Labor Day Love

Well, folks, it is officially the last holiday of the summer before we dive into about 6 months of cold weather. Naturally, all of America seems to turn to the outdoors on Labor Day; I was among the millions spending time on decks, beaches, and/or patios with a grill nearby and a beer in my hand.
Hosting a dinner party for foodies is always a good time; attending a dinner party thrown by other foodies... sometimes is even better. The lack of preparation, not having to keep an eye on your guests at all times, not as much clean-up. As much as I do love having people over, I was grateful to go over to a friend's home yesterday and participate in a Labor Day Grill-Out. The food was as eclectic as the company; both were fantastic, though. Unlike every other party that Nik and I are invited to, we were assigned to bring an appetizer and a side-dish. Well, the side dish wasn't too hard to come up with: all-American potato salad. I mean, come on! It is about as Midwestern as corn on the cob. Because I wasn't able to get a hold of my mother, whose potato salad has always been a magical experience, I was left to my own devices and ended up creating my own fantastic dish.
Beneath that recipe is going to be my explanation of how I managed to stumble across a pretty great way of making Jalapeno Poppers without any kind of frying.

All in all, it was a fantastic day.

Scott's Potato Salad

2 lbs of potatoes (either Russet or Red), cooked and cubed
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 Tablespoon celery seed
1 cup (ish) of mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1 Tablespoon brown mustard seed
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard powder
1 Tablespoon garlic
1 Tablespoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 hard-boiled eggs peeled and diced
pinch of cayenne pepper

After cubing the potatoes, I cooked them until they were fairly soft but still sturdy. Because that took about 20 minutes to get the water boiling and getting them to the right consistency, I had plenty of time to dice up the onion and celery; then mix those in with all of the other ingredients (not the eggs). Speaking of eggs, Nik threw them in with the potatoes as they cooked- so we had one less pot on the stove. Genius idea.

Once the potatoes were done, all I had to do was stir them into the mayo mix. It probably would have been better to let them cool for about 20-30 minutes, though I was in a rush. Because it was so warm, it changed the consistency of the mayo (separating it a little)- but the end product was still delicious. I knew that not everybody likes their potato salad with egg in it, so I diced them and put them on top of the whole thing instead of mixing them in. I added a little bit more brown mustard seed as well as a fair amount of pepper. Delicious.

Jalapeno Poppers

15 jalapeno peppers, split length-wise and seeds removed

1 egg
2-3 Tb of milk
**mix together in a bowl

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (stale bread, saltine crackers, or whatever)
2 Tb of flour
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp onion powder
dash of cayenne pepper
**mix together in food processor or mash up in ziplock bag with a meat mallet, then shake around until mixed together

1 package cream cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella
4 oz shredded monterey jack cheese
**cream together

1- spoon cheese mixture into peppers (or use a pastry bag with a wide tip)
2- dip filled jalapenos in milk mixture and then dredge in the bread crumbs
3- set onto cookie sheet with aluminum foil
4- sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on top of all the peppers
5- cook on 400 for 20 minutes, then switch to low broil for 3-5 minutes

Welcome to Fall 2010

The past few days, I've been lamenting how hot it has been in my fair city. Chicago, with its miles of coastline along Lake Michigan, is usually pretty nice during the summer. Within a half-mile of the coast, like where I live, this is even more true. However, it has been hot. Even a few blocks off the lake.
So this morning, when I woke up and read the temperature as being in the low 60's, I rejoiced. Fall has arrived: you can feel and smell it in the air. Personally, I find a little extra joy in the cold weather simply because of the lack of allergens after the first frost. Beyond that, fall and winter is a time of cooking and baking at home; constantly warming up the kitchen with the oven and filling the house with the smells of pumpkin muffins, apple cider, apple pie... all kinds of delicious things that you forget how much you love while constantly grilling during the summer and attempting to stay cool!

