Homemade Dressings

I never was much of a caesar dressing fan until I found a great recipe and tried it out.  Now it is a family favorite and I am "converting" people any chance I get.  

These are mostly common ingredients.  (Missing from this photo is my pepper grinder.)  One obscure ingredient you may not have is that anchovy paste.  It smells terrible but really makes the dressing.  

This is one brand you should find in your grocery store near the tuna or pasta section.

  

The tube conveniently has a twist cap so you use what you need and put the rest in the fridge.  Some recipes call for anchovies.  This can prove to be inconvenient since you only need a small amount.  Unless, of course, you love anchovies and you gobble the rest up with crackers!

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

By: adapted from Gourmet magazine

Servings: Makes 1-1/3 cups

Ingredients:

         2 small garlic cloves, minced

         1 teaspoon anchovy paste (found near the tuna fish in the supermarket)

         2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon

         1 teaspoon Dijon or spicy brown mustard

         1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

         1 cup mayonnaise                

         1/4 teaspoon salt

         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

          milk

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking.  Add a few tablespoons of milk to thin it out.  I don't like a dollop of salad dressing on my salad.  You may err of the side of making it a little runnier than you think.  Make sure to refrigerate for about one hour before serving.  This will thicken up the dressing.  Add some type of hard cheese to the top of your salad, if desired. (ex. Asiago or Parmesan)  Use within 1-2 weeks.

A few years ago, while wandering the aisles of the grocery store and buying a little time while my husband was putting the kids to bed, I came across walnut oil.  Hmm, I thought. Why not!  On the back was a fantastic recipe for a simple vinaigrette.  The key to the recipe IS the walnut oil.  It adds a nutty, warm, and smooth flavor.

La Tourangelle Walnut Oil Dressing

4 T. walnut oil

1 1/2 T. balsamic vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk the ingredients together until thouroughly combined.  I like to add some minced garlic too, when in the mood for that extra kick.  Chill prior to serving.

This recipe is quick and easy.

Enjoy!

A Green Salad + Your Creativity

Food is more than just something that tastes good.  Other elements that shape our perception of taste include temperature, color, and texture.  This is especially true when it comes to salad.  Once for a party, a friend brought a salad that consisted of sliced iceberg lettuce with grated carrots on top.  What did that lack?  It lacked color and texture.  A salad that carries visual interest need not include many ingredients, just a little imagination.

Here are a few suggestions on how to add a little sparkle to the simple green salad:

1. Start with greens.  This can be spinach, varieties of green leaf, red leaf, or green mixes

2. Add two or more items that are NOT green.  That can include something as simple as thinly sliced purple onion and grated carrots. 

3. Add seeds or nuts.  These can be expensive but just a small amount of higher priced nuts really make a visual statement for your salad.  Lesser priced sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or pepitas also add an extra crunch.

4. Pair the salad with home made dressing.  I didn't grow up with this.  My mom usually made ranch from a packet. (This still tastes WAY better than ranch from a bottle)  I used to buy salad dressing but find that it is much cheaper to make my own.  I have a larger variety of options to choose from according to my taste buds and what I am cooking.  I will include two of my favorite dressings in the next two posts.  I am still trying to find a good recipe for home made ranch.  My kids just love it!

Enjoy!

The Art of Bread Making (without a recipe and in under an hour)

 There is nothing like the smell of hot, fresh bread with salty melted butter on top.  This childhood staple was something I took for granted.  Through college, I missed that quintessential feeling of home and longed to learn how to make it myself.  Marriage and children came and somewhere along the way I started to bake bread.  Then another and another baby came and with my time stretched thin, a miracle was born: the flat bread recipe.  The secret is, there is no recipe!  (At least not what you think)

Here are the essentials of yeast bread ingredients: 1. liquid - water, milk, juice, etc.
2. yeast- I use SAF INSTANT yeast which can be mixed with the dry ingredients
3. flour- hard red whole wheat, white whole wheat, white, rye, etc.
4. salt- not absolutely necessary but does bring out flavor


Preheat oven to 425°F. Get out your mixer.  (You can do it by hand also) Start with a warm liquid.  I usually use water but will add a half cup of milk someone didn't finish at breakfast, the leftover canned milk from a recipe that didn't call for an entire can, juice from canned fruit, etc.  I add about 2 T of yeast for about probably 4 cups of liquid.  Add about 1 t. salt or to taste.  Add enough flour to the liquid to produce a mass that stays together and mix.  It can be much wetter than a dough that you imagine kneading by hand on your counter.  Mix until you see the gluten from the flour start to stretch and become elastic.  Prepare a rimmed cookie sheet with a generous sprinkle of cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking.  Pour dough onto cornmeal.  At this point you can sprinkle some flour on top or a bit of oil.  The purpose of this is to prevent your hands from sticking to the dough while you are spreading it out onto the cookie sheet.  Use your fingers and massage the dough, spreading it out across the pan to the desired thickness.  Toss it in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.  Watch your bread.  Baking time will depend on thickness and moisture content.  Remove from the oven and butter the top.  The more you practice this "no recipe" method, the more comfortable you will feel.  If you want to try the flat bread recipe and need a recipe, just use a yeast bread dough recipe but don't form it into a loaf or let it rise.  Just prepare the cookie sheet with cornmeal and spread out the dough.
Here is a photo of some bread I made today.  We had oatmeal for breakfast and it didn't all get eaten.  Instead of letting it go to waste, I added it to the bread before mixing.  It produced a softer and more delicate texture, but was all eaten.

