Hamburger Stroganoff - comfort for a cold day

Temperatures dropping and a 90% chance of snow coming our way. Time for another comfort food recipe. This one is from my well-worn copy of the Greenwood County Cattlewomen's cookbook. These recipes are tested and true and are all about BEEF! And this week has been declared Eat Meat Week, so a perfect time to make this warming and tasty dish. The original recipe, from Anna Curry, who was our Extension Ag agent at the time, lists 1 pound of ground beef. I usually increase the amount of beef in a recipe. Our ground beef comes in 2 pounds packages, and often I use the whole package, or that minus a couple of patties for later. 

HAMBURGER STROGANOFF

1 ½ pound ground beef

1 (8-oz) can sliced mushrooms

¼ cup chopped onion (or 1 Tablespoon dehydrated onion)

¼ clove garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons chili sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 (8-oz) carton sour cream

Directions:

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in flour and chili sauce. Add cream of chicken soup and heat well. Just before serving add sour cream. Serve hot over cooked pasta or rice. 

Comfort Food

These cold winter days call for warm and comforting food. A few weeks ago it was not only cold, but I was recovering from a bout of flu and broccolis and really wanted some comfort food. As I looked through files of ideas I found a recipe for Cottage Pie and it sounded like just what I needed. This recipe uses ground beef, 'shepherds pie' is the traditional recipe made with lamb. I made a few changes to add more vegetables and reduce other ingredients to make a smaller amount. It still made a large enough dish for a couple of meals for us. 

COTTAGE PIE

Ingredients: 

1 ½ teaspoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

2 Tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 ½ cups beef stock/broth

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ cup corn (I used frozen)

½ cup peas (also frozen)

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Topping:

1 ¼ pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes

1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

Olive oil or melted butter

Shredded cheese 

Directions:

1.    Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minutes. Then add carrots and celery. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened and sweet. 

2.    Turn heat up to high. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned. 

3.    Add flour and mix in. Add tomato paste, broth, corn, peas, Worcestershire sauce, thyme. 

4.    Bring to simmer, then turn down heat so it is simmering rapidly. It should reduce down to a gravy consistency. This will be the thickness once its baked. 

5.    Transfer to a large casserole dish or pie dish. Cover, then refrigerate to cool for 1-2 hours or overnight. This ensures that the potato topping doesn’t sink into the filling and makes it much easier to spread. You could also put it in the freezer to cool while you make the potato topping. 

Assemble:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2.    Cook potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain then return the pan to the burner which has been turned off. Shake briefly and allow to steam dry for 30 seconds or so. This allows the potatoes to reduce their liquid so the excess won’t drip into the filling and make the sauce watery. 

3.    Add butter and mash until melted. Then add milk and salt. Mash until smooth. You may add shredded cheese if you like. 

4.    Spread the hot potatoes onto the beef-vegetable mixture. Hot potatoes will be easier to spread than cooler ones. Top with shredded cheese. 

5.    Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the edges. Test with a food thermometer to be sure the temperature is at least 160 degrees. 

6.    Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 

Healthy Resolutions

Did you make New Year's Resolutions? According to many polls eating healthier, losing weight, and getting more exercise are the most popular things people would like to improve with their resolutions.  Many (including me!) make similar goals each January and hopefully make some progress on continuting  these good habits. I've recently been studying materials from Med instead of Meds website, (medinsteadofmeds.com) a collection of recipes and information on eating a Mediterranean sort of diet that may reduce the use of medications for health concerns.  
I've found several recipes to try and this lunch was a healthy choice of salmon patties, quinoa, salad, veggies and roll. Very tasty and filling. The Rancher-husband didn't even ask "Where's the beef?". While we will continue to base most of our meals around beef, I want to include more fish and poultry in our menus. 

SALMON PATTIES

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

1 (14.75 oz) can or 2 (5-6 oz.) cans salmon, skin and bones removed

2 T. dried minced onion

1 T. dried minced chives

¼ cup bread crumbs (preferable whole wheat Panko)

1 egg

1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional) or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Juice from 1 lime (optional)

2 teaspoons olive oil or non-stick spray

Directions:

1.    Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix until combined but do not overmix. 

2.    Shape into 4 patties. 

3.    Heat oil in a large skillet so that each patty has plenty of room.

4.    Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes per side. Lower the heat if needed to keep from burning. 

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) grows as a grass and produces an edible seed. This seed is prepared and eaten similar to a grain. It is rich in protein, fiber, B vitamins and minerals. The Incas called this ancient grain 'the mother of all grasses', and it is native to Peru and Bolivia where it is a common food. It is minimally processed and the bag will have instructions to "wash throughly before using". 

