These are prepared on the Rice Krispies Treats model with cocoa-flavored cereal, for Trunk or Treat parties. Ugly -- gummy worm emerging from each mound of dirt optional.
Regular Batch
Spray a very large bowl and a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper if you intent to make shaped mounds rather than rectangles. If desired, crush chocolate cookie wafers to decorate the finished treats (I took some Oreos apart and used the halves with no filling to crush, putting the remaining halves together for "double stuff" Oreos). Reserve crushed cookies in a bowl.
Measure about 8 1/2 cups Cocoa Pebbles or Cocoa Dyno-Bites (13 oz. box) into the very large bowl you have sprayed with non-stick spray. Have a sturdy spatula or large spoon ready for stirring.
Melt 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) in a microwave, in a large microwave-proof bowl. Pour in a 10 oz. bag of marshmallows and stir to coat marshmallows with butter. Melt marshmallows completely in the microwave on high power for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring once at 45 seconds. Pour and scrape melted marshmallow mixture into cereal and quickly stir to coat the cereal. Scrape into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan and press evenly into the pan with buttered hands (or spray hands with non-stick cooking spray). If you intend to serve as bars, sprinkle some cookie crumbs over the cereal mixture and press into the top if desired, to make the top look "dirty". Also makes the bars less sticky (you could also coat the bottom of the pan with cookie crumbs before adding cereal if desired). Cut when cooled. Cover tightly to store.
If you want to make "moldy mounds of dirt", score the warm cereal mixture quickly into serving-sized pieces. With buttered hands, shape each piece into a flat-bottomed mound, shaping it around half of a gummy worm if desired, so that the other half of the worm emerges from the "mound of dirt". Firm cereal mixture around the worm. Roll the mound in crushed cookies to give the appearance of an uneven, dirty surface. Press cookie crumbs into cereal mixture and set on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet to cool.
Big Batch
Prepare as above, using a 16 oz. bag of marshmallows, 13 cups of cereal and 6 Tablespoons of butter. Marshmallows will take a little longer to melt and you will need BIG bowls both for the microwave and the cereal. I put the mixture in a 10 x 15 inch baking dish(sprayed with non-stick cooking spray as above) to score it into serving sections, then quickly shaped the pieces around gummy worms and coated with cookie crumbs. I set the mounds on a 1/2 hotel sheet lined with waxed paper, but you could use 2 smaller cookie sheets. I got 31 mounds of dirt, most of them quite large for a kid (slightly smaller than a cupcake).
NOTE: If you get a 42 oz. bag of Cocoa Dyno-Bites cereal, you can make 2 big batches if you substitute a cup or two of another ingredient for cereal in each batch -- nuts, coconut, another kind of cereal, etc. I would not try to make a double batch at one time - just too big. Separate batches are much more feasible.
Showing posts with label Holiday Foods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiday Foods. Show all posts
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday, November 26, 2010
Bulgur or Quinoa Dressing
Quinoa Dressing garnished with Giant Italian Parsley
Bulgur Wheat or Quinoa
Thanksgiving Dressing (Serves 4 to 5 as a side dish)
Part
1
Cook over medium heat:
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery with some leaves, in
2 to 4 Tablespoons oil and/or unsalted butter until onions are translucent.
Cook over medium heat:
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery with some leaves, in
2 to 4 Tablespoons oil and/or unsalted butter until onions are translucent.
Add 1 cup medium to coarse bulgur wheat OR 1 cup (washed or prewashed) quinoa and 1 ¾ to 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, cover
tightly, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Let sit off
heat for 5 minutes. Taste and carefully adjust salt if necessary. It probably
will not need any additional salt if you used salted broth.
Part 2
Microwave 1/3 cup packed sweetened dried cranberries in 2 Tablespoons orange or apple juice or water, until water simmers. Stir, cover and allow to stand until liquid is absorbed.
Shortly before serving, fluff warm quinoa with a fork and add softened cranberries, 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley and 4 finely minced young scallions with some of the tender green parts, or some minced chives. Serve.
Seasoning Tips:
Bulgur Wheat version: The original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, but I leave it out because I want this dressing to taste different from the more traditional dressing on the table. You can add some black pepper with the onions and celery if using bulgur wheat.
Quinoa version: Try doubling the amount of softened cranberries.
On a day other than Thanksgiving, you can substitute a minced garlic clove or one or two shallots (added with the onion and celery) for the scallions or chives added at the end.
If there is a no-sugar purist coming to dinner, you can leave out the cranberries and garnish the finished dressing with pomegranate arils.
Quantity Cooking:
If you will be eating with a crowd where the kitchen will be busy, a quadruple batch of the bulgur wheat version (Part 1) holds nicely for a few hours in a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker or big covered electric skillet set to “warm”. I don’t know how well the quinoa version holds. Add cranberries, parsley and green onion shortly before serving.
Even after adding Part 2, this dressing re-heats nicely in a microwave. Great for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving.
Alternate Grains and Allergy information:
The quinoa recipe is gluten-free. I think a wheat and milk-free alternative with brown rice and maybe a little wild rice, cooked until done but still chewy, would also be excellent. For a different flavor, try adding some minced green tops from a bulb of fennel and chopping some of the bulb into the dressing, or some fresh tarragon. Consider pressure-cooking brown rice at high altitudes. Or try other grains. Cook enough rice (and/or other grain) in broth to make about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of cooked grain. Add to cooked onions and celery, add additional liquid if necessary for a moister dressing and proceed as above.
You're on your own figuring out equivalent amounts of cooked wild rice, millet, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat or pearled barley (people who react to wheat gluten may not get along with barley, either). Check basic cooking techniques for these grains online to determine cooking times and the proportions of liquid which will be needed.
This dish could easily be made VEGETARIAN. Just use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth and use oil rather than butter.
This recipe can be made free of corn products - check chicken broth and cranberry ingredients.
Stocking Up, Preparing Bulgur Wheat without Electricity:
The classic salad made with bulgur wheat, Tabouleh (AKA Tabouli) generally uses bulgur wheat soaked in hot or cold water, then drained before adding other ingredients.
In an emergency, even if you had no way to heat food and no fresh veggies, you could serve a salad using similar ingredients by soaking medium bulgur in cold water for one hour (or until hydrated), adding dried celery, parsley and onion (not as much as in this recipe) plus dried cranberries or other dried fruit, desired seasonings, a little oil and lemon juice or vinegar. Allow to sit until vegetables re-hydrate and flavors blend, stirring occasionally. Stir in a can of tuna or diced chicken (with the liquid in the can) if you like and serve.
Part 2
Microwave 1/3 cup packed sweetened dried cranberries in 2 Tablespoons orange or apple juice or water, until water simmers. Stir, cover and allow to stand until liquid is absorbed.
Shortly before serving, fluff warm quinoa with a fork and add softened cranberries, 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley and 4 finely minced young scallions with some of the tender green parts, or some minced chives. Serve.
Seasoning Tips:
Bulgur Wheat version: The original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, but I leave it out because I want this dressing to taste different from the more traditional dressing on the table. You can add some black pepper with the onions and celery if using bulgur wheat.
Quinoa version: Try doubling the amount of softened cranberries.
On a day other than Thanksgiving, you can substitute a minced garlic clove or one or two shallots (added with the onion and celery) for the scallions or chives added at the end.
If there is a no-sugar purist coming to dinner, you can leave out the cranberries and garnish the finished dressing with pomegranate arils.
Quantity Cooking:
If you will be eating with a crowd where the kitchen will be busy, a quadruple batch of the bulgur wheat version (Part 1) holds nicely for a few hours in a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker or big covered electric skillet set to “warm”. I don’t know how well the quinoa version holds. Add cranberries, parsley and green onion shortly before serving.
Even after adding Part 2, this dressing re-heats nicely in a microwave. Great for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving.
Alternate Grains and Allergy information:
The quinoa recipe is gluten-free. I think a wheat and milk-free alternative with brown rice and maybe a little wild rice, cooked until done but still chewy, would also be excellent. For a different flavor, try adding some minced green tops from a bulb of fennel and chopping some of the bulb into the dressing, or some fresh tarragon. Consider pressure-cooking brown rice at high altitudes. Or try other grains. Cook enough rice (and/or other grain) in broth to make about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of cooked grain. Add to cooked onions and celery, add additional liquid if necessary for a moister dressing and proceed as above.
You're on your own figuring out equivalent amounts of cooked wild rice, millet, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat or pearled barley (people who react to wheat gluten may not get along with barley, either). Check basic cooking techniques for these grains online to determine cooking times and the proportions of liquid which will be needed.
This dish could easily be made VEGETARIAN. Just use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth and use oil rather than butter.
This recipe can be made free of corn products - check chicken broth and cranberry ingredients.
Stocking Up, Preparing Bulgur Wheat without Electricity:
The classic salad made with bulgur wheat, Tabouleh (AKA Tabouli) generally uses bulgur wheat soaked in hot or cold water, then drained before adding other ingredients.
In an emergency, even if you had no way to heat food and no fresh veggies, you could serve a salad using similar ingredients by soaking medium bulgur in cold water for one hour (or until hydrated), adding dried celery, parsley and onion (not as much as in this recipe) plus dried cranberries or other dried fruit, desired seasonings, a little oil and lemon juice or vinegar. Allow to sit until vegetables re-hydrate and flavors blend, stirring occasionally. Stir in a can of tuna or diced chicken (with the liquid in the can) if you like and serve.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Cranberry salsas
Previewing cranberry salsa recipes:
Fresh Scallions, garlic, lime, jalapeno. Might substitute a little parsley for cilantro, serve cilantro on the side. Salsa in "Yankee Magazine". So traditional!
