Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes

I made Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes with an old roomie. Actually followed the recipe this time since he read it multiple times.

Here is the recipe or you can click on the link. It was real good.

3 tablespoons curry powder, preferably Three Golden Bells brand
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground chili paste or dried chili flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled, cut into 3 slices and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 1/2 cups fresh chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
3 carrots, peeled, cut on the diagonal into 2/3-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk or cow's milk
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 medium sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

GARNISHES
1/2 cup Asian basil leaves, cut in half
8 sprigs cilantro, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 scallions, chopped

Preparation

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the curry powder and the salt in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat the meat evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic, chili paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon curry powder, and stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until the edges of the pieces are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, ginger and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk, onion and sweet potato and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with Asian basil, cilantro and scallions, and serve.

Things we changed: be careful not to cook the veggies too long. Also it would be good with just breast meat. The thighs were good but it was annoying to have to take the meat off the bone.

Pfefferneuse

This is a family recipe from my mom's mom. I was going to make it twice a year but last year only made it once. The oven broke and it was impossible to bake them. This recipe makes a lot of cookies that keep for a year in air tight jar. I know it sounds freaky, but back in the day, this is how the folks did it. Also, these cookies may be misnamed in the grand scheme of things but not in the familial sense. Pfefferneuse are usually black pepper cookies but these are made with anise seed. Several words of warning: these cookies are not chewy, they are not for everyone, and they are best enjoyed two or three at a time with a cup o' tea.

Pfefferneuse
3 c sugar
1 c butter (2 sticks)
2 c heavy sweet cream
3 c dark Karo syrup
5 tbls chopped anise seed
12 to 13 c flour
1 tsp baking ammonia
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp of each allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger

Mix ingredients well until a stiff dough
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Roll small amounts into a long thin strip and cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes.
Store in glass jars (traditionally mason jars), not in the freezer.
Makes two gallons.

Spinach-Cheddar Casserole

Did I mention I am obsessed with baked dishes as of late? The original to this recipe called for four eggs, 1 package of spinach and 50 percent more dill. There is still a lot of dill in the recipe but it wasn't too overpowering and complemented the spinach really well. One person described it as a lot like the filling for spanakopita but without the gross filo dough.

Spinach-Cheddar Casserole

3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 16-ounce container cottage cheese
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup packed grated sharp cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup for top
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dillweed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Beat eggs, salt and pepper to blend in large bowl. Thaw and drain as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Mix in spinach. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Top with a little bit of cheddar cheese.

Bake casserole until center is firm and top is golden, about 50 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

So this is my mom's macaroni. I love it. It is not overly creamy and has a golden top to it. I will give you her recipe and then my modifications. It is best served with ham...

Macaroni and Cheese the Original

1 package macaroni
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
1 c milk
1 c half and half
1 teas salt
1/4 teas seasoning salt
1/8 teas pepper
8 ounces cheddar cheese (two to three cups)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook macaroni as per the instructions on the package.
Melt butter gently in a sauce pan on low heat and add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Then slowly add milk and then half and half all the while stirring the mixture. Heat until milk begins to slightly foam. Do not bring to a boil. On low heat or with no heat, stir in shredded cheese until it is melted. Add noodles and bake in a small casserole dish until golden brown on top (30 to 40 minutes).

The recipe I made for 10 people...

Macoroni and Cheese the Collective

2 packages macaroni
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
1/2 c flour
4 c whole milk
2 teas salt
1/4 teas pepper
12 ounces cheddar cheese (three to four cups)
4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook macaroni as per the instructions on the package.
Melt butter gently in a sauce pan on low heat and add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Then slowly add milk all the while stirring the mixture. Heat until milk begins to slightly foam. Do not bring to a boil. On low heat or with no heat, stir in shredded cheese until it is melted. Add noodles and bake in a small casserole dish until golden brown on top (30 to 40 minutes).

Notes: I forgot to add the salt which it definitely needs. Also, I made mine with three cups of whole milk because I was nervous about adding so much liquid. Next time I will stick with all four cups.

