Archive for ‘Carey’s Recipes’

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April 26, 2013

Friday Recipe: Side Pork From accordingtocarey.com

side pork raw original

I’m not sure that “sprinkle with salt & pepper; broil for 10-15 minutes” qualifies as a recipe but I really, really wanted to share this favorite food with you today.  I was shocked (shocked I tell you!) to discover how many people have never heard of this product after I put a picture of it up on my Instagram feed.

side pork raw

Everyone assumed it was bacon because, well, it does look an awful lot like thick cut bacon.  But it’s not bacon. Close but no cigar.

There were some other great guesses:

  • duck belly (which sounds wonderful!)
  • pancetta
  • Serrano ham (which was also in the fridge)
  • fat back
  • raccoon (that is a story for another day)

We had this about once per week growing up and there was never enough because everyone loved it.  Hot, meaty, salty, a little crunchy…

side pork cooked final

… It’s called Side Pork!

Yes, it looks just like bacon but there are some distinct differences.  I will share:

First of all, Side Pork is not cured.  It is raw as raw can be which is why you need to generously salt it before cooking.  No curing means no nitrates, yippeee!

Secondly, Side Pork is from a little further up the side of the pig than bacon.  Bacon is closer to the belly where all the fat is.  Side Pork does have fat on it but certainly less than bacon, especially after it renders down.  Side Pork is much meatier than bacon which makes it a perfect, protein-packed breakfast food.  I have been known to eat it for dinner as well.

side pork rinds

Lastly, Side Pork has a sort of…rind.  I’m not 100% sure, but I believe it’s the skin of the piggie, the part that you would normally use to make crack’lins or chicharron.  For me, this is what Side Pork is all about because after it cooks in the oven, it gets all curly and crispy and toasted.  Some parts of the rind also get sorta chewy. It will be the last part you eat and you will chew on it for a while.  I’m not gonna lie, it can be tough and rubbery. Kind of like pork-flavored chewing gum.  But I grew up gnawing on those skinny rinds so it doesn’t seem weird to me, I suppose just like Spam is normal to some people. You will either love it or hate it.  If you hate it, just don’t eat it or you can cut it off before cooking.

Side Pork can be hard to find.  Once I asked one of the youngsters at the meat counter of my local supermarket if they had any Side Pork and he pointed me to the “fat back” next to the bacon.  I didn’t know whether to correct him or pat him on the head & pinch his cheeks.  Kids today!

If you have a reliable, experienced butcher he can order Side Pork for you and may even have some in stock.  My Uncle P. (you also know him as Uncle Farmer’s Market) has a butcher that orders it for him.  A couple weeks ago he paid $2.99/lb for it.  I’m a little embarrassed to tell you that I don’t know how that price compares to bacon but I just don’t buy bacon that often so… maybe you can tell me.

If given the choice, I prefer it cut thinner rather than thicker.  Certainly no thicker than thick-cut bacon.  I like it on the thinner side because I feel that the fat renders out a little better.  But don’t get me wrong… I’ll eat it thick, thin or anywhere in between.

Once you find some Side Pork, cooking it is pretty simple.  Generously salt both sides with salt and a little pepper.  Place it on a baking sheet lined with foil or broiler pan and broil for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness).  It needs to get well browned so that the fat melts out and the rind curls up and gets dark in some spots.  Flip it over and let the other side get a little toasty as well, about 2 minutes.  Place the cooked Side Pork on paper towel to drain off any extra fat and serve hot.

I hope you can find some Side Pork and give it a try!

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March 7, 2013

Friday Recipe: Lemon Dill Baked Ricotta from Carey

12lemon ricotta oil title

Like you didn’t see that one coming, right?

Obviously I was going to use my own new recipe for our Friday Recipe even though I kinda-sorta shared it with you already on Tuesday because:

1.  My knee has recovered enough that I can drive and walk reasonably well, so I’ve been running all sorts of errands this week and didn’t have time to come up with a different recipe.

2.  It’s a really good recipe.  Really.  And I don’t want my readers to miss it.

2lemon ricotta prep

4lemon ricotta ready

This recipe comes together in the food processor and has a short list of ingredients.

5lemon ricotta prep dish

There is just a teensy bit of butter involved. Or you can omit the butter and just use olive oil.  I’m flexible like that.

11lemon ricotta finished muffin

I ate the leftovers for breakfast.  This recipe is good hot out of the oven or later after it’s cooled off a bit.

You can get the full list of ingredients and the directions from this post over at The Ranting Chef.

Don’t miss this recipe,  go now!

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March 5, 2013

I’m Guest Posting At Ranting Chef!!

1lemon dill baked ricotta title

Oh my gosh I’m so excited I can’t stand it!  I have had something in the works, a little something up my sleeve but I was keeping it a secret… well because I had to. I thought it was going to “launch” tomorrow but I came home from dinner tonight and noticed the traffic on my site was waaaay up.  Guess what?!  It happened today so now I can share it with you!!

Today I have the privilege of being a guest poster over at the amazing site The Ranting Chef!!

The Ranting Chef (Pat), has a site that is chock-full of inspiring recipes, helpful tips and fun community of food writers and people who just like to eat!  One of my favorite things about The Ranting Chef is that you can search his recipes by ingredient…brilliant!  Please, please pop on over to Pat’s site and check it out, I promise you won’t be disappointed!!

