Peckish for Pecans

As with last fall and winter, we have pecans coming out of our ears. I still have uncracked nuts from last year, and the yard is full again with this year's crop. I found a nice salmon recipe that uses pecans, so that was our Friday night meal a few weeks ago. I upped the pecans a bit just because I have so many, but I think it would be just as delicious as written. I served it with garlicky green beans, glazed sweet potatoes, and homemade focaccia bread.

Pecan Crusted Salmon with Honey-Dijon

1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
4 tsp chopped fresh parsley
4 (4 oz) fillets salmon
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil. In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey; set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, parsley, and freshly ground pepper and sea salt.

Pat salmon dry and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush each fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture; press to adhere. Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Thankful

One of the many reasons I love Thanksgiving so much is because it's the only time of year you can buy fresh cranberries in the store. Even as a picky eater in childhood, I have always loved cranberry sauce. The whole berry canned variety will do in a pinch, but my mom spoiled us with homemade and it is that which I truly prefer. A homemade batch is my yearly contribution to the Evans' family Thanksgiving table. I always make a double or triple batch so we can enjoy it before, during, and after the holiday!

It's basically the staple recipe on the bag of cranberries, with lots of my own variation. I substitute orange juice for half of the liquid, and I simmer cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves to infuse the water for the other half. I often stir in a tablespoon or so of brandy just after boiling the berries, too.

One of Jeff's favorite meals: tender turkeyloaf with pineapple glaze, candied sweet potatoes, spiced cranberry sauce, and a green veggie for good measure & pretty color!

Cobbled Together

I had to find a purpose for some blackberries I was cleaning out of our refrigerator in preparation for the move. Cobbler it is! I had already packed my pie pans, so this was created in the tin of the "to go" leftovers from our anniversary dinner. That was Jeff's brilliant idea (never one to let lack of equipment stand in the way of dessert)!

Sarah's Blackberry Cobbler

2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup raw sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon
zest and juice of 1/4 lemon
1 cup flour (I like to use half whole wheat pastry and half all-purpose)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir together blackberries, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest and juice. Let stand about 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms. Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla (some lumps will remain; don't beat too hard). Stir in melted butter until blended. Spread in ungreased 8" square pan or 9" pie pan. Spoon blackberry mixture evenly over batter. Bake 45-50 minutes or until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Marshmallow Madness

I've had several requests for my marshmallow recipe, so I'm including it below. At the campout, I was brainstorming with another woman and we thought substituting peppermint or lemon for the vanilla extract might be delicious. We even discussed adding some cocoa powder to the sugar syrup to try to make chocolate marshmallows. I will add the disclaimer that I have not attempted any of these modifications, and candy making can be very finicky business, but it sounds yummy! Let me know if anyone tries this.

Homemade Marshmallows

1 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
2 cups white granulated sugar
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups water, divided
1/4 cup unflavored beef gelatin
2 egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Lightly spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray and generously dust with powdered sugar. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan (ideally with tall sides) over medium-high heat, stir together white sugar, corn syrup and 3/4 cup water. Heat to 250° - 265° degrees F (121° - 129° degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.

While syrup is heating, place remaining 1/2 cup of cool water in a small metal mixing bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the surface. Place bowl over double boiler or set in pan of very hot tap water. Stir occasionally until gelatin has dissolved completely. Keep warm until syrup has come to temperature.

Remove syrup from heat and whisk a small amount of the gelatin mixture into hot syrup. Syrup will bubble and froth significantly; stir gently until settled. Continue to add gelatin mixture until fully combined. Set aside to cool slightly.

In bowl of powerful standing mixer, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Slow beater to medium and pour syrup mixture into egg whites in a thin stream. Add vanilla. Once all ingredients are incorporated, beat on high speed until the egg whites are very stiff (10-12 minutes; watch your mixer to prevent overheating or motor damage!). Spread evenly in prepared pan, cover with cling wrap, and let rest 8 hours or overnight.

To cut, loosen edges of marshmallow sheet and turn out onto cutting board. Slice into squares or rectangles with a serrated or bread knife, cleaning blade in between with very hot water. Shake marshmallows in ziplock bag with additional powdered sugar to coat cut edges. Seal bag and store up to 1 month.

Easy Peasy Personal Pizza

I usually like to use up left-overs and clean out the fridge on Sundays in preparation for my meal planning and grocery shopping early in the week. This sometimes leads to creative uses of the "found" items. Today, I spied about half a cup of homemade barbecue sauce and a little baggie of cooked chicken thigh meat from my broth-making. This, combined with the freebies a family at church gave me yesterday, sparked a fun, almost free, lunch. I made BBQ chicken mini pizzas!

