A Lighter Chicken Pot Pie
This Chicken Pot Pie has become one of my very favorite recipes. Underneath these toasted, cheesy croutons, you will find creamy chicken, carrots, celery, onion and peas. I love the crispness of the crouton topping. I also love the fact that it's very economical -- what a great way to use up a loaf of french bread, and the end of a rotiesserie chicken. It has been adapted from Sunset Magazine, and the full recipe is found here. As most home cooks do, I have a couple of tweaks.
1. I found, by trying both, that dried tarragon worked fine in place of fresh.
2. After a rather vigorous search, I was able to find emmenthal cheese. However, the price was prohibitive, and so I substituted fresh parmesan. It seems just great, but if you have a large cheese budget, you might want to try the emmenthal.
3. Parsley is not called for, but I think a little on top looks pretty.
1. I found, by trying both, that dried tarragon worked fine in place of fresh.
2. After a rather vigorous search, I was able to find emmenthal cheese. However, the price was prohibitive, and so I substituted fresh parmesan. It seems just great, but if you have a large cheese budget, you might want to try the emmenthal.
3. Parsley is not called for, but I think a little on top looks pretty.
Last-Minute Neighbor Christmas Gifts
Step One: Gather together clean jars.
Those of you who follow me on Twitter know about my neighbor-present debacle, wherein I ate the baklava that was supposed to be a gift. That meant that today I needed to start over. In addition, I needed to make several of something, since I have some really excellent neighbors. Enter the "jar" gift. I have been saving these retro-looking spaghetti sauce jars all year, and it was time to put them to good use. Originally I had thought I'd make a cookie mix, but I mixed the following "coating" recipe up recently and thought it would work well.
Coating Mix Pork, Chicken, or Fish
(Adapted from Cooks.com)
2 cups flour
1 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup rice flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Combine well.
The "secret weapons" here are the rice flour and the panko crumbs, which make the coating really crunchy.
To use, pour some coating mix into a Ziploc. Dip your pork, chicken, or fish into an egg wash, then pop it into the bag to shake and coat. Fry or oven-bake.
Here is how it went . . .
Coating Mix Pork, Chicken, or Fish
(Adapted from Cooks.com)
2 cups flour
1 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup rice flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Combine well.
The "secret weapons" here are the rice flour and the panko crumbs, which make the coating really crunchy.
To use, pour some coating mix into a Ziploc. Dip your pork, chicken, or fish into an egg wash, then pop it into the bag to shake and coat. Fry or oven-bake.
Here is how it went . . .
Step 2: Mix ingredients.
Stir, stir, stir.
I like smoked paprika's aroma and flavor more than "regular" paprika.
Step 3: Make helluva mess.
This tablecloth was clean only moments ago.
It was indeed at this point that Mr. Logistical remarked, "What a mess."
Step 4: Label.
Ready for distribution.
Ta-daah! Mr. Logical did the labeling (reason: see above photo). Labels are not within my skill set.
Tonight and tomorrow we will merrily distribute.
Tonight and tomorrow we will merrily distribute.
Why I Love Making Manicotti
Chicken Manicotti
I forget about making manicotti, and I don't know why. It's one of the easiest things there is to make, and it's really good. I like easy, especially after a long day. Mr. Logistical loves it, so I have made a mental note to keep these handy pasta tubes on hand, and pick them up on sale. I do not really have a formal recipe, but here is how I made this.
I had a cup of leftover chicken in the freezer. I defrosted it, and tossed it into a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of low-fat cottage cheese and two cups of fresh spinach. I sprinkled that mixture with salt, pepper, and oregano (about 1/2 teaspoon each). Next, I took one-half of the package, or 7 tubes, and stuffed them with this mixture. I sprayed the pan with Pam, and into the pan they went -- along with six fresh, large mushrooms, washed and chopped.
I had a little leftover filling, so I spread that on top, and then poured a jar of pasta sauce over everything. I covered it with foil and into a 375-degree oven it went for 45 minutes. I then uncovered the dish and sprinkled it liberally with 3/4 cup of mozzarella. Back into the oven it went for 12 minutes, until the cheese was melted and brown. I allowed it to sit for 10 minutes, then served with a salad. Really easy, and delicious.
I had a cup of leftover chicken in the freezer. I defrosted it, and tossed it into a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of low-fat cottage cheese and two cups of fresh spinach. I sprinkled that mixture with salt, pepper, and oregano (about 1/2 teaspoon each). Next, I took one-half of the package, or 7 tubes, and stuffed them with this mixture. I sprayed the pan with Pam, and into the pan they went -- along with six fresh, large mushrooms, washed and chopped.
