Firecracker Chicken Appetizer
Firecracker Chicken Appetizer
Sometimes the best recipes happen when you don’t have time to plan. This is one of those recipes. Even better because it only uses 4 ingredients. I needed an appetizer, but didn’t have extra time for prep. I also did not have time to go to the store, so used what I had on hand. I had some boneless chicken breasts. I cut them into strips and poured a bunch of hot sauce over them. Put them in the fridge to marinade overnight. The next day I just tossed the chicken strips in breadcrumbs and fried them in a little oil. Served with extra hot sauce on the side, they were a big hit.
Firecracker Chicken
2 lbs. boneless chicken, I used breasts, but thighs would be good
3/4 c. hot sauce, plus extra when serving
2 c. bread crumbs
2 c. oil, for pan frying
Cut chicken into strips and place in a bowl. Pour over the hot sauce and stir to coat evenly. Cover and chill overnight, or even for a couple of days. Place bread crumbs in a plastic bag. Place a small handful of chicken in the bag and shake to coat. Place on a plate and continue with the rest of the chicken. Heat oil in skillet to 350- 375 degrees. fry chicken in several batches- you don’t want to crowd them in the skillet- that will make the oil col down too much. Fry for a minute or two per side. Remove to platter lined with paper towels and cook the rest of the chicken. Keep chicken warm until ready to serve. serve with extra hot sauce on the side. Serves 8 or more as an appetizer, but can be served as a main dish, too.
Strawberry and Lavender Ice Cream
Strawberry and Lavender Ice Cream
I make a lot of homemade ice cream and sorbet this time of year. I am always looking to add a new flavor, to change things up a little. I add herbs and spices to other dishes, so why not ice cream? If you are looking for a slightly different ice cream flavor you might think about spicing it up. I added lavender blossoms to my strawberry ice cream and ended up with a truly wonderful confection. You can get creative and add other seasonings to make your homemade ice cream special. Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, basil, lemon peel, pepper and other spices and herbs can all add interest to your frozen desserts. Open your mind up to experimenting and see what you can come up with. I made this the other day and wanted to share the recipe with you. Can’t wait to make it again.
Strawberry and Lavender Ice Cream
2 c. chopped strawberries
1 c. sugar
1 T. lavender blossoms
1 T. vanilla
2 c. cream or half and half or a combination. You can also use some milk or even almond or rice milk.
Additional sugar to taste
Place strawberries, lavender, vanilla and sugar in saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and chill. Combine chilled berry mixture with cream. Add additional sugar if you like. Remember that once it is frozen the ice cream will not taste as sweet so make this mixture a little sweeter than you want the final product to be. How much sugar you add varies with personal taste and how sweet the berries are. Place in an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions. Once finished put in an sir- tight container and place in freezer. Makes about 1 quart.
Homemade Eclairs
Homemade Eclairs
If you want to surprise someone with a very special sweet treat this weekend, you could make eclairs. These are a bit or work, but the end result is so wonderful. I think they are worth the effort, especially for special occasions.
You start by make a pate a chou, or cream puff pastry. This is the same dough used to make cream puffs. It is a combination of water, butter, milk and flour- cooked on top of the stove, then enriched with the addition of eggs. The dough is piped onto baking sheets and baked until puffed, golden and crisp. Once cooled, they are filled with sweetened whipped cream or, more traditionally, a custard filling, then topped with chocolate ganache.
Homemade Eclairs
1 recipe Cream Puff Pastry (Pate a Chou)- recipe follows
Egg custard- for filling, or sweetened whipped cream- recipe follows
Chocolate Ganache- for topping- recipe follows
Start by making the dough. This recipe will make 12-18 medium eclairs.