Ditto, no garlic, more cilantro
Basic enhanced canned cranberry sauce
Enhanced canned cranberry sauce with pears, green onions, cumin. Also a quesadilla recipe
Fresh salsa with Oranges, apples and serrano chiles (I think they mean a 12-oz. bag of cranberries)
Ditto, orange zest, less apple. Turkey taco recipe, too.
Fresh Scallions, garlic, lime, jalapeno. Might substitute a little parsley for cilantro, serve cilantro on the side. Salsa in "Yankee Magazine". So traditional!
Ditto, no garlic, more cilantro
Basic enhanced canned cranberry sauce
Enhanced canned cranberry sauce with pears, green onions, cumin. Also a quesadilla recipe
Fresh salsa with Oranges, apples and serrano chiles (I think they mean a 12-oz. bag of cranberries)
Ditto, orange zest, less apple. Turkey taco recipe, too.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
"Spanish" Green Beans
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!. Entertaining directions at the link.
Pioneer Woman recommends her recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish. It can be prepared in advance and holds for hours in a slow-cooker or electric skillet. Recipes to serve 10 and to serve a crowd of 20 (more at a buffet) are below. Leftovers are good, too.
This dish would also be good served in individual bowls for a light supper (or breakfast or brunch) with a nice roll or some toast. Reminds me of Grandma's farm breakfast of stewed tomatoes and grilled cheese sandwiches. Or serve over a little brown rice, over drained and heated canned corn or with some good tortillas.
Ingredients
5 slices bacon (or 1/3 to 1/2 pound)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cans (14.5 oz. ) whole or cut green beans (or 1 1/2 to 2 Pounds fresh or frozen)
2 cans (14.5 oz.) stewed, whole or diced tomatoes (or one 28 oz. can)
Cayenne pepper to taste (Up to 1/8 teaspoon, or 1/4 teaspoon of regular red pepper)
Preparation
Slice the bacon into pieces one inch wide or less and start cooking them in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until bacon startes to turn brown, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, dice the onion. When the bacon is beginning to brown, drain off most of the fat and then add the onions. Cook, stirring now and then, until bacon and onions are both turning a nice color, but do not cook until bacon is crisp.
Add the two cans of tomatoes with their juice. Stir, loosening browned bits from the bottom of the pan and breaking up the tomatoes a little if you wish. Drain the green beans and add them to the pan. Stir gently. If you add the cayenne pepper to the pan with the bacon and the onions now, the heat may increase as the dish cooks. You can also add the pepper just before serving, when it will be easier to adjust the flavor to your preference.
If you wish to take this dish to a potluck, you can heat it through at this point, then transfer it to a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker to finish cooking. Or if you are starting several hours in advance, combine the onions, bacon and tomatoes with the drained, unheated beans in the slow cooker and stir gently). Start cooking on "high" heat then turn to the low or warm setting when you think the dish has cooked long enough.
If not transferring to a slow cooker, cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ingredients
10 slices bacon (I sometimes use a 12-ounce package)
1 very large onion or two medium onions, diced
1 food service-size can (6 lb. 5 oz. ) whole or cut green beans OR two 50-ounce cans, PLUS one 14.5 oz. can.
2 large cans (28 oz.) whole, stewed or diced tomatoes (or four 14.5 oz. cans)
Cayenne pepper to taste (up to 1/4 teaspoon or up to 1/2 teaspoon regular red pepper)
Prepare as above, in a large electric skillet, Dutch oven or kettle with a heavy bottom. For a potluck or buffet, a 6 to 8 quart capacity slow-cooker or large, deep electric skillet is easy to transport.
Some Other Ideas
For a meatless dish, consider the following:
1. Increase the amount of chile. Brown the onions slowly in a little oil.
2, Substitute 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of whole celery seed for the cayenne and add two medium diced potatoes and some fresh-ground black pepper with the tomatoes after browning the onions slowly in a little oil. The Crab Cooker's wonderful red clam chowder - a Newport Beach tradition - contains a LOT of celery seed. Well, green beans and clams are not exactly interchangeable, but there is some similarity in the flavor of the finished products.
Family Green Bean Gardening Traditions and Preferences
David called this dish "Okie beans" at a branch party, but I think of "Okie beans" as big, fresh green beans - "beany" ones like the ones his mother prefers - cooked for a long time with onion and some ham or bacon. She likes varieties like Kentucky Wonder and Pinto (picked as green beans, with seeds developed), but both have strings. Contender is her choice for a stringless, "beany" bean, but it will get fibrous in cool fall weather. It's for spring planting. The Blue Lake-type beans you find in cans are the kind David's Mom calls, "just green, not beans", along with filet beans and other delicate types. The kind my Mom likes. Fortex is her favorite. Great choice. David's mom and my mom both like Romano-type beans, too. But my mom picks them when they're still young, before the seeds develop.
Even though this recipe, as written, is made with beans that taste more "green" than "beany", Pioneer Woman does live in Oklahoma. So David isn't too far off in calling this dish "Okie beans", even when it's made with skinny, city-slicker beans. I expect that David's mom could make this dish wonderful with fresh Kentucky Wonders or her home-canned "beany" beans, too. Wouldn't work as well with Mom's ultra-tender baby beans.
You could also use flat Italian green beans, using one or more cans of Italian-style stewed tomatoes in place of regular stewed tomatoes. Don't over-do the Italian seasoning. You might want to use black pepper rather than cayenne for an Italian variation.
Allergy information: Tomato sauce and some canned tomatoes may contain corn products. Check the label. Some bacon contains corn products. Some people get headaches from cured meats.
Stocking up: You can keep the beans, tomatoes and cayenne pepper for this recipe on hand all the time. In a pinch, you can leave out the bacon. Use dried, minced onion if you don't have fresh onions (don't try to saute them), and a touch of vegetable oil.
Pioneer Woman recommends her recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish. It can be prepared in advance and holds for hours in a slow-cooker or electric skillet. Recipes to serve 10 and to serve a crowd of 20 (more at a buffet) are below. Leftovers are good, too.
This dish would also be good served in individual bowls for a light supper (or breakfast or brunch) with a nice roll or some toast. Reminds me of Grandma's farm breakfast of stewed tomatoes and grilled cheese sandwiches. Or serve over a little brown rice, over drained and heated canned corn or with some good tortillas.
Recipe for 10 servings (as a side dish)
I prefer slightly-sweet stewed tomatoes for this dish, especially if you're a little short on time to cook the beans after adding the tomatoes. This dish tastes best if simmered for at least 45 minutes.Ingredients
5 slices bacon (or 1/3 to 1/2 pound)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cans (14.5 oz. ) whole or cut green beans (or 1 1/2 to 2 Pounds fresh or frozen)
2 cans (14.5 oz.) stewed, whole or diced tomatoes (or one 28 oz. can)
Cayenne pepper to taste (Up to 1/8 teaspoon, or 1/4 teaspoon of regular red pepper)
Preparation
Slice the bacon into pieces one inch wide or less and start cooking them in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until bacon startes to turn brown, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, dice the onion. When the bacon is beginning to brown, drain off most of the fat and then add the onions. Cook, stirring now and then, until bacon and onions are both turning a nice color, but do not cook until bacon is crisp.
Add the two cans of tomatoes with their juice. Stir, loosening browned bits from the bottom of the pan and breaking up the tomatoes a little if you wish. Drain the green beans and add them to the pan. Stir gently. If you add the cayenne pepper to the pan with the bacon and the onions now, the heat may increase as the dish cooks. You can also add the pepper just before serving, when it will be easier to adjust the flavor to your preference.
If you wish to take this dish to a potluck, you can heat it through at this point, then transfer it to a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker to finish cooking. Or if you are starting several hours in advance, combine the onions, bacon and tomatoes with the drained, unheated beans in the slow cooker and stir gently). Start cooking on "high" heat then turn to the low or warm setting when you think the dish has cooked long enough.
If not transferring to a slow cooker, cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Recipe for a Crowd
Your chance to use a restaurant-size can of green beans. This double recipe serves about 20, more at a buffet or potluck, where you might want to serve this dish with a slotted spoon. Save the soupy part in the bottom of the pot or skillet to eat later with crackers, toast or a grilled cheese sandwich.Ingredients
10 slices bacon (I sometimes use a 12-ounce package)
1 very large onion or two medium onions, diced
1 food service-size can (6 lb. 5 oz. ) whole or cut green beans OR two 50-ounce cans, PLUS one 14.5 oz. can.
2 large cans (28 oz.) whole, stewed or diced tomatoes (or four 14.5 oz. cans)
Cayenne pepper to taste (up to 1/4 teaspoon or up to 1/2 teaspoon regular red pepper)
Prepare as above, in a large electric skillet, Dutch oven or kettle with a heavy bottom. For a potluck or buffet, a 6 to 8 quart capacity slow-cooker or large, deep electric skillet is easy to transport.
Some Other Ideas
For a meatless dish, consider the following:
1. Increase the amount of chile. Brown the onions slowly in a little oil.
2, Substitute 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of whole celery seed for the cayenne and add two medium diced potatoes and some fresh-ground black pepper with the tomatoes after browning the onions slowly in a little oil. The Crab Cooker's wonderful red clam chowder - a Newport Beach tradition - contains a LOT of celery seed. Well, green beans and clams are not exactly interchangeable, but there is some similarity in the flavor of the finished products.
