Christmas leftovers plus two hungry boys equals this:
What I had on hand:
Leftover ham
Leftover sliced mini-baguette
Leftover shredded parmesan (Yep, we had artichoke dip)
Spices, etc.
So...
I diced up about a cup of ham into tiny cubes, stuck it in a frying pan to heat it up.
Scrambled eight eggs (for three servings) with some Johnny's seasoning, parmesan and a splash of water.
Melted a stick of butter, poured it over the baguette slices on a cookie sheet.
Poured the egg mixture over the ham, "scrambled" the mixture.
Sprinkled cinnamon and sugar over the baguette slices and ran them under the broiler just until bubbling and beginning to brown.
Voila'! Breakfast when there is "no food in the house."
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Naming Your Creations
When my kids were young, they would always wander in with the age-old question: "What's for dinner?" My usual answer was "food." I'm not good at coming up with catchy names for my kitchen experiments, so "food" covered all the bases.
Over the years, the kids named some things just so they knew what to expect. If you have kids, let them come up with names for your creations, because I've found their ideas are much more interesting than anything I would have come up with.
A few that my brood recognize instantly:
Slimy cake. (chocolate cherry cake)
Green stuff. (pistachio-jello salad)
Cat barf. (blueberry cobbler)
Egg stuff. (egg and sausage breakfast casserole)
My daughter-in-law e-mailed me a few days ago, asking for my recipe for "egg stuff" because my son wanted her to make it. Variations on the recipe can be found all over the internet, but if you search for "egg stuff" you come up empty. It's nice to know I'm still needed, if only for translations of the kids' favorite dishes.
Over the years, the kids named some things just so they knew what to expect. If you have kids, let them come up with names for your creations, because I've found their ideas are much more interesting than anything I would have come up with.
A few that my brood recognize instantly:
Slimy cake. (chocolate cherry cake)
Green stuff. (pistachio-jello salad)
Cat barf. (blueberry cobbler)
Egg stuff. (egg and sausage breakfast casserole)
My daughter-in-law e-mailed me a few days ago, asking for my recipe for "egg stuff" because my son wanted her to make it. Variations on the recipe can be found all over the internet, but if you search for "egg stuff" you come up empty. It's nice to know I'm still needed, if only for translations of the kids' favorite dishes.
A Few Words About Soup
Get out your sharpie and a sticky note.
Write, in large, bold letters:
WHEN IN DOUBT, MAKE SOUP
Now, stick that on your fridge or cupboard door.
Seriously, you can make soup out of just about anything.
What you need:
A stock, broth, etc. Some sort of flavored liquid base.
"Stuff" to add to the broth
Spices
Yep, that's it.
Some examples:
1. Stock: A can of chicken broth.
"Stuff:" Leftover chicken, a diced potato, a sliced carrot.
Spices: Salt, pepper, sage, rosemary.
Throw it in a pan, adjust seasonings to taste, bring to a boil, then let simmer for a while until the veggies are tender.
2. Stock: Canned tomato puree (or diced stewed tomatoes), water.
"Stuff:" Ground beef, sliced carrot, sliced celery, diced potato, diced onion.
Spices: Salt, Pepper, oregano.
Brown the ground beef, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients to pan, adjust seasonings and bring to a boil. Simmer until veggies are tender.
3. Stock: Water plus seasoning packet from a package of Ramen noodles.
"Stuff:" Ramen noodles, frozen mixed vegetables, leftover chicken, beef, pork, fish, whatever.
Spices: Seasoning packet, plus some ginger, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or whatever your little heart desires.
Boil water, add seasoning packet. Stir to dissolve. Add frozen veggies. Reduce heat to low. Add noodles and meat, and extra spices if desired. Simmer until heated through.
Do you prefer cream soups? Add a little milk or cream after you reduce the heat (not before, or it will curdle, and that's just gross). To thicken, mix a couple spoonfuls of flour or corn starch with cold water, then temper the mixture by adding some of the hot liquid, a little at a time. Whisk into your soup, stir over medium-low heat until thickened. I personally prefer corn starch, because I don't like the floury taste, but either one will work. In a pinch, instant mashed potatoes will also thicken a stock, and they add a nice flavor.