Cream Puff Pastry
¾ c. water
¼ c. milk
¼ t. salt
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1¼ c. flour – unbleached or bread flour preferred
4 large eggs
Extra milk for brushing
In saucepan, heat together water, milk butter and salt into a full boil. Butter has to be melted. While stirring, dump flour into saucepan, stirring constantly. Mixture will form into a ball. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking dough, while stirring, for another minute or two. Place dough in an electric mixer and allow it to cool down a little before adding the eggs. Mixture has to be at 140 degrees F, or below, before you start adding the eggs. I use the paddle attachment and beat the dough before adding the eggs. This cools the dough down faster. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Beat until dough is shiny. A spoon, lifted out of the batter, should leave a peak that does not fall down.
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. I used a silicone liner and was happy with the result. Don’t grease the pan. Using a piping bag, squeeze the dough into 5-inch strips on the baking sheet- leaving a little room in between. Strips should be about ¾ -inch in diameter. Using a little milk on your finger, smooth down any peaks on the puffs. They should resemble little hot dog buns. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 375. Bake eclairs 10 more minutes, or until golden brown. Tap the shells. They should sound hollow. Turn off the heat and leave oven door open a crack, allowing them to dry completely. Cool before filling. Makes 12-18.
Custard Filling
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stove top. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan. Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that’s turned off.
Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly. Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.) Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool before using. Makes 3 cups.
To fill the eclairs, using a small piping tip with a pastry bag, filled with the custard. Squeeze filling in on one end, on through the bottom, squeezing until it seems full.
Once eclairs are filled, top with a chocolate ganache. I just dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm ganache and chill until chocolate sets. Filled eclairs should be stored i8n fridge until ready to serve. They can be frozen.
Chocolate Ganache
4- 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped- or 1 cup chocolate chips
2 oz. heavy whipping cream
In saucepan, heat chocolate and cream together until just heated through. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. You can also do this in a microwave safe bowl, in the microwave for about a minute. Remove and stir until smooth. Makes 1 cup.
Pumpkin Waffles
Pumpkin Waffles
I know some people may be sick of pumpkin recipes. I am not one of them. I look forward every fall to the beautiful winter squashes and pumpkins that fill the farm markets. This is a simple and tasty recipe that will make breakfast special. Because of the pumpkin- or cooked squash- these waffles need to be cooked until golden brown to be crispy. I love them with maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar. They would also be great as the base for chicken and waffles.
Pumpkin Waffles
¾ c. mashed, cooked pumpkin or winter squash
½ c. flour
1 egg, beaten
¾ c. half and half or milk
1 T. melted butter or oil
1 tsp. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
Pinch of cloves
Combine all ingredients, mixing until smooth. Cook in prepared waffle iron until golden brown.
Flavored Butters
Flavored Butters
I enjoy making flavored, or compound butters, all the time. But even more so this time of year. My herb garden is growing wildly and there really is nothing better than the flavor of herbs, picked fresh out of the garden. Chop them up, add to some butter and you have a great spread for all sorts of foods. Now that local sweet corn is here, I have even more reason to make some herb and butter blends.
I like to make several batches, shape into rolls and wrap in plastic wrap. Now I can freeze them and just cut off a piece whenever I want. This is also a nice way to preserve some of this summer freshness for the cooler days ahead.
Herbal or spicy butters can add flavor to any meal. They can be used on breads, crackers, veggies, meats, or fish. Flavored butters can also be molded into shapes for special occasions. Here are the recipes for the butters in the picture.
Flavored Butters
All recipes are for use with one stick (½ cup) butter.
Soften butter slightly to make mixing easier. Roll into logs, balls, or press into molds. Finished butters can be rolled in herbs, spices, or nuts for a decorative appearance. Chill several hours or overnight before using. Keep butter wrapped tightly in waxed paper for freshness. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Flavored butter keeps in the fridge for 1 – 2 weeks. Makes ½ cup.
Chive Butter: 3 T. snipped chives, ½ t. lemon zest. Good with fish, poultry, carrots, and potatoes.
Chili Butter: 1½ t. chili powder, ½ t. cumin, ½ t. garlic powder. This is good on breads, beans, grilled chicken, or popcorn.
Curry Butter: 1 t. curry powder, 1 t. fresh lime juice. Use on lamb, poultry, rice, and veggies.
