Its Natonal Potato Day! Potato Soup Oct 27, 2011

   National Potato Day, just when I felt like having rice. No worries, I recently had Loaded Baked Potato Soup at a local eatery, after hearing about it a few months ago. I was not disappointed; well, semi-disappointed--they only had enough for a cup, not a bowl by the time I got there. Better some, than none, and I would have loved more.

   So, I thought that since to today is National Potato Day, I'll make some Loaded Baked Potato soup for dinner. To my horror, I discovered hundreds of recipes that don't even start with--you guessed it--baked potatoes. What are these people thinking? If a recipe names something, shouldn't it at least have some of the aforementioned ingredient? Even Mock-Turtle soup gives you the heads up that there is no turtle in it. It must be me, I must ask too much.

   So the mad scientist persona overcame me.  Let's make baked potato soup from--you guessed it again--baked potatoes!

   Into the oven went four nice big Russet bakers, I decided to use two more in the body of the soup. Of course, there will be chicken stock in it, and bacon and cheddar cheese and onions. Oh, no, I am fresh out of green onions and chives...okay so it will not be totally loaded. But close.

   While the large bakers were baking in a 400° F oven I diced up about half a pound of bacon--yes we like a lot of bacon.

   I got the bacon real crispy. Took about 98% of the bacon out and drained it on paper toweling, setting it aside for later. To the rest of the bacon I added 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1 small onion chopped small. I let the onions sweat until they were translucent, then added 1 clove garlic smashed and mushed up real fine. Just stir it around until you get the aroma of the garlic, then its time to add 1/2 cup flour and stir in with a whisk or large fork until all the flour is incorporated in and the mixture is bubbly. Here's where I went a little awry. I let the roux color a bit to a light tan. That resulted in a "tan-ish" colored soup, instead of a white one, but I didn't care, I knew what I did. 

 

   Then I added 10 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of chicken base--really good stuff, just loaded with sodium, so if you have to limit your sodium intake use the best broth or stock you can find, or better yet, make your own.  Okay, we'll cover that soon, too.

   I diced up the other 2 spuds, leaving the skin on for all the vitamins, brought the mixture up to a boil and then let it simmer about 20 minutes for the potatoes to cook.

   While the potatoes were cooking I removed the cooked spuds from the oven to let cool a bit, then peeled just the outer skin off. I mashed up two of the baked potatoes to help give the broth body, the other two, I diced. Into the mix it all went, as well as about half of the rest of the bacon, and then I let it simmer for about 30 more minutes with the cover off to concentrate the flavors a bit. Please note, I did not use any extra salt, with the bacon, and the chicken base, it did not need a drop, and later with the cheese, it definitely won't need any additional salt. I did, however, add some pepper, about 1/2 teaspoon, you can add more at the table.

  Here's another change from most of the other recipes: I only used a cup of milk and no cream, which probably would have lightened the color more, but like I said, I didn't mind the color. I added 1/4 lb. grated Extra Sharp Cheddar with the milk, then  I only let the soup come to a simmer and just kept it nice and hot, but not boiling, so the cheese would melt. I decided not to add the sour cream to the soup at this point, either, because Number Two will be coming home from working on the road again, so I have to hold the pot for him until after 10 PM, the sour cream will break if I try to hold it that long. I decided I can add the sour cream at the table to each individual serving, then top it with shredded cheddar and some bacon bits. 

   The hubby and Number One elected to pass on the sour cream and just loved the soup anyway. They both said it was a good idea for the evening of our first snowfall, warming and filling.

   This is one of those recipes I will have to keep working on to perfect, even though it hit the spot pretty well, but I missed the chives, and once I added the sour cream it definitely tasted like a baked potato.

   How about you share your recipe for me to try?

Pretzel Day!

   Today is Pretzel Day. Okay, its also Pumpkin Day and Mince Meat Pie Day, but I am out of pumpkin and mince meat only sets foot in this house around Thanksgiving, and that is still almost a month away.   So let's celebrate pretzels, okay?

   THE best pretzels are, by far, in my humble opinion,  the ones you get at a street vendor in New York City. Warm, soft, salty, and huge. Usually accompanied by the aroma of roasting chestnuts, oh, am I dating myself? I haven't been to the city in so long, I don't even know if they still roast chestnuts on the streets anymore. Come to think of it, do they still have vendors on the streets? Someone will have to bring me up to speed on that, please.

