Aren't you lucky? Two blogs from me, your favorite! I finally fixed the whole "turning text into a different language" thing. Anyway, since the last one was so long, let's keep this short and sweet (I hate that term, but I used it!).
Turkey/Blueberry Salsa Wraps: weird, I know. Actually pretty delicious. Sentence fragments.
I found the original version here. I changed a few things and this is what I came up with:
1/2 lb of sliced turkey
Wraps (spinach herb rules)
1/2 cup mayo (reduced fat recommended)
Pint of blueberries
One fresh jalapeno (seeded and minced)
1/4 red onion
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1 kiwi (skinned and sliced)
2 tsp curry powder
garlic powder
pepper
Lettuce and tomato (optional, may add crunch and texture differences)
Salsa:
In a bowl combine blueberries, kiwi, onion, lime juice, salt, jalapeno. Mix thoroughly. Place half in a food processor and coarsely chop. Remove, then do the other portion.
Wrap: Mix mayo, curry powder, and a little garlic powder together. Spread to taste on a tortilla wrap, and put on a few slices of turkey. Add a tablespoon or two of the salsa (and lettuce and tomato if desired) and wrap. This wrap is messy, so it may be beneficial to wrap the outer edges before eating.
That's it. It's a simple process, and excess mayo and salsa can be stored and saved for multiple wraps!
Questions or comments? Give 'em here! Nummy!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Chicken Dumpling Soup
Hey. I didn't see you come in. Take a seat on my folding metal chair that is next to the card/coffee/storage table. Would you like a drink? I have RC Cola, generic Kool-Aid, and Sam's Club Mountain Lightning. Ok, Mountain Lightning it is.
Ha.
Warm welcomes, fluttering food fledglings. I have been cooking my ass off lately (does that count as an oxymoron?) and it has been OK. I found a couple things on the internet that seemed more yummy than Patton Oswald performing the voice of the rat in "Ratatouille." I will separate out the different things I made this last weekend into different posts. So, here is my adventure in CHICKEN AND DUMPLING SOUP.
I have been doing my research on soup making for a number of reasons, and got some sweet terminology from it. Mirepoix and roux being the main ones. I already knew what a roux was, but now I can make one. SMILES AND SUNSHINE! I did learn that flavor flows easier through oils and fats than water, which can hold back flavor tidbits. This counts for vegetarian and meat-hearty recipes.
While I am a fan of freshness and flavor, time and affordability must be taken into consideration if you're a poor little amateur like me. So, one may use large grocery stores, but pick ones with good produce. Walmart typically does not have good produce. You can taste the hybrid/chemical/soul crushing-ness in the vegetables and fruits. However, if you know what to look for it's not impossible to get good produce. I prefer the smaller chain grocery stores that go for quality rather than the cheapest price. You pay negligibly more and the quality is so much better. If you're familiar with my area of Iowa, you know of the Hy-Vee chain. The comparison usually puts Hy-Vee as the front-runner for reasonably priced produce. Fareway stores are pretty gnarly too, not to get too local for you out-of-towners. The only problems I have with our Fareway are short operating hours and various small, insignificant inconveniences. However, they have great produce, the meat is out of this world, and if you are concerned, I have reason to believe that their meat is certified to be humanely killed (I will post that info if I find it). Anyway, I am on a tangent.
Picking good produce at a decent price is important. For this recipe I bought carrots, celery, and an onion (spring for two onions, my favorite is yellow). To make a proper mirepoix (look it up if you don't know, I am not gonna 'splain) you need double the onions over the amounts of the other vegetables combined *long breath*. I used a couple chicken breasts from a frozen bag (economical but of mediocre quality), and chicken base since I am too lazy to make a real stock. I could go into a tangent again, but I will stay on topic. I bought this foodservice exclusive base from work that RULES. It is mainly roasted chicken meat and salt, but it is not the dry, powdery 99% salt concoction you get from big box retailers, it is a goopy, delicious paste that separates. It is the real deal. I also used fresh garlic cloves, dried bay leaves, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, oregano, and poultry seasoning. I won't give amounts, as these are purely to taste, and depend on the meat, base, and other factors. So, now that you know what I used, here is my "recipe" since for soup I throw it all together and taste frequently.
