Category: Uncategorized

fast, fresh, & homemade

Posted in Dairy, General Interest, Misc., Uncategorized1 Comment

I needed ricotta cheese for Thanksgiving and decided to make my own in the Instant Pot.  It’s not complicated, and you can certainly make ricotta in a pot on the stove.  But if you have an Instant Pot,  you simply set the Yogurt button and let the pot do the rest. In about 30 minutes the milk reaches a boil at a controlled pace, thus reducing the risk of scorching the bottom of the pot.

In another 30 minutes you have fresh, homemade ricotta.

fresh ricotta cheese

If you make lasagna or other ricotta-based dishes, then you can appreciate a flavorful well-constructed ricotta—it makes a difference. That’s why I’ve come around to using whole milk ricotta.  For the same reasons, it’s wise to look for milk that is not ultra-pasteurized.

Ricotta curds are made by adding acid to the milk, either lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid.  In my opinion, vinegar is a bit harsh and its flavor may be detectable in the cheese. Citric acid is reliable, but harder to find. I prefer lemon juice because it is convenient, mild, and the curds seem less chewy.

Once the milk has reached between 180° and 185°F the lemon juice is added to the pot and gently stirred to assimilate into the milk. Curds will begin to form; when the milk has visibly separated, let the curds set 15 to 20 minutes. Then, it’s time to drain them. I use a slotted spoon to transfer the curds to a colander lined with cheesecloth or coffee filters.  Let them drain 15 to 20 minutes and then move the curds to a bowl to use right away or into a storage container to chill up to 5 days.

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

Ingredients
6 cups whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized
1 tsp salt (optional)
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
supplies: digital thermometer, spatula, slotted spoon, colander with bowl, cheesecloth

Instructions

  1. Set multi-cooker or Instant Pot to Yogurt; press Adjust and select Boil. Pour in milk, add salt and stir with a flat spatula to keep from scorching on bottom.  Bring to simmering boil (180-185°F), about 30 minutes. If more time is needed, reset pot to Sauté Hi to reach temperature.
  2. Remove from heat, add the lemon juice, and gently stir to combine and form curds. Cover, and let stand undisturbed to set curds, 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile line a colander with 2 layers or fine cheesecloth or a clean dish towel and set it over a bowl.  Once curds have rested, skim all the curds into the colander, leaving the whey behind for other purposes (it’s highly nutritious).  Let the curds drain 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how dry you prefer it.
  4. The ricotta is ready to use or transfer it to a covered container and store refrigerated up to 5 days.  Makes 2 cups.

Brussels Sprouts, the easy way

Posted in Uncategorized, VegetablesLeave a comment

Once again, yesterday I was reminded why I like brussels sprouts, especially on a day like Thanksgiving.  As a fall vegetable they really work, they have lots of flavor and I love their green addition, but I’m disappointed when they turn out bitter and either undercooked and hard, or overcooked and mushy.

Bacon is always a solution, its smokiness can mask some of that off flavor, and roasting sprouts is an interesting compromise. That is, until the oven is taken over by turkey and other sides and sprouts get shifted down in priority.

So, here’s my solution.  I’ve discovered that brussels sprouts cook in a flash in the microwave, and when an everyday balsamic vinegar is pulled into the equation, things really shift.  The sweet-sour action tends to balance out any potential bitterness, and used judiciously, balsamic vinegar adds dimension and is hardly detectable.

I dribble on a dash of balsamic when precooking the halved brussels sprouts for 2 to 3 minutes in the microwave—before all the madness begins. Then, it’s a simple matter of quickly reheating them with the precooked smoky bacon and perhaps a bit of onion, plus another dribble of balsamic for re-enforcement.  Give it a taste before serving and add another dribble, if so inclined.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s that easy and so tasty.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic

Ingredients
1-pound brussels sprouts, trim and cut in half lengthwise
3 slices pepper bacon, cut into strips
½ small red onion, peel and slice
1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
½ tsp each salt and pepper
2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar, to taste

Instructions

  1. Ahead, cook bacon in microwave between toweling until crisp, about 2 minutes total.  In microwaveable bowl, toss onion with 1 tsp oil and  heat in microwave until it softens and begins to color, 2 minutes. Set aside.
  2. Toss the brussels sprouts with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon balsamic.  Microwave 2-3 minutes uncovered.  Set aside until needed.
  3. To finish, reheat the sprouts with 1 additional teaspoon balsamic, the bacon and onion on top in microwave, 1-2 minutes.  Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar to taste, toss and serve.  Serves 4.

