Spaghetti Squash Boat and a WINNER!

Spaghetti squash. What do you do with that?!

I remember my mom making it once when I was a child. I wasn't impressed. I mean...spaghetti is one of the favorite foods of a child. Mess with it, and you could be asking for some serious trouble. Soooo...when mom served her spaghetti sauce over a shredded winter squash (because she was always trying to make us eat healthier)...I'm sure the whole lot of us revolted in one way or another. Poor mom. She's a great cook. She tried so hard to keep us kids healthy...back when "healthy eating" wasn't "in". Kids just don't always appreciate what their parents are trying to do for them. So...That was the end of my spaghetti squash experience.

Until recently.

My youngest (who's no long a "child" and will only be a teenager for another month) has been wanting me to make spaghetti squash for quite some time now. Because the idea didn't thrill me...I just never got around to it. The two of us took a little vacation during the summer to visit my family. Of course "Grandma" was more than eager and willing to make some for dinner. Problem was, we couldn't find it in the stores in August. (ya...its a winter squash).

A week or so later, when we were back home, I did see it at the stores. I bought it. I let it sit in my fridge for longer than it should've been. So I bought another one. I mean....I wasn't excited about playing with this stringy...rather large squash. It wasn't motivating. But I wanted to make it for my girls. Who happen to eat a lot healthier than I do. And are way more into the whole "health" thing than I am.

The time came to just do it. And that's when I happened to see a marvelous thing on TV. One of those cooking channels. I think it was Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dive or something...where they were interviewing the chef, who served his spaghetti, inside the squash shell. Well! How cool is that!

I was motivated then....thinking....'this could be fun!'

Btw....yes, I will get around to announcing the winner of the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook and Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Cookies giveaway. But I just wanted to tell you about my squash experience first. You don't mind too much, do you?

I don't have a recipe for this. It's more of a method. And I've already explained the madness behind the method...so here goes.

Spaghetti Squash Boats

Start bringing a large pot of water to a boil. While that's in progress...get your spaghetti squash and wash it. Get a good, sharp knife. I cut the ends off a little because they didn't look pretty...but I don't think its necessary. And its not easy...so you might want to save yourself the trouble. Cut the squash in half, length wise. You will see seeds in there that might remind you of pumpkin seeds. Yes you can roast them just like you would pumpkin seeds. I didn't. I should've. Scrape the seeds and strands out. Not the meat of the squash. Just the inside crud stuff.

Once your pot of water is boiling, place the squash halves in. Boil for about 20 minutes. Remove and drain. I placed them on a baking sheet, upside down so the excess water could drip out. Let them cool a bit.

While the squash is cooling, get your sauce ready. I used marinara sauce with some ground Italian seasoned turkey sausage. I then added some big chunks of cut up veggies to thicken everything up...such as zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, mushrooms and tossed those in. I did not want a runny sauce or even a thin sauce. I wanted chunky!

Once the squash is cool enough to touch, take a fork and start pulling the "meat" away...which will separate into thin strands, resembling spaghetti noodles. Leave about 1/2" of the squash unshredded so that your boat has stability.

Take those strands and add them to the sauce

Allow to cook a bit...say 15 minutes or so, on a low heat. This will give everyone in the pot a chance to get to know each other before they get cozy in the boat.

While that's happening, get out some mozzarella cheese and cut into nice thick slices, about 1/4" or so. The quantity will depend on how cheesy you want to get.

Line each squash with slices of cheese

 

Get your oven turned on a good high heat....maybe 450' F. Mound the boats with your sauce mixture and then top it all off with more cheese

Stick in the oven and let it get all hot and melty. The amount of time will depend on how hot your oven is and how close everything is to the heat source. I believe these babies were in there for about 10 minutes or so. Just keep an eye on it.  If it's not happening quick enough...adjust the temperature..move the oven rack. Whatever works. Take it out when it looks like this...

And enjoy your melty spaghetti squash boat. The "noodles" have a crisp texture. They're not soft and tender like pasta. They flavor is almost non-existent and will not interfere with the other flavors going on in your meal. 