You can click here to jump to my recipe that is featured today: Lemon Dill Baked Ricotta

4lemon ricotta ready

I’m really proud of this recipe, I put months and months of thought into the flavor combos, using Bree & LeiLani as my taste-testers.  This Lemon-Dill Baked Ricotta dip comes together in a flash, is cheap to make and is very versatile.

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I just know you will love this recipe as much as I do, please jump over to The Ranting Chef and give it a shot!  Oh, and let me know how you like it!!

lemon dill baked ricotta title long lemon ricotta oil title long

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February 1, 2013

Friday Recipe: Homemade Cracker Jack from accordingtocarey.com

cracker jack title

Here it is, as promised!  I’m really excited to share this Friday Recipe with you for a few reasons:

  1. It’s a Carey-original recipe.
  2. Actually, that first statement is only partly true.  It’s really my mom’s recipe, which is another reason why I’m thrilled to share it with you. I just added a tiny twist to make it mine.
  3. This is a super-simple recipe and if you  have young cooks in the kitchen this would be a perfect recipe to start them out on.  I learned this recipe when I was in Jr. High and my mom was my home economics teacher.  I wasn’t allowed to call her “mom” in class.  That’s a whole other weird story.
  4. The ingredient list is short and cheap.
  5. To put it plainly, it’s good.  Really good.

cracker jack handwritten recipe

I have very few memories of my mother cooking with pre-packaged, processed foods.  She preferred to make things from scratch, and she could.  She was a brilliant cook.  Ironically, although she was very health conscious (very!), she was fine with sweet treats that were homemade in our kitchen and we made this recipe for Homemade Cracker Jack often.

It’s easy enough to whip up on a weeknight after dinner and still maintain a feeling of health because the ingredients are very natural.  You can easily increase or decrease the size of your batch, making it a perfect party snack.

Are you ready?  Let’s get started!  The full recipe will be at the end of this post, but I’ll walk you through the finer points:

cracker jack pour

This recipe starts out simple enough… pop some popcorn.   You can use air popped corn, microwave popcorn (natural, not flavored) or you can do the stovetop method, which is my personal favorite.  You are going to need about 2 quarts of popcorn.  Don’t know how much that is?  It is roughly 1/2 cup unpopped kernels but you can also use a 2 qt sauce pan to measure your corn after it is popped. This recipe is casual, easy-going, forgiving.  Don’t get too hung up on getting exactly 2 quarts of popped corn, just estimate.  All will be well, I promise.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat combine the honey, butter and my addition, molasses.  The molasses is optional, my mom didn’t use it.  But I think it adds one more delectable layer of flavor.

After those ingredients are melted and combined add the peanuts.  Some of you observant ones are looking at the above photo and thinking, “Those don’t look like peanuts!”  You caught me!  It turns out, I was all out of peanuts so I grabbed some almond slivers.  This proves my point that this recipe is so easy, so forgiving.  You can swap the peanuts for your favorite nut or better yet, use a combination of nuts.  You could even leave the nuts out or use pumpkin seeds & sunflower seeds instead.

Pour the melted honey-butter mixture over the popcorn and then using your hands or two spoons lightly toss the popcorn so the syrup and nuts are evenly distributed.

cracker jack tray

Slide the gooey popcorn onto a shallow baking sheet.  I line mine with parchment so the cleanup is a snap. Spread the  popcorn across the pan in a single, even layer.  You observant ones have caught me again, “That doesn’t look like a single layer!”  Do as I say, not as I do!    My pan was a little too small.  But you can get around that non-problem by either giving the popcorn a little stir halfway through OR bake it in 2 batches.

Into a preheated 350 degree oven it goes for 10-15 minutes.  Keep an eye on it!  It will be very sad if it burns because there is no salvaging burnt cracker jack.  It will turn golden brown as it bakes, pull it out before it starts turning dark brown.

This part is important: when you take it out of the oven you must let it cool!  You will be greatly tempted to start snacking on your cracker jack as soon as it comes out of the oven.  It will smell nutty and sweet, glistening from the butter and honey.  Resist!  You will blister your fingers and taste buds, I speak from experience.  Also, the popcorn might appear to be a little soggy when it first comes out of the oven.  Be patient dear friend, you will be rewarded.

cracker jack finished

After about 15 minutes of relaxing on the counter the popcorn will be nearly dry and cool enough to touch.  Slide your cracker jack into a big bowl, give it a little toss to break up any big clumps and enjoy!

It’s crunchy and sweet.  It’s salty and nutty.  It’s addicting.  I really hope you will give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

____________________________________

Homemade Cracker Jack

by accordingtocarey.com

1/4 cup salted butter (1/2 stick)

1/4 cup honey

1 Tablespoon molasses (optional)

2 quarts popped corn, in a large bowl

3/4 cup peanuts (can substitute other nuts, seeds or leave out completely)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter, honey and molasses in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Mix in the nuts.  Pour mixture evenly over the popcorn and toss lightly to coat the popcorn evenly with the butter mixture.  Spread the sticky popcorn onto a shallow baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake the popcorn for  10-15 minutes, giving it a stir halfway through.  Remove the popcorn from the oven when it has turned golden brown.  Let it cool on the counter or stove top for 15 minutes before transferring to a large bowl.  Gently toss to break up any clumps and enjoy!

