tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16238509044078305022024-03-13T02:43:46.172-07:00The Mouse's KitchenMousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-29592431181719002222010-01-24T16:32:00.000-08:002010-01-24T16:51:12.571-08:00Easy Cheesy PotatoesTrillian and I both love potatoes, especially in the cold of winter. We've been keeping them around, mashing, sauteeing, roasting, whatever sounds good. When we had family up for dinner in December, I got all fancy and made Pioneer Woman's <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/10/creamy-herbed-potatoes/">Creamy Herbed Potatoes</a>. They are decadent and delicious! Trillian was in the mood for them again yesterday, a perfect side for the ham we had on hand, but I knew we were short on a few of the ingredients.<br /><br />So I did a little searching on line, looking for fairly simple potatoes au gratin or something similar. I ended up combining a few recipes, adapting for what we had on hand, and using a shortcut I found. The results were not at all bad, although this has made us resolve to keep better cheese on hand. I used mostly a colby/cheddar mix we had on hand, intended for dressing up tacos and nachos and the like, but this would be just divine with a really sharp cheddar! We will also add chives and/or leeks next time.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><ul><li>4-6 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced--a food processor makes this incredibly easy (ours varied greatly in size, so I just used up the rest of what we had in one bag)</li><li>Salt and pepper to taste</li><li>3 Tbsp butter</li><li>3 Tbsp flour (I used Pamela's Baking and Pancake mix, which works really well)</li><li>2 cups milk</li><li>2 cups cheese<br /></li></ul><br />Steps:<br /><ol><li>Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 200 Celsius).<br /></li><li>Place sliced potatoes in a glass casserole dish. Add some salt and pepper as you do this.</li><li>Microwave potatoes for about 8 minutes--this will cut the baking time down greatly!</li><li>Make white sauce: melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat and then add flour. Be sure to get the flour fully stirred in and cooked. (NB: since the Pamela's mix includes some baking powder, it will bubble a bit when you first add it, but it's otherwise just like using regular flour.)</li><li>Add milk and stir frequently until thick. My little white sauce trick is to get the mixture up to a low boil and let it stay there for about a minute. This gets it to just about the right thickness a little faster, but you have to be careful not to burn the mixture!</li><li>Either turn off the heat or put it as low as possible and add the cheese. Stir until smooth. You can add salt if you want.<br /></li><li>Pour cheese mixture over potatoes.</li><li>Bake for about 30 minutes. The top should be just a little brown.</li></ol>I'm almost sorry I discovered this recipe. It's incredibly easy, especially with our food processor. Trillian and I have started to justify the likelihood we'll be making this on a regular basis with the fact that it's a lot lower fat than it tastes--we used 2% milk and can adjust the cheese to our mood. Compare that to recipes using cream cheese and heavy cream, and it would be foolish not to eat this all the time!Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-71037766964691186192009-07-15T19:11:00.000-07:002009-07-20T20:31:32.299-07:00Cooling offA fair number of kitchen gadgets reside in our cupboards and drawers. We do use <span style="font-style: italic;">most</span> of them (I rarely--or at least, no longer--buy gadgets just because they're gadgets), but some rank higher in my heart than others.<br /><br />A particular gadget that is currently near and dear is our Kitchen-Aid ice-cream maker. We keep the bowl in our extra freezer at all times. It fits right into the mixer stand and whips up soft serve in under half and hour.<br /><br />The big downside to most ice-cream recipes is the amount of time from start to finish. With a custard-based recipe, there's the cooking time and then it has to go back into the fridge to cool off completely before it can be put into the ice-cream maker.<br /><br />Enter the no-cook ice-cream recipe. With this, you can be eating soft serve in about 30 minutes. The basic recipe: 1 cup whole milk, 3/4 cup sugar (though you could go with less), 2 cups cream, a little vanilla extract. Whisk the milk and sugar together, add the cream and extract, throw into the mixer for about 25 minutes. Once you've dished out what you want of the soft serve, put the rest into a container to ripen in the freezer.<br /><br />Being the kind of cook I am, I improvised a chocolate version. And since we didn't have whole milk, I started with 1/2 cup of 2% and 1/2 cup of 1/2 and 1/2. I whisked this with a generous portion of some chocolate syrup we have on hand and a little cocoa powder plus a scant 1/4 cup of sugar. Then I added the cream and extract and continued as above.<br /><br />I packed one of our food-storage containers completely full and put it in the freezer. With the rest, I made an ice-cream cone for Scooter and a small bowl for myself. Scooter didn't care for his, possibly due to the texture--he generally eats harder ice cream. Trillian happily finished it off for him.<br /><br />Kind of like the truffles, it's almost dangerous that this is so easy to make. But it sure will be a nice, quick treat this summer.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-48645857444632827832009-06-28T19:44:00.000-07:002009-06-28T20:00:12.072-07:00Chocolate chip cookies--don't tell him they're good for themI've been craving carbs lately, particularly of the sort I haven't tried since going gluten-free. Biscuits, English muffins, bagels. I'm still working on finding recipes for these that will work. I tried to make bagels once, but they wouldn't hold together in circles and just weren't very appetizing. And I need English muffin rings before I try those. But I think I have found the answer to my biscuit craving.<br /><br />I just found a <a href="http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2008/02/successful-gluten-free-master-baking.html">gluten-free baking mix</a> over at Ginger Lemon Girl. Since we were having unseasonably cool weather, I mixed some up today in preparation for some baking.<br /><br />Despite all my savory cravings, I ended up making two sweet dishes. The <a href="http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2008/11/almond-joy-impossible-pie-gluten-free.html">Almond Joy pie</a> is in the oven right now, so I can't comment on it yet. But this afternoon, while Scooter was at a playdate, I mixed up some of the <a href="http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2008/05/kid-friendly-food-fridays-secret.html">Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies</a>. (I followed her recipe very closely, so head over there for the details.) Their big secret? Zucchini. Oh, and all sorts of whole grains: the brown rice and oat flour from the baking mix, additional oats, and ground flax meal.<br /><br />Scooter was in a bad mood, particularly with me, when we got home from the playdate, so he wouldn't initially take me up on my offer of chocolate chip cookies. But while I was working in the den (in a flurry of printing and faxing), he accepted Trillian's offer and ate three of them.<br /><br />I tried a few (or 6) for myself and agree that they are wonderfully delicious.<br /><br />These are going to become a household staple. And now I'm going to be looking for a few more gluten-free recipes to stuff with veggies!Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-22562926736014266912009-06-25T20:12:00.000-07:002009-06-25T20:28:30.200-07:00A simple celebratory dinnerBefore I headed back to Springfield after running a number of errands, I decided to stop by Whole Foods--not because we needed anything in particular, but because I needed to use the restroom, happened to be nearby, and know that they keep their facilities nice and clean. (Should not have had the large soda!)