Tag: i’m taking a time out

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Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

by WendiLeave a Comment on Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

Just because I made this stew in the Advantium doesn’t mean you can’t tinker with the recipe and make it in your oven.  Your cooking time will be longer in the oven.

Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

Adapted from The GE Advantium Cookbook

BAH Note: I finally figured out how to cut sweet potato into perfect cubes.  Cut a thin slice off of one long side of the sweet potato.  Rotate the sweet potato so that the flat side is down on your cutting board.  Now cut a thin slice off of the left and right side of the sweet potato.  Rotate the sweet potato one more so that the last uncut side is accessible and cut a thin slice off it.  You’ve basically just squared your sweet potato.  Cut the pointy (or rounded) ends and remove any remaining peel.  Cut the sweet potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick “boards”.  Lay each “board” on your cutting surface and cut them lengthwise into 1/4 inch sticks.  Cut the sticks into cubes.  Viola!

  • 2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch medallions
  • 1 large onion, diced (or 1 cup butter braised onions)
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • l large sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (approximately 2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider (can substitute chicken broth)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onion

Lightly coat a 4 quart casserole dish with cooking spray and add the pork, onion, and diced red pepper.  Microwave on power level 7 for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the dish from the Advantium and stir the contents.

Add the sweet potato, apple cider, salt, paprika, cumin, allspice and red pepper flakes to the casserole dish.  Cover and place in the Advantium on the metal baking tray (use potholders to remove the glass tray).

Press the SpeedCook button then scroll to My Recipes, New Recipe.  Set the cook time for 20 minutes and then use the following settings: U=4, L=4, M=5.  After 20 minutes, carefully remove the casserole dish, add the apples and stir.  Cover and continue to cook another 10 to 15 minutes at the same settings until the pork is done.

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Melissa’s Sour Cream Biscuits

by WendiLeave a Comment on Melissa’s Sour Cream Biscuits

Sour Cream Biscuits

Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian

  • 4 tablespoons butter, cubed and frozen for 15 – 20 minutes
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons buttermilk, heavy cream, or half and half (may not be needed)

Heat your oven to 425 degrees and line a half sheet pan with parchment.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, oregano, and salt in the food processor and pulse a few times.  Add the frozen butter and pulse until the mixture looks like crumbly like wet sand.  Add the sour cream and pulse until the dough comes together.  If your dough is still dry and crumbly, sprinkle the dough with the buttermilk (heavy cream or half and half) a teaspoon at a time and process just until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto your prepared sheet pan and pat it into a thick circle, about 4 inches across.  Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into 6 wedges and spread them out on your sheet pan.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Chicken, Main Course

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

by Wendi1 Comment on Parmesan Chicken Breasts

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

Adapted from Bon Appetit

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5 to 7 ounces each)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan (use the good stuff here)
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (a herb infused olive oil is lovely for this)

Heat oven to 450 degrees and line a half sheet pan with foil.  Place chicken breasts on the prepared pan.  In a medium bowl, combine the parmesan, panko, salt, and olive oil. Pat the panko topping onto the chicken and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping has browned.

Chicken, Main Course

Bruce and Mark’s Honey Chicken

by Wendi1 Comment on Bruce and Mark’s Honey Chicken

Bruce and Mark’s Honey Chicken

Adapted from Cooking Light The Complete Quick Cook

  • 6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Heat the oven to 475 degrees and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

While the oven heats, combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt in a small bowl.  Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and coat completely with the spice mixture.  Transfer the thighs to the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 10 minutes then carefully turn the thighs over and cook on the other side for another to 10 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, combine the honey and vinegar in a small bowl.  After the chicken has cooked on both sides, baste with the honey mixture.  Cook for 5 minutes before turning the chicken over, basting with the remaining honey mixture and cooking for another 5 minutes

Main Course

Pork with Apples and Shallots

by WendiLeave a Comment on Pork with Apples and Shallots

Pork with Apples and Shallots

Adapted from Elizabeth Bard’s Lunch in Paris

  • 3 cups apple cider plus 1 cup apple cider
  • 3 cups ice
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon coriander
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 pounds pork loin, trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
  • 6 shallots, cut in half
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons course ground mustard

Bring 3 cups of cider, salt, pepper, and coriander to a boil in a saucepan.  Remove from the heat, add the ice, and cool completely.  Transfer the brine to a large zip top bag, add the pork loin, and refrigerate for 8 hours.

30 to 45 minutes before you’re ready to cook, remove the pork from the brine, dry with paper towels, and let sit at room temperature.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to 375 degrees and melt the butter and oil over medium heat in a large oven safe frying pan or dutch oven.  Add the pork and brown it on all sides.  Transfer the pork to a platter and cook the shallots and apples for 5 to 10 minutes until they begin to brown lighly.