I had a little leftover filling, so I spread that on top, and then poured a jar of pasta sauce over everything. I covered it with foil and into a 375-degree oven it went for 45 minutes. I then uncovered the dish and sprinkled it liberally with 3/4 cup of mozzarella. Back into the oven it went for 12 minutes, until the cheese was melted and brown. I allowed it to sit for 10 minutes, then served with a salad. Really easy, and delicious.
Hawaii-style dinner: Laulau, Lomi Salmon, "Mac" Salad and Rice.
As Promised: The Smoker.
Ladies, I am here to help you. If you are looking for a great Christmas present right now for your husbands, fathers, brothers . . . here it is. If your husband/father/brother likes to barbeque, then maybe it's time to take it to the next level, and get him a smoker. See the turkey below? Yep, he can make that. And ribs, chickens, roasts . . .
I asked Mr. Logistical to do a "guest post, so that you could learn a little more about it. He did, and here it is, below. -She Who Must Not Be Ignored
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The husband, here -- also affectionately known as “Mr. Logistical.” (At least, I think it’s affectionately?) “She Who Must Not Be Ignored” has asked me to synopsize my turkey smoking experience for her readers. She cleverly bought me an inexpensive bullet-shaped water smoker for Christmas a couple years ago, thereby doubling the number of meals cooked outdoors, by someone other than herself. (Say, just who really is logistical, around here, anyway?) I had never smoked anything except a cigar before that, and now I have gotten so I am pretty comfortable smoking meats for dinner. Most often, because we love them, I smoke baby back ribs. But recently, I took a step into unknown territory and smoked a 15 pound turkey. I would be suspicious of how enthusiastic she is about how it turned out, except I have tasted it myself, and it is excellent.
Before I get too far along, I have to detour and give the best possible smoking tip I know to those who are interested in learning to smoke meat: Go to his website and read as much as you can before your eyes give out. Lovingly maintained by self-described Barbecue Whisperer and Hedonism Evangelist, Craig “Meathead” Goldwyn, this website is one of the most comprehensive free resources, on any subject, that I have ever seen. I owe any success I have had in producing delicious smoked meats to this dedicated guru of gourmet garden gastronomy. He has even written tips on purchasing a smoker, to get you started on the right foot.
As my smoker was already purchased for me, I went straight to his links about smoker modifications, to turn my “ECB” (“El Cheapo” Brinkmann) into a pretty efficient cooker. “Smoker Mods” are a whole subcategory of the smoking hobby. I think smoking must appeal to the same kinds of people who like to tinker, because there are some really clever Smoker Mod engineers out there, sharing their methods to supercharge smokers. Natural skeptic that I am, I wondered why, if these modifications really improved the functioning of the smokers, the manufacturers didn’t just build them that way in the first place. So, I nervously made only basic changes to mine, at first, to help lagging coals that seemed starved of oxygen. I improved the airflow to the coal pan by drilling strategically located holes, put a coal grate into it, and changed the coal pan suspension so I could take the smoker off the top of it to refill it with coals, rather than having to take the smoker all apart in the middle of the cooking process and lose all of the accumulated heat. This resulted in a big return in cooking efficiency and ease, so I went one step further and added a Weber-like air vent damper to the lid, to allow both more airflow and more control of the airflow. These changes have really improved the quality and speed of my smoking.
Back to the turkey: I read my smoker manual first, and learned that a 10 to 15 pound turkey should take approximately 8 to 12 hours to cook. Whoa! Long day! After doing the prep work, I got it onto the smoker as early as I could, operating with the backup plan that I would pull it from the smoker and put in the oven to finish it, if I had to. The smoker manual had a tasty-sounding liquid rub recipe with ingredients I knew we loved, so I decided to go with that, instead of consulting Meathead’s website:
¼ c. Vegetable oil
¼ c. Burgundy wine
1/3 c. Lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Melted butter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Marjoram,
½ tsp. Pepper
I poured some of the mixture inside and rolled it around to coat the inside, then poured some onto the outside and rubbed it in. I poured the excess into the smoker’s water pan. I also cut up part of an onion and some celery and put some loosely in the turkey cavity, and put the rest in the water pan.
I go through a pan of charcoal about every two or so hours, so I go out and use a chimney starter to fire up a new batch about twenty minutes before I am going to change the coals out. The second time I did this, I let my curiosity get the better of me, and I peeked under the lid of the smoker. If you do this too much, of course, you increase your cooking time by letting the hot air out. In this instance, however, it was a good thing I did, because I discovered an already golden-brown bird under there! By this time, I had gotten behind in my coal changes, so I was about 4½ hours into the cooking. Never having smoked a turkey, I reasoned that the skin must have browned prematurely, due to the smoke, and assumed the meat inside was still not cooked. Just to be sure, however, after doing a couple other things, I belatedly got the leave-in meat thermometer and checked the thigh and breast temperatures. By this time, the turkey had been in the smoker exactly five hours, and the silly bird was completely done! I couldn’t believe it! If I hadn’t gotten curious and peeked “prematurely,” I might have overcooked it.
