I was fully planning to show you how I break apart a turkey and get it ready for Thanksgiving, but the pictures didn't turn out well. So I will just have to show you with a chicken in a post further down the road (a chicken is way easier anyway). I did make the promised posts for the sage garlic butter I put under the skin of my turkey (I just gently pick up the skin at the neck of the turkey, and using your hand separate the skin from the turkey breast without removing the skin, add a large scoop of butter into the whole then on the out side of the skin gently press and move the butter until it is even and you have a nice butter layer. The food network has at least 3 shows that do this at Thanksgiving) and how I make stock from my leftover bones. I even wrote a post about what I am doing to keep me out of the kitchen as much as possible tomorrow. I linked them all here so that they will be easier to find if you are interested in them.
Thank you for be patient and understanding that life tends to make the best made plans fail. And if I don't see you tomorrow, Happy Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
How I Plan To Stay Out Of The Kitchen Tomorrow
As I have stated in a previous post, I decided to simplify Thanksgiving dinner this year. I reduced my normal 11 items and 4 desserts down to 6 items and 2 desserts (it was going to be 3 but I want stuffing and my kids want cranberry sauce). This may seem like a lot still, but it really isn't see I have a plan.
I have worked in restaurants too long to not have learned the importance of prep. Everything, yes everything, for my dinner can be started or even finished today so tomorrow it is relatively painless and I can spend my day playing with my kids instead of listening to them have fun while I work. Here is my menu and how I am making tomorrow easier.
Sage Garlic Butter Turkey: Because my family is only a family of five and the turkey was 16 lbs, last night I cut out turkey in parts. Now I have boneless turkey breasts and boneless thighs (the wings and drumsticks will be used for other meals) instead of a full bird. Last night, I also made my compound butter that I like to use with my turkey. I put it under the skin of my turkey. I was planning on tying them into roasts last night but my twine wasn't butcher's twine like I though it was, so I will be doing that today after my husband brings some home. Then I they will be already to be cooked (one breast and thigh will actually be frozen for Christmas Dinner. Yep, I am ahead of the game).
Since I don't have a whole turkey to cook, the cooking time drops almost in half freeing up oven time for anything else I may need to put in there. My only problem is, I don't want the bottom of my turkey roasts to get crispy (my beef roast, yes, my turkey, no). So I cook my turkey roasts on a bed of Mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery, and garlic cloves). Not only will the vegetables create steam which will help my turkey from drying out, they will also impart flavor. Besides any juice that comes from the turkey mix from the juices from the vegetables and makes the best jus for gravy. So today I am cutting up celery, onions, celery and garlic into chunks and putting them in a Ziploc, all ready for me. Tomorrow, all i need to do is place my vegetables in a pan, dip my roasts in garlic butter (I know, yum) hit them with kosher salt and bake.
Carrot Mashed Potatoes: Instead of doing sweet potatoes, which we don't really like, I am going to cook carrots in with my potatoes then I will whip them together with a little butter and cream (yep more butter). Today I will peel and chunk my potatoes and carrots. I will them put them in a container in the fridge covered in water. Tomorrow, I will just drain them before cooking and giving them fresh water.
Green Beans With Bacon: This is my families green bean casserole. It is whole green beans that have been cooked in bacon fat and served with bacon pieces. Today I am slicing and cooking my bacon and cleaning and blanching my green beans (cooking them for 2 minutes in boiling water, before putting in ice water to stop the cooking. Tomorrow, I will heat up the bacon fat and slightly caramelize my green beans in them, add in the bacon, cook until it is hot and serve. Really about 5 minutes of work.
Sausage Apple and Pecan Bread Stuffing: My mom would make this every year, except she would never bake it. I am going to make the stuffing today, add in the eggs then place it in a casserole dish for tomorrow. When I put in my turkey in will go the stuffing.
Fresh Cranberry Sauce: I wasn't planning on making this but my kids are in love with cranberries right now. Since this is best cold anyway, I will make it today for tomorrow.
Gravy: Okay, I can't do much about this today since I need the cooking liquid from my turkey, but I did make turkey stock overnight to add to the drippings instead of adding water or chicken stock.
Pies: Since my son is gluten free, I am making all of our pies without a crust. How? Well that is easy. I am turning my pumpkin custard into creme brulees and I am making chocolate cream and banana pudding cups. The creme brulees must be cooked today to set up for tomorrow. The same with the Chocolate and Vanilla Puddings for my cups. In fact I can even build them tonight.
Although it seems like a lot it will actually go pretty fast, on both days. Especially with three kids wanting to be in the kitchen. Tomorrow will be a piece of cake (hmm, maybe I should make cake, too. No, Julie!!! Simplify, don't add).
Making Butter Better
I know it is not good for me, but I love butter. I freely admit that, but did you know you can actually make butter better?
There is this awesome thing in the culinary world called compound butter. It is simply butter that you add herbs, spices, and flavorings to. You have probably had it before and not even realized, like lemon tarragon butter on top of a grilled piece of salmon or that steak that was dripping in garlicky herb butter heaven. Even a good garlic butter is a compound butter.
They often seem like they would be difficult to make, but they aren't. You don't even need a machine to make it. All you need is softened butter and what ever you want to flavor it with. My favorite is a garlic sage butter that I put under the skin of my turkey.
Here is how I make the sage garlic butter. No matter what flavor you are making the process is the same. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together. If you want to add lemon, use the zest and slowly add a small amount of lemon juice. You do not want the butter to break. A machine makes adding the lemon juice (or any liquid ingredient MUCH easier.
To store it, I put it on a piece of plastic wrap and (using the plastic wrap to help you) roll it into a log and keep in your refrigerator. When you are ready to use it just slice it. This would be good on vegetables or even placed on top of a boneless chicken breast before or after baking (if you are grilling, only put on afterwards.
There is this awesome thing in the culinary world called compound butter. It is simply butter that you add herbs, spices, and flavorings to. You have probably had it before and not even realized, like lemon tarragon butter on top of a grilled piece of salmon or that steak that was dripping in garlicky herb butter heaven. Even a good garlic butter is a compound butter.
They often seem like they would be difficult to make, but they aren't. You don't even need a machine to make it. All you need is softened butter and what ever you want to flavor it with. My favorite is a garlic sage butter that I put under the skin of my turkey.
Here is how I make the sage garlic butter. No matter what flavor you are making the process is the same. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together. If you want to add lemon, use the zest and slowly add a small amount of lemon juice. You do not want the butter to break. A machine makes adding the lemon juice (or any liquid ingredient MUCH easier.
 |
| To make the sage butter, I need 1 cup of softened butter, 3 garlic cloves, 10 sage leaves, and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Also I need a medium size bowl and either a whisk or a fork. |
 |
| The sage needs to be a chiffonade, or cut into ribbons. To do this I stack my leaves on top of each other, then slice them about 1/8 " thick or finer. |
 |
| I minced the garlic then added it to the bowl along with my softened butter, kosher salt, and my sage chiffonade (about 1 1/2 Tbsp). |
 |
| Mix it together with a whisk or a fork until smooth. |
To store it, I put it on a piece of plastic wrap and (using the plastic wrap to help you) roll it into a log and keep in your refrigerator. When you are ready to use it just slice it. This would be good on vegetables or even placed on top of a boneless chicken breast before or after baking (if you are grilling, only put on afterwards.
Sage Garlic Butter The Food Nerd Way
1 cup soft butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. sage chiffonade (see how to make it above)
1 tsp. Kosher salt.
