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rebeccastellato · 5 years ago

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So, my grandma does this thing where every few years she puts out her own cookbook to family and friends. Every couple of years, she updates it and sends out new copies. Cooking is the thing I have definitely turned to a lot in these strange times of social distancing and staying inside all the time. I thought it would be nice to share some of our recipes with the world. Truly, as a stranger on the internet, I have no pull, but I encourage you while you are stuck at home to cook some really nice meals if you have the ability. Cooking and being able to share really, really good food at home has helped keep me sane. I hope maybe it can do the same for some of you. Pasta has been flying off the shelves because it keeps for so long, but there are so many good recipes you can make with it! Here are just a few below from my grandma’s cookbook, if anyone is interested in more or wants tips for other types of foods, Let me know!

Pro tip: every store I have gone to, the pasta shelves are bare, except for one small corner. Manicotti, large shells, and lasagna noodles. Go grab yourself some. No one will be fighting you for them.

Lasagna:

~1lb Italian Sausage

~1 clove garlic, minced

~3 1/2 teaspoon salt

~1 1lb can tomatoes

~2 6oz can tomato paste

~3/4 cup water

~10 oz lasagna noodles

~3 cups ricotta cheese, drained

~1/2 cup grated parmesan

~2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

~2 beaten eggs

~1/2 tsp pepper

~1 lb shredded mozzarella

Brown the sausage in a skillet. Drain off any fat after cooking. Add garlic, basil, 1 1/2 tsp of salt, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and water to a pot and simmer uncovered for an hour.

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions in salted water. Drain and rinse when done.

Combine ricotta, parmesan, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper.

Put a cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Layer the bottom with noodles. Top with ricotta mixture, sausage, and mozzarella. Repeat layers, starting with the sauce. Finish with a layer of noodles and sauce on top. Top with mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Manicotti:

~2 packages of manicotti noodles

~4 lbs ricotta

~3 tbs parsley chopped

~1/4 cup parmesan

~salt and pepper to taste

~marinara sauce (homemade, like recipe above, or your favorite store bought variety. I like Rao’s marinara)

Cook manicotti according to package instructions. Drain and let noodles cool to the touch. Combine cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper. Carefully put separate filling between all the noodles. Bake covered with foil at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10-15.

The same filling for Manicotti can be used for stuffed shells if you prefer them. When I make stuffed shells, I like to sprinkle some mozzarella on top when I bake them uncovered for the extra cheese pull.

Pasta with Oil, Garlic, and Nuts:

~1 lb angel hair pasta (regular spaghetti works as well!)

~3-5 gloves of garlic, chopped

~8-10 tbs olive oil

~1/2 cup walnuts, pecans

~1/2 cup pine nuts

~2 tsp chopped parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving one cup of pasta water. In a large frying pan, sauté garlic in the olive oil until fragrant, but don’t let it go too long so you don’t burn the garlic. Add walnuts, pine nuts, and parley. Cook until nuts are warm. Add cooked pasta and reserved water to frying pan. Toss thoroughly. Add pepper to taste.

I also like this recipe without nuts, sometimes I get really risky and replace the olive oil with butter. When I use butter, I don’t usually add water, but I will leave that one up to you. I truly love a good bowl of pasta coated in butter, garlic, and parsley, topped with some parmesan. It’s like all the buttered noodles you ate as a kid, but fancy

Easy Carbonara:

~4 ouches of pasta

~4 ounces of shredded or grated parmesan

~3 eggs

~1 egg yolk

~1 package of diced pancetta

~salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Save a little water off to the side just in case the sauce is too thick. Combine the eggs and parmesan until you have, for lack of a better word, a nice egg/cheese sludge going. Pepper that sludge very, very generously. In a pan, saute pancetta until slightly brown. You don’t want to burn it, but you want to get some of the fat rendered out. Turn off the heat on the pancetta. Add cooked pasta to the same pan as the pancetta and toss it to coat in the fat. Slowly add the egg/cheese mixture, tossing constantly to make sure the residual heat from the pan doesn’t scramble the eggs. Once combined, taste and see if you need salt. Pancetta tends to be salty so depending on your taste and what you use, salt may or may not be necessary. Top with more parmesan if desired.

#recipes #cooking #pasta #lasagna #cook #quarantine meals #cookbook #recipe #italian #more to come #cooks #home chef #passion #passion for cooking #help

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the-coconut-asado · 5 years ago

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NUT MILK CITY LIMITS

This should have been my Boston blog. And I will write one, someday soon.

But limited as we are to four walls, dodging pavement cyclists and the kindness of delivery folk, let’s settle for a tale of lockdown invention.

That said, my story does start in Boston - or rather, leaving it. It was the real start of The Weird, around early-mid March, when I still took the tube into work and was looking forward to a visit to the hairdresser (lockdown was announced the day before my appointment in case you were wondering. So there will be no selfies here). We managed to head off to the US the day that Trump banned the rest of Europe from flying and I won’t lie, we felt lucky. I sat next to a Canadian student on the flight who explained, as she coughed, that she had traded her study trip around Europe for a £2,000 ticket-chance of getting home.

We got to our faintly Psycho- throwback hotel that night, where we seemed to be the only guests. And for three days we toured the (mostly shut) sites of Boston with the streets all but empty.

At one stage, as we strolled past a CVS store, two young women emerged, insanely juggling 4x16 pack toilet roll bags. How we laughed. The way those pesky kids laugh as the Scooby-ghoul looms behind them. On the Sunday, any holiday vibe had been replaced with low level anxiety, counting down the hours to our flight leaving the US on time and as planned.

And since we landed back in London, that’s been it. Travel now means taking the car for a weekly local drive to keep the battery ticking over, and let’s not dwell on the cancelled trip to Vietnam. The Supermarket Sweep race as you grab random packs off shelves before the personal space invader twats sneak up behind you is now replaced by the delivery time lotto of Amazon Fresh. Got a formula for that, Dale Winton?

But there have been new things to smile about: neighbourhoods coming together every Thursday evening to Clap for Carers; the bravery of NHS workers and a whole army of people I hope we’ll never take for granted again; friends and family checking in on each other much more than ever usual. And the travel buzz achieved by changing our backgrounds on Zoom. Don’t knock it, the endorphin kick is real.

And dare I say there have been pleasures too: delicious meat, fish and vegetables delivered from local suppliers, and weekends full of invention possibilities. “ Are we all fucking bakers now??” Twitter ranted in week 2 of lockdown as flour and eggs became the New Disappeared. Cashew milk, the one nut milk I enjoy, became similarly scarce for a short while, but I discovered the eye-wateringly expensive delights of Milkadamia until sanity returned.

Faced with the random nature of vegetable boxes, half used packs of speciality flours otherwise doomed to outlive their sell by date and the excitement of what you can achieve with a carton of buttermilk and bicarb of soda - life in the kitchen is nothing short of a blast right now. Just like wartime? We have no rationing and plenty of Chipotle paste so, er, no.