This leads me to my second recommendation: Listen to Meathead, and get yourself a good smoker thermometer, and a good meat thermometer. My remote digital meat thermometer broke, so I was doing it the old-fashioned way, with a manual thermometer, and I almost blew it. I theorize that my smoker mods have increased my cooking temperature enough that the cooking time estimates in the manual should be thrown out the window, now. If I had replaced the cheap, bimetal smoker thermometer like Meathead recommends, I would have known that. (Hello? She Who Must Not Be Ignored? Christmas is right around the corner, hint, hint!)
The true test, of course, was how the turkey turned out. It was delicious and moist! Mildly smoky, like barbecued meat, which we love. I nibbled so much while I was carving that I almost ruined my appetite for dinner. If you like barbecued meats and smoky flavors, I highly recommend going to the next level and getting a smoker.
I asked Mr. Logistical to do a "guest post, so that you could learn a little more about it. He did, and here it is, below. -She Who Must Not Be Ignored
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The husband, here -- also affectionately known as “Mr. Logistical.” (At least, I think it’s affectionately?) “She Who Must Not Be Ignored” has asked me to synopsize my turkey smoking experience for her readers. She cleverly bought me an inexpensive bullet-shaped water smoker for Christmas a couple years ago, thereby doubling the number of meals cooked outdoors, by someone other than herself. (Say, just who really is logistical, around here, anyway?) I had never smoked anything except a cigar before that, and now I have gotten so I am pretty comfortable smoking meats for dinner. Most often, because we love them, I smoke baby back ribs. But recently, I took a step into unknown territory and smoked a 15 pound turkey. I would be suspicious of how enthusiastic she is about how it turned out, except I have tasted it myself, and it is excellent.
Before I get too far along, I have to detour and give the best possible smoking tip I know to those who are interested in learning to smoke meat: Go to his website and read as much as you can before your eyes give out. Lovingly maintained by self-described Barbecue Whisperer and Hedonism Evangelist, Craig “Meathead” Goldwyn, this website is one of the most comprehensive free resources, on any subject, that I have ever seen. I owe any success I have had in producing delicious smoked meats to this dedicated guru of gourmet garden gastronomy. He has even written tips on purchasing a smoker, to get you started on the right foot.
As my smoker was already purchased for me, I went straight to his links about smoker modifications, to turn my “ECB” (“El Cheapo” Brinkmann) into a pretty efficient cooker. “Smoker Mods” are a whole subcategory of the smoking hobby. I think smoking must appeal to the same kinds of people who like to tinker, because there are some really clever Smoker Mod engineers out there, sharing their methods to supercharge smokers. Natural skeptic that I am, I wondered why, if these modifications really improved the functioning of the smokers, the manufacturers didn’t just build them that way in the first place. So, I nervously made only basic changes to mine, at first, to help lagging coals that seemed starved of oxygen. I improved the airflow to the coal pan by drilling strategically located holes, put a coal grate into it, and changed the coal pan suspension so I could take the smoker off the top of it to refill it with coals, rather than having to take the smoker all apart in the middle of the cooking process and lose all of the accumulated heat. This resulted in a big return in cooking efficiency and ease, so I went one step further and added a Weber-like air vent damper to the lid, to allow both more airflow and more control of the airflow. These changes have really improved the quality and speed of my smoking.
Back to the turkey: I read my smoker manual first, and learned that a 10 to 15 pound turkey should take approximately 8 to 12 hours to cook. Whoa! Long day! After doing the prep work, I got it onto the smoker as early as I could, operating with the backup plan that I would pull it from the smoker and put in the oven to finish it, if I had to. The smoker manual had a tasty-sounding liquid rub recipe with ingredients I knew we loved, so I decided to go with that, instead of consulting Meathead’s website:
¼ c. Vegetable oil
¼ c. Burgundy wine
1/3 c. Lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Melted butter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Marjoram,
½ tsp. Pepper
I poured some of the mixture inside and rolled it around to coat the inside, then poured some onto the outside and rubbed it in. I poured the excess into the smoker’s water pan. I also cut up part of an onion and some celery and put some loosely in the turkey cavity, and put the rest in the water pan.
