First, I'm late off work tonight, so I'm posting this from work. There will be no pictures. Sorry. Like I said, I'm late off work, and rather than go up and only spend 2-3 hours with Sic_un, I'm 'staying home'. Since I have no intarweb, it must be done here. No pictures because well, it's work. I can get fired for plugging things into the computers here.
Sic_un and I have been tossing around dinner ideas, who cooks, etc etc etc. Yesterday, we decided 'Fuck it, we'll make pizza'. That's this week's Recipe Tuesday
PIZZA PIZZA
1 pizza crust (you can use Boboli, pre-cooked crusts, frozen crusts, refrigerator crusts [this is what we did], or make your own. I didn't want the mess so we used refrigerator crusts. I've also used standard french bread loaves sliced in 1/2)
Pizza Sauce (jarred sauces are fine--We used the Ragu Pizza sauce. It has no added sugar((!)) and it's not overpoweringly sweet-Look into white sauces, pestos, make your own)
Italian sausage-Brown before hand
ham slices
Pepperoni
Mushrooms
Sliced bell peppers
Jalapenos
Sliced red onion
Cheese (we used pre-shredded 'italian' blend from Sargento...It was on sale and the same price a standard 3 cheese blend would be, so we used the 6 cheese blend from Sargento)
Start with crust preparation. If you want to make your own crust, check Food Network or Recipe Source for recipes. Follow the directions. Next time, we're talking about making our own crusts. The Pillsbury refrigerator crust is OK flavor-wise, a little tough texture-wise, and it winds up as a 'thin' crust. I don't like 'thin' crusts in general, so I wasn't super happy with it, but it was OK.
Once the crust is prepped (my instructions were bake it 8 minutes, then top it and bake it 9-11 minutes more), top.
Start with the sauce. Don't load it down too much with sauce because it will make the crust soggy after baking.
Drain all meats and veggies. This makes it less likely to drip and get wierd.
Layer on your toppings. I started with a little cheese in the sauce, then meats, then more cheese, then veggies then more cheese.
Sic_un did sauce, meat, veggies, cheese.
Bake it to bubble the cheese. If the crust appears to be getting too dark, feel free to cover the edges with foil and stick it under the broiler to get a bubbly hot top.
So we had pizza for dinner and were curious... Has anyone else ended up making pizza and getting more than satisfied with 1 or 2 pieces? We order a pizza and I can scarf down a full 4 slices if I'm determined to. I could barely finish 1 piece of the homemade, it was that filling. Any clue? I mean, I know amount of topping has a lot to do with it, and I packed a huge amount of toppings on, but Sic_un was only able to finish 2 pieces of his and he was full too. Anybody else experience this?
***
The birthday was great! I had a ball! We're actually talking about going bowling now. I bowled an 86 the first game and a 74 the second game (last drunken bowling I made a 13? 15? Something like that. It's an improvement!). We're not too concerned with scoring, it's just... Is it fun? Yes. Did we HAVE fun? Yes. Was it different? Yes. SO we'll probably go again.
Peace, Dear Reader.
Feb 27, 2007
Saturday Night Let-It-Sit Stew...
Greetings, Dear Reader. I was really in a quandry about what to post for Recipe Tuesday. See, I made stew Saturday, then Sic_un made roast for Sunday, and I really didn't feel like cooking tonight. SO what to do for Recipe Tuesday... It's, well, it's stew or roast or an untried recipe.
Then I thought about how I ended up making the stew. New cooking trick for me, so...
Saturday Night Let-It-Sit Stew
1 1/2 pound chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2x1 inch chunks
3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped (1/2" pieces)
1 tablespoon oil
***
1 1/2 onions, medium chop (1/4" pieces)
4 carrots, sliced into 1/2" thick pieces
3 stalks celery, chopped into 1/4" pieces
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
***
5 cups beef broth
1 can navy beans, rinsed well
4 potatoes, cut into large bite size chunks (I ended up cutting them in 1/2 lengthwise, then 3/4 inch chunks)
2 cups frozen green beans
To start the stew, mix your seasoning into your flour. Coat the beef chunks with the flour. Heat the oil in the bottom of a large soup or stock pot over medium-high heat until shimmery. Sear the meat chunks in batches with small amounts of the coarsely chopped onion, removing each batch to a plate to catch the juices. You will not be cooking the meat through, just searing it for color and texture. Be sure to drain as much of the oil off the pieces and leave it in the pan.
After searing the meat, throw the onions, carrots and celery into the pan. After approximately 5-7 minutes of cooking (you want the veggies barely softened), sprinkle approximately 3 tablespoons of your coating flour over the top of the veggies, stir well. We're cooking the flour rather than cooking the veggies as much. Keep stirring. Once the flour reaches a nice golden color, stir in the reserved beef, the worcestershire sauce and the 5 cups of beef broth. You should notice it getting thicker once it gets to the bubble point. At this point, turn it down and let it simmer for about 1/2 an hour. Taste it for seasonings, add to your heart's content. I threw in about 1 teaspoon of Jane's Crazy Pepper, which gave it an immediate bite and flavor boost without a whole lot of 'hot'.
After it's simmered for a 1/2 hour or so, add in your beans and potatoes. Add water to cover veggies if necessary. Bring it to a bubble. Simmer it on medium heat, at a bubble, stirring occasionally. After a half hour, turn it off. Yeah, yeah, I know. "Don't keep food in the 'danger zone'". We went to G&D's to pick up equipment and kick back for a few. It ended up being 2 hours. But that 2 hours? The pot held the heat really well, the stew held it's temperature really well, and the flavors just BLENDED. You could stop at this point, pour it into a bowl and let it refrigerate overnight, but let it REST.
When we came back home, we popped the heat back up, brought it to a boil, turned it down to simmer, threw in the green beans, and let it just bubble at a lower heat for about 1 1/2 hours.
Serve with the bread and salad of your choice.
It really is a stew, thick and rich and peppery. We had about 6-8 servings left over that we froze for future 'Don't wanna cook' nights. You can thin it down with broth or water, add in more veggies (how good would corn be in this?), add some tomato (we didn't want the acid in it), throw in some V8.... Play with it, but as is, it's a very thick and rich hearty stew OH so good for days that start out like this:
Enjoy Recipe Tuesday, folks! Changes to it are on the way, including adding in SiO2's recipes :)
Then I thought about how I ended up making the stew. New cooking trick for me, so...
Saturday Night Let-It-Sit Stew
1 1/2 pound chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2x1 inch chunks
3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped (1/2" pieces)
1 tablespoon oil
***
1 1/2 onions, medium chop (1/4" pieces)
4 carrots, sliced into 1/2" thick pieces
3 stalks celery, chopped into 1/4" pieces
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
***
5 cups beef broth
1 can navy beans, rinsed well
4 potatoes, cut into large bite size chunks (I ended up cutting them in 1/2 lengthwise, then 3/4 inch chunks)
2 cups frozen green beans
To start the stew, mix your seasoning into your flour. Coat the beef chunks with the flour. Heat the oil in the bottom of a large soup or stock pot over medium-high heat until shimmery. Sear the meat chunks in batches with small amounts of the coarsely chopped onion, removing each batch to a plate to catch the juices. You will not be cooking the meat through, just searing it for color and texture. Be sure to drain as much of the oil off the pieces and leave it in the pan.
After searing the meat, throw the onions, carrots and celery into the pan. After approximately 5-7 minutes of cooking (you want the veggies barely softened), sprinkle approximately 3 tablespoons of your coating flour over the top of the veggies, stir well. We're cooking the flour rather than cooking the veggies as much. Keep stirring. Once the flour reaches a nice golden color, stir in the reserved beef, the worcestershire sauce and the 5 cups of beef broth. You should notice it getting thicker once it gets to the bubble point. At this point, turn it down and let it simmer for about 1/2 an hour. Taste it for seasonings, add to your heart's content. I threw in about 1 teaspoon of Jane's Crazy Pepper, which gave it an immediate bite and flavor boost without a whole lot of 'hot'.
After it's simmered for a 1/2 hour or so, add in your beans and potatoes. Add water to cover veggies if necessary. Bring it to a bubble. Simmer it on medium heat, at a bubble, stirring occasionally. After a half hour, turn it off. Yeah, yeah, I know. "Don't keep food in the 'danger zone'". We went to G&D's to pick up equipment and kick back for a few. It ended up being 2 hours. But that 2 hours? The pot held the heat really well, the stew held it's temperature really well, and the flavors just BLENDED. You could stop at this point, pour it into a bowl and let it refrigerate overnight, but let it REST.