Mix together. Use immediately or wrap in plastic wrap to store. May be frozen. This can also be put in a piping bag with a large star tip and piped onto parchment paper, freeze, then remove from paper and store in a ziploc bag.
So What Do You Do With Leftover Bones? Make Stock of Course
Stock, or broth, is simply made with bones and vegetables that are cooked in water for hours. The bones and vegetable leech their flavors and nutrients into the liquid giving you this lovely liquid gold. You can buy it of course (just watch for the salt because some of them have quite a lot in them) but it is easy to make and fairly inexpensive.
 |
| This is a picture of my turkey stock that I am making for Thanksgiving. In my crock pot is the turkey bones leftover from when I took the legs, wings, thighs, and breasts off my turkey, the drumsticks (because we don't like them unless they are in soup), a red onion, 8 stems and leaves of sage, 4 garlic cloves, ground black pepper, because that is what I had and enough water to cover. Now to let in cook on low for 12 hours or so. |
First you need bones any flavor will do, as long as they are the same kind. And it doesn't matter if the bones have been cooked or not. Bones can also be roasted before putting in a stock to add flavor and color (as in a roasted chicken stock or a beef stock). If the bones are roasted ahead of time it is considered a dark stock. If they are not, it is considered a white stock. You can also make a vegetable stock, just skip this part.
Next you will need vegetables. Traditionally, most stocks have mire poix, or onions, carrots, and celery, in them. (Mushroom stock, for example, is one of those that does not.) The proportions of the onions, carrots, and celery are 50% onion, 25% celery, 25% carrot. Other vegetables can be added to give flavor and dimension to a stock (or to get rid of old scraps). The vegetables to avoid adding are cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, or any thing that will take over the flavor. I generally stick to celery, carrots, mushrooms, onions, tomato scraps, asparagus, leeks, or parsnips. Sometimes I don't add any. It really depends on how much room I have in pot, actually. Sometimes there are just so many bones that I can barely add water.
Stocks usually have what is called a Bouquet Garni, which is just a fancy way of saying bag of spices. Usually the spices are tied into cheese cloth, added to the bones, veggies, and water, then the bag is removed at the end. I never have cheese cloth at home and if I did my kids would just play with it, so I just add it to the pot itself and just strain it out. Here at home I don't care how clear and perfect it is, I just want stock. The spices in a Bouquet Garnet are pretty simple: garlic, peppercorns, parsley stems. There are more but this is generally what I use. Sometimes I will add different spices depending on what my stock is for. I may add dried peppers and cumin to a Mexican style stock or sage for one for Thanksgiving.
The most important thing about stock is water. And there are two things that you need to consider about the water that you use. First, would you drink it, if you won't drink it don't use it. Second, it has to be cold so that it can properly leech out the flavors and nutrients from your ingredients.
Stock generally takes about 12 hours to cook. I usually don't have the time to babysit it. This is where the crock pot comes in handy. I put everything in before bed and in the morning, I strain it. You are more then welcome to cook it on the stove, just make sure you have a pot large enough for all your ingredients and water to cover it. Also once it comes to a boil, turn it down to a simmer and let it go. I would cook at least 6 hours on the stove, and remember the water will evaporate as it cooks so you do not want the heat to high.
I know that you are supposed to skim the impurities (or foam) off the top as it cooks but truthfully I am usually asleep while my stock is cooking. Feel free to do as you wish. Just remember your stock won't be clear I am okay with this.
Stocks are fully customizable depending the person making them, the ingredients on hand, and the people you are cooking for. If someone can only eat red onions, only use red onions. If someone who will be eating with you is allergic to parsley, don't use it. If your pot is only big enough for your chicken bones and water, you only have dried parsley and ground black pepper, and you really want to add white wine to it, do it. That sounds like a good stock to me.
*note: beef stocks generally have charred onions, roasted bones, red wine, and tomato paste. So if that is the kind you want to make, I would read up on those beef stock recipes before starting
Monday, November 24, 2014
It's All About The Baste
 |
| This beautiful picture is not mine but rather it is courtesy of pixabay, a public domain. |
There is a technique in cooking called barding which in essence is wrapping your food in fat before roasting (or braising, but usually roasting). You know that picture of that turkey covered in weaved bacon that has been circling the social sites recently? That is barding. I do a similar thing except I put a layer of compound butter under the skin (after deboning my turkey of course) then use the skin to wrap around my roast the best I can before I put it in the pan (or tie it with butcher's twine) keeping all that butter under the skin. So, as juice escape the meat the butter is pulled in, viola self-basting. (I know a little confusing but now you want to know how I do it, don't you? Next couple of posts I promise).
So I guess while for some people in is "All About That Baste" for me it is all about the bard. At least we can all agree on the "'more butter" part.
(Oh, as I start my Thanksgiving prep I will add it on here so that it will be up before Thanksgiving to give you guys tips and ideas. That being said I may be posting a lot over the next couple days. Sorry.)
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Simplify Thanksgiving Dinner
Be honest, we make too much food at Thanksgiving. We spend all day Wednesday making pies or desserts and all day Thursday cooking for family to come over and spend time with us. The problem is, you don't get to spend time with anyone unless they are in the kitchen helping you cook. Why? Because we have allowed our turkey dinner to become so large that it HAS to take all day to cook.
You don't believe me well let me break it down for you. Here is a meal you would make on a normal night: Chicken (or Pork or Steak, whatever just stay with me here), some type of starchy side like rice or potatoes, a vegetable, and possibly a salad. Maybe dessert, maybe.
Now let me break down Thanksgiving Dinner for you: roasted turkey or ham or prime rib roast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes (either straight up or in casserole form), green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, some type of vegetable in case people don't like green bean casserole (often this is brussel sprouts, but can be corn, peas, or even a salad), rolls, butter, gravy, and pies for dessert (yep, dessert is mandatory on big holidays).
Yes I know, all Thanksgivings are not this big, but many are. And in case you are counting, that is a difference of 6-8 more items you are shopping, prepping, cooking, and later putting away. No wonder we ask for people to bring dishes and don't have time to mingle unless they too are up to their elbows in some sort of food.
Why do we do this? Because we love our families and we want to make them happy. However, how about you? Are you happy during the day or just when it is over?
I say we should simplify our Thanksgiving dinners. Cut out a dish or four and spend more of the day with those you are thankful for. We don't really need that much food in a single meal anyway. Besides think of how much easier it will be to put it away.
You don't believe me well let me break it down for you. Here is a meal you would make on a normal night: Chicken (or Pork or Steak, whatever just stay with me here), some type of starchy side like rice or potatoes, a vegetable, and possibly a salad. Maybe dessert, maybe.
Now let me break down Thanksgiving Dinner for you: roasted turkey or ham or prime rib roast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes (either straight up or in casserole form), green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, some type of vegetable in case people don't like green bean casserole (often this is brussel sprouts, but can be corn, peas, or even a salad), rolls, butter, gravy, and pies for dessert (yep, dessert is mandatory on big holidays).
Yes I know, all Thanksgivings are not this big, but many are. And in case you are counting, that is a difference of 6-8 more items you are shopping, prepping, cooking, and later putting away. No wonder we ask for people to bring dishes and don't have time to mingle unless they too are up to their elbows in some sort of food.
Why do we do this? Because we love our families and we want to make them happy. However, how about you? Are you happy during the day or just when it is over?
