There's no place like home...

Yes, I was gone for a while.....beeeeeeg ole life changes in the works, but baby, I'M hoooooome!  Crack open the bubbly, and bring out the kitchen gadgets! Let's just say that attempting to publish on certain less-than-user-friendly sites was not my favorite endeavor. Also, the whole "lack of the planet blowing up" has given me a new outlook on life! Tee-hee! On to today's subject; lovely, comforting, cobbler.  I was cruising the fabulous Ree Drummonds' blog, and happened upon her Blackberry Cobbler 2 recipe. Click here to spoon some up for yourself.  My problem is this-I am not living on a beautiful ranch and feeding a large bunch like Ree, it's just Dear Husband and I. Could I cut the recipe in half and have it come out just as well?  Here's how mine went.  Get your players on the field....

 

 

 

From left to right; sugar, flour, lemon, egg, baking powder, salt, blackberries, butter, shortening, and milk. Yup, that's it! One of the things I really liked about this recipe was how quick and easy it was/is to throw together a really nice, warm, delicious dessert!  Rinse your blackberries..

 

 

Then, toss on your sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice.

 

 

Now, mix together your flour, salt and baking powder. Then, cut in your shortening and butter with a pastry cutter, or two forks....or your (impeccably clean) hands. Note to waist-watchers, this recipe goes very lightly on the butter and sugars...and hey, it's got FRUIT! It's got to be healthy, right?

 

 

 

Beat the egg with the milk....

 

 

And add to the flour mixture. Mix until you have a rather sticky dough...

 

Then, using a large spoon, dollop in lovely mounds on top of your berry mixture, which has been placed into a buttered baking dish.

 

 

Lightly flatten the mounds of dough, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar...

 

 

Then, bake for only thirty minutes at 325 degrees....the results?

 

 

Oh yeah! We are talking some yum-tacular delicious-ness here! I will make this again and again. I'm going to try it with cherries, next! As it cooled a tad, I gently pressed down on the biscuit part of the cobbler, and it soaked up even more of the wonderful berry juices.  I had to guild the lily a bit for my serving...

 

 

Yes, it tasted every bit as good as it looks.

 

Well, I must say, I'm glad to be home! Stay tuned for the big announcement, and for a step-by-step pictorial on creating a holiday meal including dessert, without breaking the bank, or a sweat, for that matter. Eat well, my friends....

 

Love and kindness to all,

 

Pixie



Blizzards and Brunch...

 

Yes, Hurricanes apparently DO come to West Virginia. We are blessed that we did not lose power for more than short bursts, and our damage appears limited to some trees that we lost.  For those who wonder what it would be like to have a hurricane combine with a blizzard.....this would be it...

 

 

 

This is the tree that once stood in my neighbors front yard. It looks as though someone split it right down the center! For more on the damage in our neighborhood, please click here to see my CNN iReport.  On to more pleasant subjects...

 

 

Since we were house-bound, and we got a later start in the day than normal....as we were out assessing damage, and seeing if any neighbors needed help, around ten am we needed something to fuel us through what was clearly going to be a nasty day.  I scoured the Pixie-Pantry and refrigerator, and found I had the ingredients for one of our favorite brunch dishes....Huevos Rancheros....a simple poached egg on refried beans and a tortilla. This post is for best friend Shelley E. Shelley, you have always been there for me, lent a shoulder, a hand, and fed us like kings! This one's for you!

 

Here are most of the ingredients...

 

 

 

Clockwise from bottom left; cilantro, a can of pinto beans (with liquid), a can of diced green mild chilis, salsa, (I ended up making a small batch from scratch vs. canned), vinegar, flour tortillas, eggs, spices (cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper), shredded pepper Jack cheese, and a little red onion slice.

 

First, I don't know about you, but whenever I have tried canned refried beans, I have found them to be dry, flavorless, and more like the consistency of something I'd open for Fido....woof! Ahem, so here's the remedy. Place the beans with their liquid into a small saucepan. Add the onion, spices and the can of mild green chilis.

 

 

 

Stir this all together and bring to a simmer. Here are mine approximately 5 minutes into the simmering time.

 

 

Keep these at a nice low simmer while you prepare the rest of the dish. The flavor and texture was so much better than canned, I don't think I can go back! Now, wrap however many tortillas you need in foil, and place in a 200 degree oven to warm.

 

 

 

After about ten minutes of simmering, when the onions have gotten tender, take ye a potato masher and mash all of those lovely flavors together in the saucepan. Turn it to low, and keep an eye on it..if it begins to look like it is losing too much liquid, cover it.

 

 

This is what it should look like when combined, and keeping warm on a low heat. Remember chefs out there in Pixie-land...TASTE it! Mine needed a wee bit more salt, for instance.

 

 

 

While the beans kept warm, I chopped some veggies into a quick pico de gallo (otherwise known as salsa, to us gringos...hahaha). Season with red wine vinegar (or lime juice) olive oil, cumin, mustard seeds, cilantro, salt, pepper, and cayenne..