Spaghetti squash is a great carb alternative. And contains all sorts of nutrients, folic acid, beta carotene, vitamin A, potassium....and is only 42 calories per cup. I think...if I hadn't loaded this boat up with cheese, it would've been a very healthy meal. But I just couldn't resist the cheese.

And now....the moment you all have been waiting for.....

The winner is.......(drum roll please)........

PATTI T!!!!!

Woo hooo!!! Congrats girlfriend! All I need is your address so Tate's Bake Shop can send out your goodies :)  You can email your info to me: peacefulcooking at gmail dot com

Chuckies Cookies and Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway

Cookies. There are so many kinds out there and several textures....soft, fluffy, thin, chewy, crispy. We all have our favorites. Some of us are picky....some of us aren't. Me? A cookie is a cookie. I love 'em all.

October is National Cookie Month and I'm barely getting there...by the skin of my teeth. It's finally cooling off a bit and I wasn't frowned upon for turning on the oven. Do you know how happy I was when the mercury dropped below 90'? And I got to make a beautiful batch of thin, chewy cookies from a recipe in Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook called Chuckies? Woo hooo!!! I have made a few recipes from this cookbook (which, by the way, is one of my all time favorite dessert cookbooks) in the past and have loved every one of them:

Chocolate Jumbles
Anadama Bread
Cappuccino Shortbread

And there are several more that I want to must try!

A few weeks ago, Tate's Bake Shop sent me 3 bags of their new award winning cookies, Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate All Natural Cookies

They almost vanished before my eyes...a bag left the house that night to a "kick-back" with one of my daughters. The next day, another bag disappeared at my office and the last bag disappeared somewhere in between. I think I got to eat 2 cookies. They were delicious! Thin, crispy yet the chocolate chips were soft (one of the first things my youngest, chocolate-loving daughter noticed with approval). I'm not a "whole wheat" fan. I just don't care for that earthy flavor but to be honest...I couldn't even tell that these cookies were whole wheat. Which is a huge plus in my book.

With all that said.....I have the pleasure of GIVING AWAY 3 bags of these fabulous Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate All Natural Cookies....AND a copy of the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook,

autographed by Kathleen King, the owner and baker at Tate's Bake Shop in Southhampton, New York. If you're not familiar with them...I highly recommend checking them out... 

On their website
TatesBakeShop.com
or on FaceBook
Facebook.com/TatesBakeShop 
or.... on Twitter
Twitter.com/#!/TatesBakeShop

And now....for the cookies I baked for National Cookie Month....Chuckies. I made only 1 change. And it was out of necessity on my part rather then with the intent to alter or improve. You see, I thought I had bittersweet chocolate at home so I didn't buy any. But I didn't. Therefore, instead of having chunks of chocolate in this amazing cookie, I had a Mexican chocolate flavored dough. Which was wonderful. But I still wanna bake these again the way they are intended in the cookbook. You see...I had just bought some Mexican Chocolate (had no idea what for at the time....but I figured these cookies would be a great way to put the chocolate to the text). Only I didn't know that the kind of Mexican chocolate I purchased is intended for hot chocolate and it is not that great to eat...as in chunks...in cookies. Apparently, the chocolate is a bit grainy. But this was the chocolate I had at home (I seriously did not want to go to the store again). Soooo, with a little help from my wonderful baking buddies....whom I can go to with all sorts of questions and someone will have an answer....I was informed that I could stick the Mexican chocolate in a food processor, grind it up and use it that way (Thank you Lee...you're the bestest!!!). Which I did. With delicious results.

Chuckies with Mexican Chocolate
Printable Version

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (dark or light...whatever you have)
1 cup sugar
2 TB corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 lg eggs
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chunks (or 6.2 oz of Mexican chocolate)
1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts, lightly toasted and chopped
2 cups coconut, lightly toasted

Preheat the oven to 350' F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper (or grease them)

To toast the nuts and coconut, spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350' for about 10 minutes or more. Shake the pan part way through to ensure you get an even toast.

