The wonders of the grocery store! June 30, 2008

Do you have any idea how many awesome ideas and shortcuts are available to you in the grocery store?  I’m not sure what you see when you walk down those aisles, but I see opportunity.  I see ways to transform the ordinary into extraordinary without anyone knowing the difference.  Don’t get me wrong, I love when people comment on food I make and tell me how it was great….who doesn’t love that?  That’s not everyday life, however.  My normal life isn’t making glamorous tortes and cakes for glamorous people.  That’s just my worklife.  In my real life, I like simplicity.  I like spending little time and getting a big result.  So, when I go to the grocery store, that’s what I look for.  The most bang for my buck!

So, in the spirit of simplicity and ease I’m gonna give you one of my favorite grocery store-short cut recipes.  Fauxmade cinnamon rolls.  I know, too much time on my hands!! 

Ok, first you start with frozen white bread dough.  It comes in the freezer section by the pie crusts and frozen rolls.  It usually comes 3 loaves to a package and it’s super cheap!  Thaw out the dough in the refrigerator the day before.  Preheat your oven to 400.  Take one of the loaves and roll it out on a lightly floured surface (your counter).  Take your rolling pin and roll it back and forth and stretch it out in all directions as much as you can while keeping the rectangle shape.  In a small bowl, combine 1C packed brown sugar and 1 tbsp. cinnamon and set aside.  That is your filling. Spead softened butter over dough, then top with sugar-cinnamon mixture and pat down. The more butter you spread, the better in my mind!  Starting at long edge, roll up dough like a jelly roll.  Cut roll into  16 pieces and place in a greased 9×13 pan.  Set aside in a warm place to rise for about an hour until it doubles in size.  When doubled in size, bake for 15 minutes until golden.  While the rolls are baking, combine the icing ingredients.  1 stick softened butter, 1C powdered sugar, 1/3C softened cream cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon.  Beat together and spread over hot rolls. 

The good part about this recipe is that you get to skip making the dough from scrath. You also get to skip several of the rising steps that usually drive me crazy!!  So, enjoy your new-found shortcut to homemade cinnamon rolls.  There are a million shortcuts waiting for you in the grocery store.  All you gotta do is be willing to try!

Who doesn’t love a cupcake? June 26, 2008

My daughters last day of day care is tomorrow, so I was thinking of a kid-friendly treat to take for their friends.  What’s better than cupcakes?  Nothing if you’re a kid, but these couldn’t be just regular cupcakes.  Not in my world.  My philosophy is usually if I use a box cake mix for the cupcakes, then I make a homemade frosting.  If I make the cupcakes from scratch, I used canned frosting.  If I just happen to have tons of spare time on my hands, which I never do, I’d do both from scratch.  Today, however, I decided to do their favorite version of cupcakes.

Start with a box of white cake mix.  Not yellow, not butter recipe, not french vanilla…..plain white cake mix.  You see, it’s really angel food cake mix.  Same thing, same ingredients, so it tastes much sweeter than other cake mixes.  I love it.  Mix it according to instructions, then I add some rainbow sprinkles.  Some people call them jimmies.  Call them whatever you like, but they add a great bit of color in each bite and a candy-like taste that the kids love. 

As far as the frosting is concerned, there are a million options here, but the girls wanted purple and pink frosting.  If you haven’t found the incredible world of concentrated gel coloring for icing, you’re missing out.  They come in a little jar, in a million different colors, are super cheap and can make icing the most beautiful hues.  Then, of course, comes more sprinkles.  Add your own touch, but the point is, that these cupcakes have something going on in every layer to keep the kids lovin’ them.  When they see the cupcake, they see the bright icing, the beautiful sprinkles, and when they bite into it, they see all the colored candy bits inside.  It’s no wonder they’re my girls favorites. 

Here are pictures of the cupcakes before the frosting and after.  Again, add your own colors and your own sprinkles, but I guarantee your kids will dig ‘em. 

Shoulda said cheese please! June 25, 2008

Do you ever walk by the gourmet cheese section in the grocery store?  Seriously, I could spend hours there.  Weird, I know, but there’s something so exotic about it to me.   I like looking at the cheeses, figuring out what country they’re from, trying to decide if they’re too smelly for me.  It’s so fun.  There is one cheese that I love far more than others.  And I don’t say that loosely because I love cheese.  I love them smelly, and holey and blue and crumbly….anyway they come, I love ‘em.  But my love has been caputred by one particular cheese.  It’s name is Boursin and you’ve probably passed by it a million times and had no idea what it could do for you.  It comes in this cute little square box and when you open it up it’s like a present.  You unwrap it and find this beautiful circle of semi-soft cheese waiting to be eaten.  I’m not kidding when I say I put it in everything.  Boursin is a gournay cheese filled with the flavor of herbs.  Garlic, parsley, chives….killer stuff. 

