggs you're using, your altitude in respect to boiling water and your particular taste in how you want the eggs to be. You may have to experiment a little bit with the times I suggest, but these are quite close for my satisfaction. I suggest checking one egg before you use the rest...just to be sure you're happy with the result.
The secret to hard or soft boiling eggs is to NOT boil them in a pan of water! The best way to cook the eggs is to steam them, rather than boil them. And best of all, the hot steam penetrates the egg shell and they peel much more easily!
PREPARATION
We're going to use a large saucepan and a steamer basket placed inside the saucepan. I use a steamer basket which may be placed in most any size pan and it opens up to the appropriate pan size. Handy for steaming vegetables and I use it often. Make sure you have a tight fitting cover for the saucepan, as well.
With the steamer basket in the saucepan, add water until the water level is just even with the bottom of the steamer basket. Not above the steamer basket. Put the saucepan on a burner on high heat so the water will boil. Once you have the water boiling and visible steam coming off the pan, Remove the heat.
Now, carefully place your eggs into the steamer basket in a single layer. Try to use eggs of a consistent size, so cooking time is uniform. Additional layers complicates the cooking time. With the eggs neatly resting in the steamer basket, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and apply medium heat, so the water will begin to steam again.
If you are preparing soft boiled eggs, I suggest you set a timer for 6 minutes. This should be just about right for good soft boiled eggs. If you wish to have hard boiled eggs with the yolk still a bit transparent and a bright yellow, 10 minutes should be just about right. If you would prefer hard cooked hard boiled eggs, with more of a gray color on the outside of the yolk, try about 12 minutes. You'll be much happier, in any case than ending up with green colored, overcooked egg yolks.
When the cooking time is up on your eggs, remove them from the steamer basket with a slotted spoon and gently place them in a bowl of very cold water....preferably ice water. They will quickly cool enough you are able to handle them to remove the shell. Best of all, with the steam having penetrated the shell, then the ice cold water bath, the shell will remove easily from the egg, leaving you with a whole egg and not part of it still attached to the broken pieces of eggshell.
I've learned that steaming eggs is a very standard practice for many restaurants and commercial kitchens. It's worth the effort and absolutely true if you like good soft boiled eggs on the menu.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipe information as I add to the blog. And, as always, feel free to share recipes and tips with friends and family. I hope this helps with your egg dishes!
I really like soft boiled eggs now and then for breakfast. No frying and grease. Likewise, I often poach morning eggs for the same reason. Soft boiling eggs has always been a bit of a challenge for me, as they just seem to come out not cooked enough or overcooked. The same with hard boiled eggs. I have a bad habit of overcooking them.
I don't know about your experience, but often, I'll prepare hard boiled eggs, then battle them while trying to remove the shells. The shell will often be stuck to the egg and by the time I finish shelling the egg, I have about half an egg left. I think it may have something to do with the age of the egg, the moisture content of the egg, or maybe my overcooking.
But, I've found the easy way to prepare eggs...hard or soft boiled and be much happier with the result. And the eggs are way easier to shell. I've read about experiments in professional kitchens for preparing eggs and this seems to be the best way to go, so wanted to share it.
DISCLAIMER
There are variables...depending upon the size of the eggs you're using, your altitude in respect to boiling water and your particular taste in how you want the eggs to be. You may have to experiment a little bit with the times I suggest, but these are quite close for my satisfaction. I suggest checking one egg before you use the rest...just to be sure you're happy with the result.
The secret to hard or soft boiling eggs is to NOT boil them in a pan of water! The best way to cook the eggs is to steam them, rather than boil them. And best of all, the hot steam penetrates the egg shell and they peel much more easily!
PREPARATION
We're going to use a large saucepan and a steamer basket placed inside the saucepan. I use a steamer basket which may be placed in most any size pan and it opens up to the appropriate pan size. Handy for steaming vegetables and I use it often. Make sure you have a tight fitting cover for the saucepan, as well.
With the steamer basket in the saucepan, add water until the water level is just even with the bottom of the steamer basket. Not above the steamer basket. Put the saucepan on a burner on high heat so the water will boil. Once you have the water boiling and visible steam coming off the pan, Remove the heat.
Now, carefully place your eggs into the steamer basket in a single layer. Try to use eggs of a consistent size, so cooking time is uniform. Additional layers complicates the cooking time. With the eggs neatly resting in the steamer basket, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and apply medium heat, so the water will begin to steam again.
If you are preparing soft boiled eggs, I suggest you set a timer for 6 minutes. This should be just about right for good soft boiled eggs. If you wish to have hard boiled eggs with the yolk still a bit transparent and a bright yellow, 10 minutes should be just about right. If you would prefer hard cooked hard boiled eggs, with more of a gray color on the outside of the yolk, try about 12 minutes. You'll be much happier, in any case than ending up with green colored, overcooked egg yolks.
When the cooking time is up on your eggs, remove them from the steamer basket with a slotted spoon and gently place them in a bowl of very cold water....preferably ice water. They will quickly cool enough you are able to handle them to remove the shell. Best of all, with the steam having penetrated the shell, then the ice cold water bath, the shell will remove easily from the egg, leaving you with a whole egg and not part of it still attached to the broken pieces of eggshell.