If you want to really be prepared to make soup, I'd suggest always keeping the basic ingredients for mirepoix on hand. Onion, carrot, celery. When I'm feeling particularly industrious, I toss together a big batch of mirepoix in my food processor, then divide it into small batches and freeze in Ziplock-type bags. That way, when there's "nothing to eat" I can always throw together some sort of soup!
A LIST OF SOUP STUFF:
Meats:
Frozen shrimp
Diced chicken
Diced ham
Diced leftover steak
Diced leftover pork roast or chops
BACON (Because everything is better with bacon)
Flaked salmon, cod, tilapia (good use for leftovers)
Ground beef (cook before adding)
Leftover taco meat
Leftover turkey
Hot dogs (seriously, it works. If you eat hot dogs, which I rarely do)
Canned or fresh clams
Veggies:
Carrots
Corn
Broccoli
Cabbage
Potatoes
Green beans
Peas
Mushrooms
Bean sprouts
Peppers
Onions
**Soft veggies like zucchini don't work very well in soups unless they are added at the very end of cooking. They get soggy and slimy. Same goes for fresh tomatoes.
Just about any frozen veggies.
Other stuff:
Canned or dried beans (pinto, navy, lima, etc.)
A can of chili
Rice (uncooked, or leftover cooked....just allow extra time and extra stock if using uncooked)
Barley
Stock:
Canned broth
Tomato sauce, paste, puree, or diced stewed (add water)
Cooked, pureed squash (add water)
Taco seasoning packet (add water)
Beer (yep! A can of Guinness makes a mean base for beef soup)
So, go forth, use those leftovers, and make some soup!
Write, in large, bold letters:
WHEN IN DOUBT, MAKE SOUP
Now, stick that on your fridge or cupboard door.
Seriously, you can make soup out of just about anything.
What you need:
A stock, broth, etc. Some sort of flavored liquid base.
"Stuff" to add to the broth
Spices
Yep, that's it.
Some examples:
1. Stock: A can of chicken broth.
"Stuff:" Leftover chicken, a diced potato, a sliced carrot.
Spices: Salt, pepper, sage, rosemary.
Throw it in a pan, adjust seasonings to taste, bring to a boil, then let simmer for a while until the veggies are tender.
2. Stock: Canned tomato puree (or diced stewed tomatoes), water.
"Stuff:" Ground beef, sliced carrot, sliced celery, diced potato, diced onion.
Spices: Salt, Pepper, oregano.
Brown the ground beef, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients to pan, adjust seasonings and bring to a boil. Simmer until veggies are tender.
3. Stock: Water plus seasoning packet from a package of Ramen noodles.
"Stuff:" Ramen noodles, frozen mixed vegetables, leftover chicken, beef, pork, fish, whatever.
Spices: Seasoning packet, plus some ginger, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or whatever your little heart desires.
Boil water, add seasoning packet. Stir to dissolve. Add frozen veggies. Reduce heat to low. Add noodles and meat, and extra spices if desired. Simmer until heated through.
Do you prefer cream soups? Add a little milk or cream after you reduce the heat (not before, or it will curdle, and that's just gross). To thicken, mix a couple spoonfuls of flour or corn starch with cold water, then temper the mixture by adding some of the hot liquid, a little at a time. Whisk into your soup, stir over medium-low heat until thickened. I personally prefer corn starch, because I don't like the floury taste, but either one will work. In a pinch, instant mashed potatoes will also thicken a stock, and they add a nice flavor.
If you want to really be prepared to make soup, I'd suggest always keeping the basic ingredients for mirepoix on hand. Onion, carrot, celery. When I'm feeling particularly industrious, I toss together a big batch of mirepoix in my food processor, then divide it into small batches and freeze in Ziplock-type bags. That way, when there's "nothing to eat" I can always throw together some sort of soup!
A LIST OF SOUP STUFF:
Meats:
Frozen shrimp
Diced chicken
Diced ham
Diced leftover steak
Diced leftover pork roast or chops
BACON (Because everything is better with bacon)
Flaked salmon, cod, tilapia (good use for leftovers)
Ground beef (cook before adding)
Leftover taco meat
Leftover turkey
Hot dogs (seriously, it works. If you eat hot dogs, which I rarely do)
Canned or fresh clams
Veggies:
Carrots
Corn
Broccoli
Cabbage
Potatoes
Green beans
Peas
Mushrooms
Bean sprouts
Peppers
Onions
**Soft veggies like zucchini don't work very well in soups unless they are added at the very end of cooking. They get soggy and slimy. Same goes for fresh tomatoes.