2 chicken breasts (or about 1lb of chicken skinned, boned, some fat left)
~1/2 cup chicken base (subjective to brand and taste, start slow)
5 stalks of celery (I used a larger "chunk" cut, what you do is up to you)
4-5 carrots ""
1 1/2-2 onions diced (use your own judgment, onions add a lot of flavor but get masked easily by other flavors)
Fresh garlic cloves, minced (about one bulb of garlic will do)
Bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Parsley flakes
Oregano
(all to taste)
To do the bay leaves, I tied a coffee filter around them with dental floss and boiled it in the soup for about 15 minutes. The large, dry leaves are basically inedible and an aromatic if you will.
OK, so I began by getting 3-4 quarts of water boiling in a large pot. I added a few large tablespoons of my chicken base to make a chicken stock. You can use pre-made chicken stock if you so choose.
Chop all your vegetables to match the amount of water and how thick and chunky you like your soup to be. I like a lot. Mince your garlic (set aside separately), get all vegetables chopped, and have them set aside.
Get a saute pan, with about a tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts on each side. You can season if you want, but it will most likely be lost when making soup. Get the outsides brown, don't worry about cooking through, as the soup will do that. You can start from thawed or frozen chicken, which is a big time saver.
Once the stock is boiling and the chicken is seared, drop the whole breasts into the stock, ensuring you scrape the pan into the pot as well (extra oil will carry the flavor, you can use the delicious juice and all the other side effects of flesh carmelization). You will have to dice the chicken at some point, either after searing or after cooking in the soup. I recommend searing before cutting, but that is my personal preference. Allow the soup to come back to a boil, and add vegetables. Allow all of this to come back to a boil and cover. I am not sure how long this takes, but check the soup every 5-10 minutes after the first 15. Check the vegetables for done-ness as well as chicken tenderness. I like it all pretty done but not mushy.
I prefer to season towards the end of the soup. That way the seasonings aren't just boiled into oblivion. When the vegetables are nearly done, check the soup and add seasonings (and more base if necessary) to taste. Add the garlic and other spices, then tie your bag of bay leaves to the handle and drop in.
Now is a critical time. You can make your dumplings before-hand, or right now. It takes very little time but can get hectic if you're timing your veggies. I got this recipe from this here
# 2 cups of white flour
# 4 tsp. baking powder
# 1 tsp. salt
# 4 tbsp. soft margarine or butter
# 1 cup of milk (or more)
1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Cut in butter that's been kept at room temperature or use soft margarine.
3. Stir milk lightly into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon and adjust amounts to make sure that you have a moist dumpling dough.
I add a little parsley to the dumplings for a little coloration. That is totally optional. Add the dumplings by spooning small balls into the boiling soup. Do this a few at a time as to not decrease the temperature too much. When all the dough is used, close the lid and "steam" them for a while. Check one for doneness, and check the veggies and meat as well. When it is all to your standards, let it sit for a while. It will be very hot and retain heat for a long time. The soup will thicken a bit due to the dumplings.
To plate, I used a wide-lip soup bowl on a plate. I scooped on and garnished with a small sprig of celery leaf. It tasted good, but I could have spent more time seasoning.
This isn't an actual picture. Perhaps I should get batteries for my camera.
Any questions? Leave a comment or email us @twofatamateursATgmail.com
Ha.
Warm welcomes, fluttering food fledglings. I have been cooking my ass off lately (does that count as an oxymoron?) and it has been OK. I found a couple things on the internet that seemed more yummy than Patton Oswald performing the voice of the rat in "Ratatouille." I will separate out the different things I made this last weekend into different posts. So, here is my adventure in CHICKEN AND DUMPLING SOUP.
I have been doing my research on soup making for a number of reasons, and got some sweet terminology from it. Mirepoix and roux being the main ones. I already knew what a roux was, but now I can make one. SMILES AND SUNSHINE! I did learn that flavor flows easier through oils and fats than water, which can hold back flavor tidbits. This counts for vegetarian and meat-hearty recipes.
While I am a fan of freshness and flavor, time and affordability must be taken into consideration if you're a poor little amateur like me. So, one may use large grocery stores, but pick ones with good produce. Walmart typically does not have good produce. You can taste the hybrid/chemical/soul crushing-ness in the vegetables and fruits. However, if you know what to look for it's not impossible to get good produce. I prefer the smaller chain grocery stores that go for quality rather than the cheapest price. You pay negligibly more and the quality is so much better. If you're familiar with my area of Iowa, you know of the Hy-Vee chain. The comparison usually puts Hy-Vee as the front-runner for reasonably priced produce. Fareway stores are pretty gnarly too, not to get too local for you out-of-towners. The only problems I have with our Fareway are short operating hours and various small, insignificant inconveniences. However, they have great produce, the meat is out of this world, and if you are concerned, I have reason to believe that their meat is certified to be humanely killed (I will post that info if I find it). Anyway, I am on a tangent.