I go through a pan of charcoal about every two or so hours, so I go out and use a chimney starter to fire up a new batch about twenty minutes before I am going to change the coals out. The second time I did this, I let my curiosity get the better of me, and I peeked under the lid of the smoker. If you do this too much, of course, you increase your cooking time by letting the hot air out. In this instance, however, it was a good thing I did, because I discovered an already golden-brown bird under there! By this time, I had gotten behind in my coal changes, so I was about 4½ hours into the cooking. Never having smoked a turkey, I reasoned that the skin must have browned prematurely, due to the smoke, and assumed the meat inside was still not cooked. Just to be sure, however, after doing a couple other things, I belatedly got the leave-in meat thermometer and checked the thigh and breast temperatures. By this time, the turkey had been in the smoker exactly five hours, and the silly bird was completely done! I couldn’t believe it! If I hadn’t gotten curious and peeked “prematurely,” I might have overcooked it.
This leads me to my second recommendation: Listen to Meathead, and get yourself a good smoker thermometer, and a good meat thermometer. My remote digital meat thermometer broke, so I was doing it the old-fashioned way, with a manual thermometer, and I almost blew it. I theorize that my smoker mods have increased my cooking temperature enough that the cooking time estimates in the manual should be thrown out the window, now. If I had replaced the cheap, bimetal smoker thermometer like Meathead recommends, I would have known that. (Hello? She Who Must Not Be Ignored? Christmas is right around the corner, hint, hint!)
The true test, of course, was how the turkey turned out. It was delicious and moist! Mildly smoky, like barbecued meat, which we love. I nibbled so much while I was carving that I almost ruined my appetite for dinner. If you like barbecued meats and smoky flavors, I highly recommend going to the next level and getting a smoker.
Modified lid
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Modified parts
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Here is ours, right out of the SMOKER. I promise to later post instructions about how Mr. Logistical did this, but I can honestly say it is the best turkey I have ever had. He made a great marinade, put some vegetables in the cavity, and smoked it. What a flavor. It is moist throughout. It is so good, that if I can still find turkeys on sale tomorrow, we're getting another and doing it all again. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. -Marla
Walnut Envy
So last Sunday, my girlfriend MZ emailed me and blithely mentioned that she was on her way to go pick up walnuts from her sister-in-law’s trees. What??? She HAS to know that is the sort of activity that sends me into a creative frenzy. To me that rates with “Toot-a-loo, off to whip up some goat cheese,” or “Back after I knit penguin sweaters.” It’s very likely she was jerking my chain, because she KNOWS how I am about trying new domestic things. For instance, after she told me her husband makes his own ketchup, I had to go and try that. She knows I only have mac nuts here and that the likelihood of my picking up walnuts is as likely as my . . . knitting penguin sweaters.
Back to the nuts.
I nagged her until she said she would take some pictures. She cooperated, and I LOVE them. They are shown below. I’d frame these and hang them in my kitchen.
After cracking them and extracting the nutmeats, she dried them in her dehydrator. She plans to share with her perfect squirrels, in her perfect park-like yard. She makes wonderful biscotti at Christmas. These walnuts will be great in them:
MZ’s Biscotti
1 cup walnuts, or hazelnuts
1 stick unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
1 T. grated lemon peel
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 cups sifted flower (yeah, like I ever do that) VERBATIM FROM RECIPE! Ha.
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
Preheat oven to 350.
Place walnuts or hazelnuts on a baking sheet and lightly toast in oven, shaking the pan occasionally, about 15 – 18 minutes. If you use hazelnuts, roll in a clean dishtowel, rubbing skins off. Coarsely chop nuts.
Cream butter, sugar, and lemon peel until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Stir in vanilla. “Sift” the dry ingredients together and gradually add to butter mixture, combining thoroughly. Stir in chopped nuts.
Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a 2 to 2 ½ inch-diameter log. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and press down to form flattened arch shape.
Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, with a very sharp knife, cut flattened logs into ¾ inch slices. Lay the slices on their sides 1 – 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and return to the oven. Continue baking until biscotti are dry and lightly brown, approximately 15 minutes more. Cool on a rack. Share with squirrels.
Back to the nuts.
I nagged her until she said she would take some pictures. She cooperated, and I LOVE them. They are shown below. I’d frame these and hang them in my kitchen.
After cracking them and extracting the nutmeats, she dried them in her dehydrator. She plans to share with her perfect squirrels, in her perfect park-like yard. She makes wonderful biscotti at Christmas. These walnuts will be great in them:
MZ’s Biscotti
1 cup walnuts, or hazelnuts
1 stick unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
1 T. grated lemon peel
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 cups sifted flower (yeah, like I ever do that) VERBATIM FROM RECIPE! Ha.
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
Preheat oven to 350.
Place walnuts or hazelnuts on a baking sheet and lightly toast in oven, shaking the pan occasionally, about 15 – 18 minutes. If you use hazelnuts, roll in a clean dishtowel, rubbing skins off. Coarsely chop nuts.