Just about any frozen veggies.
Other stuff:
Canned or dried beans (pinto, navy, lima, etc.)
A can of chili
Rice (uncooked, or leftover cooked....just allow extra time and extra stock if using uncooked)
Barley
Stock:
Canned broth
Tomato sauce, paste, puree, or diced stewed (add water)
Cooked, pureed squash (add water)
Taco seasoning packet (add water)
Beer (yep! A can of Guinness makes a mean base for beef soup)
So, go forth, use those leftovers, and make some soup!
An Egg Thing
We had this for breakfast, because if Hubby doesn't get fed every four hours or so he turns into a snarling evil beast. This was before I remembered I had bacon, which made him angry, because he thinks all food must contain some sort of dead animal flesh. Silly man!
It's a very basic concept. Eggs with "stuff" added to them. You can add just about anything to eggs and make a meal. Well, okay, maybe not peanut butter and granola (which I also had on hand), but ALMOST anything.
With Hubby stomping around and whining that he was starving to death, I did the "fridge stance." You know it, you've done it. You open the door and just stand there, staring, hoping something edible will materialize before your eyes. Much like Sean Spencer in Psych, a few ingredients magically glowed with a weird green light, and a dish began to form in my imagination. (Okay, they didn't actually glow. That would be a bad thing for food to do.)
What I had on hand:
Eggs
Fresh kale (I know, weird, but I LOVE the stuff)
Cheese curds
Red onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Butter
The Creation:
Heat a frying pan (yeah, that big ol' cast iron monster) over medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter, and a splash of olive oil.
Dice up about 2 tablespoons of red onion, and one clove of garlic.
Saute until just beginning to brown.
Rinse the kale, and chop coarsely. I used about 2 cups of kale, you may want more or less, depending on your personal relationship with kale.
Add the kale to the pan, and "stir fry" with the onion and garlic until it is wilted and tender. (about 3 minutes)
Move the kale to one side of the pan.
Now, crack a few eggs into a cup, bowl, ziplock bag, or whatever. I used five, which was just right for two people. Whisk them up with a little salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne if you're feeling adventurous. Pour the eggs into the side of the pan not occupied by green leafy things, and scramble until they are beginning to firm up, but not entirely cooked.
Invite the kale to join the eggs. Kale likes eggs, so this shouldn't present a problem.
Toss in a handful of cheese curds, and stir, flip, toss, and mix to your heart's content. Keep it moving or the eggs will get brown and disgusting. Nobody likes brown, disgusting eggs. Once the eggs are cooked through and the cheese begins to get melty, it's ready to serve.
A side of toast is nice, but if you don't have any bread, that's okay.
Hubby gave this one a thumbs-up and a big burp, so I'll call it a success.
Add-ins/substitutions:
You can substitute just about any veggie for the kale. Spinach is delicious. Sliced zucchini would be good, too. Cauliflower? Doesn't sound good to me, but I guess you could try it.
If you don't have cheese curds, never fear. Cubed cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or havarti would be good. Crumbled feta or goat cheese would be divine. I'd steer clear of the "blue" family. Just doesn't sound like a good combination.
If you don't have red onion, you could use shallots, yellow or white onion, scallions, or even dried onion flakes, I suppose. If you're not using kale, you could leave out the onion entirely, but there's just something magical about onions and kale.
Mushrooms would be a tasty add-in, as would crispy bacon chunks or cooked sausage. Leftover ham or chicken would be yummy, too.
Experiment. Use what you have on hand. Eggs are simply the glue that binds together your choice of flavors and textures!
It's a very basic concept. Eggs with "stuff" added to them. You can add just about anything to eggs and make a meal. Well, okay, maybe not peanut butter and granola (which I also had on hand), but ALMOST anything.
With Hubby stomping around and whining that he was starving to death, I did the "fridge stance." You know it, you've done it. You open the door and just stand there, staring, hoping something edible will materialize before your eyes. Much like Sean Spencer in Psych, a few ingredients magically glowed with a weird green light, and a dish began to form in my imagination. (Okay, they didn't actually glow. That would be a bad thing for food to do.)
