Some food lessons learned

It always seems like recipes and food blogs are written for those with lots of cooking experience who can whip out a recipe in the blink of an eye and don't question or run into problems when the ingredients they find are not exactly as the recipe called for.  Case in point, the frozen salmon I bought.  I know that fresh is always better, but didn't have time to run to two stores that day, and my usual grocery store doesn't have a great fresh fish selection.

Directions on the bag of frozen salmon say cook from frozen, doesn't say anything about flipping the fish either.  We tried that...miserable failure.  The edges were over cooked, the inside still raw.  Lesson learned, defrost your fish before cooking.

Try #2, I defrosted the salmon, patted it dry, and looked up "salmon bake rules" to figure out what temp and how long to cook it.  Every site says a different thing, but the one I found said 350 and 10 minutes per inch thick.  This fish was about 1.5 inches thick so, I flipped it from skin down to skin up at 10 mins, the smaller piece came out done at 15 minutes, the larger piece was done at 20.  That worked!  But then the fish, while cooked, was soggy.  Lesson #2: really dry that defrosted fish before baking.

Third lesson, eat any left over fish the next day, probably for lunch the next day.  Fish for lunch 2 days later, not so good.

My friend Meghan is blogging, mostly about food but also some life experiences, and she posted a great Ginger Tilapia recipe (has a Wok this Way feature as she's soon to be a Wang (pronounced Wong, Vera is wrong) and is learning to cook some Chinese/Taiwanese meals from her future-mother-in-law) that we made, and while I screwed up the portion size (no wonder we were still hungry) it was delicious and I learned some great lessons from her post:

1) really dry the fish then sprinkle with salt and pepper (why I didn't apply this to the salmon on round 2, I don't know)
2) put the biggest piece in the pan first, ending with the smallest as the biggest needs to cook longer
3) to check if it's done, poke the largest part with a chopstick.  If it comes out clean, it's done!  Did this with the salmon too, and it worked!

We also tried her crock pot Chicken Mole recipe and it was delicious as well, even at 11pm when we sat down for dinner.  (Let's just say that multi-tasking is difficult for people and remember to start crockpots earlier than expected...).  It's dairy free too!  We had it as tacos first, which were good, but I liked it better over rice to help scoop up the sauce.

(Pictures will have to be added later as the Photo Stream from my iphone to my PC doesn't sync, and my old mac laptop is struggling.)

It's been really neat following Meghan's blog and learning how much time it takes to create and curate a well-done blog, especially to gain followers.  This little blog of mine has no big aspirations and is really for me to look back on later to see what I cooked and did, but her's is beautiful with regular posts, great photography and I hope it goes places and takes her places with it!   I love that her blog has these tips that help me, a newbie at cooking fish and veggies (and almost everything, I'm learning more as I go about how much I don't know).

Following recipes. A resolution.

I need to learn how to follow recipes better to become a better cook before I decide to wing it.  I'm decent at technique, but by not following recipes, things don't always turn out like expected.  Case in point, our New Years Eve dinner.  I wanted to make a nice beef and stout stew, so it would be hearty enough to handle a night out with friends.  I tried to combine a couple different recipes, which of course now I know doesn't usually work out well.  I can't really cook on the fly...yet.

Here's what I did (and what not to do):

1 lb boneless chuck cubed

1 T butter (I used EarthBalance due to my dairy allergy)

3 large carrots, evenly chopped

10 small fingerling potatoes, cut in half

2 medium onions, quartered

3 large celery stalks, chopped

1 1/3 c. Beef broth

1 1/3 c stout (I grabbed a large bottle of Guinness)

2 pieces of old bread

2 T flour

Spices

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper, melt butter at high heat and brown beef in a frying pan for 5 minutes. Move beef to the crock pot.  Melt more butter and caramelize onions and celery, dump into crock pot and turn on high for 6 hours.  Add potatoes and carrots to crock pot.  In the frying pan, melt a bit more butter, then add flour and cook into a roux of sorts, scrapping up all the bits left in the pan from the meat.  Then add some broth, about 1/2 c, bubble and then pour into the crock pot.  Pour the rest of the broth and stout in and add spices.  I used thyme, rosemary, parsley and salt and pepper, probably a teaspoon of the first three.  (Again, I need to work on measuring things.). As I had extra broth in the can, and extra stout, I just poured those in as well.  Cook for four hours, then rip up the bread in small pieces and add those, put the lid back on.  That was it.  

The biggest problem was that it was bitter.  I overlooked the part that most recipes called for a little bit of sugar, and once we added some to our bowls it was better, but there was something still not quite right.  However it did smell delicious!