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December 8, 2012

Friday Recipe: Carey’s Itty Bitty Dutch Baby

oven pancake

Uhhhh, ok so your Friday Recipe is really not coming until Sunday.  But it’s worth it, I promise!

By now you all know what a Dutch Baby is, right? A little over a year ago recipes for Dutch Babies, or German Pancake, or Oven Pancake started popping up everywhere and to be completely honest, I was dumbfounded.  Not because they aren’t amazing, but because I couldn’t believe how many people had never heard of them before.  My mother made Dutch Babies at least once a week for breakfast from the time I was little.  And everyone loved them.  They are buttery, crusty and chewy at the same time and the perfect vehicle for a sweet topping, like maple syrup.

Dutch Babies are really economical and require only the most basic of ingredients: milk, eggs, flour, sugar, butter.  They are also speedy to make, which I’m sure is one of the reasons my mother made them so often.  The whole batter is made in the blender, poured into a preheated pan and ready to eat in less than 1/2 hour.  Good stuff.

But what about when you’re not serving breakfast to a family of 6?  What if it’s just you and your significant other?  Or just yourself?  It seems so wasteful to bake a great big Dutch Baby only to toss most of it in the waste bin.

That’s why today I took my mother’s original recipe that serves approximately 6 people and shrunk it down to create the Itty Bitty Dutch Baby, serving 1-2 people.

oven pancake german pancake ingredients

As you can see, the cast of characters is pretty simple.  Just 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of milk (not pictured), 1 tablespoon sugar (optional), scant 1/4 cup all purpose flour, and 2 tablespoons of butter.  And an itty, bitty skillet.  Today I used an 8 inch stainless steel skillet but you could also use a small baking dish, cast iron skillet, muffin tin, just about anything with a lip on it that can hold about 1 cup worth of liquid.

oven pancake blend

Because it was such a small batch, I could forgo the big blender and use my immersion blender and the small cup that came with it.  Easier cleanup, I love it!

dutch baby pour

After the butter melted and the mixture was blended, I simply poured the mixture into the hot pan and put it back in the oven until puffy and golden!

dutch baby oven

See how puffy it got!  Be sure to bake it in the middle of the oven so it doesn’t puff up to the top of the oven.

oven pancake

Serve it immediately, while it’s still piping hot.  My favorite topping is molasses but classically it is served with maple syrup or a lemony glaze.  It would also be great smothered in raspberry jam or a warmed fruit compote!

This Itty Bitty Dutch Baby is large enough to feed  2 hungry people or 1 very hungry person.  I’m not saying I ate the whole thing.  I’m not saying that.

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Carey’s Itty Bitty Dutch Baby

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)
  • 1/4 scant cup of all purpose flour

Start by heating an 8 inch pan in a 425 degree oven, with a generous pat of butter in the pan.  Next, in a blender blend the eggs for about 30 seconds and then add the milk and sugar, blending again for 30 seconds.  Gradually add the flour, again mixing for about 30 seconds.  By now the butter should be melted, foaming and just starting to brown.  Pour the batter into the hot pan and bake for 12-15 minutes.  The pancake will puff up as it cooks.  When the edges are dark brown and the middle is just beginning to turn golden it’s ready!  The pancake will deflate as soon as you take it out of the oven,  don’t worry, that’s supposed to happen. Slice it into wedges and serve with maple syrup, lemon sauce, jam or my personal favorite, molasses.

Simply Sweet Home Friday Favorite

Somewhat Simple

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September 14, 2012

Friday Recipe: Cilantro Chile Compound Butter

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Corn.  Butter.  Herbs. Spices.  Could a recipe be any more simple than that?  Ok, there is a touch more to the process but not much.

Last weekend I was preparing some plump, fresh corn on the cob (just boil the water & when you smell corn it’s ready) when I started craving… something spicy.  I do have a special place in my heart for chile spiked corn.  But as most of you know, I have an even bigger space in my heart for butter.  So I did what anyone would do, I combined the two.  Double the love!  Oh, and I had a tiny bit of cilantro leftover from salsa-making so I added that to the mix too.  Triple the love!

More specifically, I let 1 cube of butter come to room temperature inside my mini food processor.  I sprinkled in a scant pinch of smoked Serrano powder (this stuff is seriously hot but definitely addictive), a tiny pinch of salt (because the butter was already salted), a couple grinds from the pepper mill and about 1/4 cup of loosely packed cilantro leaves.  After a couple pulses on the food processor I had this:

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I slathered my herbed & spiced compound butter onto the hot corn and as my brother would say, “Boy howdy!”.  I didn’t even bother to tell everyone else what was on the corn.   I let them blindly chomp into the buttery goodness and then I basked in the chorus of “Mmmmms!”  and “Yuuuuummmms!”

I usually lean towards the Mexican side of flavors but the possibilities with compound butters are virtually endless.  Someday I might try these variations:

  • Fresh basil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan & garlic powder
  • Fresh parsley, saute’d onions & garlic and the zest of half a lemon
  • Fresh dill, a teensy sprinkle of Old Bay Seafood Seasoning and a little squirt of lemon juice
  • I have to stop… my mouth is watering!