<br /><br />But I figured I should call Trillian up and see if she could think of anything I should pick up. She suggested I decide on something for dinner and mentioned that she would always be happy with some pastry or dessert item.<br /><br />As I headed in, I thought about what a good day it had been. No big surprises. Just that Trillian's contract for her new job was on its way, and some other things were coming together. So it seemed like a day worth celebrating.<br /><br />After making a beeline to the facilities and with my plan formed, I headed to the bakery section, picking up individual sweet treats for each of us. And then to the meat counter, where I found NY Strip Steaks on sale.<br /><br />It's been too hot to do a lot of cooking here, so I knew I'd be using the grill. For the steaks, I salted and peppered liberally. And then I chopped up a bunch of vegetables we had on hand (from our <a href="http://themouseskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/05/vegetable-and-fruit-bin-are-so-very.html">CSA box</a>): a potato and onion, a couple zucchini, some celery and carrots. These I sprayed with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper.<br /><br />I should have started the veggies about 10 minutes before the steaks, but everything turned out wonderfully. (We even had some steak left over, which I sliced up to put on salads.) It's really amazing how the simplest of spices can bring out the best in good food. I had thought about creating a marinade for both the meat and vegetables, but salt and pepper were the right choice.<br /><br />A simple dinner to celebrate the pleasure of a day that has us moving in the right direction.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-29774614108792386742009-05-12T20:27:00.000-07:002009-05-12T21:02:57.892-07:00The vegetable and fruit bin are so very fullAlthough Trillian and I are not <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_food">locavores</a>, we do try to shop at farmer's markets and choose other foods from nearby when possible. In other places we've lived, we've thought about joining a CSA. That's <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/">Community Supported Agriculture</a>--the general idea behind it is that people buy memberships/shares from a local farm and in return receive a certain amount of produce, usually spread out over time.<br /><br />We had considered one CSA in our area last year, but we would have had to go to Capital City for a mid-day, 2-hour window on a weekday to pick it up.<br /><br />Then Trillian found a brochure for another CSA, one which would either deliver our box or allow us to pick it up at a local business during a 5-hour window. They also give us the option of committing for only 4 boxes and choosing an alternating week schedule, both choices we made for our initial foray.<br /><br />An interesting aspect of this CSA is that they supplement their boxes with produce from other close-ish farms. This means that we get a greater selection of items in our box, including--this week--a few apples and oranges.<br /><br />Most of the items this week were various greens, and I made a huge salad tonight, throwing in a little of this and a little of that. Even made my own vinaigrette, mixing in some green onions (from the box) and the herbs we're growing at home.<br /><br />For the veggies I wouldn't usually buy, I'm diving into one of my favorite cookbooks: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Cooking-Everyone-Deborah-Madison/dp/0767927478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242187004&sr=8-1">Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone</a>. The section I refer to most often has an alphabetical listing of different vegetables, general information on each one, and then several recipes. Did you know you can cook turnip greens? I'll be giving them, and the turnips too, a try tomorrow.<br /><br />For us, this is a fairly economical choice too. For the amount of produce we're receiving in a box, we wouldn't be able to buy the same things in a grocery store for much cheaper, especially with all the organics. And since I've decided to figure out a way to use every last bit, we'll definitely be getting our money's worth.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-90918624797607886622009-02-24T20:36:00.000-08:002009-02-24T21:18:23.264-08:00Black beans in the crockpotI really need to write a separate post on the challenges of cooking at altitude, but for now let me address one specific problem: getting beans fully cooked. This has become a goal of mine, since beans are one of the few foods (tomatoes are the other) I continue to use in canned form and I remain very<a href="http://themousesnest.blogspot.com/2009/01/green-bpa-revisited.html"> concerned about bisphenol-A</a>. So I set out this past weekend to make it work.<br /><br />I tried a <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/crockpot-refried-beans-recipe.html">crockpot refried bean</a> recipe, but even though I cooked on low for 10 hours, the beans still weren't nearly soft enough and I lost patience. The short version of the problem is that water boils at a lower temperature here and just does not get as hot as I might need.<br /><br />This time, I set out to give them as long as they needed. I just realized in looking for the refried beans recipe that Stephanie has <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/cooking-dried-beans-in-crockpot.html">black bean directions</a> similar to mine, but I actually devised this on my own with some tweaks for the altitude.<br /><br />I started with 1 1/2 pounds of dried beans from the Whole Foods bulk bins. They cost me just over $2.00 and were organic. I probably could have gotten a cheaper bag for around $1.00 per pound, but this seemed reasonable to me. In the end, I got a little more than 5 ziplocs with about 2 cups of beans. (I mashed up the extra 1/2 cup or so to make <a href="http://themousesnest.blogspot.com/2009/02/taking-my-small-victories-where-i-can.html">Scooter's black bean quesadilla</a>.) Given that a can would usually cost me a little under $1.00, this was a good return.<br /><br />The "recipe" itself is very straightforward. I started around noon, specifically so I could leave the beans overnight. I used my old 4-quart; the beans nearly filled it, but something about the cylinder shape struck me as better suited than my oval 6-quart. (By the way, I have absolutely no idea if there's any truth to that and I suspect that larger batches would be fine in the 6-quart.)<br /><ol><li>Rinse beans and discard those that don't look right. The batch I had were really good and so I didn't have to discard many.</li><li>Place beans in crockpot and cover with water. Let soak for 6-8 hours.</li><li>Drain water, which will be dark. Add new water to a couple inches above the beans.<br /></li><li>Turn beans up to high. Most recipes I've seen keep the heat at low, but I think this was key for getting the beans up to a high enough temperature at altitude. I probably did this around 6 or 7 pm.<br /></li><li>Before bed, check water level and add some more if needed. Turn crockpot down to low. Go to bed. I did this around 10:30 pm.</li><li>First thing in the morning, check beans again. This was 6:15 am for me. Add more water if needed--I didn't need to. I also turned the temperature back up again.</li><li>At about 9 am, I turned the crockpot off and took the lid off to let the beans cool a bit.</li><li>To speed the process of preparing the beans for freezing, I dipped some out, trying not to get too much liquid with them, into a mixing bowl so they'd be spread out a little more. Once they were cool enough, I put just under 2 cups into each freezer bag.<br /></li></ol>So the process takes nearly 24 hours, but there's not a lot of hands-on time. The biggest issue was making sure I planned it for when I'd be around at the critical times (we sometimes spend the night at my in-laws' on the weekend) and when I hadn't already planned another use for the crockpot or the counter space where we set it up.