Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

I don't think there are any strict vegetarians in my current personal circle, but there are always some people with food restrictions whom we have to consider whenever we give or contribute to a big party.

I work in an 'ethnically diverse' environment with many people who don't eat 'mainstream', ranging from Jews and Muslims who don't eat pork, to a Hindu who doesn't eat beef OR pork; the occasional vegetarians of varying commitment; and (sigh) one 'raw-foodist'. (Just buy a pineapple for that one.)

Having been largely vegetarian for the first part of my own adult life - and loving veggies for their own sake - the biggest section of my personal loose-leaf cookbook is the vegetable section. I thought this week I'd share some unusual vegetable recipes.

I found this simple but special eggplant dish last year, but don't have a picture. The 'scoring' that you do on the eggplant is a kind of cross-hatching that looks like nice grill marks. (I've also seen similar recipes done by slicing the eggplant into thick slices, instead of two long halves):

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Dressing

2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/4 pounds total), trimmed and halved lengthwise

coarse sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

DRESSING:

3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1/8 teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

For Eggplant: Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (It helps to first sprinkle the eggplant halves with salt, and let them "drain", flesh side down, in a large colander for about 30 minutes before roasting. It helps to reduce the moisture content of the dish.)

Put eggplant pieces on prepared baking sheet, flesh-side up. With the tip of a sharp knife, score flesh, about 3/4 inch deep. Season eggplant with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Roast, rotating pan once halfway through, until eggplant flesh is soft and collapsed and edges are deep golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

For Dressing: While eggplant is roasting, in a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Remove eggplant from oven and sprinkle with salt.

Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with half of the dressing and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with remaining dressing.

One of the most popular vegetarian recipes I've taken to a party was a Mushroom Strudel. I originally found it in some healthy-eating magazine, where it was suggested as an entree for a vegetarian Thanksgiving. I've misplaced the original, but this recipe is identical:

http://www.food.com/recipe/mushroom-strudel-21852

This next recipe from Paula Wolfert's book 'The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen' is one of the most surprising recipes that I've tried, though it appears to be very common in the Middle East. I think we actually cheated the first time by making it with frozen artichokes, and it was still very good:

http://leitesculinaria.com/6844/recipes-compote-of-artichoke-orange-coriander-and-mint.html

Lastly, as Jacques Pepin has often said, you can't do better than excellent bread with excellent butter. This week someone asked to be added to this ping list, and mentioned an interest in Sourdough bread-making. I would like to learn that too, and perhaps some of the folks who have done it can give us tips/recipes. I'm not sure if I've posted this before, but I recently found this interesting article by a microbiologist named Debra Wink, who turned her scientific knowledge to the sourdough cause:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1

[Conservative4Ever]

Have a good week end. I plan on starting another batch tonight. Good night. Share on how your batch turns out.

[Liz]

Martha has a gift for presenring food in the most appetizing way-—even pedestrian carrots.

Presentation is so important-—should whet your appetite-——before digging in.

[Liz]

I love making my own confections---some of my most treasured
recipes are flavors not available in stores. For white chocolate
fans, this pistachio fudge is easy and delicious. Careful w/
almond extract--it's quite assertive.

PISTACHIO WHITE CHOCOLATE FUDGE

PREP Foil/line 8" sq pan, extend foil at sides into handles; spray foil.

METHOD Elec/mixer 8 oz cr/cheese smooth. Rain in 3 cups conf/sugar on low speed. Add lb melted Ghiradelli white/choc
baking bars, 1/2 tea vanilla, 1/4 tea almond extract, bit green
food color; mix well.

Stir in 1/2 cup chp pistachios. Spread evenly in pan. Can garnish top w/ chp pistachios.

Fridge firm an hour. Lift out w/ foil handles. Cut 25-1 1/2" squares.

[Hardens Hollow]

I know all about those temperature-spiking temps! I just moved from the central valley, where 110 wasn’t unheard of.

I pretty much moved here to Tenn so I could have a basement, LOL! Ok, a few other things like all the conservatives here and lower taxes. BUT I was so excited to have a COOL basement. But....if you ever get one, make sure it is unfinished. My basement has been a sore disappointment - instead of being 55 degrees, where I could store root veggies all winter long or ripen cheese - it is 65! I think because of the ducting and heat leaking out, although we have the vents closed. When hubby gets here, I’ll ask him to check it out. Otherwise, I may have to see if he’d consider digging me out a root cellar. What a waste though, because I have no other use for that huge basement!

[Stand Watch Listen]

ALMOND CRANBERRY SQUASH

INGREDIENTS:
• 4 cups hot mashed butternut squash
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine,softened, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine the squash, 2 tablespoons butter, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg; mix well. transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Stir cranberry sauce until softened; spoon over squash.
2. Combine almonds, brown sugar and remaining butter; mix well. Sprinkle over cranberry sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

[JRandomFreeper]

I don't mill my own wheat very often. Once a year to remind me why it's too much work. lol!

KA uses different flours to adjust the protein content. Their bread flour is always the same and always right according to my tastes.

/johnny

[Conservative4Ever]

You could put a big loom down there and take up weaving. That project is something I have always wanted to do. Now that I have the time, I don’t have the room. Ummmm move hubby out of his home office... :))

[Conservative4Ever]

Good morning. One trick I do use if I'm proofing the dough when the kitchen is cool. I place the dough bucket in the oven with the light on. Keeps a good even temp and away from the temp fluctuations and draughts we get here from day to night. If you lived in the CA Central Valley you understand. I use this same trick for proofing my homemade yogurt.
Hubby knows if the oven light is on things are perking in the oven, don't turn it off. :))

[FreedomPoster]

The Anova sous vide cooker is on sale for Father’s Day. I’ve been wanting to try sous vide, and this looks like a good answer at a good price. You have to use the code at their web site to get the $50 off.

