Recipes

Sugar-Free White Sandwich Bread

~ lk529 ~ 12 Comments

My husband was gone on another business trip this week. So naturally it’s a great time for the battery in the carbon monoxide detector to die. At 5:15 in the morning. When my boys were amazingly sleeping through the night. I desperately worked as quickly as possible to remove the battery cover to see what kind it needed. That battery cover is screwed on. While I was unscrewing the cover it started beeping even louder – clearly it didn’t like my hot hands covering up the sensor. The single beep that finally emitted from the detector was almost literally ear splitting. An hour later, my ear is still ringing and in pain. How the boys slept through that baffles me beyond words. I rushed the thing outside to continue working as quietly as I could.

No use trying to go back to sleep for only an hour. Might as well write a blog post about bread!

We had a “heat wave” this week. Meaning it wasn’t quite the opportune time to have scheduled that soup!

I actually didn’t find it to be too hot this week, though. The low humidity levels really don’t make the almost-90 degree weather unbearable. I’m too used to the humidity of Florida and Alabama. A little extra sunscreen and water kept us going to the playground!

That being said, we don’t have air conditioning. It hasn’t been an issue because we just leave the windows and doors open to let in the ocean breezes. But those breezes that are usually chilling me too much in the early afternoons have been missing and the sunshine has been pouring in making our living room quite warm.

Running the oven makes my tiny kitchen a sauna! So, I started this bread at 6 am. My bread rose much more quickly here in warm California than anything ever had back in Ohio!

It’s been hard to find Sugar-Free bread so I decided to follow through on our unprocessed challenge. Making this bread was actually really quick and easy to do. I simply followed the recipe on the back of the bag of bread flour, omitting the sugar. There really isn’t any excuse not to bake bread at home with the technology of the stand mixer! The real test will be to see if Firecracker will eat his PB&J off of homemade bread.

This recipe makes 1 loaf.

Sugar-Free White Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 C water
  • 1/3 C milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp active yeast
  • 3 3/4 C bread flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Steps:

  1. Combine the milk and water in a glass measuring cup. Microwave in 10 second intervals until it reaches a temperature between 105-110 degrees F.
  2. Add the yeast to the warm liquid and let proof, about 10 minutes.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir the flour and salt. Mix in the yeast and knead until the dough comes together around the hook.
  4. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size.
  5. Punch down the dough, form into a loaf and set in a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. Cover again and let rise until it domes above the edge of the pan.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  7. Bake bread 45-50 minutes, until an internal temperature of 190 degrees F is reached.

Sugar-Free White Sandwich Bread Sew You Think You Can Cook

 

Asparagus Soup

~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. But I really only prepare it one way, so I was excited to see the article “Asparagus, 10 Ways” in the spring edition of Cook Fresh magazine. 2 of the 10 I’ve done before and 5 of the remaining 7 were dogearred. One of those 5 was a soup. I don’t tend to think “soup!” when it’s spring and summer, but this one was a simple option for a great weeknight dinner.

The recipe indicated it would serve “8 as a first course.” I figured I could halve it and it’d be perfect dinner for two; simply serve with with some great crusty bread or garlic bread. Surprisingly, there was a tiny portion left for lunch the next day. My husband gave it to Treat on my first outing without the kids since the move. I’m told he quite enjoyed it!

Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • heaping 1/2 C sliced leeks
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 1/4 C chicken broth
  • 1 1/4 C water
  • 1/8 C heavy cream
  • squeeze of lemon
  • fresh parsley

Steps:

  1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and garlic, season with salt. Give the leeks a quick stir, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the mustard seeds, 1 tsp Kosher salt, asparagus, broth, and water. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered until tender, 10-15 minutes.
  3. Remove soup from the heat and puree with an immersion blender, or carefully transfer to a blender.
  4. Stir in the cream, lemon, and S+P to taste. Garnish with parsley.

*This recipe is modified from CookFresh Spring 2016*

Asparagus Soup Sew You Think You Can Cook

SRC: Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie

~ lk529 ~ 19 Comments

newsrcbanner

It’s Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day! In the Secret Recipe Club, each participating blogger is assigned a blog from another participating blogger and secretly searches their site for something to recreate. The accompanying blog post then goes live on reveal day! So while I was immersed in my assigned blog, someone else was picking through mine! I’m so excited to be part of this group, to see what on my blog peaks other’s interests and to stumble upon new blogs and new recipes.

