Ice Cream Sandwiches

Captain's Log

Just Trying Something

also we got married seven days ago

So, I haven't been cooking much lately. Or rather, I haven't been cooking in the same sort of careful, photo-documenting way that drove so much of this blog earlier in the year. But! Good news! I made ice cream sandwiches a month or two ago (...) and I took pictures of it. So here we go!

This recipe is one of several that gets me thinking about Dutch-processed cocoa versus regular cocoa. You know how the Dutch stuff pops up every now and then? How Oreos are a darker brown than other chocolate cookies? Dutch-process cocoa has a reputation for being "better" and having a truer chocolate flavor, or something. I think technically it's just cocoa that has been treated with alkali and that the pH has been affected by the process... something something baking powder not baking soda, or vice versa, for effective leavening. (Better internet explanation here.) I don't ever see it in grocery stores, though, so maybe it's just not a "common people" sort of ingredient? Anyway. I spotted a carton of a Dutch/regular cocoa blend at the store and thought I'd give it a try. Photo here:

Dutch process is on the left. Surprising difference, no?

I got the ice cream sandwich cookie recipe from Smitten Kitchen, as I do so many others. Here it is, for your convenience:

Beef Bourguignon

Captain's Log

More Slow-Cooker Adventures

Continuing my interest in using my new cookbook, this past week I decided to make Beef Bourgignon. AKA Beef Burgundy, AKA "beef stuff with wine." It sounds very fancy, but don't let the French fool you: this is a peasant-style meal, intended to use the cheapest and toughest cuts of meat in the most delicious way possible. Basically wine-y pot roast. I checked my new book for a recipe, and I found four.

The fourth is on the previous page, for you fact-checkers out there.

I cobbled these recipes together to create my own. This, for the record, is essentially what I always do when I cook... I just more typically use the internet rather than a physical book.

Here's what I used:

• Five slices reduced-sodium bacon
• One package stew beef (1-1.5lbs)
• 2-3 T tomato paste
• 1 yellow onion
• two heaping spoonfuls of flour
• 1 T beef Better Than Bouillon + 1 cup water (more on this later)
• 1 cup Côtes du Rhône red wine (more on this later)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 spring rosemary
• few dashes of dried oregano
• 2-3 peeled and crushed cloves of garlic
• salt/pepper to taste
• 2-5 carrots
• 2/3c frozen pearl onions
• 1-2 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces (or those adorable tiny red potatoes..)
• crusty bread

This made three hearty servings. I think it could be comfortably feed 4, but you might want to serve a salad or something too to be sure. Alternatively, you could do what I intend to do next time, which is: get a second pack of beef, add more veggies and a whole bottle of wine, and enjoy leftovers for a few days.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Captain's Log

Long time no see!

Memories of a Bridal Shower edition

My bridal shower was about (/exactly) ten days ago and I have to say: I was so honored to have so many amazing women present. Showers are such a strange thing, in a lot of ways... I can't help but wonder "What did I do to deserve all this praise and attention beyond saying yes to an incredible man?". Alas, as I sort my way through the wedding process, I am learning and appreciating the role that weddings and wedding-related events have in uniting families, in solidifying old (and new) relationships, and in expressing support for what we certainly feel is a strong and happy match just bursting with potential. 

It's awesome (awe-some) to look around a room and imagine a similar lineup at Christmases and Thanksgivings and Birthdays and Reunions to come in five, ten, twenty years from now. So much love!

Which brings me back around to the blog: It turns out most of the shower attendees are readers of OBC (Okra's Book Club) and I can't wait to continually express my gratitude to them by using the gifts I was given for new posts. I am pretty sure I am not supposed to be using any wedding-related gifts before the wedding, so today's post will circle around a gift and only partially use a different one. The recipe? Slow-cooker Chicken Cacciatore, as adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes, by Phyllis Pellman Good. This mammajamma was a gift. I was also given a new slow-cooker, but that one will have to wait until after the wedding.

Here's the recipe, as printed in the book:

Low-Fat Chicken Cacciatore

• 2lbs uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2lb fresh mushrooms
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 12oz can low-sodium chopped tomatoes
• 6-oz can low-sodium tomato paste
• 12-oz can low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1/2tsp dried oregano
• 1/2tsp dried basil
• 1/2tsp garlic powder
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2tsp black pepper

And here are the directions, as printed in the book:

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on low 8 hours.

3. Serve over rice or whole wheat pasta. 

Chicken Strips with Balsamic Dipping Sauce

Captain's Log

First, the excuses

I cannot BELIEVE I used to cook homemade meals, like those displayed on this blog, 3-4 times a week! My job has me on my feet all day, lifting, carrying, standing, walking, and the idea of chopping vegetables and browning meats just makes me tired. I used to enjoy it maybe 2-3 times a week when I had an office job, but I feel another level of physical exhaustion these days that just makes cooking feel like a burden. My schedule is also arranged in such a way that I never have two consecutive days off. This is because of a choice I made (more hours, more money!) but it's really made those involved, delicious meals a rarity. I do still cook, and my fellow helps quite a bit. It's just more of the heat-and-eat variety, or the classic our-kitchen-is-kind-of-a-mess-so-I-can't-take-good-blog-pictures-right-now. 