Breaking my veg box virginity has been liberating. There are the highs of high-sheen aubergines and those creamy new potatoes of the season, and the occasional low of celery on three consecutive weeks. But the thrill of anticipation when we open the door to a new box is palpable. And finding specialist suppliers for everything from sumac to burrata has made me realise that up until the pandemic I’d been shopping all wrong and wasting far too much money. With the simple elimination of impulse purchase I have hit my notional monthly food budget for the first time ever.

So here are a bunch of recipes for what I consider my best lockdown experiments. Stock up on your store cupboard essentials and you can use whatever basics are available that week. And by store cupboard essentials I mean: Olive and coconut oils, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, chilli flakes, soy sauce, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (you don’t need yeast for soda bread or flat breads). And whatever flour you can find, you’ll be able to do something with it.

Bolli-cauli biryani with camargue rice

Forget boiling cauliflower ever again. Chop florets, toss them in spice and oil and roast to crispy, caramelised deliciousness every time. Serves 2-3.

Ingredients

1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets, then cut each floret in half to create bite size pieces

The cauliflower leaves, pulled from the fibrous stalks

2 medium red onions, quartered

1-2 large red chillies, split from top to bottom but kept intact

2 tsp. Sumac

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

Generous grind of black pepper

1 tsp chilli flakes

3 tbsp. Olive oil

300g camargue red rice (1 small mug)

25g salted butter

Plan yoghurt to serve

How to make:

Heat the oven to 190C.

In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower, cauliflower leaves, chillies and onion (and any other chunky vegetable you hav in the fridge eg.squash, aubergine or courgettes) with the spices and olive oil. Spread out onto a large roasting pan and pop into the oven for 40-45 mins, turning everything half way through. The edges of the vegetables will caramelise and the leaves will crisp up.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan until it bubbles then add the rice and toss until you get a toasty aroma. If you used a small cup, then now add a small cup and an extra quarter cup (or if you measured 300g then add 400ml water) and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, stirring once and then simmer on a medium heat until the water is all but absorbed (about 15-20 mins). At this point, cover with a lid, turn the heat to low and cook for a further 10-15 mins. Turn off the heat and leave covered for a further 10 minutes before fluffing the rice up.

When the bolli-cauli is ready, remove from the oven and serve over a generous scoop of the toasty, chewy buttery camargue rice. Add a dollop of yoghurt on the side and some mango chutney to serve. And treat yourself to some poppadoms for the crunch factor.

Beer and Buttermilk Soda Bread

My favourite bread of the lockdown - and no yeast required. Based on a Paul Hollywood recipe, mine replaces stout with any old beer or lager you may have in the fridge, and a range of ‘bin end flours: Wholemeal, basic brown, spelt and strong white.

Ingredients:

500g wholemeal flour (or a mix of any brown or grain flours you have)

250g strong white flour

280ml buttermilk

300ml bottle of beer or lager

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp. bicarbonate of soda

How to make:

Mix the flours, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl.

Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk and beer.

Mix until everything comes together then knead gently until you have a cohesive ball.

Pop into a 2lb loaf tin and press slightly into the corners.

Leave to rest for 30 mins.

Heat the oven to 210C. Bake the loaf for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180C and bake for a further 25-30 minutes. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. The base should sound hollow when you tap it.

Cool then slice and slather with butter. This bread is also excellent toasted.

Spinach, Ricotta and Feta Pie

The superstar look of this pie as it emerges from the oven belies a super-easy method. If you can’t get hold of ricotta, just use cream cheese. Serves 4.

Ingredients

7 sheets filo pastry

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 medium onion, finely chopped

250g spinach

1 large egg

1 tsp. Grated nutmeg

250g ricotta, mascarpone or cream cheese.

125g feta cheese, crumbled

Handful of fresh oregano leaves, chopped finely.

100ml olive oil.

1 tsp. Nigella seeds

How to make:

Heat the oven to 200C.

Heat 1 tbsp. Olive oil in a frying pan then saute the onion and garlic on a low heat until soft. Add the spinach and cook gently until wilted - about 5 minutes. Turn into a sieve or colander and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and put to one side.

Beat the egg with the ricotta and nutmeg then season. Crumble in the feta, then add the spinach and onion mixture.

Brush a 22cm loose bottomed cake tin with olive oil and lay a sheet of filo pastry along the bottom and the sides. Brush again with oil, then add a second sheet at an angle to the first. Keep brushing each sheet with oil, then adding the next layers at an angle until you have used six sheets and they are lining the tin in a flower petal formation.

Tip the spinach and cheese mix into the tin then fold each ‘petal’ of filo on top to form a lid to the tart. Brush with more oil then scrunch up the seventh sheet of filo, perch it on top of the pie and brush with the remaining oil. Scatter over the nigella seeds.

Pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes (watch the top so it doesn’t turn from golden to burnt).

Remove from the oven, cool slightly, before releasing the sides of the tin and transferring the pie to a plate to serve.

Carrot cake muffins with mandarin frosting

Not really the season for carrot-eating, but grated three carrots into this cake mix and you have a winner. And the frosting is a great way to use up mandarins. Makes 6 Large muffins.

Ingredients

1.5 cups plain flour

1.5 tsp. Bicarb of soda

¾ cup demarara sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. Cinnamon

1 cup cashew nut milk

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup sunflower oil

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

3 carrots, shredded

50g pecan nuts, roughly chopped.

For the frosting:

Juice of 1 mandarin

1.5 cups icing sugar

How to make

Heat the oven to 180C.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, bicarb. Of soda, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the eggs, oil, vanilla and cashew nut milk and mix again until a smooth batter. Fold in the carrots and the pecans.

In a muffin tin with 6 cases (or double the recipe and use 12). Fill each paper cup with the muffin batter until ¾ full then pop into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are fully risen.

Remove from the oven and cool in the tin before removing each muffin and placing on a cooling rack to cool completely.

When the muffins are cool, mix the mandarin juice with the icing sugar until you have a smooth and sluggish paste. Ice each muffin and serve.

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abramsbooks · 6 years ago

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RECIPE: Baked Rigatoni (from Matty Matheson: A Cookbook by Matty Matheson)

This is an incredible dish made straight from the heart. Crisp, burnt rigatoni edges; melted mozzarella cheese; rich, sweet tomato sauce; and little meatballs all nestled inside this beautiful mess. Dishes like this are low risk and high reward. Carol and Trish make different versions of this, and now I make my own too. How many renditions of this dish are out there, I have no idea: Every nonna or nonno or Italian American or Italian Canadian parent has his or her own version. Some may add basil leaves, dried oregano, more Parmesan, maybe even some Asiago, or all pork balls, all-beef, or a combination or the holy trinity: veal, pork, and beef. I want to make you my version, which is inspired by my mother-in-law and my lovely wife.