[IM2MAD]

I bought a couple of pork steaks and had no idea how I could fix them. I found this amazingly fast (20 minutes or so), simple (4 ingredients) and flavorful recipe. The family loved it and asked why I didn’t make it sooner. I’ll experiment with other types of meat.

Nice picture at link.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pork-Steaks/?scale=2&ismetric=0http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pork-Steaks/?scale=2&ismetric=0

[jjotto]

Pound a pork steak with a meat tenderizing hammer. Pound in your favorite seasonings for the grill, or maybe pound in a little flour or corn starch for the skillet. Simple and fabulous.

[Hardens Hollow]

I have thought about doing something with my three silver Persians’ cat hair. It actually is very pretty for, except when it is all over the carpet and my close. But it would make a gorgeously soft sweater!

[Hardens Hollow]

So the second and third proofing need to be done warm? I wasn’t clear on that, and was going to put them in the basement. I may not have gotten any activity that way!

My old oven back in California used to have a bread warming setting. The antique oven here, from the 70s, barely bakes anything :-) so instead I’ve been turning it on for just 1 minute and then turning it off. My bread seems to do fine that way.

Is that the correct temperature for getting yogurt to do its thing? I have been looking for a way to make yogurt without having to use the little yogurt maker I have. That thing just has five little jars and it’s a pain to deal with. I would like to just do a big batch. I have tried a crockpot type thing turned on very very low, but it was still too high. And my husband got nervous when I put a towel in between the heating source and the vessel. He has fire issues.

I never thought of doing that for yogurt as well.

[Liz]

ALMOND JOY BARS

BOTTOM LAYER ING: 2 cups crushed grahams | 1/2 cup sugar | 2/3 cup melted butter. FILLING LAYER ING: 3 cups flaked coconut | 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk | 1 1/2 cups toasted almonds. TOP LAYER ING: 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips.

METHOD:

BOTTOM LAYER Melt butter, stir in sugar and grahams. Pat into 9×13" pan bottom. Bake 350 deg 10 min.

FILLING LAYER mix/incorporate sweetened condensed milk w/ coconut. Set baked crust on counter; spread filling over; sprinkle w/ chp toasted almonds. Bake bars light golden brown 20 min.

TOP LAYER sprinkle chocolate chips over oven-hot bars and spread (can oven-melt a few minutes if needed). Spread around a bit.

[Jamestown1630]

My husband reminded me today that ours is an Oster; they apparently still make it, but I would suggest a larger one.

These things are great for holidays, when range-top space is at a premium.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks! My husband has been looking at sous vide machines, and occasionally gets a half-off coupon in email (I can’t recall the brand.) We’re still thinking about it.

-JT

[Hardens Hollow]

That looks so GOOD!

How did you know I LOVE coconut and almond joy/mounds?

I have to go get some sweetened condensed milk and graham crackers - then the game is on!

[Conservative4Ever]

Yep, the oven light trick is where I first used it. I take 1 half gallon whole milk and heat to 200 degrees, just before it begins to boil. Stir constantly during this heating process as it will prevent scalding and scorching your pan.
When it reaches that temp turn off and let cool to about 110-112 degrees. Take a ladle full of the cooled milk and add it to 1 cup of store yogurt that has an active culture listed on the label. Mix the ladle full of cooled milk and the 1 cup yogurt. Incorporate that into the rest of the cooled milk. Place a lid on your pan, to cover. Place a tea towel on top of the lid and put in your oven with the oven light on for over night. 8-10 hours. Do not disturb nor stir during this time.

use either ceramic lined Dutch oven or I use my heavy duty 4 quart stainless sauce pan. Ya use what ya got. start with the active culture store bought yeast , save a cup of your home made yogurt to use in your next batch.

eventually your culture will weaken, or so I have read, but what the hey, you get 1 liter of yogurt from 1 cup yogurt. I say that is a pretty good return. Also the taste is yummy. I like to strain mine through a coffee filter to make Greek style yogurt. Add some home made granola, dried cranberries and YUM.

[Conservative4Ever]

Ohhh ..Lordy the cat hair into sweaters. LOL. I hope the yogurt recipe reads ok for you. As my grown daughter would say, Mom, it’s stupid simple. Let me know if you need further explanation. Super simple. Don’t worry about the yogurt spoiling while it is making. The bacteria keeps it from doing so. Heating the milk, changes the property of the milk which is necessary to get the whole process going. But, then you already knew that. ;))

[Liz]

Might as well make these, too......seeing you have all that condensed milk laying around.

HEATH BRICKLE COOKIE BARS

CRUST Mix crumbly box yellow cake mix, egg, 1/3 c butter. Pat into 9x13" pan. Pour in Filling. Bake golden 50 deg 30-35 min.

Top w/ chocolate chips. Spread across bars. Sprinkle w/ chp Heath bars. Cool; cut into squares.

FILLING Mix 14 oz can sweet/cond/milk, cup chp nuts, tsp vanilla, egg, 1/2 c Heath Bits O' Brickle (or use Heath bars crushed w/ rolling pin).