I say we should simplify our Thanksgiving dinners. Cut out a dish or four and spend more of the day with those you are thankful for. We don't really need that much food in a single meal anyway. Besides think of how much easier it will be to put it away.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
A Few Words On Food Allergies
Let's face it, the word "allergy" is thrown around a lot. It is used for very real, some deadly, reactions to food. It is also used by people who don't want to eat certain foods due to adverse reactions, or simple dislike. Sometimes it is easier to say "I am allergic to preservatives", instead of saying "they make my stomach cramp and cause violent vomiting" or say "I am allergic to alcohol" instead of saying "I am an alcoholic and it is none of your business why I am drinking club soda" or even "my son is allergic to gluten" rather than "my son has major mood swings, is hyper, and mean when he has anything with wheat or gluten in it." Are these actual allergies? Maybe, maybe not, but the word does stop others from asking any other questions, or offering the "offending" food.
Whether they are actual allergies or just adverse reactions, food allergies are nothing to joke about. I get incredibly irritated when I here "gluten is not an actual allergy, its just a fad. Eat a loaf of bread already". Tell that to the my friend who was diagnosed with Celiacs. Even a spoon that had a speck of flour on it will send her into gastrointestinal fits. Or try telling my sister "an onion is an onion" when anything other then red onions will give her the same reaction as my celiac freind. My point is, when someone says they are allergic reaction to something (whether they have an allergy or not) there is reason behind it and their wishes should be respected. You may not know or understand why they won't eat this or that but it isn't anyones business besides theirs and ignorant comments like those are not appreciated.
Okay, I am off my soapbox now.
Whether they are actual allergies or just adverse reactions, food allergies are nothing to joke about. I get incredibly irritated when I here "gluten is not an actual allergy, its just a fad. Eat a loaf of bread already". Tell that to the my friend who was diagnosed with Celiacs. Even a spoon that had a speck of flour on it will send her into gastrointestinal fits. Or try telling my sister "an onion is an onion" when anything other then red onions will give her the same reaction as my celiac freind. My point is, when someone says they are allergic reaction to something (whether they have an allergy or not) there is reason behind it and their wishes should be respected. You may not know or understand why they won't eat this or that but it isn't anyones business besides theirs and ignorant comments like those are not appreciated.
Okay, I am off my soapbox now.
I Hate Being Bored (So I Accepted Her Challenge)
Okay, it wasn't really a challenge. Well, it was but she didn't actually challenge me. What am I babbling about? Well let me explain.
I have this friend, let's call her Annie (hi, Annie). She is a pretty awesome person, as well as a great mom. And as a mom, one of the things she does is feed her kids (I know, duh. Stick with me here). Okay we all do that, but Annie along with many, many other moms around the world (including myself), have the extra challenge of food allergies. And often people without food allergies don't realize how dangerous certain foods can be or how difficult it can be to work around it. I chose Annie as my example because her family has a few more restrictions then most. In fact her family has the most that I have ever seen and a slip up can send someone to the emergency room. All these forbidden foods that Annie's family can't have are actually greater then the foods they can. In one way it is a blessing, it keeps any guessing of foods out of her day. On the other hand this also limits her food options greatly. (This is where I come into the story.)
I have this rather unique brain. I can pull together flavors and ingredients and come up with new recipes and ideas in mere minutes. The problem is my culinary minded brain gets bored very easily. So when I met Annie, and leared about her restrictions, I got excited. I now had a challenge: to give her new dinner options that they could eat. A way to change up the same foods they eat everday, a way to make the old new again. And you know what after learning a few things about her restrictions, that is what I did. I gave her a dairy free ricotta recipe that she can use. I also gave her a couple of recipes she can use it in. After I sent her these recipes, I felt foolish. I figured that I was telling her things she already knew or I was giving her things that would be useless to her. You know what? She loved the ideas. She loved the fact that she can add new things to her families limited menu.
I have very low self confidence, I always have, especially regarding my cooking talent. I don't know why, but I am always amazed when someone truly like something I made. That says alot about me as a person. And sometimes that scares me. Other times, I am greatful for it. See, this way I don't get cocky or complacent. I do what I do because I love to cook. My being humble, makes me me. So, I am going to embrace the fact that my brain always thinks about food, because this gives me the ability to help those with or without food allergies out of cooking ruts. And that makes me feel awesome.
I have this friend, let's call her Annie (hi, Annie). She is a pretty awesome person, as well as a great mom. And as a mom, one of the things she does is feed her kids (I know, duh. Stick with me here). Okay we all do that, but Annie along with many, many other moms around the world (including myself), have the extra challenge of food allergies. And often people without food allergies don't realize how dangerous certain foods can be or how difficult it can be to work around it. I chose Annie as my example because her family has a few more restrictions then most. In fact her family has the most that I have ever seen and a slip up can send someone to the emergency room. All these forbidden foods that Annie's family can't have are actually greater then the foods they can. In one way it is a blessing, it keeps any guessing of foods out of her day. On the other hand this also limits her food options greatly. (This is where I come into the story.)
I have this rather unique brain. I can pull together flavors and ingredients and come up with new recipes and ideas in mere minutes. The problem is my culinary minded brain gets bored very easily. So when I met Annie, and leared about her restrictions, I got excited. I now had a challenge: to give her new dinner options that they could eat. A way to change up the same foods they eat everday, a way to make the old new again. And you know what after learning a few things about her restrictions, that is what I did. I gave her a dairy free ricotta recipe that she can use. I also gave her a couple of recipes she can use it in. After I sent her these recipes, I felt foolish. I figured that I was telling her things she already knew or I was giving her things that would be useless to her. You know what? She loved the ideas. She loved the fact that she can add new things to her families limited menu.
I have very low self confidence, I always have, especially regarding my cooking talent. I don't know why, but I am always amazed when someone truly like something I made. That says alot about me as a person. And sometimes that scares me. Other times, I am greatful for it. See, this way I don't get cocky or complacent. I do what I do because I love to cook. My being humble, makes me me. So, I am going to embrace the fact that my brain always thinks about food, because this gives me the ability to help those with or without food allergies out of cooking ruts. And that makes me feel awesome.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
How Do You Make Chicken Strips?
So today I read an article on my Facebook feed from a local new station that said that Los Angeles fast food workers are picketing because they want $15 an hour. I was floored. I, who have an Associates Degree from a Le Cordon Bleu accredited school have never been paid close to that. This tells me two things: I should just get a job with McDonalds and I am not going to be able to afford chicken nuggets when I have that craving. I guess I am going to have to make some myself.
I can do that and I can make them better.
Confessions of a Food Nerd Chicken Strips
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (about 5-6 strips per breast)
2 Tbsp dry ranch dip mix*
1 cup of flour (white rice flour works well to if you are looking to make this gluten free)
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
2 cups bread crumbs (or crushed gluten free cereal)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a bowl mix together chicken and ranch powder. Set aside.
Put the flour in a medium bowl, set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together eggs and water, set aside.
In another bowl (yes another) mix together crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, and salt.
Grease a cookie sheet.
On your counter, in this order, place the bowl of chicken, the bowl of flour, the egg mixture, the crumb/cheese mixture, and the cookie sheet. Now you have a chicken strip assembly line.
Take a piece of chicken and coat it first in flour, then in egg, then in crumbs, finish by placing on cookie sheet. Continue until all of the chicken are coated.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, turn them over and cook them for another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Serve with your favorite sides. Makes 4 servings.
*I used ranch dip mix to season these, feel free to use whatever you like to season them. Most ranch mixes are not gluten free unless you make it yourself. Read packages before using if you are making these strips gluten free.
I can do that and I can make them better.