I had another mind-blowing experience the first time Carol made this for me. I thought pasta was powdered cheese and overcooked little noodles that were mixed with water instead of milk or cream, and not even a nice little knob of heavenly butter. But then I saw this bubbling, glowing, cheesy casserole coming out of the oven like a newborn rigatoni baby, and it was instant love. I knew I would fight for this dish if anyone ever disrespected it—I would stand behind it like an overprotective uncle who’s had one too many brown pops at a little league baseball game. I hope that when you pull this casserole out of the oven, it’s one of those moments like seeing the Sistine Chapel or the ocean for the first time.

Serves: 4 Prep time: 1½ hours

½ pound (225 g) ground pork

½ pound (225 g) ground veal

½ pound (225 g) ground beef

1 egg

1 cup (100 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup (50 g) dry bread crumbs

1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt

10 turns freshly cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon dried red chile flakes

2 tablespoons peeled and minced garlic

Olive oil

8 cups (2 L) Sunday Gravy (see below) without the meat

2 (16-ounce/455 g) boxes dried large rigatoni

2 balls mozzarella cheese, one cubed and one shredded

Place all the ground meat in a large bowl. Crack the egg on top and add the Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, chile flakes, garlic, 4 tablespoons (60 ml) oil, and 2 tablespoons water. Mix with your hands—make sure to dig deep with your fingers and use your shoulders to really work the mixture.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place two spoons in a cup of water; use one spoon for scooping and the other for scraping off. Make sure to dip your spoons into the water every other scoop. Scoop 1 tablespoon meat and scrape it onto the baking sheet; make little rows until done. Lightly coat your hands with oil and form the meat piles into perfect little balls.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). In a Dutch oven, pour ½ inch (12 mm) of oil and set over medium-high heat. Place the balls in the pot, but don’t overcrowd the pot. Brown the meatballs in batches and place on a rack while you build your casserole.

We are going to build the casserole hot so it just has to brown in the oven. In a small pot, heat the gravy. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook the pasta until al dente. Check the pasta every few minutes to make sure you’re not overcooking. Because we are baking in the oven, we don’t want mushy noodles! We want perfect rigatoni.

Drain the pasta and pour most of it into a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33 cm) baking dish, then add enough sauce to cover the noodles and stir. You don’t want the casserole soupy and you don’t want it dry; you can always add, but you can never take away. That’s why I like building this by eye once all the ingredients are ready: You can add more sauce, meatballs, and rigatoni depending on your tastes. Stir the cubed mozzarella into the casserole, then add as many meatballs as you want. Stir to evenly disperse everything, then cover with a few ladles of sauce and the shredded mozzarella. Bake 20 minutes, or until the edges are almost burnt, the cheese is golden brown, and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes.

RECIPE: Sunday Gravy

This is something I loved eating when I first started dating Trish. Her mother is Italian Canadian and comes from a long line of amazing cooks from Calabria. I never had real Italian food until I met Trish. Maybe that’s why I was so in love with her initially. It was her mother’s cooking! I remember the first time I was allowed to help make this meal. Her mother watched me like a hawk soaring in the bright blue sky, searching for trout. If I did something wrong, she let me know right away with a slap on the hand. If I overworked the meatballs, she would make a comment that cut deep. This was before I went to cooking school—I was just an eager kid looking for the secrets to this dish. A red sauce is the foundation of every Italian family, and it was a privilege to help. I had a duty to make the best meatballs I could so I didn’t let down Carol and Bill and the Spencer family. Making this sauce is like painting: You need to know when to stop. It’s a powerful sauce that still needs restraint.

I used to think that spaghetti sauce had green peppers and mushrooms in it. It took me a long time to understand the power in simplicity. This sauce is the cornerstone to most of the dishes in this section; once you’ve made this sauce, you can add it to so many dishes. When I make it, I like to take out all the meat and divide the balls, ribs, and sausage in containers and cover with just enough sauce. Then you can take as many of these little gems as you want and reheat for days to come, or you can make little bundles of meat and sauce and freeze for a special day. Serving the meat on a massive platter and then tossing fresh spaghetti in the sauce and topping with fresh grated Parmesan is the way to go!

Serves: A large Italian-Irish family and one white kid from the maritimes Prep time: 5½ hours

1 loaf day-old bread, torn into small pieces

1 cup (240 ml) milk

1 pound (455 g) ground beef

1 pound (455 g) ground veal

1 pound (455 g) ground pork

2 cups (200 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup (100 g) freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

½ cup (70 g) peeled and minced garlic, plus 1 cup (145 g) whole garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin

1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup (100 g) dry bread crumbs

4 eggs

2 tablespoons dried red chile flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

2 pounds (910 g) Italian sausage

2 racks (2 pounds/910 g) pork ribs

½ cup (15 g) tomato paste

6 (28-ounce/794 g) cans tomato puree

1 pound (455 g) any shape pasta

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Line a baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment paper.

Soak the day-old bread with just enough milk. You don’t want soupy bread; you want milky bread.

In a large bowl, place all the ground meat and mix with your hands so it’s incorporated. Next, add the cheeses, minced garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, eggs, chile flakes, milk-soaked bread, salt, and pepper. This is the fun part: Deep-dive your hands into the meatball mixture, and with your fingertips, disperse all the ingredients evenly, using your full arm to reach down to the middle and flip the mixture. Imagine you are a human bread mixer. Keep pushing down and knead it almost like a dough. Once it is truly mixed, you’ll know—it will look like a piece of beautiful meat marble, with the cheese, parsley, and garlic all glistening through like rock layers.

With lightly oiled hands, roll the meat mixture into perfect 2-inch (5 cm) balls, making sure they are worked just enough. Do not squish the balls—just keep rolling so they stick together. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Drape a kitchen towel over the balls as you roll so they don’t air-dry at all.

In a large heavy pot, pour ½ inch (12 mm) of oil and set over medium heat. Sear the meatballs on all sides. As each ball is fully browned, remove and place on another baking sheet until needed. In the same pot, sear the sausages, about 8 minutes. Set aside.

Cut the ribs into 2-bone pieces and season with salt and pepper; sear them, about 5 minutes per side. You will find that there is a lot of crisp golden meat on the bottom of the pot. This is called fond. This is the gold.

Turn down the heat to low—there is enough residual heat to get the garlic cooking. Add the sliced garlic to the pot and cook until golden brown. Then add the tomato paste; cook 5 minutes to cook out the tin flavor and develop the rich, deep flavor tomato paste is made for.

Add all the meat and the tomato puree. If it’s a little thick you can add just enough water to make it easier for you to stir the meat. You don’t want it too thick right now, as it’s going to cook at least 3 hours, and as it cooks, it will concentrate. We will cook it to the consistency we desire.

