The first time I heard about dump chicken, my reaction was an understandable "ew!" because the name is so very unattractive. Then I started checking into the concept, and a lightbulb lit up in my head. This was brilliant! Dump chicken is when you place (dump) chicken into a freezer bag, then add (dump) the ingredients for a sauce, glaze, or marinade in, seal it, freeze it, then thaw in the fridge when you want to cook it, pour (dump) it into a baking dish, skillet, crockpot, or other cooking vessel/method, cook, and voila you have a great chicken dish. That's a bit simplified, but the variations are incredible - there must be 100 or more variations. This concept can actually be applied to any meat, although we do it most often with chicken, usually boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. This last weekend we went to Sam's Club and bought a big tray of boneless skinless chicken breasts at a good price ($1.77/lb if I remember correctly). When we got home, we divided the breasts into quart bags that were labeled with three different recipes: fajitas, garlic lime chicken, and pepper lime chicken. The breasts were huge so we only put one breast per bag, figuring if more than two people will eat the chicken, we'll get out more than one bag. The marinade can be stretched, so each of these recipes can make 4-8 normal sized pieces of chicken in a gallon freezer bag. We'll grill or broil these particular recipes, but other recipes we've tried have done well in the crockpot or the oven. Think how great this is - you add whatever marinade you want to whatever meat you want, freeze it, then a day or so before you want to make it for dinner, you pull it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw and to marinate simultaneously. Brilliant!
Pepper Lime Chicken
1/2 teaspoon lime peel
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4-8 pieces of chicken
Place all ingredients in a gallon freezer bag, and freeze. To make, thaw in the fridge, then grill or broil until done, bake in a bakind dish at 350 for 25-35 minutes, or cook in a crockpot on low for 4 hours.
And check out dump chicken collections on websites like Recipezaar (http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbooks.php?s_type=%2Fcookbooks.php&q=dump+chicken&Search=Search)! The possibilities are incredible!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Oatmeal Empanadas
Since my last post, we had a rare long weekend away, with all of the chaos that entails for the week before and the week after the actual weekend. I wrapped the end of last week by borrowing *The Cookie Bible* from the library. Having loved *The Slow Cooker Bible*, I was not at all shy about borrowing the cookie version. Am I ever glad I did! I love these two books so much that not only did I shop Amazon and buy both of them (Cookie from Amazon and Slow Cooker as a used very good condition copy) that I bought *The One Dish Bible* used without having seen anything more than the cover! I will have those three cookbooks plus *Fix, Freeze, Feast* in my hands and a couple of weeks, and then the experimenting really begins!
Meanwhile, I made two recipes out of *The Cookie Bible*: breakfast cookies and jam-up oatmeal cookies. The breakfast cookies are pretty good and are frozen, bagged, and stashed in the freezer for nutritious afternoon snacks or for breakfast running out the door. The star of the day, though, was the oatmeal cookie recipe. It was instantly renamed oatmeal empanadas because that's pretty much what they are (and the kids just like to say empanada), and they are already high on the favorites list. This is a very good sign of future success of recipes from this cookbook! So here's the recipe. I have to say it was very easy. The dough was not sticky; the scraps re-rolled well without any stiffening to allow for maximum cookie production. I used a cookie cutter larger than 2" so in the future I'll use a little more than 1 tsp of jam on each. These would be great done in a variety of shapes, and I'm already thinking about Easter shapes!
*Note: the recipe is sometimes brand specific because it's sponsored by a list of brands. I removed brands.
Oatmeal Empanadas
1 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs (I used 1/2 c. Eggbeaters)
2 tsp almond extract
2 c. all purpose flour (I used AP flour this time, but I'll be trying it with some whole wheat flour next time)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 c. quick oats (not instant or old fashioned), uncooked
1 c. finely chopped pecans
jam for filling
1. Combine shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Beat in eggs and almond extract.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the shortening mixtre at low speed until just blended.
3. Stir in oats and chopped pecans with a spoon.
4. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets with shortening or line with parchment paper (I love parchment paper!).
6. Roll out dough, half at a time (I kept the second half of the dough in the fridge while working with the first half), to about 1/4" thickness on floured surface. Cut out with 2 1/2" round cookie cutter. Place 1 tsp of jam in center of half of the rounds. Top with remaining rounds, matching up the edges, then pressing the edges together to seal (a fork works great for this). Price centers (heck, I just made a little cut a good 1/2" long) to allow steam to release; sprinkle with sugar (I didn't do this part but will color code with sugar sprinkles next time - strawberry jam gets red sugar, peach jam gets yellow sugar, etc.). Place 1" apart on baking sheets.
7. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake! Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets, then remove parchment paper to cooling racks or cookies to foil lined counter.
Yield: 2 dozen cookies (I got 2 1/2 dozen)
I did apple pie jam, strawberry jam, and ginger peach jam fillings, and all three varieties were fabulous!
Meanwhile, I made two recipes out of *The Cookie Bible*: breakfast cookies and jam-up oatmeal cookies. The breakfast cookies are pretty good and are frozen, bagged, and stashed in the freezer for nutritious afternoon snacks or for breakfast running out the door. The star of the day, though, was the oatmeal cookie recipe. It was instantly renamed oatmeal empanadas because that's pretty much what they are (and the kids just like to say empanada), and they are already high on the favorites list. This is a very good sign of future success of recipes from this cookbook! So here's the recipe. I have to say it was very easy. The dough was not sticky; the scraps re-rolled well without any stiffening to allow for maximum cookie production. I used a cookie cutter larger than 2" so in the future I'll use a little more than 1 tsp of jam on each. These would be great done in a variety of shapes, and I'm already thinking about Easter shapes!
*Note: the recipe is sometimes brand specific because it's sponsored by a list of brands. I removed brands.
Oatmeal Empanadas
1 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs (I used 1/2 c. Eggbeaters)
2 tsp almond extract
2 c. all purpose flour (I used AP flour this time, but I'll be trying it with some whole wheat flour next time)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 c. quick oats (not instant or old fashioned), uncooked
1 c. finely chopped pecans
jam for filling
1. Combine shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Beat in eggs and almond extract.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the shortening mixtre at low speed until just blended.