When we came back home, we popped the heat back up, brought it to a boil, turned it down to simmer, threw in the green beans, and let it just bubble at a lower heat for about 1 1/2 hours.
Serve with the bread and salad of your choice.
It really is a stew, thick and rich and peppery. We had about 6-8 servings left over that we froze for future 'Don't wanna cook' nights. You can thin it down with broth or water, add in more veggies (how good would corn be in this?), add some tomato (we didn't want the acid in it), throw in some V8.... Play with it, but as is, it's a very thick and rich hearty stew OH so good for days that start out like this:
Enjoy Recipe Tuesday, folks! Changes to it are on the way, including adding in SiO2's recipes :)
Better late than never....
Greetings, Dear Reader. Welcome once again to the latest rendition of Recipe Tuesday. This week, I've done sort of an Outward Bound! type thing... I'm cooking over at Sic_un's, I've brought my glass bowls, all ingredients, my spat, my grater... I've used his muffin tins (he has them! I don't. Hm. This says something, but I'm not quite sure what), his measuring cups and his teaspoon measure. And his stove. You get the picture.
Speaking of pictures, no pictures. I still need to actually BUY the batteries at the STORE when I'm there instead of wanting to get in and out as fast as possible. This Recipe Tuesday is because we're having 'treat day' for Valentine's at work. Our team is, at any rate. We're exchanging valentines and having sweet stuff. Hey, gets me off the phones, right? I still think it's rather... Third grade-ish, but that's me. As I said, I get off the phones. Without further ado...
UltraOrange Cupcakes with CreamCheese Frosting
Make your cupcakes according to directions HERE.
At the point where you would fill the cake pan, fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full of batter. Bake them at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until you get a clean toothpick test. I wound up with 22 cupcakes out of 1 batch, and most were a very scant 2/3 cup. So make your cupcakes.
COOL THEM THOROUGHLY.
While your cupcakes are baking, you can mix the frosting:
8 oz. Cream Cheese-CHILLED
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In a medium bowl, beat everything except the powdered sugar until blended. Add the powdered sugar 1/3 to 1/2 cup at a time, blending until smooth and your desired consistency. If the frosting gets too stiff, keep beating a few seconds until it thins. Do not overbeat.
Frost your cupcakes, cupcake!
Notes: Apparently, if the cream cheese is chilled and the butter soft, it won't get grainy. So that's how I did it. What I did with the orange juice is used the juice of 1 small orange in the frosting and regular bottled orange juice (non-concentrate, pulp free) for the cake. I managed to get just 2 tablespoons of zest out of it using a fine grater.
Speaking of pictures, no pictures. I still need to actually BUY the batteries at the STORE when I'm there instead of wanting to get in and out as fast as possible. This Recipe Tuesday is because we're having 'treat day' for Valentine's at work. Our team is, at any rate. We're exchanging valentines and having sweet stuff. Hey, gets me off the phones, right? I still think it's rather... Third grade-ish, but that's me. As I said, I get off the phones. Without further ado...
UltraOrange Cupcakes with CreamCheese Frosting
Make your cupcakes according to directions HERE.
At the point where you would fill the cake pan, fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full of batter. Bake them at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until you get a clean toothpick test. I wound up with 22 cupcakes out of 1 batch, and most were a very scant 2/3 cup. So make your cupcakes.
COOL THEM THOROUGHLY.
While your cupcakes are baking, you can mix the frosting:
8 oz. Cream Cheese-CHILLED
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In a medium bowl, beat everything except the powdered sugar until blended. Add the powdered sugar 1/3 to 1/2 cup at a time, blending until smooth and your desired consistency. If the frosting gets too stiff, keep beating a few seconds until it thins. Do not overbeat.
Frost your cupcakes, cupcake!
Notes: Apparently, if the cream cheese is chilled and the butter soft, it won't get grainy. So that's how I did it. What I did with the orange juice is used the juice of 1 small orange in the frosting and regular bottled orange juice (non-concentrate, pulp free) for the cake. I managed to get just 2 tablespoons of zest out of it using a fine grater.
Shepherd's Pie...
Greetings once again, Dear Reader. As promised, it's Shepherd's Pie for Recipe Tuesday, sans pictures not because I'm lazy but because my rechargeables for the camera need replaced. They'll hold a very short charge is all. SIGH. Anyway, Sic_un and I were watching Rachael Ray cook one evening and said 'That would be good!'... She was making a turkey based pie. Gave me the idea, anyway, so we made it up over the weekend. Let's go to the kitchen, shall we?
Shepherd's Pie
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (try for the 85/15 mix)
1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 inch
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch crosswise
2 stalks celery, chopped 1/4 inch
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 bell pepper, chopped 1/4 inch
2 teaspoons Seasoning (Your favorite steak seasoning, seasoning salt, I used Jane's Crazy Salt and Pepper blends), separated
3 cups mashed potatoes (make your own, use leftovers, use a box... 3 cups mashed potatoes. I RECOMMEND USING HOT MASHED POTATOES, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO MICROWAVE THEM HOT)
Heat a 12", ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Begin browning the ground beef over medium heat. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon seasoning over the meat, stir it in. When the meat is mostly browned, but still slightly pink, drain the fat from the pan. You can spoon it out, strain the meat and return it to the pain, pour it off, do what you like, but drain the fat from the pan. The meat will continue to release fats, that will be used for the veggies and gravy later, but get the majority of it out now.
Return the drained beef to medium heat. Stir in the onions, carrots and celery. At this time, sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of seasoning over the meat. Cook the veggies and meat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are hot all the way through, but still have a little bit of a 'bite' to them. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, mix well. You'll notice a lot of fond starting to develop. When the fond is golden and the flour is mixed in, stir in the beef broth.
Continue stirring as you bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, add bell peppers, continue simmering until gravy has thickened and peppers begin to soften.
Remove from heat.
IF YOUR POTATOES ARE HOT: Let the mixture cool approximately 10 minutes, then top the mixture in the ovenproof skillet with the mashed potatoes. Broil until the top is golden at the higher peaks.
IF YOUR POTATOES ARE COLD: Let the mixture cool COMPLETELY, top with the cold mashed potatoes. Bake in a 325 oven approximately 30 minutes or until top is golden and mixture is heated through.
When it's golden, pull out the skillet and dish it up.
You can use whatever veg you like. I had these, so this is what I used. Throw in corn, peas... Any of the 'stew' veg will work. Meaning if you like it in stew, it will work in this. Use leftover meats, leftover gravy, leftover mashed. It's a great, filling, easy dish.
Shepherd's Pie
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (try for the 85/15 mix)
1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 inch
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch crosswise
2 stalks celery, chopped 1/4 inch
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 bell pepper, chopped 1/4 inch
2 teaspoons Seasoning (Your favorite steak seasoning, seasoning salt, I used Jane's Crazy Salt and Pepper blends), separated
3 cups mashed potatoes (make your own, use leftovers, use a box... 3 cups mashed potatoes. I RECOMMEND USING HOT MASHED POTATOES, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO MICROWAVE THEM HOT)
Heat a 12", ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Begin browning the ground beef over medium heat. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon seasoning over the meat, stir it in. When the meat is mostly browned, but still slightly pink, drain the fat from the pan. You can spoon it out, strain the meat and return it to the pain, pour it off, do what you like, but drain the fat from the pan. The meat will continue to release fats, that will be used for the veggies and gravy later, but get the majority of it out now.
Return the drained beef to medium heat. Stir in the onions, carrots and celery. At this time, sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of seasoning over the meat. Cook the veggies and meat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are hot all the way through, but still have a little bit of a 'bite' to them. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, mix well. You'll notice a lot of fond starting to develop. When the fond is golden and the flour is mixed in, stir in the beef broth.
Continue stirring as you bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, add bell peppers, continue simmering until gravy has thickened and peppers begin to soften.
Remove from heat.
IF YOUR POTATOES ARE HOT: Let the mixture cool approximately 10 minutes, then top the mixture in the ovenproof skillet with the mashed potatoes. Broil until the top is golden at the higher peaks.
IF YOUR POTATOES ARE COLD: Let the mixture cool COMPLETELY, top with the cold mashed potatoes. Bake in a 325 oven approximately 30 minutes or until top is golden and mixture is heated through.
When it's golden, pull out the skillet and dish it up.
You can use whatever veg you like. I had these, so this is what I used. Throw in corn, peas... Any of the 'stew' veg will work. Meaning if you like it in stew, it will work in this. Use leftover meats, leftover gravy, leftover mashed. It's a great, filling, easy dish.