Confessions of a Food Nerd Chicken Strips
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (about 5-6 strips per breast)
2 Tbsp dry ranch dip mix*
1 cup of flour (white rice flour works well to if you are looking to make this gluten free)
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
2 cups bread crumbs (or crushed gluten free cereal)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a bowl mix together chicken and ranch powder. Set aside.
Put the flour in a medium bowl, set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together eggs and water, set aside.
In another bowl (yes another) mix together crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, and salt.
Grease a cookie sheet.
On your counter, in this order, place the bowl of chicken, the bowl of flour, the egg mixture, the crumb/cheese mixture, and the cookie sheet. Now you have a chicken strip assembly line.
Take a piece of chicken and coat it first in flour, then in egg, then in crumbs, finish by placing on cookie sheet. Continue until all of the chicken are coated.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, turn them over and cook them for another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Serve with your favorite sides. Makes 4 servings.
*I used ranch dip mix to season these, feel free to use whatever you like to season them. Most ranch mixes are not gluten free unless you make it yourself. Read packages before using if you are making these strips gluten free.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Green is Good
I will never understand why people buy Tomatillo Salsa or canned Verde Sauce. I mean, I understand why they use it, for making lovely Pork Verde or "Green" Enchiladas, but I don't know why they BUY it when it is so easy to make.
Seriously, it is super easy and it tastes fantastic. Let me show you how easy it is:
 |
| First I assembled my ingredients: Tomatillos **, Jalapenos, Anaheim Chili, Garlic, and Onions. |
 |
| Then after peeling my tomatillos, onions, and garlic, and removing the seeds from my chilies, I cut them into 1 inch pieces. |
 |
| Then I added water, covered them and let them cook for 10 minutes. I then let it cool for about 30 minutes. (I did this for safety, but you do not need to as long as you know how to safely puree hot foods) |
 |
| Finally, I blended it until smooth and seasoned it with salt. (I used a blender but a food processor or stick blender will work fine.) |
Easy, right? And I can make it as spicy as I want (this one is pretty mild, because I am a wimp but feel free to up the spicy) and I know exactly what is in it. The best part is it is customizable. If you only eat red onion, use a red onion. If you like it spicy use Serrano and jalapenos. If you can't find a kind of chili in your area, feel free to substitute. If you like it chunky like a salsa, pulse it until it is how you like it. Instead of pureeing it.
Use it how ever you would use your favorite canned or bottled brand. I throw it over a pork roast and cook it slowly in my crock pot or slow cooker for 8 hours. Now you have Chili Verde for burritos, enchiladas, taquitos, or to eat with tortillas rice and beans. I have even poured some into my ground chicken while I was sauteing it. Serve in corn tortillas with little Monterrey jack cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, sour cream, avocados and you have some pretty spectacular tacos.
This is kind of a to taste recipe, but for those of you that need a recipe here you go:
Confessions of a Food Nerd Tomatillo Salsa
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, whole
1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, cut into half inch pieces (if you like spicy add more)
1 Anaheim, stem and seeds removed, cut into half inch pieces
1 cup water
Place all items in a medium a saute pan or pot. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, let set for 20-30 minutes (this is for safety reasons)*. Puree until smooth using a stick blender, blender, or food processor (basically what ever you have). Season to taste. Use however you wish (I actually put it in Ziploc bags and freeze it for meals for later).
If you do not have any way to blend it but would still like to make this, small dice your onion and tomatillos, and mince your chilies and garlic. Cook with 1/2 cup water. The flavor will still be there but it will be chunky with liquid.
*BLENDER SAFETY: Never fill your blender or food processor more then half way with hot food or liquid, yes this means you will probably have to blend in batches. Remove the plastic stopper from your blender top and hold a clean towel (folded over several times) over the top of the hold. If you don't have a way for the steam to escape, it will find a way to usually bringing the food with it. Last thing you want is hot food exploding out of the blender and all over you and your kitchen. Don't be afraid to use your blender with hot foods. As long as you follow the rules, you should be fine. If you are worried simply wait for your stuff to cool. It is easy enough to heat back up if needed.
**Tomatillos are not green tomatoes but are actually related to goose berries. They are actually quite tart in flavor, but not in a bad way. They have skins or husks on them that need to be peeled before using. When buying them, look for tight skins and firm tomatillos. If all of the skins are loose choose the ones with the tighter skins, these are the freshest. Loose skins, old tomatillos. When the skins are removed the tomatillos will be slightly sticky, just rinse them off and you are good to go.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
I Am A Different Kind Of Girl
There is just over one month until my birthday which means it is time to start dropping hints about what I want for my birthday. Most girls want a vacation, jewelry, shopping spree, spa day... Not me. Nope, I am a different kind of girl.
I am the girl who embraces her nerdiness for food. I am the girl who will go out of her way to try something new with food "just because". I am the type of girl to buy vodka and fresh ingredients to make herself some homemade extracts (that post will make its appearance around the holidays, I promise). So, of course that means that I am the type of girl who will ask for something a little different from her husband for her birthday.
What do I have on my shopping list this year:
1. A really big bag of expensive Expandex Tapioca Starch so that I can finally make some homemade gluten free bread.
2. The "Gluten Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread" Cookbook (I have been waiting for this for months and just have not gotten around to buying it.
3. Candy Molds for both chocolates and hard candies. (I have been making everything from butter creams, to toffees, to gummies, to marshmallows and nougatines, a candy made of sugar, egg whites, and some type of nuts, for the the last 12 years. I was even offered a job working with a Chocolatier simply on my butter creams. A job I turned down to be near family.)
4. Vanilla Beans, a lot of them.
5. Mason Jars, big and small. Oh and cool spice jars so that I can blend my own spices.
6. Large bottles of GOOD vodka to make my extracts (and yes I mean the expensive stuff, no rot gut for these, but smooth vodka).
7. Good Chocolate for both making truffles and butter creams.
8. Chocolate Transfer Sheets, plastic sheets that have edible printing that, once the chocolate is placed over the top of the sheet and dries, will make gorgeous panels so that I can make Chocolate boxes to hold my homemade candies.
9. And last but certainly not least, a sausage stuffer and natural casings so I can play around with homemade link sausage and hot dogs.
Do you notice the distinct lack of the normal girl stuff on this list, no jewelry, no clothes, no spa days. Just different things that will let me continue to play with my food. And there is nothing wrong with that. At least not today.
I am the girl who embraces her nerdiness for food. I am the girl who will go out of her way to try something new with food "just because". I am the type of girl to buy vodka and fresh ingredients to make herself some homemade extracts (that post will make its appearance around the holidays, I promise). So, of course that means that I am the type of girl who will ask for something a little different from her husband for her birthday.
What do I have on my shopping list this year:
1. A really big bag of expensive Expandex Tapioca Starch so that I can finally make some homemade gluten free bread.
2. The "Gluten Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread" Cookbook (I have been waiting for this for months and just have not gotten around to buying it.
3. Candy Molds for both chocolates and hard candies. (I have been making everything from butter creams, to toffees, to gummies, to marshmallows and nougatines, a candy made of sugar, egg whites, and some type of nuts, for the the last 12 years. I was even offered a job working with a Chocolatier simply on my butter creams. A job I turned down to be near family.)
4. Vanilla Beans, a lot of them.
5. Mason Jars, big and small. Oh and cool spice jars so that I can blend my own spices.
6. Large bottles of GOOD vodka to make my extracts (and yes I mean the expensive stuff, no rot gut for these, but smooth vodka).