<br /><br />I've also got white, kidney, and garbanzo beans in the pantry, so you can bet I'll be doing this again. Just not tomorrow, as I'll be using some of my black beans in a delicious <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/04/crockpot-tamale-pie-recipe.html">tamale pie</a>.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-47264011094469231222009-02-17T20:21:00.001-08:002009-02-17T20:28:35.771-08:00Quick "baked" pearOn days when I have ballet in the evening, my eating schedule is, by necessity, a bit odd. I try to have something that's not too heavy just over two hours before class. And then I try not to snack anymore (which is really hard for me).<br /><br />By the time I get home, it's 8:30ish, so a full dinner seems like too much. And after working out like that, it seems ridiculous to indulge in anything too extreme.<br /><br />Tonight, I grabbed a few corn chips to satisfy the carb-desire, but I wanted something sweet and healthy. A baked pear sounded wonderful, but I didn't want to heat up the oven and then wait 30 minutes for a single piece of fruit.<br /><br />So I used the microwave.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><ul><li>One pear (I quartered it, cored the quarters, and then halved each of those)</li><li>Cinnamon (optional)<br /></li></ul><ol><li>Put pear, cut into eight pieces, in microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle on cinnamon, if desired.</li><li>Microwave for about a minute, then move pieces around.</li><li>Microwave another minute or so.</li></ol>I did mine for a total of 2-1/2 minutes. It was soft and sweet and cinnamon-y, just what I had wanted.<br /><br />(We'll ignore the fact that I also had a couple of Scooter's Valentine's Hershey's Kisses.)Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-8468470528155875412009-02-12T19:29:00.000-08:002009-02-12T19:58:47.132-08:00An easy anniversary mealThe Valentine's Day before Trillian and I started our relationship, mere days before, we looked through the special ads in our university newspaper and cackled over the mushy proclamations on a Hallmark holiday.<br /><br />Now, with our anniversary so soon after the holiday, Valentine's Day feels a bit superfluous. We might do things like a <a href="http://themouseskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/for-my-valentine-chocolate-truffles.html">fun dessert</a>--any excuse for chocolate!--but we save our special meal for our anniversary. Sometimes we'll take the opportunity to try a particularly nice restaurant, but we've also been known to cook up a nice meal at home.<br /><br />This year, I looked at the calendar and sighed. Not only is our anniversary on a weeknight, it's on the one night I have to take Scooter to Capital City for gymnastics. We'd be able to have a late-ish dinner, but the thought of starting to cook that late when I knew I'd be tired was not appealing.<br /><br />And then the epiphany: why not a crockpot meal? I started to look through recipes I'd saved, but Trillian knew immediately what she wanted. It's a recipe I originally wanted to try because of how very simple it is: <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/05/sundried-tomatoes-and-feta-tri-tip.html">Sundried Tomatoes and Feta Tri-Tip</a>. Even better, it tastes wonderful.<br /><br />I'm planning on trying my hand at the crockpot <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/crockpot-crme-brulee-recipe.html">creme brulee</a> recipe a day or two earlier so that I can just broil it a little before dinner. And I'll serve the tri-tip with some of our frozen haricots verts. A fancy, satisfying meal with a minimum of preparation!<br /><br />Sundried Tomatoes and Feta Tri-Tip<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><ul><li>2 pounds of tri-tip steak (it's a triangular cut from the sirloin butt--I don't remember exactly what cuts I've ended up using, but this has worked well with any cut I've tried.)</li><li>1 jar of sundried tomatoes, drained (I've also used some that were vacuum-packed without liquid and just threw in a tiny bit of oil.)</li><li>approx. 8 ounces of feta cheese--or more, which is Trillian's preference</li><li>1/3 cup liquid (the recipe calls for white wine, I've used chicken stock successfully.)</li></ul><ol><li>Put the meat in the crockpot, frozen is fine.</li><li>Put the tomatoes on top of the meat, repeat with the feta. Toss in the liquid.</li><li>Cook on low, 6-10 hours, depending on the thickness and frozen-ness of the meat.</li></ol>Seriously, it's that easy. And so delicious. I'm looking forward to enjoying it with whatever excellent wine Trillian picks to go with it.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-3745728150285134292009-02-11T12:40:00.000-08:002009-02-11T13:10:57.365-08:00For my valentine: chocolate trufflesOn most Saturday nights, we have dinner with my in-laws, cooked by my in-laws. Even though this coming Saturday is Valentine's Day, I kind of figured they didn't have plans to go out. Much like us, they're avoiding unnecessary expenses--and a nice meal out definitely qualifies. So we'll all be dining together. I offered to bring dessert, wanting to do some small thing to mark the day.<br /><br />My first thought was chocolate. Not only because it's fairly traditional for Valentine's Day, but also because Trillian is a chocoholic. (And both of my in-laws also enjoy their chocolate.) I was going to go with fondue, but decided it would be hard to transport all the bits I'd need and would require cooking on the spot, possibly getting into others' way.<br /><br />So I went with chocolate truffles. Seriously, what could be better than a good, dark chocolate truffle?<br /><br />There are a lot of recipes out there and all sorts of opportunities to experiment with flavor. But at their base, truffles are cream and chocolate, a basic ganache. I found an "<a href="http://foodpluspolitics.com/2008/02/10/easy-chocolate-truffles/">Easy chocolate truffles</a>" recipe and went from there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SZM7VqDsrKI/AAAAAAAAADI/Kc3GXhUlfKM/s1600-h/TruffleIngredients.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SZM7VqDsrKI/AAAAAAAAADI/Kc3GXhUlfKM/s320/TruffleIngredients.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301646429598297250" border="0" /></a><br />Ingredients:<br /><ul><li>A bit more than 1 1/4 cups of finely chopped chocolate. It was supposed to be 8 ounces, but I guesstimated. I cut a bunch off of a block of semi-sweet dark chocolate (the stuff in plastic wrap) and a little from the unsweetened Ghirardelli bar. I used a very sharp knife and found it cut the chocolate very nicely.</li><li>3/4 cup heavy whipping cream.</li><li>2 Tbsp butter.</li><li>Whatever you want to cover the truffles.<br /></li></ul><ol><li>Cut the chocolate and place in a bowl that can hold at least twice as much as the chocolate.</li><li>Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan. Stir frequently to avoid scorching and to mix the butter in. You want to get it up to a simmer/low boil.</li><li>Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate. Cover the bowl and let sit 5 minutes.</li><li>Whisk the cream-chocolate mixture until it starts to thicken a little.</li><li>Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. I left it there overnight.</li><li>Prepare your dusting ingredients. I put some hot cocoa mix (also dark chocolate, the type that usually needs milk to prepare), chopped walnuts, and shaved chocolate (from the bar I used for the truffles themselves) on small plates.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SZM9n5h0F1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/tu9e_Il5KgM/s1600-h/BeforeAssembly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SZM9n5h0F1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/tu9e_Il5KgM/s320/BeforeAssembly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301648942012045138" border="0" /></a></li><li>Scoop small amounts of ganache and roll into balls. I used our cookie-dough scoop. The truffles were a little big, but the scoop makes it easy and less messy.