I've learned that steaming eggs is a very standard practice for many restaurants and commercial kitchens. It's worth the effort and absolutely true if you like good soft boiled eggs on the menu.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates and new recipe information as I add to the blog. And, as always, feel free to share recipes and tips with friends and family. I hope this helps with your egg dishes!
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
"It's Not KFC" Chicken
I needed to put something together quickly for dinner tonight. I'd been kind of busy writing most of the day and really didn't have anything planned. There's always a lot of chicken in my freezer so taking inventory there, I decided to thaw some chicken breast and work from there. I wanted something easy to prepare and which would cook rather quickly so I could get dinner on the table at a reasonable time. I didn't come up with a name for it, so just settled for calling it, "It's Not KFC" Chicken.
INGREDIENTS
2 Very Large Chicken Breasts
6 Slices Mozzarella Cheese
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Can Mushroom Soup
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
PREPARATION
The chicken breast were very large and thick. I split them in two, creating 4 pieces of breast, thin enough to cook in a reasonable time.
I lightly greased a Pyrex baking dish with olive oil to prevent sticking. Each piece of chicken breast was dipped in milk, time being allowed for the milk to drain off. Then, each chicken piece was sprinkled with salt and pepper. Each piece of breast was then rolled in Panko bread crumbs to coat.
Mozzarella Cheese slices were wrapped carefully over the breaded chicken breast and placed into the baking dish. Now, the Mushroom soup was poured over the entire surface, liberally covering the chicken.
The baking dish was put into a pre-heated oven at 350 F degrees for 30 minutes. The baking dish was removed from the oven and allowed to cool for 10 minutes before serving. The chicken was moist and flavorful and everyone seemed to like it quite well.
Again, it was certainly nothing very fancy nor difficult to prepare. But it was a healthy and nutritious meal and inexpensive to prepare! I hope you will try and enjoy as we have!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive new updates and recipes. I add them quite regularly...right now, catching up, I have been adding them daily. Feel free to share recipes with friends and family!
INGREDIENTS
2 Very Large Chicken Breasts
6 Slices Mozzarella Cheese
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Can Mushroom Soup
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
PREPARATION
The chicken breast were very large and thick. I split them in two, creating 4 pieces of breast, thin enough to cook in a reasonable time.
I lightly greased a Pyrex baking dish with olive oil to prevent sticking. Each piece of chicken breast was dipped in milk, time being allowed for the milk to drain off. Then, each chicken piece was sprinkled with salt and pepper. Each piece of breast was then rolled in Panko bread crumbs to coat.
Mozzarella Cheese slices were wrapped carefully over the breaded chicken breast and placed into the baking dish. Now, the Mushroom soup was poured over the entire surface, liberally covering the chicken.
The baking dish was put into a pre-heated oven at 350 F degrees for 30 minutes. The baking dish was removed from the oven and allowed to cool for 10 minutes before serving. The chicken was moist and flavorful and everyone seemed to like it quite well.
Again, it was certainly nothing very fancy nor difficult to prepare. But it was a healthy and nutritious meal and inexpensive to prepare! I hope you will try and enjoy as we have!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive new updates and recipes. I add them quite regularly...right now, catching up, I have been adding them daily. Feel free to share recipes with friends and family!
Turkish Delight Candy Treat
I can't even remember when or where I first experienced the taste of this rather unusual treat. I recall it was when I was a very young child. I liked it then, but knew little about it. Many years passed before I encountered it again. I'd pretty much forgotten about it until I recognized the name of it. It's not something commonly found in stores, at least here in the U.S. that I know about. I wanted to see if I could find a way to make it and see if it still had the same wonderful taste I remembered.
Searching around, I found some recipes for the "traditional" flavor associated with what is made and eaten in Turkey, which is excellent, but of course, one can modify to whatever taste preferences you may have. The texture and consistency remains the same. And having made a batch of it around the house, I found it disappeared very quickly! It brought back some good memories of when I first tasted it and is something I enjoy making and enjoy watching other people eat. We'll start out with a "traditional" recipe and then talk about variations you may try.
INGREDIENTS
1 2/3 Cups Granulated White Sugar
4 Packets Powdered Gelatin (Knox Unflavored Gelatin is what I found in the grocery store)
2/3 Cup Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar (Confectioner's Sugar)
1/3 Cup Shelled, Unsalted Pistachio Nuts
Juice from 1 Fresh Lemon
3 Teaspoons Rosewater
Food Coloring (Traditional color is Pink)
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
PREPARATION
NOTE: Cooking instructions are rather precise and must be followed for a good finished treat.
Before we begin cooking, let's have everything ready we're going to use. Take an 8 inch baking dish...again, I use a Pyrex dish, but you may use a metal baking pan or whatever you have. Make sure the sides are about 2 inches high. This is what you are going to use to put the mixture in after it's cooked so it can set up and be ready to cut and eat. Using olive oil, lightly wipe the bottom and sides of the pan or dish. Now, line the pan or dish with plastic wrap. Try to make sure you don't have big wrinkles in the plastic wrap and that it conforms to the sides and bottom of the pan. Mix the powdered sugar in a bowl, together with about 1/6 cup of cornstarch and "dust" the bottom and sides of the plastic wrap with the powdered mixture. Set the pan aside for now.