Cream butter, sugar, and lemon peel until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Stir in vanilla. “Sift” the dry ingredients together and gradually add to butter mixture, combining thoroughly. Stir in chopped nuts.
Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a 2 to 2 ½ inch-diameter log. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and press down to form flattened arch shape.
Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, with a very sharp knife, cut flattened logs into ¾ inch slices. Lay the slices on their sides 1 – 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and return to the oven. Continue baking until biscotti are dry and lightly brown, approximately 15 minutes more. Cool on a rack. Share with squirrels.
Beautiful walnuts
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Look at this big bomber
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Walnut meats
Squirrel enjoying biscotti.
The Bitter End
Promise to work on my plating. A garnish would be nice, too.
I probably wouldn’t have been hired by wisebread.com were it not for my freakishly frugal, Scottish save-a-buck tendencies. While I think “Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fresh Macadamia-Walnut-Red Pepper Pesto” sounds sorta fancy, it wasn’t. It did, however, taste pretty good. Additionally, Mr. Logistcal said he thought dinner was great, and he doesn't lie.
I call this hot mess “The Bitter End” because in its construction, I used up a bucketload of stuff.
To begin with: the chicken thighs. I found those in the waaaaay back of the freezer and I think they might’ve been eating the rest of them in that Last Supper painting. Those had to be dealt with.
Secondly: the pasta. That was a bag of three different types of “ends of the box” pastas. I will call that pasta threemaggio. I just save all the leftovers in a Ziploc until I have enough for a meal.
Third: the veggies. After I dumped the pasta into a colander, I threw some vegetables into my big pot. I found spinach that was beginning to wilt, and a cup of broccoli left over from . . . huh. I’ll have to think about that some more.
Fourth: the pesto. Well, this was a real work of art. To begin with, I had basil in a window box that was starting to flower. Oops. That means it’s kinda done. To that, I added the butt ends of some parmesan cheese I was previously too lazy to grate. Then I found two packages of nuts in my nut container – macadamia and walnut – and even Ina Garten says it’s OK to mix the nuts in pesto – so I did (after toasting them at 200 for 9 minutes). There were also 2 tablespoons of red peppers in a jar that were languishing. I deposited them into the chopper. With that, I threw in some garlic, olive oil and salt and hit “pulse.” It was delicious.
What’s more, it made enough leftovers to send it around for dinner, again.
Please pardon the paper napkin in the photo. I am too lazy to use cloth napkins. They require ironing, and you all know how I feel about that.
I call this hot mess “The Bitter End” because in its construction, I used up a bucketload of stuff.
To begin with: the chicken thighs. I found those in the waaaaay back of the freezer and I think they might’ve been eating the rest of them in that Last Supper painting. Those had to be dealt with.
Secondly: the pasta. That was a bag of three different types of “ends of the box” pastas. I will call that pasta threemaggio. I just save all the leftovers in a Ziploc until I have enough for a meal.
Third: the veggies. After I dumped the pasta into a colander, I threw some vegetables into my big pot. I found spinach that was beginning to wilt, and a cup of broccoli left over from . . . huh. I’ll have to think about that some more.
Fourth: the pesto. Well, this was a real work of art. To begin with, I had basil in a window box that was starting to flower. Oops. That means it’s kinda done. To that, I added the butt ends of some parmesan cheese I was previously too lazy to grate. Then I found two packages of nuts in my nut container – macadamia and walnut – and even Ina Garten says it’s OK to mix the nuts in pesto – so I did (after toasting them at 200 for 9 minutes). There were also 2 tablespoons of red peppers in a jar that were languishing. I deposited them into the chopper. With that, I threw in some garlic, olive oil and salt and hit “pulse.” It was delicious.
What’s more, it made enough leftovers to send it around for dinner, again.
Please pardon the paper napkin in the photo. I am too lazy to use cloth napkins. They require ironing, and you all know how I feel about that.
Kabocha Squash Soup
We have been experiencing a pretty wet few days -- complete with a flood watch. That kind of weather make me think SOUP. A few nights ago, I looked at my kabocha pumpkin and thought okay, you have pretty good soup potential, Mr. Squash. Here is what I came up with.
Kabocha Squash Soup a la Cruel Ironing
1 medium kobacha squash
1 can "light" coconut milk
1 cup half & half
2 cups chicken broth
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped, toasted macadamia nuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 t. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
Hot cooked rice
Cut squash into halves and scoop out the seeds. Cover halves with foil, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 75 minutes.
While the squash is baking, cook rice according to directions.
Reduce oven temperature to 300, and toast macadamia nuts for 8 minutes. Cool, and chop.
When squash is tender, remove from oven, unwrap carefully and let cool slightly, just enough for handling.
