Kitchen Essentials

I thought I’d include a little article (she said, mooning over these items) about kitchen essentials I CAN NOT live without and why everyone should have them.

If you’re a home cook, especially a serious one, your gear can be the difference between fabulous and mediocre.  Now I’m not saying any of these things will necessarily make or break your meal, but everything helps.

Some people swear by silicone bakeware, or a certain brand of utensil, but, all things being equal, I find that if you do things right, it won’t matter if you’re using your grandmother’s eggbeater and tongs that don’t close anymore.

My first and most important can’t-live-without item is my chopper.  Now this thing, serious chef or not, will save your life. (one day maybe literally!) Wicked sharp, with a flat blade, flat cutting surface, and no serrations, this knife does everything but cut bread.  I use it seriously, several times each day. It is the most often reached for and, as a result, most often washed, item in my kitchen arsenal. It never leaves the counter.   Mine has a somewhat flexible blade, which I like, because I use it to scoop up chopped things, after I have chopped them, and transfer them to the pot or pan.  But if you prefer a standard, thick tang, go for it.  It can cut through soft tomatoes, and frozen meat alike.  Having a good knife makes your work SO much easier. I can’t even remember what my life was like before the chopper. (and some very thoughtful friends who got me my knives as a wedding gift.)

The second thing, though less glamorous-looking, are my kitchen shears.  Definitely the second most reached-for item in my kitch.  Cutting fresh herbs, opening packages, threatening my husband when he comes into my cooking space, all of these are great reason to have a pair of good heavy duty kitchen shears.  They will serve WAY more purposes than you can ever imagine. Not much to explain about them.  They do need to be scrubbed pretty well after you use them on food, as little bits tend to get stuck, especially if you are meat-cutting. (Don’t laugh, have you ever tried to de-bone chicken without kitchen shears?)  So get them. Or USE them if you have them and they are gathering dust in a drawer.

My third item that is more of a non-essential, but I could not survive without, is my wok. (shown here with shrimp-fried-rice and the other kitchen essential COFFEE!) Wok? you say? Yes, W-O-K, the big dishy metal pan that the Chinese so favor. These are a huge amount of applications for a wok besides chicken fried rice. I use mine for stir-frying, fajitas & tacos, deep-frying (yes), and a host of other genius plans.  Deep frying may be the most surprising, but most useful, item on my list.  We have been through three electric deep-fryers in the past couple years. None of them produced a satisfying crispiness and that golden brown color we all want on our fried foods.  Even the one that claimed to be ‘commercial grade’ was crap-ola.  We figured out that the oil simply wasn’t getting hot enough and staying that temperature, to sustain good frying.  So I began experimenting with a huge jug of oil and various pots and pans in my over-stuffed cabinets. The wok emerged the clear victor.  It seems to heat the oil more evenly without scorching it.  Its wide mouth gives the oil a lot of surface area when thingies begin to float, and its deep-ness lets them sink to the bottom until they are ready to float. The sloped sides also make it easier to skim things off the surface when done frying.  So, more often than not, our wok is filled with frying oil.  Stir-fries are a no-brainer, as are fajitas, which, after all, are latino stir-fries.  The key is, with this pan, to keep the food moving. It makes tossing food like a pro on TV, easy for uncoordinated me.  The other thing I use it for is boiling noodles.  No, not like spaghetti or macaroni, but big, cumbersome and troublesome noodles like manicotti, lasagna, and jumbo shells.  Again, the surface area and deep-ness come in handy and your noodles stick together and break less often.  I’m sure you can find many other uses for this wonder-pan.

Those three items. That’s my holy grail list of what I need to have around.  And all these things you can probably acquire for under 50$. How cool is that? 

There is one other item on my countertop that I find it hard to exist without.  But this one is a big-ticket item and you can certainly make do without it.  My stand mixer. Wooo baby, my life was so much easier the moment I brought her home, my beautiful, open-box-price KitchenAid.  She would have run me more than 200$ new, without all the add-ons and doo-dads.  Never underestimate department store open-box deals, hehehehehe.  But seriously, you can often find them at tag sales, yard sales, thrift stores.  People who don’t cook just don’t appreciate then and see them as heavy, bulky, and useless.  I’m here to tell you otherwise.  If you are a baker, ESPECIALLY if you like to make bread, Get One.  KitchenAid, MixMaster, Sears brand, whatever suits your fancy, they are life savers and time savers!! So for someone impatient and cheap like me, a goldmine of opportunity.  I’m not going to go on and on about the positive sides of owning a stand mixer.  Suffice to say that it is my go-to for dough of any kind, kneading needs, batters, meringues, any anything else that requires whipping, mixing, or kneading.    