Don’t turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil. We have to bring it up slowly to make sure nothing burns. It may take almost an hour to start bubbling and simmering the way we want it to. Once it starts simmering, turn down the heat even lower. Stir the pot gently, making sure not to break up the meatballs. Cook 3 hours.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta as the label directs; drain and return to the pot. Ladle in enough sauce to coat the noodles—you don’t want this to be saucy. Place the pasta on a platter, then ladle extra sauce into another bowl for those who want more sauce. Remove the meat and place on top of the pasta; add more sauce. Top with cheese.

Matty Matheson, star of Viceland’s It’s Suppertime and Dead Set On Life, reveals his favorite recipes and stories in a cookbook that his devoted fans have been waiting for.

Matty Matheson is known as much for his amazing food as his love for life, positive mental attitude, and epic Instagram account. This debut cookbook is about Matty’s memories of the foods that have defined who he is. With a drive to share his zest for life, he creates dishes within these pages that reinterpret the flavors of his youth in Canada, as well as the restaurant fare for which he has become so well-known. Interpretations of classics like Seafood Chowder, Scumbo: Dad’s Gumbo, and Rappie Pie appear alongside restaurant recipes like Bavette, Pigtail Tacos, and his infamous P&L Burger. This is a very personal cookbook, full of essays and headnotes that share Matty’s life—from growing up in Fort Erie, exploring the wonders of Prince Edward Island, struggling and learning as a young chef in Toronto, and, eventually, his rise to popularity as one of the world’s most recognizable food personalities. His no-nonsense approach to food makes these recipes practical enough for all, while his creativity will entice seasoned cooks. This book is like cooking alongside Matty, sharing stories that are equal parts heartwarming and inappropriate while helping you cook dishes that are full of love. Matty Matheson: A Cookbook is a new collection of recipes from one of today’s most beloved chefs.

For more information, click here.

#abramsbooks #abrams books #matty matheson #matty matheson a cookbook #it's suppertime #dead set on life #mattymatheson #matty matheson bookbook #baked rigatoni #recipe #free recipe

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suncakemom · 4 years ago

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Zucchini Lasagna

Should we dare to try something new or our pride is too strong to let us conquer the unknown? Zucchini lasagna is as tasty as the known!

As I most recently have some time, I was surfing on the web yesterday. Looking to find new, stirring thoughts, inspirational recipes that I’ve never tried before, to impress my family with. Searching for a while yet could not discover any interesting stuff. Just before I wanted to give up on it, I came across this scrumptious and simple treat by luck over Suncakemom. The dessert seemed so fabulous on its pic, that called for immediate action.

It had been not so difficult to imagine the way it’s made, its taste and just how much my husband might like it. Mind you, it is quite easy to please him when it comes to puddings. Yes, I’m a blessed one. Or perhaps he is.Anyway, I visited the webpage and then used the step-by-step instuctions that were accompanied by impressive images of the procedure. It really makes life rather easy. I could suppose it’s a slight hassle to shoot photos in the middle of cooking in the kitchen as you may usually have sticky hands and so i seriously appreciate the time and energy she devote to make this blogpost .

With that in mind I am empowered to present my personal recipes similarly. Many thanks for the thought.

I had been fine tuning the main recipe create it for the taste of my family. I must say it absolutely was an incredible outcome. They prized the taste, the thickness and enjoyed having a treat such as this in the midst of a lively week. They basically requested lots more, a lot more. So the next occasion I’m not going to make the same mistake. I am gonna multiply the amount to make them delighted.

Zucchini Lasagna was first baked by SunCakeMom

Preparation

Slice the zucchinis.

Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on them then let them sit for at least half an hour.

Cut the Bacon, pancetta or any other type of pork fat that we can use as lardon. We can substitute it with a tablespoon of fat or cooking oil, as well. No harm would be done.

Place them into a frying pan and preferably on low to medium heat, render the fat out.

Add onion, carrot and celery then saute with the bacon on high heat for about 5 minutes until the onion gets a slight translucent/glassy look.

Add the ground meat. Mix it well with the vegetables then cook it for 10-15 minutes while stirring it often until all the bigger chunks are falling into smaller pieces. At this point the beef should lose all its pinkness and it’s browned properly.

Add the water or wine, tomatoes, salt, black pepper and milk. Mix it well together, put the lid on and simmer it for 4 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally.

For more detailed instructions for the filling, check out how to make Bolognese sauce a.k.a Ragu. If our patience is wearing thin then use pureed tomato and cook it only for about 30 minutes before getting it ready for layering.

Mix finely cut oregano, basil or herbs of choice with the ricotta cheese in a bowl.

Slice the mozzarella up.

Assembly

Remove the water from the zucchini and optionally tap them dry too.

Spread some sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.

Place the first layer of zucchini on the sauce.

Spread some ricotta cheese on the zucchini slices evenly. We will need the cheese for 3-4 layers depending on the size of the dish. Place the mozzarella slices on top of the ricotta cheese.

Ladle tomato sauce on top and spread it evenly out.

Continue with the layers until the top of the casserole dish has been reached. The top should only have cheese.

Place it in a 390°F / 200°C oven until the top of the cheese gets a golden brown color for about 30 minutes. Let it cool and settle the flavors before serving.

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meatismurderbutalsodelicious · 5 years ago

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Korean Dumpling Hot Pot

Bob and I have lived in Hong Kong for almost three years now; we’ve been blessed with the ability to travel throughout the region, alone or in the company of wonderful friends.

From South Korea to Vietnam; Singapore and Thailand, what leaps out is the abundance of ingredients and the complexity of flavors that go into and make up most Asian cuisine.

For most cultures, preparation and presentation are crucial to the meal’s success. We see it in our local Cantonese Chinese cooking, where fresh produce and meats, chopped or diced are prepped for a quick flash fry or a slow-basted broth.

One of our favorite cuisines is Korean food. Which is weird, because when Bob and I met a lifetime ago he insisted he hated spicy food and garlic, which, of course, is the foundation of Korean food. Now he loves kimchee.

It’s all about personal growth, people.

This recipe is a blow-by-blow reproduction of home cook Seonkyoung Longest’s recipe from her YouTube cooking show, Asian At Home. She’s a great cook, hysterically funny at times and her husband is a smokin’ hot bear.

You’re going to need a couple of specifically Korean items for this dish, but remember, once you master making the base for the broth, you will have the tools necessary to create your own variations down the road.

Gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes (ask your grocer to help you pick a brand, some are incredibly, eye-watering, painfully spicy)

Korean soup soy sauce (a milder, lighter in color variation of regular soy sauce, your call on how authentic you want to be)

Maesilaek, Korean preserved green plum extract (this can be a form of liqueur and used in teas and cocktails. The bottle I bought was 6% proof).

Garaetteok, long, cylinder-shaped rice cakes (either fresh or frozen from your local Asian food store or Korean grocer)

This is a vegetable bonanza, so if you are a vegan or vegetarian—or have friends and family who are—you can substitute out chicken stock for vegetable broth, and completely ditch the dumplings and still have a wonderful, tasty meal.