 

 

And yes, it was all I could do to keep from running for the tortilla chips....Now, we poach the egg. Hey! Wait a minute! Stop running away right now! It's easy, I promise! Break an egg into a little ramekin, or measuring cup, or whatever you've got. Have a slotted spoon or spatula at the ready....

 

 

 

Heat a shallow sauce pan over medium heat with a Tablespoon of vinegar. This helps the egg whites to set. Pretend you are making the whirlpool in the bathtub (OK, well I did as a child......what?) Take the egg and gently pour it into the middle of the whirlpool. The edges of the egg will become rounded from the motion of the water. It should look like this...

 

 

Adjust the heat if necessary, to keep the water at a low simmer. Take a tablespoon, and spoon some of the water over the yolk from time to time, to get that nice, opaque top...about three minutes in, it should look like this...

 

 

Now, we finish! See! That was not hard! Place your warmed tortilla on a plate..

 

 

Spoon on your lovely home-made refried beans...

 

 

Now, take your slotted spoon or spatula, lift out your poached egg, and let some of the poaching water drain off for a few seconds. Place the egg on top of the beans, and decorate with some green onion and chopped cilantro.

 

 

Add your shredded pepper-jack cheese, and your salsa on top. Garnish with more cilantro as desired. My results?

 

 

 

There......are.....no....words. Wait a minute! Yes, there is one....OLE'! I have totally spoiled myself, as I will never buy canned refried beans again! It was fabulous, and of course, I liberally sprinkled mine with all kinds of hot sauce. Dear husband liked his so much, I had to get poaching another egg...he wanted seconds!

 

I went to check with the Kitchen Angels (as you know I value their opinions, of course), and they were in total denial that we could have hurricane-force winds combine with a blizzard! I told them to go see for themselves....and...lo and behold....they did.

 

 

Note to self: listen when Pixie tells you something.....it tends to be true. They said the experience was (and I quote) "chilling". Very funny. To all those who are experiencing actual hardships and devastation, may you get all the help you need, stay warm and dry, and as always, eat well, my friends.

 

Love and kindness to all,

 

Pixie



Espresso Caramel Bars!

Yes, I'm finally getting to that luscious and decadent sweet treat. I was intrigued when I saw Giada DeLaurentiis making these, and simply had to duplicate them! click here if you'd like the recipe.  This is not a recipe for beginners, or those who are short on time. In fact, I normally shy away from the baking/candy making arts, but it IS Fall, after all! I did not use the smoked sea salt on top, but that is optional... As always, first we prepare by making sure we have all the ingredients at hand, and at room temperature...

 

 

Clockwise from bottom, chocolate chips (semi-sweet), butter, instant coffee, graham crackers, white and brown sugar, and heavy cream. Not shown, additional butter. And yes, this is not a recipe for people watching their diets.....but an occasional splurge is what makes life so sweet, so....darn the torpedoes (or spare tummy tires) and go for it!

 

First, make sure you have the proper equipment. When attempting something that is difficult, or gourmet, or project-level cooking, I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Trying to "make do" in this situation will probably end up with a failed dessert, and waste of spendy ingredients! Here is the first necessity.....a spring form pan..

 

 

You open it up, and lay the insert on to a piece of parchment paper. Take a pencil and draw the circle, using the insert as your guide. Then, you cut the circle, place it into the reassembled pan, and spray with a non-stick cooking spray. Spray the sides of the pan, also...then, you'll actually be able to remove the bars, later!  A little fussy, but not difficult....that part is later, lol.

 

 

Now that you are ready.......we cook! First, buzz the broken-up graham crackers with the white sugar in your processor....until they are the texture and size of fine breadcrumbs...just like you'd do for a cheesecake crust.

 

 

Then, melt ye a stick and a half of butter....

 

Then, combine the two, and press on to the parchment paper bottom of your spring form pan.

 

Bake as per the recipe, until golden brown, and set aside...this is what it should look like when it comes out of the oven.

 

 

Now we begin the hardest part of the recipe....not that it takes any special skills, mind you, one just must have a candy thermometer, and make sure that you can devote your full attention to this part. I have several sugar burn scars on my hands that can attest to the dangers of cooking with caramelized sugar!  Get the cream, additional butter, and brown sugar going in a saucepan...

 

 

Now, place your candy thermometer into the mixture, and keeping the mixture bubbling along at a good clip, but not boiling over (see burn comments, above, ahem...), cook until your thermometer reads 240 degrees. The recipe states that this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Mine took longer, as I was very cautious about boiling caramel!  Here's what the death cauldron, um, caramel looks like, as it neared the 240-degree mark...

 

 

Yes, that's a hucka-hucka burnin' love right there! Immediately after you have reached that magical caramel-forming temperature, carefully.....and without kids, pets, or torchable skin nearby......pour on top of the semi-cooled graham cracker crust.  Here's how that layer looks...

 

 

 

Get that saucepan and candy thermometer soaking in some hot tap water straight away....unless you LIKE scraping off hardened caramel, later....why no, I don't have close personal experience with that...how dare you think so! (wink-wink). Now, pop the whole pan into the freezer for ten minutes, to firm up, sigh with relief (the hard part is over), and make the chocolate layer....

