July 25, 2005
roasted asparagus
Someone over on livejournal (either on the food porn or cooking communities, I can't quite remember) posted this last week. I love asparagus, so I decided to give it a try this weekend.
BEST method of cooking asparagus EVER.
Roasted Asparagus
Take as much asparagus as you need to feed however many people you're serving. Heat your oven to about 400F. Put the asparagus in a baking pan (mine was glass and it worked perfect). Drizzle with olive oil, then roll the asparagus around so they're coated lightly. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and salt. Roast until they're cooked through and sizzling and they look a tiny bit wilty.
Yum!
Posted by Karla at 11:46 AM in veggies | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
tea
I am (what I consider to be) a big tea drinker. I have at least one cup a day at work, sometimes two, year round, and a cup in the morning and at least one at night, during the cold months. But up until recently, it's been the crappy stuff. Store bought orange pekoe and all that. Definitely all tea bag type stuff, not loose.
Recently I participated in a "secret pal" type swap on a message board that I'm on, and we had to fill out a questionnaire to give our pal some ideas. I did put down that I'm a tea drinker, and my pal decided to run with that.
She got me a gift basket from http://www.englishteastore.com/, containing four bags of loose tea plus a lovely metal strainer (you put it over your cup with tea in it and pour the water over it). I've tried all four types now, and really liked three of them (and really disliked the fourth). This has made me want to start trying different types of loose tea, so I think that from now on, as I try a new type of tea, I'm going to post a review of it, both to record my thoughts and also to keep track of what I've tried.
Posted by Karla at 11:36 AM in tea | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 19, 2005
Zuppa Toscana
I don't get out to eat all that often any more, due to the lack of funds and lack of transportation. In lieu of going out for nice, fancy meals, I've taken to trying to cook them for myself.
It's been quite a long time since I've eaten at Olive Garden, mainly due to its location - it's quite a ways out in Langley, and difficult to get to by bus. I can get pasta that's better at more accessible restaurants, so it's not that big of a loss, but one thing I do miss is their Zuppa Toscana. So on Monday of this week, I attempted to replicate it at home.
I started with a recipe I found on the web, but changed it slightly. It didn't come out quite the same as what I've had at the restaurant, but it's a good start.
Zuppa Toscana
ingredients:
1 lb italian sausage (bulk sausage, or links cut into small pieces)
1/4 lb bacon
4 quarts of water
enough chicken bouillion to make a moderately strong broth (or just substitute 4 quarts chicken broth)
3 medium-large russet potatoes, cut in half then sliced into 1/4-1/2" slices
1 small to medium onion
2 tsp minced garlic or garlic paste
1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes
1 small bunch kale, cut into manageable pieces
1 cup heavy cream
directions
In a saucepan, fry the sausage and bacon until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Using some of the reserved fat from the sausage and bacon, fry the onions and garlic in your soup pot until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth, chili flakes potatoes, and bring to a boil. Cook on high heat until potatoes are almost cooked through. Add the meat and kale to the soup pot and continue to cook until the potatoes are done and the meat has reheated. Add the cream, stir to combine thoroughly and serve immediately.
Posted by Karla at 10:02 AM in soup | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 15, 2005
Asparagus and Chicken Crepes
I had some asparagus in the fridge that wouldn't have lasted until tomorrow, so it was definitely on the menu for tonight. I didn't want to just make it as a side dish to something, so I decided to get a little creative. I found a recipe on the net for asparagus crepes, and changed them up a little bit. Here's the result:
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2/3 cup plus 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
16 asparagus spears, cooked and drained
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced and cooked
for the sauce:
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash cayenne pepper
Paprika
Cook the chicken and asparagus and set aside.
Make the crepes:
Mix the flour, milk and eggs together with a whisk. Refrigerate for an hour prior to cooking. To cook, heat a lightly greased crepe pan or 8" frying pan on medium heat. Pour 1/3-1/2 cup batter into the centre of the pan and then lift and tilt the pan to evenly coat. Cook until the top looks dry, then flip and cook for another 15-20 seconds. Remove and keep warm, and repeat til all batter is used. To assemble, put 4 asparagus spears and a few pieces of chicken in the middle of the crepe and fold 2 sides over.
Make the sauce:
In a saucepan, whisk egg yolks and water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a metal spoon or until the temperature reaches 160°.
Whisk in the butter, lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Pour over warm crepes; sprinkle with paprika. Serve immediately.
Posted by Karla at 8:21 PM in main dishes | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 10, 2004
roast beef spice mix
We rubbed the beef roasts for Bard and a Banquet with a wonderful mix of spices, which I'm recording here for future reference.
lots of black pepper
ground bay leaf
cinnamon
cloves
garlic
mace
Posted by Karla at 1:25 PM in misc | Comments (0) | TrackBack (7)
Autumn Cheesecake
This recipe came from my Grandma, and is a wonderful variant on a plain cheesecake (I consider chocolate in my cheesecake to be sacrilege). I thought it would be appropriate for a Thanksgiving potluck, since it's called Autumn Cheesecake and contains apples and pecans.
crust:
1 cup graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup melted margarine
Mix the above ingredients together really well and press into a springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F.
filling:
Beat on medium speed until blended:
2 8oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
Add 2 eggs, one at a time
Add 1/2 tsp vanilla
Beat all together and pour over crust.
topping:
Toss together:
4 cups thinly sliced apples
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Sprinkle over filling. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes at 350F
I would suggest using a 9" springform pan rather than an 8". I used an 8" and the apples were piled so high that the tips started to burn by the time 60 minutes had passed.
Posted by Karla at 12:58 PM in desserts | Comments (1) | TrackBack (2)
Pumpkin Pie
This recipe is originally from my mother. A lot of people who say "I hate pumpkin pie" end up loving this pie.
Ingredients
1 unbaked pie crust
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspon salt
2 eggs
Directions
Brush the bottom of the pie shell with unbeaten egg white. Mix ingredients and pour into pie shell. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream.
Posted by Karla at 12:53 PM in desserts | Comments (0) | TrackBack (2)