I keep a package of Boursin in my fridge all the time.  My favorite way to eat it is simply served on crackers as a snack.  I have, however, figured out a few other ways to put it to work.  I always make macaroni and cheese from scratch because I love it so much more and it’s really not that hard.  I always add a bit of Boursin just for another level of flavor.  I also use it to fill chicken breasts.  Pound them out them, fill them with Boursin, roll them up and saute then bake.  Yum.  Again, you’re limited only by yourself on this one. 

Sometimes I get lucky and my store puts Boursin on clearance and I buy a ton of them!!  Those are fun days.  Well, I hope you go to the store, find some Boursin, open it up and have a great dinner tonight.  And don’t forget to say cheese!

The fountain overfloweth June 23, 2008

Yes, it’s official….I am a fountain of useless information.  I don’t know why I know all the weird stuff that I do.  I know that I have this ridiculously high curiosity factor and when someone tells me that something is difficult, I have to prove to myself that I can conquer it.  That’s where a lot of my food escapades come from.  Me, trying to figure out some recipe that a gourmet cook said the average person couldn’t do.  Needless to say, sometimes it gets ugly, but more often than not, I find out I’m way better than I give myself credit for.  The same probably goes for you, too.

I was assigned the task of making dessert this weekend for a family function (I always get assigned dessert) and I started looking in my pantry to see what I had on hand.  I don’t know about you, but I hate running to the grocery store for one thing.  Drives me nuts!  So, I was determined to figure something out.  Here’s what I came up with….a Chocolate eclair cake.  Quite possibly one of the easiest desserts in the universe with a kick-butt taste.  Sounds great, right?  Here ya go.

2 pkg. vanilla instant pudding, 3C milk… whisk together and fold in 1-8oz. containter cool whip. 

In a 9×13 pan, lightly greased, put a layer of graham crackers down, covering the bottom.  Pour half of your pudding mixture over the graham crackers.  Add another layer of grahams and then add the rest of your filling.  Finish with another layer of grahams on top.  Then, take 1 container of store-bought chocolate icing and pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds, until pourable (don’t forget to remove the metal peel-off lid first).  Pour the icing on top of the grahams to cover and refrigerate overnight.  Easy, I told you so.  I guarantee if you get assigned to bring a dessert and you take this, there’s not going to be any left.  Try it, love it, put it in your list of things you’ve mastered, and hopefully that list keeps growing!

Sticky situations June 21, 2008

My college roommate and one of my favorite people in the world called me yesterday (I still call her roommate even though we haven’t lived together for 7 years).  She was having trouble getting brownies out of the pan.  I think she wanted to make some sort of fancy brownie-tiered cake and couldn’t figure out how to get them to come out flawlessly.  So, I gave her a recipe for a little concoction that works everytime.  It’s called pan grease….doesn’t sound good, but it works like magic!

Here’s how you make it:  First, it helps to have a stand mixer, or else you’ll be mixing for a while.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add 1C flour, 1C vegetable oil, and 1C shortening.  Mix on low speed until combined and then crank it up to high and let it rip.  You’ll want to let it go for around 10 minutes or so until it gets thick and pasty like marshmallow cream.  Stop it every few minutes and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  I always have this in a jar sitting by my oven ready to grease any pan I need to.  I use a brush and cover the insides of the pan I’m using.  I’m telling you, it works everytime. 

Just a little tip to get you through your weekend.  I don’t know about you, but I’m baking stuff for a family reunion this weekend and I always use my pan grease.  Try it and let me know what you think!

Summer lovin’ June 19, 2008

As I’ve said before, I adore strawberries. The problem is, I go to the store and see how beautiful they are, and they I buy way too many of them and have no idea what to do with them all. So, my grandma gave me her recipe for strawberry pie that I’d like to share with you. This is definitely a no-frills recipe, but there’s nothing better than a cold slice on a hot summer day.

1C water, 1C sugar, 4 tbsp. strawberry jello (you can even get fancy on this one and add any kind of berry jello you like), 7 tsp. cornstarch

Mix altogether in med. saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Set aside to cool then add 2C sliced or diced or however you like ‘em strawberries. Pour into 1 deep dish pie crust or 2 regular pie crusts. Make sure to bake the shells first, because this pie doesn’t get baked. Put in the fridge and enjoy. I always add some cool whip, too. Easy, right? One of my favorites. I’ll bet I make that at least 20 times over the course of a summer.