Ingredients:

5 to 7 cloves garlic, finely chopped or put through a garlic press

3 to 4 tablespoons of Gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes (this amount makes for a spicy, savoury without being to hot broth)

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 tablespoons of Korean soup soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)

1 tablespoon of Maesilaek, Korean preserved green plum extract

4 cups of chicken stock

Beansprouts, a handful

1/2 a yellow onion, sliced

Napa cabbage or regular cabbage, cut into wedges

3 Spring onions (scallions) cut lengthwise then 2-inch long pieces

1/2 pack of enoki mushrooms (or whatever mushrooms are available)

1 soft or medium soft tofu, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

Half-pound of Garaetteok, fresh or frozen

Handful green leafy vegetables (crown daisy or choy sum or even spinach)

Chopped pepper, you can go mild with a bell pepper, or a spicy chili pepper. This version has a mild Thai green chili pepper

1-pound of fresh or frozen dumplings (your choice)

In a large bowl, combine all the following wet ingredients—the soy sauce, the plum extract, and the fish sauce. Add in the chili powder, as well as the chopped or crushed garlic. Mix thoroughly and taste to season (more chili powder, some more soy sauce, you know what you like).

Now, set this aside to let the flavors marinate. In the base of a large wok or large deep frying pan, place your bed of onions and bean sprouts. This will prohibit burning and the onions will sweeten the broth.

It’s all about the layering and presentation now. I tried to copy Seonkyoung’s layout of alternating the white tofu, mushrooms and rice tubes with the green onions, leafy vegetables and cabbage.

I used a combination of frozen Korean pork and green onion mandu or dumplings. I was unable to get our favorite pork and kimchee mandu, but I was able to buy freshly made Hong Kong-style pork and shrimp dumplings, which are Bob’s favorite.

Now, add one cup of your chicken broth to the marinade, stir it in and then add it to the pot. You want to spread it as evenly as possible. Once that is complete, add the last three cups of chicken stock to the pot and turn on the heat. You will want to bring this up to a slow simmer.

At first, it might not look like you have enough liquid, but once the vegetables start to cook they will release their moisture and create a wonderful basting broth for the tofu and the dumplings.

Traditionally, this is served piping hot on a gas stove in the center of the family dining table. But, I just cooked it up on the stove top and Bob and I kept going back for seconds (and thirds).

Again, this meal is all about the preparation. Once you turn on the heat, it will cook very quickly, in about 15 to 20 minutes to make sure that the dumplings are cooked thoroughly.

Served with plain, steamed rice, it’s just a heartwarming meal. We threw in some fried tofu that we had leftover from a previous meal. If you want, you can marinate shrimp or sliced beef or chicken in the the marinade for about a half hour and swap out the dumplings. Enjoy!

#korea #korean food #recipes #coronapocalypse #coronavirus #self care

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defunctblogtobedeleted · 5 years ago

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8/17/19 1:47am SU 10/? - Olivia, aka Why I Quit Tinder

After I finally gave up on Rachel coming back to me I decided to launch right back into the swiping game. It’s the beginning of April still, so Rachel had only freshly started ghosting me for good. So I moved along pretty quick, I suppose.

I was still determined to quit melee, and playing more guitar, and speedrunning mega man, and watching a bunch of anime. But now I felt a little spoiled by Rachel. She was incredible, so if I was going to find a suitable girl to replace her from Tinder of all places, I wasn’t going to find her by putting out some homogeneous slosh of a profile and weeding through vanilla girls.

No, this time I figured I’d try to turn away as many as possible by creating the most nerdy avant-garde tinder profile I’d ever created and attract only the weirdos. I’m pretty sure I even put that I was a furry in there, because I definitely remember girls asking about it. I put that my interests were anime, video games, drinking, smoking, Pokemon, I don’t even remember. It was definitely a mess. and I didn’t get very many matches. Which is what I wanted, ofc.

But there is one person I DID match with. Olivia. Cute little asian girl, short, not really skinny but not overweight by any means (which is better off than most girls I’ve gone out with from Tinder), and had great taste in anime and nerdy shit. We talked about video games and shit, she was really into CoD at the time I think, and we were pretty quick to escalate things to sending nudes and sexting lmfao. I was out of town visiting Darlin for the week because I needed to recuperate from the Rachel fallout, and was pretty pumped to chill and play some Earth Defense Force (SNES), binge on mint chocolate chip ice cream and smoke cigarettes by the river out back.

She was into video games so we were talking about childhood favorites and stuff, and made plans for her to come over for the weekend when I got back and spend a couple days together. She was bragging a lot about her ability to make edibles, and I told her she had a high bar to pass since I made some great ones myself, and the ones that Kailey used to make for us were even better. But she was confident. And also very excited to suck me off.

SooooooOOoOOoOooOoo she convinced me to leave a day early from Darlin’s, take off in practically the middle of the night (I think I left about 11pm) and pick her up to meet up with her earlier so we’d have an extra day.

She was staying at her friend’s place in a trailer park that night, and it was kind of on the way back home to Greensboro. So I swung by a bit out of the way, and we instantly started making out in the car. We decided we couldn’t wait to get home and decided to pull over into this field to the left of the trailer park so we could fuck real quick. It was cold and dewy and the grass was patchy, so I started trying to dig around for a towel and she said what the fuck do you need that for? So we had sex right then and there on the ground. Not ideal, but definitely fun lol. We got in the back seat to dry off, smoke a cigarette, and chit chat for a while now that we were finally talking face to face. She told me about how she was a squirter, and one thing led to another and we started fucking again in my back seat. SHE WAS NOT KIDDING THOUGH. When she said she was a squirter, I mean

-continued 8/23/19 1:57am-

I mean she SOAKED my backseat. Like the seats were drenched to capacity. Like there was practically a layer of fluid resting on top of the seats. It was almost unsettling, definitely made me raise an eyebrow lol. Like a lot of times squirting is pretty hot but when it’s that.. voluminous I’m pretty tentative as to the nature of fluids being excreted, to say the least.

Anyway, that’s all fine, it’s fine. Doesn’t matter had sex, right? It’s absolutely more amusing than disgusting in my opinion.

We make it home to my place and had a cigarette on my porch and started talking about some shit on the stoop. We started talking about some fucked up shit like how she got abused and how she had a new baby. And I was like woah what the fuck why didn’t you mention you had a kid, and she tells me that her family’s helping take care of her but she doesn’t know what to do with it because the dad left because they were addicted to meth when they conceived and I was like WHAT. and she was like yeah and I can’t give this one away to my aunt and uncle like the last one. and I was like WHATT.

So then I had a moment of like “Tyler what have you gotten yourself into this time? Is this really where we’re at now? We’re in for a couple days of this yknow.” and then I thought “well thank god I’ve already got my vasectomy LOL.”