With drop biscuits and some broccolini on the side, we survived!  Happy New Years and on to the next recipe that I will actually try to follow. :)

Moroccan Tagine

I found this recipe for a Moroccan Chicken Tagine in one of my Cooking Light Magazines and it was a hit, the second time I made it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 1/2 cups chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash

• 1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Preparation

Combine salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and red pepper. Sprinkle mixture over chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Sauté chicken 4 minutes. Stir in butternut squash, chicken broth, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until squash is tender. Combine boiling water and couscous. Cover; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in almonds and orange rind.

After the first try I learned that butternut squash doesn't cook in 5 minutes...more like 12-15 at least on my stove, so my solution was to microwave it for 2-3 minutes before adding it to the pan. I also doubled the spices as I seem to like things more flavorful than magazines make them.  For fall flavors, I used cauliflower, butternut squash and carrots, omitting the tomatoes, and it was just as good.  Quick and easy weeknight meal that makes plenty of left-overs for lunches during the week!

Fall 2014 Food: Huevos Rancheros, Shepherd's Pie, Baked Flounder

It's been a while since the last post (6 mo to be exact), but here's a brief record of what we've been cooking and eating during this extra busy fall.

There's no picture that I know of, but for brunch with my family after my birthday celebration, we made some delicious Huevos Rancheros in Tortilla cups following this lovely recipe from Epicurious.  To make them dairy free for me, we used Daiya cheese on some of the cups instead of Monterrey Jack, and as my family is not known for their spice tolerance, we limited the use of the Chipotle Hot Sauce.  My family still raves about them, so it was a success!

Then there was a delicious Shepherd's Pie that I made for Chris's birthday dinner, as he said it was one of his favorite meals.  I tried to find ground lamb, but after two grocery stores and no luck, I grabbed some ground beef, and luckily it was still delicious.  I also forgot to add the peas before it went into the oven, but luckily you can microwave them, and mix them in when serving.  Almost as good.  

To make it dairy free, I subbed Earth Balance for the butter (best dairy-free butter sub out there in my opinion), and Almond Milk for the regular milk.  I personally don't think you could tell a difference in the mashed potato topping, but I did have to add more Almond Milk and Earth Balance than called for to get the creamy mashed potatoes I wanted.  My mom sometimes uses some chicken broth in with the "milk" to help with a creaminess.  

My proof that they were good?  Chris's roommate put his frozen meal back in the freezer to eat with us, and all three of us got second helpings!

Over the holidays we discovered that our customary Pepperidge Farm Stuffing mix now includes dairy so we made our own this year, but I found that some of the Stovetop brand stuffing mixes are dairy-free, so there's still a quick option out there!

Some good allergy news arrived after Thanksgiving when we found out that my life-threatening shellfish and mango allergies are not life-threatening after all.  I have oral allergy syndrome for those, so I get all the swelling, itching, and tingling in my mouth and tongue, but it won't progress to anaphylaxis.  That was a huge anxiety relief, because while it's annoying to have those symptoms, and I still have to avoid those foods, I don't feel like I'm going to possibly die every time we go out to eat.  However, because most restaurants (and let's face it, most people) don't understand the difference, I'm still going to use "Severe Allergy" at restaurants to avoid cross contamination and contact so I'm not having to take a Benedryl and thus a nap with every meal.

After visiting Ohio to see Chris's family, his parents gave us a bag of frozen flounder fillets that they had accidentally bought, so we had to find a flounder recipe!  Thus we made Baked Flounder Fillets in Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette the other night, following the directions to a doubled-T, plus some lemon zest.

 The verdict?  They were ok, definitely mild in the flavor category.  Lesson learned, read the reviews of the recipes before choosing.  Next time I would add more garlic, pepper and lemon, and maybe some ginger, cut back on the salt.  One reviewer even said to cook in a foil packet, so maybe that would help add more flavor, or even marinate the fish.  Not our best meal.

Lastly, for tonight before we head out with friends, I have a beef & stout stew going in the crock pot...more on that later!  Happy New Years!

Mayan Dark Chocolate Pie

For our annual beach family pie competition, I found this recipe for a dark chocolate pudding pie from http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/mayan-dark-chocolate-pie, made it and it was a success!