As for the questions you’ve been asking, here’s the first of them. Someone wanted to know what the difference is in all the different types of flour. First you have typical grain flours, which are divided into organic and nonorganic. Then you have whole wheat vs. regular flour. Whole wheat will impart a different flavor and texture, which is great in breads and crusts, but not to be used interchangably with good ol’ all purpose flour. Then you have pastry flour, which is lower in protein and milled smoother to make for softer doughs and crusts. Unless you’re like me and your job involves making pastries on a daily basis, I see no need for you to buy this type of flour. I’ve rarely seen a recipe that you can tell a difference in. Whole wheat pastry flour and graham flour are the same thing. Milled extra smooth from whole wheat. Used rarely in recipes and probably not worth your money.
Then we have the nut flours, which aren’t really flours at all. They are divided into toasted and untoasted. It is simply taking nuts, putting them in the food processor, and grinding them until they are fine like flour. There are no other ingredients in those flours, so if you have a food processor, just throw some nuts in and make your own. As far as toasting goes, it always brings out a great flavor in the nuts, however, in many recipes it may throw off the taste you’re going for, so be careful of toasting them if not called for.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy my strawberry pie and I also hope you keep sending me your questions. I kinda like it….it’s testing my brain!!

By popular demand June 17, 2008

So, the crowd is growing restless with questions.  I hear you and I’m trying to figure out a way to make it happen, but in the meantime, here’s what I propose.  Send me a comment with your questions and I will post the questions along with the answers so that everyone can see, in case they have a question about that, too.  If I can figure out how to add an “ask me” column, I will, but until then, just send the questions in comment form and I’ll post them and respond.  Make sense?  I sure hope so. 

I actually love that you guys have questions.  Again, I can’t promise I can answer them, but I’ll do my darndest.  I just hope that at some point my love for food rubs off on you, even a little bit! 

Ok, hit me with your best questions…..

These are a few of my favorite things June 16, 2008

I figured if Oprah can have a list of her favorite things, then by george, I can, too.  Of course, my list of favorites has to do with food.  These are a few of the products that are making my life easier and definitely more tasty. 

The first is vanilla bean paste.  I know you’ve heard of vanilla beans and you probably think they’re pricy and exotic….you’d be right, but the way they make food taste is incredible, so I’ve discovered an option.  Vanilla beans are awesome and if you have access to them, by all means, use them.  However, if you’re like me and live in a town where good ingredients are hard to come by and when they do, they cost an arm and a leg, you need a substitute.  I think it’s crazy to spend $10 for one vanilla bean when you can spend $12.95 for a jar of paste, which is the insides (the seeds) of the vanilla bean in a jar.  The equivalent of 20 beans in one jar…..do the math and you’ll see it’s a great buy.    Here’s a link where you can get it:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/detail.jsp?id=1450

The next is almond paste.  You probably have no idea what it is, but I love it.  It’s a sweetened paste of almonds that makes an excellent topping for desserts.  Add a little flour, sugar and butter and you have a killer crumb topping to add to any coffee cake or anything that requires a streusel topping.  You can find it at your local grocery store (trust me, if my grocery store carries it, then yours probably will, too)!    Here’s a link for it:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/detail.jsp?id=2241

Now, for those of you that bake cookies and no matter how much you spray the cookie sheet, find them sticking, the next item is for you.  It’s a non-stick, oven safe silicone baking mat that actually lays on your cookie sheet to guarantee perfectly baked, no sticking cookies every time.  Plus it has markers on the mat to tell you where to place your cookies to have them spaced apart evenly.  Makes my life easeir for sure.  Here’s the link:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/detail.jsp?id=2241

The next is chocolate.  It’s no secret that I have a love affair with chocolate, but do you know what kind of chocolate I love?  I love good chocolate…..no, I don’t mean the kind you get in the grocrey store aisle.  Nothing against it, but it just doesn’t do it for me.  There are 2 companies that make exquisite chocolate for baking….. Callebaut and Scharffen Berger.  You can find either of these brands on pretty much any website selling gourmet chocolates and I promise you they are worth their weight in gold.  If chocolate all tastes the same to you, then by all means, stick with Hersheys, but if you’re like me and you can tell the difference in the good and the bad, then these are the good ones. 