3. Stir in oats and chopped pecans with a spoon.
4. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets with shortening or line with parchment paper (I love parchment paper!).
6. Roll out dough, half at a time (I kept the second half of the dough in the fridge while working with the first half), to about 1/4" thickness on floured surface. Cut out with 2 1/2" round cookie cutter. Place 1 tsp of jam in center of half of the rounds. Top with remaining rounds, matching up the edges, then pressing the edges together to seal (a fork works great for this). Price centers (heck, I just made a little cut a good 1/2" long) to allow steam to release; sprinkle with sugar (I didn't do this part but will color code with sugar sprinkles next time - strawberry jam gets red sugar, peach jam gets yellow sugar, etc.). Place 1" apart on baking sheets.
7. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake! Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets, then remove parchment paper to cooling racks or cookies to foil lined counter.
Yield: 2 dozen cookies (I got 2 1/2 dozen)
I did apple pie jam, strawberry jam, and ginger peach jam fillings, and all three varieties were fabulous!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Vegan Chocolate Pudding and Oatmeal Bread
I love pudding much more now than I did before I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy at age 12, probably because it is such a huge treat - a 4-pack of chocolate soy pudding is easily $3. Every recipe I looked at was using ingredients that either I couldn't use or I wasn't sure how it would do with soy milk. Then I had a stroke of genius - visit the Silk soy milk website and see what recipes they have! I found a recipe for chocolate pudding, made it, and will definitely make that again! It was creamy, smooth, densely chocolate, not too sweet, and easy. Plus, it used 3 cups of soy milk, and a whole half gallon costs less than $3, so I can certainly make it at home for less than what it costs at the store when I am actually able to find it! This recipe is a keeper!
Chocolate Pudding
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 cups Silk, any flavor (I used Silk original)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. non-hydrogenated margarine
1. Combine the cocoa, sugar, salt and cornstarch in a saucepan and mix well.
2. Slowly add the Silk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. (I added 1/4 c., then another 1/4 c., then added 1/2 c. at a time until all whisked in.)
3. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat while whisking constantly. Lower heat to a simmer and cook gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until pudding begins to thicken. (It will thicken some when it cools. I took it off heat before it was the consistency of gravy, and cooled it is now the consistency of really thick gravy.)
4. Remove from heat and whisk in the margarine and vanilla.
5. Pour into 1 large bowl or 8 small serving bowls and refrigerate for at least an hour, until thoroughly chilled.
Recipe from http://www.silksoymilk.com/.
I also experimented with oatmeal bread yesterday. Fair warning: the recipe I used from http://www.reciperascal.com/ (the archive storage for breadnet) was not for beginners the way I found it! The recipe directions were very poor, and one ingredient was not included in the directions (listed in the ingredients but the directions never said when to add it). I'm listing my directions, not the original directions for this recipe. It's an easy recipe for a person who understands the basics of breadmaking - with the proper directions! The bread was good. A bit too crusty for my liking, and I didn't watch it and it really browned. The oatmeal the recipe called for putting on the outside looks nice, but it flakes off when you cut it. The interior, though, is definitely the star of the show. It is moist and tender but with great body, firm enough to hold up to a thick layer of jam, but tender enough that your teeth just sink into it and it's feather light across your tongue. It's a light brown, tan color. A and I couldn't discern the honey or the molasses, so I'm not sure why they were each needed since either one would bring the sugars needed to feed the yeast. I will likely try it with just honey to see how it turns out. The "cooked" oatmeal in this bread means it brings a lot of moisture while also bringing a lot of fiber and structure to the bread, and this bread should keep nicely for a few days.
Oatmeal Bread
2 packages dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp loose from the jar)
1/2 c. warm water (120 degrees - 130 degrees - piping hot tap water is usually the right temperature)
1/3 c. shortening
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 c. quick cooking oats
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. molasses
2 eggs, beaten
5-6 c. all purpose flour
1. Mix together the yeast and the warm water in a bowl. Allow this to sit to activate the yeast.
2. Combine the next six ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring to combine and setting aside to cool to lukewarm.
3. When the oatmeal mixture is cooled to lukewarm, mix in the eggs and 2 cups of flour, and beat well.
4. Add the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough (I needed 3 more cups of flour.).
6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. (I actually didn't flour the surface but just used the excess flour in my bowl and then didn't need anymore flour.)
7. Place in a greased bowl, turning the dough over once to grease the top. Cover with a towel and let it rise until double in size, 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.
8. Punch down (this redistributes the yeast and air). Divide dough in half. Cover with the towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
9. Grease two 9"x5" bread pans and coat the inside with oats (I'll skip the oats part next time). Shape dough into loaves, and place in the pans. Cover with the towel and let rise until double, about 45 minutes.
10.Mix 1 egg white with 1 T water and brush top of the loaves with the egg wash, then sprinkle with oats (I'll skip this part next time too.)
11. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes more.
Chocolate Pudding
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 cups Silk, any flavor (I used Silk original)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. non-hydrogenated margarine
1. Combine the cocoa, sugar, salt and cornstarch in a saucepan and mix well.
2. Slowly add the Silk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. (I added 1/4 c., then another 1/4 c., then added 1/2 c. at a time until all whisked in.)
3. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat while whisking constantly. Lower heat to a simmer and cook gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until pudding begins to thicken. (It will thicken some when it cools. I took it off heat before it was the consistency of gravy, and cooled it is now the consistency of really thick gravy.)
4. Remove from heat and whisk in the margarine and vanilla.
5. Pour into 1 large bowl or 8 small serving bowls and refrigerate for at least an hour, until thoroughly chilled.
Recipe from http://www.silksoymilk.com/.
