Caramels = Thank you

My brother learned 3 songs for my babies' memorial service, played them on his guitar, and sang.  Furthermore, he spoke at the memorial and did more than I could have asked for.  Just a simple thank you wasn't going to cut how grateful I was.  I think that making yummy homemade food is a great way to say thank you to anyone for doing anything.  However, my brother is picky and the only "fun" food he likes is white cake with white icing.  I then remembered that he steals caramels from my house whenever he's there.  So, I decided making homemade sea salt caramels would be a great way to thank him.

Ina Garten has a wonderful recipe for homemade fleur de sel caramels in her book, "How Easy Is That".  However, I learned that there are a few rules for making homemade caramel.  First, a candy thermometer is essential.  No one, not even experienced pastry chefs, can tell when caramel is the correct temperature.  So, a simple inexpensive candy thermometer is the only way to tell when your caramel is done.  Second, you need the correct sized pot.  Ina recommends a saucepan 6 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep.  I tried to make caramel in a bigger pot and it burned horribly.  That's because there was too much surface for the caramel to expand and it didn't cook correctly.  Third, you need parchment paper.  Use parchment paper to spread and store the caramel and it won't stick.  Lastly, you need a sharp knife.  The caramel is really sticky and can get hard when it sets, so a sharp knife is important so you don't cut yourself.

Everyone loves these caramels and I promise they will be a major hit.  And, trust me, store bought fleur de sel caramels do not hold a candle to the homemade ones- promise.

Fleur de sel Caramels (Ina Garten, “How Easy Is That” p. 232)

1 ½ cups sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

1 cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon fine sea salt (fleur de sel) plus extra for sprinkling

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Line 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing to drape over 2 sides and lightly spray with nonstick spray

In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide and 4 ½ inches deep), combine ¼ cup water, sugar, and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium high heat

Boil until mixture is a warm golden brown

Don’t stir- just swirl the pan

Watch very carefully as it can burn quickly

In the meantime, in a small pot, bring cream, butter, and 1 teaspoon sea salt to a simmer over medium heat

Turn off and set aside

When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture into the sugar mixture

Be careful- it will bubble up violently

Stir in vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium low heat for about 10 min. until it reaches 248 (firm ball) degrees on a candy thermometer

Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until set and firm

Take the caramels out of the pan and place on a cutting board

Cut the caramels into small squares and sprinkle the tops with sea salt

These are also wonderful dipped in chocolate then sprinkle the top with sea salt

You can keep these in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature before eating

Salmon Chowder

I love soups, stews, and chowders.  I always make them in the winter because they just warm me up.  I saw a recipe for salmon chowder that looked interesting, but it had cream and butter and unnecessary fats.  My Crohn's disease does not handle a lot of fat well, so I decided to lighten it up and make it healthier.  I left the cream out and put lemon juice in it instead, which made the flavor really pop.  I also added a lot of veggies and herbs to give it more texture and flavor.  It was a huge hit with my husband and hopefully you'll like it too!

Salmon Chowder

1 medium onion, diced
2 medium red potatoes, scrubbed, skin on, diced
1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
6 cups chicken stock
10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
10 oz. Brussels sprouts, quartered
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley and/or dill (I used a combo of both)
Juice of 1 large lemon
3/4 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1 inch cubes (you can use fresh or frozen salmon)
salt and pepper

Cook onion in a large saucepan over medium high heat until softened
Add potatoes and carrots and cook until slightly softened
Add chicken stock and bring to a soft boil
Cook until vegetables until tender, about 5-7 min.
Add Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and parsley and/or dill, and salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon of each)
Cook until they are tender, about 4-5 min.
Reduce heat to medium low and add the lemon juice and salmon
Cook until salmon is opaque
Taste for seasoning and add more salt/pepper if needed

Enjoy!

Popover goodness

Ina never fails.  I finally made her popovers last night to go with my seafood stew and they were wonderful and no fail.  They are light and airy and super flavorful without a lot of ingredients.  However, they aren't the easiest things in the world to make.  You can make a lot of mistakes if you don't follow the recipe exactly.  For great popovers that turn out right every time first you need an actual popover pan (it's shown in the above picture).  My mom tried to make them in a muffin pan and they didn't work at all.  Popover pans are easy to find- any kitchen store will have them.  Second, you need to grease the pan really well with softened butter.  Third, you need to preheat the pan (without the batter).  Lastly, don't open the oven while they're baking.  This will cause them to deflate.  Just turn on the oven light to check on them. 
This recipe comes from Ina Garten's "Parties" cookbook on page 189.  The only tweak I made was that I used 2% milk instead of whole milk and they still tasted great. 