Do you know anything about espresso powder?  This is another one that I can find in my local grocery store.  If I’m making anything chocolate, you can guarantee there’s espresso powder in it, too.  It takes the flavor of the chocolate to a whole new level.  You can find it in the coffee aisle and a little goes a long way. 

So there you have it, a mini-list of my favorite things.  Trust me, there are more, but that’s enough for now.  And all the things I’ve mentioned here you can find on one of my favorite websites www.kingarthurflour.com .  I love that place!  I hope you find at least one of my favorite things to enjoy. 

Simple is better June 12, 2008

I don’t know about you, but when I have people over I want to feed them something good.  I don’t want to do the “usuals” that I make all the time, I want to make something amazing!  The trouble with that is that if you’re not an “amazing” cook, you usually end up messing something up and then the whole night goes to the crapper.  So, as painful as it is, I’m going to try and convince you to take the simple route.   Let’s say you’re having friends over and you’re not much of a cook, besides a little grilling maybe.  Make burgers, but make awesome burgers!  Put your meat in a bowl and add in some A1 or worchestershire sauce and some salt and pepper.  Grill some onions to go along with the burgers.  Have a variety of cheeses available for toppings.  Again, the point is to do something you’re comfortable with, but to do it with some flair.

Have you ever had a souffle?  I happen to love them, of any kind, but for some reason, I assumed that I knew how to make them, too.  So, of course, I decided to try out my souffle prowess on some unsuspecting dinner  guests that had no idea what they were in for.  I decided on a blue cheese souffle.  It is actually a pretty easy recipe now that I think about it, and to be honest, I’m not sure what went wrong.  But the point is that it went horribly wrong and I had to send my hubby out to get some chicken.  Embarassing!!  What’s the moral of the story you ask….stick to what you know.  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try new things, but I am saying that maybe the right time to do that isn’t a night you have guests over. 

People are comfortable in your home when you’re comfortable.  If you’re freaking out over the dinner entree that flopped, chances are they’re not gonna feel that much at home.  Keep it simple!

Lovely lemons June 10, 2008

Have you ever stopped and thought about how versatile lemons are?  I hadn’t either until recently.  I was chopping some garlic at work and when I was done, I used a lemon, cut in half, and rubbed all over my hands to get them smelling good again.   Then, later that day, I used them as a marinade for chicken.  I also used them to make lemon curd, all in the same day.  Three different purposes, one little fruit.  So, in the spirit of versatility, I thought I’d share some recipes with you.  Lemon is the perfect compliment to a summer supper, whether it be the main course or dessert!

Lemon chicken – I’m sure there’s a million other ways to make this, but I’m giving you one take on it.  If you have a food processor, this will be much easier.  If not, start chopping!!  Take about 4 or 5 lemons, cut in halves and throw them into your processor.  Yes, skin and all, throw them in.  Pulse them until they’re kinda like mush.  Lay your chicken in a pan or dish or whatever you want to put it in and put the lemon mush over the chicken.  Rub it around so that all the chicken gets some lemon lovin’.  I ususally get some lemon juice, too, either from another lemon or from a bottle in the fridge and pour a little on there, too.  Let the chicken marinate…..a couple hours or better yet a day.  Then, when you’re ready to fix it, make yourself a flour mixture of 1 part flour to 1 part paprika.  I know, a lot of paprika but it gives it great color and flavor.  Put enough oil in a skillet to cover the pan and heat it on med-high.  Dredge the chicken in flour, and fry it on both sides until cooked through.  Then transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with brown sugar.  The more brown sugar, the sweeter it gets so if you don’t like lemon a lot, put on lots of brown sugar!  You can do it ahead of time and then keep it warm in the oven until time to serve if you’d like.  It’s different, but very good.

Ok, lemon curd….I make this one all the time.  This makes an excellent filling for cakes and then put a white frosting outside with the lemon curd in between the layers…yum!  This is also great to fill the mini phyllo cups that I’ve mentioned before.  Add a little blueberry on top and people will think you rock!

13 egg yolks, 1C lemon juice, 2C sugar, zest of one lemon…..put it all in a saucepan and whisk together over med heat for around 12-15 minutes until mixture thickens to the consistency of custard.  Keep whisking constantly so that it doesn’t burn.  Remove saucepan from heat and add 1 stick of butter and whisk until melted.  Transfer to storage container and put in the refrigerator until cooled through.  Mixture will solidify in fridge.  You can also make this with limes instead to make lime curd.  I usually add a few drops of green food coloring so that people know it’s lime.

There you have it, 2 very easy lemon recipes for 2 very different things.  I hope you learn to love lemons as much as I do.  They may be my new favorite fruit.