I also experimented with oatmeal bread yesterday. Fair warning: the recipe I used from http://www.reciperascal.com/ (the archive storage for breadnet) was not for beginners the way I found it! The recipe directions were very poor, and one ingredient was not included in the directions (listed in the ingredients but the directions never said when to add it). I'm listing my directions, not the original directions for this recipe. It's an easy recipe for a person who understands the basics of breadmaking - with the proper directions! The bread was good. A bit too crusty for my liking, and I didn't watch it and it really browned. The oatmeal the recipe called for putting on the outside looks nice, but it flakes off when you cut it. The interior, though, is definitely the star of the show. It is moist and tender but with great body, firm enough to hold up to a thick layer of jam, but tender enough that your teeth just sink into it and it's feather light across your tongue. It's a light brown, tan color. A and I couldn't discern the honey or the molasses, so I'm not sure why they were each needed since either one would bring the sugars needed to feed the yeast. I will likely try it with just honey to see how it turns out. The "cooked" oatmeal in this bread means it brings a lot of moisture while also bringing a lot of fiber and structure to the bread, and this bread should keep nicely for a few days.
Oatmeal Bread
2 packages dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp loose from the jar)
1/2 c. warm water (120 degrees - 130 degrees - piping hot tap water is usually the right temperature)
1/3 c. shortening
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 c. quick cooking oats
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. molasses
2 eggs, beaten
5-6 c. all purpose flour
1. Mix together the yeast and the warm water in a bowl. Allow this to sit to activate the yeast.
2. Combine the next six ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring to combine and setting aside to cool to lukewarm.
3. When the oatmeal mixture is cooled to lukewarm, mix in the eggs and 2 cups of flour, and beat well.
4. Add the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough (I needed 3 more cups of flour.).
6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. (I actually didn't flour the surface but just used the excess flour in my bowl and then didn't need anymore flour.)
7. Place in a greased bowl, turning the dough over once to grease the top. Cover with a towel and let it rise until double in size, 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.
8. Punch down (this redistributes the yeast and air). Divide dough in half. Cover with the towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
9. Grease two 9"x5" bread pans and coat the inside with oats (I'll skip the oats part next time). Shape dough into loaves, and place in the pans. Cover with the towel and let rise until double, about 45 minutes.
10.Mix 1 egg white with 1 T water and brush top of the loaves with the egg wash, then sprinkle with oats (I'll skip this part next time too.)
11. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes more.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Yeast Breads Make Muscles!
This week my shoulder was almost better, and I could at least use forward strength (as opposed to arm out to the side or back), which meant experiments with yeast breads and kneading! I haven't been posting the recipes because I wasn't 100% satisfied with a couple of the breads I did, although minor tweaking will produce more of what I want, I think. I am also very aware of how many muscles it takes to knead bread dough by hand and how you too could have great looking arms and shoulders if you hand knead bread daily!
First up, chocolate bread. Yep, chocolate bread. This is not exactly a sandwich bread, and I think it is better toasted than straight up, but cut off a fairly thick slice, toast it medium darkness, and slather it with jam or peanut butter, and oh my goodness, what a delight! I suspect that this would also be a very good bread pudding and could make an interesting crouton or bread crumb since the chocolate is not overpowering. I've made this before with hand kneading, and I felt that I had to work in too much flour to keep it from sticking terribly to the counter and to my hands (and flour draws out moisture, making for a more dry, dense loaf). This time, I used my kitchenaid stand mixer to knead it. Don't use the dough hook for the parts of the recipe that say to mix the ingredients in a mixer, use the beaters or paddle attachment, but then switch to the dough hook for kneading, and knead the dough with no additional flour. If you do that, I recommend that when the dough is put in the greased bowl, spray the top of the dough with nonstick cooking spray or rub your oiled hands over it - flipping it was tricky to say the least! I did think that the dough was a bit moister and more airy, so I will do it this way the next time. I did also have the brilliant idea of substituting strong coffee for the cup of water in the recipe, and I'm looking forward to trying that this week! This loaf would also be good studded with tart dried cherries, chopped walnuts, mini chips, etc.
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp if you have the jar of yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk (I used Silk plain soy milk)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg (1/4 c. Eggbeaters for me!)
1. In a mixing bowl, combine 1-1/4 cups flour, cocoa, sugar, yeast, salt and baking soda.
2. In a saucepan, heat the water, milk, chocolate chips and butter; stir until chocolate is melted. Cool to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F.
3. Add wet ingedients to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup flour and egg; beat on high for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. II use all the remaining flour, and it is like sloppy play doh.)
6. urn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (Or use a dough hook and knead for 5-6 minutes, no additional flour needed.)
7. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
8. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place in two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
9. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until browned. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.
This recipe came from either http://www.allrecipes.com/ or http://www.recipezaar.com/, I can't quite remember which.
Next was a basic white bread recipe. The biggest problem I had with this recipe was that I baked it for the full time plus an extra few minutes, and both loaves still had a slightly doughy section running through the whole loaf. Frustrating! The bread was still good, doughy section removed. S in particular loves having a thick slice toasted and spread with jam or with butter and cinnamon-sugar. It's a more dense bread, but it had a nice raise, a nice flavor (albeit mild, it is just a simple white bread), nice color (browned well on the top), and it has kept well for several days. This one I will make again, but the baking time will be more like 45 minutes instead of the recommended 25-30 minutes. I did put a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven to keep the oven a bit more moist, a trick I learned long ago for aiding in rise (the top doesn't harden as quickly, allowing for rise) and in the moistness of the loaf. I might also try this recipe with bread flour to get a chewier, stronger loaf.
White Bread
2 packages (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp of loose from the jar)
2 c. lukewarm water
1/2 c. sugar
1 T salt
2 eggs, beaten (I used 1/2 c. Eggbeaters)
1/4 c. vegetable or corn oil
6 1/2 - 7 c. all purpose flour
1. Place water in a bowl. Add 2 tsp of the sugar to the water, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the yeast activate.
2. Combine the activated yeast, remaining sugar, salt, eggs, and oil.
3. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time. Add just enough flour to form a pliable, soft dough.
4. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes.
5. Place dough into a greased bowl, making sure all the sides are coated. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, then place in a warm place (70-80 degrees) until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
6. Punch dough down. Divide in half and shape into two loaves. Place in two greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 (yeah, right, I need to bake for 45!) or until golden brown. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.