</li><li>Roll the balls in the topping of choice. Set on parchment paper.</li></ol>I set aside a total of 12 and placed them in silicone cupcake holders--red, as it happens, so perfect for Valentine's Day. Plus, putting three of them in a holder almost makes a heart shape.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SZM-RCKUxzI/AAAAAAAAADY/Zh1VMhfgK-k/s1600-h/Presentation.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SZM-RCKUxzI/AAAAAAAAADY/Zh1VMhfgK-k/s320/Presentation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301649648704079666" border="0" /></a>I had enough left over to set 3 aside for Trillian to have before Saturday. <br /><br />And one to try right now. Smooth and chocolatey.<br /><br />The dangerous thing is that they're not at all hard to make. Perhaps too easy. And we frequently have the basic ingredients on hand. Trillian's not at all opposed to this development.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-21842621513828313802009-02-03T19:51:00.000-08:002009-02-03T20:05:04.519-08:00My favorite shrimp recipe (plus chard)For once, not a crockpot meal! So this requires cooking time in the evening, but it is <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> worth it! The trickiest part for me is remembering to put the shrimp into the fridge to thaw. (We always keep at least a pound there.) But a nice thing about shrimp is that it's so easy to defrost, even if you don't remember until a little before. Just put some cool water in the bag, change on occasion, until the ice is gone. Remove the shell, if still on, and pat dry.<br /><br />In a skillet, heat oil--I use olive or safflower. Then I sprinkle in some chili flakes. We keep some dried chili that we got from the farmers' market and use this. Sometimes I throw in a couple cloves of garlic. Toss in the shrimp and squeeze (or pour, if you're using bottled) lime juice over the top. Scoot shrimp around, turn as necessary, until opaque.<br /><br />What I usually do at this point is put the warm shrimp onto a plate and tent with aluminum foil. Because my favorite thing to serve as a side is sauteed chard. Using the same skillet as I used for the shrimp, I cook up the chard (which I have already washed and separated from the tough stalk), stirring it around until it's wilted. It picks up some of the chili (and garlic if in there) taste.<br /><br />Serve up and enjoy. Try not to grab a few more shrimp as you walk by the plate.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-209676252017866582009-01-29T20:23:00.000-08:002009-01-29T21:15:19.409-08:00Lunch frustrationsI pack a lunch for Scooter four mornings a week; he has early release one day a week, so then I only pack a snack for recess-time (though I was so into the rhythm of packing a lunch that it took me half the year before I quit packing a full lunch on those days). Hot lunch is simply not an option since I have yet to see a single meal that would be gluten-free. Or, for that matter, that he would eat.<br /><br />Most of the time, I'm at peace with what I send to school with him. Basically it ends up looking like a selection of snacks, packaged in a series of small containers and ziplocs. A usual lunch:<br /><ul><li>1-3 carbs. The usual suspects are <a href="http://www.puffinscereal.com/">Puffins Cereal</a>, <a href="http://www.glutino.com/content/view/93/111/">apple and cinnamon cereal</a>, and <a href="http://www.glutino.com/content/view/80/114/">pretzels</a>.</li><li>1 fruit item. Slices of apple or pear, usually 1/2 of the piece of fruit. Recently, he's also allowed grapes.</li><li>Cheese stick. He doesn't like string cheese, so these are cheddar (from Trader Joe's) or <a href="http://www.horizonorganic.com/products/cheese/sticks/index.html">colby </a>sticks.</li><li>Orange juice.</li><li>An occasional extra. He'll sometimes accept raisins and is definitely willing to have a cookie.</li></ul>If he actually ate all of this, I would not be worrying. This is relatively balanced, albeit a little heavy on carbs. But the fact of the matter is that most of this comes back home at the end of the day. Over the course of 2 recesses (when they're allowed to have a small snack) and lunch, he might consume 1/2 of one of the carbs, 1/2 of the fruit, the cheese stick, and the orange juice. And that's the upper limit of what he'll eat.<br /><br />Sandwiches, the old standby of cold lunches, are a no-go. The only type Scooter will eat at home is grilled cheese, and that just doesn't travel well. He won't touch peanut butter. And, to be fair, the gluten-free bread just doesn't taste good untoasted. The one time I tried to include a hot dog in his lunch (sans bread), he screeched at me about giving him hot lunch when he didn't eat hot lunch.<br /><br />On the plus side, we've been able to get him to eat eggs and breakfast meat in the mornings, good amounts even. And then we usually make a grilled cheese sandwich for him after school, so at least he's getting some calories.<br /><br />Of course, after the afternoon grilled cheese, dinner can be an issue...Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-52817237068884847792009-01-26T20:37:00.000-08:002009-01-26T21:01:38.761-08:00Eating my veggiesI'm going to hit two recipes in one post. I don't think I can dub either one as a go-to recipe, mostly because Trillian is not crazy about either one. Most of that is her general dislike of vegetables. (Side note: For the first almost-ten years of our relationship, I was a vegetarian and she most definitely was not. And once I'm done with the whole child-bearing thing, I plan on greatly cutting back on my meat consumption again. Interesting times.)<br /><br />The first vegetarian recipe I tried from A Year of CrockPotting was the <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/vegetarian-no-noodle-lasagna-crockpot.html">Vegetarian No Noodle Lasagna</a>. It uses eggplant and squash as the 'noodles.' I've made it twice and go back and forth on the eggplant, both in this and in general, but I will probably make it again with just squash. I absolutely love the spinach and mushrooms in this (or in anything really). Just possibly, this is not one of Trillian's favorites since she is not a fan of mushrooms or cooked spinach. (Side note #2: While I was a vegetarian and still eating wheat, we made good use of two-pizza deals. My favorite combo of toppings for a very long time was mushroom and black olives. It would be hard for me to pick two things Trillian likes less on her pizza.)<br /><br />The other vegetarian recipe I tried was <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/indian-spinach-and-tofu-crockpot-recipe.html">Indian Spinach and Tofu</a>. One of my favorite Indian dishes is palak paneer, and this seemed like it might satisfy that craving. I ate a lot when it was first ready, but didn't like how it tasted as leftovers. I'll be giving it another try with a few modifications. The tofu in particular did not hold up well, so I may either leave it out or keep it on the side--or maybe go with cheese. I've also seen potato cubes suggested. The chickpeas also didn't hold up well for me, so I'll likely leave those out (or make some hummus instead). And then I would seriously up the spices, but I enjoy a little bite.<br /><br />So now the trick for me is to figure out some easy vegetarian recipes that will appeal to a non-veggie palate so that I can justify making them more than once in a blue moon.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-50452322608816397602009-01-22T19:53:00.000-08:002009-01-22T20:15:31.424-08:00A fine cup of coffee<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SXlBsMybgGI/AAAAAAAAADA/bz8Hz7g6DD8/s1600-h/yama_8_cup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SXlBsMybgGI/AAAAAAAAADA/bz8Hz7g6DD8/s320/yama_8_cup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294335064553521250" border="0" /></a><br />Ever the romantics, Trillian told me specifically what she wanted for Christmas. When I ordered her gift, I picked out something for myself and told her what she got for me. But frankly, it would be hard for us to go wrong when we're ordering from <a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/">Sweet Maria's</a>.