Using a medium size sauce pan, our in 1 1/4 cup of water, the lemon juice and granulated sugar. Begin to heat over low heat, stirring to make sure all of the sugar dissolves completely. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, bring the sauce pan to a boil, carefully....you don't want the sugar to burn!
Add the gelatin to the sauce pan, together with 1/2 cup of cornstarch and 3/4 cup of water, plus 2 tablespoons of water. Stir constantly until all of the gelatin has completely dissolved. As soon as the gelatin has completely dissolved, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer the sauce pan for 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Once the mixture has thickened, remove the sauce pan from the heat and allow it to cool. You want the sauce pan to be cool enough to touch. Once the saucepan has cooled, add the pistachio nuts, food coloring and rosewater to the pan and mix all ingredients well for uniform consistency and color.
Now, pour the mixture from the sauce pan into your previously prepared baking pan or dish. Although the mixture will still be soft, level it out a bit with a spoon. Now, allow the mixture to cool for at least 4 hours to set up completely. I put mine in the refrigerator to assist the cooling.
Make sure the mixture is completely set before going further. The mix will feel "sticky," even after set well. When completely set up, you may cut the mixture into small squares, about the size of regular pieces of candy. Now, dust each piece of candy with the remaining powdered sugar/cornstarch mix. This will help eliminate the stickiness and give a nice appearance and make them easy to pick up with your fingers.
That's all there is to it! You have a rather exotic treat to enjoy and share with friends and family. Something many people have never had an opportunity to experience!
VARIATIONS
While this is the "traditional" Turkish treat, your tastes may be different. Don't hesitate to experiment! I have used walnuts in place of the pistachio nuts. Likewise, I have used different food colors...maybe something with a holiday flair. Red, green, orange or other colors of your liking. The same with flavorings. Other than traditional rosewater, I've used cherry flavor, orange, strawberry....most anything you enjoy! Coordinate your flavor with your color and it's still a wonderful treat! If you have trouble finding rosewater, I believe you may be able to find it at a pharmacy.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive the latest updates and new recipes as I add them. And feel free to share recipes with family and friends. I sincerely hope you enjoy this treat!
Searching around, I found some recipes for the "traditional" flavor associated with what is made and eaten in Turkey, which is excellent, but of course, one can modify to whatever taste preferences you may have. The texture and consistency remains the same. And having made a batch of it around the house, I found it disappeared very quickly! It brought back some good memories of when I first tasted it and is something I enjoy making and enjoy watching other people eat. We'll start out with a "traditional" recipe and then talk about variations you may try.
INGREDIENTS
1 2/3 Cups Granulated White Sugar
4 Packets Powdered Gelatin (Knox Unflavored Gelatin is what I found in the grocery store)
2/3 Cup Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar (Confectioner's Sugar)
1/3 Cup Shelled, Unsalted Pistachio Nuts
Juice from 1 Fresh Lemon
3 Teaspoons Rosewater
Food Coloring (Traditional color is Pink)
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
PREPARATION
NOTE: Cooking instructions are rather precise and must be followed for a good finished treat.
Before we begin cooking, let's have everything ready we're going to use. Take an 8 inch baking dish...again, I use a Pyrex dish, but you may use a metal baking pan or whatever you have. Make sure the sides are about 2 inches high. This is what you are going to use to put the mixture in after it's cooked so it can set up and be ready to cut and eat. Using olive oil, lightly wipe the bottom and sides of the pan or dish. Now, line the pan or dish with plastic wrap. Try to make sure you don't have big wrinkles in the plastic wrap and that it conforms to the sides and bottom of the pan. Mix the powdered sugar in a bowl, together with about 1/6 cup of cornstarch and "dust" the bottom and sides of the plastic wrap with the powdered mixture. Set the pan aside for now.
Using a medium size sauce pan, our in 1 1/4 cup of water, the lemon juice and granulated sugar. Begin to heat over low heat, stirring to make sure all of the sugar dissolves completely. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, bring the sauce pan to a boil, carefully....you don't want the sugar to burn!
Add the gelatin to the sauce pan, together with 1/2 cup of cornstarch and 3/4 cup of water, plus 2 tablespoons of water. Stir constantly until all of the gelatin has completely dissolved. As soon as the gelatin has completely dissolved, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer the sauce pan for 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Once the mixture has thickened, remove the sauce pan from the heat and allow it to cool. You want the sauce pan to be cool enough to touch. Once the saucepan has cooled, add the pistachio nuts, food coloring and rosewater to the pan and mix all ingredients well for uniform consistency and color.
Now, pour the mixture from the sauce pan into your previously prepared baking pan or dish. Although the mixture will still be soft, level it out a bit with a spoon. Now, allow the mixture to cool for at least 4 hours to set up completely. I put mine in the refrigerator to assist the cooling.
Make sure the mixture is completely set before going further. The mix will feel "sticky," even after set well. When completely set up, you may cut the mixture into small squares, about the size of regular pieces of candy. Now, dust each piece of candy with the remaining powdered sugar/cornstarch mix. This will help eliminate the stickiness and give a nice appearance and make them easy to pick up with your fingers.
That's all there is to it! You have a rather exotic treat to enjoy and share with friends and family. Something many people have never had an opportunity to experience!