And you don’t have to limit your use of compound butter to corn.  Compound butters are great on steaks, french bread, sandwiches, chicken, popcorn… anywhere you would normally spread a little buttery-love.  If you have extra you can roll it up in waxed paper and save it for a later day.  It can store in the fridge for about 1 week or the freezer for a couple months.  About 5 minutes of effort for a BIG flavor payoff.  Make some today, you wont regret it!

I’m hoping to catch up on some art projects this weekend. I’m taking the Brave Girl Art School course from Melody Ross.  So far it is so much fun and I know it will just get better and better.  I  hope you are doing something fun this weekend, see you back here next week!

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August 20, 2012

Crumbs 8-20-12

paddleboarding 2012

Here are some crumbs from my last week:

And just in case you missed this last week:

pie pie pie

Blackberry-Blueberry Pie by According To Carey

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August 17, 2012

Friday Recipe: Blackberry-Blueberry Pie from According To Carey

Sweet.  Tart. Floral. Berries are the perfect combination of those three tastes.  And when you pair them up with a crusty, salty, flaky crust you just might feel like you’re in heaven.  Think I’m exaggerating?  My friends, I wouldn’t steer you wrong.

I first saw a version of this recipe on  the site Rachel Cooks.  She made a beautiful, shiny blueberry pie that appeared to hold together remarkably well.  That is one thing about berry pies that has always bothered me; they tend to be runny and the filling dumps into the middle of the pie pan after the first slice is removed.  I have experimented with adding tapioca pearls to my berry cobblers with great success.   But those little pearls can be telling and can potentially cook unevenly and flour just makes it murky so I knew there must be a way to incorporate some other thickener to get the results I was looking for.

After reading the full recipe I saw that she adapted it from a blueberry pie recipe by Baked Bree.   Again, she shows a glossy pie that held together quite well.

So after reading both recipes I concluded that the trick was indeed cornstarch.  A surprisingly large amount of it: 6 tablespoons.  I was a little hesitant to put that much cornstarch into my pie but then I realized, this filling is pre-cooked.  And you pour it into a pre-cooked pie shell.  Pre-cooking the filling allows the cornstarch to get even distributed and come fully up to temperature, allowing it to dissolve and thicken.  I was a tad wary that it might make my pie cloudy but if you look at their photos, it doesn’t appear to have effected their results so what-the-hay, I would give it a try!
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(Don’t be confused by the sight of 2 pies below.  We had 2 family get-togethers that day so I went ahead and doubled the recipe so each gathering would have it’s own pie.)

First things first, I had to get some berries.  The other 2 recipes call for all blueberries but I crave plump, juicy blackberries (or better yet boysenberries) this time of year, so instead I opted for a combo of fresh blackberries and frozen wild blueberries.   Off I went to a local farm stand to find some fresh blackberries.  5 miles down the road I found 7 full pints of the biggest blackberries I have ever seen.  I bought them all, even though I really only needed 4.  And yes, we ate them all.

Next in the order of things was to bake some pie crusts.  I shared that story with you earlier this week but you can click over here in case you missed it!

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About that time I realized I had not eaten lunch!  There was a brief intermission so I could whip up a fresh blackberry vanilla protein shake.  And eat a handful of berries.

While my pie crusts were cooling I worked on the filling which was as simple as throwing everything into a pot, stirring well till it boiled, stirring a few minutes more, then setting it aside to cool.

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I let the filling cool just for  bit then tossed in a few more whole berries for good measure, then poured it into my pie shells.  Into the fridge they went for a good 3-4 hours and then we devoured.  The filling stayed together beautifully and the flavor was intensely “berry”.  The tartness of the blackberries rounded out the sweet perfume of the blueberries… ohhhhh, it was heaven.

The full recipe is below,  with my own changes.  I hope you can give it a try because it really was one of the easiest pies I’ve made and truly delicious.

Blackberry-Blueberry Pie

(adapted from Baked Bree)

Ingredients:

  • 1 precooked, cooled pie shell
  • 2 pints of fresh blackberries, plus 1/2 pint (optional); rinsed
  • 2 cups frozen wild blueberries (I use Wynan’s brand)
  • 6 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 to 1 1/4 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of your blackberries)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (1 lemon)
  • 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

In a large saucepan, combine 2 pints of blackberries (reserving the 1/2 pint for later), blueberries, and cornstarch, stirring gently so as not to damage the blackberries.  After the cornstarch is evenly distributed, add the salt, sugar, water and lemon juice and turn the heat up to medium high.  Stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to come up to a soft boil.  Continue to stir for 2-4 more minutes, letting the mixture get thick and coat the spoon.  Remove from heat and add the butter, gently stirring to combine.

Allow the mixture to cool slightly then add the 1/2 pint reserved blackberries then pour mixture into your cooled pie shell.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap (just to make sure nothing falls into it) and set in refrigerator to cool for at least 3-4 hours before serving.

PS:  You might have a little extra filling so might I recommend cooling it then using it to top a serving of full fat Greek yogurt?  Trust me, it’s yummy.

Epilogue:

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If you must transport your pie before it has rested in the refrigerator for 3 hours, be sure to place it in a cardboard box or you will end up with blackberry pie filling all over your car.  You have been warned.

