Eating the Kansas Way

Happy Kansas Day, January 29. 156 years ago our state became the 34th state of the United States. We in Kansas are proud of our heritage and celebrate Kansas Day as an 'almost holiday'. Here in our house we do that with food. While most of our meals center around products common in Kansas, it's fun on Kansas Day to consider how much of our food is produced locally.

This year's Kansas meal included sloppy joes (beef from our ranch and whole wheat buns), baked beans, coleslaw, strawberry jello, and apple pie (the pie will be the next blog post). 

The sloppy joe recipe is one I developed for our church Fall Festival last October. The recipes I inherited with the United Methodist Women's box of files just didn't sound right, so with bits of those and some ideas from my own recipe files, we added and tasted and added some more. Luckily I wrote down the additions as we tasted and the end result is a recipe that we'll use again and again. I adapted it from 20 pounds of ground beef to 2 pounds for my family, and that version is what I'm sharing here. 

Beef sloppy joes are the main entree of this Kansas
food meal

UMW SLOPPY JOES

2 pounds ground beef

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup catsup

1 can (6 oz) tomato sauce

1 1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vinegar (I used Balsamic)

6 oz. tomato paste

Brown ground beef, add additional ingredients and simmer to develop flavor. 

What I discovered: The brown sugar and vinegar make a good balance of sweet/sour flavor. Tomato paste brings a bolder tomato taste to the mixture. Thanks to fellow UMW member Chef Deb for the help in finding the best combination. 

Baked Beans: One can of Pork 'n Beans in the cupboard, how to 'jazz' them up? I cooked bacon in the skillet, crumbled it and added chopped onion. After the onion was sautéed, I added the can of pork 'n beans with a little brown sugar and catsup. Let this reduce and thicken to make a tasty and quick baked beans side. 

Warm Up Mexican Meal

Its not Green Eggs and Ham, but Green Rice! A simple and quick way to add a side to a Mexican meal. Use brown rice and whole wheat tortillas to make it even healthier. 

Green Chili Rice

1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 can (4 oz) green chilies
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups cooked instant rice

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, chilies and cheese.
Stir in rice. Transfer to a greased shallow 1-1/2 qt. baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, 15 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Quick Breads - 101

Cold winter days are good days for baking. One of  my favorite things to bake is some sort of quick bread - muffins, banana bread, scones, coffeecakes, etc. Even pancakes or waffles for supper are a warm and tasty choice. Recently Beth, the County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, and I held a baking class on Quick Breads for 4-Hers. We talked about basics and more, then prepared 3 recipes. With the preps we covered different types of mixing, the functions of ingredients, nutrition, and what the judge might be looking for at the county fair.
The recipes we used were Special Banana Nut Bread (blog of August 4, 2013), Pumpkin Chip muffins (blog of May 20, 2012) and a basic scone recipe from the Home Baking Association (homebaking.org). These scones are easy and tasty, a recipe to enjoy again!
Quick breads are baked immediately after they  mixed since they don't require the extra rising time that yeast breads do. Leavening is accomplished with air, steam, and/or carbon dioxide from baking soda or baking powder.
Both baking soda and baking powder will cause baked products to rise, but they are not the same! The main difference is that baking powder contains an acid and baking soda does not. Baking powder today is usually double acting, meaning that it reacts and rises both with the addition of liquid and again with heat (in baking). Baking soda is often combined with other ingredients that contain an acid such as buttermilk or molasses to react. It reacts with liquid, not heat, and should be placed in the oven immediately after mixing.
You can check the strength of either leavening product easily to ensure the best rising action. Fresh ingredients will give a better product and I usually purchase new leavenings before baking for the fair or Christmas. To test the freshness of what is in your cupboard:
Baking soda: Put 1 tablespoon vinegar (acid) in a small cup. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. There should be a vigorous fizz.
Baking powder: Put 2 tablespoons warm water in a small cup. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. It should bubble and foam, but will not be as vigorous as baking soda.

There are generally 3 methods of mixing quick bread batter. The type of quick bread and the consistency of the batter will determine which method you should use. The biscuit method cuts the fat into the dry ingredients. This is used for biscuits and some scones. The blending method combines the liquids and dry ingredients separately then adds the dry to the liquids. Use this for most muffins and fruit breads. The creaming is similar to cookie dough; solid fat and sugar are creamed together, then eggs are added, followed by wet and dry ingredients alternately. These product are more cake-like.