Family Green Bean Gardening Traditions and Preferences
David called this dish "Okie beans" at a branch party, but I think of "Okie beans" as big, fresh green beans - "beany" ones like the ones his mother prefers - cooked for a long time with onion and some ham or bacon. She likes varieties like Kentucky Wonder and Pinto (picked as green beans, with seeds developed), but both have strings. Contender is her choice for a stringless, "beany" bean, but it will get fibrous in cool fall weather. It's for spring planting. The Blue Lake-type beans you find in cans are the kind David's Mom calls, "just green, not beans", along with filet beans and other delicate types. The kind my Mom likes. Fortex is her favorite. Great choice. David's mom and my mom both like Romano-type beans, too. But my mom picks them when they're still young, before the seeds develop.
Even though this recipe, as written, is made with beans that taste more "green" than "beany", Pioneer Woman does live in Oklahoma. So David isn't too far off in calling this dish "Okie beans", even when it's made with skinny, city-slicker beans. I expect that David's mom could make this dish wonderful with fresh Kentucky Wonders or her home-canned "beany" beans, too. Wouldn't work as well with Mom's ultra-tender baby beans.
You could also use flat Italian green beans, using one or more cans of Italian-style stewed tomatoes in place of regular stewed tomatoes. Don't over-do the Italian seasoning. You might want to use black pepper rather than cayenne for an Italian variation.
Allergy information: Tomato sauce and some canned tomatoes may contain corn products. Check the label. Some bacon contains corn products. Some people get headaches from cured meats.
Stocking up: You can keep the beans, tomatoes and cayenne pepper for this recipe on hand all the time. In a pinch, you can leave out the bacon. Use dried, minced onion if you don't have fresh onions (don't try to saute them), and a touch of vegetable oil.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
The original version of this recipe came from Bon Appetit. I read about the Pumpkin Bread Pudding below on the blog of Elizabeth Scalia, who blogs on a Catholic website as The Anchoress. She says that if you make this pudding, people will "want to be your friend". She's right.
She leaves out the golden raisins (which I can't eat because they're treated with sulfites). I think little Zante currants (miniature raisins, actually) or chopped, sweetened dried pineapple could be substituted. But I usually don't add any fruit.
Instead of serving the sauce alongside the pudding, she stabs the bread deeply all over with a knife when the pudding is done, pours the caramel sauce over it and lets it sink in. That's what I did the first time I made it. But I can't imagine pouring on the whole recipe of sauce. She typically doubles the pudding recipe. Maybe a single recipe of sauce would sink into a double recipe of pudding, baked in a 9 x 13 or 10 x 15 inch pan. If you use a 9 x 13 inch pan, pick one with really tall sides. I use a 10 x 15 inch casserole dish for a double recipe. I have decided that I like to spread some of the warm sauce on the pudding shortly before serving, with the rest served in a small crockpot (the kind used to heat dips) on the side. But Elizabeth's way makes for easier serving (not easier transporting, necessarily). This pudding is best warm. The caramel sauce should always be served warm or hot if served separately.
PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL SAUCE
Yield: Makes 6 really big servings, more smaller servings
Ingredients
2 large eggs, equivalent egg substitute or 4 egg yolks
2 cups half and half (I substitute a 12 oz. can of evaporated milk and 1/2 cup milk)
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin (29-oz. can for a double recipe)
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice***
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups Challah bread (egg bread) or other firm bread, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (about 10-ounces)*
1/2 cup golden raisins, currants or chopped, dried pineapple (optional)
* I use 2 Tablespoons white sugar in place of the 2 T brown sugar, mixing the spices with it.
** I usually don't measure the bread cubes anymore. I have used a 12-oz. package of Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (omit 2 Tablespoons sugar) for a single recipe and a 22-oz. bag of Mexican-style Telera rolls (Semilla de Oro brand, apparently corn-free)for a double batch. If your bread is as soft as these rolls, don't fret about getting your cube size down to 1/2 inch. An inch is fine. I have also used a 24-oz. loaf of dense "country-style" white bread for a double batch, which produced less volume than the Telara rolls. If you believe that you have more bread than usual for this recipe, add an extra egg and a couple of tablespoons extra sugar (plus a little extra spice) for a single recipe or 2 extra eggs and a quarter cup extra sugar for a double recipe.
*** If you want the pudding to taste more like Libby's pumpkin pie, substitute 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cloves for the spices in the original recipe. Omit vanilla. Or use 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed cardamom with a couple of teaspoons of fresh orange zest.
Caramel sauce (variations here, less-rich alternatives below)
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
Directions
NOTE: You will need a REALLY BIG mixing bowl if you make a double recipe, plus an 11x7 inch or 9x9 inch baking pan for a single recipe, or a 10x15 inch baking pan or dish for a double recipe.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs until well-beaten, whisk in cream or milk, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract and spices in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Stir in golden raisins, if used. Transfer mixture to 11x7-inch or 9x9-inch glass baking dish (or spray a metal baking pan with non-stick cooking spray)or a 10x15 inch baking dish for a double recipe. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester (i.e, a knife) inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for a single recipe, 45 minutes or more for a double recipe.
Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce:
Whisk sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
Less-rich sauce alternatives include Old-Fashioned Vanilla Sauce like Grandma used to make, maple cream sauce (closer to what the Pilgrims could have had - though probably not at their first Thanksgiving), or a standard custard sauce flavored like eggnog. I would serve any of these on the side.
If you want to cut down on the "carb rush" from the pudding itself, you might start with the Pumpkin Bread Pudding recipe linked at the Maple Cream Sauce recipe above, or the first recipe linked below. Some recipes use whole-grain bread. Don't be afraid to vary a pumpkin bread pudding recipe.
Other Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipes
Here's a similar recipe using half the pumpkin, proportionately less sugar, slightly different spices and a little vanilla - for a slightly smaller pan - 8 x 8 inches. Double recipe to use an entire 15-oz. can of pumpkin, baking in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Below is a recipe for Pumpkin Bread Pudding made with French bread and dried cranberries - getting closer to a recipe I could taste. There are some "Artisan" French breads out there with no corn products. I have a non-severe sensitivity to eggs, and I would likely use two egg yolks in place of each egg (most people who are allergic to eggs react to one of the proteins in egg white). Maybe I could get away with 4 egg yolks. The first recipe linked above uses only two eggs. I might decrease the granulated sugar a little, too.
This pudding is recommended with Vanilla Sauce or other accompaniments. I've added a few tweaks to the original linked recipe.
Raisins or chopped pecans can be used in place of the dried cranberries, or try another chopped dried fruit - like maybe dried pinapple. Or leave out the dried fruit altogether.
PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING with French Bread and Dried Cranberries
Ingredients:
8 ounces French bread, torn into small pieces, about 5 cups
2 cups half-and-half, half milk and half cream or 12 oz. evaporated milk and 1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon sugar, optional
Preparation:
Butter an 11x7-inch (or 9 inch square) baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.
In a bowl, cover the torn bread with the half-and-half; set aside.
In another bowl, combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, cranberries, melted butter, spices, and vanilla; blend well. Pour pumpkin mixture over soaked bread and stir to blend.
Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until set.
Serve with a vanilla dessert sauce or brown sugar sauce, whipped cream, or vanilla or eggnog ice cream.
Serves 8.
She leaves out the golden raisins (which I can't eat because they're treated with sulfites). I think little Zante currants (miniature raisins, actually) or chopped, sweetened dried pineapple could be substituted. But I usually don't add any fruit.
Instead of serving the sauce alongside the pudding, she stabs the bread deeply all over with a knife when the pudding is done, pours the caramel sauce over it and lets it sink in. That's what I did the first time I made it. But I can't imagine pouring on the whole recipe of sauce. She typically doubles the pudding recipe. Maybe a single recipe of sauce would sink into a double recipe of pudding, baked in a 9 x 13 or 10 x 15 inch pan. If you use a 9 x 13 inch pan, pick one with really tall sides. I use a 10 x 15 inch casserole dish for a double recipe. I have decided that I like to spread some of the warm sauce on the pudding shortly before serving, with the rest served in a small crockpot (the kind used to heat dips) on the side. But Elizabeth's way makes for easier serving (not easier transporting, necessarily). This pudding is best warm. The caramel sauce should always be served warm or hot if served separately.
PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL SAUCE
Yield: Makes 6 really big servings, more smaller servings
Ingredients
2 large eggs, equivalent egg substitute or 4 egg yolks
2 cups half and half (I substitute a 12 oz. can of evaporated milk and 1/2 cup milk)
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin (29-oz. can for a double recipe)
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice***
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups Challah bread (egg bread) or other firm bread, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (about 10-ounces)*
1/2 cup golden raisins, currants or chopped, dried pineapple (optional)
* I use 2 Tablespoons white sugar in place of the 2 T brown sugar, mixing the spices with it.
** I usually don't measure the bread cubes anymore. I have used a 12-oz. package of Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (omit 2 Tablespoons sugar) for a single recipe and a 22-oz. bag of Mexican-style Telera rolls (Semilla de Oro brand, apparently corn-free)for a double batch. If your bread is as soft as these rolls, don't fret about getting your cube size down to 1/2 inch. An inch is fine. I have also used a 24-oz. loaf of dense "country-style" white bread for a double batch, which produced less volume than the Telara rolls. If you believe that you have more bread than usual for this recipe, add an extra egg and a couple of tablespoons extra sugar (plus a little extra spice) for a single recipe or 2 extra eggs and a quarter cup extra sugar for a double recipe.
