Iced Coffee Yum!!

Iced Coffee Yom!!

When the weather turns warm I love iced coffee.  What I don't love is paying $4 for one, nor knowing exactly what is in it, and I'm quite sure that I would not be happy with the calorie count.  Making my own at home does away with all of that, plus I can enjoy one (or two) whenever I like.  While I normally take coffee black with no sweetener, I find that when it is iced I like just a touch of both sweet and white.  I just add ice to a tall glass and drizzle a bit of agave syrup over the ice before filling with leftover coffee (I've been keeping leftovers in a Rubbermaid bottle in the fridge).  I give it a stir with my straw and add a splash of coconut or almond milk (forgive me, but I just don't like cow's milk).  I haven't tried it yet, but think that a vanilla or chocolate flavored milk would be divine here.  The agave syrup stirs easily into the cold beverage and at 60 calories for a whole TABLESPOON of the stuff (I think I might be using 1/2 teaspoon at the most).  So what is that, 10 calories?  The coconut milk has 80 calories for a whole CUP, and again, I'm using just a bit so the calories are minimal.  

Save yourself the $4 and massive calorie count and try making your own iced coffee at home.  Use whatever sweetener and whitener you like, in whatever amounts you like, and make it your own.  Enjoy!

I'm back and bearing a Cinco de Mayo lineup!

 The semester is done and here I am as promised.  I thought I'd start things off easy and give you a lineup of recipes to inspire while celebrating the Battle of Puebla today.  I don't think I have them all, but hopefully there is enough here to fuel your inspiration as you prepare your fiesta.  ¡Buen apetito!

Al pastor de pollo y chorizo
Carnitas
Chili with Beer and Masa
Chili Rubbed Pork Chops
Chilies rellanos (baked)
Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
Chorizo and Potato Breakfast Burritos
Cholula Chipotle Wings
Classic Margarita
Coconut Rice with Tomatoes
Cocorita
Escabeche
Frijoles
Grilled Pineapple with dulce de leche
Guacamole
Jarritos al pastor
Mojo de ajó
Mojo de ajó (2)
Paloma Cocktail

Pastel leche de coco
Pineapple Lime Margarita
Red Chili Enchilada Meatloaf
Salsa ranchera
Sangria- Roja y Blanca
Stacked Enchiladas
Tacos de chorizo
Tacos de huevos y chorizo
Tacos de pollo lima limon
Tamales
Tangy Salted Chilies

Don't forget me...

I know I haven't written in a while (and it was pretty sporadic even before that), but I wanted to assure you that I'm still here and that casa en la cocina is not coming to an end. The master's degree is nearly finished...I'll be writing my thesis over the summer, defending it mid August, and then receiving my degree (hopefully I pass muster :)  The presence of my physical body in class won't be required after the first week of May, allowing me to concentrate solely on the thesis and not a thousand other things, so I expect to start visiting with all of you again at least once a week.  Until then, take care (and don't forget about me).

Harrison Hall at sunset

I love these darn things...

Tamales de puerco con salsa roja, frijoles negros y ensalada de maíz

Pork filled tamales with red sauce,black beans and corn salad

I love tamales and have fond memories of the sweet tamales (tamales dulces) I had in Mexico, some filled with a sweet corn mixture and some with pineapple.  I have never tried to make a sweet tamale at home, but will make savory, usually filled with pork.  As much as I love them, I don't usually make them more than once a year because them are time consuming...as such, when I do make them it will usually be a double or triple batch (they freeze fairly well).

I was in the midst of a severe craving for tamales last week, and with leftover pulled pork in the fridge and masa harina in the pantry (a staple), tamales were going to be had.  I served these with a corn salad (or relish) and black beans made with  adobo and beer.  A note about tamales is  that as long as you have the basic technique for making them, you can put whatever you like in them...and the corn husks?  When I first started making tamales (quite a few years ago now) I used to have to seek out the husks, but now they are easily found in any large grocery store (or your local Aldi).  This recipe makes 12 to 15 tamales, but I advise soaking a few extra husks, because if you are anything like me, you will tear a few in the process.

