For spending a snowy evening at home with your lover, I recommend this hot beverage. The Ancient Greeks considered hot wine to be an aphrodisiac, you know.
Mulled Wine
1 bottle of red wine (I recommend merlot or shiraz )
3 cinnamon sticks, crushed
Peel from one orange, chopped
5 whole cloves, crushed
5 allspice berries, crushed
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup brandy or cognac (more or less to taste)
Place the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and orange peel into the center of a disposable coffee filter, fold up, and tie into a bundle with cotton string. Set aside.
Pour the wine into a crock pot or saucepan, add the bundle of herbs, and heat gently over low heat until very hot. Add the vanilla and sugar, and stir until completely dissolved. Cover tightly, and heat on the lowest temperature setting until ready to serve (the longer you heat it, the spicier it will taste and the less alcohol it will have). Never allow it to boil...not even a little bit.
To serve, remove the bundle of herbs and stir in the brandy. Ladle into coffee mugs, and garnish with a slice of orange.
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I’ll admit…it is an acquired taste. If hot wine is not your thing, use apple and/or cranberry juice instead.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Jambalaya
It's been pretty cold here the last couple of days. Granted, it is nowhere nearly as cold as Colorado was this time of the year, but I seem to notice it more up here because I am outside more often. And on a cold day, nothing sounds better than some spicy Cajun food...
Jambalaya
1 bundle of celery, chopped
2 pounds yellow onion, chopped
2 large bell peppers, diced
4 T. bacon drippings (or salad oil)
2 pounds tomatoes, diced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 pound smoked sausage, in bite-sized pieces
1 pound smoked ham, in bite-sized pieces
1 pound shrimp
2 cups rice
1 can kidney beans, drained
Garlic salt to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Cook celery, onion, and bell peppers together in bacon drippings until the onions are transparent. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, sausage, and ham. Cook on low heat until all ingredients are soft, about 30 minutes. Add rice, shrimp, beans, and seasonings to taste. Cook over low heat until rice is tender, adjust seasonings again before serving.
Serve with saltine crackers and a good beer.
Jambalaya
1 bundle of celery, chopped
2 pounds yellow onion, chopped
2 large bell peppers, diced
4 T. bacon drippings (or salad oil)
2 pounds tomatoes, diced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 pound smoked sausage, in bite-sized pieces
1 pound smoked ham, in bite-sized pieces
1 pound shrimp
2 cups rice
1 can kidney beans, drained
Garlic salt to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Cook celery, onion, and bell peppers together in bacon drippings until the onions are transparent. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, sausage, and ham. Cook on low heat until all ingredients are soft, about 30 minutes. Add rice, shrimp, beans, and seasonings to taste. Cook over low heat until rice is tender, adjust seasonings again before serving.
Serve with saltine crackers and a good beer.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Prosciutto-Stuffed Duck
This is probably the tastiest recipe I have for my favorite waterfowl. I am posting this recipe at the request of my cousin Lacee, whose husband recently acquired a handful of these tasty birds while on a hunting trip.
Hey, I don't ask questions. I just e-mail the recipes.
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Prosciutto-Stuffed Duck
1 large duck, thawed
lemon juice
salt
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. prosciutto, chopped fine
4 large strips of prosciutto, uncut
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
1/2 t. dried oregano
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 C. chopped yellow onion
2 C. duck stock
2 T. corn starch
1/4 C. dry sherry
Reynold's roasting bag
Stuffing:
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Fry the potatoes until tender and slightly browned, then add the onion, parsley, oregano, garlic, and chopped prosciutto. Cook this mixture over medium heat until the onions are transparent. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
The bird:
While the stuffing cools, prepare the duck for roasting. Remove and discard the giblets from the body cavity. Remove all loose fat from inside the neck cavity, and remove the wishbone from the front of the breast (optional, it makes carving easier.) Make sure that the yellow fat glands at the base of the tail have been removed, along with any remaining yellow residue, and rub that area with lemon juice and salt. Prick the skin all over at half-inch intervals with a thin needle. Cover with a clean, damp towel, and set aside.