Here are a few more notes on experimenting with bread without a recipe.  The following are other ingredients that can be added to bread:

1. sweetener- sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey, agave nectar

2. fat- oil, lard, butter, cream etc.
3. egg

A small amount of sweetener can be added with the yeast to enhance proofing.  The more you add, the sweeter your dough will be.  Cinnamon rolls will have more sweetness than the above recipe.  Fat will produce a softer bread. (Think spongy dinner rolls)  An egg will add a flavor and acts as a binder to your ingredients.  This will soften the dough too.

With the same dough recipe, temperature has a dramatic effect.  If I baked the recipe above in a 350°F oven, it would take longer, the bread would be softer, and I wouldn't get that nice browned crust on top.  A cinnamon roll bakes nicely in a 350°F oven.  A crusty bread bakes at a higher temperature.  Try different temperatures and see what results you get.  Bread is very forgiving!

This "recipe" was made and cooked in less than one hour.  Sometimes, I make the dough the night before and let it sit all night to give a sour taste.  You can make extra dough and cook 1/2 tonight and let the other sit up to 12 hours and bake it the next day.

Enjoy!

Canned vs. Dry beans: What are you paying for convenience?

I paid about $.90 for this can of beans. 

But notice the sodium content... (you can also buy some brands with lower sodium)  The serving size also boasts a total of 1 3/4 cups of beans.  After emptying and measuring the can, there was actually only 1 1/2 cups.

One pound of dry garbanzo beans cost about $1.25.  It produced 6 cups of beans after cooking. The main inconvenience is the time is takes to cook, so there is an added energy cost and time factor.  I add almost one tablespoon of baking soda and water to the dry beans and let them soak overnight if cooking in the morning or all day if cooking at night.  This helps to soften them and should lessen the gas factor.

This is the comparison of the canned beans on top and the amount from the dry beans that I cooked.  Canned beans cost about $0.60 a cup and the dry were about $0.21 a cup.  This is all dependent on the prices of the local market in your area, but it is safe to say that there is a considerable cost savings by cooking your own beans.  They taste better, you control the salt content, and you save money.  You can also make a large batch and freeze what you don't need for your meal.  It can work well for beans that will be mashed in recipes like hummus and refried beans. 

So, what are you paying for convenience?  About three times as much in this case.

Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies- The Best Recipe!

I drove by a local bakery tonight that sells large frosted sugar cookies for $20 a dozen.  The place was packed.   Luckily today, the kids and I made 2 dozen for about $4 at home.  That would have cost $40 at the bakery!  It does take time, but with a savings of 90%, how can I resist.  Plus you get to lick the spoon.  The most expensive ingredient for the recipe is the butter for the dough and the frosting.  (I spent $2.50 on the butter)  Since butter can cost up to $4 a pound, I buy it on sale when it goes down to about $2-$2.50 and freeze most of it.  I got this recipe from my cousin who used to own a bakery.  I have tried so many sugar cookie recipes!  Ones that call for shortening, margarine, sour cream, orange peel, and much more.  These are my person favorites and they don't end up with too much flour.  The only drawback is that you can't cut the cookies into shapes.  But with a taste so good, who cares!

Sugar Cookies
1 c. unsalted butter (not store brand, good quality)
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs

3 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. salt

Buttercream Frosting
1 c. unsalted butter
1 pound powdered sugar
a few drops of almond extract
milk
food coloring

Set all ingredients out to adjust to room temperature.  Preheat oven to 325°F.  In a small bowl whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Beat butter and sugar together in electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time until well incorporated and then the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

With a rubber spatula, scoop out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it and slowly roll it into a log about two inches in diameter.  Refrigerate until firm.  Remove the plastic wrap and slice the dough with a very sharp knife into 24 slices.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges just start to brown on an ungreased cookie sheet. Let cool completely on the pan until ready to frost.

For the frosting:  Whip butter until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and almond extract.  Mix on high speed.  Add food coloring and milk 1 T. added at a time to achieve desired consistency.  (Depending on temperature and humidity, amounts vary) Frosting should be light and airy but thin enough to spread with ease.  If desired, refrigerate cookies before serving.  They are SO good! These photos look like they are small, but they are about 3-3 1/2" large cookies. Enjoy

 Just in case you haven't decided whether you wanted to make them yet...

Healthy Sesame Chicken Variation

When you think of sesame chicken, you may immediately pair it with a bed of hot white rice.  Why not try rice sticks instead.  It takes less time to cook.  It basically cooks like an angel hair pasta but is made of rice flour and water.  This package of 16 ounces would serve our family for two meals so make it according to your need. I purchased this at an Asian import store.  It cost about the same as pasta at a grocery store but the texture adds a nice variety to your dish.
                 Here is the rice sticks after boiling for about 4-6 minutes and then drained. It looks like white pasta.

American versions of Chinese food tends to be filled with sugar and sodium.  Try slicing cabbage (green or purple) and adding it under the rice noodles to give more taste and nutrition to the meal.  Cabbage gives texture, sweetness, and a temperature contrast to the hot noodles and meat.  Layer your plate with the cold cabbage, hot noodles, and then your favorite sesame chicken recipe on top.

  Hoisin sauce does add a nice flavor to this dish, but again, watch the sodium and sugar content closely.

 

 Enjoy!  All of the kids ate this!

Roasted root vegtables

Choose from potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, or 

rutabaga. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil to make clean up easier.  Cut up and toss in a bowl with 2 T canola oil. Spice to your delight. (Montreal steak seasoning or a mix of paprika, garlic, onion powder) Bake at 425 for about 40 min or until desired tenderness. Tastes delicious with mayo mixed with horseradish for those who like heat or BBQ sauce or just ketchup for the kids. Easy, delicious and cheap, cheap, cheap!