We also talked about a bunch of less serious stuff like pokemon and the castlevania anime and she showed me some of that before we passed out. Must’ve been like 4 in the morning at least.

The next day we woke up hellllllla late and were on a quest to test out how great her edibles actually were. We fucked that morning (well really late afternoon), went off to my buddy’s place to pick up an eighth, hung out there for a bit, then went to the grocery store to get spaghetti and meatball and cookie stuff. The closest grocery store is like 12 minutes away from my house for some damn reason. I swear everything in Greensboro was always a 15 minute drive away. We got back to my place, got some weed simmering in butter, started making meatballs and stuff, and we realized we didn’t actually get the cookie dough to make the edibles with. We were like ahhhh whatever we’ll cross that bridge later. Left the weed on the pot, had some delicious spaghetti and meatballs, watched one of her favorite anime movies while we ate in the living room. God the meatballs she made were actually sick, I remember I ate like 5 plates of spaghetti. She only had like 1, drank like 12 beers, and I had like 6. So we decided to go out to boxcar for a while and play some games. It’s pretty late like 12 or 1? I walk in, uncomfortably full of spaghetti, and ask her what she wants to play. She says Dance Dance Revolution. I’m like oh shit let’s fucking go then. We played through a song and a half (i’m on standard she’s on light), at which point she FALLS ONTO THE FUCKING FLOOR. I’m like holy shit are you okay and jump down to check on her, and she’s just like “yeah, i’m fine. Let’s get another drink.” I’m like holy shit lol what but really i’m like “haha okay.” So on the way over to the bar she asks me what are you drinking? and I say “oh I don’t know, some cheap beer or something.” We sit down at the bar and she’s like “two glasses of scotch, please.” and I’m like fuhuuuuuuuck me hahahaha. Really fucking courteous of her, but I’m literally stuffed to the brim with spaghetti and meatballs and beer, and now it’s all jostled up from playing DDR, but whatever. We cheers, she gulps her down and I gulp down... half of mine before it starts feeling like it’s going to come back up. I try to save it like I pull it up to my nose and swirl it around like “ahhh yes, quite, indeed. That’s some good stuff.” and she just says “uhh.. aren’t you gonna finish it?” and in my head I’m like god damn man yeah just give me a fucking second lmao. But really I’m like “yeah of course.” Gulp down the second half of the glass, and it does NOT sit. I start puking, spew puke into the glass til it’s almost full to the brim, then manage to regain my constitution to stop and sprint off to the bathroom, puking frothed spaghetti sauce all over some poor toilet.

I get out of the bathroom, we play another game or two, and it’s time to go. Like it’s 2 at this point, the bar’s about closed. We get to my car and she realizes she forgot her purse, so I say don’t worry I’ll go get it. Meet the bartender, who has pure hatred in her eyes and starts to hand over the purse, but before she will she says to me “the next time you puke in a fucking glass, you throw that shit away yourself. Got it?” and I’m like OHHH FUCK I FORGOT I LEFT IT ON THE BAR WHEN I RAN TO THE BATHROOM SHIT. But I just tell her I’m really sorry and get the fuck out of there. Laid low and didn’t go back for a couple of weeks after that one hahahaha.

Anyway, we get home, I’ve had like negative drinks now since going to the bar, and we still have that weed simmering and need to get the cookie dough. So we drive the 15 minutes out to the 24hr grocery store, get some cookie dough, come back, and it’s nowhere to be found. I was like “what? I handed it to you before we left, where did it go?” and she said “no you definitely had it.” and I was like whaaaaaat the fuckkkk. I say “whatever, this is at least as much my fault as it is yours, it’s no big deal,” and we drive BACK to the grocery store. I’m checking the self checkout area to see where we might have set it down, when a security guard who watched us leave asked if anything was the matter. I say yeah, I’m just trying to find the cookie dough we bought, and he says “oh she walked out with it.” 🤦 So I scan around the parking lot, maybe it fell off the car or something? Finally give up and tell her I can’t find it, start checking inside my car and we find it underneath her seat lol.

So whatever, we finally have all our ingredients for edibles and the butter is ready as fuck and we’re ready to go. So she’s like here take the ingredients and mix them together. And in my head I’m like alright fine if you’re making these cookies I might as well contribute a little bit. So I mix them up, and she’s just having me do step by step, until she’s finally like “okay now make them into cookies and put them onto the tray and cook them for like 15 minutes” and I’m like “wait what part of these fucking cookies are You making?” So I convince her to do the actual baking part, so I can finally relax and have a beer, my stomach is still feeling kind of uncomfortably full, and I’ve been driving around for an hour and I’m kinda over it by this point.

The cookies are finished at 4:20 in the morning. Hilariously perfect. She pulls them out, and they’re slightly burnt. Ugh. At least they’re not so burnt that they’re not inedible, just a little stiff. I start munching on one. It tastes very weedy. Like the chocolate chips are the only part that don’t just taste like weed. and it’s not soft at all, it’s like a cracker. So I’m chomping through it, kinda cracking my way through it really, when she says to me “so? how is it??” She looks pretty excited. I say “ah, they’re pretty good! Aren’t you gonna have one?”

She says “no, I don’t smoke.”

🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦

[in my head] I’m like what in the hell did we do all of this for then? We didn’t need to do ANY of that. Jesus. whatever.

Then she says to me “hey do you want to rail some xanax?” and I’m like “what? It’s 4:30 in the morning. If I rail some xanax now I’m just going to pass out.” She says “that doesn’t make any sense, xanax is a party time drug, not a sleepy time drug.” So I was like “alright fine then lol.” She spilled some beer on some of it and we had to set it out to dry, but we got two lines laid out and railed them. We laid down in bed and she was asleep no shit 5 minutes later.

The next day we mostly hung around and fucked til she had to leave, she had some job interview I think. We did some kinky handcuff shit since I had my toys back from Mary’s at this point. And she is the one girl who’s asked me to switch to anal out of nowhere. I obliged, but it’s not really my thing now that I can cum in any orifice without worrying about it. Still, pretty neat lol, she’s definitely unique for that.

As soon as she walked out of the door, Ash was like “good. Wash your sheets, your room smells like piss.” Did I mention? Every time we fucked she would squirt like she did in the car and it kind of amounted to me having a soaked bed. Absolutely filthy :3 hahaha

She wanted to hang out more, but I had to broke things off as gently as I could. She had to come by to pick up some stuff she forgot, gave me a little pikachu figurine that I’ve got on my dresser now, and I was just like yeah we’re not really gonna do this again.

All in all I thought she was a really nice person, and we had a lot of fun shit in common. But being confronted with that level of degeneracy was incredibly unnerving. I was like “man is this what I look like to people? Probably. Wow. Huh.”