So for my first Fall baking experience, I decided to go with a classic: Cornbread. Last Christmas, my mother gave me a lovely set of cast iron loaf pans along with my new cast iron skillet. No lies: I have a very expensive set of cookware that I use throughout the year- but cast iron is still my go-to for many things. (I look forward to adding to my collection!) There are all kinds of traditional cornbread recipes that are made in a skillet; I opted for the loaf pans today simply because I don't use them often enough. Side note: the oven is set at 400 in this one instead of the usual 350.

Corn Bread (aka Johnny Cake)

1 cup Corn Meal
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

...mix all together in a medium-sized bowl; make a "well"

2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
1 cup canned creamed corn

... mix together in small bowl
... combine wet and dry ingredients together in larger bowl
... pour half of batter into metal loaf pan (well greased)
-you could also pour all of the batter into a 8x8 pan
... bake in oven at 400 for 20-25 minutes; top will be golden brown and the bread is pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan. Stick a knife in the center of bread to see if done (batter on knife = not done; dry = done)

Dear Hummus, you are amazing

So in my infinite wisdom, I felt like the first full-week of my time back in Chicago should be spent detoxing from the previous summer. Opera camp, while being an amazing experience, is not exactly a time that promotes the healthiest eating habits: stress eating at night after long days of rehearsals, celebratory snacks/drinks after a performance, rushed breaks scattered throughout the day where you can barely inhale food before getting back to work. Yeah. Detox was needed.
While there were certainly many options available that were scary (Master Cleanse Detox?!), I read that doing a week or two of strictly raw foods would detox you while not being quite so hard on your body. The first few days were easy- it got rough by day 4. I wasn't missing the meat and various carbohydrates as much as I was missing things like dairy... and the plethora of vegetables that you just can't eat in raw form. Anyway, on a raw food diet, your sources of protein are understandably limited. Smoked salmon is delicious in all kinds of forms but can only be tolerated for so long. Hummus, on the other hand, is magical. So are things like tapenade. I have two recipes that I LOVE right here for your enjoyment!

Hummus

1 (16-oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons lemon juice (maybe some lemon zest if you are feeling wild!)
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon onion flakes/granules
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
Little bit of salt and pepper to taste

*place all into a food processor and wait for it to become creamy and delicious.

Tapenade

5 anchovy fillets that have been soaked in milk about 10 minutes (rinse/drain after)
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 garlic cloves
rind of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons capers (optional)- I prefer without

*put into food processor for a minute or two until all parts have been chopped finely and mixed well

delicious!

Summer is over. Welcome to having time (for now)

So I thank my mother for contributing to the blog while I was away at opera camp in Princeton this past summer. Since getting home, I've slowly re-discovered what it is like to be a non-musician again... an unemployed non-musician, to be more specific. While audition season has yet to start, I only am involved in the CSO chorus at the moment as well as my church job; so all is NOT terrible. Its just a little tight.

And we all know what tight means: no going out to eat.
Which then, follow me down my slippery slope of logic, means that I am cooking more often and utilizing different ingredients that I find for cheap at the market.

Recent discoveries:
Steamed baby bok choy... you are delicious.
Sauteed Rapini... you are not.

Today, however, I chose to embark upon a journey that I've intended for quite some time. The wait was entirely worth it. And incredibly EASY.

Home-made English Muffins
(GASP! I know... don't inhale your neighbor)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tsp yeast

.....dissolve sugar into milk/water and then add yeast. Let it get bubbly (5-6 min)

1/4 cup melted shortening*
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

.....add to yeast mixture. It will be fairly sticky; I added about a 1/8 cup more flour just to make it a little more manageable.

.....place into well-greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise and double. This took about an hour for me, though it was sitting on the porch in 90 degree heat (not in direct sunlight, though)

.....on a well-floured surface, turn the dough out and knead ONLY A LITTLE. Form dough into a log- roughly the size of a medium rolling pin. Cut into 1 discs (will depend on how thick you would like your muffins to be) and place on to a cookie sheet that has been both greased and dusted with corn meal.

.....let rise again for about 30-40 minutes; they will puff up a fair amount. Again, my kitchen was fairly warm, so you might want to let them rise even longer.