Quinoa is prepared much like rice. I prepared ours in the electric pressure cooker. Use 1 cup uncooked quinoa, 1 ¼ cup stock, and a pinch of salt. After rinsing the seeds with a fine colander for at least 30 seconds, drain. Add all to the EPC pot (I sprayed the pot with cooking spray first to be sure it didn't stick). Close and lock the lid and set the time for 1 minutes (yes, that is right!) on high pressure. When pressure time is up, allow a natural release for 15 minutes then a quick pressure release for the last bit of pressure. Remove the lid and fluff. 
If you're preparing quinoa in a sauce pan use 1 part uncooked quinoa and 2 parts water and salt to taste. In a saucepan bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook about 10-20 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes, this helps make it fluffy. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. 
Quinoa can be served as you would rice - by itself or mixed with vegetables or herbs and spices or grated cheese. Leftover quinoa keeps well, refrigerated, for 4-5 days and reheats well. 

And Now, it is Christmas

 It seems like we went from Thanksgiving to Christmas in a very short time! I've always enjoyed these seasons for the times with family and friends. And the food, of course, the food. Many of the Thanksgiving favorites are also Christmas favorites, so if you didn't get enough of some or missed trying some new recipes, there is still time. 

Our Thanksgiving turkey was prepared by my daughter, and she spatchcocked it. This drastically reduced the amount of time it took to roast the turkey and it was tender and moist. This method basically butterflies the bird. It disposes of the backbone so the bird can be flattened and cooked skin side up. More surface is available for even browning and with a high cooking temperature that means crackly, crispy skin. She also inserted butter and herbs under the skin making it very moist and flavorful. That might be something you want to try for Christmas dinner. 

A 'nibble tray/cheese board/charcuterie board keep us munching before the meal was ready and while we waited for the youngest grand to wake up from her nap. Nuts, dried fruit, grapes, crackers, and cheese curds (from Alma Cheese - made in Kansas!) made a colorful selection. 



We actually had 3 Thanksgiving dinners and I took the same dish to each! Luckily everyone liked Creamed Corn and it was easy to transport in a slow cooker. Do you know that some newer vehicles even have an electrical outlet - you can cook and drive at the same time! 






No Thanksgiving (or Christmas dinner) is complete without something topped with cream cheese frosting. I made pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for one dinner. The recipe made enough frosting after covering the dozen cupcakes that I saved it for a shared supper when I took Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Icing.


PUMPKIN CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients: 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ cup canola oil

2 large eggs

¾ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside. 

Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or shisk untiul completely combined. Batter will be thick. 

Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 oz. full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 

3 cups powdered sugar + an extra ¼ cup if needed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions: 

In a large bowl using a mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and cream. Add 3 cups powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add extra sugar if needed to make frosting a little thicker. 

GINGERBREAD BARS WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

¾ cup butter                                

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cups molasses

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 ¼ teaspoons ginger

¾ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

3 ¾ cups flour

1 ½ cups hot water

Instructions:

In mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar; beat in eggs; mix in molasses.

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves. 

Mix flour mixture into the creamed mixture until well combined.

Slowly mix in hot water. 

Spread batter into a large cookie sheet with high sides, bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean and cake has slightly pulled away from the edges of the pan. 

When cool, spread with cream cheese icing. 

I hope you're as excited for Christmas as I am - for the family and friend times, but also for the food. What new recipes have you tried? 

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

I have a confession to make. This Thanksgiving I did not make a pumpkin pie. Not. One. Even with 3 Thanksgiving family dinners. Pumpkin is a favorite flavor with our family and we have many ways of serving it. But this year instead of the pumpkin pie, I did this Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake - ohh, way better! 
A cheese cake is such an indulgent dessert that it is usually saved for special occasions. Not only is it rich in fat and calories, but also requires more care and steps to make than many desserts. There are some tips that I've gathered for a successful cheesecake:
* Use full-fat cream cheese. I usually try to cut the calories by getting the lower fat versions, and for many things that works. But for cheesecake, you want the regular full-fat. 
* The crumb crust is best mixed in a food processor. I like to use the processor for making the crumbs and then for combining the crust ingredients. Press into the springform pan with a custard cup using the straight sides and flat bottom for form a smooth crust. 
* Mix the cream cheese and sugar well, they should become very creamy and add some air for volume. But after the eggs are added just mix enough to incorporate the ingredients, overbeating can make the cheesecake tough. 
* Having all ingredients at room temperature before beginning makes them combine more quickly and evenly, so you're less likely to overmix or have lumps. 
* Baking with a water bath, either a pan of hot water that the springform pan sits in or a pan of hot water on the rack below the cheesecake will make the cheesecake a more moist product and be less likely to crack. 
* For food safety, check the internal temperature with a food thermometer at the end of baking. The cheesecake is done when the internal temperature is 150 degrees. 