Dill Butter: 2 T. fresh snipped dill, 1 – 2 t. fresh lemon juice. Good with chicken, potatoes, seafood, or rice.
Mint Butter: 2 – 3 T. fresh chopped mint leaves, 1 t. fresh lemon juice, ½ t. lemon zest. This is great with lamb, peas, chicken, or vegetables.
Sage Butter: 1 T. fresh sage leaves, chopped very fine, or 1 t. dried sage, 1 t. each lemon juice and lemon zest. This is excellent with chicken or pork dinners. Great on breads and rolls, too.
Nisu Bread
Nisu
This wonderful recipe came from the Finn grandmother of a good friend. It is a soft, slightly sweet bread made special with the addition of cardamom. Cardamom is a spice that has a rich, sweet flavor and fragrance. You can purchase it ground or whole, in pods. Cardamom is often used in baked goods and adds a nice flavor to frosting and glazes. It is also used to flavor coffee. This bread is lovely just toasted and makes great French toast.
Nisu
½ c. warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
2 c. milk
½ c. sugar
2-3 t. ground cardamom
1 t. salt
6 T. butter
6-7 c. flour, preferably bread flour
2 eggs
Dissolve yeast in water and set aside. Place milk in large bowl and add the sugar, cardamom, salt and butter. Heat in microwave until liquid is very warm. Butter might not be completely melted. Stir mixture until sugar is dissolved. Place 2 cups of flour in a mixing bowl and add the milk mixture, eggs and yeast mixture. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup more of the flour and beat 2 minutes more. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover with a towel and allow to rest until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and divide into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a loaf and place in greased 9×5 inch bread pans. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Makes 3 loaves.
Easy Fried Catfish
Easy Fried Catfish
I love fried fish. I don’t make it at home that often. It is more of a treat around here than an every day meal. Note to self; Make fried fish more often. To thank two of my dear friends, who shoveled my sidewalk more than a few times this winter, I decided to have them over for dinner. I made fried catfish with cole slaw, cabbage and noodles, homemade fries and tiramisu for dessert. I knew I wanted to make the fish. My friends and I often go to Friday fish fries this time of year and this was a Friday night, after all. I had some catfish and the big decision was going to be how to cook it. I toyed with the idea of baking it, but frying won out. Nothing quite as good as fried catfish in my mind.
This is going to be one of those recipes that is more narrative that exact amounts. I really am good about writing stuff out. I just can’t seem to locate my notes for this one- so I’ll share what I did as best I can remember. It is also so easy to fry fish. Don’t be scared to try. Fresh fried fish is such a treat.
I started with catfish fillets that were cut down into smaller pieces. I wanted smaller pieces to serve, since we had so many side dishes. I made a mixture of eggs, a little buttermilk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley and hot sauce. I dipped the fish in this mixture and let it soak in there while I got the breadcrumbs ready. I had some bread crumbs made from plain bread, so I added a little paprika, dry parsley flakes and lemon peel to the crumbs.
I took the fish out of the egg wash a few pieces at a time and dropped them in the bread crumbs. I had the crumbs in a good sized bowl- but only filled about a quarter of the way with crumbs. I added the fish and sort of tossed it in the crumbs by shaking and tossing the bowl. Placed fish on a baking sheet. Once the fish were all coated in bread crumbs I put the oil on to heat up.
I was using an electric pot with a thermometer so I knew when the oil reached 350. I wanted to fry the fish between 350 and 375 degrees. If you don’t have a pot with a thermometer you can tell if your oil has reached 350 degrees with the use of popcorn. Yes, popcorn. Just put in a kernel of popcorn when you start heating up the oil. Popcorn pops at 350 degrees. When the popcorn pops, you know the oil is ready.
I had a pan, lined with paper towels ready as I started to drop the pieces of fish, several at a time, into the hot oil. They were cooked in just a few minutes. I pulled them when they were golden brown. Allowed them to drain on paper towels in a warm oven while I cooked the rest of the fish.
I served the fish with lemon wedges and homemade tartar sauce- which is just sweet pickle relish and mayo. I sometimes add capers and a little mustard, too.