On the whole grain thin buns, I spread the remnant barbecue sauce, distributed the orphan chicken scraps, topped with thinly sliced red onions and lots of fresh cilantro, and sprinkled with cheese. After just a short time in the oven, we savored the tasty treat while enjoying our favorite radio program on NPR, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! This was just the thing to warm up after a cold game of tennis in the 19 degree weather and wind.

Super-Easy Husband-Pleaser

I made one of Jeff's favorite recipes the other night, Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes. It's perfect for a chilly fall night or the upcoming Thanksgiving meal. I served it along side lemon pepper tilapia, herbed couscous, and zucchini Italiano, but it is equally at home with a chicken, beef, or lamb entree.

Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes

1 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp brandy

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch chunks. In medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and stir in brown sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the sweet potatoes and stir until well coated. Increase heat to medium, cover and cook 12-14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost tender. Remove lid and stir in brandy. Increase heat and stir until liquid has evaporated and sweet potatoes are tender and glazed. Serves 3-4.

Great Goodies

Time to pull out those special, once-a-year treats! I made these simple peanut butter cookies for company this week, as I felt it would appeal to the palettes of three young children. It pleased the adults, too ;-)



Unleavened Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raw sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Preheat convection oven to 325 F. Beat peanut butter, sugars, and flour in standing mixer until well combined. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time until incorporated. Refrigerator dough 15 min for ease of handling. Using small melon ball scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle sugar over the dough and press fork pattern into the tops, flattening dough. Bake for 10-12 min until edges are just set. Makes 45-50 small cookies.

Requested Recipes

I've had a few recipes requests, so I thought it would be easier to post them here. I'm still working on the beginner artisan bread recipe, as I may need to photograph the steps.

The cranberry pumpkin bread is wonderful year-round, but especially in the fall. It makes great muffins or mini loaves for gifts. You can substitute applesauce for up to half of the oil, if you want a lower fat version. I like to sprinkle a little coarse turbinado sugar on top of the batter before it goes in the oven for a lovely, decorative finish. The barbecue sauce is a modified version of my mom's recipe. I love that it doesn't use ketchup, which has so much corn syrup and artificial ingredients. It's quite mild as written, but you can increase the cayenne or add Tabasco for more heat.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp cinnamon**
¾ tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
2 cups raw sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup coconut milk (or water)
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture alternately with coconut milk or water. Stir in cranberries and divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool; for best flavor, make one day ahead and let rest overnight before serving.

*If you don’t have pastry flour, use white wheat flour or half all purpose and half wheat.
**You can substitute 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice for the various individual spices listed if you prefer.

Super Simple Barbecue Sauce

1 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
8 oz tomato sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp mild molasses
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
pinch of cayenne (optional)

Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens (about 10 minutes). Sauce can be cooled and stored to brush on grilled meats; or, add 2 cups cooked, shredded beef or chicken directly to the pot and heat through to serve on buns for a quick meal.

Berry Bliss

I made a fruit coulis today to go with dessert for company this coming Sunday. We had Jeff's colleagues over for dinner last Sunday and I made a lemon chiffon cake served with homemade almond and honey ice cream (courtesy of one of the professors). Although we had seven people, we only ate half the cake, so I froze the remaining half. This way, I can serve it again this week and Jeff and I don't end up eating more dessert than is good for us! The cake might be a tad dry after thawing, so I made the coulis to moisten it up and vary the taste a bit. I've made this coulis many times with raspberries, blackberries, and other fruit, but this was the first time with blueberries.

Just a funny note in the "what a small world" vein; the company coming Sunday is a couple we met in our ballroom dance class. We had chatted on many subjects and enjoyed talking, so we invited them to dinner. It turns out they own the berry farm where I picked these very blueberries (see earlier post)! I asked to make sure they weren't sick of blueberries already, but they've barely had time to eat any of their own, so this dessert should go over well, I hope.

Sarah's Very Berry Coulis

10-12 oz fresh or frozen berries
2-4 Tbsp raw sugar
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1-2 tsp cornstarch
splash of liqueur (optional)

In a small saucepan, heat berries, sugar, and zest, stirring frequently, until berries pop and give their juice (about 3-5 minutes). Mix cornstarch with lemon juice and stir in over simmering heat. Continue to stir, adjusting thickness to desired consistency with additional water or cornstarch slurry. Remove from heat and add a splash of liqueur (I use Gran Gala, but brandy or anything on hand is fine; balsamic vinegar is also very nice, if you prefer non-alcoholic). Stir well, then pour into a glass jar and cool slightly before refrigerating. Or serve warm over pancakes, waffles, etc.

