CRANBERRIES, MANY WAYS

Posted in Air-Frying, Breakfast & Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

It is that time of the year, folks! Cranberries are making their appearance in grocery stores, those cute little bags with bright red fruit begging to jump in your shopping cart. Don’t fight the temptation. Today I share six recipes to put them to use, both savory and sweet.

RECIPE #1
PUMPKIN CRANBERRY LOAF

I rarely watch FoodTV these days, but one show I am quite fond of is Girl on the Farm. She shared a recipe a recipe for pumpkin loaf with cranberries that I made on the same day I watched it. It has a very nice crusty topping, and the tartness of the cranberries is perfect with the other flavors. Recipe available here.

RECIPE #2
CRANBERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

CRANBERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

(Small-batch, see comments))

1 cup flour (120g)
1/4 cup sugar (50g)
zest 1/2 orange
1 stick butter (113g), cold, cut in small pieces
pinch of salt…
1/2 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
white chocolate or candy melts to decorate (optional)

Add flour, sugar, orange zest and salt to a food processor. Process until mixed. Process in food processor. Add the butter, process until it starts to form a cohesive mass.

Add the cranberries, process until a dough almost forms. Remove from processor, work with your hands. I roll and cut it right away, then freeze before baking. 300F until done, maybe 20 minutes or so. Depends on the size you cut the cookies, and it will vary from oven to oven. Just make sure it is slightly golden at the edges.

Once cold, drizzle with melted chocolate or candy melts in any style you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I made these when our big oven was dead, so I had to use the little Breville oven to bake them. I was trying the recipe and not sure it would work, so a small batch was all I needed. Simply double all amounts to bake a regular batch. I made 10 cookies with this version. I must say these will go into my favorites folder. The tartness of the cranberries adds so much to the biscuit I urge you to give this a try.

RECIPE #3
CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE

FALL SALAD WITH CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE
(adapted from this site)

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
¼ cup cranberries
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Romaine lettuce – rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut in pieces
½ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water and cranberries. Cook over medium heat until cranberries soften. Remove from heat; add olive oil, maple syrup, and salt. Place in blender and mix until smooth. Refrigerate until chilled.

Make the salad by adding all ingredients into a bowl. Add the cranberry vinaigrette and toss to coat. Adjust seasoning with salt, if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Can anything beat the beauty of the color of this vinaigrette? I doubt it. I tweaked the recipe a bit to tame the tartness of the original version, which was a bit much for us. It is a great option to put some cranberries to use, and definitely something a bit unusual.

RECIPE #4
AIR-FRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CRANBERRIES

AIR-FRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CRANBERRIES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
½ cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
fresh ginger, grated (to taste, or about 2 tsp)
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Whisk olive oil, orange juice, honey and ginger in a small bowl. Pour over the butternut and cranberries in a large bowl, toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Air-fry at 350F until done, shaking the pan every one in a while. Total air-frying should be between 20 and 25 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Once again the little bits of tartness offered by the cranberries add a lot to the dish. I make butternut squash in the air-fryer very often, but really enjoyed this tweaked version. Amounts are all very flexible, I confess I don’t worry about the weight of the squash, I get those little trays in the grocery store and use one to air-fry.

RECIPE #5
CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE TART

A flashback from my past, this tart was made a couple of years ago, and it was absolutely wonderful, so I bring it to your attention. For the full recipe and comments, click here.

RECIPE #6
CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY CURD TART

One of the many recipes I’ve baked from my friend Helen Fletcher’s site. You cannot go wrong with Helen! All the way back to 2017, visit this post to get the recipe.

I hope you can find some cranberry-inspiration in this post…

ONE YEAR AGO: Cilantro-Pesto with Spicy Maple Pork Tenderloin

TWO YEARS AGO: Sunburst Pumpkin Sourdough

THREE YEARS AGO: Sourdough Four-Play

FOUR YEARS AGO: World Bread Day 2018

FIVE YEARS AGO: Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

SIX YEARS AGO: Spicy Cotija and Black Olive Sourdough

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Sourdough Rye Bread with Flaxseeds and Oats

NINE YEARS AGO: PCR and a Dance in the Mind Field

TEN YEARS AGO: October 16: World Bread Day

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: The US Listeria Outbreak 2011

TWELVE YEARS AGO: 36 Hour Sourdough Baguettes

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: October 16 is World Bread Day

14Oct2022

CHILE RELLENOS

Posted in Pork, Poultry by sallybr

We harvested very nice peppers from our garden, and I wanted to make one of Phil’s favorite dishes, Chile Rellenos. However, I wanted a version that would not be overloaded with cheese, which is not very common. The husband found a recipe online that seemed to fit the bill for us, and I went to work. It was involved, time-consuming, but absolutely worth it!