Mil's Braised Pork Chops
Alrighty then. Today really sucked at work. They beat me up. I forgot my camera at the apartment and I really don't feel like going to get it. So this Recipe Tuesday is sans photogs. I apologize. It really is a rum kinda day, the way that SiO2 posted earlier... I'd point you to her recipes... OOH.... HEY!!! SiO2!!! Want a page here to cross-post to? We'll see. Anyway, she's got a locked post over at LJ on some TREMENDOUS rum drinks because yes... It's a rum day. SO pour one up (A Dark & Stormy:take the good ginger beer/add enough of the good gold rum(I like Sailor Jerry cuz its sweet and tastes like it costs more than the 10 bucks it is) to taste, usually about a shot will do ya.Bingo you have yourself a Dark and Stormy no matter what the weather is! OOOOR Mojito/Rum/mint leaves/sugar syrup - you want syrup because plain sugar sits in the bottom of your glass and has to be stirred back in occasionally/club soda -though its rumored you could replace these last two with ginger beer, but I've never tried it. )
There... Properly lubricated and let's go to the kitchen for
Mil's Braised Pork Chops
A note before we start. This is the recipe of a positively DELIGHTFUL 87 year old woman in Albuquerque. Specifically, Dan's grandmother. Strange, as many problems as I had with Dan, his blood relatives were great. His mom was a peach, his grandmother the same (if a little wierd and uptight in a 1950's kind of way), his brother was a doll. Dan... Meh. But Mil had these great pork chops she made. She gave me the recipe a couple years ago. For the parenthetical comments, hear a wavery, 'little old lady from Joisey' voice in your head. That's Mil.
Pork chops (figure 1-2 chops each), 3/4 to 1 inch thick, with bone (more flavor)
Seasoning (Mil would say 'I use the Lawry's', but I'm using Crazy Jane's pepper and salt mixes)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 medium white onion, sliced thin
Prep your chops: Rub your seasoning of choice into each side, let sit at least 10 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium high heat. Throw in the chops. Cook each side approximately 4 minutes. We're going for color and flavor possibilities, not cooking it through. When you flip them over, throw your 1/2 onion in around the chops. Stir it around, make sure it doesn't burn. You can add a tablespoon of olive oil if you want to help with the onions, but I never really do.
When the chops are nicely seared, remove them to the side. Stir in 2 cups water and the soup mix. Get that fond off the bottom of the pan. Return the chops to the pan.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 30 to 45 minutes (depends on the thickness). Cut into them to be sure. I personally don't like pork pink, not chops. The braise actually keeps the pork from drying out. 'Course, it would be better with a well-marbled, not-lean chop, but you work with what you get. (You can also finish it off in the oven, you know, just set it to about 375, throw 'em in for an hour or so, cover with foil). Serve with sides of your choice.
The braising liquid makes an EXCELLENT jus, you can also serve a gravy on the side by thickening up the braising liquid.
***
There. Recipe Tuesday. I didn't fail completely. At least at something, right?
I'm not in a good place tonight, Dear Reader. I really had a shitty day at work. I seriously hate the fact that ... God. How can I put this? I hate the client and the limitations they've put on us as customer service personnel in light of today's litigious society. I can't DO anything. Nothing I do really makes one bit of difference. People call us for parts help. "I've got a (fill in the blank) on order, it's been on order 2 months. When's it coming?" We're supposed to be able to get this expedited, but it never works that way. So I document and tell them 'Gee, we're trying to find out a date when you'll get to drive your car again!'
I can't do anything when someone calls to complain about a dealer. We're just a fucking supplier. It's like calling Proctor&Gamble because your local grocery chain hired an idiot who called you an old hag. It makes no sense. Don't call me a cunt because of it, you know? SO I do my job, which is supposed to somehow be helping people. Everything I do is documented and then the client's various departments (R&D, Tech support, marketing) get a fucking number on a chart to indicate I spoke with Mrs. Smith and her car has a steering problem. They don't see the fact that I spent an HOUR on the phone with Mrs. Smith listening to her call me every name in the book except Jesus, state several times I should be kissing her ass, and all I can do is tell her I can document it. They don't get that. I dont' t think my bosses get that.
I get asked at least once a day if someone can talk to the president of the company. Get this... This is from Wikipedia: (not pointing to the company name cause I really can't AFFORD to be fired)
jesus I've had a bad day.
There... Properly lubricated and let's go to the kitchen for
Mil's Braised Pork Chops
A note before we start. This is the recipe of a positively DELIGHTFUL 87 year old woman in Albuquerque. Specifically, Dan's grandmother. Strange, as many problems as I had with Dan, his blood relatives were great. His mom was a peach, his grandmother the same (if a little wierd and uptight in a 1950's kind of way), his brother was a doll. Dan... Meh. But Mil had these great pork chops she made. She gave me the recipe a couple years ago. For the parenthetical comments, hear a wavery, 'little old lady from Joisey' voice in your head. That's Mil.
Pork chops (figure 1-2 chops each), 3/4 to 1 inch thick, with bone (more flavor)
Seasoning (Mil would say 'I use the Lawry's', but I'm using Crazy Jane's pepper and salt mixes)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 medium white onion, sliced thin
Prep your chops: Rub your seasoning of choice into each side, let sit at least 10 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium high heat. Throw in the chops. Cook each side approximately 4 minutes. We're going for color and flavor possibilities, not cooking it through. When you flip them over, throw your 1/2 onion in around the chops. Stir it around, make sure it doesn't burn. You can add a tablespoon of olive oil if you want to help with the onions, but I never really do.
When the chops are nicely seared, remove them to the side. Stir in 2 cups water and the soup mix. Get that fond off the bottom of the pan. Return the chops to the pan.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 30 to 45 minutes (depends on the thickness). Cut into them to be sure. I personally don't like pork pink, not chops. The braise actually keeps the pork from drying out. 'Course, it would be better with a well-marbled, not-lean chop, but you work with what you get. (You can also finish it off in the oven, you know, just set it to about 375, throw 'em in for an hour or so, cover with foil). Serve with sides of your choice.
The braising liquid makes an EXCELLENT jus, you can also serve a gravy on the side by thickening up the braising liquid.
***
There. Recipe Tuesday. I didn't fail completely. At least at something, right?
I'm not in a good place tonight, Dear Reader. I really had a shitty day at work. I seriously hate the fact that ... God. How can I put this? I hate the client and the limitations they've put on us as customer service personnel in light of today's litigious society. I can't DO anything. Nothing I do really makes one bit of difference. People call us for parts help. "I've got a (fill in the blank) on order, it's been on order 2 months. When's it coming?" We're supposed to be able to get this expedited, but it never works that way. So I document and tell them 'Gee, we're trying to find out a date when you'll get to drive your car again!'
I can't do anything when someone calls to complain about a dealer. We're just a fucking supplier. It's like calling Proctor&Gamble because your local grocery chain hired an idiot who called you an old hag. It makes no sense. Don't call me a cunt because of it, you know? SO I do my job, which is supposed to somehow be helping people. Everything I do is documented and then the client's various departments (R&D, Tech support, marketing) get a fucking number on a chart to indicate I spoke with Mrs. Smith and her car has a steering problem. They don't see the fact that I spent an HOUR on the phone with Mrs. Smith listening to her call me every name in the book except Jesus, state several times I should be kissing her ass, and all I can do is tell her I can document it. They don't get that. I dont' t think my bosses get that.
I get asked at least once a day if someone can talk to the president of the company. Get this... This is from Wikipedia: (not pointing to the company name cause I really can't AFFORD to be fired)
The share register of Company X makes for interesting reading. The largest shareholder in Company X today is the State of Kuwait, with 7.2%. Followed by Deutsche Bank, with just under 5%. The 3rd largest shareholder is the Emirate of Dubai, with just over 2% of Company X shares.
Breaking the shareholdings by region:
- 47.5% Germany
- 26.7% Other Europe
- 16.5% USA
- 9.3% Rest of the World
jesus I've had a bad day.
No Dairy Choco cake ...
Once again, Dear Reader, it's Recipe Tuesday. As promised, the easy choco cake without dairy. Haven't made it yet, but I'll tell you right now all the proportions are right for something truly nice. It's basically the orange cake, only chocolate.
No Dairy Chocolate Cake (Vegan)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened nonalkalized cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
PREP YOUR PAN. This means Line the Bottom. Grease and flour the pan if you like. I wish I had lined the bottom of the orange one. Line the pan is preferred. 8x8 size. Brownie pan.
Heat the oven to 350.
Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate pitcher, large measuring cup or bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
Stir the two mixtures together until smooth. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan on a rack. Slide a knife around the cake. Invert the cake, peel off the paper. Let it cool on the rack right side up.
Part of me says throw some cinnamon into this. Just enough cinn... oooh... Allspice. Allspice. Just enough to give the flavor of it through the batter. And I say allspice because it's more of a flavor blend between cinnamon and cloves than anything else.
You could also probably get away with using a little more vanilla as well.
The recipe as written says dust it with powdered sugar or a quick cookie icing. I say make a caramel sauce and drizzle it over the top... Ooooh... No... Not caramel.
Cherry sauce. Yeahhhh.....
Simple cherry sauce. Mom taught me how when she was making her Cherry-O pie...
3 cups cherries, fresh or canned (drain and rinse)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
Cook the cherries, sugar and lemon juice over medium-high heat until the berries release their juice. In a separate small container, mix the water and cornstarch. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the cherry mixture and cook until thickened. Let it cool, spoon it on top.
OOOOHhhh.. Yeah. That's it. The cake. With cherries. If you like, you can always stir in a couple tablespoons of butter into the sauce. It'll add body and a gloss to it. I wouldn't, but that's me.
No Dairy Chocolate Cake (Vegan)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened nonalkalized cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
PREP YOUR PAN. This means Line the Bottom. Grease and flour the pan if you like. I wish I had lined the bottom of the orange one. Line the pan is preferred. 8x8 size. Brownie pan.
Heat the oven to 350.
Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate pitcher, large measuring cup or bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
Stir the two mixtures together until smooth. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan on a rack. Slide a knife around the cake. Invert the cake, peel off the paper. Let it cool on the rack right side up.
Part of me says throw some cinnamon into this. Just enough cinn... oooh... Allspice. Allspice. Just enough to give the flavor of it through the batter. And I say allspice because it's more of a flavor blend between cinnamon and cloves than anything else.
You could also probably get away with using a little more vanilla as well.
The recipe as written says dust it with powdered sugar or a quick cookie icing. I say make a caramel sauce and drizzle it over the top... Ooooh... No... Not caramel.
Cherry sauce. Yeahhhh.....
Simple cherry sauce. Mom taught me how when she was making her Cherry-O pie...
3 cups cherries, fresh or canned (drain and rinse)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
Cook the cherries, sugar and lemon juice over medium-high heat until the berries release their juice. In a separate small container, mix the water and cornstarch. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the cherry mixture and cook until thickened. Let it cool, spoon it on top.
OOOOHhhh.. Yeah. That's it. The cake. With cherries. If you like, you can always stir in a couple tablespoons of butter into the sauce. It'll add body and a gloss to it. I wouldn't, but that's me.
Let them eat CAKE!
What does one make when one is faced with a seeming lack of things to bake with?
You see, Dear Reader, I had oranges and lemons from the cranberry bread (10 oranges for a buck. I had to get the full 10. Sorry. Too good a price- The lemons were 3 for a buck), spices, sugar, flour, vanilla, baking soda... No eggs though, and I really don't want to spend the $$ for eggs...
But I have this program, you see... It's the Joy of Cooking, in computer program form. Great reference, no matter what edition or what form it takes, it's the Joy. So I went digging through the disc. I was looking for something sweet, not a lot of thought or prep to it that would use a lot of citrus.
There's a recipe called UltraOrange Cake (Vegan)... No eggs. It's vegan, right? Wait. It'll require some weird thing that you don't have... No, you have all that... Hm. Ok. Let's make it and see what we come up with.
The original recipe is as follows. My changes are made in the parentheses. And comments follow.
Ultra Orange Cake- Vegan
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 8x8 pan or line the bottom with parchment paper.
Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add and stir together until smooth:
1 cup orange juice (I squeezed 3 oranges and 1 large lemon and got a cup of juice)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange peel (I just grated the peels from 2 of the oranges I squeezed)
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon vanilla (plus a little splash... I like vanilla)
Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it from the pan. Invert the cake and peel off the paper liner, if using. Cool right side up on the rack.
Now... I like things that don't require a lot of prep, that don't dirty a lot of dishes (I still have to wash them, you know), that use ingredients in new and unusual ways. This uses baking soda and vinegar. C'mon, guys, we all remember the volcano experiment in grade school science class. It foams. It makes foam. When you put that with flour and sugar and flavor, it makes cake, too.
I stirred together the dry ingredients. You could sift, I suppose, but I just stirred really well. Made them fluffy.
Then I grated the oranges over my 2 cup glass measuring cup, squeezed in the citrus and got pretty much a cup of juice.
Then I added in the oil to bring it to 1 1/3 cups. Then I threw in the vinegar and the vanilla. It makes about a cup and a half of stuff.
Stir it all together, blend in with the dry ingredients. Sing Don Ho's Tiny Bubbles, pour it into the pan.
Tally so far? 1 dirty bowl, 1 dirty fork (my whisk is in the dishwasher already and I'm lazy), 1 dirty set of measuring spoons, 1 dirty glass measuring cup. The dry measuring cups don't get washed. They're shaken clean, rinsed if necessary and put away.
So there's not a lot of dirty dishes with this.
It's quick, easy, not messy.
Hm. It probably tastes like garbage, right?
No. The batter (and no worries about salmonella from eggs with this one) is TASTY. Supertasty, really. So let's see how the cake looks when I take it out...
Hm. Never mind looks, it's just a cake.
But the smell.
Orange-y. Very orange-y. I like this. Let's let it cool, then get it out of the pan for a little taste....
AHA. Hm. It fell apart while inverting the pan. Not pretty. BUT! it didn't stick to the point of can't use it. I'll definitely use parchment next time.
What's that? How's it tas...
OH MY GOD. I love this cake. It's ugly as sin, but it's light, cake-y, moist, orange beyond all hope, smooth... Tastytasty. Mmmmm. Mine. All mine.
Oh. Sorry.
So I'll use parchment next time I make it, but this is a good recipe, even with my machinations into it, and I like not using eggs in it because I'm more likely to have baking soda and vinegar on hand.
Kid friendly recipe, nothing to gross them out, no cutting required (if you use over the counter orange juice), easy to fix.
I wonder how it would taste with just lemons... Hm.
Or blood oranges, or limes......
You see, Dear Reader, I had oranges and lemons from the cranberry bread (10 oranges for a buck. I had to get the full 10. Sorry. Too good a price- The lemons were 3 for a buck), spices, sugar, flour, vanilla, baking soda... No eggs though, and I really don't want to spend the $$ for eggs...
But I have this program, you see... It's the Joy of Cooking, in computer program form. Great reference, no matter what edition or what form it takes, it's the Joy. So I went digging through the disc. I was looking for something sweet, not a lot of thought or prep to it that would use a lot of citrus.
There's a recipe called UltraOrange Cake (Vegan)... No eggs. It's vegan, right? Wait. It'll require some weird thing that you don't have... No, you have all that... Hm. Ok. Let's make it and see what we come up with.
The original recipe is as follows. My changes are made in the parentheses. And comments follow.
Ultra Orange Cake- Vegan
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 8x8 pan or line the bottom with parchment paper.
Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add and stir together until smooth:
1 cup orange juice (I squeezed 3 oranges and 1 large lemon and got a cup of juice)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange peel (I just grated the peels from 2 of the oranges I squeezed)
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon vanilla (plus a little splash... I like vanilla)
Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it from the pan. Invert the cake and peel off the paper liner, if using. Cool right side up on the rack.
Now... I like things that don't require a lot of prep, that don't dirty a lot of dishes (I still have to wash them, you know), that use ingredients in new and unusual ways. This uses baking soda and vinegar. C'mon, guys, we all remember the volcano experiment in grade school science class. It foams. It makes foam. When you put that with flour and sugar and flavor, it makes cake, too.
I stirred together the dry ingredients. You could sift, I suppose, but I just stirred really well. Made them fluffy.
Then I grated the oranges over my 2 cup glass measuring cup, squeezed in the citrus and got pretty much a cup of juice.
Then I added in the oil to bring it to 1 1/3 cups. Then I threw in the vinegar and the vanilla. It makes about a cup and a half of stuff.
Stir it all together, blend in with the dry ingredients. Sing Don Ho's Tiny Bubbles, pour it into the pan.
Tally so far? 1 dirty bowl, 1 dirty fork (my whisk is in the dishwasher already and I'm lazy), 1 dirty set of measuring spoons, 1 dirty glass measuring cup. The dry measuring cups don't get washed. They're shaken clean, rinsed if necessary and put away.
So there's not a lot of dirty dishes with this.