Tamales

adapted from Zaeela Martínez, found in In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs

 20 (or so) dried corn husks

2 1/3 cups masa harina

1 tsp. salt

2 cups warm water or chicken stock 

4 oz. shoetening

2+ cups of filling of choice 

Soaking the corn husks:  Place the corn husks in a large bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let soak at least 1/2 hour.

Making the masa:  Combine the masa harina and the warm water or stock in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir to combine well.  Place into the mixer and start beating while adding the shortening by spoonfuls.  Continue beating for 3 or 4 minutes (longer if beating by hand or with a hand mixer) until the mixture is very light and fluffy...this is important so that the finished tamales are not heavy and dense.  

Forming and filling the tamales:  Remove the corn husks from the water and gently squeeze out the excess, then pat dry with a kitchen or paper towel.  Place the corn husks on the counter with the rough side down and the narrow end pointing away from you.  Spread a scant 1/2 cup of the masa over the bottom 2/3 of the husk in a rectangle, leaving the narrow end uncovered.  Spoon a few tablespoons of your choosen filling into the center of the masa.  To enclose the filling, fold the sides of the husks together...the masa will come away from the husk and you can form it over the filling.  Fold the sides of the husk in, overlapping them tightly, then fold up the pointed end in, leaving the wide end open.

Steaming the tamales:  Arrange the tamales in a steamer with their open ends up, placing a ball of foil in the center to act as a prop.  Pour one inch of boiling water into the pan (or up to the bottom of your steaming basket) and lay a clean, damp kitchen towel over the tamales (this helps hold in the steam).  Cover tightly and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to maintain a gently bubbling and steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour, replenishing with boiling water if necessary.

When are they done?:  The tamales are ready when the masa is firm to the touch.  Remove from the steamer and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  The tamales may be served in their husks, or unwrapped and placed on individual plates with sauce and sides.

Better without frying...

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

I found eggplant on sale at a price that could not be passed up, so I snapped up four of these beauties without even knowing what I was going to do with them.  The cold weather meant something substantial and comforting, so thoughts drifted to Eggplant Parmesan.  But, I hate frying, so I thought I'd lighten things up a bit and roast the eggplant slices instead.  So, so glad I did.  This dish was elegant in its simplicity, and the taste was divine.  It tasted even better the next day (and the next, and the next)...yes, I had this for lunch for three days in a row, it was THAT good.  I didn't miss the pasta, but the boys stated that they would have liked some with the dish, but that will be up to you and yours.

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

1 large onion, diced fairly fine
1 tbs. olive oil4 large clove garlic, minced
1 tbs. dried oregano, crushed
2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1 heaping tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
4 large eggplants
olive oil
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 and 1/2 lbs. mozzarella, divided use

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  In a fairly large pot, saute the onion in 1 tbs. olive over medium high heat oil until softened and just turning golden.  Add the garlic, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper; saute an additional minute until fragrant.  Stir in the tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil before reducing the heat and letting the sauce simmer while you prepare the eggplant.

Brush two baking sheets with olive oil.  Trim the ends and slice the eggplants into 1/2 inch slices and arrange on the oiled baking sheets.  Brush the top of each slice lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom after 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Spray a "lasagna" pan, or other large baking dish, with nonstick cooking spray.  Ladle 1/2 of the sauce into the bottom of the pan, spreading it evenly.  Layer in 1/2 of the roasted eggplant to completely cover the sauce.  Layer 1 pound of mozzarella slices or shreds over the eggplant...I used fresh here, but the bagged mozzarella "shreds" would work too.  Cover the cheese with the remaining eggplant, again arranging it to cover completely.  Ladle over the remaining sauce, cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover the pan and layer on the remaining 1/2lb. of mozzarella...I did use the bagged shreds here...and bake uncovered an additional 15 minutes to melt and brown the top cheese layer.  Let the Eggplant Parm rest on the stove top at least 1/2 hour before cutting.  This made 8 large servings.

A Christmas Tradition...