And now food

I got this recipe originally from (guess where?) The Food Network, and I've since adapted it some to suit my needs. The original recipe, for example, involves marinating the chicken. I don't do this. I also don't use the same vinegar/oil proportions recommended for the dipping sauce. These chicken strips, plus mac n cheese, is one if my love's favorite dinners. Here's what you need:

• a package of chicken tenderloins (or sliced chicken breast)
• 1-2 eggs
• maybe 1 cup flour
• maybe 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan or grated other hard cheese, like asiago
• oil for drizzling
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• salt/pepper
• a few tablespoons olive oil

Maple Glazed Salmon

Captain's Log

What's that, you say? Lenore, you promised to keep blogging even after you got a job? You see, I've already written about most of my "greatest hits," so I'm having to dig a little deeper for blogworthy recipes. And it's harder to "dig deep" and "cook creatively" when all I want to do is prop my feet up and eat takeout. Clearly, blogging from here onward will be more of a process. But my commitment remains.

Back to business!

I first started making maple-y salmon many years ago and I am constantly changing the recipe/method. Here I will document what I did most recently, and then if I try it again in the next few months I'll post a "here's what was different" write-up. You know, for educational purposes.

When we moved to the Pacific Northwest, I was hoping to have better access to affordable Pacific salmon. I've been partial to wild Pacific salmon for a while, anyway, and I thought living closer to the point of origin would cut some costs. Unfortunately, the market is the market, and wild Pacific salmon is still pretty expensive out here. But it is definitely fresher than what I would get in the east! Anyway, I saw it on sale for $9.99/lb this week and we decided to give it a go.

I started with one pound of Sockeye fillet:

Lovely, deep, natural pink

Caramel Chocolate Crackers

Captain's Log

Father's Day Edition: Part Two

Like the Lime Meltaway Cookies, these, too, are lifted from Smitten Kitchen. These are amazingly amazing. I cannot recommend them enough. And they were very easy to make! Unlike other toffee recipes I've tried, these don't require a candy thermometer. This is a huge win in terms of difficulty and time. Even Miss Deen's recipe involves temperatures and precise timing. When you get down to it, I think the big question when it comes to toffee and thermometers is the texture of the final, crystallized product. Is a little crumbly and very crunchy acceptable? Do you prefer a glassy "snap", like in a Skor bar? If the former sounds okay, this is the recipe for you.

I followed the SK recipe pretty closely, so, again, very little creativity here on my part!

• one sleeve Saltine crackers, I used the ones with unsalted tops. Broken matzo is also a good choice.
• 2 sticks (one cup, 8oz) unsalted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups choc chips.. semisweet or bittersweet
• toasted nuts of your choice. I used maybe 1/4 c sliced almonds

I started with toasting the nuts and setting them aside. Then preheated the oven to 350° and I lined a large cookie sheet with foil, then parchment paper. I arranged the crackers in the pan, breaking them as needed to fill the space.

Lime Meltaway Cookies

Captain's Log

Father's Day Edition: Part One

Also this is a "stolen" recipe

For those of you not keeping track, I've now made and shipped chocolate cake, divinity, and turtles to people I love. And all within the last two months! I was starting to run out of ideas for shipping-friendly homemade goods. Yes, yes, of course I could make regular cookies, but.. cookies of the regular variety kind of bore me as a chef. Er, home cook.

That said, I know my mom has been making key lime pie for a few years now and that she and my dad have really enjoyed it. This foray into zippy citrus is definitely noteworthy because I come from a chocolate and/or nuts sorta family. So, maybe I should tap into that lil wellspring, eh?

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen for Key Lime Meltaways and I thought I'd give it a go for Father's Day (Part One). SK is absolutely correct: These are pretty tasty, and it's neat how they have a "melting" crumble texture, presumably from the addition of cornstarch to the dough. They're a good alternative to shortbread or other more traditional cookies. And the recipe is super easy. Also, it should be noted that I only changed the recipe in the sense that I used regular limes instead of key limes. Sooo you'd pretty much get the same info from the official SK write-up, minus my glowing personality of course.

Here's the recipe, from Smitten Kitchen:

• 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided (1/3 cup and 2/3 cup)
• zest of 1.5 limes (I used regular limes. If you use key limes, SK says 4 tiny or 2 large)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

I whizzed around the butter and 1/3 cup of the sugar:

And then I added the zest, vanilla, and lime juice:

This is just a tsp of vanilla because I misread the recipe.
I added the rest of it a bit later, when I realized my mistake.

Then I mixed this together, and concluded I definitely could have/should have just done this by hand (because it's so simple).

I mixed together the cornstarch, flour, and salt in a separate bowl, then I slowly added that to the butter mixture to make the dough.

Then I divided the dough in two and, one half at a time, I rolled it into pretty narrow logs on some parchment paper.

I was shooting for an approximate 1" diameter

This part was a little tricky because my hands are usually warm and, of course, heat makes the dough super sticky. I had to use the parchment as a barrier so I could "make a snake." Anyway, with some effort, it worked out. I let this chill in the fridge for at least an hour, and then I sliced it into thin coins. I'm saving the other dough snake in our freezer for when company visits (Hi Missy!), so what you see from here onward is just one of them.

They spread a little when they bake, but not much.

pro tip: use the parchment from the dough snake to cover your cookie sheet

And then I baked them at 350° for 13-14 mins...

I let them cool for a couple of minus, then I tossed them in a freezer bag with the remaining powdered sugar.

......... perhaps I should have been a little gentler.

Still: they tasted pretty good! And most of the cookies did NOT break, and those were the ones that went to my loving father in Virginia.

Stay tuned for Part Two. It's a killer.