This month I was in a mad scramble to make something from my assigned blog, The Avid Appetite. While I’ve had my assignment for a month, it’s been one heck of a month between my husband going on his first work trip since the boys have been born, finally getting internet, and traveling for my brother’s wedding it’s been hard to get into a rhythm that supports my hobby!

Rachel is the mastermind behind The Avid Appetite. Rachel has been sharing her culinary adventures for over five years! She’s a wife, mother, and brand licensing professional living in NJ. Sounds busy to me. She shares family stories on Tuesdays (hey, me too, with my Tuesday Tattles series!), consider yourself pre-warned for some adorable Penelope cuteness overload.

Her recipe index left me with 15 items to consider for today’s reveal! From those 15, real consideration was given to a Chicken and Pineapple dish and a Baked Oatmeal. Had I been assigned her blog two months ago when I was in my blood orange obsession there’s no question that I would be sharing this Loaf Cake or these Shortcakes. And I will be revisiting her Caramelized Potato Parsnip Tart next week, too.

Due to my {self imposed} shortened time table I settled on a smoothie. Her sweet daughter sold me on the Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie. Precious. Well, that and the fact that I had some farmers market strawberries in my freezer. It’s as if it were meant to be because the amount called for in her recipe was the exact amount I had saved! I did substitute plain Greek yogurt for the vanilla so I doubled the amount of vanilla extract. I can’t believe I’ve never thought to put extracts in my smoothies. That quality of sweetness can’t come from anywhere else. I felt like I was drinking a smoothie from a smoothie place, not my own kitchen. It reminded me very much of a smoothie I used to get in between classes back at Auburn. Amazing how something so simple can bring back memories over 6 years old.

This smoothie recipe will make two servings. I saved one glass (aka what Firecracker didn’t finish) for the next day and it was still perfect!

Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie for Secret Recipe Club from Sew You Think You Can Cook (kid approved)

Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C frozen sliced strawberries
  • 1 C milk
  • 1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. Place ingredients in a blender. Pulse until smooth.

*This recipe is modified from Rachel at http://www.theavidappetite.com/home/2016/1/31/strawberry-vanilla-smoothie*

Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie for Secret Recipe Club from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in The Secret Recipe Club this month click here:

Kumquat Jam

~ lk529 ~ 13 Comments

I think my favorite thing about living in the Los Angeles area are the farmers markets. My son loves them, too! I have an adorable conversation saved on my phone of him saying “farmers market. blueberries. home. mouth.” I’m not sure what we’re going to do when berry season is over, he’s not yet two so “in season” is going to be quite a feat to explain.

While there is a farmers market across the street from our place every week, I had to take a trip to a larger one. Just to explore. There was more citrus at that location and I picked up some kumquats for my husband. Kumquats were one of the first “adventurous” items we picked up at the grocery store and he’s grown quite a fondness for them.

This particular batch was turned into jam! The resulting condiment has a bitter tartness. I think it’s the first time I’ve understood bitter as being a positive flavor component. The bitterness from the kumquat peels provides a balance with their natural sour edge.

 

Kumquat Jam

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz kumquats, sliced and seeds removed
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1/2 C orange juice
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat for 35 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.

*This recipe is adapted from Nicole at http://wonkywonderful.com/kumquat-jam-recipe/*

Kumquat Jam Sew You Think You Can Cook

#BundtBakers: Savory

~ lk529 ~ 12 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostI am pretty excited about this month’s #Bundtbakers theme. PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds is hosting and selected the theme. #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

I’ve always wanted to be a rebel and bake a savory bundt with this group, but haven’t actually been brave enough to do so. I’m really not a good rule breaker, or liar. That’s all probably a good thing. Today was my chance to take the savory route! I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to make the deadline with all the craziness that’s been happening around here. Between dropped naps and teething-related fussiness it’s been hard for me to get in the kitchen as much as I’d like.