*** If you want the pudding to taste more like Libby's pumpkin pie, substitute 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cloves for the spices in the original recipe. Omit vanilla. Or use 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed cardamom with a couple of teaspoons of fresh orange zest.
Caramel sauce (variations here, less-rich alternatives below)
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
Directions
NOTE: You will need a REALLY BIG mixing bowl if you make a double recipe, plus an 11x7 inch or 9x9 inch baking pan for a single recipe, or a 10x15 inch baking pan or dish for a double recipe.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs until well-beaten, whisk in cream or milk, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract and spices in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Stir in golden raisins, if used. Transfer mixture to 11x7-inch or 9x9-inch glass baking dish (or spray a metal baking pan with non-stick cooking spray)or a 10x15 inch baking dish for a double recipe. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester (i.e, a knife) inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for a single recipe, 45 minutes or more for a double recipe.
Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce:
Whisk sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
Less-rich sauce alternatives include Old-Fashioned Vanilla Sauce like Grandma used to make, maple cream sauce (closer to what the Pilgrims could have had - though probably not at their first Thanksgiving), or a standard custard sauce flavored like eggnog. I would serve any of these on the side.
If you want to cut down on the "carb rush" from the pudding itself, you might start with the Pumpkin Bread Pudding recipe linked at the Maple Cream Sauce recipe above, or the first recipe linked below. Some recipes use whole-grain bread. Don't be afraid to vary a pumpkin bread pudding recipe.
Other Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipes
Here's a similar recipe using half the pumpkin, proportionately less sugar, slightly different spices and a little vanilla - for a slightly smaller pan - 8 x 8 inches. Double recipe to use an entire 15-oz. can of pumpkin, baking in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Below is a recipe for Pumpkin Bread Pudding made with French bread and dried cranberries - getting closer to a recipe I could taste. There are some "Artisan" French breads out there with no corn products. I have a non-severe sensitivity to eggs, and I would likely use two egg yolks in place of each egg (most people who are allergic to eggs react to one of the proteins in egg white). Maybe I could get away with 4 egg yolks. The first recipe linked above uses only two eggs. I might decrease the granulated sugar a little, too.
This pudding is recommended with Vanilla Sauce or other accompaniments. I've added a few tweaks to the original linked recipe.
Raisins or chopped pecans can be used in place of the dried cranberries, or try another chopped dried fruit - like maybe dried pinapple. Or leave out the dried fruit altogether.
PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING with French Bread and Dried Cranberries
Ingredients:
8 ounces French bread, torn into small pieces, about 5 cups
2 cups half-and-half, half milk and half cream or 12 oz. evaporated milk and 1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon sugar, optional
Preparation:
Butter an 11x7-inch (or 9 inch square) baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.
In a bowl, cover the torn bread with the half-and-half; set aside.
In another bowl, combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, cranberries, melted butter, spices, and vanilla; blend well. Pour pumpkin mixture over soaked bread and stir to blend.
Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until set.
Serve with a vanilla dessert sauce or brown sugar sauce, whipped cream, or vanilla or eggnog ice cream.
Serves 8.
Maple Cream Sauce
A for bread puddings, steamed pudding, gingerbread, waffles, etc. Especially appropriate for Thanksgiving. See the link to KSL.com for a pumpkin bread pudding which is smaller than our favorite, with more eggs and less of most everything else - perhaps the one to serve for breakfast.
I've included three variations to this recipe. Real maple syrup is precious, with a distinctive flavor. But most commercial maple-flavored syrups have a stronger, less complex flavor. Some people, long used to the typical maple-flavored syrups, may not even recognize real maple syrup as maple. There is a recipe below for spiced maple cream sauce, if you want to use Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth's or another maple- flavored syrup.
Some of the darker, more flavorful real maple syrups (medium or dark amber, not "A" grade) have a sour note. These darker syrups are great in this recipe if you replace part of the maple syrup with brown and white sugar for a more balanced flavor. Add a whisper of vanilla if you like.
Ingredients for 100% real maple sauce
3/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tbs. Butter
1/8 tsp. vanilla (optional)
Ingredients for maple/brown sugar sauce
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tbs. Butter
1/8 tsp. vanilla (optional)
Ingredients for maple spice sauce
¾ cup maple-flavored syrup
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tbs. Butter
½ tsp Pumpkin pie spice or 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. allspice, nutmeg (grated if possible) or cardamom (freshly crushed if possible)
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring almost to boil while stirring.
Sauce will thicken as it cools.
Serve over Pumpkin Bread pudding, steamed carrot pudding or gingerbread.
Also very good over ice cream, waffles or cheesecake.
I've included three variations to this recipe. Real maple syrup is precious, with a distinctive flavor. But most commercial maple-flavored syrups have a stronger, less complex flavor. Some people, long used to the typical maple-flavored syrups, may not even recognize real maple syrup as maple. There is a recipe below for spiced maple cream sauce, if you want to use Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth's or another maple- flavored syrup.
Some of the darker, more flavorful real maple syrups (medium or dark amber, not "A" grade) have a sour note. These darker syrups are great in this recipe if you replace part of the maple syrup with brown and white sugar for a more balanced flavor. Add a whisper of vanilla if you like.
Ingredients for 100% real maple sauce
3/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tbs. Butter
1/8 tsp. vanilla (optional)
Ingredients for maple/brown sugar sauce
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tbs. Butter
1/8 tsp. vanilla (optional)
Ingredients for maple spice sauce
¾ cup maple-flavored syrup
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tbs. Butter
½ tsp Pumpkin pie spice or 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. allspice, nutmeg (grated if possible) or cardamom (freshly crushed if possible)
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring almost to boil while stirring.
Sauce will thicken as it cools.
Serve over Pumpkin Bread pudding, steamed carrot pudding or gingerbread.
Also very good over ice cream, waffles or cheesecake.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Dixie Salad
The Cox family is going to have this fruit salad, featuring pomegranates, for Thanksgiving. They brought the salad last month for Munch and Mingle. At the time, I thought of it as a glorified, prettier, Southern-style Waldorf salad. It contains pineapple, the traditional symbol of hospitality in the Southeast, along with bananas, and pecans instead of walnuts. Their version of the salad is very similar to this one.
Then I found this recipe from Hurricane, Utah, Circa 1914, and thought that maybe "Dixie Salad" referred not to the Old South but to "Utah's Dixie". In this region around St. George, at the edge of the Sunbelt, "Utah Sweet" (a sweet, pink pomegranate) and other relatively hardy varieties of pomegranate are grown. Pecan trees are used for landscaping. I would imagine that almonds and walnuts are grown there, too, just like in our Central Valley. The dressing for the older recipe includes whipped cream and "salad dressing" - probably a "boiled dressing" or, later, a commercial dressing like Miracle Whip. Boiled raisins (later, grapes), walnuts and almonds apparently came before recipes with pineapple, bananas and pecans. The ingredients in the older recipe could pretty much be produced locally. It is noted that sweetened whipped cream could be substituted for the tangier dressing if you preferred the salad for dessert.
Here's the Cox Family recipe. They are using frozen Grenada pomegranate arils (the individual seeds surrounded by red flesh) that they grew themselves. Grenada is a dark-fleshed, early-ripening sport of the old standard variety for hot summer, mild-winter climates, "Wonderful". The latter sometimes holds fruit on the tree until Thanksgiving, but fruits may split if watering is irregular or if it rains, so it is often better to pick them before they split and refrigerate (up to 2 months) or remove arils and freeze.
Dixie Salad
Amounts are variable. Adjust to taste.
2 cups pomegranate arils (thaw if frozen)
1 can (about 14 0z. drained, 20 oz. total weight) pineapple chunks or tidbits
4 bananas, peeled and sliced
3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped tart apple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons creamy salad dressing, e.g. Miracle Whip ™
To remove arils from the pomegranate, cut a thick slice off the blossom end, deep enough to remove the skin and reveal the interior membranes radiating out from the center, between the arils. Score the skin deeply from top to bottom near where the membranes meet the skin. Remove a little of the pith from the center, where the blossom end was. You can also cut off a little skin on the stem end if you like. Break the fruit apart and remove arils from membranes, or follow these directions for mess-free pomegranate arils.
Drain pineapple, reserving juice for another use. Mix fruit and nuts with mayonnaise and salad dressing n a large bowl. The linked recipe calls for the salad to be refrigerated overnight, but I think I would follow the Cox's practice of dressing the salad closer to serving time, or at least adding the bananas and maybe the pecans closer to serving time. If I felt fancy, I might toast the pecans first.
Allergy Information: Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip contain eggs. I think Miracle Whip also contains flour and corn products.
Then I found this recipe from Hurricane, Utah, Circa 1914, and thought that maybe "Dixie Salad" referred not to the Old South but to "Utah's Dixie". In this region around St. George, at the edge of the Sunbelt, "Utah Sweet" (a sweet, pink pomegranate) and other relatively hardy varieties of pomegranate are grown. Pecan trees are used for landscaping. I would imagine that almonds and walnuts are grown there, too, just like in our Central Valley. The dressing for the older recipe includes whipped cream and "salad dressing" - probably a "boiled dressing" or, later, a commercial dressing like Miracle Whip. Boiled raisins (later, grapes), walnuts and almonds apparently came before recipes with pineapple, bananas and pecans. The ingredients in the older recipe could pretty much be produced locally. It is noted that sweetened whipped cream could be substituted for the tangier dressing if you preferred the salad for dessert.
