Autumn brings Flowers, candles & baking

It is Autumn.  I have started a bit of baking and out come the candles and fall flowers.
I love the scent of burning candles in my kitchen from early morning when I am drinking my coffee to late evening.

Today,  I have Vanilla and Pumpkin Spice burning . Boy! does it smell heavenly when you walk in the door. Such a welcoming  feeling to see them burning too.

 I baked a low-fat  bread pudding yesterday and put it in the freeer, We have guests coming next week and I wanted to get a jump on dessert. As you all know I love to cook for company. My company this time is family. My sister & her husband & Karen loves to cook too.She makes the best apple pie.....her crusts are to perfect! She is always nominated to bring the pies for family get togethers... and we thoroughly enjoy sitting in the kitchen discussing cookbooks & recipes  and laughing over silly things. Of course we have a bottles  good wine to compliment the moments. So go ahead light those candles and enjoy the Autumn all day long.....

Here is the bread pudding. I have added fresh peaches to my recipe in place of dried fruit.

 

The recipe is easy and a great use for left over crusty bread. 


 Bread Pudding


4 eggs beaten
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 T pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cardaman or ground cinnamon
Mix & beat those together and set aside
In an ungreased 2 qt baking dish toss 4 cups of French Bread cubes or any crusty bread and 1/3 cup dried fruit of your choice. Pour the egg mxture over  the bread cubes.
Bake in 350 oven about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the pudding comes out clean. Cool. Serve warm  with your favorite sauce or whipped cream. Makes  8 servings.
Bon Appetite!

Simply Delicious Peachy Dessert

A Gallette or a Crostata…Matters Not…   Simply A Rustic Pan- Free Delicious Dessert!


I'd liked to think that peach desserts are an American specialty, particularly a Southern one. There is the traditional peach cobbler, peach crisp, and peach crumble. There are also the peach pie and tart. But when simply baked on a pan with the edges of the dough turned over, you have what the French call a galette and the Italians a Crostata. An extra crispy rustic free form crust sets the Galette or crostata apart from pies and tarts. A great way to use any extra fruit in season.


When prepping for this recipe, it's best to start with the very best peaches. They should be firm yet ripe and only give slightly to pressure. When peaches are perfectly ripe, their skins slip off easily with little help from a knife. If having trouble, the peaches can be dipped into boiling water to remove the skin. Avoid bruised and mealy peaches, which are usually the supermarket ones that have been picked under ripe. The best places to buy peaches are at pick-your-own farms and farmers' markets. There you know that the best is available, rewarding you with juicy, ripe fruit as well as noteworthy desserts.

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.


Fresh Peach Galette/Crostata
2 pounds ripe peaches (about 4 or 5 large), peeled and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine lemon juice, corn starch, sugar, and salt; pour over peaches. Toss carefully to coat. Let macerate for 10 minutes. Yummy…Nice juicy peaches.

Roll out dough on a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper to 13 inches in diameter.

Carefully lay dough with parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Pour onto the dough the sliced peach mixture. Including any juice left in the bowl. Fold up the 2-inch border of the dough, overlapping when necessary. Bake for 40 minutes until the peach juices are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Yield: 6 servings.


Crust
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
¾ cup lard or shortening , chilled, cut into small pieces
5 Tablespoons ice water
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Mix together.

Add shortening ( lard) and work with a pastry blender until mixture resembles course meal.
Add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until dough comes together.
Form the dough into a flat disc and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour before rolling.

Bon Appetite!

From My Kitchen Table to Yours

What are you going to do with all that Zucchini?

It is so good for us, We love to grow it, love to eat it but enough is enough right? How about those blossoms? They are edible too and pretty for garnish…

I know you have made more Zucchini bread, muffins, and cookies than you ever want and you have sautéed it, grilled it, put it in salads, eaten raw spears for snack, deep fried it, stuffed it, and given tons away to neighbors and friends…..and still have more….But have you made zucchini pickles? Coleslaw? or even used it to moisten lean meatloaf?

* Zucchini pickles are every bit as good as cucumber. Follow your favorite recipe substituting zucchini for the cucumbers.

