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Cooking

Dehydrated Fruit

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I finally used my dehydrator that Gar gave me last year for something other than beef jerky. Dehydrated strawberries and bananas are a great yummy and chewy snack. I feel like dehydrated and freeze dried strawberries are basically on par. The dehydrated banana, however, is far superior to the freeze dried banana chip due to its intense banana and slightly caramelized flavor. There is so much more I want to do with the dehydrator. Maybe next year I’ll find time for making fruit leather.

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Cooking

Chuck Roast

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I would just like to take this moment to say that if you encounter a handful of recipes that have you doing several things to your chuck roast prior to just letting it cook, like searing it for example, you do not need to follow them. Not to say that searing your roast and then deglazing the pan and adding 15 different ingredients won’t produce deliciousness, it is just that deliciousness will still occur with a much lazier approach. I cooked a chuck roast this week and just plopped it in the crock pot. I seasoned it with Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and a dry truffle seasoning. Another option for a simple seasoning would be to use some dry onion soup mix. Next, I added a little water and beef bullion to the bottom of the crock pot to ensure the cooking environment would be very moist at all times. After a 10 hour low heat cycle, I had incredibly tender, flavorful beef that I paired with pureed cauliflower, peas, and a mushroom gravy that I made with the rendered fat and juices from the crock pot. We used the leftovers the next day to make nachos. One thing I’d like to point out is my surprise at what a great barky exterior the roast had despite doing absolutely nothing to it. This just further contributes to my faith in and admiration for the crockpot.

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Cooking

Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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It occurred to me the other day that I could make a low-calorie base for a broccoli cheddar soup. When I make a creamy broccoli cheddar soup, I can’t skimp on the cheese but I learned I can skimp on the cream and butter. To make the base for my soup I boiled two cups of cauliflower in two cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Once cooked, I took the cauliflower off of the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Next, I blended the mixture with about a cup of 1% milk and set aside. Next, I cooked some diced onion in a little bit of butter until translucent and added the cauliflower mixture, about 4 cups of frozen broccoli, a splash of beer, and a few cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Once the broccoli was cooked, I removed about 1/3 of the total soup mixture and blended it, making sure to leave some nice big chunks of broccoli behind in the pot. Finally, the blended portion is returned to the rest of the soup mixture and I let the whole thing simmer for a bit before serving up a bowl with some extra cheddar on top. I added salt to taste at the end but I did season the onion with salt and pepper while it cooked. This soup did not disappoint in the least. I look forward to continue to work on making variations on healthier soup bases. I think next time I’ll try adding some barley or brown rice to the blender.

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Cooking

Corned Beef & Cabbage

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This past Tuesday was St. Patrick’s Day as I am sure you all know. I just love celebrating this day. On Tuesday morning, I had my corned beef in the crockpot, some Bailey’s in my coffee, and a big green sparkly bow in my hair. I always make corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day. Last year I made a sort of Irish poutine with my corned beef but I was feeling more traditional this time around so I slow-cooked the corned beef with pickling spice, carrots, onion, and red potatoes.

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Cooking

Apples and Ginger

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Baked apple, whether it has a crumble or ice cream over it, is one of my favorite desserts to make and I usually have it a couple of times a week. For baking, I always use Granny Smith and you can put your apple in the oven peeled and whole or peeled and diced. Latest baked apple obsession? Apples and ginger. I recently bought an organic sweet ginger spread online and it is excellent with just the right ginger kick in it. One to two tablespoons of the spread mixed or placed on the apple with a little cinnamon before baking is what I’ve been doing. Of course, you could also use fresh grated ginger root or prepared grated ginger and a sweetener of your choice for a practically similar effect. I’ve been baking my apple in the oven at 325 degrees until it is slightly tender. Once cooked, you can add your favorite toppings such as low-calorie vanilla/maple lactose-free “ice-cream” (if you’re me) or things like caramel, nuts, dried cherries or raisins, and whipped cream.

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Cooking

Desperate Desserts

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So… I imagine that most of us have had that one night where we really want something sweet to eat after dinner (and an effing fruit popsicle or whatever is not going to cut it) but don’t have anything readily available (usually on purpose). What do you do? Improvise with whatever you can find out of your pantry.

This was my night a few nights ago. What did I do? I threw butter, raw coconut sugar, white sugar, chopped hazelnuts, and shredded coconut in a skillet and cooked it until all of the sugar was melted and slightly bubbly. Next, I poured the mixture onto wax paper and put it in the freezer until it was firm. I would just like to point out that I had no idea what I was doing. I’ve never made a brittle or anything like it before. I completely guessed on the amounts of everything. I just kept adding things until it looked like there was enough of a melted mixture to harden up nicely. I just figured you can’t really go wrong with those ingredients as long as you don’t burn your sugar.

It turned out pretty damn good (very sweet of course). Some parts were more crunchy than others, the more shredded coconut, the chewier the final product is. I had a light bulb moment while I was waiting for my “desperate dessert” to set in the freezer. I realized I had some unsweetened Ghiradelli cocoa powder and that an unsweetened hot chocolate would pair perfectly with my mutant brittle thing-a-ma-bob. They were great together. If anyone remembers the last “desperate dessert” they made, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear about it.

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Cooking

Vegetable Dinner

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I had great food in Vegas but did not eat nearly the amount of vegetables I’m used to so one of the first dinners I made when I got home was all veggies. I tossed my asparagus in a little olive oil and salt and pepper and stuck them in the broiler for about 5 minutes. I boiled cauliflower and turnips (shout out to les, your comment inspired the turnip addition) and stuck them in the food processor with a little parmesan and seasoning. I cut a beautiful portabello in half and marinated it in a little Worcestershire, beer, and spicy montreal seasoning before pan-frying. This dinner is guilt-free and SO satisfying. It really feels like eating a hearty steak dinner.