I took a recipe for Cheesy Tomato Quick Bread and doubled it to fit a bundt pan. I didn’t have enough butter so I used a combination of butter and Greek yogurt. I debated adding some sausage to the bread, too, but figured I should try it as is first. I settled with serving sausages alongside the bread for dinner. The bread not only smelled like pizza, it tasted like pizza too. Next time I’ll definitely add some chopped cooked sausage or pepperoni to it. Maybe mix in some bonus veggies, too! I wouldn’t hesitate to serve the bread with some marinara dipping sauce to really drive home the pizza vibe, either.

pizza bundt 1_

This bundt was Treat’s first foray into the world of gluten, and he loved this bread. Cheese is definitely one of his favorite foods, so I can’t say I was surprised. I was, however, astounded at how much of the bread he shoveled in his little mouth. He also gnawed on the sausage as if he’d never eat again. This boy loves his food!

“Tastes Like Pizza” Bundt

Ingredients:

  • 4 C flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 C buttermilk
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 C shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan or two loaf pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and pepper.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and yogurt until smooth. Mix in the eggs and buttermilk.
  4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer. Mix until just combined.
  5. Using a spoon, fold in the tomatoes. Fold in the cheese. Fold in the parsley.
  6. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow bread to cool slightly before unmolding.
  7. Bread can be served warm or at room temperature. Option to serve with marinara sauce.

*This recipe is adapted from Anita at http://www.hungrycouplenyc.com/2016/03/cheesy-tomato-quick-bread.html*

Tastes Like Pizza Bundt for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bundt by The Queen of Scones

Blue Cheese and Pear Mini Bundt Cakes by Patty’s Cake

Breakfast Bundt Cake by Making Miracles

Dukkah, Herb & Cheese Monkey Bread by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Ham, Carrot & Beer Bundtlettes by I Love Bundt Cakes

Mexican Breakfast Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mini Meatloaf Bundts and Sliders by Magnolia Days

Rosemary, Olive Oil & Polenta Bundt by The Cinnamon Scrolls

Sausage & Apple Cornbread Bundt Cake with a White Gravy Drizzle by The Freshman Cook

Savory Zucchini Cheesecake by Food Lust People Love

Southern Honey Drenched Jalapeño Cornbread by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Stromboli Bundt Cake by Palatable Pastime

Cherry Cabernet Cheeseburgers

~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

I don’t know what I was thinking trying to make this gourmet burger on a weeknight. But I was determined to make and eat these burgers with our handpicked cherries.

Wednesday was going to be the day I upped our weeknight dinner game with these burgers. As if the children knew it, they simultaneously took a two hour nap. I took full advantage and made the cherry chutney and the caramelized onions. While washing the never ending supply of dirty dishes.

An hour or so before I wanted to have dinner served I started working on the wine reduction for the burger patties. And cooked the bacon. At that point all cooperation was out the window. Treat has taken to being intensely clingy and fussy around 5 o’clock making it difficult to do anything that can’t be done with one hand. Good thing pouring wine in a saucepan over a flame doesn’t require much skill. I kept a watchful eye on the wine but it went from “not quite” to “burnt and sticky” in the blink of peeling an orange.

I had to step away from the stove to recollect myself, wipe Firecracker’s sticky orange hands, and change a couple of diapers. It was now too late to get dinner on the table in time to ensure the new earlier bedtime for the boys. So, we ordered pizza. I would try again tomorrow.

Thursday rolls around and I thought I’d be able to make the reduction and form the burger patties during nap time. Too bad nap time didn’t happen! After fighting with them for an hour I gave up. Very surprisingly Firecracker took his grounding from the TV the rest of the day quite well and pulled every single toy out of his cabinet. Around 4:30 Treat caved in and took an hour nap. During that nap I strapped Firecracker into his seat at the table with some crackers and his laptop. Mission accomplished! image3

The resulting burger was worth the two day wait! That cherry chutney provides the perfect sweetness to a well balanced burger. And I’ll eat almost anything with caramelized onions on top of it. Smoked Gouda cheese rounded out the burger with its savory bite.

I set aside some of the meat mixture before adding in the wine for the boys. Both boys quite enjoyed their burger patties! Granted, it took me telling Firecracker that there was bacon in it for him to take a bite. His dinner plate was a “deconstructed” cheeseburger: a slice of smoked gouda, a little bread, and his burger patty. Treat was given just the patty followed up with green beans.