7. Good Chocolate for both making truffles and butter creams.
8. Chocolate Transfer Sheets, plastic sheets that have edible printing that, once the chocolate is placed over the top of the sheet and dries, will make gorgeous panels so that I can make Chocolate boxes to hold my homemade candies.
9. And last but certainly not least, a sausage stuffer and natural casings so I can play around with homemade link sausage and hot dogs.
Do you notice the distinct lack of the normal girl stuff on this list, no jewelry, no clothes, no spa days. Just different things that will let me continue to play with my food. And there is nothing wrong with that. At least not today.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
I Am Not Lazy, I Simply Use Time Economically
I am a little jealous of people who can buy meals from the stores that are pre-made or prepped ahead for a quick or easy dinner. Ironically, I am jealous of the same people who wish they had the time to make dinner from scratch and not have to buy the pre-made or convenient food. The fact is, this is a grass is always greener situation. I want the convenience meals but I can't buy foods that my family I can't eat, while others want the homemade food that I feed my family without spending the time they may not have making it. What do you do? Well, I don't know about you, but I try to find a way to have both.
There is a misnomer that just because I have gone to culinary school, that means I do everything long, complicated way. Well, that simply is not true. To quote an ex-boss "if I can find a way to make something quicker and easier without ruining the integrity of the food or the final product, I am going to do it". That pretty much sums up how I look at cooking.
Like, I have said before, I am a busy Mom who likes the idea of convenience food, I just don't like the way that big brands make it. Besides there are several health concerns in my family which make some of these meals impossible to serve to us. So after my big monthly shopping, I make my own convenience foods. Ones devoid of preservatives, gluten, excess carbohydrates, too much sugar or salt, or any thing I don't want my family eating. They are convenient foods made with real product at the ready whenever I need them. How do I do this?
I do this three ways:
1. I make freezer meals. When I say freezer meals I mean the meals are either completed and just need to be reheated, such as a casserole, or everything is combined in one Ziploc bag or container and just needs to be cooked, usually in a slow cooker or oven. (Like my Chili or my Orange Chicken).
2. I also do what I call frozen prep. These are not meals but are actually components of a meal that are uncooked but are prepped to the point of cooking, usually I even put them in disposable aluminum pans so that I can just put them straight in the oven (I get all of mine at The Dollar Store and they save me so much time on clean up, it is worth the extra $20 a month on pans, tin foil, and plastic wrap). These may be main courses or side dishes but they are not full meals ready for a final heat. These usually need things added. This also includes "kits" I keep in my freezer, which simply means meals that have all the ingredients in one place but still need to be cooked. (For example my "Spaghetti and Meatball Kit" will include fresh or dried pasta, a package of homemade precooked meatballs, a package of my homemade sauce, and a packet of fresh grated Parmesan (because my daughter will eat all of the cheese if it stays in the refrigerator)).
3. I make my own packaged mixes. Pancake mix, muffin mix, cornbread mix, cake mix are all made at the beginning of the month by combining all the dry ingredients and placing them in storage bags for my later convenience. I will place each single batch in a quart zip top bag label them, then place all of one kind of mix in a large bag with a card that has directions of what to add and how to cook. Now I have my own baking mixes ready to go.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but I have found ways to cut back on time so I can do a months worth of cooking over three days, only cooking about 4-6 hours a day. The rest of the month I have delicious, nutritious meals waiting for me that work into my time schedule (or lack there of).
I haven't completely figured out how to do Mock Rice A Roni or Hamburger Helpers yet, but I have found a company that sells dried products and powders that don't have any of the things on my "NO" list, so those are not out of the realm of possibility. I will let you know.
(And yes I plan to show you how I do all of this but that has to wait for my big shopping trip on the first.)
There is a misnomer that just because I have gone to culinary school, that means I do everything long, complicated way. Well, that simply is not true. To quote an ex-boss "if I can find a way to make something quicker and easier without ruining the integrity of the food or the final product, I am going to do it". That pretty much sums up how I look at cooking.
Like, I have said before, I am a busy Mom who likes the idea of convenience food, I just don't like the way that big brands make it. Besides there are several health concerns in my family which make some of these meals impossible to serve to us. So after my big monthly shopping, I make my own convenience foods. Ones devoid of preservatives, gluten, excess carbohydrates, too much sugar or salt, or any thing I don't want my family eating. They are convenient foods made with real product at the ready whenever I need them. How do I do this?
I do this three ways:
1. I make freezer meals. When I say freezer meals I mean the meals are either completed and just need to be reheated, such as a casserole, or everything is combined in one Ziploc bag or container and just needs to be cooked, usually in a slow cooker or oven. (Like my Chili or my Orange Chicken).
2. I also do what I call frozen prep. These are not meals but are actually components of a meal that are uncooked but are prepped to the point of cooking, usually I even put them in disposable aluminum pans so that I can just put them straight in the oven (I get all of mine at The Dollar Store and they save me so much time on clean up, it is worth the extra $20 a month on pans, tin foil, and plastic wrap). These may be main courses or side dishes but they are not full meals ready for a final heat. These usually need things added. This also includes "kits" I keep in my freezer, which simply means meals that have all the ingredients in one place but still need to be cooked. (For example my "Spaghetti and Meatball Kit" will include fresh or dried pasta, a package of homemade precooked meatballs, a package of my homemade sauce, and a packet of fresh grated Parmesan (because my daughter will eat all of the cheese if it stays in the refrigerator)).
3. I make my own packaged mixes. Pancake mix, muffin mix, cornbread mix, cake mix are all made at the beginning of the month by combining all the dry ingredients and placing them in storage bags for my later convenience. I will place each single batch in a quart zip top bag label them, then place all of one kind of mix in a large bag with a card that has directions of what to add and how to cook. Now I have my own baking mixes ready to go.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but I have found ways to cut back on time so I can do a months worth of cooking over three days, only cooking about 4-6 hours a day. The rest of the month I have delicious, nutritious meals waiting for me that work into my time schedule (or lack there of).
I haven't completely figured out how to do Mock Rice A Roni or Hamburger Helpers yet, but I have found a company that sells dried products and powders that don't have any of the things on my "NO" list, so those are not out of the realm of possibility. I will let you know.
(And yes I plan to show you how I do all of this but that has to wait for my big shopping trip on the first.)
Thursday, August 21, 2014
When I want Eggos...
...I usually want them simply for the convenience of them. Admit it waking up in the morning and throwing them in the toaster for a quick breakfast can make the morning that much smoother (or for when you don't know what to have for dinner). However, I don't like Eggo waffles, I never have. What I do like is the idea and convenience behind the toaster waffle.
 |
| Me Keeping It Real |
So of course, I took it back to basics. I made my favorite waffle batter (mine is from scratch (and gluten free) but use your favorite waffle batter whether it is homemade, Bisquik, or a box waffle and pancake mix). Then I cooked my waffles and laid them flat, single layer on a parchment paper lined (or wax paper if the waffles aren't too hot) cookie sheet to cool. Then I freeze the entire pan. Once they are frozen I transfer them to a gallon size freezer zip top bag. Now, I just keep them in the freezer for those moments when I need a quick breakfast. I just put them in toaster and in minutes hot waffles.
 |
| My Homemade Toaster Waffles |
Here is my favorite gluten free waffle recipe, if you would like it:
Confession of a Food Nerd's Gluten Free Waffles
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour (I use a mock flour blend created by www.glutenfreeonashoestring.com. This one is her Better than cup4cup flour blend)
1 tsp xanthan gum (omit if flour blend already contains it, which mine does)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients. in a different bowl mix together wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine, batter will be slightly lumpy. Let set for 10 minutes. Now you are ready to make your waffles.