In a large bowl, combine your flour, ground Mexican chocolate if thats the route you're taking, baking soda and salt.

And while you're at it, get in touch with the child in you and play with your food

In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add in the corn syrup and vanilla . Mix until just combined. Add the eggs and mix them lightly.

Then add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until just combined. In other words...don't over mix.

Stir in the nuts and coconut and chocolate chunks (if that's the route you're going).

Using a small ice cream scoop, or 2 tablespoons, scoop and drop the dough onto your prepared cookie sheets. Leave at least 2 inches...if not more (don't skimp on the space.....you will need it!!) and bake them for about 18 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet. Be warned...they may not even last that long!

Place on a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

 

If by chance you over bake this cookie and you find yourself with a rather hard, crunchy cookie (ya...I did that with a few of them). Don't worry. Don't fret. Don't beat yourself up over it.

There's a cure.

Place the cooled, hard cookies in a sealed container or baggy along with a slice of bread. Leave it for several hours or overnight. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and become nice and moist again!

And now for the Giveaway! Are you ready?

To enter to win 3 bags of Tate's Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate All Natural Cookies....AND a copy of the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook, autographed by Kathleen King....

Leave a comment (please note that if your comment doesn't link to your blog or email address and I have no way of contacting you....you will forfeit your winnings :( Make sure I have a way to contact you!!)
"Like" me on Facebook.com/pages/Peaceful-Cooking
"Like" Tate's Bake Shop on  Facebook.com/TatesBakeShop
"Follow" me on Twitter.com/#!/ImStuffed
"Follow" Tate's Bake Shop on Twitter.com/#!/TatesBakeShop

All entries must be made by 11:59 p.m. pst, Sunday, November 6, 2011

I will announce the winner in about a week or so! Good luck and enjoy!

Ciabatta Bread

 

I've been playing with my sourdough starter since last April. I've made dozens of loaves of sourdough bread. (to find out how to make your own starter click here --->Sourdough Starter<---). This is the second ciabatta bread I've made and I think it's the best bread I've ever made. 

Before I continue, let me say...today, October 16th, is World Bread Day (ya i know...it's just about over..and by the time you see it, it will be yesterday...but hey...it's here). I discovered this quite by accident just a couple of hours ago and it just so happened that I had this ciabatta baking in the oven at the very same time. So I thought I'd better participate. 

The purpose of World Bread Day is to stir up awareness of those who are not as fortunate as others. Those who do not have enough food to eat. Not that baking this loaf of bread will do anything for the world hunger problem, but maybe it will remind you to donate food to your local shelter or food bank. 

So, are you wondering what made this particular ciabatta loaf so special or different than anything I've made in the past? It's due to the "mother dough". Something about mother dough that makes a loaf of bread......better. The crust, the crumb....the flavor. It's almost like the bread is more...I dunno...mature? It has a particular depth to it that I have not experienced in any of my breads in the past. A mother dough is basically like a biga, only it's for sourdough breads. It's a cold pre-ferment and is made with wild yeast (a.k.a. sourdough starter) and has anywhere from 50 - 80% hydration. My standard sourdough starter is at 166% hydration (1 cup of existing starter with 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water added). Btw, the recipe is from an e-book called Discovering Sourdough (NorthwestSourdough.com)

Making a mother dough is not difficult....

Motherdough @ 80% hydration

4.5 oz of 166% hydration sourdough starter

5 oz water

8 oz bread flour

In a good sized container (at least double the size of the amount of ingredients) combine the ingredients well and let it sit at room temperature for 4 hours. Cover loosely and let sit in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. Thats it. No fuss, no muss. If it goes beyond 5 days....well, you'll need to start over. So I highly recommend that you begin this process on Wednesday or Thursday. Actually, if you're going to bake the bread of Sunday, you can start this as late as Friday.