   Anyway, homemade soft pretzels are to die for, also, so in honor of Pretzel Day, I struck out and made some:

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 package active dry yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
•  4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• water--enough to half fill a 12 inch skillet
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Coarse salt
• Non-stick cooking spray, or vegetable oil--your choice

    Combine the water, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer (I used my Kitchen Aid®) and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for five minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. 
   
   Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray or grease it with vegetable oil,  cover with  greased plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

   Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray 2 sheet pans with non-stick spray and set aside.

   Bring the water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled  surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.
  Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the  sheet pan.

   Place the pretzels in the boiling water, 1 at a time, each for 30 seconds.

Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the coarse salt.

Bake @ 450° F until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool a few minutes before eating.

Enjoy! I know I will!

International Day of the Nacho

   October 21st is the International Day of the Nacho. Number Two son will be very happy.

   Years ago, when Applebee's first moved into our neighborhood, it was nearly impossible to get seated during dinner time. There was an hour's wait, minimum, and with three small, very hungry boys, well, that's just not a good mix.  I was able to get us in for a late lunch one afternoon during a holiday break from school.

   Number Two had been told by a friend from school to get the Nachos, and being a nacho hound, that's what he ordered. I asked him if that was really all he wanted, the nachos being on the appetizer menu. He assured me that the nachos was all he wanted. He wasn't disappointed.

   I don't even remember what anyone else ordered. The waitress brings the nachos to the table and as she is putting them in front of Jesse I realize this appetizer is probably meant for a group of four adults. I could not see him over the pile of nachos and fixings. I lean over to try to see him. He is wide eyed and his mouth is open in a very large "O". Then he starts to stutter, "its a, its a, its a Nacho Mountain!" he finally exclaims.

   You could hear a small chorus of laughter from the surrounding tables. It was really quite funny, but, sadly, at that time cell phones didn't have cameras so I didn't get to save the picture, only the one in my head.

   Since then Number Two occasionally fondly recounts his memories of the Nacho Mountain he got at Applebee's. Tonight, I think I'm going to try to duplicate a mountain of nachos for my number two son, after he comes home from being on the road all week.

   Things did not work out as I had hoped. I did make the nacho chips from flour tortillas, but an automobile breakdown and subsequent tow truck break down lead to a fiasco of part to all of the family being stuck out of state from Thursday until Saturday night. I spent most of my time fielding phone calls, researching trouble codes  and coordinating a rescue operation--well, sorta.

   In between all of my worrying I did make a dish called Beef Nachos, with the chips being made from flour tortillas, some fried, some baked, but I failed to get a photo of the finished product. Again. 

   Well, here goes:

Beef Nachos

• 1 lb ground round--or any ground beef, just drain it well
• 1 14 ounce can refried beans
• 1 8 oz jar medium salsa
• 2 tablespoons dehydrated onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 1 cup tomato sauce 
• tortilla chips
• lettuce, shredded
• chopped tomatoes
• shredded cheddar or Colby or Monterrey jack cheese or any combination of all the cheeses
• black olives, sliced or chopped (optional)
• chopped or sliced jalapeno peppers (optional)
• chopped onion  (optional)

Brown the beef and drain well, add the refried beans, tomato sauce, salsa, onions, spices and mix well. Bring to simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Put a layer of nacho chips on a shallow baking pan or dish, Layer the meat mixture over the top, top with shredded cheese. Put in 350°F oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and gooey. Top with desired toppings (optional) serve with sour cream, if desired.
  
   Enjoy--Number Two did, finally.
    Oh, I took flour tortillas and with a pizza cutter cut them into wedges, then baked half of them on a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick spray, the other half I fried in canola oil, just a minute or two until they started to brown and puff, drained well on paper towels. Season as soon as they come out of the oil. Here's a photo of the chips:

Seafood Bisque Day/ Faux Lobster Fondue

   Today, October 19, is National Seafood Bisque Day. Although I am not making seafood bisque today I want to share with you a recipe that is based on a copycat recipe for Lobster Fondue that used to be on the appetizer menu at Red Lobster®. As you all know me, I can never leave well enough alone, although I had a good reason for it this time: I wanted a main course, not an appetizer, so although we refer to this as Lobster Fondue, it is not a fondue, per se, but much closer to a bisque; you eat it with a spoon, not just dip bread into it. Oh, and I serve this in bread bowls. Next time I make it I will upload the photos here, so for now, just let your imagination float along with my ship of seafood deliciousness.