Recipe came from http://www.cookingbread.com/.
First up, chocolate bread. Yep, chocolate bread. This is not exactly a sandwich bread, and I think it is better toasted than straight up, but cut off a fairly thick slice, toast it medium darkness, and slather it with jam or peanut butter, and oh my goodness, what a delight! I suspect that this would also be a very good bread pudding and could make an interesting crouton or bread crumb since the chocolate is not overpowering. I've made this before with hand kneading, and I felt that I had to work in too much flour to keep it from sticking terribly to the counter and to my hands (and flour draws out moisture, making for a more dry, dense loaf). This time, I used my kitchenaid stand mixer to knead it. Don't use the dough hook for the parts of the recipe that say to mix the ingredients in a mixer, use the beaters or paddle attachment, but then switch to the dough hook for kneading, and knead the dough with no additional flour. If you do that, I recommend that when the dough is put in the greased bowl, spray the top of the dough with nonstick cooking spray or rub your oiled hands over it - flipping it was tricky to say the least! I did think that the dough was a bit moister and more airy, so I will do it this way the next time. I did also have the brilliant idea of substituting strong coffee for the cup of water in the recipe, and I'm looking forward to trying that this week! This loaf would also be good studded with tart dried cherries, chopped walnuts, mini chips, etc.
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp if you have the jar of yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk (I used Silk plain soy milk)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg (1/4 c. Eggbeaters for me!)
1. In a mixing bowl, combine 1-1/4 cups flour, cocoa, sugar, yeast, salt and baking soda.
2. In a saucepan, heat the water, milk, chocolate chips and butter; stir until chocolate is melted. Cool to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F.
3. Add wet ingedients to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup flour and egg; beat on high for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. II use all the remaining flour, and it is like sloppy play doh.)
6. urn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (Or use a dough hook and knead for 5-6 minutes, no additional flour needed.)
7. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
8. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place in two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
9. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until browned. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.
This recipe came from either http://www.allrecipes.com/ or http://www.recipezaar.com/, I can't quite remember which.
Next was a basic white bread recipe. The biggest problem I had with this recipe was that I baked it for the full time plus an extra few minutes, and both loaves still had a slightly doughy section running through the whole loaf. Frustrating! The bread was still good, doughy section removed. S in particular loves having a thick slice toasted and spread with jam or with butter and cinnamon-sugar. It's a more dense bread, but it had a nice raise, a nice flavor (albeit mild, it is just a simple white bread), nice color (browned well on the top), and it has kept well for several days. This one I will make again, but the baking time will be more like 45 minutes instead of the recommended 25-30 minutes. I did put a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven to keep the oven a bit more moist, a trick I learned long ago for aiding in rise (the top doesn't harden as quickly, allowing for rise) and in the moistness of the loaf. I might also try this recipe with bread flour to get a chewier, stronger loaf.
White Bread
2 packages (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp of loose from the jar)
2 c. lukewarm water
1/2 c. sugar
1 T salt
2 eggs, beaten (I used 1/2 c. Eggbeaters)
1/4 c. vegetable or corn oil
6 1/2 - 7 c. all purpose flour
1. Place water in a bowl. Add 2 tsp of the sugar to the water, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the yeast activate.
2. Combine the activated yeast, remaining sugar, salt, eggs, and oil.
3. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time. Add just enough flour to form a pliable, soft dough.
4. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes.
5. Place dough into a greased bowl, making sure all the sides are coated. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, then place in a warm place (70-80 degrees) until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
6. Punch dough down. Divide in half and shape into two loaves. Place in two greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 (yeah, right, I need to bake for 45!) or until golden brown. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.
Recipe came from http://www.cookingbread.com/.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Snacks in the Crockpot?! Awesome!
This was one of those things that I'd seen several recipes and always thought, "I should try that" and then never did. Today I did it. I made sugared (also called spiced) nuts in the crockpot! Verdict: so good that I'm making walnuts this afternoon after making pecans this morning! Fantastic snack addition to the Friday night family movie night snack lineup! Seriously, these were very easy to make. This recipe could easily be adapted to various spice/seasoning combinations, and it could definitely be used on a wide variety of nuts or nut combinations. To store, I would think they would keep in an airtight container for a month or so with no problem, and longer storage would be easy in the freezer. Go ahead, try these. They're easy, delicious, and basically nuts so good for you, right?
The recipe came from Recipezaar (Charmie777), and the one problem I had with the recipe is that it neglected to say what size crockpot to use. I used my big, oval, 6 quart crockpot, and that is definitely a great one to use, as it allows for very even heating. If you double the recipe, maybe tweak the amount of butter used or be prepared to let it cook a little longer since you have more liquid to cook off.
Crock Pot Sugared Nuts (I'll save this one as Spiced Nuts)
1 lb nuts
1/2 c. unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1. Preheat crockpot on high for 15 minutes (lid on).
2. In preheated crockpot, stir together the nuts and butter until mixed well.
3. Add the powdered sugar, and stir to coat evenly. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low and uncover, and slow cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, cooking until the nuts are coated with a glaze and there isn't any liquid left in the bottom.
5. Transfer the nuts to a bowl, a sheet of waxed paper, or a sheet of parchment paper.
6. In a small bowl, combine the spices, then sift them over the nuts, stirring to coat them evenly. Cool before serving.
The recipe came from Recipezaar (Charmie777), and the one problem I had with the recipe is that it neglected to say what size crockpot to use. I used my big, oval, 6 quart crockpot, and that is definitely a great one to use, as it allows for very even heating. If you double the recipe, maybe tweak the amount of butter used or be prepared to let it cook a little longer since you have more liquid to cook off.
Crock Pot Sugared Nuts (I'll save this one as Spiced Nuts)
1 lb nuts
1/2 c. unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1. Preheat crockpot on high for 15 minutes (lid on).
2. In preheated crockpot, stir together the nuts and butter until mixed well.
3. Add the powdered sugar, and stir to coat evenly. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low and uncover, and slow cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, cooking until the nuts are coated with a glaze and there isn't any liquid left in the bottom.