Cherry Cabernet Cheeseburgers

Ingredients for the chutney:

  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided use
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 C fresh cherries, pitted and halved
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 1/4 C Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1/2 tsp chopped crystallized ginger
  • pinch cardamom

Ingredients for the onions:

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Ingredients for the burger:

  • 1 C Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 6 strips bacon, chopped
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 slices smoked Gouda
  • 4 buns
  • spinach

Steps:

  1. Make the chutney: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk together 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Season with S+P. Add the cherries and peppers, toss to coat. Place on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast 14 minutes, stirring halfway. Transfer cherries to a medium saucepan and add remaining balsamic vinegar, wine, ginger and cardamom. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool.
  2. Make the onions: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and red wine vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden. Add more butter or olive oil as needed. Season with S+P to taste. Set aside.
  3. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
  4. Combine wine and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and let reduce to 1/4 C. Allow reduction to cool.
  5. Form burgers: Combine ground beef, bacon, Worcestershire, and S+P. Mix in the wine reduction. Form into 4 equal sized patties.
  6. Cook burgers in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook about 4 minutes on each side, or to desired temperature. Top each patty with cheese and cook until melted.
  7. Assemble burgers: Place spinach on the bottom bun, top with the cheeseburger, chutney, and caramelized onions.

*This recipe is adapted from Erin at http://thecrumbycupcake.com/cherry-cabernet-burger/*

Cherry Cabernet Cheeseburger Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Homemade Tahini

~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments

With two busy boys it takes quite a long time to completely move into a new home. Or so I’m finding out. But maybe it’s just us. I have friends who also moved from Ohio around the time we did and they seem like they’ve unpacked all of their boxes and hung art no problem.

When we got to Ohio, I knew we’d only be there 18 months and didn’t bother to decorate. There were boxes of books that were simply taped back up and put on another moving truck to come to California. But now I know that we’ve got a minimum of 3 years here and I was determined to make this place feel like home; to look like a family really does live here. And we’re getting there. More art and picture frames are on the walls than not, however half of those picture frames are still waiting to be filled. (I really need to get the printer hooked up!)

But I did finally, after 2 months, declutter the kitchen counters and dining table! Random pieces of mail have been sorted and a “junk drawer” created of unused child safety locks and tape. Having a completely clear table and more counter space in my already cramped kitchen makes the transition to cutting out processed foods that much easier.

I made hummus every now and then in Ohio and was looking forward to doing so again when I could justify having a giant jar of tahini again. One of our very first grocery trips included chickpeas, but I couldn’t find tahini! I figured I’d try the commissary on base as they have a fairly impressive international foods aisle. No luck. I instead grabbed a large container of white roasted sesame seeds, it couldn’t be too difficult to make my own tahini! (For the record, the commissary does carry tahini, they were simply out of stock the day I was searching for it.)

Making your own tahini is in fact quite simple. And cheaper! While the consistency of my tahini isn’t as smooth as a store bought jar, it is quite delicious. The consistency is dependent though on a couple of things: the amount of oil used, the power of your food processor or blender, and the amount of time you process it.

This recipe will make just under 1 C of tahini.

Homemade Tahini

Ingredients:

  • 1 C toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp – 1/4 C canola oil

Steps:

  1. Place sesame seeds in food processor with 2 tbsp oil. Puree until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly add more oil until desired consistency is reached.
  2. For increased sesame flavor, add a touch of sesame oil. Season to taste with salt.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-tahini-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203314*

Homemade Tahini Sew You Think You Can Cook

Cherry Whole Wheat Scones

~ lk529 ~ 11 Comments

Apparently the thing to do in Southern California on Memorial Weekend is go cherry picking. Cherries have a very short season, only about a month! Through the connectivity of Facebook, I found out about a U-Pick Cherry Farm an hour and a half north of us. We decided it’d be a fun thing to do on our 6th wedding anniversary.

There were notifications on the farm’s website about a smaller crop yield this season and that their Memorial Day weekend hours would be shortened. We made an effort to leave first thing in the morning. That “first thing in the morning” didn’t quite happen and we arrived at the farm at 11am. (Their hours for the day were to be closed at 1pm, so still plenty of time.) The traffic halted about a mile and a half from the gate and people were parking on the side of the road. We found a spot to park a mile away and started to unload. We noticed however a ton of people returning to their vehicles empty handed. Stuart asked someone and she said the farm was closed but that there were other orchards further down the road.

cherry picking 1

Down the road we went. We joined another mass of people and waited in line for almost an hour to get into this smaller orchard. They grow 6 varieties of cherries but two of them had already seen the end of their season. Predominately Bing and Rainier were the varieties ripe and ready to pick, though we did snag a small handful of Brooks and Utah Giants. Don’t ask me which are those latter two out of our three pound bag though!