   You need to make your bread bowls, although you can use large kaiser rolls, hollowed out, if you aren't game to make your own. Sometimes I really cheat and use fresh, or frozen, pizza  dough from the supermarket. If its frozen you'll need to allow time for it to thaw before you can shape it.

   Okay, get your dough thawed out, or through its first rise, if you are making it fresh. I make 2 bread bowls for each pound of purchased pizza dough, or 8 from a single bread dough recipe. I found both six and eight ounce chicken pot pie tins in the supermarket, which I have yet to use for chicken pot pie, I use them, instead to shape the bread bowls and they are just perfect--either size. I use the larger ones first (only have five), then use the smaller ones for the extra dunking bread, but I am getting ahead of myself.

   Spray the tins with non-stick spray, or grease them well with Crisco® or olive oil (whatever did I do before non-stick spray?) Place the tins on two sheet pans so you can handle them easier. Roll the dough into balls, put into the tins, turning once to grease the whole wad, ending with the prettier side facing up. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise for an hour or so. Can't fill in the hour or so because each dough will rise differently due to your location, the temperature in the room, the time of year, you know the drill. Bake them at 350° F die 15-20 minutes, nicely browned. Remove them from the oven, but not from the tins. Let them cool. When they have cooled, you can hollow them out, reserving the tops and inside fluff. I usually take a very sharp knife and insert it on a diagonal into the bread about 3/4 of an inch from the side. then, carefully cut around the bread, making sure you don't go through the bottom. When you reach the starting point withdraw the knife and gently lift the top of the bread off. You have a pointy wedge of bread. Then you can reach inside and pull away more of the inside dough. I do leave a coating of bread in the bowl, helps to absorb the liquid that it is going to be holding in a little while! I usually toast the bread that is not attached to the top, or lid, as I like to call it, but you can if you'd like. I slice the breads that I don't need as bowls and toast them up as well for dunking (see I told you I'd tell you about the extra dunking bread.) You can also use crackers, if you'd like. Remember: this is YOUR KITCHEN, YOU ARE IN CHARGE!

   That all takes longer than putting the "soup" together, but you have time while the dough raises and bakes so it really doesn't take as long as it might seem by reading all those instructions.

   For the soup you need :

• 3/4 to 1 lb. raw shrimp any size, but you will be cutting big ones, peeled completely--RESERVE THE SHELLS
• 3/4 lb bay scallops
• crab legs, imitation crab (not here) or langostinos cooked and peeled, reserve the shells if you cook them (optional)
• 1-1/2 quarts water-divided
• 1-2 bottles clam juice (optional)
• 1/2 cup Sauterne (in this case go ahead & use the one from the grocery store, the real stuff is just so expensive the local liquor stores won't even carry it for me anymore) 
• 1-1/4 lb. Velveeta Cheese (no, I am not kidding) cut into cubes
• 1/2 lb Swiss cheese shredded
• 1 red pepper diced to 1/4 inch dice (if you can find Ancient Sweets®- use them)
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (yes, you can use more)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more or less or omit if you want)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup cream or milk
• optional: roux, or flour/water paste to thicken if desired)

Cook the langostinos in one quart of water, if needed. Toss in the crab legs to heat, Peel shell, whatever, and throw the shells back in the water, Add the shrimp shells and cook until the shells turn pink, 6 minutes or so. Strain the shells out of the broth; KEEP THE BROTH. Toss in the scallops and shrimp, the rest of the water. Once the shrimp turn pink, lower the flame to low, keeping the broth warm. Transfer about 3 cups of the broth into another 8 quart pot, add the Sauterne, stir. Start adding the Velveeta and Swiss cheeses, in batches,stirring to melt in. Add the red pepper, the hot sauce and the spices. Stir until everything is smooth. Add the milk or cream (if you use milk it cannot come to a boil or it will curdle) taste and adjust for spice (here's where you add the extra hot stuff, more broth, or another bottle of clam juice if its too thick, more milk or cream if its too hot. Add the langostinos and/or crab legs

   Ladle into bread bowls, that have been set in a soup bowl, don't worry about overflowing, just makes it look better, anyway. Prop the lid on the top, slightly askew. Serve with extra dunking bread toasts (or untoasted) and/or crackers.

   Usually enough for 1 refilled bowl each, with a bit leftover--doesn't last long around here!

  Yes, I know its not exactly the least expensive meal, but if you want something really special that doesn't really require heavy duty effort, there you go.