Popovers (makes 12)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs at room temperature (to get eggs to room temp. quickly, put them in a bowl with warm water and let them sit for a few min.)
1 1/2 cups whole milk (or 2%) at room temp. (microwave for about 20 sec. to bring to room temp)

Preheat the oven to 425
Grease the popover pan with softened butter
Place pan in oven for exactly 2 min. to preheat
Whisk butter, flour, salt, eggs, and milk until smooth (batter will be thin)
Transfer batter to a liquid measuring cup (makes it easier to fill the pan)
Fill popover pan a little less than half full (do not overfill- you will have a mess in your oven)
Bake for exactly 30 min. and do not open the oven door while cooking!!

Popovers are best served warm, but my husband said that they were just fine the next morning with a little bit of jam.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Banana, Orange, Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am forever on the hunt for good pumpkin recipes. Pumpkin pie, bread, cookies, and bars have zero flavor to me.  Some add spices, but not enough.  After some research, I found that pumpkin is friends with many other ingredients like banana, orange, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate.  So, I looked at all of my and my mom’s pumpkin recipes to find a combination that would use all of these and have great flavor.  I finally created these pumpkin, banana, orange, chocolate chip muffins (or 4 friends).  I wanted them to have loads of flavor, but not a lot of fat.  I omitted butter and used a little bit of vegetable oil instead and used bananas and sour cream to keep them moist (I had to add chocolate though).  These are really easy and are good for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.

Pumpkin, Banana, Orange, Chocolate Chip Muffins (4 Friends)

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 small bananas, mashed

2 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of one medium orange

1 can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup dried cranberries (you can add more if you like)

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (you can add more if you like)

Preheat oven to 350

Line a muffin pan with liners- about 20-22

In a small bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside

In a large bowl, mix both sugars, sour cream, vegetable oil, and mashed bananas with a hand held mixer or a spoon until combined

Add 1 egg in a time, beating well between additions

Add vanilla and orange zest

Add pumpkin and mix well

Add the dry ingredients and mix only until combined

Fold in dried cranberries and chocolate chips

Divide batter among muffin liners, filling about ¾ of the way full

Bake between 20-25 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean

Cool muffins in the pan for 5 min. then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely

If you only like chocolate chips, then add only chocolate chips.  If you only like dried cranberries, then add only cranberries.  I like a mixture of both since the tartness of the cranberries mixes well with the sweet pumpkin and the chocolate makes it more decadent.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving dessert

Thanksgiving is a great foodie holiday.  A day to give thanks with an abundance of food in front of you.  While my family is very traditional and really none of the food choices have changed since I was a kid (turkey, stuffing, bread, a vegetable, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie), I was given the opportunity to make a different chocolate dessert every year.  Last year it was Ina's chocolate chip cookie ice box cake and this year it was death by chocolate.  Literally, this dessert is called "death by chocolate" and it was a recipe by a wonderful pastry chef, Anne Thornton.  It is a trifle layered with homemade dark chocolate chip brownies, homemade chocolate pudding, toffee pieces (not homemade- Heath bars are just fine), and homemade vanilla whipped cream.  In a word, mmmmmm. 

The picture may be a little dark, but you get the idea of what it looks like. 

This is view of the top- I think I had more toffee pieces on there, but my brother in law ate them.

Of course I have to get a picture of myself with the dessert before it was gone.  I think I could have eaten half of it by myself.  However, when I make it again, I think I'll use chocolate chip cookies in place of the brownies.  I think it was almost too chocolaty (yes, there's such a thing). 
If you want the recipe (it's too long for me to type out), go to www.foodnetwork.com and type in "death by chocolate".  A recipe by Anne Thornton will pop up and print it out.  Oh yeah, homemade chocolate pudding is so much better than the packaged kind and really easy to make! 
Also, this recipe has 3 parts- brownies, pudding, and whipped cream.  You can make the brownies and pudding ahead of time and keep them sealed in the frig and just whip the cream the day you want to serve and layer the dessert.  For example, I made the brownies Tuesday, the pudding Wednesday, and the whipped cream Thursday.  I layered it a few hours before serving and it was perfect.

Quick meals

I really don't cook very fancy all of the time.  I usually cook quick, easy, and healthy meals during the week, then venture out on the weekends and cook things that require more time.  I have also found that most people struggle with finding good recipes to cook from, so they usually go out or order takeout.  The truth is, cooking doesn't have to be fancy or hard.  People make cooking more difficult than what it should be and that's why they don't cook more often.  I have a list of quick meals that I can prepare and are usually done within a half hour and use everyday ingredients.  Below is a sample of my quick meals, but I consider these to be the tastiest and easiest.