CHILE RELLENOS
(slightly modified from Diana Dávila)

for the sauce:
10 plum tomatoes, diced
3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 large shallot, diced
2 Serrano chiles, thinly sliced
2 cups carrot juice
1 cup chicken stock

For the Rellenos:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 shallot, diced
1 small Granny Smith apple, diced
1 + 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup raisins
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 pound ground pork (I used ground turkey)
⅛ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
8 poblano chiles
¾ cup all-purpose flour

For the Batter:
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
6 egg whites
Fine sea salt, as needed
Canola oil, for frying

Prepare the sauce: In a large bowl, toss plum and cherry tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt.
Use your hands to smush the tomatoes until their skins soften and break apart, then let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot, sliced chiles and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned. Stir in tomatoes and their liquid, bring to a simmer, and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in carrot juice, stock and ½ teaspoon salt, and simmer for another 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or transfer mixture
to a regular blender) and blend briefly; the mixture should still be somewhat chunky.

Make the filling: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, apple, and salt, and cook, stirring, until the apples and shallot soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in raisins, vinegar and brown sugar, and cook until reduced to a glaze, about 4 minutes. Stir in ground pork (or turkey) and red-pepper flakes, and use a metal spoon to break up the pork into pieces. Cook until pork is no longer pink and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat and let the pork take on a little color at the edges, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Reserve.

Roast the poblanos: Heat the broiler, and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange poblanos in an even layer, and broil until blackened on one side, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn over and blacken the other side, another 4 to 6 minutes, then transfer to a large heat-proof bowl. Cover and let steam until softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel the blackened skin off the poblanos, then cut a slit in one side of each pepper and remove seeds (keep the stems). Stuff the poblanos with the filling, folding poblano seams together. Place flour on a plate, and gently roll stuffed peppers in flour to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking
sheet and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes.

Make the batter: Place egg yolks in a large bowl and beat until frothy. Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip to stiff peaks. Fold the egg yolks into the whites, along with a pinch of salt. Heat 1¼ inches of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, dip one pepper by its stem into egg batter, then transfer to hot oil. Fry until golden on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining peppers, making sure not to crowd the pan. Transfer fried peppers as they cook to a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet, and immediately sprinkle with salt.

When all the peppers are fried, reheat sauce. Lower peppers into sauce and simmer for
2 to 3 minutes, so the batter absorbs the sauce. Transfer to serving plates and spoon
more sauce on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: As you know, I don’t lie. This is a bit of a cooking marathon, so I advise you to do what I did, spread the preparation over two days. The day before I made the sauce, including juicing the carrots myself. Easy decision once I saw the price of 100% pure carrot juice versus going to work. I also made the filling. Next day, I roasted the peppers, and the final preparation was painless. I kept the amount of sauce and filling the same, but only made 6 rellenos, so I reduced the amount of batter. There was leftover filling and a little leftover sauce. Two nice items to have around for a quick lunch.

The best tip of this recipe is freezing the rellenos after coating with flour. It makes all the difference in the world, they hold the shape better and make your life easier. Think of incorporating that step if you use a different recipe.

We ate like kings, this is a real keeper. I won’t say that we’ll be making it all the time because it is a labor of love, but it is a great project for weekend cooking or for having company over.

ONE YEAR AGO: Vietnamese “Pizza”

TWO YEARS AGO: Chocolate Bonbons with Mango-Ganache Filling

THREE YEARS AGO: Giant Cookie Meets Mousse

FOUR YEARS AGO: The Brazilian Battenberg

FIVE YEARS AGO: Salzburg Sourdough

SIX YEARS AGO: If I had One Hour

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Sourdough Rye Bread with Flaxseeds and Oats

NINE YEARS AGO: Apricot-Raspberry Sorbet: A farewell to Summer

TEN YEARS AGO: Marcela’s Salpicon

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Pork Kebabs

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Fondant au Chocolat

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Got Spinach? Have a salad!

10Oct2022

PLUM SORBET

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Before the cold weather hits us big time, allow me to share a sorbet I made back in July… I know, I can be so slow sometimes! I was inspired both to make it and to get the little container for it, once I read this blog post by Kelly. However, I did not have access to the amazing plums she has in her own backyard in California. I bought plums that were definitely not quite ripe, and waited. Waited and waited. In the end, I opted to make a slightly different recipe (modifying it from David Lebovitz), because it relied on cooking down the fruit. I thought that to use the fruit raw as Kelly did, I would have to start from the best possible plums out there. This was absolutely delicious, and what amazing color!