When you're ready to bake your ciabatta (you need to start your this in the morning), take your mother dough out of the fridge. You will see a nicely developed gooey dough

Get out your ciabatta ingredients:

Ciabatta (makes 2 loaves)


All of the mother dough that you made
1 cup water, room temperature, divided
1/2 cup canned milk
1 TB vegetable oil
4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp salt

Pour the mother dough into a large bowl or into the bowl of your dough mixer

Add 6 oz of water (setting 2 oz aside), the canned milk, vegetable oil and the flour. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes. Or, if you're like me and you don't have a dough mixer, stir with a heavy duty spoon for a bit then get your hands in there and mix, and twist and turn until everything is incorporated...this can be done in about 3 minutes and will look something like this:

Cover it up with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Then....add the salt and mix the dough for 5 minutes (using the lowest speed if you're using a mixer). Toward the end, slowly add the remaining 2 oz of water.

Place the dough into a folding trough (or large casserole dish) and let it sit for 4 hours, lightly covered, at room temperature. Every hour, fold or stir the dough. For more in depth instructions on folding the dough, please click --->HERE<---

Once the 4 hours are up, pour the dough onto a very well floured surface. Divide the dough in half (about 1.5 lbs each). Now you will have two big thick blobs of sticky dough. Take one of the blobs and fold it over on itself (just as you did in the "folding trough") and place it on a well floured baking sheet. Do the same to the other blob.

Cover and let rest for about 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.

Preheat the oven to 450' F.

Using your finger tips, make dimples in the dough, then gently stretch the dough to make the loaves a big longer.

Place the baking sheet into the oven along with a small oven proof dish with water in it (I used a ramekin). Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the loaves around, reduce the heat to 425' F and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes or until a deep golden redish brown.

Allow the loaves to cool thoroughly before slicing.

Then watch them disappear. If you can manage to save a slice for yourself, which I hope you do since you put all that work into such a wonderful loaf of bread, slather it with butter and drizzle a bit of honey on it. Crumble up some of your favorite cheese and pour yourself a glass of wine.

 

Sit outside, watch the sunset and know that its been a glorious day. Count your blessings and make plans to share with those who are less fortunate than you are. There are countless ways to do this...whether you give money, donate canned goods or drop off lightly used items to a thrift store that provides for a shelter. It's the least we can do.

Kahlua Mousse

This is one of those recipes that is sooo good that no matter how bad the pictures are, you just HAVE to share it.

It took me a while to work through that. I mean...I made this over a month ago. I was really irritated that I just couldn't get a good pic. Timing was horrible.... I was rushed. Then there wasn't anything left to photograph. The mousse was aaaaall gone.

I hate that.

But you know what? This mousse is too dang good not to share with you all.

It all started when I discovered an amazing book at the bookstore! If you love chocolate, then you NEED this book....

The Golden Book of Chocolate. There are over 650 (closer to 700) pages of mouth watering, delicious, dream inducing recipes that will make you wish, more than ever, that chocolate desserts were diet and figure friendly. You'll have a difficult time deciding which recipe to try first...I mean this book has everything....cookies, brownies, pies, cakes, candies, muffins...and savory dishes. Even the introduction is seductive..it's called "Introduction to The Sublime". (yes! please, introduce me to the sublime...) Oh!! And did I mention drinks? Ya....pages and pages of beverages...all with chocolate! (and some with alcohol...can't wait to try a Chocolate Monkey). This is like the bible of chocolate! It's so big, thick and heavy and the page edges are gold. (no this is not a review...I was not given this book. I bought it myself and have fallen in love with it. It was a bit of a splurge but so very worth it!)

Now, the Kahlua flavor in this mousse isn't strong or intense. The mousse is thick and creamy, not too sweet....and so very chocolaty. And the whipped cream....no vanilla in that baby. Kahlua was used instead. Simply wonderful.

Kahlua Mousse
Printable Version
Makes 8 servings

1 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 oz butter
3 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 cup Kahlua (coffee liqueur) (gotta figure out a way to increase that amount)
1 tsp instant coffee granules
2 cups heavy cream

In a double boiler (or a sauce pan and a bowl as I do since I don't own a double boiler and have discovered I don't really need to buy one) melt the chocolate, butter and egg yolks. Wait!!!...those instructions scared me. I mean..I had a lot of chocolate in that bowl and the idea that the egg yolks could quite possibly "scramble" which would ruin my chocolate....well....I did it a bit differently.