Picking good produce at a decent price is important. For this recipe I bought carrots, celery, and an onion (spring for two onions, my favorite is yellow). To make a proper mirepoix (look it up if you don't know, I am not gonna 'splain) you need double the onions over the amounts of the other vegetables combined *long breath*. I used a couple chicken breasts from a frozen bag (economical but of mediocre quality), and chicken base since I am too lazy to make a real stock. I could go into a tangent again, but I will stay on topic. I bought this foodservice exclusive base from work that RULES. It is mainly roasted chicken meat and salt, but it is not the dry, powdery 99% salt concoction you get from big box retailers, it is a goopy, delicious paste that separates. It is the real deal. I also used fresh garlic cloves, dried bay leaves, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, oregano, and poultry seasoning. I won't give amounts, as these are purely to taste, and depend on the meat, base, and other factors. So, now that you know what I used, here is my "recipe" since for soup I throw it all together and taste frequently.
2 chicken breasts (or about 1lb of chicken skinned, boned, some fat left)
~1/2 cup chicken base (subjective to brand and taste, start slow)
5 stalks of celery (I used a larger "chunk" cut, what you do is up to you)
4-5 carrots ""
1 1/2-2 onions diced (use your own judgment, onions add a lot of flavor but get masked easily by other flavors)
Fresh garlic cloves, minced (about one bulb of garlic will do)
Bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Parsley flakes
Oregano
(all to taste)
To do the bay leaves, I tied a coffee filter around them with dental floss and boiled it in the soup for about 15 minutes. The large, dry leaves are basically inedible and an aromatic if you will.
OK, so I began by getting 3-4 quarts of water boiling in a large pot. I added a few large tablespoons of my chicken base to make a chicken stock. You can use pre-made chicken stock if you so choose.
Chop all your vegetables to match the amount of water and how thick and chunky you like your soup to be. I like a lot. Mince your garlic (set aside separately), get all vegetables chopped, and have them set aside.
Get a saute pan, with about a tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts on each side. You can season if you want, but it will most likely be lost when making soup. Get the outsides brown, don't worry about cooking through, as the soup will do that. You can start from thawed or frozen chicken, which is a big time saver.
Once the stock is boiling and the chicken is seared, drop the whole breasts into the stock, ensuring you scrape the pan into the pot as well (extra oil will carry the flavor, you can use the delicious juice and all the other side effects of flesh carmelization). You will have to dice the chicken at some point, either after searing or after cooking in the soup. I recommend searing before cutting, but that is my personal preference. Allow the soup to come back to a boil, and add vegetables. Allow all of this to come back to a boil and cover. I am not sure how long this takes, but check the soup every 5-10 minutes after the first 15. Check the vegetables for done-ness as well as chicken tenderness. I like it all pretty done but not mushy.
I prefer to season towards the end of the soup. That way the seasonings aren't just boiled into oblivion. When the vegetables are nearly done, check the soup and add seasonings (and more base if necessary) to taste. Add the garlic and other spices, then tie your bag of bay leaves to the handle and drop in.
Now is a critical time. You can make your dumplings before-hand, or right now. It takes very little time but can get hectic if you're timing your veggies. I got this recipe from this here
# 2 cups of white flour
# 4 tsp. baking powder
# 1 tsp. salt
# 4 tbsp. soft margarine or butter
# 1 cup of milk (or more)
1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Cut in butter that's been kept at room temperature or use soft margarine.
3. Stir milk lightly into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon and adjust amounts to make sure that you have a moist dumpling dough.
I add a little parsley to the dumplings for a little coloration. That is totally optional. Add the dumplings by spooning small balls into the boiling soup. Do this a few at a time as to not decrease the temperature too much. When all the dough is used, close the lid and "steam" them for a while. Check one for doneness, and check the veggies and meat as well. When it is all to your standards, let it sit for a while. It will be very hot and retain heat for a long time. The soup will thicken a bit due to the dumplings.