Gingerbread Cookies

I haven't made this yet, but my mom gave it to me and said they were amazing. Will make this weekend. Just didn't want to lose the recipe.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbls cocoa powder
2 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses

1. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
2. Beat butter, sugar, egg, and molasses until fluffy. Stir in other dry ingredients.
3. Refrigerate for several hours or over night.
4. Roll out dough until slightly more than 1/4 inch thick.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

Sugar Icing
1 package confectioners sugar, 1 lb.
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth. If not enough water, slowly add more teaspoon by teaspoon.

Tips: oven temperature is really important when baking cookies. If you don't have a fancy oven (i.e. owning your first home or renting), an oven thermometer is worth it to make sure your oven is just right.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

E and I made this bread over Thanksgiving which was then served to W who went back for seconds. The bread was good straight out of the oven

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Makes 2 loaves

* 1 cups plus 1 1/2 teaspoons warm water (100 degrees to 110 degrees)
* 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1 tbls honey
* 5 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
* 1 cup warm milk
* 4 teaspoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 2 cups dark raisins
* Canola oil, for bowl and plastic wrap
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 7 teaspoons cinnamon
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 1 large egg white, beaten

1. In small bowl, combine 1/4 cup warm water, yeast and honey. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. (We wrapped the bowl in hand towel to keep the water warm.) Mix 1 cup warm water, 1 cup warm milk and 3 tablespoons melted butter in large mixing bowl and then add yeast mixture. Gradually add flour, powdered milk, sugar, and salt. Mix until blended. Knead by hand, 15 or 20 minutes. Add raisins and 3 teaspoons cinnamon, and mix until blended.

2. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand into a ball. Place dough, smooth side up, in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Butter two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans generously, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon, and set aside. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and cut in half. Cover one piece of dough loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap.

4. Press the other piece of dough into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Brush with half of the beaten egg, sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar, and drizzle with half the melted butter. Rub the surface with the back of a spoon to blend butter and cinnamon sugar. Starting at a short end, roll up dough tightly, and pinch together along crease. Roll the dough back and forth to make it cylindrical, and pinch the ends together. Transfer to a loaf pan, seam side down, and cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Repeat process with second piece of dough. Let loaves rise in a warm place, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Thirty minutes before this final rise is completed, place a baking stone, if using, in the lower third of oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

5. Brush tops of loaves with egg white, and sprinkle each loaf with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Bake 15 minutes; lower oven to 400 degrees, and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Changes: the honey with the yeast was added. The original recipe called for powdered milk but I didn't have any and unless I am in Guatemala don't keep it in the kitchen. So I substituted a cup of warm milk for one of the cups of water. I kept the milk warm so it won't stop the growth of the yeast.
E also blended in some of the cinnamon into the main bread which I thought was a nice touch.
When I make it again, I may add more butter between the layers. Mmmm...butter...

Bread tips: I had heard that yeast tends to negatively react to metal. After some online research, this seems to mainly apply to acidic breads like sourdough. I don't think this bread is acidic so I won't worry about it.
If your house isn't very warm in the winter, you can use your oven to help the bread rise. Heat the oven to the lowest temperature possible, turn off the oven door and place the bread bowl inside covered with a slightly damp cloth that is not touching the dough.

Pork Roast

I made a port roast this weekend with D., cab never came, and missed the symphony. Life is hard, but meat is good. We got the recipe partly from How to Cook Everything.


Pork Roast Recipe

One pound carrots
One medium onion
Two large red potatoes
Three cloves chopped garlic
Olive oil
Salt
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Two and a half pounds of pork shoulder


Heat oven to 450. Coarsely chop all veggies to be one inch or a little more. Cook one and a half to two hours until the meat thermometer says 160 to 170 degrees. We did it to 160.

Thoughts and feelings: the shoulder is really fatty and the meat was tough. The carrots, onion, and potatoes were amazing. I am not sure how to make pork roast tender and flavorful. Next time I am going to slow cook at 300 for a really long time and maybe marinate it. Also, I am not going to do it right before the symphony.