So there you have it, a short list of my kitchen essentials and why I love them so.  Next up, new recipes!!

Fun with Puff Pastry

I have decided, this week, to experiment with frozen puff pastry, as I don’t have much experience with the stuff and it always looked so neat.  Making it from scratch is WAY complicated and takes forever and frankly, I don’t have the patience or time for all that folding, so I fake it. But if you want to try it, here's a link to another wonderful blog that gives detailed instructions on how to DIY.  I’m all about time saving and money saving so, why not?

A box of the stuff will run you about 3.50$ and you will get 2 sheets that are approximately 9”X12” or so.

For this epic fun, I used two boxes of pastry, 4 sheets. 

Turnovers

This is by far the easiest and, I daresay, the most impressive of the puff pastry fun.  If you are having company, these will make them think you spent HOURS in the kitchen makin them.

You need:

2 sheets of puff pastry

1 can of pie filling (cherry, apple, blueberry, whatever) (and yes I know ‘cheater! cheater!’ you can make the pie filling from scratch but the point of this is to save time and money, silly)

1 egg

Thaw the pastry according to the package directions until it is pliable.  Cut into 4 equal pieces. Place a HEAPING tablespoon on the center of each square.  Fold over on the diagonal, use a little bit of water and a finger to seal the edges. Cut a vent or two in the top to let steam out.  Flute edges with a fork, like I showed you with pie crust.  Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar. Bake!!! Makes 8

That’s IT!  And let me tell you, they are both impressive AND delicious.

(photo courtesy Shutterstock)

Spinach Appetizers

1 sheet puff pastry

1 package frozen creamed spinach

A few small button mushrooms, chopped finely (or about half a small can of mushrooms)

1 clove minced garlic

2 artichoke hearts, chopped

Shredded mozzarella, cheddar, or, really any cheese

 A mini-muffin pan

Again, thaw puff pastry according to package directions, cut into 12 equal pieces.  Cook creamed spinach also according to package directions, let it cool so that it is just warm, not scorching. (if you start the spinach when you take the pastry from the freezer, they should both be ready at the same time. Add garlic, mushroom, and artichoke to spinach and mix well. Press thawed squares of dough carefully into mini muffin holes. No need to grease pan, puff pastry contains lots of butter.  Place (carefully) a teaspoon or so of filling in each little pastry-lined cup.  Top with a pinch of shredded cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes at 375 until the pastry is browned and the cheese is golden. Perfect little appetizers for fancy-pants people or just friends coming over to chat and chill.  Makes 12

 

Little Baked Crabbies

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (duh)

1 block of cream cheese, softened

¼ cup green onions, chopped finely (about 2 onions)

1 small can of crab meat (I think they are 3 oz. but not sure)

Cut puff pastry into 8 equal squares.  Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl, mix well.  Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of each square.  Pinch corners together, forming a little bundle. Like this: ~~~>  

 Seal with water.  Bake at 375 for about 70 minutes on parchment-lined baking sheet or baking stone.  Makes 8

Note*** This filling mix is also what I use for crab Rangoon. Just do the same thing with wonton wrappers instead of puff pastry, and drop them in hot oil for about 30 seconds. Voila!!

Beef Hand Pies

In honor of the upcoming holiday, the green, the mean, St Patrick’s day, I’m going to do something that’s an homage to Irish/English/British/Scottish (whatever) food.  One of my favorite things to make from that region of the world is shepherd’s pie. It’s hot, homey, filling, comforting, and cheap!!!  This is my twist on that classic dish.  Small pastries filled with beefy and veggie-y goodness that you can eat like a hot pocket (though these are MUCH better). Little ones might even eat their veggies without a fuss if they have a fun handy pocket to eat them out of.  I believe that the Brits call these ‘pasties.’ Try it! Many Noms.

Beef Hand Pies

 

3 diced potatoes (about 2 c.)