Tip: For easier and less messy waffle making, transfer batter to either a pitcher or a liquid measure cup with a spout. Now it is easy to pour, just wipe off the spout with a napkin between pours.
The Gourmet Burger Without The Cost
Time for another confession: I LOVE a good gourmet burger. I do. I would go to Red Robin (yum!!!) every day, except for the fact that I can't afford it. Oh and I can't eat ground beef and it is difficult to find a good chicken burger (not a sandwich, a burger. There is a difference), not to mention it is hard to get gluten free food options out. If it weren't for all that I would be there when they opened for lunch everyday.
But since that just isn't feasible, I have to find another way to enjoy a gourmet burger. My local grocery store's meat counter makes some fancy burger patties with ingredients like bacon and bleu cheese or jalapeno and cheddar cheese mixed in with the meat. Sadly they only make beef burgers (why is it always beef?) and they are about $4.99 a lb on sale (and the burgers are almost a half lb each, so that would mean it would be $12.50 or more for each person in my family of five to get one burger. And that is the price just for the meat). So, I had pretty much given up on my dream of a gourmet burger I can eat.
Knowing my dilemma, my husband suggested I make my own. After some searching through my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry it was decided I would make a Jalapeno Queso Chicken Burger (well jalapeno for my husband, the kids and I are wimps and had Queso Fresco Chicken Burgers).
I assembled my ingredients (ground chicken, queso fresco, jalapeno, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper) and got to work. It was really easy, I just put it all in a bowl, mixed it together and formed it into patties. Simple.
My next step was to heat up my grill (have I ever mentioned that I love having an indoor electric grill. I can grill whenever I want without needing charcoal, propane, or to socialize with my neighbors). I set my temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and let it get nice and hot (because of the cheese, I wanted to get a nice crust on the outside.) After about 15-20 minutes (7-10 minutes on each side) they were done.
I wish I had tomato, lettuce, and onion to finish to add to them, but my son ate all the tomatoes and my daughter made herself a salad yesterday finishing off my lettuce and onion, oh well. I served it with "green bean fries" (as my children call them), which are just frozen green beans I through on my indoor grill and drizzled with olive oil then sprinkled with salt and pepper.
These were so good. And can you imagine with what I can do the next time I want a gourmet burger. How about a buffalo chicken burger with bleu cheese and hot sauce inside the chicken patty. Or a Chili Verde burger with green salsa in a pork patty, maybe with the a little pepper jack cheese thrown in. How about a turkey burger with minced (uncooked) bacon added to the meat before cooking (the fat from the bacon will keep the turkey from drying out while cooking, plus the flavor will be phenomenal). With all of the cheeses, vegetables, meats, and sauces available, the possibilities are endless.
So, don't be held down by having plain beef burgers. Be creative, have fun, and make an awesome gourmet burger of your own. (Try it with cooked bacon, ground beef, and a little hard apple cider along with the spices. It will blow your mind).
Confession of a Food Nerds (Jalapeno) Queso Chicken Burgers
1 lb ground chicken
6 ounces grated queso fresco cheese (I never know when I need queso fresco, so I freeze mine after I buy it then let it defrost slightly before grating. This caused it to crumble pretty finely, which is find for what I needed it for)
1-4 ounces jalapeno grated (this is optional and depends on how spicy you like it. I left it out of mine and my children's but put 2 ounces in my husbands 8 ounces of chicken. I just used a box grater to grate my jalapeno, seeds and all)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Preheat a grill, grill pan, heavy bottom saute pan or skillet. Mix all ingredients together, this may take a bit and when it is done it will resemble a fatty ground beef (but it is chicken and cheese, yum). Portion into 4 patties (these will be about 5-6 ounce patties). If pan or grill is not nonstick, lightly grease by putting oil on a paper towel and, while using a pair of tongs, grease your grill or pan. Add your burgers and let sit for 7 minutes or until a nice golden brown. DO NOT MOVE THEM UNTIL THEY RELEASE THEMSELVES FROM THE PAN, you want a crust or grill marks to form. (If you are using a grill or grill pan, and you want those pretty hash marks turn your patties 45 degrees and cook for 3 -4 more minutes). Flip your burgers and let cook until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 7-10 more minutes (remember you want a nice crust on them, and if you want hash marks to turn your patties 45 degrees). Let set 10 minutes before serving. (These would be awesome on buns I just didn't have any).
But since that just isn't feasible, I have to find another way to enjoy a gourmet burger. My local grocery store's meat counter makes some fancy burger patties with ingredients like bacon and bleu cheese or jalapeno and cheddar cheese mixed in with the meat. Sadly they only make beef burgers (why is it always beef?) and they are about $4.99 a lb on sale (and the burgers are almost a half lb each, so that would mean it would be $12.50 or more for each person in my family of five to get one burger. And that is the price just for the meat). So, I had pretty much given up on my dream of a gourmet burger I can eat.
Knowing my dilemma, my husband suggested I make my own. After some searching through my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry it was decided I would make a Jalapeno Queso Chicken Burger (well jalapeno for my husband, the kids and I are wimps and had Queso Fresco Chicken Burgers).
I assembled my ingredients (ground chicken, queso fresco, jalapeno, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper) and got to work. It was really easy, I just put it all in a bowl, mixed it together and formed it into patties. Simple.
 |
| Ingredients Assemble: Grated Queso Fresco, Ground Chicken,Spices, and Grated Jalapeno (It is only a quarter of the recipe in this picture). |
 |
| Getting Thier Grill On: Jalapeno Queso Chicken Patty on top, Plain Queso Patty on the bottom |
I wish I had tomato, lettuce, and onion to finish to add to them, but my son ate all the tomatoes and my daughter made herself a salad yesterday finishing off my lettuce and onion, oh well. I served it with "green bean fries" (as my children call them), which are just frozen green beans I through on my indoor grill and drizzled with olive oil then sprinkled with salt and pepper.
 |
| My Gourmet Burgers in All There Glory: Queso Chicken Burger (opened on left) and Jalapeno Chicken burger (on right beneath the Queso Burger) with Green Bean Fries |
These were so good. And can you imagine with what I can do the next time I want a gourmet burger. How about a buffalo chicken burger with bleu cheese and hot sauce inside the chicken patty. Or a Chili Verde burger with green salsa in a pork patty, maybe with the a little pepper jack cheese thrown in. How about a turkey burger with minced (uncooked) bacon added to the meat before cooking (the fat from the bacon will keep the turkey from drying out while cooking, plus the flavor will be phenomenal). With all of the cheeses, vegetables, meats, and sauces available, the possibilities are endless.
So, don't be held down by having plain beef burgers. Be creative, have fun, and make an awesome gourmet burger of your own. (Try it with cooked bacon, ground beef, and a little hard apple cider along with the spices. It will blow your mind).