Frugal Tacos

I love to make my own spice and seasoning blends, and I love to find ways to use up miscellaneous refrigerator items or leftovers. Tacos are great in both departments. Whenever I buy or harvest heads of romaine, I cut off the bottom quarter or so (the crispier, core part) that I don’t want in my salad, wrap it, and save it until I have three or four. They might brown a bit, but they don’t spoil nearly as fast as the more leafy greens. When sliced thinly, it’s the perfect slightly crunchy addition to a taco without resorting to iceberg or some other nutritionally bereft lettuce.

Then I just use a tablespoon or two of my own taco seasoning blend on some ground turkey, use up some overripe or bruised tomatoes (cutting out the bad spots, of course), grate a little cheddar, and add a dollop of sour cream or cottage cheese.

Here’s my recipe for a mild taco seasoning in bulk. It tastes great, is very cheap, and has no added chemicals or MSG. It makes a little over 1/2 cup. I store my spice blends in small 4 oz Gerber Baby juice bottles or food jars (someone kindly collected and donated them to me through Freecycle; I love that site!) You can add cayenne or more crushed red pepper to taste if you like it spicier. All the various spices make such a pretty presentation in the bowl, at least until stirred!

1/4 cup chili powder
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano

In small bowl, mix all ingredients. Refrigerate in airtight container up to 6 months.

Beer Bread

If you don’t have a lot of prep time or rise time, but you do have some beer on hand, this a great quick-bread for soups and salads. I use just a few tablespoons of ale in some of my rustic artisan loaves, so I often have the remainder of a bottle hanging around in the fridge (we aren’t big beer drinkers ;-)

It’s such as basic recipe you can change it up with whatever additional flavors you want. One of my favorite variations is a bunch of fresh basil from the garden and a generous handful of grated cheddar and asiago; or some chopped sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and crumbled feta. You can simplify it and use all one type of flour and sugar, but I've found this combination produces the best crumb.

2 cups (8.5 oz) white wheat flour (sifted)

1 cup (4.25 oz) all purpose flour (sifted)

1 Tbsp baking powder (preferably aluminum free)

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp granulated sugar (raw works fine)

Herbs, cheese, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, etc, as desired (optional)

1 (12 oz) can beer (cheap, old, or flat beers all work just fine)

2-4 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in medium sized bowl. Make a well in the middle and add beer. Stir until well combined, but no more. Pour into a greased loaf pan and level the top. Pour melted butter over the dough surface. Bake 50-60 minutes until top is brown and crusty. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes more.

Slice thickly, as it tends to crumble otherwise. Eat within 1-2 days, as texture deteriorates after that. Leftover slices make a great platform for egg salad sandwiches!

Indian Inspiration

We love ethnic food in general, and Jeff loves hot, spicy food, so Indian is a favorite dinner cuisine. Friday night I made chapati and a curried fish dish with brown basmati pulao and sautéed peas. The curried fish recipe I invented from a blend of Thai and Indian ingredients I had on hand.

Curried Tilapia

2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1/2 stalk fresh lemongrass, sliced
2 Tbsp sliced green onion, white part only
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tsp garlic ginger paste
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp curry paste, or to taste (if desired)
2 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
Salt and pepper to taste
Rice flour

Toast almonds lightly in iron skillet until browned and fragrant; remove and cool. In spice mill or coffee grinder, pulse almonds, lemongrass, and onion until coarsely ground. In small bowl, combine coconut milk, ground mixture, garlic ginger paste, turmeric, curry paste (if using), and salt to taste. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper on both sides and sprinkle lightly with flour.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat with small amount of oil and butter. Brown fillets quickly on each side, then pour curry sauce over the fish. Reduce heat and simmer 2-3 minutes, adding water if curry sauce becomes too thick. Serve with rice or bread to soak up sauce. Garnish with green onion if desired.

Spiced Chapati

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
1 cup durum atta flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp yogurt
2 tsp ghee

Toast cumin and peppercorns lightly in iron skillet until browned and fragrant; remove and cool. Grind in coffee grinder until coarse. Mix flour, salt, spices, and herbs; add water, ghee, and yogurt and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead briefly until smooth. Return dough to bowl, cover, and let stand 1 hour.

Divide dough into sixths and roll out very thinly. Cook in heated cast iron skillet for 1-2 minutes per side until lightly toasted. If desired, use tongs to hold chapati over open gas flame briefly on each side to puff. Serve warm.