*The crisp texture of raw zucchini makes a great base for slaw.

*Shred zucchini to make juicy low-fat meatloaf. Substitute the beef-base recipe with ground turkey. ( for every pound of meat add 2 cups of shredded zucchini) You will be adding extra veggies to your meal too.
  .......So Now  you know........"Let's Start cookin!"

Now what about all those Green beans? ( see next From My Table to Yours)

Fresh Fish Does Not Smell Fishy....

Since no fish monger lives here in Klamath Falls. I opt to get my Mahi Mahi at Costco. ( There is no Costco here either, but I make regular trips toMedford our closest one.) MahiMahi is a salt water fish. Some people say it resembles dolphin but they are not related. MahiMahi is a bluish-green skin fish. They may weigh up to 40 lbs and are considered one of the best eating fish. Ususally sold as steaks or fillets or whole.
The fish I purchase  is frozen and packaged in individual shrink wrap and I love it. When it is thawed there is never "fishy to smell" and is firm and great to bake or grill.  Fresh fish NEVER smell fishy....Even if it is frozen. If it does do not purchase it .  We try to eat fish often.  It is really good for you too. Lots of omega3 and there are many ways to cook it. I am making Mahi Mahi with a fresh Cilantro sauce for dinner tonight. It is a very simple dish and tastes heavenly.
First you thaw the mahi mahi steaks.  Fish should be thawed in the refrigerator and cooked as quickly as possible. Since there are only hubby & me we will cook only two. Fish tends to cool quickly. For this reason it should be served on warm plates or a warming platter. Yum I can't wait for dinner.
I would pair this with a Pinot Chardonnay, a French Colombard or a Gamay Rose'... Or even a Pinot Grisio since I have that bottle open and used it in the recipe..


Oven baked Mahi Mahi with Tangy Cilantro Sauce


½ cup honey
½ cup water
¼ cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1 T corn starch
1 teas granulated garlic
½ teas grated lemon peel
2T fresh cilantro chopped
4 mahi mahi fillets

Combine all ingredients except cilantro & mahi mahi in a small saucepan
Cook and stir over med heat until mixture comes to aboil and thickens
Simmer 2 minutes add cilantro mix well Remove from heat and keep warm
Bake mahi mahi in 300 preheated oven for approx 20 minues or until fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Spoon sauce over fish ansd serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro or lemon twist.

Bon Appetite!

What's for Dinner?

Hungry? Me too.. Lets bake some Country Style Pork..
 I have a package of country style spareribs,  about 2 1/2 lbs. that I picked up at our local butcher last week. I have thawed them & they are ready to marinate....

Always use fresh meat... It should be nice and red and firm.. Get your butcher to cut you a nice portion. Bone in or out... ( mine have bones, I think they have more flavor) pat dry the ribs and drop into a lightly oiled Hot skillet.. You will want to sear the meat to seal in all the juices. Brown nicely all sides and  season with salt & pepper and garlic cloves as much as you like I used 6 small cloves. * I also sprinkled a few flakes of chili pepper on top.... See those bits  you want those to brown with the meat.

Now remove the browned ribs from the pan and set aside . Next you will deglaze the pan...

 Pour about 3/4- 1  cup of white wine or chicken stock  into the same pan you browned the ribs & garlic in ... You can see which I prefer.. (Is that picture  blurry? Honest...I didn't even have a taste).... right into browned bits and stir to loosen those goodies from the pan bottom..leaving on stove  over med heat. Reduce heat low and  Stir in 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard, and about 2 Tablespoon ketchup, 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 Tablespoon worstershire sauce..stir all together and pour over the browned ribs.. taste for  flavor balance ... more Salt? Pepper? 

I lay sliced canned pineapple and the juice over browned meat then grate fresh ginger over the ribs and cover for 30 minutes to marinade.  Then flip them over let them  sit  another 30 minutes covered. 

Then  transfer back into the original pan  you browned them in and bake in a preheated  350 oven covered for about 1 1/2 -2 hours. They will glaze nicely and turn a beautiful color of brown.. falling of those bones.. I think you will like the tangy yet sweet flavors ...You can serve these with steamed rice and a green salad and of course a chilled glass of that white wine...