<br /><br />Trillian had been eying vacuum coffee brewers for a while. She decided on the Yama 8-cup, stove-top model.<br /><br />On first reading the process of vacuum brewing, it can be a bit intimidating. For me, anything made of glass that could shatter immediately sends a number of nightmare scenarios running through my brain. But now that I've been roasting our coffee for a while though, I'm a little braver and willing to jump into new things.<br /><br />The process is sort of fun to watch. The basics:<br /><ol><li>Put filter into top section. Add ground coffee on top.</li><li>Add water to bottom. (If it's pre-heated, the rest goes faster.)</li><li>Fit the top part into the bottom so that a seal is created.</li><li>Place on low flame. Wait until nearly all the water goes into the upper chamber.</li><li>Let brew for a minute or so.</li><li>Remove from heat and wait until the coffee funnels back into the bottom.</li></ol>Then enjoy an amazing cup of coffee.<br /><br />The directions point out that this coffee is likely to be a bit different from what one is accustomed to. It is 'cleaner,' in that there truly are no grounds left in it. The mouth-feel is soft and smooth, very pure.<br /><br />This is the way we like to end our evenings now, with a pot of delicious decaf. Excuse me while I go pour another cup.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-43569666772880568222009-01-14T20:16:00.000-08:002009-01-14T20:44:21.789-08:00Cheesecake in the crockpot!<span style="font-family: lucida grande;">This is the recipe that first got me to go check out </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/">A Year of CrockPotting</a><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">, even if I am only now getting around to it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">So in one of my time-wasting incarnations, I was spending a lot of time on a major newspaper's celebrity blog. Generally with online newspaper postings, I have a policy of not reading comments since they tend to make my blood boil after a very short time. This blog, however, is an exception, as the comments are often funny, even as they veer wildly off-topic. One day, there was some food discussion in the comments, and a regular mentioned she was having gluten-free cheesecake that she had made in the crockpot. And then she left the url.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">In this recipe, the crockpot basically serves as a bain marie. I put off attempting it in my 4 quart, since the only cooking dishes that would fit into it were too small to be cheesecake-worthy. Now that I have my 6 quart, it seemed the perfect dish to try out (despite this whole trying-to-eat-better-and-get-in-shape thing).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Now a note about my version: There is no crust. Stephanie has instructions for it with the </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/07/crockpot-cheesecake-recipe.html">original recipe</a><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">. I have also made a crust before by crushing up ginger snaps and mixing with melted butter. But... Cheesecake is something we've discovered Scooter will eat, except he always leaves the crust. AND I'm trying to avoid carbs (or so I say, but the slice of toast and rice I had at dinner tonight say otherwise). So I felt like a crust would be wasted--and those gluten-free cookies are not cheap enough to basically throw away.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Ingredients:</span><br /> <span style="font-family: lucida grande;">- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature (I used two tubs, since they were on sale.)<br />- 3/4 cup white sugar<br />- 2 large eggs, room temperature<br />- 1/4 cup heavy cream (I let this get to room temperature too--not sure if it's necessary.)</span><br /> <span style="font-family: lucida grande;">- 1 tsp vanilla<br />- 1 Tbsp flour (I used brown rice flour</span><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: lucida grande;"><br /><br /></span><ol><li>Find a baking dish that will fit into the bottom of the crockpot. I have an oval casserole dish (not sure of capacity) that fit with an inch or two gap all around.</li><li>Mix ingredients together. I did this by hand, but will use our stand-mixer next time. There were a few cream-cheese lumps in the finished product, but it didn't affect the overall taste. Put this into the baking dish.<br /></li><li>Add some water to the crockpot, then carefully place the dish into it. I started with a cup, and ended up adding some more after putting the dish in (with a funnel stuck in the gap).</li><li>Cook for 2-3 hours on high. Check at an hour or so. It's done when you touch it and don't get too much stuff on your finger. Mine cooked for just over 2 hours.<br /></li><li>Turn off crockpot, let sit for an hour or so, then put in fridge to set.</li></ol>Trillian and I both liked this a lot. Scooter thought it didn't look right--I guess because it didn't have the crust he wasn't going to eat--so he took one bite, said it tasted good, and then put his spoon down.<br /><br />Technically, I can't call this a go-to recipe since the whole point of that goal is to come up with easy <span style="font-style: italic;">dinner</span> recipes. Don't get me wrong, I totally could eat this in place of a regular dinner, but the adult in me knows that this can only be a sometimes treat.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-89942268196388225682009-01-07T16:49:00.001-08:002009-01-07T17:12:30.607-08:00Chicken Cordon Bleu<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I tried out another crockpot recipe from A Year of CrockPotting: </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/crockpot-chicken-cordon-bleu.html">chicken cordon bleu</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">. I will be making it again, but monkeying around with a few things, as ours turned out too dry. Which really surprised me, given the amount of liquid in there. I think that next time around, I will brine the chicken first--that's given us good results in other chicken dishes.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SWVRigrWkwI/AAAAAAAAAC4/Q9mr7bcItyI/s1600-h/Food+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SWVRigrWkwI/AAAAAAAAAC4/Q9mr7bcItyI/s320/Food+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288722990745686786" border="0" /></a><br /> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Ingredients:</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">4 chicken breast halves, pounded thin (I bought meat that had already been pounded; this was a huge time saver)</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">4 slices of ham </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">4-8 slices of swiss cheese (I used 6, 1 1/2 per half)</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">can of cream-of-something soup + 2 Tbsp low fat milk (since most cream-of soups contain wheat, I used a portion of the </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/05/homemade-cream-of-mushroom-soup.html">homemade cream of mushroom soup</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> I had in the freezer)</span> <ol style="font-family: lucida grande;"><li>Spray the crockpot with oil. I used my 4 quart so that it would be at least half full.<br /></li><li>Take one chicken breast, put a slice of ham on it, followed by swiss cheese.</li><li>Roll breast up and place in crockpot, seam side down. I was able to fit two breasts in the bottom and then put the remaining two on top of those in the opposite direction.<br /></li><li>Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10.