What I had on hand:
Eggs
Fresh kale (I know, weird, but I LOVE the stuff)
Cheese curds
Red onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Butter
The Creation:
Heat a frying pan (yeah, that big ol' cast iron monster) over medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter, and a splash of olive oil.
Dice up about 2 tablespoons of red onion, and one clove of garlic.
Saute until just beginning to brown.
Rinse the kale, and chop coarsely. I used about 2 cups of kale, you may want more or less, depending on your personal relationship with kale.
Add the kale to the pan, and "stir fry" with the onion and garlic until it is wilted and tender. (about 3 minutes)
Move the kale to one side of the pan.
Now, crack a few eggs into a cup, bowl, ziplock bag, or whatever. I used five, which was just right for two people. Whisk them up with a little salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne if you're feeling adventurous. Pour the eggs into the side of the pan not occupied by green leafy things, and scramble until they are beginning to firm up, but not entirely cooked.
Invite the kale to join the eggs. Kale likes eggs, so this shouldn't present a problem.
Toss in a handful of cheese curds, and stir, flip, toss, and mix to your heart's content. Keep it moving or the eggs will get brown and disgusting. Nobody likes brown, disgusting eggs. Once the eggs are cooked through and the cheese begins to get melty, it's ready to serve.
A side of toast is nice, but if you don't have any bread, that's okay.
Hubby gave this one a thumbs-up and a big burp, so I'll call it a success.
Add-ins/substitutions:
You can substitute just about any veggie for the kale. Spinach is delicious. Sliced zucchini would be good, too. Cauliflower? Doesn't sound good to me, but I guess you could try it.
If you don't have cheese curds, never fear. Cubed cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or havarti would be good. Crumbled feta or goat cheese would be divine. I'd steer clear of the "blue" family. Just doesn't sound like a good combination.
If you don't have red onion, you could use shallots, yellow or white onion, scallions, or even dried onion flakes, I suppose. If you're not using kale, you could leave out the onion entirely, but there's just something magical about onions and kale.
Mushrooms would be a tasty add-in, as would crispy bacon chunks or cooked sausage. Leftover ham or chicken would be yummy, too.
Experiment. Use what you have on hand. Eggs are simply the glue that binds together your choice of flavors and textures!
Carbonara Concoction
Today, we are between pay days. The natives are getting restless. They want food, and they want it now. Sure, we could dig in the couch cushions for change and get a couple of Sonic hot dogs, but it's much more fun (and healthy) to use what I can find in the kitchen.
Mac and cheese? Nope. No milk.
Hot dogs? Got the dogs, but no buns. Not even a can of Pillsbury crescent rolls to make those ridiculous little pigs in a blanket.
Okay, time to get creative.
Digging around, I found that I had the following:
Bacon
A red onion
Some elbow macaroni
Chicken broth
Parmesan cheese
A bottle of Sherry (hadn't turned to vinegar yet - amazing!)
Some half-and-half (which is a staple around here, because Mom gets really cranky if she doesn't get her coffee)
Fresh garlic
Okay! I can make food out of those things.
First, I cooked up the macaroni until it was al dente. Drained it, and set it aside. (For three people, I used 1/2 pound of macaroni. You can use any pasta, this is just what I had on hand)
The Sauce
Coarsely dice 4 strips of bacon, fry until crisp.
Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
Remove all but about 1 Tbsp of bacon fat from pan.
Dice about 1/2 cup of red onion.
Mince 3 cloves of garlic.
Add to hot bacon fat in pan, saute' until onion is tender and beginning to brown.
Deglaze pan with a splash of Sherry (to taste, I think I used about 2 Tbsp)
Add 1/2 can of chicken broth.
Reduce heat to low. Add about 1/4 cup of half and half.
Simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce reduces and begins to thicken.
Now, grab a clean spoon and taste the sauce. You'll probably want to add some seasonings. I added a bit of salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Once you get the seasoning adjusted the way you like it, pour the sauce into the pan you used to cook the macaroni, turn the heat up to medium-low, and toss the macaroni into the sauce. Fluff it around a bit so the macaroni gets nicely coated with creamy bacon greasy goodness.