Return the pork to the pan, add the remaining 1 cup of apple cider, and cook until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the pork registers 155 degrees.  Transfer the pork to your serving platter and cover with foil for 10 minutes.

Return the pan to the stove top, add the bourbon (if using), and allow the sauce to reduce slightly.  Whisk in the mustard, add salt and pepper to taste, and thin with additional apple cider if desired.

Serve slices of the pork topped with the apple shallot sauce.

Breakfast/Brunch, Main Course

Puff Pastry Quiche

by WendiLeave a Comment on Puff Pastry Quiche

Puff Pastry Quiche

Adapted from Pam Anderson’s Meatless Meals

BAH Note: Feel free to use just about any vegetable.  Pam suggests sliced mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes, thin asparagus, diced leeks, or even thawed frozen spinach.

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 cup butter braised onions
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 3/4 cup grated cheese

Place oven racks in the top and bottom position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface until it is just larger than a 1/4 sheet pan.  Transfer the puff pastry to the sheet pan, trimming off any overhang, and docking the pastry all over with a fork.

Spread the butter braised onions, or vegetable of your choice, into a single layer on the pastry.  Bake on the bottom oven rack for 10 to 20 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.

While the puff pastry bakes, heat the evaporated milk until it is just warmed.  In a separate bowl, use a fork to beat together the eggs, salt, pepper, thyme, and sour cream.  Once the egg mixture is completely combined, stir in some of the warmed evaporated milk, about a tablespoon at a time, to temper the egg mixture.  Whisk the rest of the evaporated milk into the egg mixture before pouring the egg and milk mixture into the puff pastry and evenly sprinkling the cheese on top.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and place the sheet pan on the top rack.  Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the egg filling is just set.  Then set the oven to broil and allow the top of the quiche to brown for about 2 minutes.

Allow the quiche to cool slightly before serving.

Main Course

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

by WendiLeave a Comment on Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

Adapted from Cooking Know How

BAH Note:  Leftover risotto can easily be reheated in the microwave.  For a single serving, add a tiny bit of butter to the risotto and cook for about 3 minutes on 50% – 60% power.

  • 7 cups chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps only, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
  • 8 ounces baby spinach
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan

Place the 7 cups of chicken broth in a pot over low heat to warm.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven set over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is beginning to soften. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rice to the dutch oven and stir to coat the rice completely in the olive oil before adding 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has reduced almost completely.

Reduce the flame under the dutch oven to medium low and add the warmed chicken broth in 2/3 cup increments, gently stirring and allowing most of the liquid to cook down in between additions.

After about 30 minutes, start tasting for doneness.  You want the rice to become tender but still have a little bit of chew to it.  When the rice is chewy-tender, stir in the baby spinach and stir to allow the leaves to wilt and combine with the rice.

Remove the dutch oven from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese.  Taste for seasoning and add kosher salt and black pepper to taste before serving.

Chicken, Main Course

Turmeric Chicken with Basmati Rice

by Wendi2 Comments on Turmeric Chicken with Basmati Rice

Turmeric Chicken with Basmati Rice

Adapted from a website that my dial up connection took me to back in the early days of the internet.  My apologies for not being able to credit an actual source.

BAH Note:  IF I recall correctly, this recipe was part of some Cooking For One feature…maybe in the Baltimore Sun or Washington Post.  I found it back in my days of when I was cooking for one.  But it is beyond easy to scale it up to serve however many mouths you’ve got to feed.  The ratios I use below makes enough for The Mistah and I and have leftovers.

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (approximately 1 cup)
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup currants
  • 1/4 cup mango chutney
  • 6 pieces bone in chicken thighs, skin removed
  • 1/2 cup basmati rice
  • 1 cup chicken broth, heated

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, approximately 5 minutes.  Add the turmeric, lemon juice, currants, and chutney and stir to thoroughly combine.  Place the chicken pieces in the dutch oven and use tongs or your hands to completely coat them in the onion mixture.  Add the rice and hot chicken broth to the pot, cover, and place in the oven.

Bake for 60 – 90 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice has softened.

Random

Time Out

by Wendi12 Comments on Time Out

I’ve been struggling to decide what to do with this space.  Lately, I have not been enjoying the process of cooking, shooting, and writing and I always told myself that I would stop blogging when I no longer enjoyed doing it.

While I’m not ready to completely pull the plug on BAH, I definitely need a break.  A sabbatical. A time out.  So I’m going to take one.  I’m going to dig into my “drafts” folder and post the recipes that I’ve been sitting on for months. I need to warn you, it’s not going to be pretty.

There are no pretty food photos.  Some drafts may have bits and pieces of the story I had hoped to tell.  Most are just the recipe that I managed to type up in order to remind myself to talk about it, without a single bit of narrative.

I don’t know if purging this backlog will do the trick and get me out of my rut.  I hope it will but only time will tell.