</li></ol><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This is so easy that I really want it to work. The tastes are good too. That's why I'll give this another go in a couple weeks. Brining the chicken will add some work, but if it does what I think it will, it could be worth it.</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span>Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-87084765656432222842009-01-05T15:37:00.000-08:002009-01-05T16:18:29.325-08:00Pasta Fagioli<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SWKhY8VUicI/AAAAAAAAACo/iIojg-TjQwQ/s1600-h/PastaFagioli.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J-Nn8pqmsIs/SWKhY8VUicI/AAAAAAAAACo/iIojg-TjQwQ/s400/PastaFagioli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287966362370869698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Photos just don't do justice to stews, I suspect. And Blogger has rotated my photo for some reason.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />I spend a lot of time in my physical kitchen, so I'm not sure why I let things slide here for so long. But since one of </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://themousesnest.blogspot.com/2009/01/oh-look-its-2009.html">my goals for the year</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> is to re-establish my presence here, you can look forward to more regular posting of recipes and other food-related topics.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />My main gift this holiday season was a 6 quart crockpot, a desire I developed after discovering a great site, </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/">A Year of CrockPotting</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. And I figured, what better recipe to break it in than </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-305.html">pasta fagioli</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">; I knew as soon as Stephanie posted her recipe that I would have to make it sometime, since this soup has a history in our household.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I first discovered Trader Joe's when I moved away for grad school. It was a popular place to go for cheap but good eats (and wine) among my colleagues and I immediately understood why. Trillian and I found their pasta fagioli canned soup on a trip; it became a stock-up purchase at each subsequent visit. For about a dollar, we could have a tasty and filling lunch. At the time, I was still a vegetarian, though I have to admit that I don't remember checking to see if this used chicken broth.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />While in Canada, we didn't have access to Trader Joe's, so we were looking forward to having one in Capital City after our move. It was one of the first places we went once the movers brought our stuff. Of course we headed to the soup section... only to discover that our favorite soup had been discontinued. Trillian still remarks on this every time we set foot in the store.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Now Stephanie's recipe is meant to copy Olive Garden's recipe, and it's definitely different than the TJ version. But I will be making this and variations on a regular basis! As soon as Trillian had a couple bites, she said, "Put this into the rotation!" (I'm trying to develop a list of go-to recipes that are easy and both Trillian and I like.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Here's the recipe, adapted from </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-305.html">A Year of Crockpotting</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. I kept to the basic structure she provided, but upped some of the veggies and omitted the salt (because the broth has plenty, in my opinion).</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Ingredients:</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />1 small red onion, chopped</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />2 medium carrots, chopped</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">3 celery stalks, sliced</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained<br />1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />1 can white beans, drained and rinsed</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />4 cups beef broth<br />1 jar pasta sauce (no idea how many ounces, just a regular-sized jar)<br />generous shake of Italian Seasoning</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />a couple shakes of Tabasco sauce<br />black pepper to taste</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />a couple handfuls of dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time (I used Tinkyada brown rice fusilli)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br /></span><ol><li>Brown the meat. Let cool while chopping vegetables.</li><li>Chop up onion, carrots, celery.</li><li>Add everything (except pasta) to the crockpot and mix a bit.</li><li>Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.</li><li>Add pasta and cook on low for about another hour.</li><li>Enjoy with parmesan, crusty bread, or whatever else sounds good.</li></ol>I cooked ours for a little over 7 hours and then added the pasta. We grated some parmesan into it, and Trillian greatly lamented her lack of crusty bread (we've been keeping frozen hard rolls for her, but ran out).<br /><br />This was much more tomato-based than the TJ version, but I'll happily use this recipe again. We've both enjoyed at least one bowl a day for the past three days, and I have several more servings frozen for later. If I want to get a little closer to our beloved version (and/or to make it vegetarian), I'll probably use vegetable broth, omit the beef and kidney beans, double up on white beans, and use elbow macaroni.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-71284685740748883952008-02-18T18:30:00.000-08:002009-12-03T13:44:20.442-08:00Lunch for guestsFor the first time since we moved into our house, we entertained. My in-laws came over for lunch since various business places gave off for Presidents' Day. Trillian's mother has cooked for us several times, and so I wanted to prepare a lunch that would match the wonderful meals she has made. I went with several stand-by dishes, experimenting slightly with them, but not too drastically.<br /><br />Our menu:<br />Shrimp with chile and lime<br />Skillet-roasted potatoes<br />French green beans<br />Baked apples and pears<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the shrimp</span>:<br />The simple idea behind this is to sautee some peeled, uncooked shrimp in olive oil that has been heated with chopped-up dry chiles. We frequently do this with chile and garlic, but I decided tonight to just use the chile and then squeeze lemon juice on them at the end. I don't remember what chiles we used in the past, but I used the dried chipotles on hand today. Even with the seeds removed, the chiles were hotter than usual, but not so hot that they overpowered the taste.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the potatoes</span>:<br />I use our large skillet for this. Olive oil in heated skillet. Sautee an onion until it's translucent and thinking about caramelizing. Add thinly sliced potatoes and herbs. Today, I used fresh thyme and rosemary, as well as some leek. Cover and stir around from time to time. I start this dish first so that the onions have plenty of time to caramelize and the potatoes can brown and soften.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the green beans</span>:<br />The easiest part of the meal. Trader Joe's has wonderful frozen French green beans. Unlike many other frozen veggies, they maintain their crispness and flavor. I threw a bunch of these into a saucepan with a little water and butter and let them heat up while I did everything else.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the dessert</span>:<br />This is a variation on the <a href="http://themouseskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/01/sweet-without-sin.html">baked fruit</a> I made before. I cored apples and pears before cutting them in half and placing them in the baking dish. I then used our mini-chopper to chop up some walnuts with cinnamon, to which I then added some honey--not a lot, just enough to keep it from falling all over the place. I put a spoonful or two into the center of each fruit half and baked for about half an hour.