VARIATIONS
While this is the "traditional" Turkish treat, your tastes may be different. Don't hesitate to experiment! I have used walnuts in place of the pistachio nuts. Likewise, I have used different food colors...maybe something with a holiday flair. Red, green, orange or other colors of your liking. The same with flavorings. Other than traditional rosewater, I've used cherry flavor, orange, strawberry....most anything you enjoy! Coordinate your flavor with your color and it's still a wonderful treat! If you have trouble finding rosewater, I believe you may be able to find it at a pharmacy.
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive the latest updates and new recipes as I add them. And feel free to share recipes with family and friends. I sincerely hope you enjoy this treat!
Monday, October 17, 2016
Portabello Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Okay, I admit it.....I'm getting hooked on these Portobello mushrooms!!! They replace "meat" to my palate and taste. The texture, taste, appearance....everything....they work! I have visions of them smothered in steak sauce, barbecue sauce....any number of ways. I was kind of hungry at lunchtime today and didn't want to spend a lot of time making something up and I'd been thinking about Portobello mushrooms, again! I still had a few in the refrigerator from a prior experiment and didn't want them to go back...so was trying to figure a way to use them. This was going to be a "shortcut" lunch as it was getting late in the afternoon. Next time, I'll make a few minor modifications, but here's lunch today and it was wonderful!
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Dry Basil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Sliced Portobello Mushrooms (enough to fill Sandwich Rolls
Sandwich Roll
1 Roma Tomato
PREPARE SANDWICH ROLLS
Open rolls and separate halves. Place them inside facing up. In a small bowl, mix Mayonnaise, Parmesan Cheese and 1 Teaspoon of dry Basil together. Using A pastry brush, liberally spread the mixture onto the inside surfaces of the Sandwich Rolls. Set aside.
I used the broiler, as I didn't want to fire up the grill, but I know the grill would have been better. I mixed the Olive Oil, Minced Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar together. Then I brushed both sides of the Portobello mushrooms with that mix. Then, I sprinkled Kosher Salt and Black Pepper on the mushroom slices.
The mushroom slices were placed on the broiler tray and put under the broiler for 3 minutes. The mushrooms were flipped over and back under the broiler for another 3 minutes.
Finally, the mushroom slices were placed on one side of the Sandwich Rolls to fill the roll. Thin slices of Provolone Cheese were placed on top of the Portobello slices and the pan went back into the broiler for 1 more minute. Just enough time to completely melt the cheese.
The sandwiches were removed from the broiler with hot melted cheese dripping all over the Portobello Mushrooms. Roma Tomato slices were placed on top of the melted cheese and the tops of the Sandwich Rolls were put in place. Hot and delicious and ready to serve!
NOTE: In the future, I think I might add about a Teaspoon of Worcester Sauce to the marinate I put on the mushroom slices. And perhaps, I would saute a few white onion slices to accompany the tomato slices.
Anyway, I've added one more Portobello Mushroom sandwich to my lunchtime sandwich selection and would highly recommend that you try them!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com And you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog for updates and new recipes as I add them. Please share the recipes with friends and family, if you enjoy the results!
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Dry Basil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Sliced Portobello Mushrooms (enough to fill Sandwich Rolls
Sandwich Roll
1 Roma Tomato
PREPARE SANDWICH ROLLS
Open rolls and separate halves. Place them inside facing up. In a small bowl, mix Mayonnaise, Parmesan Cheese and 1 Teaspoon of dry Basil together. Using A pastry brush, liberally spread the mixture onto the inside surfaces of the Sandwich Rolls. Set aside.
I used the broiler, as I didn't want to fire up the grill, but I know the grill would have been better. I mixed the Olive Oil, Minced Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar together. Then I brushed both sides of the Portobello mushrooms with that mix. Then, I sprinkled Kosher Salt and Black Pepper on the mushroom slices.
The mushroom slices were placed on the broiler tray and put under the broiler for 3 minutes. The mushrooms were flipped over and back under the broiler for another 3 minutes.
Finally, the mushroom slices were placed on one side of the Sandwich Rolls to fill the roll. Thin slices of Provolone Cheese were placed on top of the Portobello slices and the pan went back into the broiler for 1 more minute. Just enough time to completely melt the cheese.
The sandwiches were removed from the broiler with hot melted cheese dripping all over the Portobello Mushrooms. Roma Tomato slices were placed on top of the melted cheese and the tops of the Sandwich Rolls were put in place. Hot and delicious and ready to serve!
NOTE: In the future, I think I might add about a Teaspoon of Worcester Sauce to the marinate I put on the mushroom slices. And perhaps, I would saute a few white onion slices to accompany the tomato slices.
Anyway, I've added one more Portobello Mushroom sandwich to my lunchtime sandwich selection and would highly recommend that you try them!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com And you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog for updates and new recipes as I add them. Please share the recipes with friends and family, if you enjoy the results!
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Baked Cinnamon Apples - An Autumn Treat
Baked cinnamon apples were an Autumn treat my mother used to fix when I was a kid. Apples were plentiful in the Fall and the flavor just sort of went with Halloween, for some reason. They are really simple to put together and kids seem to love them. When my nieces and nephews were young, they waited every year at Halloween for me to fix these baked apples and call to have them come over to the house to share.
