Fair Food

Its County Fair time! That means that across Kansas 4-Hers, moms, grandmothers, and many others are busy in their kitchens baking enticing entries to win the purple ribbon.  4-H Foods is one of my favorite things to judge. The 4-H Foods project teaches basic to advanced food preparation and baking as well as consumer buying skills, nutrition, and food safety. Its always fun to see what the   4-Hers bring and what they have to say about it. One hint - if you want to win the top ribbon, don't try to do it with chocolate chip cookies! About 1/3 of the entries seem to be some variation of chocolate chip cookies. But many entries are unique, eye catching, and tasty. Those are the ones I can't wait to try at home!  Today I collected 3 new recipes for future baking.

This Cheesy Cheddar Quick Bread had the characteristics of a loaf quick bread with a savory taste. The cheesy aroma and lovey golden color made it a winner. This would be a good recipe to add to a summer meal. I think it tastes better than the similar rolls from a certain seafood restaurant!

CHEESY CHEDDAR QUICK BREAD

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar (sharp)

1 cup milk

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease/spray a loaf pan. 

2.    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder and salt. Stir in shredded cheese. Set aside.

3.    In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg and butter. 

4.    Add liquid ingredients to bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix. 

5.    Spoon/pour into loaf pan. 

6.    Bake for 45-50 minutes. Top should be a golden brown. Cool on wire rack. 

7.    Remove loaf from pan, slice and serve. 

Summer Treats - Peanut Butter Blondies

Summer treats should be sweet and easy. These Peanut Butter Blondie fit the bill! Peanut butter Reese's are a favorite candy here, I even remember the excitement of my family when they first hit the shelves! What a great idea - like M&M's but PB!

Great with a glass of milk. 

This recipe is from a new blogger I've been following - Sallys Baking Addiction. She was a participant in a Wheat Tour sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission for top food bloggers across the country. KWC is always looking for ways to share information about baking and using flour from our Kansas wheat. I think they do a great job with educational stories and recipes. You can learn more on their website:   https://eatwheat.org

Wheat harvest has been finished for a few weeks,
but we always enjoy wheat products. 

Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Blondies

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter

2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup Reese’s Pieces

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2.    In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in the peanut butter. Set mixture aside to cool. 

3.    In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

4.    Add eggs, one at a time, to the peanut butter mixture, mixing well after each egg. Stir in pure vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the prepared dry ingredients, and stir until batter is smooth. Fold in ½ cup of Reese’s Piece, leaving ¼ cup to sprinkle on top. 

5.    Pour batter into the greased pan, spreading batter evenly. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Reese’s Pieces. 

6.    Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and edges are lightly browned. Allow 20 minutes to cool and cut into squares. 

Rice Pudding and Rhubarb Sauce - Trying new things..

I didn't think I liked rice pudding. Rice pudding seemed like such a bland, old fashion dessert. I usually prefer cakes and pies and fruit cobblers. But this recipe is wonderful! The secret? Arborio rice! Another Chef Alli recipe done in the electric pressure cooker.
Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice. It is also grown in Arkansas, California, and Missouri in the U.S., but the package I got said "product of Italy". When cooked, the rounded grains are firm, and creamy and chewy compared to other rices, due to their higher starch content. The higher starch content and slow cooking create a very creamy dish. It is also used in the preparation of risotto.
Our favorite topping for the pudding was the Easy Rhubarb Sauce that I've included the recipe for. I originally made this sauce as ice cream topping to take to a gathering of friends. I don't have a photo, but someone asked if I'd brought salsa for topping, so that is what it looks like!

EPC Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

I cup Arborio rice (only this type!)

1 ½ cups water

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

½ cup sugar

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup raisins or golden raisins

Directions:

In electric pressure cooking pot, combine rice, water, and salt. Lock the lid in place and select High Pressure for 3 minutes. When times sounds, unplug EPC (so pudding won’t scorch on the bottom) and use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure in EPC with a quick pressure release. 

Add 1 cup whipping cream and ½ cup milk and sugar to rice in EPC pot; stir to combine. 