Parmesan chicken:  dethaw chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper, coat them in a little flour, roll them in egg wash (a beaten egg mixed with a few drops of water), and coat in a mixture of equal parts freshly grated Parmesan cheese and seasoned dried bread crumbs.  Then, bake at 400 for about 20 min.

Chicken salad:  this is not a mayo salad.  Instead, season chicken breasts and bake at 400 for 20 min. Allow the chicken to cool so you can handle it, then shred it.  Top shredded chicken with your favorite lettuce, tomato, cheese, dried cherries, cucumber, roasted radishes, cauliflower, and whatever else you like on your salad and add dressing.  Serve with bread.

Tacos:  I think everyone knows how to make tacos- I top mine with fat free sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, lettuce, onion, and green pepper.  I also vary my meat choice- shredded chicken, ground beef, sliced steak, or a mixture of sliced portobello mushrooms and steak. 

Pork loins with leeks:  season pork loins and bake at 400 for 20 min. Meanwhile, slice and clean leeks, mince a couple cloves of garlic, and a few tablespoons of mixed herbs.  Saute them over medium heat until leeks are tender.  Add salt and pepper and a splash of brandy and reduce until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.  Then, add about 1/3 cup chicken stock and about 1/4 cup sour cream.  Heat through and serve sauce over pork loins.

Spaghetti:  this one is a staple in most homes.  However, to make it a little more healthy, I add cooked broccoli, chopped fresh tomatoes, and fresh herbs into the sauce.  I also add shrimp for protein.

Mustard chicken:  mix 3 tablespoons mustard, 3 tablespoons dijon mustard, a splash of worcestershire, and 2 tablespoons of honey.  Coat chicken breasts with the mustard mixture and bake at 400 for 20 min.

Asian salmon:  this is an Ina Garten recipe that is no fail and extremely flavorful.  Mix 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 2 teaspoon minced garlic, and a tablespoon of olive oil.  Coat salmon with mixture and bake at 425 for about 10 min.

Fish:  Take your favorite fish (I usually use tilapia), season, coat with dried breadcrumbs, and your favorite vegetables.  Bake at 425 for 10 min. until veggies are tender and fish is done

Fritatta:  Dice a small onion and cook over medium heat.  Add your favorite vegetables (I like broccoli and mushrooms) and cook until softened.  Add your favorite breakfast meat (ham, sausage, bacon) and season with salt and pepper.  Crack 4 eggs into a separate bowl, add salt and pepper, and a splash of milk.  Add eggs into the veggies and meat.  Transfer skillet to the oven and cook at 350 until eggs are set.

Meatloaf:  Everyone has their own recipe for meatloaf, but I use half beef and half turkey.  Use quick cooking oats in place of breadcrumbs and use dijion in place of ketchup.

Hopefully this will give you more ideas on what to make for a quick meal.  Trust me, they are much better than any takeout or fast food.

Ingredient swaps

Swapping ingredients in a recipe is one of the easiest things you can do to turn an old boring recipe into a new and exciting one.  I've been ingredient swapping for years and it can take a dish to a whole new level.  Some classic swaps that I've done are using applesauce or peanut butter for butter, sour cream or half and half for cream, seafood for red meat, cauliflower or celery root for potatoes, hummus for a thickening agent in soups, and meatloaf for round steak in beef stroganoff. 

Here are 2 recipes that I've made recently with ingredient swaps.  The first is a simple vegetable soup that uses hummus and the second are muffins that uses peanut butter in place of the butter.

Broccoli Hummus Soup

2 full head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups chicken or veggie stock
small container of garlic hummus (8 oz)
1/3 cup sour cream
crushed red pepper (as much as you like)
5 teaspoons fresh minced herbs (thyme, parsley, basil- you can use 1 or a mix)
salt/pepper for taste
Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425
Spread the broccoli florets and diced onion on a sheet pan
Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper
Roast for 15-20 min. until broccoli is softened

Place broccoli and onion in a dutch oven or a large pot
Add chicken or veggie stock, hummus, sour cream, crushed red pepper, herbs, salt, and pepper
Blend with a stand blender, hand blender, or food processor
Heat soup and simmer for a few minutes until it's heated through
Taste for salt and pepper
Serve hot with grated Parmesan on top

Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
heaping 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (do not use natural)
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3 bananas mashed with fork
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips (you can add more if you like)

Heat oven to 350 and line muffin pans with 15 liners
Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside
In another bowl, mix peanut butter and sugar
Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly
Add bananas and vanilla and mix
Add dry ingredients and mix only until combined
Fold in the chocolate chips 
Divide batter into 15 muffin liners
Bake 15-25 min. depending on your oven, until a toothpick comes out clean
Place muffins on a cooling rack to cool all of the way