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August 15, 2012

Grandma-Pat’s Oil Pie Crust

 

Until I was in my 20′s I did not know that most pie crusts were made out of shortening or butter.  There was only one recipe for pie crust in my mother’s recipe box and it was for this recipe right here that I’m going to share with you today.  The recipe is my Great-Grandmother Pat’s recipe and she did not use shortening or butter in her pie crust; she used vegetable oil.  I have no idea why.  Maybe it was a Great Depression thing.  Maybe it was a Polish thing. Maybe it was a preference thing.  I just don’t know.  What I do know is that every time I make this crust I can hear my grandma’s voice, see her knobby fingers and smell her house.

I have introduced you to my Great-Grandma Pat before:

She’s the lovely bride and that handsome gentleman sitting next to her is my Great-Grandpa Pat.  Her full name was Antonia Cecilia Smith (Smigkelski) but she went by Annette because she hated being called “Antonia.”  I think it was too “ethnic” to her.  I love it.  She was always “Grandma Pat” to me and I loved visiting her house in Gridley, CA where she always had 2 things waiting for me to nibble on: egg custards in the fridge and spice cookies on the counter.  I’m still trying to figure out the spice cookie recipe, I think my Grandma Shirley is holding out on me.

One recipe I do have tucked safely away in my stash is the recipe for her pie crust.  So let’s get to it:

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The ingredient list is simple (makes one 9in. crust):

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup milk (I’ve always used whole milk)

The directions couldn’t be any easier either:

  • Dump everything in a bowl
  • Mix until forms into a solid ball of dough
  • Starting from the middle working out, roll out into at least 9″ pie crust, place in pie plate and using a fork poke holes all over the inside to keep it from puffing up while baking.
  • Bake at 450 degrees, 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown

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Now, let me give you a couple of tips:

  • My Grandma Shirley (Annette’s daughter) informed me this weekend that she never uses this recipe because it always crumbles on her.  True, it is not as silky or soft as a traditional pie crust.  The vegetable oil does a good job of providing the fat to make it flaky but it does not make this crust “smooth”.  It may crack or crumble while you are working with it and that’s ok.  Take a deep breath, everything is going to work out, I promise.  This weekend I made 2 crusts and it seemed to me that the first one came together with the least amount of breakage so it may be that working quickly will help you get the pie into the pan all in one piece.
  • This crust may stick a little to the counter or cutting board, as most crusts do.  The best way to transfer it to the pan, I found, is to use a spatula or bench scraper to peel it up and gently fold it into 4ths like the picture above.  Plop it in your pie plate and carefully unfold it.  Voila!  Of course, I could have sprinkled a little flour before I started rolling out the dough, but I forgot.  And it all worked out anyway.  See?  Cooking isn’t scary.  It all works out somehow.
  • Even if it cracks (and it probably will crack at least a bit), this dough is very forgiving and meant to be very rustic.  Just take a chunk of excess dough &  ”repair” the crack.  Squish and press it back into the shape you need it to be, most of it is going to be covered with filling anyway.
  • Although very similar to a traditional shortening pie crust, this pie has a tiny bit more heft to it so I try to roll it out as thin as possible, just keeping the edges a smidge thicker.  If you roll the crust out “thick” it will taste “thick”.  And that may be what you prefer, just be forewarned.

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I have to stop here and point out the brilliance of my new cutting board from…. wait for it… Walmart!

It’s from the Paula Deen line, no less, but I saw it months ago and debated whether or not to get it.  When I went back to pick up some extra pie plates this weekend I decided it must come home with me.  I gotta tell you, I love this new cutting board!  It’s a darker, acacia wood which I appreciate much more than the lighter colored boards.  But the selling point was that engraved onto one side of the board are measurements for 6,8,9 & 10 in. rounds as well as a 14 in. straight edge. It took out all the guesswork when I rolled out my pie dough.  I knew I had rolled far enough when I got the 9 in. border line.  Infomercial complete.

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My pie crusts were beautiful and tasty and easy and… well, awesome.  Don’t judge my crimping skills, I never was able to master the “pie crimp” and this dough doesn’t lend easily to it anyway. People know it’s a homemade pie when they see edges that ugly and somehow they love you a little more for it.

Yes, I feed people to get them love me.  There was a lot of love going around this weekend.

PS: Stay tuned for Friday when I share the recipe for the yummy filling!

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July 27, 2012

Friday Recipe: Cherry Almond Cookies by accordingtocarey

Cherry Almond Cookies by accordingtocarey.com

I have a confession:  I don’t usually like chunks of dried fruit.  I suppose it’s the texture more than anything that bothers me but for whatever reason I won’t usually eat something if it has… say raisins in it.   The same goes for dried blueberries, apricots, peaches, apples, persimmons, etc., etc…. you get the point.

And then last week at work I received this little gift:

Weird gift, right?  Except… at my day job we build and sell tree shakers.  Big machines that shake ripe fruit and nuts from their trees.  The cherries in this container were shaken from their tree by one of our shakers.  It’s kinda fun to see the end product of everyone’s labor, from the welders that molded the machine together to the farmers who grew the fruit.  And here it sits on my desk, farm to table.  Very cool.

What were we talking about?  Oh yeah, cookies!