Cherry Picking 2

Unlike our first choice orchard, this one didn’t have a picnic area. We instead ate our packed lunch in the back of the van when we returned from our harvesting adventure.

picnic in the car

Next year we will be more prepared and arrive when they open so we can check out the largest cherry orchard in Southern California. While still satisfied with our yield, the day ended up not being the one I’d envisioned. Fruit picking in California is quite different than in Ohio; way more people and a little more stress. But, now we know. Time to look for other fruit picking opportunities!

I will do my best to share my cherry creations while cherry season is still on. First up: scones.

When I told my mom we were making scones she immediately had to whip up her Blueberry Scones. I watched her make the dough via FaceTime and realized that her recipe looked a lot like the one I’d just made for the cherries. The only variations: whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose and heavy cream in place of milk, oh, and obviously cherries instead of blueberries.

Cherry Whole Wheat Scones (prep)

Cherry Whole Wheat Scones

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick cold butter, cubed
  • 2/3 – 3/4 C heavy cream
  • 1 C chopped fresh cherries

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cubes of butter until it looks like crumbs.
  3. Add the cream and mix with a fork until combined. Fold in cherries.
  4. Form (“mush” is the term my mom used) dough into a disk and place on a baking sheet. Cut into 6-8 wedges. Spread wedges apart slightly if you want crispy edges or leave touching for soft edges.
  5. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on the edge/top. Scones will be done when  toothpick inserted comes out cleanly.

*This recipe is adapted from Amy at http://www.wholesomelicious.com/cherry-pie-scones/*

Cherry Whole Wheat Scones Sew You Think You Can Cook

Pork Ramen with Mushrooms and Spinach

~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

Would you believe me if I told you I’d never had ramen before making the recipe I’m sharing with you today? Well, it’s true! Even on a college dime I never tried it. I’ve always been a macaroni and cheese kind of girl, ever since I was a wee one. The kind in the blue box that’s 98 cents. Or if I’m feeling fancy, the liquid gold kind for 2 dollars a box. A guilty pleasure that I haven’t indulged in since we moved into our new place.

When we moved we decided that we’d go ahead and alter our diet a little bit. I don’t care much for a strict diet – there isn’t any gluten-free, paleo, or vegan-style eating in my house. What we discussed doing to eat a more healthy and balanced diet is to start cutting out processed foods. It’s a slow transition that’s taking place in my grocery shopping and until I feel completely settled in, it won’t be in full force. But, I haven’t bought those childhood favorites of mine. And I’m not buying those canned cinnamon rolls that we require every Sunday morning, either!

I feel like there are a lot of changes taking place and definitely a lot of “firsts.”

img_1624I just spent my first week “home alone” with the two boys while my husband was in Denver for work. To say I was scared would be an understatement. I’m happy to report that the three of us did survive, and with very minimal scarring. Treat decided it was high time to learn to stand the day Stuart left. At six months old! I expected the second child to do things more quickly to be able to keep up with the older sibling, but I was not prepared for things to happen this fast! He seems to only half master a skill before careening head first into the next milestone. At the age of 6 months he started to sit, started to army crawl, started to hands-and-knees crawl, mastered the army crawl, mastered sitting, pulled himself up, and started to scoot along the couch. If you ask me, that’s way too many things to discover in 4 short weeks. He needs to stop trying to be a toddler and just be a baby!

Among the “firsts” is my first taste of ramen noodles (not including the flavoring packet, just the noodles) and my first usage of miso in my own kitchen. Due to the enormous size container of miso, you’ll be seeing a bit more of the Japanese product on the blog in the future.Pork Ramen (components)

I loved the flavors of the roast pork tenderloin, sweet from the honey with the warm spiciness (not heat) from the Chinese 5 spice powder. It paired nicely with the subtly salty broth. I even actually ate the mushrooms in the soup – gasp! As for the ramen, I don’t think I’ve met a noodle I don’t like. For 12 cents and a 3 minute cook time, I’ll be looking to the Chinese noodle more often.