The fish was a bit hit and I was happy to thank my very thoughtful friends.
As to the oil. You’ll have plenty left over. I let it cool and strain it out and pour it in the bottle it came from. You can save it for your next frying project, but don’t use it again and again. Just a few times, then toss the rest. The flavor get funky after a while.
Nest Egg
Nest Egg
One of the things I resolved to do this year is eat more vegetables. I love most veggies so that isn’t the problem. I am just not eating enough of them. I know I could do better. So I have been looking for any new place I might add some vegetables to a meal. Adding veggies to breakfast is the most challenging, at least for me. For breakfast this morning I decided to have an egg and some toast. When I went to get out the egg and butter I saw a bag of fresh spinach. Why not?
I heated up a little butter in the pan and then added the spinach- probably a good 3 or 4 cups of fresh leaves. They cook down a lot. I also sprinkled the leaves with a little salt and pepper. I stirred them around until they had wilted then made a sort of nest out of them by pushing them away from the center. I poured my egg in the middle so it looked a little like a nest. I put the lid on the skillet and in a few minutes my egg was cooked and the yolk still runny. A little salt and pepper to finish off and the dish was complete. I slid it gently out of the pan onto a serving plate. I really liked it. Plan on making this again soon.
Sweet Potato Fritters
Sweet Potato Fritters
I found myself with a cup of leftover mashed sweet potatoes. I decided to play around and see if I could turn them into a dessert. I added eggs, flour, baking powder and a few other things, fried them up in oil, and ended up with a pretty decent fritter. I drained them on paper towels and then rolled them in cinnamon sugar while still warm. If you ever find yourself with some leftover sweet potatoes – now you have a fun way to use them.
Sweet Potato Fritters
1 c. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
2 eggs
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
oil for frying
cinnamon sugar for rolling- powdered sugar would work, too
In mixing bowl combine all ingredients, except the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in flour. Batter will be thick. Heat oil to 350 degrees.* There should be enough oil in the pan top be at least 1 inch deep- or deeper. To save oil I used a smallish pan and cooked 3-4 fritters at a time. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into hot oil and cook, turning once until golden brown on both sides. This will take about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels then roll in cinnamon sugar while warm. Makes 24-30. Best served warm.
* Fun way to know when your oil has hit 350 degrees. Place an un-popped popcorn kernel in the oil. Popcorn pops at 350 degrees.
Orange Glazed Duck
Orange Glazed Duck
Duck has traditionally been paired with oranges forever. I remember getting a frozen duck at the grocery store years ago and it came with a packet of orange sauce.You were supposed to boil it up and serve it over the duck. I wasn’t real happy with the resulting sauce and wondered what the fuss was about duck with orange sauce. Since I was roasting a duck the other day I decided to try to make an orange sauce that I did like and see if it helped. The end result was a wonderful. I started by splitting the duck in half and sprinkling it generously with salt and fresh ground pepper. It was a local duck so not as fatty as other ducks I had gotten at the store before. If your duck is fatty- trim off some of the extra fat ( you can render it later) and score the skin. I put it on a rack, roasting it at 425 degrees for just under an hour. Then I brushed the orange glaze (recipe follows) all over the duck and placed it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown up. The result was a duck with crispy skin, sticky from the glaze. I get it now. Orange and duck, done right, is a great combination.
Orange Glaze
1 T. oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c. orange juice
1/4 c. vinegar- I used cider vinegar
2 T. honey
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. sherry
1 T. soy sauce
2 t. hot sauce
2 t. orange zest
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water
In small pan heat oil and saute the shallot until tender. Add garlic and cook a minute or two longer. Add the remaining ingredients, except the cornstarch and water, and simmer for about 10 minutes, so mixtures reduces a little. Combine the cornstarch and water and pour into the sauce, stirring, until mixture in thickened and bubbly. Makes a little over a cup. Great on duck or as a dipping sauce for other meats or egg rolls. Keeps in fridge a couple of weeks.
