Today:
If you have tried to call or text me in the last two weeks, my apologies for not replying. I didn't have a phone, but all is well now. I got my brother in-law's old phone in the mail. I am not one to want a fancy phone. I have all sorts of other needs in my life that I am a complete brat about, but a phone isn't one of them. My old, circa-2004 cell phone finally died and Matthew sent me his old one. I spent the afternoon deleting contacts like "Amanda Hot", "Sarah In-N-Out", "Miranda Chino" and "Jessica Slutty" from his phone. I should change the contacts in my phone to fit the person's personality. Like "Ethan Cheetos", "Megan Meany" and "Caitlyn Prego-face".
I went to the grocery store to pick up things for this week. I bought things for teriyaki meatballs and rice, curry chicken and rice and chicken knockers with balsamic garlic sauce. And hopefully I can develop recipes for shredded beef green chile enchilada bake and Italian sausage soup. I so enjoy going to the grocery store, even if I have to have my boys with me. They just eat their way through the store. Today, Jack had a donut, a banana and turkey from the deli. And then Van just ate donut hole after donut hole, but he was quiet.
I am getting my hair done tonight. My blue streaks have turned aquamarine. So I look more like a mermaid than mysterious. I am thinking a reddish brown. Caitlyn is a master of color.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Pork with Pear Chutney
I say just pork and not a specific cut because this could go with any cut of pork. Roast, tenderloin, loin or chop. Pork pairs well with sweet fruit flavors and the pears went swimmingly with my pork chops. There is sweetness from the brown sugar and the pears. But the savory comes in with the rosemary and the shallots. It really has such a complex flavor with very little effort. This would be a great holiday dish, especially because you could make the chutney a few days ahead.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
5 cups peeled firm pears, chopped in 1/2 inch chunks, about 6 pears
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
Scant 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Scant 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add the shallots. Saute until lightly browned. Pour in the pear chunks. Add all the remaining ingredients and gently stir to combine. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pears are slightly broken down and the sauce is thickened.
Served with this: Red leaf lettuce salad with tomatoes and cucumbers and nasty feta cheese. You should have seen my Baby Van eating the feta by the handful. It made me gag.
Rookie's Notes: As for the pork, like I said, you can do whatever you want. It's really up to you and about how many you are feeding and how much you want to spend. If you don't need very many servings, I say go with tenderloin. It's a little pricier, but with how tender it is, the price doesn't seem to phase you when you taste it. If you want cheap, go with bone-in chops. If you want something ready at the end of the day, do a pork roast in the slow cooker. If you are feeding a crowd, I say double the chutney recipe and roast up a big pork loin.
If you need any help on how to cook these different cuts of pork, e-mail me. whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com. I would be happy to write up some instructions for you. I really would. I love being able to help.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
5 cups peeled firm pears, chopped in 1/2 inch chunks, about 6 pears
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
Scant 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Scant 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add the shallots. Saute until lightly browned. Pour in the pear chunks. Add all the remaining ingredients and gently stir to combine. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pears are slightly broken down and the sauce is thickened.
Served with this: Red leaf lettuce salad with tomatoes and cucumbers and nasty feta cheese. You should have seen my Baby Van eating the feta by the handful. It made me gag.
Rookie's Notes: As for the pork, like I said, you can do whatever you want. It's really up to you and about how many you are feeding and how much you want to spend. If you don't need very many servings, I say go with tenderloin. It's a little pricier, but with how tender it is, the price doesn't seem to phase you when you taste it. If you want cheap, go with bone-in chops. If you want something ready at the end of the day, do a pork roast in the slow cooker. If you are feeding a crowd, I say double the chutney recipe and roast up a big pork loin.
If you need any help on how to cook these different cuts of pork, e-mail me. whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com. I would be happy to write up some instructions for you. I really would. I love being able to help.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Pancetta, bacon, prosciutto oh my! Delicious.
In my last post, I had a comment asking what pancetta is. Instead of replying directly, I thought I would post an answer along with some other meats that are similar. Hopefully this will demystify what they are, what they can used in and how they taste.
Pancetta: Pronounced "panchetta". Pancetta is like bacon. It's heavily seasoned and cured, but not smoked. It tastes like bacon, but has a bit of a milder taste. If you buy it prepackaged (it's by the bacon or fancy cheeses), it is usually very thinly sliced. If you buy it from the deli or butcher and have them slice it for you, you can get it thicker. Per pound, it is a few dollars more expensive than bacon. Pancetta can be used in place of bacon. Put it on salad or pizza. Add it to scrambled eggs. Sprinkle some on top of soup or baked potatoes.