Confession of a Food Nerds (Jalapeno) Queso Chicken Burgers
1 lb ground chicken
6 ounces grated queso fresco cheese (I never know when I need queso fresco, so I freeze mine after I buy it then let it defrost slightly before grating. This caused it to crumble pretty finely, which is find for what I needed it for)
1-4 ounces jalapeno grated (this is optional and depends on how spicy you like it. I left it out of mine and my children's but put 2 ounces in my husbands 8 ounces of chicken. I just used a box grater to grate my jalapeno, seeds and all)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Preheat a grill, grill pan, heavy bottom saute pan or skillet. Mix all ingredients together, this may take a bit and when it is done it will resemble a fatty ground beef (but it is chicken and cheese, yum). Portion into 4 patties (these will be about 5-6 ounce patties). If pan or grill is not nonstick, lightly grease by putting oil on a paper towel and, while using a pair of tongs, grease your grill or pan. Add your burgers and let sit for 7 minutes or until a nice golden brown. DO NOT MOVE THEM UNTIL THEY RELEASE THEMSELVES FROM THE PAN, you want a crust or grill marks to form. (If you are using a grill or grill pan, and you want those pretty hash marks turn your patties 45 degrees and cook for 3 -4 more minutes). Flip your burgers and let cook until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 7-10 more minutes (remember you want a nice crust on them, and if you want hash marks to turn your patties 45 degrees). Let set 10 minutes before serving. (These would be awesome on buns I just didn't have any).
Friday, August 15, 2014
I Feed Five People On How Much?
I read an article the other day that told how much money
Michelle Dugger (19 Kids and Counting) spends each month on groceries for the
21 of them*. Once you break down the the rather large number of $3000, it turns out she spends $35 per person per week. That is $5 per person per
day. The article then went on to describe how she is able to do it. (I don’t really remember the rest of the
article because my thoughts started going in a different direction).
This got me thinking, if I break down our budget into weeks
by person, how much money am I spending on food for my family of 5? The answer is (drum roll please) an amazing
$24 a week per person, that equates to $3.43 a day. Yeah I couldn't believe it either (it is amazing what you can get on a food budget of $480 a month), and we do
this while eating gluten free. So I
started thinking about how I am able to do it. This is what I do:
 |
| The view inside my 5 gallon rice bucket |
- I buy in bulk, a lot. In fact Sam’s Club has this really handy service called “click and pull” where I can shop online for exactly what I need (without the spur of the moment splurges) and pick it up and pay for it in store. This service is free to all members and it saved me a whole lot of time and money (because I could pass up those people selling caramel popcorn and those really good sausages that temp me to buy).
- I buy my grains and sugar in 25 lb bags and I store them in large 5 gallon buckets that I got from the bakery of my local grocery store for almost free (all I had to do was ask).
- After I buy in bulk, I separate everything for throughout the month. This often means grating cheese and freezing it in 8 oz packages (and this is why I love my food processor) or separating my own pork loin into chops, roasts, and for grinding (which yes I do on my own). It also means separating or “breaking down” whole chickens into parts, using the bones to make some stock or “bone broth” in my Crock pot or slow cooker.
- Instead of buying ham, sausages, or precooked meatballs I make them myself using my fresh meat and a bunch of seasonings, then portion them and freeze for later.
- I grind my own flours: rice, brown rice, oat… The only ones I don’t mess with is tapioca flour (it is less expensive to just buy the flour) and potato starch. Then I use these to mix my own flour all purpose gluten free flour blends.
- I
don’t buy my gluten free snacks. I make
my own crackers, cookies, and cakes. This
saves me SO much money.
mmm, Cookies - Since my food money comes at the beginning of the month, I shop all at once. This means I will buy frozen vegetables for the second part of the month when all my fresh is gone. Now I know you are thinking, why do I only shop once a month? Well that is because if I shop for only what I need for the week, my son will go through it in a few days. Then I am at the store spending more money, and more money. Suddenly I have 20 days left of the month and no money for food. By buying it at the beginning of the month, portioning it, and placing it in the freezer I have now guaranteed myself food later in the month. Sure it is a lot of work for two or three days, but not only do I have meal size portions for 5, I have already done much of my prep so dinner is actually faster.
- I buy all my produce fresh from a local produce stand. The quality is good and the cost is less then my local supermarket. Don’t get me wrong I would love to buy fresh produce every couple of days. If I had the extra $11 per person a week I would get my produce often, but I don’t, so I make do with what I have without arguing.
- As
much as I wish I could use coupons, I don’t (or at least not very often).
I do not buy enough items at the regular store to really justify the
amount of money saved with the time I would spend cutting coupons. I do, however, pay much attention to store
ads. That is where I get quite a bit of
savings. (Oh and buying store brands).
- I have detailed lists of what I am going to buy and where. When I go shopping it is all about the lists. I go through my stores weekly ads and write a list of sale items and where to find them. Then I write a list of all the food I will need for the month, especially all my staple pantry items. After that I divide it by store (I even try to put the list in order of store) and give each store a budget based on what is on each stores list. Is this a little extreme, perhaps (and yes I hand write all my lists). However, I find that if I have a detailed list with a set amount that I am allowed to spend per store, I am more likely to not go over or buy impulsively. And I am then very aware of my budget.
 |
| the lists that I use monthly for shopping |
Now I know this system does not work for everyone. And I know that most people do not go to the amount
of trouble I go to, but that is what I do so I do not have to feed my children
Hamburger Helper (not that there is anything wrong with that, I just cannot eat
it). That is why I am a nerd of food and I do what I do, for my family.
*If you would like to read the article that started it all, here it is: http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/172192/michelle_duggars_monthly_grocery_bill
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Let's Discuss My Pantry
Alright, confession time (and this may be a long confession),
I don’t make EVERYTHING from scratch.
But I do make most things from scratch.
The few things I do buy canned and premade, I have very good reasons
for. Let me explain them shall I.
My son eats tomatoes like candy. No, he really does. I can go through 10 lbs of tomatoes is under
a week (I have seen it happen), and while this is much better for him then candy,
it is horrible on my budget (remember no garden). So, unless tomatoes happen to be on a reduced
sell rack or in a bargain bin where I can buy lots of overripe tomatoes for
pennies, it is not cost effective for me to make my own tomato sauce completely
from scratch (besides the tomatoes would never make it to a sauce anyway unless
they were deemed soft or icky by my son).
Unfortunately, I am not always able to find tomatoes in a bargain bin;
this is where the canned tomatoes come into play. I do not use canned tomato sauce, and unless
I am making Spanish shrimp or ketchup, I do not use tomato paste, what I use is
crushed tomatoes in puree and diced tomatoes in juice (never stewed, my husband
does not like them). Why don’t I use the
whole tomatoes? I am just lazy enough to
not want to have to deal with cutting them.
Don’t get me wrong, they are a great product, I just don’t want to spend
extra time cutting them when I don’t have to.
I buy all my condiments.
Sure I could make my own mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and pickle relish,
but why would I want to. (Okay I do make
my own ketchup, but for the day to day “gotta have it on my hot dog”, I will go
for the bottle every time. Hey, don’t
judge.) Mayonnaise is fairly easy to
make, but because of the raw egg yolks in homemade mayonnaise, I prefer to give
my children the stuff in the jar. I am
not going to make mustard from scratch (I have had to make hot Chinese mustard
too many times to want to try to make my own mustard. Nope, just point me to the yellow bottle). I will make my own relish if I have to as I
only like the dill; but once again, I am lazy enough to spend the couple of
dollars it takes to buy the jar.
Barbecue sauce is negotiable. If
I have the ingredients at home and I am making ribs or chicken (or I want to
make a cranberry barbecue sauce), I will make some fresh. If it is just for dipping chicken strips into,
seriously I will just hand you which ever bottle I just bought on sale.
Other items that I buy already done for me is pickles and
olives (because seriously, unless I find cucumbers on a really good sale it is
cheaper to just buy pickles and I don’t have an olive tree to make my own
olives), canned tuna (for sandwiches), ground coffee (because if I had beans I
would never grind them. I am being
completely honest here), evaporated and condensed milk, canned kidney beans and
canned pinto beans (I have the dried versions of both but some days I don’t
have time to cook them. I only buy the
Sun Vista brand (if I can) and only the whole beans) and jars of salsa (my
husband prefers jarred, so, less work for me).