Pork Ramen with Mushrooms and Spinach

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb pork tenderloin
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce, divided use
  • 1 tbsp sherry
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 portabella mushroom cap, thinly sliced
  • 7 C chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp white miso
  • 6 C baby spinach
  • 3 pkgs (3 oz) ramen noodles, soup mix discarded
  • sliced scallions, for garnish

Steps:

  1. Put the pork in a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar, Chinese five-spice powder, and salt. Pour 2 tbsp of the soy sauce and the sherry over the pork as well. Let marinate at room temperature.
  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  3. Place pork on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Flip and roast another 15 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 145 degrees F is reached. Brush the pork with the honey and roast about 5 minutes, until pork is 155 degrees F. Set aside.
  4. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, remaining 2 tbsp soy sauce, and the miso. Bring soup to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach to the soup until wilted.
  5. Cook ramen according to package instructions.
  6. Assemble: Divide the ramen among 4 shallow bowls, ladle soup over the noodles, and top with sliced pork. Garnish with scallions.

*This recipe is adapted from CookFresh Spring 2016*

Pork Ramen with Mushrooms and Spinach Sew You Think You Can Cook

#FoodieExtravaganza: Midsummer Eve

~ lk529 ~ 18 Comments

foodieextravaganza-300

Laura of Baking in Pyjamas challenged us to create a dessert that is Midsummer Eve themed. I’m not going to lie, I had to Google “Midsummer Eve.” All I knew was that the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, falls on June 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. What I didn’t know was that in some countries it’s an official holiday! In Sweden, celebrations involve dancing and singing around a florally decorated maypole. In Scandinavia, people clean their homes and decorate them in flowers. In Denmark, traditional foods include pickled herring and strawberries.

Thankfully, Laura’s instructions were to make a dish that meant “midsummer” to us. To answer her call, I immediately thought ice cream! Though really, any time of year is good for ice cream in my book.

I found myself in possession of a massive amount of mint when the grocery store was sold out of the small packages. I’d only needed a couple of tablespoons to mix into Greek yogurt for some lamb burgers. (A recipe that is still under development here in order to be photograph-able) As such, you’ll be seeing a couple more minty recipes on the blog over the next couple of months.

Mint Gelato for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook (1)

But back to the recipe at hand. Fresh mint gelato. Egg-free gelato.

We are within walking distance of a very delicious gelato shop and our sweet teeth know it! I think I’ll be making ice cream much more often now so we can enjoy a cup for a fraction of the cost.

I didn’t have any chocolate in the house when I made the gelato but found that the fresh mint really did need another flavor to balance it. I decided to use some of my farmer’s market yield of berries to make a sauce. The brightness of the fruit was exactly what the gelato needed; better than chocolate even! To make the berry sauce I put some fresh (frozen works, too) berries in a small saucepan with a little sugar over medium heat until syrupy then gently mashed them with the back of a spoon to achieve the texture I wanted.

Egg-Free Mint Gelato

Ingredients:

  • 1 C sugar
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 2 C whole milk
  • 2 C heavy cream
  • 6 sprigs fresh mint

Steps:

  1. Whisk together sugar, corn starch, milk, and heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken.
  2. Place a large bowl in an even larger bowl of ice water. Pour gelato base into the bowl to cool. Put the mint in the gelato and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the mint. Place the gelato base in the refrigerator at least 4 hours to chill completely.
  3. Place gelato in ice cream maker and follow the directions for your ice cream maker.
  4. Serve with either a berry or chocolate sauce.

*This recipe is adapted from Leigh Anne at http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/fresh-mint-gelato/*

Mint Gelato with Berry Sauce for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook (2)

Be sure to check out these other midsummer treats:

Blueberry Slab Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Carrot Vanilla Custard by Sneha’s Recipe

Chocolate Fondue with Strawberries by Making Miracles

Dark Berry Gelato by Baking in Pyjamas

Kladdkaka by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Mango Souffle by G’Gina’s Kitchenette

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake by Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Nordic Walnut Cake with Coffee Icing by Food Lust People Love

Simple Peach Crisp by Cooking with Traci

Swedish Cheesecake with Strawberries by Caroline’s Cooking

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