Bacon: Bacon is cured in salt, like pancetta, and then smoked. This is where you hear varieties like applewood smoked or hardwood smoked bacon. If there is anything I could tell you about bacon, it would be to buy if from the butcher. The bacon behind the counter is better quality and thicker sliced. When it goes on sale, load up and freeze it in portions of 5 or 6. 5 or 6 is usually the amount called for in recipes and just enough for breakfast. To defrost it, put it in the water. It will defrost quickly because fat defrosts quickly and joyfully, bacon is mostly fat. Anyways, I beg of you to buy if from the butcher. It is about the same price as the thinner, prepackaged stuff.
Prosciutto: Pronounced "proshooto". Prosciutto is ham that has been cured and dried. First it is salted and left for a few months. Then it's washed and hung to dry out. Prosciutto can be eaten raw or cooked. It's hard to cook with it because it is hard to make sure it gets to the pan when you can just eat it. A delicious combination is cantaloupe or honeydew chunks wrapped in prosciutto. My husband has had this on his catering menu for a few years and it has always been popular.
Below are a few recipes with these delicious, flavorful meats. Take your pick.
Grilled Pancetta-wrapped Asparagus
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onions and Pancetta
Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas
Candied Bacon
Jon's Bacon Burger
Garden Veggie Pizza with Bacon
Pancetta: Pronounced "panchetta". Pancetta is like bacon. It's heavily seasoned and cured, but not smoked. It tastes like bacon, but has a bit of a milder taste. If you buy it prepackaged (it's by the bacon or fancy cheeses), it is usually very thinly sliced. If you buy it from the deli or butcher and have them slice it for you, you can get it thicker. Per pound, it is a few dollars more expensive than bacon. Pancetta can be used in place of bacon. Put it on salad or pizza. Add it to scrambled eggs. Sprinkle some on top of soup or baked potatoes.
Bacon: Bacon is cured in salt, like pancetta, and then smoked. This is where you hear varieties like applewood smoked or hardwood smoked bacon. If there is anything I could tell you about bacon, it would be to buy if from the butcher. The bacon behind the counter is better quality and thicker sliced. When it goes on sale, load up and freeze it in portions of 5 or 6. 5 or 6 is usually the amount called for in recipes and just enough for breakfast. To defrost it, put it in the water. It will defrost quickly because fat defrosts quickly and joyfully, bacon is mostly fat. Anyways, I beg of you to buy if from the butcher. It is about the same price as the thinner, prepackaged stuff.
Prosciutto: Pronounced "proshooto". Prosciutto is ham that has been cured and dried. First it is salted and left for a few months. Then it's washed and hung to dry out. Prosciutto can be eaten raw or cooked. It's hard to cook with it because it is hard to make sure it gets to the pan when you can just eat it. A delicious combination is cantaloupe or honeydew chunks wrapped in prosciutto. My husband has had this on his catering menu for a few years and it has always been popular.
Below are a few recipes with these delicious, flavorful meats. Take your pick.
Grilled Pancetta-wrapped Asparagus
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onions and Pancetta
Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas
Candied Bacon
Jon's Bacon Burger
Garden Veggie Pizza with Bacon
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onions and Pancetta
I thought I would toss up a post before breakfast. It's kind of like tossing up a prayer, but my blog posts don't quite make it to heaven. Either way, I thought I would take advantage of both of my boys watching "Toot and Puddle" AT THE SAME TIME. Van isn't much of a TV watcher, which is just too bad. I once had a pediatrician very arrogantly tell me that his 18 month old had never watched even one second of TV. And I then told him that someday, he would wake up and his toddler would be having a TV binge and he would be watching "Girls Gone Wild". I actually didn't say that to him, but that's what I was thinking. Anyways, here is a delightful recipe. After this, I am going to start breakfast. I am thinking peanut butter pancakes. It's how I am sneakily convincing Jack to like peanut butter. What kind of self-respecting child doesn't like peanut butter?
Last winter, I had a pizza at Pizzeria 712 that was just like this pasta. Butternut squash, rosemary, caramelized onions and bacon. It was super delicious. Ever since then, I have wanted to make a pasta version of it and I pulled it off. In all honesty, this was better than the pizza. The cream pulls all the flavors together so nicely. And I like the milder flavor of the pancetta instead of bacon. If you can't find pancetta, use bacon or get rid of it all together and go sans meat. And do me a favor, spring for the fresh rosemary. It makes a big difference. Plus, fresh rosemary keeps in the fridge for a week or two. So you can use the extras for scrambled eggs or rolls.