Penchant for Pumpkin

Posted in Dairy, Dessert, Eggs, Soup, UncategorizedLeave a comment

There is little doubt that fall is underway in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  As much as I have held out hope for more warm weather, temperatures this morning dropped to 45 degrees and there is talk that it will get close to freezing overnight.

On the bright side, fall weather gives me ample reason to get a jump on pumpkin season.  Earlier, I dashed to the store to stock up on cans of pumpkin pulp, should the mood strike.  And of course, it did.

I was not happy with my latest tapioca pudding made in the multicooker. As much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, the tapioca had turned unpleasantly gooey.  When you prefer a light creamy tapioca, this is not going to happen when it boils unmercifully under pressure.  Excessive heat breaks down the tapioca and turns it rubbery.

Thus, goaded on by my penchant for pumpkin, I was further compelled to launch into a deeper Tapioca Inquiry.  Armed with pumpkin and an abundance of small tapioca pearls, I was enthusiastically prepared to get to the bottom of this.

I revisited basic tapioca preparation and began by soaking it for 30 minutes to soften. This cuts overall cooking time, too. With that in mind, it doesn’t take long to prepare old-fashioned tapioca on the stove.  The main point is to not let it boil—but allow it to thicken and let the pearls swell.

A couple of eggs helps here.  Early on, the yolks are combined with milk to form a custard base and thicken with the tapioca. The pumpkin pulp and spices are added, and finally, the two egg whites are whipped until thick and folded into the pumpkin tapioca to further lighten it.  The pumpkin tapioca happens in less than a half hour.

It is good warm√, cool√, or chilled√.  Sweet.

Pumpkin-Spiced Tapioca

Ingredients
⅓ cup small pearl tapioca (not quick tapioca)
¾ cup water
2 eggs, room temperature, divided
2¼ cups 2% milk, room temperature, divided
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin pulp
1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger,  ¼ tsp each salt, nutmeg, and allspice
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. In advance: soak pearl tapioca in ¾ cup water in 2½ quart pan or larger for 30 minutes to soften.
  2. In a 1 cup measure beat the egg yolks, whisk in the brown sugar until thick and dissolved, then whisk in ¼ cup milk.
  3. Place the pot over medium heat. With a spatula stir egg mixture into the soaking tapioca, then add 2 cups milk.
  4. Bring it to a simmer stirring to keep from sticking on bottom. Once steamy with bubbles beginning to form, reduce heat to low and cook gently for 5 minutes until it thickens and pearls swell.
  5. Combine the pumpkin, spices, salt and stir into the pot. Cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally with spatula. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl beat the egg whites until foamy, slowly add the granulated sugar until thick and peaks form.
  6. Gently stir ½ cup of hot tapioca into the whipped whites to temper, then fold whites into the tapioca. Cook over low heat, folding and stirring with spatula to thoroughly combine the tapioca until it is hot and steamy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Serve warm or cool.  Cover and chill in refrigerator 3 hours and up to 3 days.  Serves 4 -6

Bread-and-Breakfast Special

Posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Bread, Breakfast All Day, Eggs, Entree, Snacks, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My Friday pizza routine took a turn last night, it became more of a Saturday morning pizza. It was another affirmation that pizza is good anytime, even with an egg on it.

Pizza with Baked Eggs, fresh out of oven

I’m calling this my Bread-and-Breakfast special because it’s ham and cheese on fabulous pizza crust with as many eggs piled on as you wish.

Of course, the saddest part of this was that it was so good, there was none left for breakfast today.  But that can be remedied, since our standby pizza dough recipe (here) makes 2 medium pizzas or 1 large. It also works well because of the prebake process I’ve built into it. With the crust partially baked ahead, it’s a matter of adding toppings and giving it a final bake.

In this case, I wanted a thicker crust rather than the thinner style I usually prefer.  One that would hold a bit of an indentation for each egg to rest in, and soak up some of that eggy goodness. Since this dough is made with instant yeast, it requires little kneading and it rises in a flash. It takes little extra time to roll or pat it into the pan, spread on a little olive oil and let it rise for an extra 15 minutes.

While that was happening, I organized my toppings and began to preheat the oven to 450°F.  For the first bake that sets the dough, I made indentations in it for the eggs, scattered on strips of Canadian bacon tossed with red pepper flakes, and let it bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until it began to color slightly.

For the final bake I spread the cheese blend across the crust, then dropped the eggs in place with a little salt and pepper and more cheese.  I sprinkled herbs across it all and drizzled on a bit more olive oil.  Into the oven it went for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese was bubbly,  egg whites were set, yolks runny, and the crust golden brown.

I learned the eggs continue to cook and set up once out of the oven.  The ham is a nice touch, but can be omitted for a simple cheese pizza. Or, swap it out with mushrooms, prosciutto, peppers, or whatever.

