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ROASTED CHICKPEAS (From allrecipes.com) 3-6-21 Top of page
12 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans),
drained
2 tbsps. olive oil
1 pinch salt
1 pinch garlic salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 450°. Blot chickpeas with a paper towel to dry them. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil, and season to taste with salt, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning.
CORNED BEEF (From amazingribs.com) 3-6-21
4 lbs. of beef brisket
1 gallon distilled water
8 oz. Morton's kosher salt, by
weight (about 7/8 cup)
2 tsps. Prague Powder #1
1 cup brown sugar, preferably dark,
optional
5 tbsps. pickling spices, recipe
below, optional
4 cloves garlic, smashed or pressed,
optional
Find a proper container large enough to handle 1 gallon of brine and the meat as described in my article Science Of Curing Meats. Clean it as described. Mix the cure ingredients and the distilled water. Stir until they dissolve. Take the meat and remove as much fat as possible from the exterior unless you plan to use some of it for pastrami. In that case, leave a 1/8" layer on one side. Because corned beef is cooked in simmering water, the fat just gets gummy and unappetizing. But if you plan to then make pastrami from it, you will be smoking the meat and in that case the fat gets succulent and lubricates the sandwich. I like to buy a full packer brisket and separate the point from the flat, and cut the flat in half when making corned beef or pastrami. That gives me 3 manageable hunks of 2 to 4 lbs. each. If you leave the point attached to the flat beneath, it will be very thick and take longer to cure, and there's an ugly hunk of fat between them. Add the meat to the curing solution. It might float, so put a plastic bowl filled with brine on top of the meat until it submerges. The meat will drink up brine so make sure there is enough to cover it by at least 1" or else you'll find the meat high and dry after a few days. Refrigerate. Let it swim for 5 days, up to 7, especially if the meat is more than 2" thick. Move the meat every day or so just to stir up the cure. When you are done, the exterior of the meat will be pale tan or gray and if you cut into it, it should not look too different than normal raw meat, just a little pinker. You now have raw corned beef ready to be cooked. Decide which path you want to follow. You can make traditional corned beef and cabbage boiled dinner, you can make corned beef hash, you can make Rockin Reuben Sandwiches, or turn it into Close to Katz's Pastrami. Or you can freeze it.
PICKLING SPICE (From amazingribs.com) 3-6-21
2 tbsps. whole black peppercorns
3 inches cinnamon sticks, total
length
2 tbsp. dill seeds
1 tbsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. mustard seeds, any color
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tbsp. celery seeds
4 bay leaves
1 tbsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tbsp. ground ginger
2 tsps. whole allspice berries
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 tbsp. mace powder, optional
1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds, optional
1 tbsp. juniper berries, smashed,
optional
2 star anise pods, smashed, optional
Put the cinnamon sticks and peppercorns in a plastic bag and smash them with a meat tenderizer or a hammer. Crumble the bay leaves into flakes about 1/8" size. Mix all the ingredients together and store in a tight jar.
ROASTED CHICKPEAS 3-6-21
Savory:
1 can chickpeas
garlic powder
salt
pepper
paprika
cayenne pepper
olive oil
Dry chickpeas well. Spread foil with olive oil and line a cookie sheet. Place chickpeas on foil and sprinkle lightly with seasonings to taste. Tilt pan back and forth to coat peas. Bake at 450° for 30-40 minutes until browned and crunchy.
Sweet:
1 can chickpeas
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsps. veg oil
1 tbsp. honey
Roast same as above.
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (From butterwithasideofbread.com) 3-13-21 Top of page
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
mix (3.4 oz.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. mint extract
3 drops blue coloring + 10-15 drops
green coloring
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Cream together sugar and butter.
Add egg, sour cream and pudding mix. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt
& baking soda. Incorporate flour mixture into the pudding mixture and
mix until well combined. Add mint extract and food coloring until
desired color is achieved. Add in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls
onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a cooling rack. Yields 3 dozen cookies.
IRISH SODA BREAD (From gopherarchives.gophercentral.com) 3-13-21
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more
for surface
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
6 tbsps. cold butter
1 cup dried currants
2 tsps. caraway seeds
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease large cookie sheet. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in currants and caraway seeds, then buttermilk until flour is evenly moistened. On a well-floured surface, knead dough 8 to 10 times just until combined. Shape into flattened ball; place on cookie sheet. Cut 1/4-inch-deep "X" into top. Bake loaf 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 1 Loaf
MY MOM’S CAST IRON MEATLOAF (From grilledcheesesocial.com) 3-20-21 Top of page
2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup ketchup plus more for drizzle
1/2 cup spicy bbq sauce (we use
Trader Joe's sriracha bbq) plus more for serving
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 egg
1 cup onion finely diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
Preheat the oven to 375° degrees. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix by hand. Try not to overmix otherwise you will get tough meatloaf. Once everything looks combined, add it to a greased 10" cast iron skillet, bread pan, or shaped into a loaf in another oven safe dish. Pat the loaf into shape and add a drizzle of ketchup on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center reaches 160-165° degrees. Drain the grease and broil for 5-10 minutes or until the ketchup is caramelized on top. Serve with more spicy barbecue if desired. If you don't use a 10" cast iron, make sure that you adjust the cooking time.