Speaking of herbs, you will notice the bright green leaves on the pasta. That's chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Chopped fresh parsley makes the biggest difference in a dish with the color and the flavor. And for food bloggers, a little sprinkling of fresh green parsley makes your food look prettier in pictures. When you do your grocery shopping, grab a bunch of flat-leaf parsley for $1 and add it to your finished food all week. It is like the cherry on top.
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 lb pasta of your choice
4 cups chopped butternut squash
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stems and minced, about 1/3 cup
4 oz pancetta (about 10 thin slices), chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired
In a small skillet, combine the olive oil, red onions and salt. Set over low heat and cover, stirring occasionally for 2 1/2 hours. Once the onions are cooked down and browned, remove from pan and onto a plate and set aside.
In a small skillet over medium high heat, add the pancetta. Saute until browned and then pour onto a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
In a large pot of salted water over high heat, boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add the butternut squash and rosemary. Cook until softened, about 15 minutes. Gently stir in caramelized onions. Add butter and stir until melted. Pour in heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cooked pasta and pancetta. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Yield 6 servings.
Rookie's Notes: Be sure that you gently stir in the ingredients after the squash is cooked. The squash is soft and can fall apart.
Last winter, I had a pizza at Pizzeria 712 that was just like this pasta. Butternut squash, rosemary, caramelized onions and bacon. It was super delicious. Ever since then, I have wanted to make a pasta version of it and I pulled it off. In all honesty, this was better than the pizza. The cream pulls all the flavors together so nicely. And I like the milder flavor of the pancetta instead of bacon. If you can't find pancetta, use bacon or get rid of it all together and go sans meat. And do me a favor, spring for the fresh rosemary. It makes a big difference. Plus, fresh rosemary keeps in the fridge for a week or two. So you can use the extras for scrambled eggs or rolls.
Speaking of herbs, you will notice the bright green leaves on the pasta. That's chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Chopped fresh parsley makes the biggest difference in a dish with the color and the flavor. And for food bloggers, a little sprinkling of fresh green parsley makes your food look prettier in pictures. When you do your grocery shopping, grab a bunch of flat-leaf parsley for $1 and add it to your finished food all week. It is like the cherry on top.
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 lb pasta of your choice
4 cups chopped butternut squash
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stems and minced, about 1/3 cup
4 oz pancetta (about 10 thin slices), chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired
In a small skillet, combine the olive oil, red onions and salt. Set over low heat and cover, stirring occasionally for 2 1/2 hours. Once the onions are cooked down and browned, remove from pan and onto a plate and set aside.
In a small skillet over medium high heat, add the pancetta. Saute until browned and then pour onto a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
In a large pot of salted water over high heat, boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add the butternut squash and rosemary. Cook until softened, about 15 minutes. Gently stir in caramelized onions. Add butter and stir until melted. Pour in heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cooked pasta and pancetta. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Yield 6 servings.
Rookie's Notes: Be sure that you gently stir in the ingredients after the squash is cooked. The squash is soft and can fall apart.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Token Halloween post
Army guy and Vanta Claus. Vanta especially loved trick-or-treating.
We didn't end up having to trick-or-treat in the snow because Halloween Day was warm and sunny and most of the snow melted. But it surely was cold. It worked out in the end because Ethan's sister Stephanie wanted to come and take the boys trick-or-treating, so Ethan and I sat under a blanket in the golf cart and we drove Stephanie and the boys around. It couldn't have been more perfect. Trick-or-treating ended in tears because we went to a house that had turned their garage into a totally decent haunted house. The clincher for Jack was the chain saw. He bawled like a baby and screamed, "I HATE TRICK-OR-TREATING! I WANNA GO HOME!" It was awesome.
When we got home, Jack checked out his booty. And I served up some apple pie. My sister Mal and I made two apple pies earlier in the day. And I must say I make a wicked good apple pie, especially when pies are so hard for me to make. The crust I make is tender and flaky, but an absolute biotch to work with. Maybe it's me that's an absolute biotch to work with. I cussed at that crust the entire time I was rolling it out. But it was worth the trouble. Apple pie with fresh whipped cream seems like the adult thing to eat after trick-or-treating.