Heat butter and oil in a stockpot. Add shallot and saute' for about five minutes. Scoop squash into pot and sprinkle with salt. Turn off heat and mash squash with a potato masher (or a pair of forks, or a slotted spoon). Just mash it. Mash until almost smooth, but leave some chunks for texture. Add the chicken broth and heat to a simmer. Add coconut milk and half & half. Heat until hot, but do not boil.
Assembly:
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with one scoop of rice, and one scoop of diced chicken (an ice-cream scoop makes nice round scoops of the rice). Sprinkle with some macadamia nuts and cilantro. Serve immediately. Makes four generous servings.
Kabocha Squash Soup a la Cruel Ironing
1 medium kobacha squash
1 can "light" coconut milk
1 cup half & half
2 cups chicken broth
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped, toasted macadamia nuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 t. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
Hot cooked rice
Cut squash into halves and scoop out the seeds. Cover halves with foil, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 75 minutes.
While the squash is baking, cook rice according to directions.
Reduce oven temperature to 300, and toast macadamia nuts for 8 minutes. Cool, and chop.
When squash is tender, remove from oven, unwrap carefully and let cool slightly, just enough for handling.
Heat butter and oil in a stockpot. Add shallot and saute' for about five minutes. Scoop squash into pot and sprinkle with salt. Turn off heat and mash squash with a potato masher (or a pair of forks, or a slotted spoon). Just mash it. Mash until almost smooth, but leave some chunks for texture. Add the chicken broth and heat to a simmer. Add coconut milk and half & half. Heat until hot, but do not boil.
Assembly:
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with one scoop of rice, and one scoop of diced chicken (an ice-cream scoop makes nice round scoops of the rice). Sprinkle with some macadamia nuts and cilantro. Serve immediately. Makes four generous servings.
The Punalu'u Bread, transformed
Here it is: the Taro-Guava-Mango sweetbread purchased yesterday on our "Field Trip" around the island.
French Toast!
Punalu'u Sweetbread makes the best french toast. I served with chopped macadamia nuts and lilikoi syrup. (And bacon. Bacon, bacon, bacon!) It was a good way to start the day.
Chopper Madness
Red-Pepper/Green Onion Sauce. Recipe below.
Choppitychoppitychopchopchop
Oh! Sorry, I forgot I was supposed to be writing this post about my new mini-chopper. Mr. Logistical gave it to me for my birthday, along with lots of other goodies. He completely spoiled me. I really wanted a mini-chopper, though. I wasn’t exactly subtle about it:
Me: Want to stop in at Target?
Want to check out the small appliance aisle?
Ooh, look, choppers.
Did you know my birthday is coming soon?
Do you need an idea for my birthday?
He got the hint, and now I am in chopper heaven. To be honest, readers, I have to admit my chopper snobbery. (Chobbery?) I used to say I didn’t need a chopper, since I have good knives. However, my knife skills really aren’t very good. “Finely diced” were words I just ignored, like “sift.”
In the ‘80’s, I had one of those combo big chopper/mixer/blender gizmos. It worked fine, but cleaning it was a nightmare. I don’t know why it needed so many pieces, and I don’t remember it being dishwasher-safe. The new mini-chop has a grand total of four parts, and cleans in a jiffy. Love that word. Anyway, I garage-saled the chopper combo thingie and just did with my knives for years. I will blame my friend Susan for this chopper lust. She whipped up this totally amazing mahi-mahi recipe one night and was mini-chopping her head off. Not literally. I was left with a bout of appliance envy from which I just could not recover.
Poor Mr. Logistical’s dinners as of late have been a little on the masticated side. I need to get a better handle on how much pulsing I need to do – I am slightly trigger-happy.
Pictured above is a sauce I made up on the fly. On the plate: Arugula, feta, and toasted pecans. Over that, broiled salmon. The sauce:
2 green onions
2 T. jarred red peppers
2 generous tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 generous tablespoons plain yogurt
Pulse it together until nearly smooth, but not without texture. This takes practice, lemme tell you.
Oh! Sorry, I forgot I was supposed to be writing this post about my new mini-chopper. Mr. Logistical gave it to me for my birthday, along with lots of other goodies. He completely spoiled me. I really wanted a mini-chopper, though. I wasn’t exactly subtle about it:
Me: Want to stop in at Target?
Want to check out the small appliance aisle?
Ooh, look, choppers.
Did you know my birthday is coming soon?
Do you need an idea for my birthday?
He got the hint, and now I am in chopper heaven. To be honest, readers, I have to admit my chopper snobbery. (Chobbery?) I used to say I didn’t need a chopper, since I have good knives. However, my knife skills really aren’t very good. “Finely diced” were words I just ignored, like “sift.”