Here's the Cox Family recipe. They are using frozen Grenada pomegranate arils (the individual seeds surrounded by red flesh) that they grew themselves. Grenada is a dark-fleshed, early-ripening sport of the old standard variety for hot summer, mild-winter climates, "Wonderful". The latter sometimes holds fruit on the tree until Thanksgiving, but fruits may split if watering is irregular or if it rains, so it is often better to pick them before they split and refrigerate (up to 2 months) or remove arils and freeze.
Dixie Salad
Amounts are variable. Adjust to taste.
2 cups pomegranate arils (thaw if frozen)
1 can (about 14 0z. drained, 20 oz. total weight) pineapple chunks or tidbits
4 bananas, peeled and sliced
3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped tart apple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons creamy salad dressing, e.g. Miracle Whip ™
To remove arils from the pomegranate, cut a thick slice off the blossom end, deep enough to remove the skin and reveal the interior membranes radiating out from the center, between the arils. Score the skin deeply from top to bottom near where the membranes meet the skin. Remove a little of the pith from the center, where the blossom end was. You can also cut off a little skin on the stem end if you like. Break the fruit apart and remove arils from membranes, or follow these directions for mess-free pomegranate arils.
Drain pineapple, reserving juice for another use. Mix fruit and nuts with mayonnaise and salad dressing n a large bowl. The linked recipe calls for the salad to be refrigerated overnight, but I think I would follow the Cox's practice of dressing the salad closer to serving time, or at least adding the bananas and maybe the pecans closer to serving time. If I felt fancy, I might toast the pecans first.
Allergy Information: Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip contain eggs. I think Miracle Whip also contains flour and corn products.
Toasted Cornbread-Pecan Dressing for Thanksgiving
David's Mom always makes a big roasting pan full of cornbread dressing, moist and dense, for Thanksgiving. Still working on getting her recipes together and onto this blog. I can't eat the dressing because of the corn, but I need to learn how to make it for family gatherings.
The dressing below does not require oven time on Thanksgiving or Christmas day. It is adapted from The Cook's Bible: The Best of American Home Cooking by Christopher Kimball - the editor of "Cook's Illustrated" magazine.
"Toasting the cornbread and the chopped pecans gives a wonderful taste and texture to the finished product". You'll have to let me know, because I can't eat it. Sounds good, though. Bet you could double the recipe for a big crowd and leave it in a big electric skillet for buffet service:
Toasted Cornbread-Pecan Dressing
6 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread
3/4 cup pecans
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 tsp dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley
1. Heat over to 350F. Spread crumbled cornbread onto a baking sheet. Coarsely chop pecans and add to cornbread. Toast in oven for 25-30 minutes or until cornbread is golden, tossing the crumbs once or twice during toasting. Cool and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Cook bacon over medium heat in a skillet. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the cornbread and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings (mmm...bacon drippings). Add butter and olive oil to skillet and when butter has melted, add onion and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add celery and saute another three minutes.
Stir in thyme and sage and salt and pepper to taste. Add to cornbread.
3. Turn up heat under skillet. Add chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan. Add mixture to the bowl of cornbread. Add parsley to bowl and adjust seasonings.
And you're thinking, "Put it back in the oven, right?" No, that's it.
You're done. Makes about 10 cups, and it tastes even better if you make it today and let it sit overnight. Reheat in microwave (if made ahead) and turn into a serving bowl.
The dressing below does not require oven time on Thanksgiving or Christmas day. It is adapted from The Cook's Bible: The Best of American Home Cooking by Christopher Kimball - the editor of "Cook's Illustrated" magazine.
"Toasting the cornbread and the chopped pecans gives a wonderful taste and texture to the finished product". You'll have to let me know, because I can't eat it. Sounds good, though. Bet you could double the recipe for a big crowd and leave it in a big electric skillet for buffet service:
Toasted Cornbread-Pecan Dressing
6 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread
3/4 cup pecans
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 tsp dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley
1. Heat over to 350F. Spread crumbled cornbread onto a baking sheet. Coarsely chop pecans and add to cornbread. Toast in oven for 25-30 minutes or until cornbread is golden, tossing the crumbs once or twice during toasting. Cool and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Cook bacon over medium heat in a skillet. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the cornbread and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings (mmm...bacon drippings). Add butter and olive oil to skillet and when butter has melted, add onion and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add celery and saute another three minutes.
Stir in thyme and sage and salt and pepper to taste. Add to cornbread.
3. Turn up heat under skillet. Add chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan. Add mixture to the bowl of cornbread. Add parsley to bowl and adjust seasonings.
And you're thinking, "Put it back in the oven, right?" No, that's it.
You're done. Makes about 10 cups, and it tastes even better if you make it today and let it sit overnight. Reheat in microwave (if made ahead) and turn into a serving bowl.
Last Year's Thanksgiving Tips - plus more
CRANBERRIES
One thing I always do at Thanksgiving now is to make a batch of cranberry sauce from scratch, from the Ocean Spray Cranberry package. Sort through the berries while washing (they float) and follow the recipe exactly, breaking berries which don't burst. It's so easy, and much better than canned whole-berry sauce. Wonderful if you're transporting food to someone else's house, as it doesn't need to be refrigerated and is best made ahead. For a different flavor, less assertive, add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Recommended by Cook's Illustrated as the best recipe for cranberry sauce.
You can also use part orange juice in place of water and a little orange zest mixed in, or as a garnish. Plus a teaspoon of ginger or some other spices. If using orange and/or spices, try using part brown sugar in place of white sugar. Some people like red grape juice in place of water (or port wine - a no-no for those with sulfite allergies), plus the zest from a couple of lemons.
I've been going the purist route in recent years. Just a 12-oz. bag of berries and a cup each of sugar and water. Makes a zingy sauce (though if the fresh cranberries available this year are not completely ripe, a little salt will cut the bitterness). If it's a good year for cranberries, make extra for later in the season. Process canning jars as for jelly if you're serious about having extra homemade sauce.
I have been leaving the oranges, etc. for raw cranberry relish. There's a recipe on the Ocean Spray bag. And you can find others easily. If chunky relish is too bold, try blending it in a food processor until pureed.
For kids, have some mild, jellied cranberry (even better, cranberry/raspberry) sauce on hand. Remove the "log" from the can, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into half-rounds and fan them out on a serving plate, or cut in half again lengthwise before slicing quarter-logs into wedges. Individual servings will take up less room on the plate and will be less "floppy" than big round slices.
Update: More Cranberry Sauce ideas here. And from NPR, the famous pink cranberry/horseradish/sour cream relish. And relish with orange and ginger here.
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
One idea for keeping guests happy while simplifying your Thanksgiving Day menu (and cutting down on rich foods) is to expand the number of vegetable dishes you serve and to set out platters of fruit and nuts for nibbling. Very much in keeping with the idea of gratitude for the harvest. And this holds true for the entire Thanksgiving weekend, when fruits and vegetables can fill in around meals based on leftovers. If guests arrive a day early, fruits and vegetables, and marinated salads, can be kept on hand to accommodate variable schedules.
Here's a pretty fruit salad you can make mostly ahead. It features pomegranates. Our friends in Switzerland could make it in summer, substituting red currants for pomegranates.
One year here in our garden, we had fresh shelly beans in the garden at Thanksgiving, several varieties, and I combined them with corn, a little caramelized onion and a touch of heavy cream for a "more traditional" succotash. I got the idea from the Joy of Cooking. No cup of butter in the succotash for me. Though tomatoes in succotash are another way to go. Keira's mom used to cook dried corn and add a little cream for fall sometimes to remind everyone how things used to be.
I cooked some of the shellies (fresh seeds from over-grown, but not dried, green beans) separately for myself, since I can't eat corn. Black Valentine and Coco Rose de Prague are good varieties for variable fall weather, and make good shellies as well as green beans. Supplement with frozen lima or green beans if you are short of "shellies".
GENERAL
Nothing wrong with having two or three kinds of dressing.
Don't think I'll be doing deep-fried turkey.
My rolls will be from frozen dough, not "scratch".
Hoping that everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Let me know if you have any particularly wonderful dishes for next year.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Buffet-style Pozole Rojo - chicken or pork
A big, easy-to-serve version of Family-style Pozole. Instructions for the pork version are below the chicken version. Very popular for parties in the fall to winter season, especially as Christmas approaches. Pozole is traditional for Christmas Eve. It is very simple but somewhat time-consuming to prepare. It's way easier to make than homemade tamales. Special tamales, including sweet tamales, are about the most labor-intensive Christmas-time food project in our town. And Pozole is easier than its cousin, Menudo, too.
Pozole can be largely prepared in advance of a party, except for the raw vegetable accompaniments. It is served in bowls. Not for a formal-style gathering. Good for brunch on cold mornings, or for people with a cold. The recipe may be doubled or tripled to serve from an electric roasting pan (they vary in capacity), but the weight could strain the handles of the roaster if lifted. Transport part of Pozole (especially liquid) in a separate container.
CHICKEN POZOLE
Ingredients
One family-pack chicken thighs (about 5 pounds)
Chicken broth or water
One very big can of Mexican-style hominy - about 3 Kg or almost 7 pounds
One 8-oz. package dried pods of Chile California or similar very mild chiles
One 2-oz. package dried pods of Pasilla, Pasilla Negro or Pasilla-Ancho chiles (optional)
Garnishes (see below)
Chicken and Broth: Simmer chicken thighs in enough water and/or chicken broth to cover, until tender but not falling apart. Remove from broth. Cool, remove skin, bones and visible fat and cut chicken into chunks. Strain chicken broth, mix some warm water with the skin and bones and strain into broth. Skim fat from broth. If making ahead, it will be easier to remove the fat from the broth after refrigeration.