BASIC SCONES WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

2 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

⅓ cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ cup cold butter

1cup to 2 cups chopped dried fruit, chocolate or other flavored chips, nuts, or a combination (optional, but good!)

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the flavoring of your choice

½ cup to ⅔ cup half and half or milk

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it’s ok for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

Stir in the fruit, chips, and/or nuts, if you’re using them.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla or other flavor, and half and half or milk.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don’t have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of four atop the parchment or pan.

Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half.

Round each half into a 5-inch circle (if you haven’t incorporated any add-ins); or a 6-inch circle (if you’ve added fruit, nuts, etc.). The circles should be about 3/4–inch thick.

Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired.

Using a knife or bench knife that you’ve run under cold water, score each circle into 6 wedges.

For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Bake the scones for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. When you slice one away from the others, it should look baked all the way through; the edge shouldn’t look wet or unbaked.

A good way to test baked products for doneness is with a food (meat) thermometer. Quick breads should bake to an internal temperature of 210 degrees.

Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm.

New Year's Resollutions

This was a good trip to the grocery store - lots of veggies and fruits!

Happy New Year! This is the time that many of us make New Year's Resolutions. About 40% of Americans will resolve to improve their habits in some way this week. One of the most common resolution is to eat healthier. This is a good habit to improve any time of the year and during the winter eating healthier can help us resist colds and infections that may come our way.
Nutrition experts say the best healthy eating resolution we can make is to eat more fruits and vegetables.

A program I recently heard advocated eating 'real food', asking if your food comes from a farm (plant or animal) or a factory. I thought that is a good test to help reduce the amount of processed foods we eat.

Zonya Foco, dietitian, presented the message
Eat Real Food!

Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. It is the new 'broccoli'. We maybe reluctant to eat more kale, but when you hear of the health benefits, and find some good recipes, it is definitely a food to add to your grocery list. Benefits include:
* loaded with antioxidants
* excellent source of vitamin C
* can help lower cholesterol
* one of the best sources of Vitamin K, to help with blood clotting
* contains numerous cancer fighting substances
* very good source of beta carotene, which turns into Vitamin A
* good source of many minerals
* light in lutein and zeakanthin, nutrients that protect eyesight
* can help with weight loss

The first time we tried kale, I didn't like it. But this salad recipe was liked by all our family. The secret is to 'massage' the kale with the dressing to make the leaves more tender. The acid of the lemon juice, vinegar and salt will tenderize the leaves and turn them a brilliant green.

KALE SALAD

Toast 1/4 cup pecans or sliced almonds. This can be done in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes until golden brown.
1 bunch kale - remove the leaves from the stems and chop. Discard the stems

Dressing:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice (juice from one lemon)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Mix dressing ingredients together and add to the bowl of kale. Use your hands to 'massage' the kale for at least a minute. Let the salad sit for 5-10 minutes.
Add:
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Toss to combine the nuts, kale, dressing, cranberries, and parmesan cheese.

Yea for our local grocery store - now offering
free fruit to kids when shopping with mom
or Nana. 

Gingerbread Pudding Cake

Run, run as fast as you can!
You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man!

Ever wonder why we had nursery rhymes of runaway food? Food was (and still is) a main topic of families through the ages. In olden times most of the family's time and effort was spent hunting, gathering, preserving, and preparing food. No McDonalds down the street to pick up a Happy Meal from for that family.
Gingerbread became a popular flavor in early days. From it's humble history to today's overpriced latte, it is associated with holiday foods.
Gingerbread was a favorite treat at festivals and fairs in medieval Europe—often shaped and decorated to look like flowers, birds, animals or even armor—and several cities in France and England hosted regular "gingerbread fairs" for centuries. Ladies often gave their favorite knights a piece of gingerbread for good luck in a tournament, or superstitiously ate a "gingerbread husband" to improve their chances of landing the real thing. 
The sweet flavored cake-like treat is usually sweetened with molasses or honey rather than sugar. It is also characterized with flavors of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamon and anise. It can be soft like a cake or harder like a biscuit and sturdy enough for making gingerbread houses. 