Ham & Cheese Pizza with Baked Eggs

Ingredients
1/2 recipe Pizza Dough
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 thin slices Canadian bacon, sliced into strips (optional)
½ cup shredded mozzarella or Muenster cheese
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2-4 eggs
Sea salt and ground pepper
1/2 tsp herbes de Provence, Italian seasoning, or fresh thyme
To finish: 2 green onions, sliced

Instructions

  1. Using fresh dough, roll out to fit a well-oiled medium pizza pan, brush lightly with olive oil. Let it rest 15 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
  2. Preheat oven to 450° F.  Make an indentation in dough for each egg.  Scatter ham on top, and prebake the crust for 8-10 minutes, until set, firm and beginning to color slightly.
  3. If using prebaked crust proceed from here.
  4. Combine and sprinkle all but 1/4 cup cheese over crust. Drop eggs onto crust, sprinkle with salt and pepper and remaining cheese. Season all with herbs and drizzle more oil across the top. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly, egg whites are set, yolk are set but runny and crust is golden brown.  Let stand briefly, scatter with sliced green onions and slice.  Makes 1 medium pizza.

Imperfect Produce

Posted in General Interest, Uncategorized, Vegetables2 Comments

This week I received my first box from Imperfect Produce.  If you aren’t familiar with this company, they are into sourcing food waste.

They buy up food that is not perfect enough to sell to the average consumer. Call it ugly, it’s the type of  food that could be left in the field or in a warehouse to be sold at a loss as animal feed or shipped out for further processing.  Imperfect Produce decided to capitalize on this waste and they work with farmers, producers, and other sources to offer this salvageable food to their membership at discounted rates.

I really did not know what to expect, but have been impressed with their level of professionalism from my initial contact. If you are in one of their distribution areas, they will set up a regular delivery schedule, most likely once a week or bi-monthly. You decide on the size of the order, an availability offering is provided, and you pick and choose or alter the listing depending on your preferences and needs.

For my first order, I went basic and selected items that would hold well.  Their truck delivered the box to my door step mid-afternoon in an imprinted box with handles. The produce was perfectly refrigerated: not too warm, not too cold.

IMG_20190620_144305849_HDR
Snapshot Imperfect Produce Box

The baby bok choy and broccolini were in good shape; there were onions, potatoes, several lovely small carrots, beautiful cucumbers, and a nicely wrapped bag of serrano peppers; a small cauliflower, apples, and oranges were all in very good condition. There was nothing in the box I would not have selected at my regular market—and it was delivered to me at a very fair price. 

Broccolini was the first item I selected to cook from my new produce. I’ve learned this is not baby broccoli. It is a mild and tender cross between Chinese broccoli and broccoli, and it cooks in less time than its broccoli cousin. IMG_20190426_180919700_HDR (1)

To complement broccolini’s inherent sweetness I kept it simple with a quick steam in the microwave, then gave it a drizzle of sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.   

Sesame Steamed Broccolini

  • 1 lb broccolini
  • 2 tsp each sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp each sea salt and red pepper flakes
  • toasted sesame seeds

Rinse and trim the broccolini and place it slightly damp in one layer in a microwaveable dish or plate.  Cover with plastic wrap.   

Microwave 3-4 minutes, stopping at 2 minutes to turn the broccolini with tongs.  Cook until tender but still crisp, don’t overcook.

Drizzle lightly with sesame oil, season with salt and red pepper flakes and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve.  Serves 3 or 4

Sun Syrup

Posted in Beverages, Condiments and Sauces, Herbs and Spices, UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s lavender time in Oregon.  I’m smiling, because sitting next to me is a glorious bouquet of lavender which is permeating the room with its clean, dazzling scent.

With this glut of lavender, I’ve been experimenting with a new syrup for drinks and desserts and I’m wondering why I didn’t think of this idea sooner.

It is tough to beat the combination of lavender and lemon, they are such a natural together.  But it occurred to me that it could use middle notes for further enhancement.  The answer was so obvious:  it needed vanilla.  I gave it a try in my last batch and was amazed at the difference!

I also wanted to do away with the sugar and the heating of the simple syrup for a more natural approach.  I’d replace it all with agave nectar combined directly with the flavoring mixture.  Then, I’d let the power of the sun would work its magic.

Lavender buds (2)
Sun Syrup

For the flavoring blend, I gathered up lavender blossoms, lemon zest, a bit of lemon, part of the vanilla and smashed it all together.  I blended this mash with agave syrup and let them hang out in the sun for an afternoon.