1 c. minced parsnip or turnip or rutabaga
1 c. diced carrot (or pre-cut matchsticks)
1/2 medium onion, minced

¼ c. frozen peas
1/2 lb. chopped beef or steak, or chop steak, or ground beef, whatever you have, small bite size pieces please
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 slices cooked chopped bacon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (more if you like)
2 9" prepared pie crusts

Line a baking dish with foil. Combine ingredients and spread in dish. Cover with foil.

Bake at 350°F oven for 30 minutes, uncovering during the final 10 minutes.

Unroll one pie crust on a baking sheet. It helps to cover the baking sheet with parchment first, or use a baking stone if you have one (I <3 my stone).

Make 4 mounds of mixture on the pie crust, one for each pie quarter. Brush edges and inner sides of circle with water. Cover with second pie crust. Using a sharp knife, divide along an X in the center of the circle (see photo). 

You should now have 4 wedge shaped food-pockets, flute the edges with a fork or your finger to make sure they are good and sealed. You wouldn’t want all that good stuff leaking out!

Brush tops of pies with 1 beaten egg white if you want super shiny crust. Cut a couple of vent holes in the top crust.

Bake at 375°F until tops are golden brown (about 30 minutes).

Take that British Isles!! Njoy!!!

Much love ~Ashe

Post Super-Bowl Munchie Fest

Indianapolis was the center of the universe this past weekend.  It is strange how one game of football can inspire such subculture. People wait all year for this one football game to go all out, some even buying new tvs, couches, and grills to accommodate the event.  There are super bowl themed everythings; stores have superbowl sales and specials. And then there is the food. OH the food, there are party trays of finger foods, frozen appetizers, chicken wings of every variety, crackers and chips and marvelous dips, and cookies and cakes, meats and breads.  There are even cookbooks written specifically for "game day" cooking, (and marketed towards men.)  It is a sub culture of excess and indulgence, where sitting on the couch with your buddies and gnawing on wings and swilling beer is encouraged. Iiiiiiiiinteresting. 

I certainly have nothing against wings and beer.  In point of face, they are one of my favorite things to munch when watching certain things (stanley cup). But wings have been done to death and until I find a really extraordinary new way to do wings, you will not see them on this blog. So I was going to post the recipe I made for the super bowl party I attended, but it didn't seem to get many rave reviews.  Since I strive only to post the BEST recipes I try, this one, for Hawaiian meatballs, is going on the chopping block.  If anyone wants it, I will oblige. There are, however, many other bite sized yummies in my repertoire, and I think that in honor of all the sports-themed gatherings we are a part of as Americans in the 21st century, it would be an appropriate avenue to explore.
So here goes with the first one, and one of my all time favorites:

Veggie Pizza

1 can store-bought crescent rolls
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
assorted veggies diced (i use broccoli, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, and black olives, but use whatever you fancy, just as long as they are good RAW)
1/2 tsp dill
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
chopped fresh parsley (optional)


Preheat the oven according to package instructions on the rolls.
Unroll the dough in one long piece, do not separate at perforations, and place on a baking sheet or jelly roll pan.  Bake for approx. 10 min, until just golden brown, do not over bake. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Meanwhile, mix cream cheese with dill and garlic, and chop veggies, I usually go by 1/2 inch or less bits with this dish and you will see why.
When dough is cool, spread an even layer of cream cheese over the surface, go all the way to the edges.
cover the cream cheese mixture with all the chopped veggies, laying them on as thick or thin as you want, press to assure they stick. Cut the pizza into bite size squares and serve, (this is why the veggies must be cut small, you want a little bit of everything on each piece.) This can be eater either at room temp or chilled in the fridge for an hour or so.  Either way, its great. Simple, delicious, vegetarian, and yes, even a bit healthier than some of those deep fried game day snacks.

Herb and Garlic Beef Pinwheels

This recipe again uses my old favorite stand-by, the store bought crescent roll. I use these little buggers for more things than just serving alongside the mashed potatoes and gravy.  They are very versatile, especially when it comes to appetizers.  They are inexpensive, last a long time in the fridge, and can be filled with all sorts of yummy things to make them more interesting (i admit that alone, they are rather dull).  Wrap one around a half a hot dog and you have pigs in a blanket, roll one up with a bit of shredded mozzarella and pepperoni, brush with garlic butter and you've got a pizza roll (ooo, I'll have to make that one tonight!). These are a touch more sophisticated than the kid friendly munch mentioned above, and are just as, if not more delicious. 