When the stuffing has cooled to room temperature, stuff the body cavity of the duck loosely with the fried potato mixture. Lay the uncut strips of proscuitto over the breasts and legs of the duck, and secure in place with cotton string. Place the stuffed duck in a roasting bag, and place the roasting bag in a large roasting pan.
Roast the duck, using the temperature and baking time indicated in the roasting bag's instructions.
Gravy:
When the bird is done, remove it from the bag. Measure out 2 cups of the duck stock from the bottom of the roasting pan, using a turkey baster to ensure you get as little fat as possible. (Tip: for an extra-clear gravy, strain the broth through a cheesecloth.)
Bring the duck stock to a full rolling boil in a small saucepan. Mix the cornstarch with the sherry, and add it to the boiling duck stock while whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat until thickened, adding more duck stock if necessary to get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve:
Arrange the duck on a large serving tray, and garnish with your favorite baked vegetables (I prefer baked potatoes and carrots, but to each their own.) Pour the hot gravy over the duck and vegetables, and serve immediately with a bottle of Chianti, hot bread, and a tossed salad.
Hey, I don't ask questions. I just e-mail the recipes.
-----
Prosciutto-Stuffed Duck
1 large duck, thawed
lemon juice
salt
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. prosciutto, chopped fine
4 large strips of prosciutto, uncut
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
1/2 t. dried oregano
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 C. chopped yellow onion
2 C. duck stock
2 T. corn starch
1/4 C. dry sherry
Reynold's roasting bag
Stuffing:
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Fry the potatoes until tender and slightly browned, then add the onion, parsley, oregano, garlic, and chopped prosciutto. Cook this mixture over medium heat until the onions are transparent. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
The bird:
While the stuffing cools, prepare the duck for roasting. Remove and discard the giblets from the body cavity. Remove all loose fat from inside the neck cavity, and remove the wishbone from the front of the breast (optional, it makes carving easier.) Make sure that the yellow fat glands at the base of the tail have been removed, along with any remaining yellow residue, and rub that area with lemon juice and salt. Prick the skin all over at half-inch intervals with a thin needle. Cover with a clean, damp towel, and set aside.
When the stuffing has cooled to room temperature, stuff the body cavity of the duck loosely with the fried potato mixture. Lay the uncut strips of proscuitto over the breasts and legs of the duck, and secure in place with cotton string. Place the stuffed duck in a roasting bag, and place the roasting bag in a large roasting pan.
Roast the duck, using the temperature and baking time indicated in the roasting bag's instructions.
Gravy:
When the bird is done, remove it from the bag. Measure out 2 cups of the duck stock from the bottom of the roasting pan, using a turkey baster to ensure you get as little fat as possible. (Tip: for an extra-clear gravy, strain the broth through a cheesecloth.)
Bring the duck stock to a full rolling boil in a small saucepan. Mix the cornstarch with the sherry, and add it to the boiling duck stock while whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat until thickened, adding more duck stock if necessary to get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve:
Arrange the duck on a large serving tray, and garnish with your favorite baked vegetables (I prefer baked potatoes and carrots, but to each their own.) Pour the hot gravy over the duck and vegetables, and serve immediately with a bottle of Chianti, hot bread, and a tossed salad.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Another Ramen Recipe: Ramen Foo Young
Toni is in Oklahoma, visiting her friends and family...she is the Maid of Honor in Kara's wedding. I guess that since Toni is married, she would technically be called a 'Matron' and not a 'Maid,' but you know what I mean. Anyway. Toni is back in Oklahoma for the week, which means I get to pretend like I am a bachelor again.
And I am a college student again, having been accepted into Portland State. So I was in the kitchen this afternoon, trying to think of something to eat for lunch, and I asked myself, "what would a bachelor college student be eating for lunch?" The answer was too easy: Top Ramen, of course.