INGREDIENTS
6 Sweet Red Apples
10 Ounce Bag "Red Hot" Cinnamon Candy
3 Teaspoons Butter
3/4 Cup Water
PREPARATION
First thing to do is to core the apples. You may use a paring tool with a sharp point on the end of it, or use a small sharp knife....and be careful! Cut into the apple, around the stem, removing the core. Continue to cut at the center of the apple until you have removed all the apple seeds. When finished, wash the apples and put them into a Pyrex baking dish. Add half a teaspoon of butter into the hole in the core of the apple.
Put 3/4 cup of water into a small saucepan. Add the 10 ounces of "Red Hot" candies and heat on medium heat. Continue to heat and stir the candy until it is completely melted. Once the candy is liquefied, pour it into the center hole in the apple. Let the liquid ooze over the outside of the apple, as well.
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Put the dish of apples into the oven and cook for 45 minutes. The apples should be cooked through and soft, but still partly firm and not wrinkled up on the outside. Let the apples cool on the counter for about 10 minutes, as they are really hot and the liquid candy is very hot, as well and will burn you!
To serve, place one apple into a bowl and add 1 or 2 scoops of Vanilla ice cream beside the apple and serve right away! Dig the meat of the apple out of the skin, along with a bit of ice cream....hot and cold, cinnamon taste all together!
I hope you enjoy this simple treat as much as I do! They just have that taste of Autumn to me and a reminder of the "good old days."
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and get updates and new recipes as I add them. You are welcome to share recipes with family and friends, as well!
INGREDIENTS
6 Sweet Red Apples
10 Ounce Bag "Red Hot" Cinnamon Candy
3 Teaspoons Butter
3/4 Cup Water
PREPARATION
First thing to do is to core the apples. You may use a paring tool with a sharp point on the end of it, or use a small sharp knife....and be careful! Cut into the apple, around the stem, removing the core. Continue to cut at the center of the apple until you have removed all the apple seeds. When finished, wash the apples and put them into a Pyrex baking dish. Add half a teaspoon of butter into the hole in the core of the apple.
Put 3/4 cup of water into a small saucepan. Add the 10 ounces of "Red Hot" candies and heat on medium heat. Continue to heat and stir the candy until it is completely melted. Once the candy is liquefied, pour it into the center hole in the apple. Let the liquid ooze over the outside of the apple, as well.
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Put the dish of apples into the oven and cook for 45 minutes. The apples should be cooked through and soft, but still partly firm and not wrinkled up on the outside. Let the apples cool on the counter for about 10 minutes, as they are really hot and the liquid candy is very hot, as well and will burn you!
To serve, place one apple into a bowl and add 1 or 2 scoops of Vanilla ice cream beside the apple and serve right away! Dig the meat of the apple out of the skin, along with a bit of ice cream....hot and cold, cinnamon taste all together!
I hope you enjoy this simple treat as much as I do! They just have that taste of Autumn to me and a reminder of the "good old days."
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog and get updates and new recipes as I add them. You are welcome to share recipes with family and friends, as well!
Breakfast Egg and Pepper Rings
Normally, I prefer poached eggs if I'm going to have eggs for breakfast. But, now and then, a fried egg doesn't sound so bad! I like to make the egg a bit more appealing looking than just a splattered looking egg in the frying pan. And I'm not very good at making a fried egg look perfect. So, here's a nice little way to dress up fried eggs in the morning!
INGREDIENTS
Eggs (2 per person)
1 Bell Pepper (Red, Green or Yellow...or mix them for color!)
1 Roma Tomato (I just prefer Roma's. Use what you like!)
1 Tablespoon Butter (Real butter...PLEASE!)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Garnish (Parsley, Dill or your favorite!)
PREPARATION
Slice the Bell Peppers into rings of about 1/2 inch thick each
Slice the Roma tomato into thin slices
I use my trusty cast iron skillet and on medium heat, add enough butter to fry two eggs. When the butter has melted, add the Bell Pepper rings to the skillet and cook on one side...about two to three minutes to soften it up a bit. Now, flip the Bell Pepper rings over and place two tomato slices in the center of the pepper ring. Add a bit of salt to the top of the tomatoes. Allow the tomato to cook for about 1 minute.
Flatten the pepper just a bit with a spatula, just to make sure it's in contact with the skillet, all the way around. Now, crack your eggs...one into the center of each Bell Pepper ring. Carefully, so the egg all ends up inside the ring of pepper! Add salt and pepper to taste.
If you like the yolk of the egg to be cooked and white appearing, cover the skillet with a lid. Fry until the egg is the way you like it.
Using the spatula, carefully lift the egg and pepper ring out of the skillet, onto a plate. Then garnish with your choice of herbs.
That's all there is to it! An eye pleasing fried egg with a little extra flavor of Bell Pepper and tomato!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog for updated and new recipes. And, you're welcome to share recipes with friends and family!
INGREDIENTS
Eggs (2 per person)
1 Bell Pepper (Red, Green or Yellow...or mix them for color!)
1 Roma Tomato (I just prefer Roma's. Use what you like!)
1 Tablespoon Butter (Real butter...PLEASE!)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Garnish (Parsley, Dill or your favorite!)
PREPARATION
Slice the Bell Peppers into rings of about 1/2 inch thick each
Slice the Roma tomato into thin slices
I use my trusty cast iron skillet and on medium heat, add enough butter to fry two eggs. When the butter has melted, add the Bell Pepper rings to the skillet and cook on one side...about two to three minutes to soften it up a bit. Now, flip the Bell Pepper rings over and place two tomato slices in the center of the pepper ring. Add a bit of salt to the top of the tomatoes. Allow the tomato to cook for about 1 minute.