Poppy Seed filled Kolacky

We were away for Christmas this year, so Ben was not able to compete in the annual Kolacky baking contest.  Not wanting us to be without a Christmas Kolacky, his sister sent us one via second day UPS.  Undoubtedly, Becky would have won this year as this was the best one that we had ever had.  I posted a picture of the Kolacky in a Christmas album on Facebook where a friend saw it and wanted the recipe.  Since I was originally going to email it to her, but as I have been so remiss in posting, I decided to share it here.  As it turns out, I had already posted this last Christmas, so the recipe can be found here.  Ben uses Solo Poppy Seed filling and says that he uses about 3/4 can for each roll (and leftover filling is good eaten right from the spoon :)

While I didn't take a photo this year, another traditional (in the sense that we eat it at all holidays) holiday dish from Ben's family is Escalloped Pineapple.  One of my purposes for this blog was to create a recipe collection for my (and anyone else's) future use, but when I looked for the recipe here I found that this must have recipe was not included.  Out came the book of handwritten recipes and cooking commenced.  This recipe, like the Kolacky, is short on detailed instruction...I've played with it over the years, cutting the amounts of butter and sugar and subbing soft wheat bread for the white, cutting off the crust sometimes, keeping it others.  This year I used the whole amounts given for butter and sugar and used the white bread (with crusts).  It was just perfect.

Escalloped Pineapple

4 cups white bread cubes

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup margarine (I use butter)

1 can crushed pineapple (I use the large can)

Mix ingredients and bake 30 minutes at 35o degrees.

I find that I usually use more than 4 cups of bread cubes; I use stale bread and keeping cubing and mixing in until the mixture is not too soupy.  To get it nice and golden brown with crisp edges (my favorite part), I find that the baking time is usually closer to 40-45 minutes in a 9" x 13" glass baking dish.

A lazy day (finally!!)...

 Sunday Sauce  with Veal Meatballs
(that's cheese ooze on the lower left meatball)

Have I ever been busy this fall.  A leave of absence from school has been no vacation for this girl, what with coordinating the move for The Caring Closet and getting every thing in order, in addition to all sorts of exciting developments on the home front.  Whew!!  On top of all that I have decided to learn how to be one of those coupon wizards and build our own stockpile of coupon goodies (silly, silly girl).  I did learn the valuable lesson of not trying to shop the ad with coupons on a Friday afternoon (!!), but it was the first chance I had to get to the store last week (a fate echoed this week, although I did manage to get there before noon).

After much stressing, I ended up leaving with an "okay" cart full and a fist full of rainchecks, but my favorite find of the day was two packages of ground veal a bit more than three bucks each (have I mentioned before how I love the Manager's Specials?).  My mind went immediately to meatballs and I decided standing in the meat department what we would be having for dinner on Sunday.

Sunday dawned bright and beautiful, and FINALLY a day with nothing on the calendar.  I did some web browsing to come up with how I would make my sauce using what I had on hand, and since there appear to be about a gazillion different ways, I figured that was okay.  There was one particular link that I really liked, especially her directions as to when commence pouring and drinking wine while cooking (including refills!!).  So, because the nice writer told me to, and because I had no where I had to be on this Sunday afternoon, I did just that!

See what I'm talking about?

Ben had seen stuffed meatballs on some food program that week, and after he mentioned it a few of times (I think they call those hints), I decided to fill these meatballs with cheese.  I have made a "cheater" manicotti before, wrapping string cheese in salami before inserting into the manicotti shell, so I thought I could do something similar here by pushing half inch pieces into the middle of the meatballs..  Wrooong.  When I pulled the meatballs out of the oven ,two had leaked their oozy, cheesy goodness, leaving me to worry that all the cheese would leak into the sauce and be lost.  Well, that didn't happen.  The manicotti had been a short cooking recipe that left the cheese melty and nice...the long simmering of the meatballs allowed the cheese to absorb juices from the surrounding meat, leaving an odd middle, both in appearance and texture.  Needless to say, I now admonish you "don't try this at home."