We tried a new gingerbread recipe for a ranch meeting last week. I was hoping for a similar dessert to the molten chocolate cake we enjoy for Valentines Day (blog of Feb. 15, 2012) and it didn't disappoint. Spicy and moist, this will be a favorite. Its even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream served over the top. Thanks to King Arthur Flour for the recipe.

Delicious warm with a scoop of ice cream!

Gingerbread Pudding Cake 

Cake:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup molasses

½ cup milk

1 large egg

¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup granulated sugar

Pudding:

1 cup light brown sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 ¼ cup unsalted butter

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8” square pan, or eight 8-oz ramekins.

2.     For the cake: Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3.     In a small bowl mix the molasses, milk, and egg. Set aside.

4.     In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the flour and molasses mixtures by turns, beating on low speed, just until blended. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

5.     Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If using ramekins, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and portion a heaping ¼-cup of batter into each one.

Cake batter in ramekins and pudding mixture on the left.
As you can see, I didn't have enough ramekins for all, so
we have some ramekins and a small baking dish. 

6.     For the pudding: Mix the brown sugar and cornstarch together. Heat the water and butter together just until the butter melts; gradually stir this into the brown sugar mixture.

7.     Pour the pudding mixture slowly over the batter in the 8” pan. If using ramekins, scoop a scant ¼  cup of the pudding  mixture over each of the filled ramekins. Place the ramekins on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Ready to bake

8.     Bake for 25-28 minutes for either size, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake on top comes out clean. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Baked - best served warm

Christmas in a Bowl

The house was ready, most of the food was in slow cookers, and the family was coming. Our house was filled with cousins, good visiting, and tasty dishes last Sunday for an early Christmas gathering. In spite of the bitter cold weather, we had 5 families of relatives to share the warmth.

This recipe for a Christmas salad has several flavors of the season that combine for "Christmas in A Bowl". I did all the chopping prep the day before and combined the greens and chopped ingredients early in the morning before church. Definitely one we'll make again.

Pomegranate Christmas Salad

Dressing:

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

½  tsp sea salt

¼ tsp black pepper

⅛ tsp turmeric

½ tsp orange zest (grated orange peel)

Combine in a jar and shake to combine. Set aside.

Salad:

Mixed greens (about 6 cups), cut into strips or bite size pieces

⅓ cup pomegranate seeds

¾ cup red seedless grapes, halved

2 mandarin oranges (peeled and sliced)

½ cup chopped pecans

2 Tbsp dried cranberries

1 apple (chopped)

Place in a large bowl and add dressing. Toss to combine.

You can serve the salad immediately or chill in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

When I look for holiday recipes, the cranberry recipes always catch my eye. These tart berries are a natural part of the holiday season. Cranberries are one food that is native the North American and were first used by Native Americans for food and medicine. In history they have been called 'cranberries' (for the shape of the plant which looks like a crane's head) and bearberries (because bears also like them!).
This upside down cake from the Wichita Eagle is going to be one of our favorites for future seasons.

CRANBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

 

For topping:

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 bag (12 oz) fresh cranberries

¼ cup fresh orange juice

for batter:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, separated

½ cup milk

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare topping: Put butter and brown sugar in a 9-inch round cake pan, and put it in the oven. As the sugar dissolves, stir to distribute the mixture evenly over the pan. When the sugar starts to caramelize, remove pan from the oven and allow to cool.

In a small bowl, combine cranberries and orange juice. Toss to coat berries well. Spread berries evenly in pan, and sprinkle with any juice remaining in bowl. Set pan aside, and prepare the cake batter.

To prepare batter: In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar until pale, light and fluffy, Add vanilla and beat in egg yolks one at a time, scraping bowl once or twice. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, ending with dry ingredients. Set batter aside.

Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar just until whites are stiff enough to hold a slight peak. Fold whites into batter ⅓ at time. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and spread it evenly over cranberries. Bake until top is browned and cake pulls away slightly from edges of pan, 25-35 minutes. (Be sure to use a cake tester to make sure it’s completely baked). Let cake cook for 15 minutes before turning onto a cake plate. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

 

Butter and brown sugar to caramelize in pan.

Top with cranberry/orange juice mixture

Blend batter and whipped egg whites.

Spread in pan over cranberries.

Baked!