But I can't do anything easy, you know. I like to play with my food, and I came up with this recipe in a fit of creativity. And honestly: I think it is the best Ramen recipe I have ever come up with. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
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Ramen Foo Young
1 packet of Top Ramen, chicken and mushroom flavor
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. minced garlic
1 green onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2/3 C. water
1 t. soy sauce
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 C. cooked rice
Bring 2" of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and add the ramen noodles. Cover tightly and let the noodles soften for 4 minutes. Drain well, and blot the noodles on a paper towl to dry.
Heat the oil in a heavy, stick-resistant wok or skillet. Add the garlic and onion, and cook until slightly browned. Add the softened noodles, and stir-fry on medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until the noodles separate and begin to brown. Add the beaten egg, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip the egg-noodle omelete. Cook another 2 minutes, then remove the omelete.
Return the empty wok to the burner. Wisk together 2/3 cup of the cold water, the soy sauce, the flour, and the chicken-mushroom seasoning packet in a small bowl. Pour this mixture into the wok and cook over medium heat, wisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and a smooth brown gravy forms. Cook for 2-3 minutes longer, adding more water if the gravy becomes too thick. Remove from heat.
Put the cooked rice in a shallow bowl, lay the omelete over the rice, and pour the mushroom gravy on top. Garnish with a sliver of green onion, and serve immediately with hot green tea.
Serves 1 or 2. I imagine it would be easy to multiply this recipe, but you would have to cook each omelete separately.
And I am a college student again, having been accepted into Portland State. So I was in the kitchen this afternoon, trying to think of something to eat for lunch, and I asked myself, "what would a bachelor college student be eating for lunch?" The answer was too easy: Top Ramen, of course.
But I can't do anything easy, you know. I like to play with my food, and I came up with this recipe in a fit of creativity. And honestly: I think it is the best Ramen recipe I have ever come up with. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
-----
Ramen Foo Young
1 packet of Top Ramen, chicken and mushroom flavor
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. minced garlic
1 green onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2/3 C. water
1 t. soy sauce
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 C. cooked rice
Bring 2" of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and add the ramen noodles. Cover tightly and let the noodles soften for 4 minutes. Drain well, and blot the noodles on a paper towl to dry.
Heat the oil in a heavy, stick-resistant wok or skillet. Add the garlic and onion, and cook until slightly browned. Add the softened noodles, and stir-fry on medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until the noodles separate and begin to brown. Add the beaten egg, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip the egg-noodle omelete. Cook another 2 minutes, then remove the omelete.
Return the empty wok to the burner. Wisk together 2/3 cup of the cold water, the soy sauce, the flour, and the chicken-mushroom seasoning packet in a small bowl. Pour this mixture into the wok and cook over medium heat, wisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and a smooth brown gravy forms. Cook for 2-3 minutes longer, adding more water if the gravy becomes too thick. Remove from heat.
Put the cooked rice in a shallow bowl, lay the omelete over the rice, and pour the mushroom gravy on top. Garnish with a sliver of green onion, and serve immediately with hot green tea.
Serves 1 or 2. I imagine it would be easy to multiply this recipe, but you would have to cook each omelete separately.
Monday, October 30, 2006
How to Cook Jack O'Lanterns (Updated)
Tonight, I will be doing something that I hope will become a tradition: carving Jack O'Lanterns and watching classic scary movies. The day before Halloween is a perfect time to do it, since (1) all the pumpkins will be marked down drastically at the grocery store, and (2) Halloween night itself should be for trick-or-treating, not carving gourds.
So I thought it would be fun to post a couple of recipes that go well with a night of pumpkin-carving. The first is for cooking those tasty, vitamin-rich pumpkin seeds. The second is a Thai dish, for cooking up those spare pumpkin parts from the eyes, nose, and mouth places. Hope you enjoy!