.....on a lightly-greased skillet that has been warmed to medium-low heat, place the muffins gentle and allow to cook. I was checking the first batch to see how well they were cooking; it does take about 5 minutes per side, though that will fluctuate with how thick yours are.

VOILA. Easy English Muffins that taste AMAZING- I ate mine hot off the skillet with fresh rhubarb-strawberry jam from my mother.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

These are amazing! Life will seem much better as you savour these with a cup of your favorite watery infusion. I suspect that we could achieve world peace if everyone would simply stop in the afternoon for tea/coffee/milk and these muffins. They are worth the extra kickboxing workout, couple of extra miles, or whatever you do to burn off calories to stay in shape. I did substitute half of the oil with applesauce to cut some of the fat calories :) Enjoy!!!

Do not worry that the batter is very moist. The muffins will bake beautifully.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 large, ripe bananas)

1/3 cup canola oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup applesauce

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a medium bowl blend the banana, oil, eggs, applesauce and vanilla together.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

Stir in the banana mixture until just blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 22 minutes. Remove muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peach/blueberry Cobbler

This is a wonderful cobbler--not the usual dry, tasteless cobbler. The cobbler itself is sweet but is offset by the tartness of the fruit which does not have much sugar. You may need to adjust the cooking time to a little longer. The cobbler dough should be somewhat stiff but not dry.

Enjoy with ice cream or cream. It is a marvelous summer time dessert :)

Put in an 11 X 7 pan:

2 1/2 cups fresh peaches-peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups fresh blueberries

In a small saucepan, combine:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 TBL corn starch

Stir until smooth: 3/4 cup water

Cook over medium heat until very thick

Pour over fruit and stir until all fruit is evenly coated.

In a bowl combine:

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix in until smooth:

1/3 cup melted butted (do not substitute margarine—just say NO!)

1/2 cup milk

Drop in spoonfuls over the fruit mixture and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Crushed sugar cubes work very well J

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.

Chocolate and Hazelnuts? Everybody wins!

So this weekend was one of the singer's birthdays- and like the rest of us, his time was being devoted to incredibly long work days. Yesterday, his birthday, was particularly nasty with 5 hours of rehearsal for an extra performance of Carmina Burana followed by the opening night of Don Pasquale. So, one of my friends here found this recipe and I proceeded to make the necessary modifications. The original looked like it was en route to being one of those decadence dishes that were built primarily upon butter, chocolate, and sugar- but then the addition of flour and the absence of any kind of leavening agent beyond the eggs made me realize that it would have been closer to a oddly-textured torte. Maybe a brownie at best (which- is still a good situation). However, the occasion called for cake! And a cake happened... at nearly midnight by the time everybody was done with their day. Yay for being a singer!

Ingredients
Hazelnut and Chocolate Cake:

* 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1 cup hazelnuts, skinned and toasted
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup hot water
* 4 eggs
* 1 stick butter, softened/melted
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


To make the Hazelnut and Chocolate Cake:
Directions

Position an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Put 1/2 of the chocolate chips, hazelnuts, and flour in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the hazelnuts are coarsely chopped. Pour the hazelnut mixture into a small bowl and set aside. Combine remaining chocolate chips and sugar in the food processor. Blend until the mixture is finely ground. With the machine running, gradually add the hot water until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Could also just use a double boiler and melt down the chocolate- which is what I did and preferred mixing this all together by hand rather than the whole food processor thing (though maybe if I had my fancy one from home, I would have used it)
Add the eggs, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and baking powder. Pulse until mixture is blended. Return the hazelnut mixture to the food processor and pulse to incorporate. Pour the mixture into a buttered and floured 9-inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Place the cake on a cooling rack and cool. (Top may crack during cooling.) Refrigerate for 2 hours. (Cake can be made 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator). Allow the pie to return to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberry slices. Delicious. The only thing missing was some prosecco... but we all need to be in good shape for the opening of Faust and more rehearsals today. WHOA!