To plate, I used a wide-lip soup bowl on a plate. I scooped on and garnished with a small sprig of celery leaf. It tasted good, but I could have spent more time seasoning.
This isn't an actual picture. Perhaps I should get batteries for my camera.
Any questions? Leave a comment or email us @twofatamateursATgmail.com
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Fat side of the moon . . .
Hi all! It's Jake, your pudgy amateur cooking pal. I don't have much to say now except that I would like to apologize for my blogging negligence. Rest assured, I will post with all of my pan fried glory as soon as I get some creative ideas. For now everyone will have to be happy with my co-posters propositions. BYE!
?
Well, for some reason my title bar won't let me type anything without transforming it into a language I don't recognize. Anyway, this one is called:
READING MATERIAL
After one of my visits to Harmony (see below for review) the chef allowed me to borrow a cookbook from his lounge library. It is called "The Elements of Taste" by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky.
The book follows a basic theme that tastes can be broken down into various catergories, and these can be broken down even further, to make it blunt. It mentions tastes that push, pull, and punctuate. The flavors that do this are outlined along with specific dishes that explore each. The main theme is harmony among dishes and full-coursed meals.
I found this to be quite enlightening. There was always a reason to season (see what I did there? ZING), but never why certain seasonings do particular things to our palate. The book touched on the fact that some parts of food are aromatic (take a bite of beef, don't exhale, and chew. Then exhale, and notice what you taste then). Some are purely reactions to pain receptors (even black pepper, put a bit on your tongue and notice the feel and flavor).
This book has given me a new platform in which to cook; one that combines balancing a dish thoroughly through simple yet tedious seasoning, and particular timing to aspects as far as seasoning and creation goes. I recommend the book to anyone interested in cooking more than hamburger helper, as the recipes are simple (however, finding Chinese chili oil and capers in Walmart may be easier said than done), but they are bold in flavor and plating. My two favorite recipes that I have seen (have not been able to cook yet) are two chilled soups. One is a strawberry soup with champagne ice (looks AWESOME), and a two-tomato 3 basil coulis. The two-tomato coulis uses yellow and red cherry tomatoes to make purees, and as you plate, you pour them into a bowl to create a yin-yang type effect, and it looks and sounds delicious. This picture is from a google search, I have not made it yet.
At any rate, the book is about $40 on Amazon, but if you're into E-books, it's about $8. I would recommend that since while the book has definite merit, but saving a few bucks to get the same information all legit like that? Awesome!
That's all I have for today. Thanks for checking us out.
-Tim
READING MATERIAL
After one of my visits to Harmony (see below for review) the chef allowed me to borrow a cookbook from his lounge library. It is called "The Elements of Taste" by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky.
The book follows a basic theme that tastes can be broken down into various catergories, and these can be broken down even further, to make it blunt. It mentions tastes that push, pull, and punctuate. The flavors that do this are outlined along with specific dishes that explore each. The main theme is harmony among dishes and full-coursed meals.
I found this to be quite enlightening. There was always a reason to season (see what I did there? ZING), but never why certain seasonings do particular things to our palate. The book touched on the fact that some parts of food are aromatic (take a bite of beef, don't exhale, and chew. Then exhale, and notice what you taste then). Some are purely reactions to pain receptors (even black pepper, put a bit on your tongue and notice the feel and flavor).
This book has given me a new platform in which to cook; one that combines balancing a dish thoroughly through simple yet tedious seasoning, and particular timing to aspects as far as seasoning and creation goes. I recommend the book to anyone interested in cooking more than hamburger helper, as the recipes are simple (however, finding Chinese chili oil and capers in Walmart may be easier said than done), but they are bold in flavor and plating. My two favorite recipes that I have seen (have not been able to cook yet) are two chilled soups. One is a strawberry soup with champagne ice (looks AWESOME), and a two-tomato 3 basil coulis. The two-tomato coulis uses yellow and red cherry tomatoes to make purees, and as you plate, you pour them into a bowl to create a yin-yang type effect, and it looks and sounds delicious. This picture is from a google search, I have not made it yet.
At any rate, the book is about $40 on Amazon, but if you're into E-books, it's about $8. I would recommend that since while the book has definite merit, but saving a few bucks to get the same information all legit like that? Awesome!
That's all I have for today. Thanks for checking us out.
-Tim
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