5. Transfer the nuts to a bowl, a sheet of waxed paper, or a sheet of parchment paper.
6. In a small bowl, combine the spices, then sift them over the nuts, stirring to coat them evenly. Cool before serving.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Soup is on! Serving Beef Fajita Soup from the crockpot!
Two weeks ago, a slip on the ice landed me square on my shoulder and gifted me with some sprains and strains that have made cooking tricky. Thank goodness for the freezers and the pantry, but they are starting to look a little bare in the ready made foods department! I had planned on making beef fajita soup in the crockpot on Monday and then realized that I couldn't reach the meat in the bottom of the chest freezer without using my injured arm, so that was postponed until today. Having asked A to get a packet of venison out of the freezer before he left for work, I was able to easily put together this soup with minimal arm movement. It's a new recipe for us from *The Slow Cooker Bible*, and after having tasted a small bowl of it in anticipation of dinner, I'm going to say it's one we'll do again. In fact, if the leftovers freeze well, I'll definitely be adding this soup to our list of core soup recipes! The flavor was very nice, the textures were good (onion was tender crisp, meat was tender, peppers were tender but held their form, the beans were the same as the peppers, and the diced tomatoes added a nice smoothness. The colors were beautiful, even with me using a large green bell pepper instead of a small red and a small green pepper. Tonight I'll serve this soup with piping hot cornbread muffins and local honey, but next time I will have dishes of shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh pico de gallo, and chopped cilantro to allow diners to add these to the top of their soup. This would be a very interesting soup course to precede enchiladas or to serve with a taco dip or empanadas. The success of this recipe also is a good omen for trying more recipes from this collection of recipes!
Beef Fajita Soup
1 lb beef stew meat (I used 1 lb 7 oz venison roast cut into bite sized pieces)
15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained (I used a can of petite diced tomatoes and add 1 tsp garlic powder)
14 oz can beef broth (I used 2 tsp better than boullion and 16 oz boiling water)
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced (we love onion, so I used a medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges)
1 1/2 c. water
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seasoned salt (I used Lawry's)
1 tsp black pepper
1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. (I used my 4 qt round crockpot.)
2. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. (Who really does 8 hours? You're at work for at least 9! I started mine at 9 a.m and served it at 6:30 p.m. and it was fine. This one has some flexibility but don't go too long or the peppers will be mush.)
3. Serve with desired toppings.
Recipe from *The Slow Cooker Bible*.
Beef Fajita Soup
1 lb beef stew meat (I used 1 lb 7 oz venison roast cut into bite sized pieces)
15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained (I used a can of petite diced tomatoes and add 1 tsp garlic powder)
14 oz can beef broth (I used 2 tsp better than boullion and 16 oz boiling water)
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced (we love onion, so I used a medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges)
1 1/2 c. water
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seasoned salt (I used Lawry's)
1 tsp black pepper
1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. (I used my 4 qt round crockpot.)
2. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. (Who really does 8 hours? You're at work for at least 9! I started mine at 9 a.m and served it at 6:30 p.m. and it was fine. This one has some flexibility but don't go too long or the peppers will be mush.)
3. Serve with desired toppings.
Recipe from *The Slow Cooker Bible*.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Cherry Oatmeal in the Crockpot
I had made oatmeal in the crockpot once before, and while I love the convenience of wake up and breakfast is hot and ready (and I'm a wake up hungry kind of girl), I didn't love the crust around the edge of the crockpot and it was a bit creamy for my liking. So here was my try number two. The first time I used steel cut oats, didn't spray the crock with cooking spray, and used a newer crockpot (they run hotter than the older ones). This time I used old fashioned oats, sprayed the crock, and used my older one. No crust, no sticking at all, but still pretty creamy. I'm seriously considering getting a light timer to plug my crockpot into and setting it to start cooking only a few hours before breakfast since I like my oatmeal more firm. In the meantime, this recipe yielded 9 cups of oatmeal (not the 7 it said it would), so I have quite a few baggies in my freezer of 1 cup portions of cherry oatmeal, just waiting for me to heat and eat. I don't see why this oatmeal couldn't also use other fruit pie filling varieties such as mixed berry, strawberry, or apple. Warning, though: this was obviously pink oatmeal studded with red cherries. Not for people who don't like eating pink food.
Cherry Oatmeal
6 cups water
1/4 tsp salt, optional (I didn't use it)
3 c. old fashioned oats, dry
1 tsp almond extract (alas, wasn't a noticeable flavor)
21 oz can light cherry pie filling (used regular)
3/4 c. strawberry flavored or regular powdered sugar (now why would you need the extra sweetness, and why use powdered sugar when you just used light pie filling? Obviously, I didn't use this ingredient.)
1. Spray a slow cooker (I had to use my round 4 qt crockpot) with cooking spray.
2. Mix the ingredients in the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. (Yeah, well, if you don't have a timer, and you sleep longer than 5.5 hours.... I cooked mine for 8.5 hours out of basic necessity.)
Recipe from *Busy People's Slow Cooker* by Dawn Hall.
Cherry Oatmeal
6 cups water
1/4 tsp salt, optional (I didn't use it)
3 c. old fashioned oats, dry
1 tsp almond extract (alas, wasn't a noticeable flavor)
21 oz can light cherry pie filling (used regular)
3/4 c. strawberry flavored or regular powdered sugar (now why would you need the extra sweetness, and why use powdered sugar when you just used light pie filling? Obviously, I didn't use this ingredient.)
1. Spray a slow cooker (I had to use my round 4 qt crockpot) with cooking spray.
2. Mix the ingredients in the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. (Yeah, well, if you don't have a timer, and you sleep longer than 5.5 hours.... I cooked mine for 8.5 hours out of basic necessity.)
Recipe from *Busy People's Slow Cooker* by Dawn Hall.