  I promise to post photos next time I make this, probably not until December, though, as I want to wait for Austin to be home to make this again. He would probably kill me if I made it when he was away at school!

   How are you going to celebrate National Seafood Bisque Day?

Sandwich Buns

  Okay, okay, I have been a little lazy with my cooking for the past few days. I confess that my other "love", natural soap-making, has been occupying my time. That's not to say that I haven't cooked, just nothing I feel is interesting enough to blabber about. And today is not really an exception to that, but I tried another new yeast roll recipe and made a "new" tartar sauce for the soft shell crabs we are having tonight.

   I used a recipe for soft sandwich rolls from King Arthur Flour:

• Buns

  • 3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  
  Three things: 1) the amount of water you will end up using is dependent upon the humidity/your location/time of year (you start with the 3/4 cup and only add more if the dough is too dry); 2) This recipe uses INSTANT yeast and; 3) the butter is added to the dough after it is mostly formed--you knead the soft butter into the dough. I thought that was a little unusual but the results were magnificent!  Of course I used a Kitchen Aid® stand mixer, so kneading in the butter was not an issue.
  
  Add the beaten egg to the 3/4 cup of lukewarm water. Add about 1/3 of the flour to the mixing bowl of your mixer, add about 1/2 of the water/egg, so you get a slurry. Add the balance of the flour, the salt, the sugar and the yeast, using the dough hook. Slowly add the balance of the water/egg mixture. You want a soft dough, not sticky. If it is too dry go ahead and add more warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until you get a nice soft, not sticky dough. Knead on high for about 4 minutes. With the mixer still on high, add the soft butter in about 4 additions, kneading it in all the way before adding the next. Knead another 4 minutes after all the butter is incorporated.  Shape into ball, and put in a well greased bowl, cover with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Put someplace warm and allow to rise until doubled in size (that took about 2 hours today). Punch down dough and turn out onto floured surface. Cut into 8 equal pieces, roll into a round and flatten slightly. Place on a greased sheet pan, with some room between each round. Cover with greased plastic wrap, light towel and let rise again another 45 minutes to one hour.
  
  
  
  
  
     Don't these babies look great? Okay, Next you paint them with an egg wash--one egg beaten with one tablespoon water and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds or an everything mix, if you can find one, or make one.
      Bake in a 375° F oven for 12-15 minutes. You will not believe the aroma that permeates the house! It is divine!
  
     The rolls come out slightly sweet, and soft. I have never made this type of bun/roll before, and have totally impressed myself! Even the hubby said, "I hope you kept this recipe."
     Touchdown!    

 
   Hope you, too, can try to make these buns. How about sharing one of your recipes? This can be a 2-way street!
   Thanks for looking!

Mexican Lasagna

   I know we have discussed the merits to using flour tortillas before, in the Easy Breezy Lasagna recipe; today I will introduce you to the recipe that originally inspired that version. It is a "take" on Kidney Bean-Tortilla Lasagna from The Stocked Kitchen by Sarah Kallio and Stacey Krastins. Click here to see what "The Stocked Kitchen" is all about! It just goes to show you that you can take just about any recipe and tweak it to fit your own tastes. Don't ever be afraid to try to change things, within reason, of course. If you keep your changes in the same "family" or limited to things you already know go together, you can still come up with your own version of just about anything.

   The original recipe is vegetarian, at least I think that's what it is, having no meat in it. That doesn't fly in this house, all my men are meat eaters, so I substitute some ground beef for a can of kidney beans, and call it Mexican Lasagna, and they'll never know it was inspired by a meatless meal! That will be our little secret, okay?

• 1-1/2 lbs lean ground round (90% or better)
• 3 cups any Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• One 15-1/2 ounce can small red beans, or kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• one 4 ounce can sliced or chopped drained black olives (optional)
• Two cups kernel corn, from a one or two lb bag 
• 6 flour tortillas (medium-soft taco size)
• 2 cups grated cheese (I use 1 cup of mozzarella & one cup of extra sharp cheddar, mixed)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Spray a 10 inch skillet with nonstick spray, and brown ground beef until beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat (with the really lean stuff you might actually have to add some cooking oil to brown it correctly). Add the dried minced onion, the spaghetti sauce, sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, the beans, olives, if using, and the corn. Stir well and get it hot. Spoon 1 cup mixture into bottom of baking dish, cover with 2 tortillas, follow with 1/3 of the balance of the meat mixture, 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat two more times. Cover with aluminum foil, slip into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes to get the cheeses melted and browned. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Cut like lasagna. Touchdown!