I bought a graham cracker crust and used the pudding recipe below:

Pie Filling:

• 2 cups vanilla coconut milk beverage (such as So Delicious Dairy Free Vanilla) - couldn't find straight coconut milk beverage so I used the almond-coconut drink that I found
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup agave nectar (can sub maple syrup, if preferred - I used maple syrup as it was easier to find in a small beach grocery store)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (for some noticeable heat, use the full ¼ teaspoon)
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• ⅓ cup cold water

To Make the Pie Filling:

1. Combine the coconut milk beverage, cocoa, sweetener, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the cocoa is dissolved and the mixture comes to a slow boil. (This can take a while, I ended up turning up the heat after a while which helped, ugh electric stoves)
2. Add the cayenne and stir thoroughly. (I didn't have cayenne so I added a shot of rum for flavor)
3. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch in the cold water until dissolved. Briskly whisk the mixture into your saucepan.
4. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook, while whisking for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the pudding becomes thick and heavy.
5. Pour the pudding into your prepared pie crust, smoothing it out as needed.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the pie becomes dark and crater like.
7. Allow the pie to cool off for an hour or two before serving with dairy-free ice cream or fresh fruit, if desired.

For the rest of the pie, I put a thin layer of marshmallow fluff on top, and then lots of sliced strawberries.  The marshmallow didn't add a ton of flavor, and I really just wanted it to help the strawberries stick on top.  The pudding consistency was great, but the flavor was a bit bitter (didn't fit the judges - the young cousins), so next time I would add more sweetener.  It would also be good with a layer of peanut butter and oreo crumble on top, or just some dairy-free ice cream on top.

APSI Reflection- #SummerLS Challenge 4

It's the last day of our summer AP Institute, learning about the changes for APUSH that we need to take into account for next year.  It's been an exhausting week and we're all ready to be done, especially those of us in FCPS as this extended our already long school year by an extra 4 days.  We're also sitting in a classroom on a Saturday from 8-5, and we'll be here until 5.  No getting out at 4:30 like we all hope!

I'm also blogging this for the #SummerLS or summer learning series that is taking place through the twitter hashtag.  If any fellow educators want to join in, look up Todd Nesloney on twitter and ask to join!

The changes for APUSH seem to be good.  The biggest thing is the change in the DBQ and what students need to do with the documents within the essay.  Rather than just using an analysis of 55% of the documents as in the past, students now need to use ALL of the documents (or at least all minus one) and either discuss the historical context, intended audience, purpose or point of view for each document.  The rubric is going to change, but join the APUSH facebook group or the #APUSH chat on twitter and you should find some resources.  There's also apparently lots on the Teacher Community on AP Central.  So big change for this year is going to be paring down how much lecture we do, to add more time analyzing documents in class and discussing them.

Another big change to the test are the short answer questions.  Students have to answer all of these, and the focus is on answering the prompt, either based on a picture (so a question would be "discuss the point of view of the artist in regards to (historical context)"), a text excerpt, or no stimulus.  2-3 sentences shouldn't be a problem, the real issue in teaching them how to write these is that they're not mini essays.  Maybe start these as warm-ups on index cards to limit their space.

Instead of 2 FRQs, students now write one long essay (the new name) that also mentions historical thinking skills, so we're going to have to specifically name and teach those with our kids so they understand what the questions are asking.

There's definitely going to be some changes in the classroom, but it will be good changes going into more depth with the kids.

End of the Vegan Challenge

I tried.  I really did, but it was hard and so limiting especially eating out, and I already feel a bit like a burden with all my food allergy limitations so I didn't want to force it when out.  So there were a couple times that I "cheated", like St. Patricks Day.  So Friday night I officially ended the Vegan Challenge and Chris made....  Steak!

And it was delicious.   

Trick is:

-pat salt and pepper into both sides of the steak and let it rest for 30 minutes

-heat the cast iron skillet, sear all sides of the steak (learned that's to keep the juices in)

-turn down the heat, put about 2 Tbsp of butter in the pan to melt and a big sprig of thyme on top, (we used Earth Balance) and baste the steak for 2-3 minutes (scoop up the butter with a spoon and pour on the steak)

-flip the steak, put the thyme on to and repeat the basting

-take steak out of the pan when desired doneness and let rest before eating

Vegan Challenge: Grilled "Cheese" and salad

No recipe required for this... 12 grain bread, earth balance, and Daiya cheddar flavored vegan cheese.  Pretty good substitute for real cheese, it even kind of melts!  Salad consisted of baby arugula from a local grower found at the farmers market in Falls Church, cucumbers, radishes and almonds, with balsamic vinegrette.  Yummy!