In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs with remaining ½ cup milk and vanilla. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into EPC pot. Select sauté and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; turn off the EPC and remove pot; stir in raisins. 

Rice pudding will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or pour into serving dishes and chill. Serve topped with whipped cream, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. 

The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it cools. Stir in additional milk or cream until your desired consistency is achieved. 

We loved it warm soon after it was made. But it was also good cold, or warmed in the MWO. We served it by itself or topped with rhubarb sauce. 

Easy Rhubarb Sauce

Ingredients:

⅓cup sugar

¼ cup water 

2 ¼ cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Add rhubarb; cook and stir for 5-10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon peel and nutmeg. 

Puree mixture in a blender or with a submersion blender to make a smoother texture. 

Serve warm or chilled over pound cake, ice cream, or pudding. Refrigerate leftovers. 

Food is ...

 Food is nourishing, sustaining, refreshing,,,, and comforting. This week our town of Eureka had another tornado hit, the second in 2 years. Again our Community LinC organization pulled together with an amazing group of volunteers to provide meals for those whose homes were destroyed as well as the hundreds of volunteers and workers who poured into town to help with clean up efforts.




Community LinC serves meals, but the food is donated and supplied by many. Yesterday (Friday,) 1,790 meals were served. In the first two days after the tornado (Wednesday and Thursday), when many people in town did not have electricity, over 1,335 meals were served.  Restaurants and individuals from surrounding towns send bagged sandwich and fruit meals, boxes of pizzas, crates of biscuits and gravy, and scores of cookies and brownies. When the need for fresh fruit was mentioned, several boxes of bananas, apples, watermelons, and pineapple came.

It is heartwarming to see this generous spirit of sharing and helping. This week we're sharing love and concern with community meals, but throughout the year we all share that love and concern with our families through meals. Just a reminder that food is more than substance.

The stacks of snack food, bottled water and drinks made the
Community Building look like a grocery store - supplies
for those who need them, all donated. 

Donated desserts of cookies, brownies, and cakes
provide comfort food and energy. 

This sign posted by a business says it all. 

EPC Easy Mac and Cheese

I keep finding new recipes and ways to use my Electric Pressure Cooker - also known as "InstaPot". After a great session yesterday by Chef Alli at our county Women in Ag Day, I'm inspired again. As Alli told us, we have to leave the EPC on the counter! Don't let it go to the storage room or pantry - otherwise known as the 'appliance graveyard'. If it is out where you see it you will be more likely to think of using it. 
I've found the EPC the best way to cook many cuts of meat. We still do the ribeyes and t-bones on the broiler or grill of course, and hamburger browns easily in the skillet (although I think you can brown ground beef in the pressure cooker). But for roasts and big hunks of meat (HOM) the pressure cooker is the way to go. Quick, tender, and easy prep. But aside from meats, its also fun to find sides and even desserts for the PC. 


I made this Mac and Cheese today for a club covered dish lunch and it is very tasty. I don't think I would have tried the recipe from reading the ingredients, but seeing Chef Alli do it and tasting her results was the test, and it passed with A+. Cheddar Cheese Soup? Well, I've had a can in the pantry for a couple of years I wondered what to use it with! Egg mixed in sour cream? Alli assured us that this would be safely cooked in the hot mixture of macaroni and I tested it with a food thermometer. It did reach 190 degrees, recommended safe temperature for a cooked egg is 160 degrees, OK.  I think you'll agree with me that all these unusual ingredients combine for a very tasty mac and cheese.  

CHEF ALLI'S ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER MAC AND CHEESE

Ingredients:

3 cups elbow macaroni (or your favorite pasta)

3 cups chicken broth

1 tsp. dry mustard (or spicy brown mustard)

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

1 can Campbell’s Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup (10 ¾ oz)

1 egg beaten with ½ cup sour cream

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

Directions:

1.  Bring the chicken broth to a boil in the pressure cooker (manual setting). 

2.  Add the macaroni, give it a quick stir and lock the lid in place. Choose high setting for 6 minutes. (if using a larger pasta in place of elbow macaroni pasta, set the timer for 7 minutes). 