It's quick, easy, not messy.
Hm. It probably tastes like garbage, right?
No. The batter (and no worries about salmonella from eggs with this one) is TASTY. Supertasty, really. So let's see how the cake looks when I take it out...
Hm. Never mind looks, it's just a cake.
But the smell.
Orange-y. Very orange-y. I like this. Let's let it cool, then get it out of the pan for a little taste....
AHA. Hm. It fell apart while inverting the pan. Not pretty. BUT! it didn't stick to the point of can't use it. I'll definitely use parchment next time.
What's that? How's it tas...
OH MY GOD. I love this cake. It's ugly as sin, but it's light, cake-y, moist, orange beyond all hope, smooth... Tastytasty. Mmmmm. Mine. All mine.
Oh. Sorry.
So I'll use parchment next time I make it, but this is a good recipe, even with my machinations into it, and I like not using eggs in it because I'm more likely to have baking soda and vinegar on hand.
Kid friendly recipe, nothing to gross them out, no cutting required (if you use over the counter orange juice), easy to fix.
I wonder how it would taste with just lemons... Hm.
Or blood oranges, or limes......
And now.... Recipe Tuesday. Merry Christmas.
I'm... Hm. I don't want to say I'm a little leery about putting this out on the 'net, but... Well, yeah. Look, if you make it, PLEASE don't say you came up with the recipe on your own. Just say you found it on the 'net. I took quite a long time (years) developing this. It's originally a recipe for zucchini bread that I messed with one year because Dad had purchased too many cranberries. I've made it on 2 continents. It gets eaten, quickly. You can serve it with butter as a breakfast bread, you can put cream cheese onto it (whip it first, it spreads better) for a snack. It's a quick bread. You can bake it in muffins, you can make loaves. You can mess with the spices. I used lemons once, not oranges. I threw ground ginger in by mistake one year. Frost it with any standard frosting or glaze recipe... It changes, but there's never a bad change. All I know is I'm very proud of this recipe. It is mine. Here it is, Dear Reader. As promised...
Darkneuro's Infamous Cranberry Bread
Makes 2 Loaves or 3 doz. Muffins.
1 12 oz. package cranberries
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
grated peel of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
A Note on Cranberries: I buy fresh cranberries, a package per batch. You'd think this is a pound, but it's not. It's only 12 ounces, but it works. First, rinse the berries and pick through them for ick berries. That means you float them in at least 2 inches of cold water. If they sink, get rid of them. If they have a moldy patch, get rid of it. Soft, get rid of it. Mushy, get rid of it. You're looking for whole, ripe, hard berries that float. A slight softness around the stem is fine, but if you've got a soft patch through 1/2 the berry, you had best throw it away. Do not worry about the collateral damage such weaning will cause. You'll have plenty of berries for the bread.
Take this picked-through package of berries and chop them. I use a food processor. I have also used a blender. I really prefer a food processor. If you do use a blender, do yourself a favor and put some of the milk in and use the milk to chop the berries with. You'll need some sort of liquid in the blender, otherwise they just hang out on the sides and you'll get nowhere.
Prep your pans. Loaf pans will need the bottoms greased. I usually just spray them with no-stick, but I've also papered muffin pans, used shortening, used straight vegetable oil... Just the bottom of the pan, so the sides have something to climb up. Also, you'll need to loosen the sides of the loaf pan with a knife when you're ready to cool it down.
Mix your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder). I leave the spices and the sugar out of the dry ingredients. I may change amounts on those depending on the taste and smell of the batter. Also, since it needs to melt smooth, sugar and spices get added with the wet stuff.
Prep your citrus. You'll need as much of the peel and all of the juice from the fruit. I use oranges, typically, although I've used lemons in a pinch. You can use 1 of each if you desire, heavier on the orange if you do.
In a very large bowl, mix the cranberries, sugar, oil, vanilla, milk, and eggs. Blend it smooth.
Add the spices. Mix well.
Add the citrus peel and juice.
Taste it. Yes, taste it. Stick in a spoon, swirl it round, dip your tongue to it. TASTE IT. Can it use some more clove? Allspice? Citrus? Sugar? Vanilla? You should have a spicy, vanilla-sweet milky taste with a hint of orange and cranberry tartness. And it should be very liquid. If you hate the thought of eating raw egg, don't, but you really should.
Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing thoroughly.
The batter should still be rather liquid for a quick bread. I've always thought it looks rather runny.
When the batter is mixed, turn on your oven to 350 degrees.
While the oven is heating, dish it up. Fill your muffin cups, pour your loaves.
Drop each pan onto the counter to make any serious bubbles break apart or rise to the top.
Bake for...
Loaves: 50 to 70 minutes, starting to check it every 5 minutes after the first 45.
Muffins: 25-30 minutes, starting to check it every 5 minutes after the first 20
Use the toothpick/skewer/knife test. If it comes out clean, and the top of the loaf is brownish rather than (this is wierd) greenish (it really does have a greenish cast to it), it's done. Remove from oven.
For Loaves: Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Remove from pans (turn it out onto wire racks, towels, etc), cool thoroughly.
For Muffins: Remove from pans immediately, set flat onto a towel or wire rack and cool thoroughly. This will keep moisture from forming on the bottoms.
Store in plastic bags in the refrigerator in a single layer. You can refrigerate it for up to a week, although I would be surprised if it lasted that long. This bread also freezes well. Enjoy.
First Cranberry Bread of the season.... MMMMm.... Tasty. And it's muffins for work on Friday. Strange... I just had 3 dozen... Wait. There's only 2 dozen left. Damn. It's been less than 24 hours... Damn. Ok. So I have enough for another batch, I'll make some more for work. Note to self: Self, stay out of the muffins.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
Darkneuro's Infamous Cranberry Bread
Makes 2 Loaves or 3 doz. Muffins.
1 12 oz. package cranberries
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
grated peel of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
A Note on Cranberries: I buy fresh cranberries, a package per batch. You'd think this is a pound, but it's not. It's only 12 ounces, but it works. First, rinse the berries and pick through them for ick berries. That means you float them in at least 2 inches of cold water. If they sink, get rid of them. If they have a moldy patch, get rid of it. Soft, get rid of it. Mushy, get rid of it. You're looking for whole, ripe, hard berries that float. A slight softness around the stem is fine, but if you've got a soft patch through 1/2 the berry, you had best throw it away. Do not worry about the collateral damage such weaning will cause. You'll have plenty of berries for the bread.
Take this picked-through package of berries and chop them. I use a food processor. I have also used a blender. I really prefer a food processor. If you do use a blender, do yourself a favor and put some of the milk in and use the milk to chop the berries with. You'll need some sort of liquid in the blender, otherwise they just hang out on the sides and you'll get nowhere.
Prep your pans. Loaf pans will need the bottoms greased. I usually just spray them with no-stick, but I've also papered muffin pans, used shortening, used straight vegetable oil... Just the bottom of the pan, so the sides have something to climb up. Also, you'll need to loosen the sides of the loaf pan with a knife when you're ready to cool it down.
Mix your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder). I leave the spices and the sugar out of the dry ingredients. I may change amounts on those depending on the taste and smell of the batter. Also, since it needs to melt smooth, sugar and spices get added with the wet stuff.
Prep your citrus. You'll need as much of the peel and all of the juice from the fruit. I use oranges, typically, although I've used lemons in a pinch. You can use 1 of each if you desire, heavier on the orange if you do.
In a very large bowl, mix the cranberries, sugar, oil, vanilla, milk, and eggs. Blend it smooth.
Add the spices. Mix well.
Add the citrus peel and juice.
Taste it. Yes, taste it. Stick in a spoon, swirl it round, dip your tongue to it. TASTE IT. Can it use some more clove? Allspice? Citrus? Sugar? Vanilla? You should have a spicy, vanilla-sweet milky taste with a hint of orange and cranberry tartness. And it should be very liquid. If you hate the thought of eating raw egg, don't, but you really should.
Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing thoroughly.
The batter should still be rather liquid for a quick bread. I've always thought it looks rather runny.
When the batter is mixed, turn on your oven to 350 degrees.
While the oven is heating, dish it up. Fill your muffin cups, pour your loaves.
Drop each pan onto the counter to make any serious bubbles break apart or rise to the top.
Bake for...
Loaves: 50 to 70 minutes, starting to check it every 5 minutes after the first 45.
Muffins: 25-30 minutes, starting to check it every 5 minutes after the first 20
Use the toothpick/skewer/knife test. If it comes out clean, and the top of the loaf is brownish rather than (this is wierd) greenish (it really does have a greenish cast to it), it's done. Remove from oven.