I decided I was over it for a bit. I was gonna focus on speedrunning and karaoke and guitar and chilling, and determined that if girls happened to land in my lap at karaoke that’d be just fine, but that I was totally over seeking them out. It was just too much, I needed to straighten myself out a little bit more or something. Or at least just give up on Tinder because it was not a good look for me anymore. I’ve redownloaded it a few times for various reasons, but not for very long and have never met up with anyone online since. RIP

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laurallama52-blog · 6 years ago

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Weeknight Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti Bake

You’ll never even miss the traditional pasta with this amazingly delicious spaghetti squash spaghetti bake recipe! We fight over the leftovers, it’s so good.

I know using spaghetti squash in place of traditional pasta for good ol’ spaghetti is nothing new, but this spaghetti squash spaghetti bake (very redundant title alert) is extra delicious thanks to the fast and flavorful homemade sauce. I mean, the melty, glorious cheese on top doesn’t hurt anything, however that savory, delicious sauce is what steals the show.

I’ve been on the fence about whether I would ever post this recipe, but seriously, after making it at least five times since early January (and serving it to several sets of company with very high reviews including the phrase “Mel, this is probably the most delicious thing you’ve ever fed me”), I decided for my own personal recipe sake, I wanted this spaghetti squash spaghetti to have a placeholder here on the blog.

I’ve long been a fan of spaghetti squash; I sometimes use it as a substitute for pasta or rice when I want a lower carb dinner. I cook it up and then ladle my portion of sauce/stroganoff/gravy over spaghetti squash while most of my family goes to town on the pasta or rice (except my vegetable loving 13-year old who gladly joins me in spaghetti squash land).

But for this recipe, I wanted to make an actual everyone-will-eat-this-together-or-else spaghetti bake that throws spaghetti squash into the forefront. And I don’t know why, but it’s just a million percent better mixed together and baked like this than spooning the same sauce over spaghetti squash has ever been.

The first time I made this, my 14-year old said, mid-bite, “wow, these noodles are so good,” and then surprisingly didn’t bat an eye when his younger sister destroyed his pasta hopes and dreams by excitedly telling him it was actually spaghetti squash. He just gave her a quick side eye (intuitively knowing she was trying to ruin his life) and dished up seconds.

The components of the recipe are simple:

1) super quick weeknight homemade spaghetti sauce – not a whole lot more work than opening a jar of pasta sauce, this homemade version has incredible flavor. It’s so, so good and is what makes this spaghetti squash spaghetti bake really amazing, in my opinion.

2) spaghetti squash – if cooking it seems intimidating or foreign, never fear! I’m giving some tips below.

3) cheese – and lots of it. Or not. It’s your choice. Parmesan and mozzarella are both welcome here.

There are two foolproof ways to cook spaghetti squash. First, in the Instant Pot. If you have one, it’s high time you threw some spaghetti squash in there. I have a post detailing how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot here, but in short, cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, pour in 1 cup of water to the IP, add the rack and the squash, and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Perfecto.

The second way is to cook the squash in the oven. I use this method particularly if I’m cooking more squash than will fit in the IP. I cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place the spaghetti squash cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet (no water needed) and bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes until it is very tender.

After scraping the strands out of the squash, I like to let them sit for 5-7 minutes. Excess liquid/water will pool at the bottom of the strands, and draining that off will help the spaghetti squash bake not be too liquidy. But it’s totally optional (and the spaghetti is delicious either way).

Anyway, there you have it. Spaghetti squash spaghetti bake. It’s so, so good. Just this weekend I made it for a family of seven visiting us (who incidentally are eating processed sugar- and gluten-free right now so it was the perfect meal; we subbed in honey for the brown sugar and coconut aminos for the soy sauce). I doubled it figuring we would have leftovers coming out of our ears…but we all gobbled up every last bite.

If you start with an oven safe pan (for making the sauce), you can toss the spaghetti squash in there and bake it in the same pan which will save you a dish to wash. Otherwise, you can transfer everything to a casserole/baking dish. I use an All-clad 4-quart cook/serve pan that was gifted to me years ago for everything (making the sauce and baking); this is the well-reviewed Cook’s Standard (much cheaper) alternative aff. link if you are looking for a similar pan.

I just used up the last of my spaghetti squash from my garden last summer (I kept it in a cool, dry spot in my pantry and it lasted forever); thankfully spaghetti squash is pretty easy to find in grocery stores even at this time of year so I can keep making this until my own garden pulls through for me later this year.

One Year Ago: Pull-Apart Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sliders Two Years Ago: Turkey and Swiss Sloppy Joes 30-Minute Meal Three Years Ago: German Pancake Whole Grain Option with Butter Syrup Four Years Ago: Chocolate Covered Strawberries Tuxedo-Style Five Years Ago: Cinnamon and Sugar Breadstick Twists

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey - CAN LEAVE OUT FOR MEATLESS DISH

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

8-ounce can tomato sauce

1-2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

6 cups cooked spaghetti squash (24-25 ounces, about 2 small-medium squashes or 1 large) drained of any excess liquid/water (see note)

1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet (see note) over medium-high heat, cook the ground meat, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks, until the meat is not longer pink. Drain any excess grease.

Stir in the tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about a minute, until the mixture smells fragrant.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked spaghetti squash noodles to the skillet (if it's big enough; if not, transfer the sauce and spaghetti squash to a baking dish) and toss/stir to evenly combine. Pat the mixture into a somewhat even layer. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese and spaghetti are bubbling. Let rest for 10-15 minutes out of the oven before serving (the longer it rests, the less liquidy it will be).

Notes

This recipe calls for cooked spaghetti squash "noodles" - I usually use my Instant Pot for this following these instructions. You can also cook the spaghetti squash in the oven. Halve the spaghetti squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place the squash face down or up on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes until tender. Let cool slightly before scraping up the strands of spaghetti squash.

A 12-inch skillet isn't large enough for the sauce and the spaghetti squash together, so you will need to transfer to an ovenproof baking dish to bake. If you have a larger skillet or a 3- or 4-inch deep pan that's ovenproof, make the sauce in that so you can use it in the oven, too (and save transferring to another dish).

This recipe feeds our family of seven (a few of the younger kids are small eaters) with a few servings of leftovers. The recipe can definitely be cut in half (if so, it will fit just fine in a 12-inch skillet, so if the skillet is ovenproof, you can save a dish and bake it in there, too). But, the leftovers are also AMAZING (and individual portions would probably freeze great) if you want to make the full recipe.

If you have a brand of pasta sauce you love and it comes in a 32-ounce jar, you could sub it in for the homemade sauce (and either leave the spaghetti squash amount the same or decrease slightly for a saucier dish).