<br /><br />At least my in-laws can be certain that I'm keeping their daughter well-fed.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-12808021392294605322008-02-15T21:03:00.000-08:002008-02-15T21:13:00.364-08:00What do you want for dinner?Generally, I've been much better about planning meals and shopping specifically for them, but I haven't been on top of that this week. We had an excellent Valentine's dinner, which I will write about later, but so much thought went into that that we were headed towards dinner-time without a solid plan.<br /><br />"What do we have?" Trillian asked.<br /><br />I ran through a few things, including the sausage I'd bought recently from Whole Foods. Their "Whole Ranch" line includes a number of styles of sausage and are all gluten-free. This has turned out to be something I have to look for. I had been hoping to get chicken sausage, but the brand I used to get has bread crumbs in every flavor I found.<br /><br />Using that as our basis, we decided on a quick, simple, but satisfying menu:<br /><ul><li>2 Italian sausages cut up and browned with marinara then poured over them.</li><li>Quinoa pasta (gluten-free, decent fiber and protein levels).</li><li>Romaine lettuce with gluten-free blue cheese dressing. (Interestingly, blue cheese is another food that has to be labeled gluten-free to be safe. Frequently the mold used in it is started on bread and can transfer gluten to the cheese.)</li></ul>I was able to heat up the sauce and make the salad while the pasta was in the pot, plus it's pretty hard to mess things up.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-45046229663135293422008-02-07T21:56:00.000-08:002008-02-07T22:05:20.332-08:00Heart cookiesI spent my night making some <a href="http://themousesnest.blogspot.com/2008/02/things-we-do-for-love.html">cookies for Scooter</a> to make up for the tempting treats he has had to pass up. Although it required an extra trip to the grocery store (for food coloring since we didn't keep our old stuff in the move), I kept it pretty simple.<br /><br />I started with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cherrybrook-Kitchen-Wheat-Gluten-Cookie/dp/B000FPDYRQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1202450322&sr=8-2">sugar cookie mix</a> from Cherrybrook Kitchen, preparing the dough according to the directions. Rather than making the two-inch balls as suggested, I chilled the dough for a little bit and then rolled it out. The dough is a little crumbly, so I had to pat it together, but I was able to get a decent sheet of thin dough. Then I cut out a number of hearts. I had thought about using our vehicle cookie cutters too, but decided that those shapes might be too delicate to transfer to the baking sheet. <br /><br />I still baked the cookies for about 12 minutes and then transferred them to a rack. Once they were a little cooler, I mixed together a simple confectioner's sugar/milk frosting with a few drops of red food coloring. I made the frosting in progressively lighter-colored batches, making only a little at a time. The first batch was fairly red, followed by a medium pink and two lighter pinks. I also fooled around with some food coloring "markers" I found at the grocery store.<br /><br />The whole process, not including chilling time for the dough, took about an hour, and I now have a couple dozen good-sized heart cookies to get us through this pink holiday.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-87061093601036891652008-01-30T19:53:00.000-08:002008-01-30T20:04:54.288-08:00Sweet without the sinBesides my attempts to get gluten out of my diet, I have also been trying to lose a little weight. But gluten-free has not meant a lack of sweets, so I've been snacking way too much. This week I'm trying to be more aware of when and what I'm eating--not just grabbing a meringue as I go by because it's on the gf list.<br /><br />So tonight I decided to address my craving for sweets with something plenty sweet, but healthy and relatively low in calories. I started from a recipe for pears with nuts and raisins, but quickly went my own way:<br /><br /><ol><li>Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a baking dish with oil (I used olive since that's what's in my Misto).<br /></li><li>Core and slice one apple and one pear.</li><li>Spread fruit slices in baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon (as much as you want) and some pine nuts.</li><li>Bake for 15-20 minutes until fruit is warm and getting soft.</li></ol>I allowed myself to eat the whole pan--only two pieces of fruit, so it's not like it was all that much. One of the times I'm glad Trillian isn't big on fruit.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-87450685642549605502008-01-24T18:49:00.000-08:002008-01-24T19:12:51.552-08:00A new breakfast optionIn addition to <a href="http://themouseskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/01/observations-on-gluten-free-bread.html">the cookbook I mentioned</a> last week, Trillian brought Shauna Ahern's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Girl-Found-Loves-Back/dp/0470137304/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201229486&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gluten-Free Girl</span></a> home from the library. It's a combination memoir and cookbook, along with advice on gluten-free eating. I am enjoying it immensely and have started a mental list of what I want to try next.<br /><br />One of the grains that she discusses is teff. The grain originated in Ethiopia and is the smallest grain in the world. It's rich in protein and iron. As small as it is, the germ and bran are a higher proportion of each grain and end up as an integral part of the teff flour. Ahern mentions that teff flour works very well in baked goods, adding a silky texture due to its "slightly gelatinous" nature when cooked.<br /><br />So I've been dying to try this grain, especially to use it in bread made from scratch so that I can see if it takes care of the slightly grainier texture that bugs Trillian about other gf flours. Of course, all I could find was whole grain teff (from <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/index.php?action=showdetails&product_ID=387">Bob's Red Mill</a>), so that experiment will have to wait. But what I could do this morning was use it to make my morning hot cereal.<br /><br />I followed the recipe off the back of the package:<br /><ol><li>Bring 2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil.</li><li>Add 1/2 cup Teff Grain.</li><li>Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until water is absorbed.</li><li>Add honey, raisins, nuts, fruit and/or cinnamon.</li></ol>For my cooking conditions, the grain never quite absorbed all of the water in the pot, so it had a thin consistency. I'll pull back 1/4 cup next time and see if that helps. But I could definitely see the silkiness Ahern mentions.<br /><br />I added some honey and frozen peaches and found the concoction quite delicious! The grain itself has just the slightest nutty flavor, and the cereal is smooth on the tongue. I filled my bowl twice and ate the whole thing, although I suppose it could serve two.<br /><br />According to the back of the package, 1/4 cup dry of the grain (or one serving of the breakfast cereal) contains 6 grams of fiber (24% RDA) and 20% of the RDA of iron, plus 6 grams of protein and 8% of the RDA of calcium. Add in that a serving contains 160 calories (5 from fat) and this is a pretty good substitute for that bowl of oatmeal or cream of wheat.