For Loaves: Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Remove from pans (turn it out onto wire racks, towels, etc), cool thoroughly.
For Muffins: Remove from pans immediately, set flat onto a towel or wire rack and cool thoroughly. This will keep moisture from forming on the bottoms.
Store in plastic bags in the refrigerator in a single layer. You can refrigerate it for up to a week, although I would be surprised if it lasted that long. This bread also freezes well. Enjoy.
First Cranberry Bread of the season.... MMMMm.... Tasty. And it's muffins for work on Friday. Strange... I just had 3 dozen... Wait. There's only 2 dozen left. Damn. It's been less than 24 hours... Damn. Ok. So I have enough for another batch, I'll make some more for work. Note to self: Self, stay out of the muffins.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
La-Zog-Nee...
I promised it a week ago, here it is again... Recipe Tuesday, this time it's Sic_un's Lasagne. And he (again!) said this was 'meh'. It was good. And I'm not a huge fan of lasagne, so that's saying something. Let's go to the kitchen with Sic_un
Sic_un's Lasagne
1 lb mild Italian sausage
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup diced black olives
2 cans petite diced tomatoes with garlic and basil (14.5 oz cans)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups tomato sauce (2-8 oz cans)
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp fennel
3/4 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp Jane's Mixed up Pepper (if you can find it. If not, Mrs. Dash or equivilant)
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 box dried lasagne noodles
4 to 5 cups shredded mozzerella cheese (can also use 'italian combination')
Preheat oven to 375.
Brown Italian sausage in large sauté pan over medium heat. Drain fat, set aside. Brown ground beef in large sauté pan with finely chopped onion over medium heat. Drain fat, add reserved sausage to beef in pan.
Stir in garlic, mix to combine. Add coarsely chopped onion and bell pepper. Stir in 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce. Mix, bring to a bubble over medium heat.
Add herbs, remaining tomatoes and tomato sauce, and olives. Taste, adjust salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for approximately 1 hour.
Prepare noodles according to package directions.
Layer into a 13x9 baking dish as follows:
Noodles
Sauce
Cheese
(Sic_un ended up with 3 layers.)
(He wanted me to specifically show the pan size issue solved. You layer a noodle over the blank spot.)
Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes or until cheese is bubbled and slightly browned. (at this point, the camera ran out of batteries. Sorry)
(and because he'll call me on it, Sic_un actually had the herbs split up into 3 additions-one with beef browning, one with the 'add herbs', and one during the simmer process)
AND....
I found Mom's Christmas Present.... She's got throws, she's got afghans, she's got blankets. She doesn't have a quilt.
a real honest to goodness Tennessee quilt... Pinwheel pattern and it matches her bedroom.
Sic_un's Lasagne
1 lb mild Italian sausage
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup diced black olives
2 cans petite diced tomatoes with garlic and basil (14.5 oz cans)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups tomato sauce (2-8 oz cans)
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp fennel
3/4 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp Jane's Mixed up Pepper (if you can find it. If not, Mrs. Dash or equivilant)
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 box dried lasagne noodles
4 to 5 cups shredded mozzerella cheese (can also use 'italian combination')
Preheat oven to 375.
Brown Italian sausage in large sauté pan over medium heat. Drain fat, set aside. Brown ground beef in large sauté pan with finely chopped onion over medium heat. Drain fat, add reserved sausage to beef in pan.
Stir in garlic, mix to combine. Add coarsely chopped onion and bell pepper. Stir in 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce. Mix, bring to a bubble over medium heat.
Add herbs, remaining tomatoes and tomato sauce, and olives. Taste, adjust salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for approximately 1 hour.
Prepare noodles according to package directions.
Layer into a 13x9 baking dish as follows:
Noodles
Sauce
Cheese
(Sic_un ended up with 3 layers.)
(He wanted me to specifically show the pan size issue solved. You layer a noodle over the blank spot.)
Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes or until cheese is bubbled and slightly browned. (at this point, the camera ran out of batteries. Sorry)
(and because he'll call me on it, Sic_un actually had the herbs split up into 3 additions-one with beef browning, one with the 'add herbs', and one during the simmer process)
AND....
I found Mom's Christmas Present.... She's got throws, she's got afghans, she's got blankets. She doesn't have a quilt.
a real honest to goodness Tennessee quilt... Pinwheel pattern and it matches her bedroom.
Pie, pie, everybody loves pie...
I blame my love of lemon meringue on my mother. She makes a mean lemon meringue, at least as far as flavor goes. Her meringue is loose and tends to get really weepy after a little bit, but the flavor... She's where I learned the power of just a little lemon peel, although she was more likely to grab for the lemon extract. Still, I blame my love of this particular pie on my mother. I knew it was special if she made lemon meringue.
I had lemons, I had butter, I had sugar and flour and eggs. Sounds like pie, doesn't it, Dear Reader? Let's go to the kitchen.
Lemon Meringue Pie
1 Baked Pastry Shell (recipe below)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Dash salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 teaspoons shredded lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon shredded lemon peel
6 tablespoons sugar
Prepare pastry shell (see below), set aside. Separate egg yolks from whites, set whites aside for meringue. Stir 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel into 6 tablespoons sugar for meringue (flavors the sugar). Heat oven to 350 degrees. Zest your lemons, juice your lemons. I got the juice and peel from 2 medium sized lemons. I would say aim for 2, but use up to 4 if you have to.
FILLING:
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt.
Gradually whisk in water.
Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and bubbles. [This is where it turns away from food into a science project. You know those petri dishes filled with agar they used to use in biology class? Yeah. You'll recognize it when it gets to this stage. See?]
Reduce heat when mixture bubbles. Keep stirring and cooking for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Slightly beat egg yolks with a fork. Stir in 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg. Blend well.
Return mixture to saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat, cook and keep stirring for 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon peel.
Stir in lemon juice. Keep filling warm while you prepare the meringue.
MERINGUE:
In a glass, copper or stainless-steel bowl, start mixing the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the prepared sugar a tablespoon at a time, mixing each tablespoon in thoroughly. Keep beating on high speed until stiff peaks form and the sugar dissolves.
Pour hot filling into baked pastry shell.
Top with meringue, being sure to seal to the edge of the pastry. Then mound into the center of the pie.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
Chill for 3 to 4 hours.
Slice and serve.
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
Baked Pastry Shell:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
Combine the flour, salt and butter in a medium bowl. Either cut with a pastry blender or rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough comes together and is no longer dry, being careful not to overmix. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 1 hour.
You can also throw the butter, flour and salt into a food processor and pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs. Drizzle the water in until it gathers together and starts to pull away from the sides of the container. Gather it into a disk, wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, fit to the pan. Rest in refrigerator for 1 hour. Dock crust with tines of fork. Line crust with 2 layers of regular foil or 1 layer of heavy foil. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until golden. Cool.
I was actually concerned, and apologized to Sic_un for the quality of my meringue. It's tight. Meaning small bubbles, tight foam. I should have apologized for the crust. I don't have a rolling rig, you see. So I was (really!) using one of my white cutting mats (perfectly acceptable substitute for a rolling mat) and (ahem) a can of soup. Yes, Dear Reader... I made my crust using a can of soup as a roller. I'm ashamed. But I did make the crust. Next time, I may just get a frozen crust and make it a bit easier on myself. Also, I was concerned the meringue might get a little weepy or slippery on the pie, so I heated the finished mixture over medium heat for about 2 minutes after I finished whipping the meringue. It cooked up the mixture really pretty. I actually ended up getting the meringue a little too baked, so it did this seepy thing where the oil from the lemon peel came through the meringue after it cooled. No harm, no foul. And it really is really really good. Make a pie, Dear Reader.
Oh, and points to you if you can name the movie the title of this post comes from.
I had lemons, I had butter, I had sugar and flour and eggs. Sounds like pie, doesn't it, Dear Reader? Let's go to the kitchen.
Lemon Meringue Pie
1 Baked Pastry Shell (recipe below)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Dash salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 teaspoons shredded lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon shredded lemon peel
6 tablespoons sugar
Prepare pastry shell (see below), set aside. Separate egg yolks from whites, set whites aside for meringue. Stir 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel into 6 tablespoons sugar for meringue (flavors the sugar). Heat oven to 350 degrees. Zest your lemons, juice your lemons. I got the juice and peel from 2 medium sized lemons. I would say aim for 2, but use up to 4 if you have to.
FILLING:
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt.
Gradually whisk in water.
Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and bubbles. [This is where it turns away from food into a science project. You know those petri dishes filled with agar they used to use in biology class? Yeah. You'll recognize it when it gets to this stage. See?]
Reduce heat when mixture bubbles. Keep stirring and cooking for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Slightly beat egg yolks with a fork. Stir in 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg. Blend well.
Return mixture to saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat, cook and keep stirring for 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon peel.
Stir in lemon juice. Keep filling warm while you prepare the meringue.
MERINGUE:
In a glass, copper or stainless-steel bowl, start mixing the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the prepared sugar a tablespoon at a time, mixing each tablespoon in thoroughly. Keep beating on high speed until stiff peaks form and the sugar dissolves.
Pour hot filling into baked pastry shell.
Top with meringue, being sure to seal to the edge of the pastry. Then mound into the center of the pie.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
Chill for 3 to 4 hours.
Slice and serve.
LEMON MERINGUE PIEBaked Pastry Shell:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
Combine the flour, salt and butter in a medium bowl. Either cut with a pastry blender or rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough comes together and is no longer dry, being careful not to overmix. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 1 hour.
You can also throw the butter, flour and salt into a food processor and pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs. Drizzle the water in until it gathers together and starts to pull away from the sides of the container. Gather it into a disk, wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, fit to the pan. Rest in refrigerator for 1 hour. Dock crust with tines of fork. Line crust with 2 layers of regular foil or 1 layer of heavy foil. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until golden. Cool.
I was actually concerned, and apologized to Sic_un for the quality of my meringue. It's tight. Meaning small bubbles, tight foam. I should have apologized for the crust. I don't have a rolling rig, you see. So I was (really!) using one of my white cutting mats (perfectly acceptable substitute for a rolling mat) and (ahem) a can of soup. Yes, Dear Reader... I made my crust using a can of soup as a roller. I'm ashamed. But I did make the crust. Next time, I may just get a frozen crust and make it a bit easier on myself. Also, I was concerned the meringue might get a little weepy or slippery on the pie, so I heated the finished mixture over medium heat for about 2 minutes after I finished whipping the meringue. It cooked up the mixture really pretty. I actually ended up getting the meringue a little too baked, so it did this seepy thing where the oil from the lemon peel came through the meringue after it cooled. No harm, no foul. And it really is really really good. Make a pie, Dear Reader.
Oh, and points to you if you can name the movie the title of this post comes from.
What A Crock!
When I was somewhere around 12 or 13, my mom got her crock pot. Of course, it was from Montgomery Wards, it wasn't crockery (although it was non-stick) and she still uses it today because it's what she has and it works for her. I never liked the thing. You could, admittedly, get stuff started on the stove for really good browning and carmelization and then braise it, but it always simmered out and dripped because the lid never fit tight. It was also a multi-tasker, with a separate heating tray that you could presumably cook on itself. But I never liked it. It wasn't something I felt I could set to low and let it cook all day long.
So I asked for a Crock-pot last Christmas (or maybe the one before...hmmm. Maybe smoking the demon weed does kill brain cells). In Albuquerque, I only cooked with it once or twice. Make that 3 times. After the first time I cooked something in it, I picked up a box of those Crock-pot liners. They work. I dig them. I like everything that means I don't have to scrub a dish.
It's pot-luck season at workplaces around the country, and that means Crock-pot. My supervisor at work seems to have instituted a pot-luck-a-month. For October, it was the 'halloween fest'. I brought doughnuts for the morning sugar rush. This time around, our 'Thanksgiving potluck' is tomorrow. I'm making...(drum roll please) Smokies. Apparently, it's somewhat of a common appetizer/pot-luck dish. I hadn't had it until Easter a year ago when K, L's girlfriend at the time, brought it to Mom's. You won't get a finished picture (that's at work, and no camera at work. Sorry), but I'll walk you through what I'm doing. Enjoy, Dear Reader. OOOH. And just to make it a bit easier, just about everything in here is pre-made except just a couple of things. Meaning it's quick and easy too.
Smokies
"X" 14 oz. packages small cooked smoked sausage links (I use Hillshire Farms). Figure it out according to how many people you have to feed using 2 ounces for each person. 2- 14 oz. packages (they were cheaper than the 2 lb package) will feed my team of 14 people.
1 cup bottled barbecue sauce (I'm using Cattleman's. Hey, it's work, what can I say?)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Line your Crock-pot. You'll thank me at clean-up time. It's sugary, meaning if it burns ANYWHERE, you're stuck.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl first. (do I need to remind you to taste and adjust to your own liking?)
Put the sausage in the Crock-pot.
Pour in the sauce and stir. Cover and cook on 'High' for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Ready to heat
Now. Since this is for work, this goes in the fridge (no, no pictures of my fridge. It's an old one from the late 70's and it's... funky and not fun) tonight and then I'm putting it into my Crock-pot carrier and going in the a.m. Plug it in at work (I'm essentially 10-8, with lunch at 1... makes it 3 hours. Isn't that convenient??). Stir before serving (bring a spoon and/or tongs. They can dish their own). TA DA!
Wasn't that easy? Oh, come on... You're just ashamed to admit it looks pretty damn good, even uncooked. I dig them. Enjoy, Dear Reader.
So I asked for a Crock-pot last Christmas (or maybe the one before...hmmm. Maybe smoking the demon weed does kill brain cells). In Albuquerque, I only cooked with it once or twice. Make that 3 times. After the first time I cooked something in it, I picked up a box of those Crock-pot liners. They work. I dig them. I like everything that means I don't have to scrub a dish.
It's pot-luck season at workplaces around the country, and that means Crock-pot. My supervisor at work seems to have instituted a pot-luck-a-month. For October, it was the 'halloween fest'. I brought doughnuts for the morning sugar rush. This time around, our 'Thanksgiving potluck' is tomorrow. I'm making...(drum roll please) Smokies. Apparently, it's somewhat of a common appetizer/pot-luck dish. I hadn't had it until Easter a year ago when K, L's girlfriend at the time, brought it to Mom's. You won't get a finished picture (that's at work, and no camera at work. Sorry), but I'll walk you through what I'm doing. Enjoy, Dear Reader. OOOH. And just to make it a bit easier, just about everything in here is pre-made except just a couple of things. Meaning it's quick and easy too.
Smokies
"X" 14 oz. packages small cooked smoked sausage links (I use Hillshire Farms). Figure it out according to how many people you have to feed using 2 ounces for each person. 2- 14 oz. packages (they were cheaper than the 2 lb package) will feed my team of 14 people.
1 cup bottled barbecue sauce (I'm using Cattleman's. Hey, it's work, what can I say?)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Line your Crock-pot. You'll thank me at clean-up time. It's sugary, meaning if it burns ANYWHERE, you're stuck.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl first. (do I need to remind you to taste and adjust to your own liking?)
Put the sausage in the Crock-pot.
Pour in the sauce and stir. Cover and cook on 'High' for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Ready to heatNow. Since this is for work, this goes in the fridge (no, no pictures of my fridge. It's an old one from the late 70's and it's... funky and not fun) tonight and then I'm putting it into my Crock-pot carrier and going in the a.m. Plug it in at work (I'm essentially 10-8, with lunch at 1... makes it 3 hours. Isn't that convenient??). Stir before serving (bring a spoon and/or tongs. They can dish their own). TA DA!
Wasn't that easy? Oh, come on... You're just ashamed to admit it looks pretty damn good, even uncooked. I dig them. Enjoy, Dear Reader.
Danke Schoen... EEEK
oh my darling, Danke schoen...
Just a quickie hats off to Miss Syl, who let me know blogger had me down for a few.
Recipe Tuesday is um, well, not here.
I could do the soup I made tonight... Stir up about a pound of beef chunks (mine was chuck and round stew meat) with seasoned flour (salt, pepper, chili powder, marjoram, oregano). Sear it up, throw in some onion and garlic while searing, add water and broth (1 can each), scrape up the bits, throw in carrots and celery, add spices to your liking (season salt, sage, marjoram, basil, worcestershire sauce), throw in some chopped potatoes, let simmer about 45 minutes or until veggies are softened as much as you want them. Serve it with the bread of your choice.
EEK. Before you know it, it's a RECIPE TUESDAY!!!!
Menu for Thanksgiving next week and a recipe for smokies (work potluck).
Just a quickie hats off to Miss Syl, who let me know blogger had me down for a few.
Recipe Tuesday is um, well, not here.