Vegan Challenge: Tofu and Broccoli stir fry

One of the last recipes that I tried in my vegan challenge, before it ended was an Asian tofu and broccoli stir fry.  I've made stir fries frequently, but never with a recipe, much less with tofu, and I've never found a good recipe for a stir fry sauce.  Thus this attempt with another recipe from WellVegan.  http://wellvegan.com/recipes/tofu-and-broccoli-stir-fry 

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Serves four • 40 minutes

Serve this stir-fry over brown rice or Asian noodles. To toast the cashews, spread them on a baking sheet and cook in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. If you’re serving this with rice, get it started before you do anything else. And if you’re gluten-free make sure you’re soy sauce is of the gluten-free variety.

Ingredients

• 1 package (14 1/2 ounces) firm tofu, drained, cut crosswise into 6 slabs (about 3/4 inch wide), each slab halved horizontally and cut into triangles
• 1 1/2 lbs. broccoli, stalks trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch rounds, florets separated into bite-size pieces
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cashews, toasted (optional)

(I added red pepper strips and baby corn for extra flavor and color, so maybe the title should be changed to stop light stir fry.  Fresh broccoli is alway better than frozen in stir fries.  I also added some crushed ginger to the sauce because I LOVE ginger.)

Instructions

1. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels. Top with more paper towels and let tofu drain, about 20 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, cook broccoli (stalks and florets) in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, 1 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cook until golden brown, turning gently halfway through, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels. 
   
4. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, garlic, cornstarch, and 3/4 cup water; set aside.
5. Add broccoli to skillet; cook over high heat, stirring often, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk reserved sauce to combine; pour into pan. Return tofu to pan; stir to coat, about 1 minute more. Serve over rice or noodles and topped with cashews, if desired.

This recipe finally helped me figure out how to get more flavor into tofu, (hint: you have to drain it and then put it between paper towels to dry it out), and it helps to marinate the tofu for at least 30 minutes after drying and before cooking, and then dry it again before cooking if you want it crispy.  Secondly, it has a great stir fry sauce, super simple and super delicious.  I think I was putting too much stuff in previously.  Verdict: great recipe, I'll definitely be making it again, with my changes.

Vegan Challenge: Cali Pasta and Tacos

Rather than give a run-down of every meal, which gets boring, here are the most recent recipes I've tried in the Vegan Challenge.

Wednesday 3/19:

Pasta della California

Four servings • 30 minutes to prepare

This is a quick and tasty pasta is easy enough to make any night of the week and can easily be made with a gluten-free pasta if you have an intolerance or just want to cut back on the wheat products. Use avocados that are ripe, but still firm. It’s best the avocado chunks are firm — an overripe avocado might just turn to mush. If you have little ones that think everything is too spicy, cut back the garlic and red pepper flakes to accommodate your pickiest eater. And if you have leftovers your saving, tuck the avocado chunks under to pasta to keep them from browning overnight.

Ingredients
1/2 pound linguine (used orzo because that's what I had, not the best choice in hindsight)
3 cups broccoli, cut into small pieces (used frozen, should have cooked more and cut up more)
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups arugula, loosely packed
2 avocados, peeled and cut into pieces (mine were not firm...oops!)

(added some small tomatoes and chopped brussel sprouts that I had left over)

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prep all your ingredients while the water boils. Add pasta once the water is boiling and cook according to the package.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic, lime zest, and red pepper flakes. Cook for just a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the wine, bring to a boil and allow it to reduce for about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, lime juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and add the arugula. Allow the arugula to wilt.
• Add the broccoli to the pasta 1 minute before it's done. Drain both and add to the skillet with the sauce and arugula. Toss well and cook an additional 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the avocado. Toss gently and serve.

So how I made it, it turned out just ok.  Wouldn't use orzo in it, also would make sure to cook the broccoli with the pasta and then add to the skillet, rather than trying to half defrost them in the microwave and then throw in the skillet.  I always forget to save a 1/4 cup of pasta water to add to the skillet too.  Lessons learned.  

Friday 3/21

Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

Four servings • 45 minutes to prepare

I like to serve these tacos alongside a green salad with tomatoes and avocado.

Ingredients
5 medium portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 medium zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
12 (4 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh salsa
1 ripe avocado, halved and sliced

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with remaining teaspoon oregano and tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).
Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas according to package instructions (they should be lightly browned but still soft). Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, avocado and salsa.

These were awesome!!! We forgot to take pictures...sorry!  We must have been so hungry.  The zucchini took longer to roast than expected, and was still a bit too moist than preferred, so in hindsight we would start those first, then put the mushrooms and onion in.  Ended up having to broil the zuc and onion pan for a bit.  We also made a simple pico salsa, which was fine, but in the future I'd do a black bean and tomato salsa for these.  The avocado makes them extra delicious!