Chile Puree (Red Sauce): Tear off and discard stem ends of chiles. Tear in half lengthwise (or break very dry chiles into pieces). Remove as much of the central seed membrane as can be done without too much work and shake out loose seeds. Tear each chile into several pieces. Sometimes chiles are toasted at this point, but I learned to make this dish without toasting the chiles. Pack chile pieces into a large saucepan, cover with water, cover pan and bring to a boil. Remove covered pan from heat, setting aside for 30 minutes to soften and cool chiles.
When at least cool enough to leave your hand on the bottom of the pan, process chiles and part of the liquid in a blender or food processor until skins are reduced to about 1/4 inch chunks, or until smooth. Work sauce through a coarse sieve to remove skin and seed fragments. Or use a food mill or berry press to remove the seeds and skins. You may add the remaining liquid or some water to the skins, stir and strain again. Discard skins. Chile puree may be prepared the day before and refrigerated, or up to a couple of weeks in advance and frozen.
Final Preparation: Heat broth and chunks of chicken meat in a large kettle. You can also use an 7 or 8-quart slow cooker turned to high heat, but heating and simmering will take longer. Drain, rinse and add hominy to chicken and broth. Add chile puree and salt to taste. You should have leftover chile puree (red sauce). Many recipes call for 4 ounces of dried chiles to make puree for this much hominy and meat. The packages above should make enough sauce for 2 big batches unless you serve additional red sauce as a garnish. The red sauce can also be used to flavor other dishes.
Add water and/or additional chicken broth to bring Pozole to a soupy consistency. Adjust salt and simmer to blend flavors, for at least half an hour. The hominy swells as it simmers, so you may need to add additional water, broth and/or chile puree later. Refrigerate or freeze extra chile puree.
To Serve: Ladle into serving bowls and serve with these garnishes:
Notes, including directions for Pork Pozole
The cabbage, onion and/or scallions and citrus are mandatory accompaniments. Other garnishes are optional but may be expected. Minced cilantro and/or Italian parsley are not traditional garnishes for this dish in winter in many regions, but are often offered. Sometimes shredded iceberg lettuce is substituted for the cabbage and avocado is offered. I don't know if these are traditional, however.
I learned to make this style of Pozole from a friend who grew up in Michoacán. Many of the people who live in our little town are from this state of Mexico. This state includes mountainous regions where it freezes in winter, so cilantro is not available then. This state also includes wintering grounds for Monarch butterflies.
PORK POZOLE
In our little town, Pozole made with pork butt or pork neck and a pig's foot is common at Christmas-season family gatherings. You may also use pork in the recipe above. Pork shank and Boston pork butt are common choices for this size recipe. Four or 5 pounds of lean country-style spare ribs (not real spare ribs) is an easy choice. Cut into large chunks before or after simmering in water or broth until tender. Cool meat enough to remove visible fat and any bones. For buffet-style Pozole, shred meat with two forks.
In some recipes, the pork is cut into one inch or 1 1/2 inch chunks and browned before simmering, adding some minced garlic at the end. Rubbed oregano or coriander and a bay leaf may be added to the liquid as the meat simmers. In some regions, the cook may add garlic cloves, cumin and/or a little ground allspice to the red sauce as it is placed in the blender to be pureed. Garlic, cumin and oregano will make the dish taste more like chili. Coriander is the seed of cilantro, but has a different flavor. I have made pork pozole with bay leaf and a little coriander added to the meat, and liked it. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Our friend Rosie likes to add some dried Pasilla chiles with the traditional dried California chiles. I believe that the name "Pasilla" refers to the wrinkled appearance of the dried chiles (like a raisin). You could also try Ancho/Poblano chiles, which are sometimes smoked while drying. Here, one popular choice is called "Pasilla-Ancho". These may be dark Ancho peppers, but I'm just guessing. Any of these will give a deeper color and more complex flavor to the dish. None of them are very spicy. We have used a 16 oz. bag of Chile California and an 8 oz. bag of Chile Pasilla-Ancho to make red sauce for a season's worth of Pozole. Chile California is a red, dried version of the Anaheim Chile. It is very similar to New Mexico Chiles, but milder. Guajillo chiles are also used for Pozole, often in combination with one of the others above.
Sometimes we see red hominy (made from red corn) in big cans this time of year, too.
In Mexico, various raw or cooked vegetables (and other accompaniments like chopped hard-cooked eggs) are also offered when other kinds of soup are served, so diners can add the ones they like.
Allergy information: Contains corn.
Pozole can be largely prepared in advance of a party, except for the raw vegetable accompaniments. It is served in bowls. Not for a formal-style gathering. Good for brunch on cold mornings, or for people with a cold. The recipe may be doubled or tripled to serve from an electric roasting pan (they vary in capacity), but the weight could strain the handles of the roaster if lifted. Transport part of Pozole (especially liquid) in a separate container.
CHICKEN POZOLE
Ingredients
One family-pack chicken thighs (about 5 pounds)
Chicken broth or water
One very big can of Mexican-style hominy - about 3 Kg or almost 7 pounds
One 8-oz. package dried pods of Chile California or similar very mild chiles
One 2-oz. package dried pods of Pasilla, Pasilla Negro or Pasilla-Ancho chiles (optional)
Garnishes (see below)
Chicken and Broth: Simmer chicken thighs in enough water and/or chicken broth to cover, until tender but not falling apart. Remove from broth. Cool, remove skin, bones and visible fat and cut chicken into chunks. Strain chicken broth, mix some warm water with the skin and bones and strain into broth. Skim fat from broth. If making ahead, it will be easier to remove the fat from the broth after refrigeration.
Chile Puree (Red Sauce): Tear off and discard stem ends of chiles. Tear in half lengthwise (or break very dry chiles into pieces). Remove as much of the central seed membrane as can be done without too much work and shake out loose seeds. Tear each chile into several pieces. Sometimes chiles are toasted at this point, but I learned to make this dish without toasting the chiles. Pack chile pieces into a large saucepan, cover with water, cover pan and bring to a boil. Remove covered pan from heat, setting aside for 30 minutes to soften and cool chiles.
When at least cool enough to leave your hand on the bottom of the pan, process chiles and part of the liquid in a blender or food processor until skins are reduced to about 1/4 inch chunks, or until smooth. Work sauce through a coarse sieve to remove skin and seed fragments. Or use a food mill or berry press to remove the seeds and skins. You may add the remaining liquid or some water to the skins, stir and strain again. Discard skins. Chile puree may be prepared the day before and refrigerated, or up to a couple of weeks in advance and frozen.
Final Preparation: Heat broth and chunks of chicken meat in a large kettle. You can also use an 7 or 8-quart slow cooker turned to high heat, but heating and simmering will take longer. Drain, rinse and add hominy to chicken and broth. Add chile puree and salt to taste. You should have leftover chile puree (red sauce). Many recipes call for 4 ounces of dried chiles to make puree for this much hominy and meat. The packages above should make enough sauce for 2 big batches unless you serve additional red sauce as a garnish. The red sauce can also be used to flavor other dishes.
Add water and/or additional chicken broth to bring Pozole to a soupy consistency. Adjust salt and simmer to blend flavors, for at least half an hour. The hominy swells as it simmers, so you may need to add additional water, broth and/or chile puree later. Refrigerate or freeze extra chile puree.
To Serve: Ladle into serving bowls and serve with these garnishes:
- A big bowl of thinly shredded or finely chopped cabbage (with tongs for adding cabbage to the Pozole). I think pre-packaged Angel Hair Coleslaw (cabbage only) works very well.
- Finely diced red or white onion (offer minced scallions for more sensitive tummies or when available onions are very strong)
- Lime and/or lemon wedges (or lemon or lime juice)
- Sliced or julienned radishes
- hot pepper flakes, reserved red sauce and/or hot sauce
- dried whole oregano to rub over individual servings as desired.
Notes, including directions for Pork Pozole
The cabbage, onion and/or scallions and citrus are mandatory accompaniments. Other garnishes are optional but may be expected. Minced cilantro and/or Italian parsley are not traditional garnishes for this dish in winter in many regions, but are often offered. Sometimes shredded iceberg lettuce is substituted for the cabbage and avocado is offered. I don't know if these are traditional, however.
I learned to make this style of Pozole from a friend who grew up in Michoacán. Many of the people who live in our little town are from this state of Mexico. This state includes mountainous regions where it freezes in winter, so cilantro is not available then. This state also includes wintering grounds for Monarch butterflies.
PORK POZOLE
In our little town, Pozole made with pork butt or pork neck and a pig's foot is common at Christmas-season family gatherings. You may also use pork in the recipe above. Pork shank and Boston pork butt are common choices for this size recipe. Four or 5 pounds of lean country-style spare ribs (not real spare ribs) is an easy choice. Cut into large chunks before or after simmering in water or broth until tender. Cool meat enough to remove visible fat and any bones. For buffet-style Pozole, shred meat with two forks.