Flatten the pepper just a bit with a spatula, just to make sure it's in contact with the skillet, all the way around. Now, crack your eggs...one into the center of each Bell Pepper ring. Carefully, so the egg all ends up inside the ring of pepper! Add salt and pepper to taste.
If you like the yolk of the egg to be cooked and white appearing, cover the skillet with a lid. Fry until the egg is the way you like it.
Using the spatula, carefully lift the egg and pepper ring out of the skillet, onto a plate. Then garnish with your choice of herbs.
That's all there is to it! An eye pleasing fried egg with a little extra flavor of Bell Pepper and tomato!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also subscribe to my Recipe Blog for updated and new recipes. And, you're welcome to share recipes with friends and family!
Roasted Herbal Potatoes
Potatoes are always an inexpensive and common vegetable around here. Baked potatoes get boring, even with various toppings. And sometimes, I fix some sort of Italian flavor chicken, or Mediterranean dish and want a good potato side dish. Or, sometimes I just like some variety!
This is an easy to prepare potato side dish and I think most anyone would enjoy it for a change!
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
2 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes (they really work best!)
3/4 Cube Butter (REAL butter...please! Not Margarine!)
1 Tablespoon Dry Basil
1 Tablespoon Dry Thyme
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
I use a cast iron frying pan with high sides on it for preparing this dish. You probably could use a Pyrex baking dish, as well. The dish will be going into the oven to cook.
PREPARATION
Wash the potatoes and leave the skins on. That's where the vitamins and nutrients are in a potato! Now, using a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into very thin slices.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Brush the bottom and sides of the frying pan or baking dish with melted butter. Arrange the potato slices in the frying pan or baking dish, standing the slices vertically, but at a bit of an angle. Just enough to keep them standing up, one slice against the next, until the pan or dish is filled. You should see the top edges of the potato slices, looking into the pan.
Using the remainder of your melted butter, drizzle it over the potato slices so the butter oozes down between the slices. Now, sprinkle the Kosher salt over the potato slices. Mix your Basil and Thyme (or you could use Italian seasoning, if you prefer) in a small dish and sprinkle it over the top of the buttered potato slices.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 F degrees and when at temperature, put the pan or dish in the oven to cook. Check on the potatoes and you will know they are ready when you see the top edges of the potatoes looking a bit crispy and browned. Remove the pan or oven from the dish and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
This will be a welcome change from boring potatoes and I'm sure you'll enjoy the buttery/herbal flavor of the sliced potatoes!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates as I add new recipes. Feel free to share recipes with friends and family!
This is an easy to prepare potato side dish and I think most anyone would enjoy it for a change!
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
2 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes (they really work best!)
3/4 Cube Butter (REAL butter...please! Not Margarine!)
1 Tablespoon Dry Basil
1 Tablespoon Dry Thyme
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
I use a cast iron frying pan with high sides on it for preparing this dish. You probably could use a Pyrex baking dish, as well. The dish will be going into the oven to cook.
PREPARATION
Wash the potatoes and leave the skins on. That's where the vitamins and nutrients are in a potato! Now, using a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into very thin slices.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Brush the bottom and sides of the frying pan or baking dish with melted butter. Arrange the potato slices in the frying pan or baking dish, standing the slices vertically, but at a bit of an angle. Just enough to keep them standing up, one slice against the next, until the pan or dish is filled. You should see the top edges of the potato slices, looking into the pan.
Using the remainder of your melted butter, drizzle it over the potato slices so the butter oozes down between the slices. Now, sprinkle the Kosher salt over the potato slices. Mix your Basil and Thyme (or you could use Italian seasoning, if you prefer) in a small dish and sprinkle it over the top of the buttered potato slices.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 F degrees and when at temperature, put the pan or dish in the oven to cook. Check on the potatoes and you will know they are ready when you see the top edges of the potatoes looking a bit crispy and browned. Remove the pan or oven from the dish and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
This will be a welcome change from boring potatoes and I'm sure you'll enjoy the buttery/herbal flavor of the sliced potatoes!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog and receive updates as I add new recipes. Feel free to share recipes with friends and family!
Non-Recipe....Let's Talk Food Dehydrators! Money Saving Kitchen Appliance
This post is going to be a bit different than most, but I think very worthwhile as information, if you've not owned a food dehydrator. I have posted a recipe here for Salmon Jerky and South African Biltong...and used the food dehydrator for both recipes. Not really necessary for the Biltong, but does speed up the process a bit, if you use it for air flow and low temperatures. However, I'll give many other suggestions here for foods and maybe something will appeal to you. I can probably give you a recipe for something in particular, or some advice if you contact me for information or request a recipe for preparing with a food dehydrator.
I feel that one of the most important functions for the food dehydrator is the ability to save money. That is essential for me, being retired and on a fixed income and I know it's important to many working people, as well. Often, during the summer, people around here with big gardens will get way more produce than they can use. They will call and ask if I want the extra and I never turn it down! Or, I may find a great sale on some produce items and buy while the price is right. As an example, the other day, I found a special at the grocery store....5 pounds of really nice Russet potatoes for .98 cents a bag. No sense passing up a bargain like that! And, the dehydrator is great when you find fruit in season and plentiful...and inexpensive, as you can dry it for later use.