Friday, January 15, 2010
A Reminder to Love Your Freezer
Yesterday was Thursday, which meant that it was my normal Thursday (read: mild chaos). Honestly, I cooked nothing fresh yesterday. Breakfast was pancakes and bacon from the freezer. Lunch was tater tots and bananas for C and leftover macaroni and cheese for me. Then work with a snack of cranberry pumpkin bread baked on Tuesday, and when I got home late and my tummy was growling, I pulled an already grilled small burger and a bun from the freezer, microwaved for a minute and a half, and had myself a snack that was faster (and cheaper) than drive-through. I love my freezer!
I've also been feeding my freezer. Bags of cubed ham and mashed sweet potatoes from Monday, pureed pumpkin from a pumpkin I baked on Tuesday, macaroni and cheese on Wednesday, another ham (this one 8 pounds) in there too yesterday. For as much as I pull out, I put in too, and my freezers are always full.
Tonight is pizza night, and I even remembered to get a bag of baby spinach and some other fresh veggies at the store, so we can have salads with our pizza, completely justifying the pizza. Sort of. I pulled a couple of pizza kits minus the dough from the freezer this morning, and they will be thawed by this evening and ready for the fresh dough I'll have ready and waiting. Tonight I'm also experimenting more with oatmeal in the crockpot, using a new recipe for cherry oatmeal. I really didn't care for the crust that formed the last time I used the crockpot, and the fact that my 2 quart crockpot doesn't have a removable crock made clean up a pain in the rear. This time I'll be trying out the more old fashioned method of hot water bath in the crockpot and see how that turns out. I'll post the results tomorrow! And as a side note, the recipe makes 7 cups of oatmeal, and since A doesn't like to eat much breakfast and S and C are suspicious of oatmeal, I'll be freezing my leftovers, ready to microwave for a snack or breakfast anytime!
I've also been feeding my freezer. Bags of cubed ham and mashed sweet potatoes from Monday, pureed pumpkin from a pumpkin I baked on Tuesday, macaroni and cheese on Wednesday, another ham (this one 8 pounds) in there too yesterday. For as much as I pull out, I put in too, and my freezers are always full.
Tonight is pizza night, and I even remembered to get a bag of baby spinach and some other fresh veggies at the store, so we can have salads with our pizza, completely justifying the pizza. Sort of. I pulled a couple of pizza kits minus the dough from the freezer this morning, and they will be thawed by this evening and ready for the fresh dough I'll have ready and waiting. Tonight I'm also experimenting more with oatmeal in the crockpot, using a new recipe for cherry oatmeal. I really didn't care for the crust that formed the last time I used the crockpot, and the fact that my 2 quart crockpot doesn't have a removable crock made clean up a pain in the rear. This time I'll be trying out the more old fashioned method of hot water bath in the crockpot and see how that turns out. I'll post the results tomorrow! And as a side note, the recipe makes 7 cups of oatmeal, and since A doesn't like to eat much breakfast and S and C are suspicious of oatmeal, I'll be freezing my leftovers, ready to microwave for a snack or breakfast anytime!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Wait, Make That Spicy Baked Macaroni and Rice Cheese!
Yesterday I was in the mood for comfort food, and all my comfort food cravings involved cheese. That can be a little tricky since I have a dairy allergy! I was out of "cheese" slices so no grilled cheese sandwich, out of my mozarella so no lasagna or pizza or any of that, out of my cheddar so no macaroni and cheese or scalloped potatoes. Wait a second! I had pepper jack style rice cheese already shredded in the freezer! And so a dish was born. I took a recipe I printed off 8 years ago (yes, 8!) from http://www.cooking.com/ and had never tried, then elminated or substituted almost all the ingredients and messed around with the directions. How's that for following a recipe? I'm really going to have to say that I was inspired by the recipe. Regardless, I prepared it in the afternoon, getting 5 mini loaf pans and one regular bread pan of baked macaroni and cheese (this recipe will make one 9x13 pan of baked macaroni and cheese). The regular loaf pan I made for dinner that evening, and I put the 5 mini loaf pans on a cutting board and sat them in the freezer (I'll double wrap them in foil and label them today) so that I can semi-thaw, bake, and have homemade baked macaroni and cheese 5 more times! Bliss. I can even take some of that chopped ham from Monday night and stir that in later for baked ham and macaroni and cheese. I'm drooling already.
The recipe turned out very good. It was slightly creamy but thick, just like baked macaroni and cheese should be. The flavor was excellent. Most homemade macaroni and cheese recipes call for good quality sharp cheddar cheese for good reason - use a bland cheese and end up with super bland macaroni and cheese (face it, the milk, flour, butter, and pasta aren't really the stars tap dancing on the taste buds for this). This is a problem I sometimes face with using cheese alternatives, as none of them ever really have that sharp bite. Still, if that's all you have.... The peppers in the cheese gave it some zing without overwhelming the tastebuds, and I really love how rice cheese melts so smoothly (really, far superior to soy cheeses many times). I baked the macaroni and cheese at 375 for 40 minutes, so that's what I did for our Italian sausages too - pull from the freezer, thaw, place 4 in an 8x8 baking dish, and bake them uncovered right next to the macaroni and cheese. Serve with some steamed whole green beans and some piping hot stewed tomatoes, and it was comfort on a plate.
(I messed with this so much that I'm writing this exactly as I did it - if you want to use dairy, just substitute in the appropriate items.)
1 lb elbow macaroni
12 T Blue Bonnet margarine (that's a stick and a half)
6 T flour
1 tsp onion powder
1 T dried parsley
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups Silk plain soy milk warmed to gently steaming (a few minutes in the microwave)
6 c. shredded pepper jack style Rice Cheeze
1 1/4 c. coarse bread crumbs (I used flax and fiber bread crumbs - I make bread crumbs with whatever stale bread we have and then freeze, and this was in the freezer.)
3 T. cold Blue Bonnet margarine
1/2 c. Parma Zaan sprinkles by The Vegetarian Express (usually, these don't really have much flavor, but added to the topping was a nice touch)
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 baking dishes (or other chosen baking dishes).