Even though I normally have a bad attitude about dried fruit, I was determined to incorporate these ruby gems into a recipe.  I grew up on a cherry far for goodness sake, I can think of something!  And that’s when Cherry Almond Cookies were born.

I figured if I chopped the cherries up super fine, the texture would no longer be an issue and I would still get all that great cherry flavor.  Problem solved!

I started with a base recipe from my Grandma Shirley that includes a healthy dose of natural almond flavor.  Why almond?  (Hold on to your seats because this is where the geek in me comes out.)  Did you know that almonds and cherries are related?  Yep, they are both from the Prunus genus of fruiting trees.  If you have ever cracked open the pit of a cherry, peach or nectarine you may have noticed the resemblance to an almond.  Their kissing cousins! Without hesitation I knew this flavor combo would work.  Plus the tartness of the cherries would play well against the richness of the butter. One whole cup of butter to be exact.  I never said these were health-food cookies!

My Grandma’s original recipe (Chinese Almond Cookies) is so ridiculously simple, the only ingredient you might not already have in your cupboard is pure almond extract.  If you don’t have it, go get some!  You can use it in a ton of recipes from baked goods to coffee to cocktails.  And if you happen to accidentally splash a little on you while cooking, it will make you smell irresistible.  To squirrels, that is.

cherry almond cookies raw cookie dough

Here is how simple the recipe is:

  • Sift together your dry ingredients.  And by “sift” I mean dump them all in the mixing bowl and use a whisk to quickly combine them all together.
  • Add the fat of your choice, butter or Crisco.  I usually choose salted butter.  Cut the butter in til the whole mixture resembles wet sand.  You can do it by hand or with a mixer.
  • Add the eggs, almond extract and in this case, finely chopped dried cherries until it all comes together in one big ball of dough.

And now you’re ready for baking!  That whole process comes together in less than 5 minutes and with only 18 minutes of baking time you can have buttery, delicious cookies in under 30 minutes and you will love me because they are awesome!  I will post the whole recipe below.

Have a terrific summer weekend, bake some cookies, enjoy this crazy life!

Cherry Almond Cookies by accordingtocarey.com

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or shortening, softened

1 slightly beaten egg

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

1/2 cup finely chopped dried cherries

1/4 cup slivered or halved almonds

Preheat oven to 325.  Combine first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl, using a whisk to gently stir till all combined and no lumps are visible.  With an electric mixer or by hand cut in butter or shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal or wet sand.  With an electric mixer or large wooden spoon add egg, extract and dried cherries, mixing gently until one large, soft ball of dough forms.  Using a small spoon, scoop out a small portion of dough and roll into a 1″ ball, about the size of a walnut.  Place balls on an ungreased baking sheet with about 1 inch in between each cookie.  Take an almond half or a couple slivers of almond and lightly press them onto the top of the dough ball, pressing down slightly so the middle has a slight indentation.  Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are just barely beginning to turn golden.  Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes before eating.  Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

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June 22, 2012

Friday Recipe: Mediterranean Inspired Filling

pine nuts, parsley, mediterranean

I promised you something special this week due to my vanishing act last Friday.  Because I love ya, here we go:

You might remember a few weeks past when I posted this photo:

That is a gorgeous crepe that I ate in Port Townsend last month when I went to visit my Wonder Twin:

We don’t know how it happened, but we were separated at birth.

Wonder Twin, her daughters and I each ordered this Mediterranean Crepe for lunch at a seaside cafe’ in Port Townsend (sorry, I don’t remember the name right now).  I ate every last bit.  In fact, I was completely fascinated by it.  I took pictures of it.  I opened it up so I could inspect all the ingredients.  And then I came home and tried to copy it.  And you know what?  I did it!  I promise I will share the whole dang thing with you as soon as it’s perfected.  Soon, very soon.

But one of the by-products of all that testing was another recipe that popped into my little brain: a pork loin stuffed with a Mediterranean inspired filling.  Again, I’m still perfecting that recipe.  I haven’t nailed down the cooking temperature on the pork loin but I have to admit, it is delicious whether I overcook the pork or not.

How cruel is that, to tell you about delicious recipes and not give them to you.  Sorry.  I just want it to be perfect for you.

However, I CAN share the filling with you because it’s simple and works as wonderfully inside a whole wheat tortilla or pita bread as it does inside a butterflied pork loin.

Mediterranean filling

Here’s your cast of characters:

  • half a bunch of parsley (about 3/4 cup)
  • lightly toasted pine nuts (about 1/4 cup)
  • sun dried tomato (about 1/4 cup) AND some of the oil it’s packed in (about 2 Tablespoons)
  • 3-4 oz of crumbled feta cheese
  • capers (about 2 Tablespoons)
  • a dash of black pepper
  • a drizzle of olive oil (if needed)
Stuff all these ingredients into a small food processor and give it several pulses.  Don’t let it run because although you want it well combined, you still want to maintain a little texture.  We are not making baby food.
If it looks a little dry, you can either drizzle in some more oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes OR a little olive oil.  Check for salt and pepper.  The mixture should be salty enough from the feta and capers but if you like it saltier, add a little more.
Next, toast up some pita halves OR whole wheat tortillas and shmear about 2 Tablespoons of mixture inside.
Eat.  And enjoy.  Because you will love it.