I could do the soup I made tonight... Stir up about a pound of beef chunks (mine was chuck and round stew meat) with seasoned flour (salt, pepper, chili powder, marjoram, oregano). Sear it up, throw in some onion and garlic while searing, add water and broth (1 can each), scrape up the bits, throw in carrots and celery, add spices to your liking (season salt, sage, marjoram, basil, worcestershire sauce), throw in some chopped potatoes, let simmer about 45 minutes or until veggies are softened as much as you want them. Serve it with the bread of your choice.
EEK. Before you know it, it's a RECIPE TUESDAY!!!!
Menu for Thanksgiving next week and a recipe for smokies (work potluck).
Ooooh lala!
Greetings, kids! It's time once again for Recipe Tuesday. I saw this recipe made on Paula Dean one day, and never having had it, thought it tasted pretty good in my head. But wait, you think/say/exclaim (insert at will)... What is this... dish?
French Onion Soup.
Wait! I don't mean the powder stuff. I don't mean something ordered in a restaurant. I mean one of the easiest-to-make dishes in the world, although it does take some time. This is the sum of about 8 different recipes I found. And you can have your shortcuts with some things in it, but really. French onion soup. The peasant in me just shivered with delight. How rustic. How filling. Especially with fall everywhere (those are some really cool leaves around here at the top). Hot and tasty. And filling. Shall we, Dear Reader? Let's go to the kitchen.
French Onion Soup
6-8 medium onions*, sliced lyonnaise (lengthwise) (yes, it's a lot of onions)
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup beer**
1 10oz. can of beef consomme
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Slices of French bread/texas toast/croutons for topping***
Shredded/sliced cheese****
Melt the butter over medium heat, wait until just melted.
Stir in the onions. Reduce heat. Cover. After about 15 minutes, after the onions have sweated down a bit, stir in the pepper.
Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are pale golden to medium caramel. Be patient, this can take awhile. Mine went about 1 1/2 hours.
Raise heat to medium, add garlic. Stir and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the beer and reduce, stirring frequently, until syrupy.
Add the consomme, broth and water. Taste. Add salt and/or pepper to taste. Bring just to a boil.
Reduce heat. Simmer about 20 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, toast your bread under the broiler, cook your texas toast to package specs, open the croutons, make your croutons... Whatever you decide to use to top it. I used cheese-garlic texas toast rounds. SO I cooked them according to package specs.
Taste your soup. Last chance to make any updates to the seasoning.
Dish into bowls or cups (I used bowls, Sic_un said he's never had it in anything but cups). MAKE SURE THEY ARE OVEN SAFE.
Top with bread/toast/croutons. Sprinkle with sliced/shredded cheese.
Broil until bubbling and/or brown.
Enjoy.
FRENCH ONION SOUP
* I used all sweet onions. I wish, after making it and tasting it really, that I had used a mixture of sweet and yellow onions.
** All the recipes had some kind of pan de-glazer. I had beer, I used beer. Wine on hand? Use that. Apple juice? Use it. Brandy? Go for it. I had beer, I used beer. I saw a recipe that used cola.
***Cut the bread into slices, butter each side, toast under the broiler until crispy and golden. Use what flavors you like. I used garlic/cheese.
****Tradition is provolone. I used shredded cheddar because it was on hand. Think of this with a brie. Damn. Ooooh... Queso Blanco. MMmmmm.
Happy Tuesday, Dear Reader. I thought and thought and thought what the HELL to do for Recipe Tuesday. Even I get quite bored with chicken every now and again. SO... I decided to do something quick and easy, both to prep and cook. Beef Fajitas. Now, please note, Dear Reader... These are not like my Cheater Fajitas. These actually require ingredients. You may insert one smile here. That being said, they really are quick and easy. Prep time on them should, with all the slicing involved, take maybe 15 minutes. Marinating time is however long you decide to marinate them (I need something that can be thrown on literally on a moment's notice... I'm home from work, but Bro isn't off his final yet and Sis isn't home from work yet [[I don't think. There is evidence someone was here earlier, but nobody's home right now 'scept me]]). Rather than make something and have it get cold before everyone gets here, I thought I'd make something that can be thrown on 'whenever'. I only wish Blogger was cooperating with my images. I had to load them all in the good old-fashioned html way. Forgive the size. That being said... Shall we go to the kitchen, Dear Reader?
Steak Fajitas
1 1/2 pounds round steak, sliced across the grain into 1/4 inch wide slices
1/4 cup vinegar (I used red wine vinegar and cider vinegar, equal parts each, mixed)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (dried 'cause it's a marinade. Use 3x as much fresh if you can get your hands on it)
Juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
2 bell peppers, sliced thin (I used 1 green,1/2 orange and 1/2 yellow... combine how you like)
1/2 to 1 full onion, julienned (I used 1/2 an onion... didn't want to overpower)
large 'burrito' size flour tortillas
Tomatoes (garnish)
Sour cream (garnish)
salsa (garnish)
shredded cheddar cheese (garnish)
In a non-reactive dish, mix together the vinegar, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, crushed red pepper, cilantro and lime juice.
Toss the thinly sliced beef to coat, refrigerate until you're ready to cook.
In a large saute pan (I used non-stick for cleaning reasons), heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion, cook until soft. Add bell pepper, cook until mostly soft.
Remove beef from marinade, salt and pepper the beef to taste (should be about 1 teaspoon each). Cook the beef to desired doneness (I like it medium rare). Remove from heat.
Build your fajita using a tortilla base, meat mixture, then garnish to taste.
Enjoy.
Notes:
On the cilantro: Bro agrees with me, cilantro is heavily overused in most dishes. A little is good. Don't chop up cupsful of it and expect to taste anything but cilantro. A little in the marinade goes a long way.
Play with your spices, Dear Reader. You can add tabasco to the marinade, you can add salsa to the marinade. I did what I like with it. Don't be afraid to experiment (one man's kink is another man's perversion). Play with your food, Dear Reader. Instead of using bell peppers, you can throw in some chopped roasted red peppers. You can use chipotle peppers and their adobo sauce. You can use jalapenos. Play! Different vinegars are red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, cider vinegar, basalmic... PLAY!
Possible garnishes can include lettuce, guacamole, refried beans, spanish rice, more onion, mushrooms, sauteed garlic, green onions, chutneys, salsa fresca (easy salsa fresca: chop up tomatoes, onions, cilantro, green onions and jalapenos, mix to combine), jalapenos, habaneros... Again, play with it.
And as always, let me know what you think.
One last thing, Dear Reader....
Steak Fajitas
1 1/2 pounds round steak, sliced across the grain into 1/4 inch wide slices
1/4 cup vinegar (I used red wine vinegar and cider vinegar, equal parts each, mixed)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (dried 'cause it's a marinade. Use 3x as much fresh if you can get your hands on it)
Juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
2 bell peppers, sliced thin (I used 1 green,1/2 orange and 1/2 yellow... combine how you like)
1/2 to 1 full onion, julienned (I used 1/2 an onion... didn't want to overpower)
large 'burrito' size flour tortillas
Tomatoes (garnish)
Sour cream (garnish)
salsa (garnish)
shredded cheddar cheese (garnish)
In a non-reactive dish, mix together the vinegar, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, crushed red pepper, cilantro and lime juice.
Toss the thinly sliced beef to coat, refrigerate until you're ready to cook.
In a large saute pan (I used non-stick for cleaning reasons), heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion, cook until soft. Add bell pepper, cook until mostly soft.
Remove beef from marinade, salt and pepper the beef to taste (should be about 1 teaspoon each). Cook the beef to desired doneness (I like it medium rare). Remove from heat.
Build your fajita using a tortilla base, meat mixture, then garnish to taste.
Enjoy.
Notes:
On the cilantro: Bro agrees with me, cilantro is heavily overused in most dishes. A little is good. Don't chop up cupsful of it and expect to taste anything but cilantro. A little in the marinade goes a long way.
Play with your spices, Dear Reader. You can add tabasco to the marinade, you can add salsa to the marinade. I did what I like with it. Don't be afraid to experiment (one man's kink is another man's perversion). Play with your food, Dear Reader. Instead of using bell peppers, you can throw in some chopped roasted red peppers. You can use chipotle peppers and their adobo sauce. You can use jalapenos. Play! Different vinegars are red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, cider vinegar, basalmic... PLAY!
Possible garnishes can include lettuce, guacamole, refried beans, spanish rice, more onion, mushrooms, sauteed garlic, green onions, chutneys, salsa fresca (easy salsa fresca: chop up tomatoes, onions, cilantro, green onions and jalapenos, mix to combine), jalapenos, habaneros... Again, play with it.
And as always, let me know what you think.
One last thing, Dear Reader....
It's food. PLAY WITH IT!
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