The uses are limitless. Fresh herbs? You can dry them quickly and store them for later use. You can make fruit roll ups, without the chemicals in store purchased ones. There are even recipes for making great pet snacks using the dehydrator and you know your dog isn't getting dangerous ingredients in the snacks. You can dry flowers for decoration, or make your own beef jerky for much less than buying it and always...without the chemicals and preservatives found in commercial products.
Disclaimer: I do not endorse, sell nor advertise any particular food dehydrator. There are many available on the market....I buy many of my household items through Amazon, since I live in a small, rural area where not much is available. For illustration purposes, I'm going to show my food dehydrator I have in the kitchen. I've had it for about two years, use it a lot and it serves me well. It has many features I like and prefer, so that's why I use it. The price range on dehydrators varies greatly and this is an excellent one at a reasonable price. Also, I am able to easily get replacement parts and extra components if I want or need them.
This food dehydrator has 5 drying trays with it...you can use from a single tray, up to 10 trays, if you purchase additional drying trays. It's very flexible to use. The fan and heating element are in the top part of the unit. There is a drip tray in the bottom, making clean up easy if you have any drips.
If you are going to work with fruit, I would also suggest you pick up a bottle of fresh fruit preserver. Again, most grocery stores have a selection of brands and sizes. If you've worked with fresh apples or avocados, you know how quickly they start to turn brown after being cut and exposed to air. Fruit preserver prevents that browning, so is good not only for dehydrating, but even for fresh fruit you plan to serve. It has no effect on the flavor of the fruit and you only need to soak the fruit for a few minutes in the preserver and water. Preserver is quite natural, consisting of Vitamin C, sugar and Ascorbic Acid. Here is what I use.
I like dried fruit, so often slice and dehydrate apple slices and bananas. Naturally, you may do all sorts of fruit....apricots, cherries, citrus fruit, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi and melons, to mention a few. Dehydrating generally takes something between 4 -12 hours, with very juicy fruit, such as melons, taking up to 16 hours. Most fresh fruit should be soaked in fresh fruit preserver before dehydrating.
Vegetables are great to dehydrate, especially if you get more than you can use at one time and don't want to have them go bad. One thing about vegetables, however....while they don't require a preserver bath, most do need to be "blanched" before drying. Blanching softens the cell texture, allowing moisture to escape during the drying process and slows the enzyme action in the vegetables. Blanching may be done one of two ways. Use a large stock pot with water and a steaming rack, keeping the vegetables out of the water. A tight lid on the pot...and the steam works it's action on the vegetables. Steam the vegetables for about 1/3 the time it would normally take to cook them. You may also microwave blanch. Put the vegetables in a microwave safe dish, cover and place in the microwave for about half the time it would take for normal cooking. No water needed. About halfway through the blanching, stir the vegetables to make sure they are all blanched well. As soon as the vegetables are blanched, put them on drying trays and into the dehydrator, as quickly as possible.
NOTE: There is no need to blanch mushrooms, onions, garlic nor peppers. Herbs need not be blanched, either. Microwave blanching is best, as you will not lose any of the vitamins and minerals you lose with steam blanching.
You may thoroughly dry foods like onions, tomatoes and garlic, to name a few....then crush them to powder for adding to foods when you need those items.
If you grow fresh herbs, you may like to dry and preserve fresh herbs for later use. The dehydrator is great for doing so. Herbs dry quite quickly...just a few hours..until they are brittle and crumble. Strip the seeds/leaves and store in airtight glass containers.
Your dried fruit and vegetables may be stored in zip lock plastic bags in the freezer. Even better, if you have a vacuum sealer, store the food in those. Kept in the freezer, most dehydrated food will keep well for up to a year!
The snacks you are able to prepare with the dehydrator are endless! Make your own granola, energy bars, cup-of-vegetable soup and fruit roll ups. There are many recipes where you can use your dried fruit and vegetables to make delicious soups and drinks, as well.
And, don't forget the pets!!! How about Turkey and Sweet Potato treats for the dog? Or tiny shrimp treats or crunchy salmon circles for the kitties? And you know your pet isn't consuming dangerous Chinese pesticides and chemicals....only healthy food you have chosen!
I've really only scratched the surface as to what you can do with a food dehydrator. You are only limited by your imagination! I have several recipes for using dehydrated fruit, vegetables and herbs. I'd be happy to reply, if you email and ask about anything specific you may think would be of interest. Maybe I will try to post some of the recipes here in the blog, as well.
And before I forget, don't forget about the food dehydrator and craft projects!! Dried flowers, Dried Apple Wreath and Potpourri, just to mention a few. I've even seen where people made Christmas ornaments out of dough, dehydrated, then baked...food coloring added, of course! Just let your imagination go!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may consider subscribing to my Recipe Blog so you get the latest updates. Thanks for your participation!
I feel that one of the most important functions for the food dehydrator is the ability to save money. That is essential for me, being retired and on a fixed income and I know it's important to many working people, as well. Often, during the summer, people around here with big gardens will get way more produce than they can use. They will call and ask if I want the extra and I never turn it down! Or, I may find a great sale on some produce items and buy while the price is right. As an example, the other day, I found a special at the grocery store....5 pounds of really nice Russet potatoes for .98 cents a bag. No sense passing up a bargain like that! And, the dehydrator is great when you find fruit in season and plentiful...and inexpensive, as you can dry it for later use.