Herb and Garlic Beef Pinwheels

1 can store-bought crescent rolls
1 small  onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb deli roast beef, cut into thin strips
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 375
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat
Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 min, stirring occasionally until onion os soft.  Remove from heat.  Add beef, basil, thyme, pepper, salt, and toss to mix well, set aside.
Unroll crescent dough and separate into two rectangles, press perforations together as best you can and flatten dough.  Spread each rectangle with half of the beef mixture.  Starting at the short side, roll up both pieces, pinching the edges to seal shut.
You will be slicing the logs into 1/2 inch slices but I find this is easier to do after I have thrown them in the freezer for 15 -20 minutes.  Use a serrated knife and saw gently, you can reshape them on the baking sheet if you need to.  Place on baking sheet once they have been cut and sprinkle with toasted sesame seed.  Bake 13 - 18 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Deeee-licious Dips

This post will contain two recipes, an easy hummus, and my family favorite, homemade guacamole.  These are both easy to whip up, quick to serve, pleasing to everyone, healthy, AND will keep in the fridge after your guests have gone home!!  They DO require a few ingredients that are not normally found around my kitchen (which breaks a little from the whole "on a dime" theme), but if company is coming, buying one or two strange items shouldn't be out of the question or out of the budget.  So without further ado.....

Guacamole


2 ripe avocados (ripe ones should give a little to pressure, not to be too mushy, but not rock hard.)
*Note on avocados: Some people are intimidated by this little green bugger, they are really quite easy to tackle.  Simple cut them in half and, to remove the seed, use a knife, bring the blade down sharply into the seed at a paralell, making sure it is firmly embedded, and twist, like a faucet handle.  The seed should come right out, easy as pie. (does that make sense? it's hard to explain) Then simply scoop out the nice soft flesh with a spoon.
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 scallions or 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (trust me, its necessary)
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced.
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Chop avocado, mash half of pieces with fork or potato masher.
Mix everything else on a bowl, That's all you do!
Serve with tortilla chips.
Keeps a couple days in the fridge.  This dip may discolor after bing in the fridge, but don't worry, it's still fine to eat, just give it a stir.


Easy Pleasin' Hummus

1 20 oz. can chickpeas, drained
1/4 c. tahini (sesame paste) <--- This is found in the mediterranean section of your grocery store.
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash of cumin, cayenne

Combine all ingredients in food processor, puree until forms a thick paste. Serve with pita chips, toasted baguette, chips, or crackers. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Dry Rubbed Country Ribs and Italian Bread

I love a good challenge. I am a person who readily accepts brain food in all forms, even seeks it out. I thrive when I multi-task, my mind needing exercise like an athlete needs conditioning. Because I certainly do not get that stimulation from my job, I look for it elsewhere. Learning and growing are things I accomplish by taking on new challenges and (hopefully) surmounting them! Those of you that know me know that I sew as well as cook and bake. Trying a new quilt technique, a new pattern, and new recipes or methods are the things that make me go wild. I will dedicate hours to figuring out something on my own instead of searching for help or a shortcut. That is, to me, what makes my accomplishments worthwhile.

Tonight I embarked on a mission I had only once before tried, with brick-like results. This challenge is BREAD. Italian bread to be exact, though I think that, in a loaf pan, it would have been sliceably sandwich-y. ANYWAY… Tonight’s dinner was bread, yes, but also country style ribs. Another challenge because I had never before used a dry rub. Shocking? But I will admit, these two simple sounding items are things I had shied away from for various reasons in the past. I will also admit that I conquered both of them tonight with gusto! I will be sharing both of these with you today.

The bread recipe I borrowed and adapted from The Illustrated Cookbook, a volume I inherited from my grandmother. It is over 30 years old, so some of the recipes need to be modified for a modern kitchen, but it worked remarkably well. I have a stand mixer (my most favorite appliance EVER) with a dough hook that I employed for this task. The result was bread that thumped when the crust was tapped and had a soft, light center. I can’t tell you how pleased I was with the result.