PLUM SORBET
(modified from David Lebovitz)

600g plums
80g sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tsp vodka
1 banana, mashed

Pit the plums, slice them, and put them in a medium-sized saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat, lifting the lid and stirring occasionally, until the plums are soft and completely cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Process the plums and the banana in a food processor or blender. Remove 1/2 cup of the puree to a small saucepan, add sugar and corn syrup, heating gently until the sugar is dissolved. Add this mixture to the rest of the fruit puree, add vodka and chill the mixture overnight.

Freeze in your ice cream maker next day.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: As I mentioned many times in the past, Phil is the resident sorbet maker, but this time I decided to do it myself and surprise him. The only thing I did not care about this recipe is how little sorbet it made, even starting with a pretty large amount of fruit. But that’s the nature of the beast. It was totally worth it. We often include a banana in our sorbets because we like the texture it provides, and depending on the fruit, you can barely taste it. Plums have a very intense flavor, we did not think the banana detracted from it. I know the season for plums is over, but save this one for next year, especially if you have access to perfect plums. In that case, consider trying Kelly’s recipe.

Souper Cubes are available at amazon.com, and they are a pleasure to use,
soft, easy to un-mold but very sturdy.

ONE YEAR AGO: Grilled Chicken with Sesame Roasted Carrots

TWO YEARS AGO: Let’s Get Spooky!

THREE YEARS AGO: Miso and Sesame Roast Chicken with Revelation Quinoa

FOUR YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Times Four

FIVE YEARS AGO: Parsnip, Coconut and Lemongrass Soup

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2016

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EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2014

NINE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2013

TEN YEARS AGO: Bourbon and Molasses Glazed Pork Tenderloin

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Crimson and Cream Turkey Chili

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Taking a break from the nano-kitchen

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Chocolate Chip Cookies

5Oct2022

OMG ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

Posted in Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

If you’ve read my previous post (In My Kitchen), you will know that I’ve been playing with Korean ingredients. My version of this recipe is not authentic because I decided not to serve it cold. I love a regular roasted potato, piping hot from the oven, and let me tell you, this was one spectacular side dish! I had leftovers two days in a row, gently warmed in the microwave. No loss of flavor, no harm in texture. Please give it a try and I am sure you will fall in love…

KOREAN ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen, inspired by several sources)

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons gochugaru (or a red pepper flake of your choice)
strands of Korean red pepper for garnish (optional)

Heat the oven to 425F. Coat the potatoes with the olive oil and season with a little bit of salt. Lay them on a baking sheet protected with aluminum foil and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, moving them around halfway through. You want the edges to get nicely brown, so adjust the timing if needed.

Meanwhile, make the finishing sauce by combining the vinegar, sesame oil, gochugaru and soy sauce. Once the potatoes are almost done, pour the sauce all over and mix gently. Roast for additional 5 minutes and serve, sprinkling some strands of Korean pepper (optional).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I am a Sweet Potato Cheerleader, never get tired of them. In my opinion, they don’t need that much to shine, but this preparation takes them to a higher, brighter spot. It gives them, that “fancy restaurant” aura. I think it is the vinegar that changes things around. Please make it, even if you don’t have the specific Korean ingredients. We enjoyed it with breaded center-cut pork loin, and a little broccoli. A perfect midweek dinner.

ONE YEAR AGO: Air-Fried Eggplant Raita

TWO YEARS AGO: Turkey-Pumpkin Roulade with Cider Sauce

THREE YEARS AGO: Strawberry-Vanilla Mini-Cakes

FOUR YEARS AGO: Bourbon-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pea Pesto

FIVE YEARS AGO: Chocolate Chip Cookies from Naturally Sweet

SIX YEARS AGO: Little Bites of Paradise

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Bread

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2014

NINE YEARS AGO: Grilled Steelhead Trout

TEN YEARS AGO: Brown Butter Tomato Salad

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Spelt and Cornmeal Rolls

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Roasted Potato and Olive Focaccia

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Multigrain Bread Extraordinaire

1Oct2022

IN MY KITCHEN, FALL 2022

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see what everybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October.

In our kitchen…

Thanks to the skill and efforts of my beloved husband, we managed to get a second little harvest of lettuce, planted from seed. Amazing how much more flavorful home-grown lettuce can be.