 

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips into the heavy cream, in the top of a double boiler (mine is always just two saucepans, one inside the other) over simmering water...stirring frequently until the chocolate is melted...

 

 

When the mixture is smooth, and all the chocolate chips are melted, stir in your instant coffee (or espresso), and incorporate into the mixture...

 

 

Yummmm....starting to look chocolatey-delicious!  Now, remove your spring form pan with the first two layers done, from the freezer, and pour the chocolate right on top of the caramel layer....

 

 

At this point, I tapped the pan gently on the counter to settle the chocolate, and release any air bubbles. Guess what? You are done! Pop that lovely dessert in the refrigerator (for at least an hour), and go do what I did.....clean everything so that A: you are not scraping hardened caramel off everything for hours, and B: You actually have a clean kitchen to prepare your supper in!

 

When the dessert has chilled for at least an hour, take it out and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes. I took mine out as I served supper....now here is another tricky part, but if you follow the instructions on the recipe, all will go smoothly. Wet your sharpest cutting knife with hottest tap water, wipe it dry, and gently run around the edge of the pan...encouraging the chocolate to separate...

 

 

 

Now, we plate! Unhinge and open your pan, remove the bottom (the crust will be firm), and peel off the parchment. Place the whole disk on a cutting board, and cut into serving-size bars. Warning....this is so rich, even the most die-hard sweet tooth may only be able to eat one small bar at a sitting!  My results?

 

 

 

What can I EVEN say about this treat? They are unbelievably delicious! Incredibly rich, chewy from the caramel layer, crunchy from the graham cracker layer, and creamy from the chocolate layer....every texture and taste that you could want in a sweet treat. My sweet tooth is small, however, and I can only manage about half of one of these!

 

A worthwhile, though not beginner-level dessert...that is still in my fridge (in an airtight plastic container), for when we have a sweets craving. Stay tuned for the soon-to-be famous "bowling banquet beans", a gourmet supper, and those sweet little Kitchen Angels. Eat well, my friends.

 

With love and kindness to all,

 

Pixie



Something From Nothing ~ Week 19

After a summer that has involved a rather large amount of stress (I will not bore you with the details), I am finally back! I have been looking forward to continuing this series, so I will get down to it straight away. Before I do, however....a big thank you to all who have been so supportive during the events of summer 2012!

So....I found myself with the remainder of some breakfast sausage patties - that were, as usual, heading South quickly...

Then I remembered! Dear Sister-in-Law C and Brother-in-law D had given us some of their own garden bounty - to be precise...these!

I have always been fascinated by the authentic Italian stuffed pepper dish called "Italian Hot Longs" (make your own joke), so with the sausage AND peppers needing used up, and us needing lunch...the answer was clear. First, to make the sausage Italian, I lined up the following ingredients..

Clockwise from left; red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, fennel seeds, paprika, red pepper flake, the peppers, and garlic. I added about a half a teaspoon of the seasonings, a little salt and pepper, the garlic, minced, and about a tablespoon of red wine vinegar into the broken-up sausage patties..

Then, I mixed it until well-blended...just using a fork. I then cleaned and seeded the long, mild banana peppers, and cut them in half, lengthwise..

I blanched these peppers for five minutes in boiling, salted water...just to make sure that once baked, they were tender..

And drained them thoroughly in a colander..

Now, for a quick Italian red sauce to go over the peppers, I cooked one thinly sliced clove of garlic,  in olive oil over very low heat until softened...about five to seven minutes..

Then, added the following ingredients...

Salt, pepper, red pepper flake, parsley, oregano, and basil, one small can of tomato sauce, and a little olive oil. Whisk together over low heat and voila! You have a sauce for your peppers! Let it barely simmer while you prepare the peppers.

 Lay them in a casserole that you have put a little olive oil into...

Then, divide your sausage filling equally amongst the peppers...

Now, spoon over your nice red sauce...

And bake in a 350 degree oven for thirty to forty minutes...just long enough to cook the sausage. The results?

I must admit...I am going to make these again and again! Tender, with the tasty filling, and sprinkled with some chopped parsley, Parmesan, and basil....just perfect. I feel good knowing I did not let either the sausage or peppers go to waste!

What ingenious thing did you invent to keep food from going to waste?

In other news....the garden is threatening to take over the back yard...

The tomatoes have been preserved...and will continue to be, as marinara sauce, sun-dried...etc. This was my first round, and I canned them whole to use in recipes and sauces...

And yes....I grew...THE TUSHIE TOMATO...

Mother Nature can, in fact have a sense of humor. Oh, and appearances are decieving...this tomato weighed in at over a pound and a half! No ifs, ands or......BUTTS! HAHAHAHA....I kill me. 

Eat well, my friends, and stay tuned for the caramel espresso bars, and we will check in on the late-summer antics of the Kitchen Angels!

Love and Kindness to all,

Pixie