Despite the meatball mishap, this was a most enjoyable dinner. The sauce had a wonder depth of flavor, and the meatballs were unlike any I had made before.  The texture of the veal made for a very tender meatball, much more so than beef, or even turkey, and the taste was almost delicate.  If you are not opposed to eating veal, give this a try.  If you are, try it anyway, just use your protein of choice; you won't be disappointed.  Please note...this makes a TON of food.  We had it again on Thursday for dinner and I still had leftovers.

Sunday Sauce with Meatballs


For the sauce...
about 1/3 cup diced fatty bacon
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. (or more)crushed  red pepper flakes
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed between the fingers as adding
1 28oz. can tomato sauce
2 15oz. cans diced tomatoes, I used fire roasted
1 cup dry red wine

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the bacon until the fat has rendered.  Add the onions and sweat until soft and just starting to turn golden, about 10 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and spices, cooking for another two minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, and wine; bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a bubbling simmer and proceed with making the meatballs.


For the meatballs...
2 lbs. ground veal (or beef, or pork, turkey, or mixture of)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups bread crumbs, preferably homemade
1/2 tsp. each of coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 450.    Mix all the ingredients, except the ground meat, until well combined.  Add the meat to the wet mixture and start mixing everything together...using your hands is the best way to make sure everything is incorporated through the meat.  Form meatballs to whatever size you like; I used a 2 inch scoop to ensure a uniform size; I got 32 fairly large meatballs.  Place then on one (or two) baking sheets as you make them.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs, and rotating from top to bottom halfway through if using two sheets.  The meatballs should be firmed up and starting to brown but not necessarily cooked all the way through.  Drop the meatballs carefully into the simmering sauce; cover and simmer at least an hour and up to two.  Serve over a fairly substantial pasta- I used Dreamfields linguine.

I had to have this!

Linguine with Clams and Roasted Tomatoes

A few weeks ago I found a recipe in The New York Times for linguine with littleneck clams and roasted tomatoes...the picture alone was enough to make me drool, but after reading the recipe, I knew I had to have this.  But what to do?  If I served a bowl of pasta with clams in their shells, Chris would go running from the room, and chances were good that Ben would turn his nose up at it too.  

A week or so later came a day to cook from pantry stores, and with this dish still stuck firmly in my brain, I went with it.  I had a can of minced clams in their liquor and a bottle of clam juice, so I figured that I would substitute those for the whole clams and see what happened.  Chris was none the wiser, his only complaint being that the tomatoes weren't cooked into a "sauce" (the boy not being a tomato fan).  Ben knew exactly what I was doing, but enjoyed the dish anyway (but why not with whole clams?).  I made a few other changes from the original recipe to accommodate what I had on hand, including using some mojo de ajó  I had in the fridge instead of the olive oil and sliced garlic (remembered after I had taken the picture, alas).  I will definitely make this garlicky, luxurious tasting dish again, but next time I will add a second can of clams and skip the bottled clam juice.

Linguine with Clams and Roasted Tomatoes

1 lb. cherry or tomatoes, halved

6 tbs. mojo de ajó 

1 pound dry linguine(I used a 13oz box of Dreamfields)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake, more to serve if desired
1 cup dry white wine
1 small can minced clams with liquor
1 small bottle clam juice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the tomatoes and the mojo de ajó to coat in a baking dish large enough to accommodate them in a single layer; roast tomatoes for 20 minutes.  In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook the pasta until it is 2 minutes from being done to taste. Drain.  Return the pasta pot to medium-high heat and add the roasted tomatoes, wine and clam juice. Bring to a boil and add the linguine and can of clams with liquor; reduce heat to medium and cook until the pasta is al dente and the clams have heated through (do not overcook or you will have tough clams and mushy pasta).  Divide mixture among serving bowls and serve, garnishing with chopped parsley if you have it on hand.

.Summer's end...

This bowl of cherry tomatoes has become a fixture on my kitchen windowsill.