In our kitchen…

I don’t follow keto or other strict diets, but sometimes I like to explore ingredients that are low in carbs. These tortillas called my attention because of the enthusiastic reviews it received on amazon. I decided to order a bag and was quite pleased by both taste and texture. They are very small, but for my appetite, two are perfect for a meal. I’ve read that some people like to cut them in four pieces and use as tortilla chips, by baking or frying. Here they are over a regular dinner plate, so you can have an idea of their size. I pass them over a flame on my stove, they get charred and ready in seconds. Maybe you can find them where you live, but if you’d like to give them a try, amazon is your friend (click here).

In our kitchen…

A set of small plastic bowls that I just could not resist, after my friend Gary pointed them out to me. Color, color, color… It’s my weakness…

In our kitchen…

I’ve been flirting with Korean ingredients, after falling in love with all things South Korea through shows such as “Crash Landing on You” and “The Extraordinaire Attorney Woo.”

I am learning my way through this intriguing cuisine, and exploring ingredients that are new to me. Top left is Doenjang, a miso-type paste that I have not yet played with, but apparently is super flavorful. Top right is Gochugaru, a red pepper flake with unique smoky flavor, and bottom left my favorite, Silgochu, very thin threads of chili pepper. It looks very cool sprinkled over food, and it packs a lot of flavor in those tiny, fragile looking threads.

In our kitchen…

A Mix-and-Match Animal Cookie Set (available at etsy.com), with many possibilities to create designs. These make large cookies, and the moment I got the set, I had to work on a special project…

In our kitchen…

Two types of cocoa powder. The left one is my favorite Dutch type, and the right one I found in our grocery store and decided to give it a try. Loved the delicate coffee flavor, and have used it with my default chocolate cookie recipe, omitting the chipotle in that case.

In our kitchen…

A pumpkin mold that is large enough to shape a cookie. Stay tuned for some serious Halloween baking in the near future.

In our kitchen…

This was a total impulse buy. I was shopping at our grocery store and happened to walk by the Halloween aisle. This platter jumped into my shopping cart and would NOT leave. Odd how these things happen. Must be the Black October Magic at work.

In our kitchen…

When you have a cookie cutter problem, you’ll need storage. I finally caved and bought something I had been flirting with for the longest time. These have drawers of two different sizes, so you order what is most convenient for you (click here). They live in our basement and made my life a lot easier. I might add labels to the drawers at some point.

In our kitchen…

These are great if you need to take cakes for a get together or if you donate them as I do. Each holds a little more than 1/2 cup of batter, depending on the recipe and how much they rise. A little experimentation might be needed. I used my brownie cupcake default recipe just like described here. They have lids that fit well, and it all looks super cute. Several sizes and shapes available, take a look here.

And now it is time to allow a certain trio of pups to bark their piece, and wow,
do they have a lot to say this time!

Buck and Oscar were set in a smooth routine, predictable with a few ups and downs…. For Osky, the worst would be a certain style of haircut, for Buck just having to deal with this odd silence in the world, interrupted by hand clapping that he does his best to follow as guidance.

Little did they know, that Chaos was coming! Full disclosure: we debated whether we should change Prince’s name to Chaos or Trouble, but decided that His Royal Highness would not approve the motion. He has definitely turned our universe upside down, but let’s be honest, we would not have it any other way. The sadness that Bogey’s departure left in us was so intense, and somehow this bundle of energy with a heart-shaped nose and a hear-shaped mark on his leg, made our own hearts feel lighter.

He is sweet, funny, strong-willed, naughty, and clumsy like puppies often are…
it just makes him even more adorable…

The polls about Prince Lucifer of Darkness are a bit divided….

Buck does not mind, in fact they quickly became quite good buddies, even if Prince’s chasing of Buck’s tail can be a bit overwhelming at times…

We have of course countless videos already, but this one below is probably my all-time favorite! Keep in mind that Buck is deaf, so all the noise Prince does to try and invite him to play fall on “deaf ears” (literally). I love the way Buck yawns when it all starts. And of course, Prince stretched back legs crack us up. Too funny! At the very end, Prince seems to understand what I tell him, but is just not buying it!

Of course, as a good Prince, he sees the world as his domain….

And all things shoes must subject to his rules:
you exist to provide amusement for my teeth and paws!

Yes, he is a ton of trouble in four powerful legs… but the level of cute is off-the-charts…

And he also teaches us lessons about how to live…

He is growing so fast, we already miss the times we could hold him like a little bundle in our arms…

That’s all for now, folks! Stay tuned – assuming we humans will survive puppyhood – for the next installment of In My Kitchen, when 2023 starts bright and early!