In the ‘80’s, I had one of those combo big chopper/mixer/blender gizmos. It worked fine, but cleaning it was a nightmare. I don’t know why it needed so many pieces, and I don’t remember it being dishwasher-safe. The new mini-chop has a grand total of four parts, and cleans in a jiffy. Love that word. Anyway, I garage-saled the chopper combo thingie and just did with my knives for years. I will blame my friend Susan for this chopper lust. She whipped up this totally amazing mahi-mahi recipe one night and was mini-chopping her head off. Not literally. I was left with a bout of appliance envy from which I just could not recover.
Poor Mr. Logistical’s dinners as of late have been a little on the masticated side. I need to get a better handle on how much pulsing I need to do – I am slightly trigger-happy.
Pictured above is a sauce I made up on the fly. On the plate: Arugula, feta, and toasted pecans. Over that, broiled salmon. The sauce:
2 green onions
2 T. jarred red peppers
2 generous tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 generous tablespoons plain yogurt
Pulse it together until nearly smooth, but not without texture. This takes practice, lemme tell you.
Poke!
This is poke (po-keh). Well, truth be told, this is what is left of some poke I bought today. There was more, but I forgot that I was going to take a picture of it, and I ate most of it. Whoops. I got busy texting, and Pumpkin the Basset was whining to go out . . . before I knew it, I almost polished it off. I’ll bet that never happens to veteran food bloggers. Anyway, this is Spicy Ahi poke, and it is one of my favorite foods. Yes, it is raw. Yes, it is really spicy. I have to drink milk when I eat it.
Poke means “to cut into pieces.” Poke can be made with a variety of fish, or even tofu.
There are dozens of ways to make poke. I’m going to suggest Sam Choy’s book, which is in the Amazon widget. My favorite place to buy poke is at Foodland/Sack N’Save – where you can get it over a bowl of warm rice. Foodland also won a recent “Hawaii’s Best Poke” contest. Other favorites of theirs are Avocado Ahi poke and California Roll poke.
Poke means “to cut into pieces.” Poke can be made with a variety of fish, or even tofu.
There are dozens of ways to make poke. I’m going to suggest Sam Choy’s book, which is in the Amazon widget. My favorite place to buy poke is at Foodland/Sack N’Save – where you can get it over a bowl of warm rice. Foodland also won a recent “Hawaii’s Best Poke” contest. Other favorites of theirs are Avocado Ahi poke and California Roll poke.
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Using Up Lilikoi
Lilikoi Crème Royale
(Adapted from Dad’s Berry Crème Royale recipe, via "Chef Erik")
As I mentioned in my first Gardening post, Mr. Logistical grows a mean batch of lilikoi. Last year it really overwhelmed me until he bought me the strainer. He cut the vine way back earlier this year, but it has grown . . . and here they come. They are already falling off the vine, and I am pretending not to see them when I take the compost out. I can only do that for so long.
I started to make a batch of lilikoi butter, but it’s really hot, and canning when it’s really hot is miserable. I really wanted to try a dessert – but not a fattening one. I went digging through my recipe box, and noticed Dad’s Berry Crème Royale. Could I adapt it?
Here is his original recipe:
Blend over low heat (cook; whisk; don’t boil):
1 cup heavy cream
¾ tsp. gelatin
¼ cup sugar
Dash of vanilla
Cool, then add 1 cup of sour cream. Pour into champagne glasses and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Put a spoonful of berries (your choice) on top. Serves 4.
Here is what I did:
I didn’t have any heavy cream in the house, but I did have “lite” coconut milk. Would these flavors combine? Definitely – it’s great on shave ice, so why not here?
I dragged out one of my many 1-cup measures of frozen lilikoi from the freezer, and defrosted it. Into a heavy pan that went, with a cup of the coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and two dashes of vanilla. Since I was using more liquid, I also doubled up on the gelatin, increasing it to 1 ½ teaspoons. I brought that to a low heat, but it seemed like it needed more gelatin – so I added another half teaspoon. At that point it had more syrupy thickness to it.
After the mixture cooled, I whisked in two cups of plain yogurt, spooned the mixture into custard cups (sorry, Dad, no champagne glasses handy), and put into the refrigerator to chill.
I got busy goofing off and forgot all about it. When I checked, two hours later, it had firmed up. Hurray!
I did not have anything sporty to put on top. If I were a decent food photographer, I’d have put some whipped cream, coconut curls, and a sprig of mint on top. Use your imagination.
The verdict? FANTASTIC! Creamy and tart, very light.