This last weekend of summer has been brutally hot, with afternoon temperatures of 100+, so I have kept myself busy indoors, with much time spent in the kitchen.

The mozzarella doesn't show well against a white plate.

I have stocked up the fridge with a Key Lime Pie,  Mojo de Ajó, and a variety of salads for the weekend (and coming week), including longtime favorite Three Bean Salad and a Caprese Salad using my homegrown basil and drizzled with the Balsamic reduction  that I have recently become so fond of.  I also added slivers of red onion to this one since I had a bit left from another salad and it seemed a shame not to use it.

As pretty and practical as it is, I have given up trying to grow veggies in my beds...we have too many rabbits and deer and I just don't have it in me for the heartbreak (at least they are no longer eating my roses :).  This leaves me growing in pots on the deck...this year I have basil (as always), cherry tomatoes, and jalapeños.  It was time for another jalepeño harvest, so I pickled more, hopefully we will end up with enough this year to get us through the winter.

It also seemed a good time to start putting away pesto for the winter, putting away 1/2 cup portions in small freezer containers, just covered with a slick of olive oil.  By next weekend I'll be able to harvest more basil for future use...I can't even imagine paying $2 anymore for the tiny little grocery package when I am cutting it by the armful.  I also mixed up some Pesto Cream Cheese for Christopher and I to share over the next week.

Now about the cherry tomatoes...our friends Doug and Sharon Trimmer own Trimmer Hardware here in Hamilton, and every year Doug starts hundreds of tomato plants himself to sell in the spring (they are his babies :).  I sent Ben this spring to get me two plants, figuring he would get Romas, or some nice slicing variety, but he came home with FOUR cherry tomato plants.  The plants have done beautifully in their pots and we have enjoyed the little bites of sweetness all summer in our salads, as well as roasted with olive oil and garlic slivers (my mouth waters just thinking of it).  Well, what was a fairly small, but constant, supply over the summer, in this last week has exploded and I had several POUNDS of the tomatoes.

I have been craving Tomato Pie anyway, so I used two pounds of quartered cherry tomatoes in place of the regular tomatoes and was not disappointed in the least.  The resulting pie was not nearly as wet, and the tomato flavor was more concentrated (and sweet), so I think this shall be repeated.  If you have not tried Tomato Pie before, now is the time.  We have found it to be particularly nice for breakfast with some fresh fruit, especially summer cantaloupe.

Doesn't that make your mouth water?

An easy appetizer (or entree)...

Creamy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

I found large packages of huge mushrooms on sale and picked them up knowing that I wanted to stuff them.  That, however, was the end of the planning process, and when it came time to actually make my stuffed mushrooms, I didn't know with what I would stuff them.  A search through the fridge uncovered a roll of turkey sausage, some cream cheese, and a bell pepper, so off I went :)  This exceedingly simple recipe used few ingredients and turned out fantastic.  Christopher especially liked these since they used two of his favorite things, mushroom and sausage.  These would make a fantastic appetizer, but I served them with a green salad and called it dinner.  Enjoy.

Creamy sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

2 large pakgs, of large white or cimini mushrooms

1 lb. ground sausage of choice (I used "hot" turkey breakfast sausage)

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 large yellow or red bell pepper, finely diced

1 8 oz. pkg. reduced fat cream cheese

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 359 degrees.  Wipe the mushrooms with a damp towel to clean and pull out the stems, leaving a hollow; place on a baking sheet or dish large enough to accommodate them all and set aside.  Brown the sausage, breaking into small bits.  Remove the sausage to a mixing bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the drippings in the pan.  If you have used pork sausage and there is more fat left than needed to saute the onion and bell pepper, spoon some of it out; conversely, if you have used a chicken or turkey sausage, you may need to add a touch of olive oil.  Saute the veggies until crisp tender and place into the mixing bowl with the sausage.  

Add the cream cheese and stir until well combined and the cheese is melty.  Add the egg and combine again.  Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps, heaping as necessary to use it all.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling has set and the tops are nice and browned.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.

All nice and toasty from the oven.

Add a salad and call it dinner.