   I hope you give this one a whirl. Its easy, healthy, and just plain GOOD! 

   Also please be sure to check out The Stocked Kitchen website (posted earlier on this page) for more recipes, ideas and discussions on working from a stocked kitchen!

   Love hearing from you all!

A Different Pot Roast

   Remember, a few days ago I told you the story of my husband being a beef man? Well, I guess it has been too long since we've had beef. He has requested pot roast for dinner today. Ahh, pot roast! As a child I despised the mere sound of the words. I didn't so much mind the beef or the potatoes or carrots, but the gravy? Yuk. It always seemed greasy to me. I could not get past the shiny stuff floating on top of the gravy to get to the real beefy part. So, sorry, Mom, I did not like your pot roast. At all.

   Then as a young adult I had the opportunity to have a friend's (okay, an old boyfriend's) mother's pot roast. Of course, hearing what was on the menu, I tried to opt out, but I was not in the position, on this particular day, to bow out gracefully. I was doomed to eat pot roast that day. Oh., bother!

  Arriving at the dinner table I immediately noticed a bowl of egg noodles. Hmm. Noodles? Okay, that's different. Then came a bowl of carrots in a deep orange-colored "sauce". Now that was really different. A platter of meat arrived, it, too looked different than what I had grown up with. Wow, this is pot roast?

   Well, yes, it was a version of beef roasted or braised in liquid in a large pot with carrots and onions, some beef broth, and an entire bottle of chili sauce. What? Chili sauce? I don't like spicy foods (or at least at that point of my life I did not like any spicy things.) I was told not to worry, it is not spicy, but sweet. Sweet?

    Onto my plate comes a large scoop of noodles, two slices of beef right next to it, then the orange-y sauce with the carrots in it was ladled on top. This is definitely not like any pot roast I have ever had before.

   Fork in hand,  I tried the noodles with the sauce first. Hey, that's pretty good! Then the carrots. Wow. Then some of the beef. Holy Moly! Now that is a pot roast I can actually enjoy!

   Have not seen that family in well over 25 years, but I still use their recipe, tweaked it a bit to ensure it gets sweet enough. And I adapted it to the crock pot to make my life really easy.

    Really different Pot Roast

• 6 large carrots peeled and cut into 3 inch lengths and thick sticks (see photo)
• 5 lb. beef rump roast, bottom round or chuck roast, trimmed of a lot of the outside fat
• 1 large Vidalia onion --sliced or chopped
• 1 cup flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon beef base
• 1 bottle chili sauce (sorry I use Heinz--I have tried others, just not as good results)
• 2 bottles (chili sauce bottles) of water
• Hot cooked egg noodles-go ahead and make your own, its okay!

   Roll the beef around in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add the onions and let them sweat, turn translucent, and begin to brown around the edges. Add the floured beef and brown it really well on all sides.

   While the beef is browning, add the carrots to the bottom of the crock pot. We all know that the vegetables take longer to cook in a crock pot than the meat, right? If the onions start looking like they are going to burn, lift them out with a slotted spoon, leaving behind any grease there may be, but there usually isn't much at this point. Add them to the crock pot, sprinkle in a tablespoon of the sugar.

   When the meat is all good and browned all the way around remove it from the pan and set it on top of the carrots and onions in the crock pot (there won't be a lot of onions anymore--they're there for flavor.) Pour the bottle of chili sauce over the meat and around the sides. Skim out any excess oil in the pan, if there still is any. Add the teaspoon of beef base, and the two bottles of water using the chili sauce bottle. Stir it up well, with the heat on high to loosen any of the browned bits stuck to the pan.Pour this mixture into the crock pot, add the other 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cover and let it cook for 8 hours.

    Here's the carrots:

And the meat going in to the crock pot:

   It might not seem like a lot of juice right at the beginning, but when the meat starts releasing its juices, there will be plenty! You still have to skim off the fat that accumulates on the top, otherwise you will get that "greasy flotilla" shinning across the top. So skim away any clear liquid, it will be orange, but you can tell the difference between the floating fat and the actual gravy. If the gravy isn't thick enough at the end you can use any method you have had success with in your crock pot to thicken it. I have had no success in thickening gravy in a crock pot that worked fast enough for me so after removing the meat, and straining out as many carrots as I can I return the juices to the dutch oven from this morning and slowly add some roux I have made on the side until I get the thickness of gravy my family likes, which is on the thick side.