I think you'll enjoy this cheesecake, it will work for a Christmas as well as Thanksgiving dessert. 

PUMPKIN SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Gingersnap Cookie Crust Ingredients:

1 ½ cups gingersnap cookie crumbs

¼ teaspoon each: ground ginger and ground cinnamon

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup granulated sugar

Cheesecake Ingredients: 

Four 8-ounce blocks full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Make the Crust: With a food processor, pulse the gingersnap cookies into crumbs. Measure 1 ½ cups crumbs and add back to food processor and pulse with ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter until combined. The mixture will resemble sand. Press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. (the pan doesn’t need to be greased). Prebake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly as you prepare the filling. 

Make the Filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on the medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, then beat until fully combined. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Avoid over mixing. 

Scoop out 2 cups of batter and place in a medium mixing bowl. Stir the pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice into this until combined. Begin adding spoonsfuls of each batter, the plain and the pumpkin, on top of the crust. Alternate until all the batter is used and pan is filled. Using a toothpick or knife, swirl the batters together by dragging the toothpick from top to bottom, then left to right. 

Bake in a simple water bath by placing the foil wrapped springform pan in a large roasting pan with about 1 inch of boiling water in it. Or place the pan of water on the rack beneath the rack the cheesecake will sit on. 

Bake the cheesecake for 55-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. If it seems to be browning too quickly, tent the top with foil. The cheesecake is done when the internal temperature measured with a food thermometer is 150 degrees. The center will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour as it cools. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean and dip into warm water between each slice. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator. 

The spoonfuls of batter are added...

and swirled. 

Mini-Monsters

Monster Cookies seemed like a good baking project for Halloween. They're always a hit, soft and chewy and filled with sweet treats and no tricks. My recipe originally was for 12 large cookies, I prefer smaller cookies (some portion control but I think my family just eats more). I doubled the recipe and the result was about 4 dozen medium sized cookies. One dozen for our mini-monsters who came to trick or treat, two dozen in the freezer for a baked sale next week, and a dozen or so for munching.

Our mini-monsters this year were a LadyBug and Spooky Pookie. Spooky Pookie is wearing the ghost cape I made for her mother 30+ years ago. Traditions continue and LadyBug's mother crafted her shell with paper mâché. We're glad these little treaters live close!

MONSTER COOKIES                                               

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
1 ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salty
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup M&Ms (save some for adding to the tops of the cookie balls before baking)

(This is a stiff dough, somewhat hard to mix the chocolate chips and M&Ms into. I used some leftover bits of trail mix - chocolate chips, shredded cocoanut, small nut pieces - for part of the chocolate chips)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the baking rack in the center position.
2. In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Cream for about 3-5 minutes for a light cookie.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed just until these ingredients are incorporated.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and quick oats.
5. Add these dry ingredients to the batter and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.
6. With a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.
7. Use a cookie scoop (large/3 Tablespoons size for big monster cookies) to form dough mounds.
8. Top each dough mound with a few more M&M's for a nice appearance after baking.
9. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven when the edges are set and the centers may look slightly underbred. They will continue to bake and set on the hot cookie sheet. Allow to cool before removing them from the cookies sheet.

Apple Pie Bars

Easy as Apple Pie? I've never thought a pie was easy! But I did find this recipe to be a tasty treat for a group refreshments and similar to the taste of apple pie. Two pans made ample servings for 30 people with a salute to back-to-school traditions of an apple for the teacher. I used a mixture of Honey Crisp and Fuji apples.

Apples have many traditions and lore. Since fall is often the harvest time for apples they are a natural for fall flavors. There have been stories and lore of apples from the beginning of time - Genesis story of the forbidden apple, poison apples in fairy tales, and  for the teacher.  The tradition of Apple for the Teacher begin in Denmark and Sweden when poor families would 'pay' the teacher in apples and potatoes (and we think teachers' wages are low now!).

The only apple native to North America is the crab apple, so that makes me especially glad that Johnny Appleseed started the movement that now gives us 2500 varieties to select from.

APPLE PIE BARS

Crust Ingredients:
cooking spray
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. kosher salt

Filling Ingredients:
6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
juice of ½ lemon
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt

Topping Ingredients:
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup packed brown sugar (I lightened this, used ⅔ cup)
½ tsp. kosher salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, melted
caramel, for serving

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9"x13" pan with parchment then grease with cooking spray. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix until just combined.
2. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden, 20 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, toss apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt together. Spread apples over crust.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pecans, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until coarse clumps form.
5. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples and bake until top is golden and apples are soft, about 1 hour.
6. Let cool at least 15 minutes then slice into squares and drizzle with caramel before serving.

Looks good even on a paper plate!