As for rationing the candy, we don't do too much of that. Halloween only comes once a year so I just let him have at it. And Ethan, Van and I help along the way. Our entire family was on a sugar high all during church the next day seeing as I used it to keep the boys quiet. And here is the part where I formally apologize to Jack's primary teacher for his obnoxious behavior all during the primary program practice on Sunday. Sorry Sister Johnson. I take full responsibility for Jack sporadically screaming throughout the last hour of church.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Roasted Green Beans
First off, I thought I would show you what my backyard looked like the other day. Jack was thrilled and Van was suspicious. In the dinner prayer that night, Jack said, "Dear Heavenly Claus, thank you for this food. Thank you for the snow and Santa coming to bring us presents." The day after the snow storm, we headed to Wal-Mart for a coat and snow boots. Jack just couldn't stand not being able to go outside and enjoy the snow. Looks like we will be trick-or-treating in the snow this year.
Anyways, onto the food...
Ethan brought home some quality haricot vert from Sam's Club. I had plans to saute them and to have them with spaghetti and sausage meat sauce. BUT, the pan I would have sauteed these in was being occupied by the sauce. So I used the oven instead. And they turned out delicioso. While the water boiled for the spaghetti, these little verts roasted away.
You might think, "Oh hell, you are posting a recipe for a simple vegetable side dish." Well, I am. But hopefully this will give you an idea of how to jazz up your side dishes. These green beans were crisp and my little boys loved them. Steamed vegetables are succulent, but can be a little boring when done over and over again. So next time, roast your green beans and peak the interest of your family. Someday I will post a recipe for roasted carrots. You will want to slap those carrots for having the audacity to taste so exceptional.
BTW, I thought I would share my most favorite thing in the kitchen right now. Olive oil in a squirt bottle. I have seen a few chefs in TV do this and I love that idea. Ethan got 6 plastic squirt bottles at the restaurant supply store for about $2. Not only can you put olive oil in them, but sauces for dessert would work well. Ethan uses them for hollandaise and creamed horseradish. So get your behind to a restaurant supply store and pick up some squirt bottles.
1 lb green beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
A few grind black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
Parmesan cheese for serving
Set oven to 425 degrees. Spread green beans on a baking sheet. Pour on the olive oil. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper and basil. Toss with your hands to coat the beans.
Roast for 25 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove from baking sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Served with these: spaghetti with sausage meat sauce
Rookie's Notes: Be sure to not over-salt the beans because the Parmesan cheese is salty by it's self.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Bookmarked VI
The latest and greatest from my bookmark files
and then a personal message from me to you.
and then a personal message from me to you.
Raise your hand if you are bummed that Cafe Johnsonia has stopped blogging. (Both hands raised). While I am sad, I applaud her analysis of what is best for her and her family. I told her that if she ever wants a place to post recipes on occasion, Rookie Cookie welcomes her wholeheartedly.
Erica posted a cookie recipe that will help you use up your kid's Halloween candy. Such a brilliant idea. Click here for the recipe.
A blog worth your time: Handmade Gone Wrong. Ever seen something on Etsy that makes you wonder "who buys this crap?". This blog is a compilation of all that goodness.
Sweet Pea posted a great slow cooker recipe. Most slow cooker recipe can be kind of dull and run-of-the-mill. But she developed a recipe for moo shu pork. And it looks delightful. It is full of vegetables and flavorful Asian ingredients. I can imagine it would make my house smell delicious.
Are you or your kids big "Yo Gabba Gabba" fans? Good, we are too. The production crew has a blog and it gives you a taste of how they keep the creative juices flowing throughout filming. Never a dull day on the YGG set. They just wrapped up Season 3. Hopefully there will be a Season 4. Ruth? Any input on that?
Speaking of "Yo Gabba", I could watch this video of Chromeo singing "Nice N Clean" over and over again. Great music, funny guys and good message, especially during flu life right now. I say flu life because it seems inevitable that we are all going to get it at some point.
Recently, I have had a few readers question me and who I am because I am a Latter Day Saint, more commonly known as a Mormon. They think I am mislead and they "feel bad for me". To react to assumptions and narrow-minded comments, I feel I must let you know where I stand when you say such things to me and about me. Yes, I am a Mormon. I was raised in the Mormon church, as was my husband. I believe in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. I believe that Joseph Smith was a modern-day prophet and translated the Book of Mormon. I believe in modern-day prophets we have today, including President Thomas S. Monson. I believe in the Holy Bible and I read it along with and as an accompaniment to the Book of Mormon. I believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. I believe that families can only be together forever through temple marriage.
That is where I stand. I respect you and your beliefs, I ask you to do the same for me. If you have a problem with who I am, how I choose to live my life and raise my children, I cordially invite you to stop reading my blog. And hey, just because I am LDS doesn't mean my food tastes bad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)