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired from a recipe a MKC reader, Ashley, told me about – I used my weeknight spaghetti sauce with the spaghetti squash and nixed the eggs)

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Mel

Source: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/weeknight-spaghetti-squash-spaghetti-bake/

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donaldflower00-blog · 6 years ago

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Cranberry Jam Doughnuts with Spiced Orange Sugar

My parents make specific requests of my sister and me for our time home together over the Christmas holiday. My sister, now that she is Seattle’s Queen of Ice Cream (a title I’ve given her solely because she’s earned it) is tasked with bringing at least a dozen pints of ice cream on the plane with her from Seattle to Los Angeles. It seems like an arduous task that involves dry ice and for that we are all so so grateful. I show my deep appreciation by hiding a pint of her Lemon Bar Ice Cream in the back of the freezer in hopes that no one will dig it out for themselves.

I’ll be tasked with making a dessert – an old family classic like Texas Sheet Cake or my dad’s pie crusts. Much easier, it all requiring far less dry ice. This year I’m coming in strong with the doughnut game. Fresh fried, after church, Christmas morning doughnuts. (My mom is reading this and she’s into it – I already know.)

The only right thing to do will be to combine my sister’s ice cream with fresh fried doughnuts. The audacity to call this breakfast will be our Christmas gift to each other as we count our many many blessings.

Today, in lieu of ice cream, homemade cranberry jam.

We’ve got all sorts of doughnut options for you around here if these cranberry jammers are your deal:

See:

Browned Butter Baked Doughnuts

A Recipe for Two Doughnut Twists

Banana Bread Baked Doughnuts

These doughnuts come together in three parts, but really – I promise, nothing is too complex:

the doughnut dough is an everything-in-the-mixer kind of move after the yeast has been activated with a bit of warm water and a pinch of sugar.

the cranberry sauce simmers on the stovetop with sugar, water and orange peel.

the orange sugar which includes bright orange zest and all sorts of cozy spies to coat the fried doughnuts.

The dough needs time to rest – so that’s where we’ll start.

I use a stand mixer for this recipe because the dough is more wet than dry. It’s rich with milk, butter, and egg yolks and it’s easiest to knead and work the gluten in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

First the flour, followed by sugar and salt.

Warm spices bring life to the doughnut dough so a dash of ground cinnamon is in order.

Atop the dry ingredients we’ll layer the wet ingredients, starting with egg yolks at room temperature and the bubbly activated yeast.

No need to mix anything yet, we’re just getting everything in the bowl.

Whole milk that’s been warmed to no longer cold. We want to keep things warm to keep the yeast alive and happy.

Softened, chunked butter will work its fat magic through the dough too.

Give the dough hook a head start. Rough mix the the ingredients together in the bowl of the stand mixer using a spatula. The mixture will get to shaggy and give the dough hook something to hold on to.

The dough is wet. The bottom of the dough will stick to the bottom of the bowl and wind its way around the dough hook, slapping against the side as it mixes.

Give the dough a test. Stop the mixer and press your finger against the dough. If the dough sticks to your finger, add a bit more flour. If the dough is moist but not sticky – you’re doing just fine. Mix it up for 5 to 7 minutes.

Knead on a lightly floured counter for a turn or two to bring the dough into a cohesive and happy ball.

I usually kiss it before it goes into the bowl to rest but that’s me and I’m a little crazy for this dough.

Allow the dough to rest until it’s doubled in size. Depending on the temperature of the kitchen this could take an hour or an hour and a half. Easy – there’s cranberry sauce and spiced sugar to make!

Cranberries are the gems of the season so let’s simmer them to a sauce with a bit of sugar and a pinch of salt.

A strip of orange rind to add some roundness to the tart cranberry flavor.

We’re bringing the orange flavor into the coating-sugar, too!

Zest the orange into the sugar. I used a rimmed baking sheet – this is where the fried doughnuts will get their sugar shower.

Cinnamon and allspice, nutmeg and cloves.

Rub the mixture together to disperse the spices and release the oils from the orange peel. It makes for the most holiday fragrant sugar!

After the dough has doubled in size, pour it out onto a clean counter and give it a pat on the back. It’s tender and strong, my favorite dough of all.

Roll gently into about a 3/4-inch thickness.

And use a 2 1/2 to 3 inch round biscuit cutter to cut doughnut rounds.

Transfer little dough rounds to a parchment lined baking sheet while the oil heats and the doughnuts regain their puff before frying.

Fry about 1 minute on each side. They’ll fluff and puff. Fry until golden and immediately shower in spiced sugar on all sides.

We’re so close we can almost taste it!

I use the back if a spoon to gently make a space in the top of each doughnut, breaking though the top layer into the soft insides to create a space for a spoonful of cranberry.

One generous spoonful each.

Enjoy as fresh as possible, as soon as you can hold them and spoon cranberry sauce inside.

They’e best the day they’re made but that shouldn’t be a problem because doughnuts, when they are present, are an exercise in being present.

Enjoy and happy holidays!

Cranberry Jam Doughnuts with Spiced Orange Sugar

Ingredients

For the Doughnuts:

2 teaspoons warm water (about 105 degrees)

1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)

3 1/2 to 3¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar

1½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

For the Cranberry Jam:

1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

2 orange peel slices

For the Orange Sugar:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

To make the doughnuts, in a small bowl, stir together the warm water and yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the yeast doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast mixture, flour, milk, butter, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Beat at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more. The dough will be soft and sticky. If it’s too sticky to handle, add up to ½ cup more flour.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and then lightly sprinkle the dough with flour (to keep a crust from forming). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Put the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, 1½ to 2 hours.

To make the cranberry sauce, in a medium saucepan combine cranberries, sugar, water, salt, and orange peel. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low and the cranberries pop and cook down. Simmer for 10 minutes, until berries have broken down and sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and remove orange peels. Set aside until doughnuts are fried.

To make the spied sugar, spread the sugar on a small rimmed baking sheet. Add the orange zest and spices and use your fingers to work the zest into the sugar, creating a fragrant sugar. Set aside until the doughnuts are fried along with the cranberry sauce.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round that’s ½ inch thick. Cut out as many rounds as possible with a 3-inch cutter (or a doughnut cutter, if you prefer a hole in the middle) and transfer the doughnuts to a lightly floured baking sheet. Do not reroll scraps (they’ll make for tough doughnuts). Cover the doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.

Heat 2½ inches of oil in a deep, 4-quart, heavy pot until it registers 350 degrees on a thermometer. Fry the doughnuts, 2 at a time, turning occasionally, until puffed and golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Quickly submerge the doughnuts in the hot oil, and then immediately transfer them to the spiced sugar Toss well, transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool.

Return the oil to 350 degrees between batches and continue until all of the doughnuts are fried.

Use the back of a spoon to make a small hole in the top of each sugar-coated doughnut. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of cranberry jam into each doughnut.

Doughnuts are best served the day they are made. Enjoy them generously.

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https://joythebaker.com/2018/12/cranberry-jam-doughnuts-with-spiced-orange-sugar/

Source: https://joythebaker.com/2018/12/cranberry-jam-doughnuts-with-spiced-orange-sugar/

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woundgrey39-blog · 6 years ago