2. Cook the macaroni according to package directions until just done (should be 9 minutes). Drain well.
3. Melt the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, parsley, salt, and pepper.
4. When completely melted, add the flour mixture and gently whisk it in. Continue to gently whisk and to cook over medium heat (medium-low if you feel that medium is too high) for 2-3 minutes until your mixture goes from golden brown to a more light brown color. This is important! This is the roux, and if the flour in the roux is not cooked, you will get a paste flavor until of the spices.
5. When your roux is done, start slowly adding the warm soy milk. I add 1/2 cup, whisk it in thoroughly, add 1/2 cup, whisk it in thoroughly, then 1 cup, whisk, 1 cup, whisk, last 1 1/2 cups and whisk.
6. When all the soy milk is incorporated, turn the heat to medium-high and cook at a simmer or just below for a few minutes until the mixture starts to feel slightly thicker when you stir it gently with the whisk (it's as if the whisk has just a tiny bit more resistance on it as you stir with it, not actually whipping with it). At this point, add all of the cheese and switch to a spoon (the cheese shreds will get caught up in the whisk!).
7. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir occasionally and heat the mixture to melt the cheese. It's okay if there are bits that aren't melted, but it should be definitely more of a cheese sauce on the thin side Remember that the pasta will soak up the extra liquid and some will evaporate during baking.
8. Put the macaroni in its cooking pot, then pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir to combine. Pour it into the prepared pan(s).
9. In a medium bowl, cut the cold margarine into the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese substitute until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This can be done using the back of a fork, a pair of knives, or alternatively a food processor on pulse. It helps if the margarine is cut into bits or tsp sized slices before starting. This can be done while the sauce is being made; it doesn't have to be done at the end.
10. Sprinkle the bread crumb topping evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven (everything is cooked, so this is just a browning on top, absorbing liquid, heating through kind of thing), covering with foil if the bread crumbs start to get too brown. Let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the liquid to absorb into the pasta.
The recipe turned out very good. It was slightly creamy but thick, just like baked macaroni and cheese should be. The flavor was excellent. Most homemade macaroni and cheese recipes call for good quality sharp cheddar cheese for good reason - use a bland cheese and end up with super bland macaroni and cheese (face it, the milk, flour, butter, and pasta aren't really the stars tap dancing on the taste buds for this). This is a problem I sometimes face with using cheese alternatives, as none of them ever really have that sharp bite. Still, if that's all you have.... The peppers in the cheese gave it some zing without overwhelming the tastebuds, and I really love how rice cheese melts so smoothly (really, far superior to soy cheeses many times). I baked the macaroni and cheese at 375 for 40 minutes, so that's what I did for our Italian sausages too - pull from the freezer, thaw, place 4 in an 8x8 baking dish, and bake them uncovered right next to the macaroni and cheese. Serve with some steamed whole green beans and some piping hot stewed tomatoes, and it was comfort on a plate.
(I messed with this so much that I'm writing this exactly as I did it - if you want to use dairy, just substitute in the appropriate items.)
1 lb elbow macaroni
12 T Blue Bonnet margarine (that's a stick and a half)
6 T flour
1 tsp onion powder
1 T dried parsley
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups Silk plain soy milk warmed to gently steaming (a few minutes in the microwave)
6 c. shredded pepper jack style Rice Cheeze
1 1/4 c. coarse bread crumbs (I used flax and fiber bread crumbs - I make bread crumbs with whatever stale bread we have and then freeze, and this was in the freezer.)
3 T. cold Blue Bonnet margarine
1/2 c. Parma Zaan sprinkles by The Vegetarian Express (usually, these don't really have much flavor, but added to the topping was a nice touch)
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 baking dishes (or other chosen baking dishes).
2. Cook the macaroni according to package directions until just done (should be 9 minutes). Drain well.
3. Melt the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, parsley, salt, and pepper.
4. When completely melted, add the flour mixture and gently whisk it in. Continue to gently whisk and to cook over medium heat (medium-low if you feel that medium is too high) for 2-3 minutes until your mixture goes from golden brown to a more light brown color. This is important! This is the roux, and if the flour in the roux is not cooked, you will get a paste flavor until of the spices.
5. When your roux is done, start slowly adding the warm soy milk. I add 1/2 cup, whisk it in thoroughly, add 1/2 cup, whisk it in thoroughly, then 1 cup, whisk, 1 cup, whisk, last 1 1/2 cups and whisk.
6. When all the soy milk is incorporated, turn the heat to medium-high and cook at a simmer or just below for a few minutes until the mixture starts to feel slightly thicker when you stir it gently with the whisk (it's as if the whisk has just a tiny bit more resistance on it as you stir with it, not actually whipping with it). At this point, add all of the cheese and switch to a spoon (the cheese shreds will get caught up in the whisk!).
7. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir occasionally and heat the mixture to melt the cheese. It's okay if there are bits that aren't melted, but it should be definitely more of a cheese sauce on the thin side Remember that the pasta will soak up the extra liquid and some will evaporate during baking.
8. Put the macaroni in its cooking pot, then pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir to combine. Pour it into the prepared pan(s).
9. In a medium bowl, cut the cold margarine into the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese substitute until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This can be done using the back of a fork, a pair of knives, or alternatively a food processor on pulse. It helps if the margarine is cut into bits or tsp sized slices before starting. This can be done while the sauce is being made; it doesn't have to be done at the end.
10. Sprinkle the bread crumb topping evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven (everything is cooked, so this is just a browning on top, absorbing liquid, heating through kind of thing), covering with foil if the bread crumbs start to get too brown. Let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the liquid to absorb into the pasta.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Ham and Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Yes Please!
I managed to get a regular ham for only $1.03/lb, and sweet potatoes were a manageable $0.98/lb, so tonight is ham and mashed sweet potatoes! Going with it will be steamed peas and a warmed loaf of Italian bread, remainder from the bakery bought at 1/3 off the price. Who says I have to bake everything from scratch!