3.  When the timer sounds, perform a Quick Release to remove all pressure from EPC. 

4.  Stir in sour cream/egg mixture, mustard, shredded cheese, soup, and Rotel; combine well. 

You can continue to keep the mac & cheese warm in the EPC on the warm setting until serving. 

Quiche - for anyone!

There used to be a saying "Real Men don't eat Quiche". Well, that is out of date! Quiche is a tasty way to combine several healthy ingredients for an easy protein dish. A quiche is basically a frittata poured into a pastry shell. Sort of a big baked omelet. It can be filled with meats, cheese, herbs, and vegetables. 
Some tips for making quiche that are credited to Julia Child: 
* 1 egg + enough cream = 1/2 cup is a good proportion for liquid
* A mixture of milk and cream is good. Cream gives a rich taste and smooth rich texture. Using some milk reduces the amount of fat in the preparation. 
* Dry the dry ingredients, blot the vegetables with a paper town after washing and chopping. 
* Beat the eggs and milk mixture until frothy before pouring it over the other ingredients. 

MUSHROOM QUICHE

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded Jack cheese

1 pound sliced mushrooms of choice

4 large eggs

½ cup half and half cream

Approximately 1 cup whole milk (follow instructions for measuring milk)

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

(I also added about 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme)

Instructions: 

1.  Prepare and bake a piecrust shell. 

2.  Prepare the mushrooms by cleaning them, drying them, and slicing thinly. 

3.  Sauté mushrooms (cook briefly in hot oil until tender) in a large frying pan with about 1 tablespoon of oil. 

4.  Spread the mushrooms and cheese (and thyme) in the cooled pie shell.

5.  Crack the eggs and add to a large liquid measuring cup. Add ½ cup cream, then enough milk to equal 2 cups. Mix quickly with a hand mixer or whisk until light and frothy. Add the salt and pepper and continue to mix or whisk until frothy again. Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms and cheese.

6.  Bake in a preheated (375 degrees) oven for about 40-45 minutes. The egg should be completely cooked with no liquid in the center and golden on the edges. 

7.  Remove from the oven and cool slightly before cutting and serving. 

Rhubarb Dump Cake/Cobbler Revisited

Do you follow the recipe or do you "ad lib"? Can you tell if you'll like a recipe or not by reading it? What's your pet peeve about recipes?
Its been said that baking is a science and cooking is an art. I mostly agree, baking depends on the interaction of ingredients to rise the dough, brown the cake, or set the custard. But I often find recipes that I think could use a bit of 'tweaking', maybe less sugar, or an added ingredient, or a different preparation method. And it is okay to try that! I usually save my trials for the close family unless I'm pretty sure about what I'm doing. My family is good about trying and eating the flops as well as the "save this recipe" dishes.

I'm always looking for quick easy ways to use the frozen fruit I buy in boxes from our UMW fund raiser. So when I saw this dump cake idea it seemed like a winner. Until I read further - a lot of sugar! The original recipe included 1 cup sugar and 1 whole box of jello (which also has sugar). And I usually think dump cakes are dry. So I've altered the recipe - less sugar and 1/2 box of jello and 1/2 cake mix, save the remaining half for the next dump cake. I like the ratio of more fruit and less cake layers.

RHUBARB DUMP CAKE

Ingredients: 

1 pound (3-4 cups) rhubarb, cut into ¼ inch pieces

       if using frozen, allow to thaw some and rough chop the slices

½ package (of a 3 oz package) strawberry jello 

½ package yellow cake mix

1 cup water

¼ cup butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the rhubarb evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. 

Sprinkle the sugar over the rhubarb, followed by the jello, and finally the cake mix. 

Pour the water and melted butter over the top. Do not stir. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender and the topping is browned. 

Dump Cakes are just that - a dry cake mix 'dumped' on top
of fruit filling. Not so different from a cobbler, but even easier! 

Ready for the oven with fruit, then cake mix, water, and butter
'dumped' on top. 

Baked and wonderful.