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I’ve made a batch of this filling and snacked on it for a couple days.  My mouth is watering  just thinking about it.  I wonder if we have any feta at home….

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May 17, 2012

Friday Recipe: Club Soda with Cara Cara Ice Cubes

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First of all, by the time most of you are reading this I will be on a big ole jet plane headed out to see Wonder Twin!!  Ohhh there will be adventures to share when I get back.

Now, back to the “recipe”.  OK, it’s not really a recipe.  It’s more of a “look what I made” post.  This is how it started:

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My uncle showed up at the house the other day with this bag.  He plopped it on the counter and said something like, “You’re not going to believe what I brought you.”  Oddly enough, this happens a lot with my Uncle, my mother’s youngest brother.  Like the time he showed up to a birthday party with a pickup bed full of packed, freshly fallen snow and freshly cooked crab embedded into it.  Yeah, this kind of thing happens a lot.

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So cautiously, I opened up the mysterious black bag to reveal yet another bag:  a bag full of orange ice cubes.

What you need to know about my Uncle is that he is very resourceful.  He knows all the local growers and just about every week he talks them into selling him a bounty of little-heard-of produce that you will not find down at the local Bel Air shopping center. One such week he received a bunch of juicy, ripe Cara Cara oranges.  I bet most of you (like me) are saying “What is a Cara Cara orange?”

Cara Cara oranges are a variety of navel orange that are known for their almost salmon colored flesh.  They are truly beautiful and the flavor is great as well.  Something like a cross between flowers, oranges, berries and apricots.  But he had A LOT of oranges and rather than let them go to waste (how many oranges can you really eat in a week?), he juiced them and put them into ice cube trays.  And that’s what was in the bag.

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It just so happened to be the night of the oyster feast, so as an accompaniment I tossed a few of the Cara Cara cubes into a goblet….

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… covered them with a little club soda we had stashed away from last week’s birthday party…

…and had a refreshing, bubbly treat!  The more the cubes melted, the more  I could taste the floral sweetness of the Cara Cara.

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It was a good day.

I wonder what Uncle will bring this weekend?

———————

I am still without internet capabilities a mi casa, if you’re wondering why the posts have been lean lately.  I literally had to wander around in a walnut orchard this week to find enough cell bars to send a text message.  I finally found 4 bars about 50 yards from the house, it was pretty exciting.  And so although I’ve been cooking up a storm and have about 200 projects in line, I can’t share most of them with you yet!

It will all work itself out eventually.  Maybe after I get back from my trip I will park myself at a local Starbucks and get some stuff done!

Happy weekend everyone!  I hope yours is full of sunshine and joy!

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April 27, 2012

Friday Recipe: Last Minute Mac

(pretend there’s a picture here of a huge bowl of creamy, dreamy pasta; I didn’t have time to snap a pic!)

I’m writing this last minute post to tell you about the last minute pasta we had last night because we threw a last minute Thursday night celebration.  Long story short, yesterday afternoon we received some really great news and invited a few friends over after work to share the joy.  After a few rounds of cocktails, the natives started getting hungry.  Luckily, right then some friends showed  with some delicious sausages to throw on the Webber.  But we couldn’t sit around outside eating just sausages like some sort of savages.  We needed a starch to make it a civilized meal!

“Carey, think real fast!  What would go with sausages… uhhhh… how about buttered Parmesan noodles?  It’s quick, it’s tasty, it fills the belly, it will be perfect!”  Thus began the scrounging through the refrigerator, only to discover <gasp!> we were completely out of Parmesan!  What to do??!!

I’ll tell you what you do: you treasure hunt for all the bits and scraps of cheese you can find in the cheese drawer, make a cheese sauce  and turn it into a stove top mac and cheese.

To further complicate things, I needed to cook up 2 lbs of pasta to feed the small crowd that had gathered.  The problem with that was what I  found in the pantry was one box of whole wheat shells, one box of regular white shells of a slightly different shape, a box of spaghetti, a box of corkscrew pasta and one bag of analletti (think Spaghetti O’s).   I knew the whole wheat shells were going to cook at a different rate than all the rest but I took my chances and went with 2 lbs. of shell pasta.  I set that to boil and crossed my fingers.

Meanwhile, I rounded up all the leftover cheeses we had in the fridge.  It’s a good thing I’m a cheese hoarder because this is what I found: 1/2 bag of shredded mozzarella, 1/2 bag of shredded “Mexican Style” shredded cheese blend, a couple slices of Swiss Cheese, about 6 oz. of sharp cheddar cheese, a couple slices of Provolone, 1 brick of smoked Gouda and 2 bags of mozzarella cheese sticks.

Yeah, we eat a lot of cheese.  You got a problem with that?

Into a medium saucepan I melted a whole cube of butter and sprinkled in about 4 heaping tablespoons of flour.  I let that cook out for about a minute then poured in enough milk to make a roux, about 4 cups.  Then I raided the newly organized spiced cabinet.  I fished out salt, pepper, ground mustard, roasted garlic powder, toasted onion powder and sprinkled a little of each into my pot of roux.

Then I stirred in the shredded cheeses.  I showed some restraint by only choosing the following cheeses:  the cheddar, the shredded mozzarella, the shredded Mexican style cheese and the smoked Gouda.