In some recipes, the pork is cut into one inch or 1 1/2 inch chunks and browned before simmering, adding some minced garlic at the end. Rubbed oregano or coriander and a bay leaf may be added to the liquid as the meat simmers. In some regions, the cook may add garlic cloves, cumin and/or a little ground allspice to the red sauce as it is placed in the blender to be pureed. Garlic, cumin and oregano will make the dish taste more like chili. Coriander is the seed of cilantro, but has a different flavor. I have made pork pozole with bay leaf and a little coriander added to the meat, and liked it. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Our friend Rosie likes to add some dried Pasilla chiles with the traditional dried California chiles. I believe that the name "Pasilla" refers to the wrinkled appearance of the dried chiles (like a raisin). You could also try Ancho/Poblano chiles, which are sometimes smoked while drying. Here, one popular choice is called "Pasilla-Ancho". These may be dark Ancho peppers, but I'm just guessing. Any of these will give a deeper color and more complex flavor to the dish. None of them are very spicy. We have used a 16 oz. bag of Chile California and an 8 oz. bag of Chile Pasilla-Ancho to make red sauce for a season's worth of Pozole. Chile California is a red, dried version of the Anaheim Chile. It is very similar to New Mexico Chiles, but milder. Guajillo chiles are also used for Pozole, often in combination with one of the others above.
Sometimes we see red hominy (made from red corn) in big cans this time of year, too.
In Mexico, various raw or cooked vegetables (and other accompaniments like chopped hard-cooked eggs) are also offered when other kinds of soup are served, so diners can add the ones they like.
Allergy information: Contains corn.
Family-style Pozole
When the weather gets cooler in the fall, we start seeing big bags of dried, whole Chile California on sale at the store. It's time to think about making Pozole, a cousin to Menudo. We're not quite up to making Menudo. Pozole looks like it contains tomatoes, but the color comes entirely from dried chiles. In summer, diced green chiles and chunks of chicken are often used.
Pozole can be prepared a day or two in advance of serving. Leftovers are good. David likes it for breakfast on cold mornings.
For Pork Pozole, follow the recipe on the 29-oz can of Teasdale Mexican-style hominy, substituting about 7 large dried Chile California peppers for Ancho or Chile sauce and Cayenne pepper. These peppers are mild, but the ones we buy are not smoked like dried Ancho (Poblano) peppers sometimes are. You could also used other dried, mild chiles, or combine California and Pasilla chiles for richer color and flavor. as our friend Rosie does. I use lean "country-style spare ribs" in place of the pork and pig's feet in the recipe on the can.
Remove stems and most of attached membrane and seeds from chiles, rinse and tear into pieces. Place in small covered saucepan and bring to boil in water to cover. Turn off heat and allow to sit until cool enough to comfortably keep your hand on the bottom of the pan. Process cooled chiles and some of the liquid in a blender or food processor until the skins are broken into about 1/4 inch pieces, or until smooth. Strain and press (while stirring) liquid and pulp through a coarse sieve, leaving skins in sieve. Add remaining liquid to skins, stir and press again. Or try using a berry press or food mill to remove skin and seeds. Add chile puree to Pozole to taste. Adjust salt.
For Red Chicken Pozole, substitute 6 to 8 chicken thighs or a whole, cut-up chicken for pork and pigs feet. Cook chicken until tender in water and/or broth to cover. Remove from broth. People who grew up eating Pozole often like chicken or pork neck and/or pig's foot pieces served whole. For Gringos or for a big party, you may cool chicken enough to remove skin, bones and visible fat, breaking or cutting into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from broth and return chicken to broth. Drain and add a 29-oz can hominy. Add salt and strained Chile puree to taste as above. Add water or additional chicken broth to produce a soupy consistency. Adjust salt. Simmer until flavors are well-blended.
Serve either pork or chicken Pozole with finely shredded or chopped cabbage, chopped onion or minced scallions, lemon or lime wedges or juice and sliced radishes to be added individually by diners. Also offer dried oregano to rub into Pozole (or finely minced fresh oregano to add) and hot sauce or hot pepper flakes.
Allergy information: Contains corn.
Pozole can be prepared a day or two in advance of serving. Leftovers are good. David likes it for breakfast on cold mornings.
For Pork Pozole, follow the recipe on the 29-oz can of Teasdale Mexican-style hominy, substituting about 7 large dried Chile California peppers for Ancho or Chile sauce and Cayenne pepper. These peppers are mild, but the ones we buy are not smoked like dried Ancho (Poblano) peppers sometimes are. You could also used other dried, mild chiles, or combine California and Pasilla chiles for richer color and flavor. as our friend Rosie does. I use lean "country-style spare ribs" in place of the pork and pig's feet in the recipe on the can.
Remove stems and most of attached membrane and seeds from chiles, rinse and tear into pieces. Place in small covered saucepan and bring to boil in water to cover. Turn off heat and allow to sit until cool enough to comfortably keep your hand on the bottom of the pan. Process cooled chiles and some of the liquid in a blender or food processor until the skins are broken into about 1/4 inch pieces, or until smooth. Strain and press (while stirring) liquid and pulp through a coarse sieve, leaving skins in sieve. Add remaining liquid to skins, stir and press again. Or try using a berry press or food mill to remove skin and seeds. Add chile puree to Pozole to taste. Adjust salt.
For Red Chicken Pozole, substitute 6 to 8 chicken thighs or a whole, cut-up chicken for pork and pigs feet. Cook chicken until tender in water and/or broth to cover. Remove from broth. People who grew up eating Pozole often like chicken or pork neck and/or pig's foot pieces served whole. For Gringos or for a big party, you may cool chicken enough to remove skin, bones and visible fat, breaking or cutting into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from broth and return chicken to broth. Drain and add a 29-oz can hominy. Add salt and strained Chile puree to taste as above. Add water or additional chicken broth to produce a soupy consistency. Adjust salt. Simmer until flavors are well-blended.
Serve either pork or chicken Pozole with finely shredded or chopped cabbage, chopped onion or minced scallions, lemon or lime wedges or juice and sliced radishes to be added individually by diners. Also offer dried oregano to rub into Pozole (or finely minced fresh oregano to add) and hot sauce or hot pepper flakes.
Allergy information: Contains corn.
Monday, January 12, 2009
"Boiled" ham - better than it sounds
Mom introduced me to the idea of boiled ham, which she prepared for some holiday (I don't remember which). Over the years, I've decided that for busy holidays and for potlucks or buffets, "boiled" (actually, gently simmered) ham makes a lot of sense. It frees up the oven for other foods, and the ham is a little less salty than a baked ham. You run less risk of over-cooking or of scorching a glazed ham in the holiday rush.
A "boiled" ham generally doesn't look as impressive as a baked ham. If you're a fan of glazed ham, try turning your favorite glaze ingredients into a sauce and serve it alongside the ham to partially compensate for the missing sight of a gloriously glazed ham. Then people who want their ham "straight" have a choice. And the leftovers are useful in more ways. You might even throw caution to the wind and offer two different sauces or condiments.
You could hardly pick an easier choice for a buffet or potluck. You can start a slow cooker on high heat and turn to low heat after the ham has heated through, or cook overnight on low heat. For holidays, you can even cook your ham in a slow-cooker a room other than the kitchen if you need to. Same with one of those large electric roasters that go on sale just before Thanksgiving.
Types of ham to choose: Spiral-sliced ham DOES NOT work out well when simmered like this. Though I prefer natural, bone-in hams, I have had good luck doing inexpensive (but not the very cheapest) formed hams in an oval slow-cooker. All the hams I have prepared this way have been pre-cooked. For saltier "country" hams, typical directions call for covering the ham with water in a pot just larger than the ham, simmering for several hours then turning off the heat and leaving the ham in the liquid. Look up the full directions before doing a country ham.
Directions: To simmer a bone-in ham on top of the stove, choose a shank or butt portion which fits into a heavy-bottomed kettle which you already have. You can cut off a piece and place it to the side if the ham is too wide, but it's difficult to accomodate a shank bone which is too tall for your pot. Place cut-side down in about 1/2 inch to an inch of water and simmer gently for several hours. Check and replenish water occasionally. The key to a tasty, tender result is to cook it slowly for a long time, but not to use too much water. About 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan is usually about right to start. The ham may release more liquid as it cooks.
I've done small formed hams in a 3-quart slow cooker in half an inch of water, and a small butt portion of a natural ham in an oval 6-quart slow cooker. The natural hams I've cooked this way have been wonderful, and the formed hams have been better than baked formed hams. Always turn off the heat completely at least half an hour before serving.
I have simmered a 22 pound pre-cooked natural whole ham in an 18-quart electric roaster for 6 hours at 265 degrees, leaving the ham in the roaster with heat turned off for an additional hour and a half. I added just a pint of water. But remember Mark Twain's definition of eternity as "two people and a ham" and plan your quantities accordingly.
If you let the ham it cook too long, it can get TOO tender, so be prepared to turn the slow cooker or roaster to "warm" after several hours, say, if you cooked it overnight and you're serving it at noon. If you let the ham boil or simmer too long, it could become a little stringy. It is particularly important in this case to let the ham "rest" in the pot with the heat turned off before trying to slice it. A too-tender ham is better sliced warm than hot.
Save the liquid and leftovers for bean, lentil or potato and ham soup and other dishes.
Migraine and allergy information: Many migraineurs are sensitive to cured meats, which often contain vasoactive compounds. Don't overdo it with ham even if you've never noticed a problem before. Some people get migraines from all pork, especially when eaten more than once within a few days. Many hams contain corn sweeteners. Check the label.
Stocking up: Hams keep quite well in the refrigerator and can be left out in a cool location for a little while during winter. Fully cooked hams can be served without cooking if the power goes out. Though you might think that hams would keep practically forever in the freezer, long freezer storage is not recommended by sources I have read. They may lose quality in the freezer faster than some fresh meats (not that the ham would become unsafe). Check recent recommendations from authoritative sources.