The uses are limitless. Fresh herbs? You can dry them quickly and store them for later use. You can make fruit roll ups, without the chemicals in store purchased ones. There are even recipes for making great pet snacks using the dehydrator and you know your dog isn't getting dangerous ingredients in the snacks. You can dry flowers for decoration, or make your own beef jerky for much less than buying it and always...without the chemicals and preservatives found in commercial products.
Disclaimer: I do not endorse, sell nor advertise any particular food dehydrator. There are many available on the market....I buy many of my household items through Amazon, since I live in a small, rural area where not much is available. For illustration purposes, I'm going to show my food dehydrator I have in the kitchen. I've had it for about two years, use it a lot and it serves me well. It has many features I like and prefer, so that's why I use it. The price range on dehydrators varies greatly and this is an excellent one at a reasonable price. Also, I am able to easily get replacement parts and extra components if I want or need them.
This food dehydrator has 5 drying trays with it...you can use from a single tray, up to 10 trays, if you purchase additional drying trays. It's very flexible to use. The fan and heating element are in the top part of the unit. There is a drip tray in the bottom, making clean up easy if you have any drips.
The temperature control allows for dehydrating a wide range of items at the right temperature. If I could have one more control on the dehydrator, it would be a timer. I usually just set a timer on my phone as a reminder to check drying progress. Here is the temperature control for the dehydrator. The slit in the front at the top allows for air flow.
Removing the top cover, you can see the dryer trays as they are stacked. Load each tray and stack them back on the unit.
Here is a view of the individual dryer trays. They are sturdy plastic and clean up easily. I just soak them in warm soapy water in the sink, gently scrub them with a soft brush and rinse them off. Nothing to it!
This particular unit comes with two fruit roll up screens. Place your fruit roll ups on the screens and they will stay in place while drying. The same goes for any soft fruits which may drip through the larger standard tray screen. As with everything else, extra screens may be purchased, as well.
I like dried fruit, so often slice and dehydrate apple slices and bananas. Naturally, you may do all sorts of fruit....apricots, cherries, citrus fruit, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi and melons, to mention a few. Dehydrating generally takes something between 4 -12 hours, with very juicy fruit, such as melons, taking up to 16 hours. Most fresh fruit should be soaked in fresh fruit preserver before dehydrating.
Vegetables are great to dehydrate, especially if you get more than you can use at one time and don't want to have them go bad. One thing about vegetables, however....while they don't require a preserver bath, most do need to be "blanched" before drying. Blanching softens the cell texture, allowing moisture to escape during the drying process and slows the enzyme action in the vegetables. Blanching may be done one of two ways. Use a large stock pot with water and a steaming rack, keeping the vegetables out of the water. A tight lid on the pot...and the steam works it's action on the vegetables. Steam the vegetables for about 1/3 the time it would normally take to cook them. You may also microwave blanch. Put the vegetables in a microwave safe dish, cover and place in the microwave for about half the time it would take for normal cooking. No water needed. About halfway through the blanching, stir the vegetables to make sure they are all blanched well. As soon as the vegetables are blanched, put them on drying trays and into the dehydrator, as quickly as possible.
NOTE: There is no need to blanch mushrooms, onions, garlic nor peppers. Herbs need not be blanched, either. Microwave blanching is best, as you will not lose any of the vitamins and minerals you lose with steam blanching.
You may thoroughly dry foods like onions, tomatoes and garlic, to name a few....then crush them to powder for adding to foods when you need those items.
If you grow fresh herbs, you may like to dry and preserve fresh herbs for later use. The dehydrator is great for doing so. Herbs dry quite quickly...just a few hours..until they are brittle and crumble. Strip the seeds/leaves and store in airtight glass containers.
Your dried fruit and vegetables may be stored in zip lock plastic bags in the freezer. Even better, if you have a vacuum sealer, store the food in those. Kept in the freezer, most dehydrated food will keep well for up to a year!
The snacks you are able to prepare with the dehydrator are endless! Make your own granola, energy bars, cup-of-vegetable soup and fruit roll ups. There are many recipes where you can use your dried fruit and vegetables to make delicious soups and drinks, as well.
And, don't forget the pets!!! How about Turkey and Sweet Potato treats for the dog? Or tiny shrimp treats or crunchy salmon circles for the kitties? And you know your pet isn't consuming dangerous Chinese pesticides and chemicals....only healthy food you have chosen!
I've really only scratched the surface as to what you can do with a food dehydrator. You are only limited by your imagination! I have several recipes for using dehydrated fruit, vegetables and herbs. I'd be happy to reply, if you email and ask about anything specific you may think would be of interest. Maybe I will try to post some of the recipes here in the blog, as well.
And before I forget, don't forget about the food dehydrator and craft projects!! Dried flowers, Dried Apple Wreath and Potpourri, just to mention a few. I've even seen where people made Christmas ornaments out of dough, dehydrated, then baked...food coloring added, of course! Just let your imagination go!
If you have questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may consider subscribing to my Recipe Blog so you get the latest updates. Thanks for your participation!
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