I couldn’t help myself.  I kept opening the lid to check the aromatics—and it continued to blossom.  I gave it a taste, the flavor was intensifying beautifully.  I took this as a good omen and decided to let the syrup stand at room temperature overnight and into the next day, and when I thought about it, I’d give it a good shake.

You could call this a sun syrup because the heat of the sun is enough to release the natural oils and flavors into a tantalizing summer blend for spritzers and a myriad of other uses.

Lavender Soda

This syrup is delicious drizzled over just about anything, including your favorite cake. Fair warning: it is addictive with fresh strawberries.

Vanilla-Lavender Syrup with Lemon

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp fresh lavender blossoms and leaves
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract, divided
  • 1½ cup agave

Instructions

To make the syrup:  with a mortar and pestle, pound the lavender, lemon zest and juice, and 1/2 tsp vanilla to soften and release aromatics. Place in a 2 cup jar, add the agave and shake to combine.

Let the mixture stand in a warm sunny spot for 4 to 6 hours. Then allow it to stand at room temperature overnight, shaking once or twice to disperse mixture.

The next day strain the mash through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth.  Place the syrup in a clean jar or bottle, add the remaining vanilla and shake well.  Let stand at room temperature 1 more day to mellow flavors, then store in fridge for 2-3 weeks.   Yield: 1-1/2 cups

Vanilla-Lavender Sparkler

Pour about 1 tablespoon Vanilla-Lavender Syrup into 8 ounce glass. Half fill with soda or sparkling water and stir well. Add cracked ice, squeeze in a lemon slice, top off with more soda water, give a stir and tuck in fresh lavender if available.

Soup & Salad in a Bowl

Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Entree, Herbs and Spices, Legumes, Salad, Soup, Uncategorized, VegetablesLeave a comment

I have been thinking about them for a while now. It’s not that they are complicated or require a lot of effort to make, I just need to be in the right mood.  I suspect I connect them with summer because today we got our first blast of heat, and when it approached the mid 90’s I started rummaging around.

Well, of course I found them!  I had everything needed and proceeded to set up the pressure cooker.  Hot or not.

Yes, you know what I’m talking about.  It’s the crazy green Le Puy lentils that I’m always ranting over.  True characters, those little powerhouses of potassium, iron, and magnesium… with peppery flavor and a firm texture that doesn’t turn to mush.

Earlier, I was in the mood for a soup, but this heat called for something lighter and I waffled toward a salad of some sort.

Lentil soup salad close

That was the answer: an easy lentil soup dotted with vegetables and fresh herbs. This soup is so good, it can be eaten hot, warm, or cold and with the help of the pressure cooker I figured I’d be done in about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, I checked on the radish supply, and mine were huge!  This would require Pink Himalayan salt.  Today’s salad would be an arugula blend laced with more fresh herbs from the garden.

Lentil soup_salad long

I’d keep it simple with a perky drizzle of white wine vinaigrette and crumbled blue cheese scattered about.  Soup and salad in a bowl.

By the time I was hungry, the soup had cooled to warm… and that is the way it was: filling, flavorful and toooootally satisfying.

Le Puy Lentil Soup with Herb Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cups dried Le Puy lentils, rinsed
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 shallot, small chop
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp mixed dried herbs (Herbes de Provence or thyme, rosemary, sage)
  • 1 carrot, chop
  • 1 stalk celery, small chop
  • 2 tomatoes, seed and chop
  • 3 cups beef stock or 2 cups stock plus 1 cup water
  • Salt and pepper, fresh ground
  • Fresh herbs: 1/3 cup fresh herbs: parsley, thyme, rosemary, savory, dill, any

Mesclun Herb Salad

  • 2-4 ounces mesclun blend with arugula
  • 1/3 cup fresh herbs:  parsley, thyme, rosemary, savory, dill, any
  • White Wine Vinaigrette
  • 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp fresh herbs, chop
  • Salt and pepper, fresh ground
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 oz crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

  1. In multi-cooker/pressure cooker set to Medium Saute, heat olive oil. Add the shallot and cook briefly, then the garlic.  Once aromatic, add the herbs and stir to combine.  Then the carrot, celery, and tomatoes, toss to combine.
  2. Add the stock, the lentils and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.  Cover, lock lid, set to HI Pressure for 5 minutes.  When complete, turn off and disconnect PC.  Carefully release pressure and open lid.  Adjust seasoning. Serve hot, warm, or chilled.
  3. Prepare the vinaigrette and adjust seasonings.
  4. When ready to serve soup, stir in the fresh herbs. Ladle into soup bowls, top with mixed greens, drizzle with vinaigrette, and sprinkle with fresh herbs and crumbled blue cheese.  Serves 4