Bon Appetite!

From My Kitchen Table to Yours

I read so many cookbooks and magazines articles about Food and cooking, and have learned so much about cooking, I thought I would pass on some tips & tricks that You may find helpful or just interesting, whether you are an accomplished cook or new to the kitchen. 

Each Tuesday I will post a Cooking Tip "From my Kitchen Table to Yours"..... I am not a Trained Professional Chef by any means  I just love to cook and have learned a lot by trial & error..... Let me know if there is something you would like to know about and I will try to help you out by posting it in a future class...   Put on your favorite apron, Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cuppa.. and relax, Enjoy the class....

Let's start with  "Choosing Saute' Success "
*Cooking Light Magazine
Pick your pan: Be sure to choose a good quality, heavy skillet( known as a saute' pan)
Thin pans do not conduct heat as evenly, Creating hot spots where food burns. For the best Browning use a regular stainless steel  or cast Iron pan. You just can't get non-stick pans as hot and they don't brown food as well.
 1. Heat it up
    Place the dry pan  over medium high heat until its thoroughly heated.
2. Add the Heat
    Swirl just enough oil, fat in the preheated pan to coat the surface. This assures the food will take on a nice golden color and helps prevent it from sticking. Oils like olive or canola have a high smoke point and are ideal for this application, but you can also use a mixture of oil and butter to add more flavor.
3. Saute Away
    Add the ingredients  to the pan, be sure you don't over crowd it. It is good to have  a couple different size pans on hand, as over crowding  traps steam in the pan, making  it difficult to acheive the desired  browned food. A smaller 8-10 in pan works well for saute'ing vegetable side dishes, while a larger 12 in pan is ideal for meats and other entrees.
You can work in batches if needed. Foods brown & cook quickly but don't stir them often, You want all surfaces of the food to remain in contact with the pan until they brown nicely.
Now you Give it a try!

Dilly BeanTime

It is turning cooler here in Klamath Falls, bringing me back to the kitchen for opportunity to "put up"  my harvest. I will be posting more frequently again with tips and recipes I am cooking. Today out came the canner, ( I dusted it off from sitting onthe top shelf) and filled it with the first of many foods to come.
Dilly Beans are fun to do and quite simple.l ( I really like that part of the chore.) I am using my sister Judy's recipe as it has never faild us.. Two of my sisters cook and we exchange many recipes. 

Back to the recipe & photos:

Always use fresh ingredients.

.

I doubled this recipe and used wide mouth pint jars. They will now be placed  on the pantry shelf to age about a month before, I will taste test them. (but it may be closer to Thanksgiving)

They work well in a Bloody Mary too...

Don't you think they look yummy?I hope I can wait to taste them. 

 PICKLED DILLY BEANS

2 LBS. FRESH GREEN SNAP BEANS
4 SMALL GARLIC CLOVES
4 HEADS DILL OR 4 TSP DRY DILL SEEDS
1/2 TSP. RED PEPPER FLAKES
2 1/2 C. WHITE VINEGAR
2 1/2 C. WATER
2 TBSP KOSHER SALT

WASH BEANS AND BREAK OFF STEM ENDS. PEEL GARLIC. IN 4 STERILIZED PINT JARS, PUT 1 CLOVE GARLIC, 1 HEAD OR 1 TSP DILL SEED AND A PINCH OF RED PEPPER FLAKES. FIT BEANS IN JAR, ALLOWING 1/2 INCH HEAD ROOM AT TOP OF EACH JAR. TRIM BEANS IF NECESSARY.

BRING VINEGAR, WATER AND SALT TO A BOIL. POUR OVER BEANS, FILLING TO WITHIN 1/4 INCH OF RIM. FASTEN JAR TOPS ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S DIRECTIONS AND PLACE IN A BOILING WATER BATH, COVERING LIDS WITH 2 INCHES OF WATER. PROCESS AT A HARD BOIL FOR 5 MINUTES. REMOVE AND COOL
BEFORE STORING THEM.

Bon Appetite!