Stir in about 1/2 cup (more or less, to taste) of grated parmesan.
Just before serving, stir in the crispy bacon chunks. You can top each serving with a little extra parmesan if desired.
My "Carbonara Concoction" got a grinning thumbs-up from both hubby and son, who went back for seconds!
If you have "stuff" on hand, some good add-ins would be:
Mushrooms
Frozen peas
Fresh parsley
Diced cooked chicken
Fresh basil
Diced fresh tomatoes
Shallots added to the onion/garlic mixture
But I didn't have any of that stuff.
Mac and cheese? Nope. No milk.
Hot dogs? Got the dogs, but no buns. Not even a can of Pillsbury crescent rolls to make those ridiculous little pigs in a blanket.
Okay, time to get creative.
Digging around, I found that I had the following:
Bacon
A red onion
Some elbow macaroni
Chicken broth
Parmesan cheese
A bottle of Sherry (hadn't turned to vinegar yet - amazing!)
Some half-and-half (which is a staple around here, because Mom gets really cranky if she doesn't get her coffee)
Fresh garlic
Okay! I can make food out of those things.
First, I cooked up the macaroni until it was al dente. Drained it, and set it aside. (For three people, I used 1/2 pound of macaroni. You can use any pasta, this is just what I had on hand)
The Sauce
Coarsely dice 4 strips of bacon, fry until crisp.
Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
Remove all but about 1 Tbsp of bacon fat from pan.
Dice about 1/2 cup of red onion.
Mince 3 cloves of garlic.
Add to hot bacon fat in pan, saute' until onion is tender and beginning to brown.
Deglaze pan with a splash of Sherry (to taste, I think I used about 2 Tbsp)
Add 1/2 can of chicken broth.
Reduce heat to low. Add about 1/4 cup of half and half.
Simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce reduces and begins to thicken.
Now, grab a clean spoon and taste the sauce. You'll probably want to add some seasonings. I added a bit of salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Once you get the seasoning adjusted the way you like it, pour the sauce into the pan you used to cook the macaroni, turn the heat up to medium-low, and toss the macaroni into the sauce. Fluff it around a bit so the macaroni gets nicely coated with creamy bacon greasy goodness.
Stir in about 1/2 cup (more or less, to taste) of grated parmesan.
Just before serving, stir in the crispy bacon chunks. You can top each serving with a little extra parmesan if desired.
My "Carbonara Concoction" got a grinning thumbs-up from both hubby and son, who went back for seconds!
If you have "stuff" on hand, some good add-ins would be:
Mushrooms
Frozen peas
Fresh parsley
Diced cooked chicken
Fresh basil
Diced fresh tomatoes
Shallots added to the onion/garlic mixture
But I didn't have any of that stuff.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Challenge
How often have you procrastinated, not done your grocery shopping, and realized you have absolutely nothing to make for dinner? If you're like me, you get wrapped up in a project, a movie, or surfing Google looking for funny pictures of cats, and before you know it the family is standing around whining, acting like they haven't been fed for a week.
So, with that in mind, I'll be sharing some of the creations I've come up with out of sheer necessity. Some turn out really great, and I make a note so I can add them to my recipes. Others...well....I'll warn you ahead of time if I've had a disaster, so you can avoid making the same mistake.
Most of my cooking is done by taste, estimates, and my knowledge of which things go well together. A working knowledge of what foods actually taste like is an essential tool for making something out of "nothing." Taste your spices. Learn to love them. Learn how they interact with different foods. Don't be afraid to try new things, you might be pleasantly surprised! Or, the dog might get a special treat if it's not fit for human consumption...
So, with that in mind, the adventure begins!
So, with that in mind, I'll be sharing some of the creations I've come up with out of sheer necessity. Some turn out really great, and I make a note so I can add them to my recipes. Others...well....I'll warn you ahead of time if I've had a disaster, so you can avoid making the same mistake.
Most of my cooking is done by taste, estimates, and my knowledge of which things go well together. A working knowledge of what foods actually taste like is an essential tool for making something out of "nothing." Taste your spices. Learn to love them. Learn how they interact with different foods. Don't be afraid to try new things, you might be pleasantly surprised! Or, the dog might get a special treat if it's not fit for human consumption...
So, with that in mind, the adventure begins!
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