MOM'S CREAMED SPINACH À LA JULIA (From food52.com) 3-20-21
10 oz. washed spinach
2 tbps. to 3 tbps. unsalted butter
(or more)
2 tbps. to 3 tbps. all-purpose
flour
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 Knorr stock cube
1 cup water
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to
taste
Put a pot of water to boil with salt. Wash spinach. Put spinach in boiling water and cook for 3 minutes at a slow boil. Drain spinach and run cold water over spinach to stop it from cooking. A handful at a time, squeeze the spinach to get the water out. Chop. (You can now store, refrigerate and continue whenever.) In a pot on medium heat, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter, then put spinach in and stir. Cover for a minute or two. Add 2-3 tablespoons of flour and stir until the white dissolves. Really make sure white dissolves! Add a little salt and pepper and grate nutmeg for 9 seconds. Stir. Add 1/2 Knorr stock cube (chicken or beef preferably) and continue to stir while gradually adding 1 cup of water. Be sure the stock dissolves completely! Correct seasoning. At the end you could add another 2-3 tablespoons of butter. Take off heat. It’s really important not to cook it too long, either while you’re preparing it or when you heat it up to serve later! You just want it gently heated. Overcooking is what kills it.
GINGER HARVEST DRINK (jul/aug95pg8 6-9-12) 3-20-21
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 gallon cold water
Combine and chill. Can add 1/4 tsp. baking soda to make it more of a carbonated drink. (Added 3-20-21)
MORTON'S STEAKHOUSE CREAMED SPINACH (From dinnerthendessert.com) 3-20-21
4 tbsps. unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion minced
3 cloves garlic minced
4 tsps. Kosher salt divided
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 1/4 lbs. fresh leaf spinach or
one pound frozen
1 cup mozzarella cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with two teaspoons of salt. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain the spinach in a strainer or colander. Rinse with cold water until cool and squeeze the water out of each fistful of spinach. Chop the spinach bundles into a 3/4 inch width. In a large skillet melt the butter with the garlic and onions. Cook on medium low for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add in the remaining kosher salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Add in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon over low and cook for 2-3 minutes until the aroma is a bit nutty. Add the half an half and cook until boiling. Add in the mozarella cheese and cream cheese. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Add in the spinach and the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
SAVORY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (From bonappetit.com) 3-27-21 Top of page
5 lbs. medium sweet potatoes, halved
lengthwise
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
1/4 cup sage leaves
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,
divided
1 1/2 cups coarse fresh sourdough
breadcrumbs
Kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 small or 2 large shallots, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
5 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about
1 2/3 cups)
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Prick potato skins with a fork and place cut side down on 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Roast potatoes, rotating sheets halfway through, until very tender when squeezed, 70 - 90 minutes. Let cool on sheets. Increase oven temperature to 400°. While potatoes roast, cook rosemary, sage, and 6 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter foams, then browns, and herbs are golden and crisp, about 5 minutes; let cool. Scoop out flesh from potatoes and transfer to a large bowl (discard skins). Spoon about half of warm butter and fried herbs into bowl with potatoes. Add breadcrumbs to saucepan with remaining butter-herb mixture and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl. Heat remaining 2 tbsps. butter in same saucepan over medium. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until translucent and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and, using an immersion blender, blend cream mixture until smooth. Transfer to bowl with potatoes. Add eggs and Parmesan. Blend with immersion blender until light and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer potato mixture to a shallow 2-qt. baking dish, smoothing top. Using a spatula or the back of a large spoon, create some peaks and valleys. Top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake casserole until top is golden and crisp, 20 - 25 minutes. Sprinkle lemon zest over. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Do Ahead: Casserole, without breadcrumbs, can be made 3 hours ahead. Fully assembled casserole can be made 1 day ahead; cover with foil and chill. Let come to room temperature before baking.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (From spendwithpennies.com) 3-27-21
3 lbs. sweet potatoes peeled and
cut into cubes
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1/3 cup butter softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecans chopped, divided
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups miniature marshmallows
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Place sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain. In a large bowl (or in the pot the potatoes were cooked in), mash the sweet potatoes with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and salt & pepper. Fold in half of the pecans and spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle with the marshmallows and the remaining pecans. Bake for 25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown and potatoes are heated through.
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