It turns out that 10 pounds of bone-in ham does *not* fit nicely into a 6 qt crockpot no matter which way you lay it, so I cut that big ham in half and put one half into the 6 quart oval crockpot and the other half into my 5 quart round crockpot. I had read up on cooking ham with ginger ale in the crockpot, and several reviews on several recipes said about spreading a paste of brown sugar and dijon/fancy mustard on top after ginger ale is poured over and around, so I gave it a try. The verdict is don't waste your time. The soda was good, as it draws out some of the salt while maintaining or adding a touch of sweetness, but it imparted no flavor and the brown sugar and mustard paste did absolutely nothing, just a waste of ingredients. Also, doing it in the crockpot instead of the oven did absolutely nothing to glaze the ham, just an FYI. I'm really considering getting another ham and trying the soda and baking method (any soda works well with this, and if you bake the ham instead of crockpot cooking it, basting every 30 minutes, it will glaze the ham). As it is, I have ham for dinner, and more than a dozen baggies (each 1 cup of cubed ham) of meat in the freezer to use in omelets, stir fries, hashbrowns, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, stuffed potatoes, baked potatoes, bean soup, and more, plus I have the bones to make either split pea or ham and bean soup later this week.
1 ham (I used a 10 lb ham hacked in half, using two crockpots)
ginger ale - enough to put an inch of soda in the bottom of the crockpot
crockpot
1. Remove as much fat as you can from the ham. Put it in the crockpot.
2. Pour the ginger ale over the ham. Cover, and turn on low and cook for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Heck, the ham is already cooked, so 3-4 hours on low should do it. I did mine for 8 hours, and it fell apart as I pulled it out.
Now for the luscious mashed sweet potatoes. I'm sorry to say that I do this to taste every time, and whenever I try to do exact measurements, I end up fussing and fixing it anyway. These are my rough measurements.
9 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. butter/margarine, melted
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1. Bake the sweet potatoes: 400 degrees, 1 hour, don't forget to prick them so they don't explode from steam build up and don't forget to put foil under them to catch the sweet juice drips (which would turn into smelly burnt sugar drips on the oven floor).
2. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and just kind of shake the insides into a mixer bowl - the skins slip right off, so I just grab the ends, flip it cut side down over the bowl, jiggle, and watch the meat of the potato fall right away.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix until the consistency of mashed potatoes. Melting the butter not only ensure even dispersal but also means that the butter isn't cooling the sweet potatoes prematurely, changing the starch reactions (this is why you should warm your milk and butter before adding to white potatoes when mashing them too!).
I serve this just the way it is, although diners might want to have a pat of butter, drizzle of maple syrup or honey, or a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. To freeze, I put 1 cup portions in baggies, lay flat on a cutting board, freeze, and bag in a gallon freezer bag. Reheating is simple in the microwave, and they are great paired with grilled venison, ham, herbed pork chops, barbeque chicken, peas, broccoli, aspagaragus, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green beans, almost any vegetable. Try serving with lemon herb chicken and a simple salad of fresh spinach, dried cranberries, candied pecans, thinly sliced red onion rings, crumbled chevre, and a cranberry vinaigrette. Wow!
It turns out that 10 pounds of bone-in ham does *not* fit nicely into a 6 qt crockpot no matter which way you lay it, so I cut that big ham in half and put one half into the 6 quart oval crockpot and the other half into my 5 quart round crockpot. I had read up on cooking ham with ginger ale in the crockpot, and several reviews on several recipes said about spreading a paste of brown sugar and dijon/fancy mustard on top after ginger ale is poured over and around, so I gave it a try. The verdict is don't waste your time. The soda was good, as it draws out some of the salt while maintaining or adding a touch of sweetness, but it imparted no flavor and the brown sugar and mustard paste did absolutely nothing, just a waste of ingredients. Also, doing it in the crockpot instead of the oven did absolutely nothing to glaze the ham, just an FYI. I'm really considering getting another ham and trying the soda and baking method (any soda works well with this, and if you bake the ham instead of crockpot cooking it, basting every 30 minutes, it will glaze the ham). As it is, I have ham for dinner, and more than a dozen baggies (each 1 cup of cubed ham) of meat in the freezer to use in omelets, stir fries, hashbrowns, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, stuffed potatoes, baked potatoes, bean soup, and more, plus I have the bones to make either split pea or ham and bean soup later this week.
1 ham (I used a 10 lb ham hacked in half, using two crockpots)
ginger ale - enough to put an inch of soda in the bottom of the crockpot
crockpot
1. Remove as much fat as you can from the ham. Put it in the crockpot.
2. Pour the ginger ale over the ham. Cover, and turn on low and cook for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Heck, the ham is already cooked, so 3-4 hours on low should do it. I did mine for 8 hours, and it fell apart as I pulled it out.
Now for the luscious mashed sweet potatoes. I'm sorry to say that I do this to taste every time, and whenever I try to do exact measurements, I end up fussing and fixing it anyway. These are my rough measurements.
9 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. butter/margarine, melted
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1. Bake the sweet potatoes: 400 degrees, 1 hour, don't forget to prick them so they don't explode from steam build up and don't forget to put foil under them to catch the sweet juice drips (which would turn into smelly burnt sugar drips on the oven floor).
2. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and just kind of shake the insides into a mixer bowl - the skins slip right off, so I just grab the ends, flip it cut side down over the bowl, jiggle, and watch the meat of the potato fall right away.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix until the consistency of mashed potatoes. Melting the butter not only ensure even dispersal but also means that the butter isn't cooling the sweet potatoes prematurely, changing the starch reactions (this is why you should warm your milk and butter before adding to white potatoes when mashing them too!).
I serve this just the way it is, although diners might want to have a pat of butter, drizzle of maple syrup or honey, or a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. To freeze, I put 1 cup portions in baggies, lay flat on a cutting board, freeze, and bag in a gallon freezer bag. Reheating is simple in the microwave, and they are great paired with grilled venison, ham, herbed pork chops, barbeque chicken, peas, broccoli, aspagaragus, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green beans, almost any vegetable. Try serving with lemon herb chicken and a simple salad of fresh spinach, dried cranberries, candied pecans, thinly sliced red onion rings, crumbled chevre, and a cranberry vinaigrette. Wow!
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