Oh and potato chips, pork rinds, corn tortillas (because with the amount
we eat, it is easier to go to a store that makes them fresh everyday), soda,
and frozen fruits and vegetables (for when I run out of my fresh). And I never
make my own yogurt (we just don’t eat enough of it to bother) and cottage
cheese. I also keep a backup container of
stock in my pantry although I prefer to make it myself. Everything else (soy
sauce, Worcestershire, grains, sugar, vinegar, spices…) are all considered
regular pantry items that I need to make things (besides I would never try to
make some of that stuff anyway).
I may be a nerd, but I am not stupid. If there is an easier, less expensive yet
equally good product, I will buy it. Let’s
face it I am still a busy Mom, who doesn't have all day to cook, no matter how
much I want to, so yes there are things that I do purchase premade. Things that you WONT find in my pantry,
however, are hamburger helper, macaroni and cheese (although you will find the
ingredients to make it), rice a roni or pasta roni, canned enchilada sauce (why
when it is so easy to make and tastes better homemade), frozen pizzas (unless I
made them myself), frozen burritos, frozen potpies, TV dinners, frozen
casseroles (again, unless I make them myself), or anything else that has as
many preservatives in it as ingredients.
See, I don’t make everything from scratch (I still haven’t figured out
how to do bacon) but I do make a lot of what we eat that way. (And to answer the question I was once asked
by my neighbor, yes I own a can opener, 3 to be exact.)
*All of these items came directly out of my cupboard and I am in no way affiliated with any of them (just don't want to get busted by some company).
Monday, August 11, 2014
Okay, So How Did You Make That Ham Anyway?
So are any of you thinking that? I thought so. Here is another picture of it for those of you who missed it.
To start with I looked online at what types of meat I should use for a ham. Then, I looked through several cookbooks on what I should use to cure it. Then, I threw all of that out the window and did it my own way.
I don't own a smoker. I didn't have money or time to find the "pink" curing salt or the spices needed. I didn't have the cut of meat they wanted me to use. I had table salt, various dried spices, whole pork loin I was cutting into chops, and a determination to make my own ham. (Sorry I don't have pictures of everything I used, I will do that next time. I didn't realize this was going into a blog. I didn't even know I had a blog).
I briefly glanced at a Canadian bacon recipe (which is a smoked, cured pork loin), then decided to go my own way. (Hey I cook good, I never claimed to cook authentic.) I threw this and that in a pot, brought it to a boil, let it cool then poured it over my pork loin, which was in a Ziploc (I left the fat on but I did cut about half of the meat off the bottom, next time I won't. Cut the meat down I mean, I loved the fat cap on it). Then I let it sit in my refrigerator for three days, turning it over each day. After that I just cooked it on a rack over a cookie sheet in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven until an internal temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit was reached (I can't tell you exactly how long yours will take as it depends on the thickness of your meat, but my 3 inch tall pork loin took 1 hour an 20 minutes or so).
The hard part was letting in cool enough to cut.
Food Nerd Fresh Cured Pork Loin (I call it ham)
1 -2 lb pork loin roast (or you can use 1 1/2 inch loin chops, just don't brine longer 6 hours before cooking)
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup salt
3/4 cups honey
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp cracked pepper corns
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (if you like more smoke use it)
Put all ingredients except pork in a pot to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Put pork in a Ziploc or storage bag and pour brine over the top. Seal removing as much air from the bag as necessary. Place in the refrigerator for 3 days turning each day (if you are using loin chops, turn twice. Don't brine for longer then 6 hours). At the end of the three days remove from liquid and place on a rack over a cookie sheet or roasting pan (roast will look dried out on edges, almost like jerky and feel a little stiff). Roast LOW at 200 degrees until an internal temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit is reached (time depends on thickness). Let rest at least 30 minutes before slicing. FOR CHOPS: Loin chops can be roasted as roast, pan seared then finished in the oven, or grilled. Do not over brine chops they are much thinner then roasts. Treat the brine more as a marinade then an actual cure.
 |
| Mmm, fresh cured pork loin |
To start with I looked online at what types of meat I should use for a ham. Then, I looked through several cookbooks on what I should use to cure it. Then, I threw all of that out the window and did it my own way.
I don't own a smoker. I didn't have money or time to find the "pink" curing salt or the spices needed. I didn't have the cut of meat they wanted me to use. I had table salt, various dried spices, whole pork loin I was cutting into chops, and a determination to make my own ham. (Sorry I don't have pictures of everything I used, I will do that next time. I didn't realize this was going into a blog. I didn't even know I had a blog).
I briefly glanced at a Canadian bacon recipe (which is a smoked, cured pork loin), then decided to go my own way. (Hey I cook good, I never claimed to cook authentic.) I threw this and that in a pot, brought it to a boil, let it cool then poured it over my pork loin, which was in a Ziploc (I left the fat on but I did cut about half of the meat off the bottom, next time I won't. Cut the meat down I mean, I loved the fat cap on it). Then I let it sit in my refrigerator for three days, turning it over each day. After that I just cooked it on a rack over a cookie sheet in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven until an internal temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit was reached (I can't tell you exactly how long yours will take as it depends on the thickness of your meat, but my 3 inch tall pork loin took 1 hour an 20 minutes or so).
The hard part was letting in cool enough to cut.
Food Nerd Fresh Cured Pork Loin (I call it ham)
1 -2 lb pork loin roast (or you can use 1 1/2 inch loin chops, just don't brine longer 6 hours before cooking)
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup salt
3/4 cups honey
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp cracked pepper corns
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (if you like more smoke use it)
Put all ingredients except pork in a pot to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Put pork in a Ziploc or storage bag and pour brine over the top. Seal removing as much air from the bag as necessary. Place in the refrigerator for 3 days turning each day (if you are using loin chops, turn twice. Don't brine for longer then 6 hours). At the end of the three days remove from liquid and place on a rack over a cookie sheet or roasting pan (roast will look dried out on edges, almost like jerky and feel a little stiff). Roast LOW at 200 degrees until an internal temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit is reached (time depends on thickness). Let rest at least 30 minutes before slicing. FOR CHOPS: Loin chops can be roasted as roast, pan seared then finished in the oven, or grilled. Do not over brine chops they are much thinner then roasts. Treat the brine more as a marinade then an actual cure.
Welcome To My Grand Experiment
I am a nerd, a food nerd, a big one. I go out of my way to make everything from scratch. What do I mean by everything? I have been known to grind my own flours and meats, I make my own sausage, and have even cured a pork loin so I can enjoy fresh ham.
I don't however have a garden, own chickens, or raise pigs or cattle (I am pretty sure my apartment manager wouldn't like me very much if I did).
I cook in a way I enjoy for my families and loved ones, and I don't expect anyone else too. However, I will share my stories and recipes for those of you that might.
I went to culinary school and worked in several restaurants (okay 3, but I was there for at least 3 years each) before becoming a stay at home mom. Oh, how I miss it though. I miss giving tips or showing others easier ways to do things. I miss talking food and answering cooking questions. I have a wealth of knowledge and nowhere to channel it. Until now.
So hit me with questions, stories, or even a family recipe you would like to "nerd down", email me at confessionsofafoodnerd@gmail.com and I will see what I can do.
Until next time, thank you for visiting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)