I drained the al dente pasta (thank goodness the whole wheat shells didn’t overcook), but left about 3/4 cup of the pasta water in the pot then stirred in the gooey, melted cheese sauce.  I gave it all a vigorous stir so the pasta and sauce could get to know each other and it was done!

Those sausages with that pasta… well my friends… it was divine.  And I’m not just saying that because we were starving hungry (it was nearly 10pm by then).  It was a delicious feast, thrown together at the last minute and shared with 1 happy little group of friends.

The end.

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March 3, 2012

This Is Not A Recipe: Steak, CousCous and Sugar Snap Peas

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I repeat, this is not a recipe. It is simply the 5 minute meal I made for myself the last two nights 1) because it was so fast and 2) because it was so darn good and 3) because I was allowed to have it.

I probably forgot to tell you that somehow I got suckered into doing P90x exercise program for the next couple of months, diet and all. Yes, I am breaking one of my own rules and adhering to a high protein/low carb diet but only because it is perfectly calculated to fuel you through these intense workouts. To tell you the truth, the hardest part of the diet has been eating that much food. I have to fit 7 portions of protein into one day! It’s not easy to fit in work, my daily workout and cooking all that protein.

But yesterday I “cooked” a great throw together meal! It’s too simple to call it a recipe but here is what you need:

  • one box of quick couscous (Near East is my favorite)
  • precooked frozen fajita meat, beef or chicken (the one at my Sam’s Club is not frozen so it’s even quicker); I don’t now the amount, just eyeball it
  • 1 bag of sugar snap peas from the produce aisle; again, I don’t know the weight of the bag, I told you this wasn’t a recipe!
  • a drizzle of olive oil (but you can add up to 2 teaspoons if you are not on a restrictive diet like me)

Follow the directions on the package to prepare the couscous, it usually is something like this: bring 1 1/2 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of oil and the contents of the spice pack to a boil. Stir in the couscous and remove from the heat. Put the lid on the pot and let sit for 5 minutes.

While your couscous is boiling or resting, you can heat your fajita meat up in the microwave. About 1-2 minutes depending on if it’s frozen.

Also while your couscous is resting and your meat is reheating, cut your sugar snap peas in half on the diagonal, because it’s prettier on the diagonal. And the smaller pieces just make more sense.

Once your couscous has rested, take the lid off the pot and give it a small stir with a fork to fluff it up. Stir in your sugar snap peas and dish up onto plates, about 1/2 cup on each plate. Top with your fajita meat and ta-da! A filling, healthy meal in just about 5 minutes!! Hoooray!!

Of course, you could add more veggies to your couscous, depending on what you have on hand. Some caramelized red onions or chopped green onion tops or halved grape tomatoes would be yummy, too.  Or you could leave out the meat and use a package of fajita veggies.  Throw in the kitchen sink for all I care but give this quick weeknight meal a shot, I think you’ll make it again and again.  I know I will.

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December 2, 2011

Friday Recipe: Mom’s Angel Biscuits

biscuits2

There are some recipes that are just so common we forget about them.  Angel Biscuits have been around for-ev-er.  Open up just about any Betty Crocker cookbook and you will find them.  They are so easy to make and just tasty!

biscuitbowl

I made 60 biscuits for Thanksgiving and it only took about an hour, no lie.  This is me mixing the biscuits by hand in the ginormous bowl, because the only way to mix biscuits is by hand. 

My mom made these biscuits often for dinner because although there is yeast, you don’t have to let it rise forever and ever AND you can roll out the biscuits earlier in the day, let them sit in the fridge until about 1/2 before dinner then cook them just before dinner so everyone gets a chewy, hot delicious biscuit.

Making a triple batch might take an hour but making one little batch for a weeknight dinner takes no time at all.  The one thing I will warn you about is this:  don’t over mix your dough! Once you get all the ingredients in the bowl, just mix til combined. The mixture will be kinda wet so throw lots of bench flower down before you turn the dough out on to your board.  Then dust the top with flower as you smoosh the dough flat (by hand) for cutting.  Also dust your cutter or knife so it doesn’t stick.  It takes some practice to get it JUST right but really, even if you make a few goofs, it’s a forgiving dough and you will have some rich, yummy biscuits for dinner in no time.

Mom’s recipe is below.  I hope you have a wonderful, delicious weekend!

————————-

Mom’s Angel Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 package dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)

1 cup buttermilk

 

Preheat oven to 400. 

Dissolve yeast in water and set aside.  Next, mix dry ingredients together in order given.  Cut the shortening into dry mixture til the mixture with all it’s chunks of shortening resembles peas on a sandy beach (how’s that for a visual?!).  Stir in buttermilk and yeast mixture.  Blend by hand or with a dough cutter.  This is the messy part, but stick with it (no pun intended).  At this point you have some options:

  • Refrigerate the dough until you are ready to roll it out and cook the biscuits.  Let them rise and come up to temp for about 12 to 15 minutes before baking.
  • If you are ready to eat then proceed as follows:  Dump the dough out onto the well floured counter or board (as described earlier).  Knead lightly, roll out the dough to about 3/4 inch and cut the biscuits either with a knife or biscuit cutter.  Place in a greased pan, separated slightly, they will spread out a tiny bit as they bake.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size you cut them.

I hope that all makes sense but if you need more help let me know!

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