Italian Bread

1 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp non-iodized salt (sea or kosher)

2 packages active dry yeast

1 Tbsp butter

1 ¾ c water

About 5 cups flour

Oil

Cornmeal (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine sugar, salt, yeast, and 2 cups flour. In a microwave safe bowl, heat water and butter for about 1 minute until just warm but NOT hot, that will kill your yeast. (120 to 130 degrees if you want to be a nerd about it.) Set the mixer on low and gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add 1 cup flour to make a thick batter and beat 2 more minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Remove the paddle and fit the mixer with the dough hook. With mizer on low speed, slowly add enough additional flour until a soft dough forms, I used about 2 more cups. Knead with dough hook on low for 10 minutes. The dough will come away from the sides and become springy and elastic, but not sticky. If it is sticky, you need more flour. When you are done kneading, remove the hook from the dough and the bowl from the mixer. Cover the bowl with a towel and let stand in a warm place for 20 minutes. I set it on top of my stove while the oven was on (cooking the ribs). The dough will puff up considerably during this time.

Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and cut it in half. Pat the dough into two long rectangles and flatten it to ¾ to ½ inch. Roll the dough into a log that is no longer than your longest baking sheet (mine was a 12 X 18 I think) and pinch the seam shut. Do the same with the other loaf. Brush your baking sheet with oil or cover it with parchment. Sprinkle it with cornmeal (optional) and lay the loaves side by side. Brush with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Place the formed loaves, seam side down, in that same warm place for another 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425. Bake for 20-35 minutes until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped with a finger.

Country style ribs are a good meaty flavorful and CHEAP dinner option and you can do SO many things with them, anything you can do with other cuts of pork. I made the mistake, however of buying boneless this time instead of bone in. I am a bone girl. And before you make any lewd comments (yes I am talking to you) I mean in meat. OK that didn’t sound very good either. When buying cuts of meat from the grocery store, I ALWAYS prefer cuts that have bone. Bone can add so much flavor especially when roasting, and people overlook it, favoring the boneless options for the sake of convenience. I say Leave The Bones Alone!!! They are God’s gift of flavor to us, the lowly meat-eating peoples of this earth. Anyway, back to ribs. I always prefer the bone-in variety but, in a fit of grocery store madness I must have snatched up the wrong ones. C’est La Vie. I made do and they were yumm-alicious.

Here’s what I did:

For the dry rub –

3 tsp packed brown sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 ½ tsp paprika

1 ½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp ancho chili powder (or cayenne, if you like it hotter, I think ancho has more flavor)

1 Tbsp kosher salt or sea salt (I had smoked sea salt lying around, it worked great)

½ tsp black pepper

A pinch of red pepper flakes

Combine all these ingredients and mix well. Make sure you break up any chunks of sugar. I used my hands to work it in to the spices until it has the texture of sand. Cover the meat in the spice mixture, rub it in, really work it in. Use your hands, it’s fun! Cover, and put the meat in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight if you want. It will help the spices to get really deep into the meat. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and put the meat in. Cover with another sheet of foil and crimp tight. Roast in the oven for 90 minutes. Meanwhile, make the basting sauce.

3 Tbsp packed brown sugar

¾ c cider vinegar

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp hot sauce (Tabasco, red hot, habanero, whatever you have, and more than this tiny little bit if you like it hot.)

½ tsp salt

I mixed mine in a pint jar so I could simply put a lid on and shake it all up to combine everything, and so I could save the leftover for another time. After the 1^st go-round of meat roasting, remove the pan from the oven and baste the meat well. Re-cover the meat and roast for an additional 45 minutes. Baste two or three more times during this time. Turn the meat with tongs to keep it from drying out. Re-cover the pan with the aluminum foil each time. After the second roasting session is over, remove the meat from the oven and smear it with bbq sauce of your choosing. This time, leave the foil off and roast for just 10 more tiny minutes. It’s torture to smell it, but you will soon have the succulent meat on your plate, I promise. After the roasting is all done, take the meat out and tent with foil, let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to re-distribute.

I know that 2 ½ hours seems like a long time for dinner, but it is well worth it, especially if it is a weekend and you have time to cook as well as people to feed. Give it a shot one day when you have the time, I promise it’s well worth the effort. Bon Apetit.