A "boiled" ham generally doesn't look as impressive as a baked ham. If you're a fan of glazed ham, try turning your favorite glaze ingredients into a sauce and serve it alongside the ham to partially compensate for the missing sight of a gloriously glazed ham. Then people who want their ham "straight" have a choice. And the leftovers are useful in more ways. You might even throw caution to the wind and offer two different sauces or condiments.
You could hardly pick an easier choice for a buffet or potluck. You can start a slow cooker on high heat and turn to low heat after the ham has heated through, or cook overnight on low heat. For holidays, you can even cook your ham in a slow-cooker a room other than the kitchen if you need to. Same with one of those large electric roasters that go on sale just before Thanksgiving.
Types of ham to choose: Spiral-sliced ham DOES NOT work out well when simmered like this. Though I prefer natural, bone-in hams, I have had good luck doing inexpensive (but not the very cheapest) formed hams in an oval slow-cooker. All the hams I have prepared this way have been pre-cooked. For saltier "country" hams, typical directions call for covering the ham with water in a pot just larger than the ham, simmering for several hours then turning off the heat and leaving the ham in the liquid. Look up the full directions before doing a country ham.
Directions: To simmer a bone-in ham on top of the stove, choose a shank or butt portion which fits into a heavy-bottomed kettle which you already have. You can cut off a piece and place it to the side if the ham is too wide, but it's difficult to accomodate a shank bone which is too tall for your pot. Place cut-side down in about 1/2 inch to an inch of water and simmer gently for several hours. Check and replenish water occasionally. The key to a tasty, tender result is to cook it slowly for a long time, but not to use too much water. About 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan is usually about right to start. The ham may release more liquid as it cooks.
I've done small formed hams in a 3-quart slow cooker in half an inch of water, and a small butt portion of a natural ham in an oval 6-quart slow cooker. The natural hams I've cooked this way have been wonderful, and the formed hams have been better than baked formed hams. Always turn off the heat completely at least half an hour before serving.
I have simmered a 22 pound pre-cooked natural whole ham in an 18-quart electric roaster for 6 hours at 265 degrees, leaving the ham in the roaster with heat turned off for an additional hour and a half. I added just a pint of water. But remember Mark Twain's definition of eternity as "two people and a ham" and plan your quantities accordingly.
If you let the ham it cook too long, it can get TOO tender, so be prepared to turn the slow cooker or roaster to "warm" after several hours, say, if you cooked it overnight and you're serving it at noon. If you let the ham boil or simmer too long, it could become a little stringy. It is particularly important in this case to let the ham "rest" in the pot with the heat turned off before trying to slice it. A too-tender ham is better sliced warm than hot.
Save the liquid and leftovers for bean, lentil or potato and ham soup and other dishes.
Migraine and allergy information: Many migraineurs are sensitive to cured meats, which often contain vasoactive compounds. Don't overdo it with ham even if you've never noticed a problem before. Some people get migraines from all pork, especially when eaten more than once within a few days. Many hams contain corn sweeteners. Check the label.
Stocking up: Hams keep quite well in the refrigerator and can be left out in a cool location for a little while during winter. Fully cooked hams can be served without cooking if the power goes out. Though you might think that hams would keep practically forever in the freezer, long freezer storage is not recommended by sources I have read. They may lose quality in the freezer faster than some fresh meats (not that the ham would become unsafe). Check recent recommendations from authoritative sources.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Blackeyed Pea Confetti Salad (and variations)
Above: Confetti Salad and "In the Pink" variation
Happy New Year!
Blackeyed Pea Confetti Salad
Amounts of ingredients can be varied to taste.
The honey in this recipe seems to go especially well with blackeyed peas and mild chiles. Feel free to use sugar instead if you're in a hurry.
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt with regular salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup salad oil or olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 to 1/3 cup diced onion or scallions, or up to 3/4 cup diced sweet red or white onion
1 pound frozen blackeyed peas, cooked until firm but tender (about 3 cups)
(or substitute canned blackeyed peas - up to two 15 oz. cans, drained)
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup diced red and/or yellow bell pepper, diced
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup diced Pasilla chile (or Ancho, Poblano, Mulato Isleno, Anaheim
or other mild green to brown/black chile)
Combine vinegar, seasonings, oil and honey (measure honey in the same cup as the oil). Add onion and allow to sit while cooking blackeyed peas according to package directions - but just until you can mash a pea easily against a spoon with your finger - as little as 5 minutes after bringing to a boil. Watch carefully that you don't cook them too long or they will be mushy. Drain and rinse to cool peas to lukewarm.
Remove seeds and membranes from chile and taste to be sure it isn't too hot for the people who will be eating it. Vary the amount of chile depending on spiciness. Pasillas or Anchos are normally quite sweet with a fruity taste and just a little heat. You can substitute green bell pepper if necessary.
Mix all ingredients. Allow to sit for two hours at room temperature to blend flavors, or refrigerate overnight, stirring a couple of times. Serve over salad greens or steamed vegetables. If you really want to impress people, try using a good raw apple cider vinegar from a natural food store.
Update 2011 New Years Day - Canned garbanzo recipe: I couldn't find frozen blackeyed peas this year. I made half a recipe with a can of organic (no sulfite) garbanzo beans and all Ancho peppers. Traded confetti appearance from red bell pepper for more picante zing. The garbanzos were quite crunchy. The Ancho peppers were a little hotter than expected. I served the salad over greens with shoestring beets and black olives.
Leftovers: Added a can of green beans and a little more onion and chile to the leftover marinade with remaining garbanzos - a remembrance of "three bean salad" for tomorrow.
Variation: In-the-Pink Salad
This is a good recipe to make if the power is out, as it requires no cooking or refrigeration.
Add some diced celery before serving if you want more crunch. Serve over greens. A good way to shake off holiday sleepiness, but this salad is good all year. Try black beans and shoestring beets at Halloween for a spooky-looking salad
1/2 cup distilled white or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt with regular salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
Up to 1/4 cup sugar (beets add some sweetness)
1/2 cup liquid drained from beets (below). See notes.
1/4 to 1/3 cup diced onion or scallions, or up to 3/4 cup diced sweet red or white onion
Two to 4 cups cooked light-colored beans - up to two 15-oz cans, rinsed and drained.
(Lima, Peruano or Pinto for soft texture, Cannellini or garbanzos for firmer texture)
About 1/3 to 2/3 cup diced Pasilla, Ancho, Poblano, Mulato Isleno, Anaheim
or other mild green to brown/black chile. Or use green bell pepper. Or omit peppers.
One 15-oz can sliced or shoestring beets, drained. Cut sliced beets in quarters or sixths.
2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup salad oil or olive oil
Combine marinade ingredients. Add onions (allow to soak for a while if onions are strong) then the beans, chiles and beets. You can cover and refrigerate at this point.
When ready to serve salad, remove from the marinade to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon and toss with a little oil. If you are not refrigerating the salad, waiting until serving time to add the oil is a good idea for food safety.
NOTES: To serve after just 2 or 3 hours, leave out the beet juice and leave salad on the counter. Stir occasionally. Use liquid from canned beets to increase volume of marinade if you want to leave the salad in the refrigerator for several hours unattended. Marinate should almost cover bean mixture. You can add more marinate ingredients proportionally if you need more marinade.
Stocking up: If the power is out, this salad can be made without cooking if you use canned beans in either of the salads above. The salads will keep for a few hours without refrigeration and it tastes good at room temperature. Don't push the unrefrigerated storage time too long in hot weather.
Vinegar, honey and oil are standard storage items. In place of frozen blackeyed peas, you can use 3 or 4 cups of firm, canned or cooked dried blackeyed peas, small white beans or pink beans - or whatever beans you have. You may not need added salt in the salad. Drain well any beans you use. Rinse canned beans.
If you make the salad with regular beans and bell peppers instead of chiles, try using a tablespoon or two of sugar in place of the honey and adding some Italian seasoning. You can mix green or wax beans with cooked or canned dried beans for a multi-bean salad. In a pinch, dried onions and bell pepper flakes or dried, flaked or powdered hot red pepper can be used instead of the fresh ingredients, though they won't taste the same. Serve this salad with a grain product for a complete protein, or add some drained, canned hominy.
Background: In much of the South and among the Okies of California, it's traditional to eat blackeyed peas (usually as Hoppin' John, -- or at least with ham) on New Years Day, as a good-luck dish. The peas are supposed to resemble coins. I think the original European tradition called for the eating of lentils, which actually do resemble coins a little. I don't place much stock in the power of legumes to help me make money in the coming year. But you could eat worse things than blackeyed peas or lentil soup on New Years Day.
This is a takeoff on three-bean salad. It looks sort of like confetti, making it appropriate for a New Years celebration, and has a little zing and a little sweetness as a way to start off the New Year. Try it with garbanzos, limas or butterbeans, too. Or maybe light-colored lentils (slightly sprouted or not, cooked until tender but still firm). Blackeyed Peas, small white beans or lentils would give the most confetti-like appearance to the salad for New Years Day.
Food Sensitivities, Migraine: Blackeyed peas are not really my thing, though David's family is attached to them. The whole cowpea family is a problem for me, especially if I eat the pods. If I eat too many of them, I get a migraine. Same with some other legumes (especially if eaten two days in a row). Migraineurs are warned to watch their reactions to snow peas and Italian beans, but not regular garden (English) peas or green beans. I say, watch your own personal reactions. Somehow, I am OK with a small serving of this salad.
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