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Trav's Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (#3)
Fresh pumpkin seeds (about 2 cups)
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder
Remove the seeds and pulp from the pumpkin, and place them in a colander. Under running water, separate the seeds from the pulp and rinse them well. One large pumpkin will yield about one cup of seeds; adjust the recipe as needed.
Drain the seeds, and put them in a shallow bowl. While they are still damp, add the salt and baking powder and stir until the powders dissolve. Spread the seeds out evenly on an ungreased, stick-resistant cookie sheet, and allow to dry overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the pumpkin seeds and vegetable oil in a bowl, and toss until well-coated. Spread the seeds out evenly on a stick-resistant cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F until golden brown and crispy (about 30 minutes), stirring every 15 minutes.
Blot the seeds on paper towels, and serve warm.
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Stir Fried Pumpkin
1 C. water
1 T. vegetable oil
2 C. pumpkin
1 t. ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. sugar
1 T. fish sauce
1/2 t. salt
2 T. green onions, chopped (green parts only)
Remove the skin from the pumpkin, and remove any seeds or spongy pith from the inside...you want the solid meat from the inside of the pumpkin. Chop the pumpkin meat into 1/2-inch cubes.
Heat the oil in a wok, and add the garlic and pepper. Cook on high heat until the garlic is almost browned, then add the pumpkin and reduce heat to medium. Stir to coat the pumpkin in the garlic-oil mixture, then add the water. Cook until the pumpkin is medium-soft and most of the water has evaporated, then add the sugar, fish sauce, salt, and green onions. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pumpkin is tender, and serve immediately over rice.
(Update: Using jack o'lantern pumpkins is not a good idea; they are not the tastiest of gourds. Well, the flavor is okay I guess, but the texture is strange. I dunno. If you are serious about this recipe, I recommend you use acorn or butternut squash instead.)
So I thought it would be fun to post a couple of recipes that go well with a night of pumpkin-carving. The first is for cooking those tasty, vitamin-rich pumpkin seeds. The second is a Thai dish, for cooking up those spare pumpkin parts from the eyes, nose, and mouth places. Hope you enjoy!
-----
Trav's Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (#3)
Fresh pumpkin seeds (about 2 cups)
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder
Remove the seeds and pulp from the pumpkin, and place them in a colander. Under running water, separate the seeds from the pulp and rinse them well. One large pumpkin will yield about one cup of seeds; adjust the recipe as needed.
Drain the seeds, and put them in a shallow bowl. While they are still damp, add the salt and baking powder and stir until the powders dissolve. Spread the seeds out evenly on an ungreased, stick-resistant cookie sheet, and allow to dry overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the pumpkin seeds and vegetable oil in a bowl, and toss until well-coated. Spread the seeds out evenly on a stick-resistant cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F until golden brown and crispy (about 30 minutes), stirring every 15 minutes.
Blot the seeds on paper towels, and serve warm.
-----
Stir Fried Pumpkin
1 C. water
1 T. vegetable oil
2 C. pumpkin
1 t. ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. sugar
1 T. fish sauce
1/2 t. salt
2 T. green onions, chopped (green parts only)
Remove the skin from the pumpkin, and remove any seeds or spongy pith from the inside...you want the solid meat from the inside of the pumpkin. Chop the pumpkin meat into 1/2-inch cubes.
Heat the oil in a wok, and add the garlic and pepper. Cook on high heat until the garlic is almost browned, then add the pumpkin and reduce heat to medium. Stir to coat the pumpkin in the garlic-oil mixture, then add the water. Cook until the pumpkin is medium-soft and most of the water has evaporated, then add the sugar, fish sauce, salt, and green onions. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pumpkin is tender, and serve immediately over rice.
(Update: Using jack o'lantern pumpkins is not a good idea; they are not the tastiest of gourds. Well, the flavor is okay I guess, but the texture is strange. I dunno. If you are serious about this recipe, I recommend you use acorn or butternut squash instead.)
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