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-42239737718368507462008-01-20T18:04:00.000-08:002008-01-20T18:50:06.181-08:00ImposingLiving so close to the in-laws, it's quickly becoming a tradition that we visit them for lunch on the weekends. Which also means that they have to plan around my gluten-free diet; for Scooter they just keep around the makings of grilled cheese sandwiches and gf cookies, so he's always fine when we visit. I am not entirely comfortable pushing my food limitations on others, but my mother-in-law has managed quite well in providing delicious meals. Sometimes she has to rethink her initial plan, i.e. roasted chicken instead of fried or setting aside my portion of chili before baking it with biscuits on top, but she always comes up with a workable solution. This week, she even found a variation on a chocolate pie without flour and found a gf pie crust at the grocery store.<br /><br />Next month, Trillian and I are hoping to go to a nice restaurant for our anniversary. This involves a whole other level of dealing with my food limitations, as I will need to start calling around soon so that I can determine if any of the restaurants my in-laws have suggested can accommodate my requirements. A couple of the restaurants mention that they serve a specific type of ice cream with their desserts, so I've already checked to make sure I can eat those--yeah dessert, at least I can have the most important part of the meal!<br /><br />It has been fairly easy for me to adapt my cooking at home, but there's a whole wide world out there, and I won't always be able to retreat to my own kitchen when I need to eat. As Trillian pointed out to me earlier today as we discussed some travel plans, we're going to have to figure out how to negotiate dining while away from home for days at a time. I have some ideas, but will have to flesh those out as we get closer to an actual trip.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-12300187870099236522008-01-15T21:16:00.000-08:002008-01-15T21:37:39.721-08:00Observations on gluten-free breadThe number one replacement we sought when we decided to try a gluten-free diet was some bread. Scooter and I both have always been big on carbs, and bread seemed like something we wouldn't be able to just cut out.<br /><br />For some time now, we've been using a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Gluten-Free-Wonderful/dp/B000PDJY2M/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1200461331&sr=8-1">Bob's Red Mill mix for sandwich bread</a>. This is the bread that goes on Scooter's grilled cheese sandwiches--and he's practically been living off of those.<br /><br />At first, I had a few grilled cheese sandwiches too and the occasional piece of toast, but then I just worked around things with bread, mostly doing without or supplementing with rice crackers. Because when I was honest with myself, I just didn't like the taste enough to have the bread if other things were available.<br /><br />After experimenting with a few other mixes and baking from scratch, I've come to an important realization: I don't particularly like any gluten-free product made with soy, garbanzo, or fava flour. In my opinion, those flours impart a distinctive taste to the baked good that really turns me off. And I can tell when something is baking, without looking at the ingredient list, that one of these flours is present; to me, they smell bad. I also recognize that this is entirely a personal opinion. While Trillian doesn't like the bread either, it is entirely a texture issue for her. She finds the bread too sweet and doesn't seem to have the issue that I do with the aroma. On the other hand, Scooter <span style="font-style: italic;">loves</span> this bread when it's toasted, so I know that the case (8 bags of mix) that we bought from Amazon won't go to waste.<br /><br />Recognizing my likes and dislikes, I decided to try another mix that was available at our local grocery store: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Pantry-Favorite-Sandwich-22-Ounce/dp/B000EVG8H4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1200460623&sr=8-2">Gluten-Free Pantry's Favorite Sandwich Bread</a>. Now this one is not dairy-free, so it won't work for those doing gfcf, but its main ingredients are rice flour and potato starch, thus meeting my new requirements. I baked it up in our bread machine tonight (though it also has oven directions). Trillian remarked part of the way through the baking cycle that it smelled really good, like actual bread baking. Once it came out, I sliced off a thin heel and put a little <a href="http://www.earthbalance.net/product.html">Earth Balance</a> on it. And enjoyed a piece of bread for the first time in a while. The texture of the crust was not quite what I would have liked--not sure if that was the mix or the machine. But it tasted wonderful, very much like a slice of fresh-baked white bread.<br /><br />My next project will be to try some recipes for gf bread from scratch. Trillian got <a href="http://www.amazon.com/More-Gluten-free-Gourmet-Delicious-Without/dp/0805065245/ref=pd_bbs_sr_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200461699&sr=8-7">a cookbook by Bette Hagman</a> from the library which has a very large chapter on gluten-free breads. I'm glad to know that there is a mix I will happily eat and will continue to make it regularly since I won't always have time to devote to bread baking, but I'm also eager to see what variations I can create and if I can make an even better crust.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-56120479237534243302008-01-14T15:59:00.000-08:002008-01-14T16:07:26.149-08:00A yummy take on spinachLong, long ago, back in our restaurant-going days, Trillian and I frequented a tapas place. They had a whole range of amazing dishes, but one I got almost every time I went was spinach with apples, raisins, and pine nuts.<br /><br />I decided to try my hand at a home version of the dish and was happy with the results. Here's what I did:<br /><ol><li>Roughly chopped 1 apple--Gala since that's what we have in the house.</li><li>Chop up some garlic. I only used one largish clove since I was looking more for the aroma than the taste.</li><li>Heat up some olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and apple. Through in some pine nuts; I used a bag that claimed to be a half cup. Be sure not to burn the garlic.</li><li>Once you've browned everything a little, throw in the spinach. I used a 1-pound bag of frozen, chopped spinach. Add some salt to taste.<br /></li><li>Stir occasionally until heated through.</li></ol>I paired this with a piece of the salmon left over from last night. It was a satisfying and healthy lunch.<br /><br />I did miss the presence of the raisins and would suggest that most people would want to throw in about a half cup or so. I seem to have developed a sensitivity to some aspect of some grapes, so I'm avoiding them. Next time I make this dish, I will probably throw in some dried cranberries or cherries or apricots--something to capture the sweet tang and texture of the original dish.Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1623850904407830502.post-11737636147925282292008-01-13T19:40:00.000-08:002008-01-13T20:08:24.597-08:00A good and easy dinnerThe diet changes that we've made recently have required more meal planning and eating in than has been our custom. But we're starting to hit our stride now that we're settling into our house. I've been planning dinners a week at a time. And while the whole thing means more cooking, I've found a few ways to cut some time off of preparation and make some dinners especially easy.<br /><br />Tonight's dinner took less than 15 minutes. We had salmon from <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/index.html">Trader Joe's</a>. It was already marinated; I just had to put it in the fridge yesterday to defrost and then pan-cooked it in about 12 minutes. On the side was some brown rice I cooked last night (in half water and half vegetable broth, with a splash of olive oil) and a frozen vegetable medley (an organic "California" mix with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and yellow zucchini). Delicious, healthy, and simple!Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704189465052882543noreply@blogger.com0