As I mentioned in my first Gardening post, Mr. Logistical grows a mean batch of lilikoi. Last year it really overwhelmed me until he bought me the strainer. He cut the vine way back earlier this year, but it has grown . . . and here they come. They are already falling off the vine, and I am pretending not to see them when I take the compost out. I can only do that for so long.
I started to make a batch of lilikoi butter, but it’s really hot, and canning when it’s really hot is miserable. I really wanted to try a dessert – but not a fattening one. I went digging through my recipe box, and noticed Dad’s Berry Crème Royale. Could I adapt it?
Here is his original recipe:
Blend over low heat (cook; whisk; don’t boil):
1 cup heavy cream
¾ tsp. gelatin
¼ cup sugar
Dash of vanilla
Cool, then add 1 cup of sour cream. Pour into champagne glasses and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Put a spoonful of berries (your choice) on top. Serves 4.
Here is what I did:
I didn’t have any heavy cream in the house, but I did have “lite” coconut milk. Would these flavors combine? Definitely – it’s great on shave ice, so why not here?
I dragged out one of my many 1-cup measures of frozen lilikoi from the freezer, and defrosted it. Into a heavy pan that went, with a cup of the coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and two dashes of vanilla. Since I was using more liquid, I also doubled up on the gelatin, increasing it to 1 ½ teaspoons. I brought that to a low heat, but it seemed like it needed more gelatin – so I added another half teaspoon. At that point it had more syrupy thickness to it.
After the mixture cooled, I whisked in two cups of plain yogurt, spooned the mixture into custard cups (sorry, Dad, no champagne glasses handy), and put into the refrigerator to chill.
I got busy goofing off and forgot all about it. When I checked, two hours later, it had firmed up. Hurray!
I did not have anything sporty to put on top. If I were a decent food photographer, I’d have put some whipped cream, coconut curls, and a sprig of mint on top. Use your imagination.
The verdict? FANTASTIC! Creamy and tart, very light.
Stirring the lilikoi mixture, until it gets syrupy.
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Finished desserts - made four.
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Thoughts on Cooking
Pumpkin
I just love to cook. I cannot remember a time when I did not love to cook. My daughter loves good food, but she doesn’t like to cook, so one does not necessarily go with the other.
I was taught the basics by my mother. She supplemented my education by enrolling me in 4-H, which had an excellent beginner’s program. I also took lessons whenever I could from professionals and I still watch cooking shows. To me, cooking is a way to spread happiness to my family and friends. Sounds really corny, doesn’t it – but it’s true. And I am really, really corny.
The first thing I ever made, in 4-H group, was called a Rocket Salad. It came from the Betty Crocker Boys and Girls cookbook. You put lettuce on a plate, added a pineapple ring, sliced the bottom off of a banana, and stood it up. Half of a maraschino cherry was fastened to the top with a toothpick. I am looking at a picture of it now, and it looks a lot more like something else than a rocket. You do the visualization. Something other than cooking was clearly on Betty’s mind.
In the 1980’s, I found that I was allergic to MSG. This necessitated truly learning to cook from scratch –i.e., no prepared rice mixes, no canned soup, etc. It was probably one of the best things to happen to me, because it forced me to learn more about food and health.
If you are concerned about your food budget – and you should be – the more cooking you can do at home (versus eating out) will make a dramatic difference in what you spend. You will also eat much more healthily, controlling what goes into your meals. I am a big fan of farmer’s markets and backyard gardens, and I hope to inspire you to try these out, if you haven’t before.
Although I am being pretty preach-y here about cooking, it isn’t like I haven’t made my mistakes. One sister-in-law and I went through a “Laurel’s Kitchen” vegetarian phase. Poor Mr. Logistical, who just loves a barbequed rib. He was a terrific sport, though, as we served up lentil stews and barley pilafs. We gave it a try, and frankly, failed. It was an interesting experience, though.
I think there is a misconception, fueled by TV celebrity chefs, that you need to possess a lot of fancy equipment to be a good cook, or a large kitchen, complete with an island. You don’t. You need decent equipment. I have a set of pans from Costco (Circulon), Henkel knives, and a KitchenAid mixer. Good equipment, none of it ridiculously expensive. What is more, it’s all a good 10 years old. During our last kitchen remodel, I operated with two burners, and that was workable. I am not sure why people need stoves with six or more burners. How much food do they eat at a sitting?
My mother-in-law hated to cook. However, she made three things that were fabulous: Curried apple-rice soup, fried zucchini, and a truly white-trash hot dog dish, which is one of my favorite comfort foods. Stay tuned, and I will share the recipes.
I am not a gourmet, but Mr. Logistical and the daughter are happy. I get requests for office potlucks. My focus, if you follow my recipes, will be on local, fresh foods, and I try to stay within a budget. I will try to help you spread some cooking happiness to your family and friends.