Let's start over.....

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter over a low heated simmer. Once melted, remove from heat

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks. While beating, gradually add about 1/4 cup of the melted chocolate.

By doing this, you are tempering the egg....bringing the temperature up slowly while mixing in the chocolate....so that the egg doesn't scramble.

Slowly beat the tempered egg mixture into the chocolate mixture

In a large bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, Kahlua and coffee granules. Stir the chocolate mixture into the Kahlua mixture.

In yet another bowl (ya....you're gonna be using a lot of bowls) whip the cream until you have stiff peaks (being careful not to turn it into butter). Fold the whipped cream into the Kahlua and chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff (once again, do not over beat) and fold into the mixture.

 

Spoon into serving bowls and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Top with additional whipped cream and cocoa powder. But instead of adding vanilla to the whipped cream....try a little Kahlua. You might possibly never go back to vanilla in a whipped cream again! (unless you're serving it to kids of course).

Now treat yourself to a little bit of sublimity.

Light Wheat Sandwich Bread

 

I'm not a big fan of the flavor of whole wheat. I know, I know...white flour is so bad for you. I can't help it. I've tried. I've especially put forth a strong effort these past 2 years as I baked with the HBin5 bread baking group. If you look along the right side of my blog, scrolling down to the "Labels" section, you will see HBin5 where I have linked all the bread posts I baked with the group (over 30 posts). Not all are whole wheat. But there's a whole heck of a lot of them. (BTW...HBin5 is short of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day).

But I still don't enjoy the taste of whole wheat bread. 

This does not mean that I didn't gain anything from this cozy little HBin5 adventure. In fact...I learned more than I can express in this one little post. I met fantastic people whom I will never forget. I gained an enormous amount of knowledge and 'yeast confidence'.  And I have grown to love baking bread. I've stepped way beyond my comfort zone and discovered that it's comfortable out there as well.

Somewhere along the line, it became a goal of mine to find a whole wheat sandwich bread that Sir Sportsalot would like. He's a Roman Meal kinda guy and it would make my day if I could trump the store bought stuff.

This recipe is probably as close as I've been able to come, so far. It's not an HBin5 recipe. It's not even a no-knead recipe. It's just a good recipe that I found over at SmittenKitchen
 
With minor alterations.

I do know one thing....without HBin5, I would not have attempted to make this loaf of bread.

The crust is firm without being "crusty" or chewy.  The crumb is soft and airy with just the right amount of firmness. Its not going to fall apart on you from the weight of the tiniest amounts of sandwich makings. It's substantial without being dense. It has that wheat-ie flavor but it's light enough (and gentlemanly enough) to step aside and allow the others to shine. You want to be able to taste the meat. You want to experience the full bodied flavor of your freshly sliced tomato straight out your garden. This bread knows its not the center of attention....but more of a supporting cast, and does it's job with grace.

Light Wheat Sandwich Bread
Printable Version

2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 TB sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 TB powdered milk
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp barley malt syrup
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 TB shortening

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, powdered milk and yeast. Dissolve the barley malt syrup in the water. Add the water mixture and the shortening to the flour mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined and the dough forms into a ball. (I started off using a spatula or spoon and ended up just using my hands).

If by chance after you've tried working it all together with your hands, you still cannot incorporate all of the flour in the bowl, add a little more water. (tsp at a time). You want the dough to be soft and supple but not a shaggy mess.

Sprinkle your counter with flour and turn the dough out. Knead away, adding a little flour if needed. Knead for at least 10 minutes (by hand). I kneaded for 15 minutes. The dough will be ready when you can gently stretch it without it tearing apart.

I learned something yesterday as I watched one of those cooking shows out there. It is very unlikely that you'd over knead your dough if kneading by hand. (If you're using a machine...then yes....it can happen. Make sure you obey the time frames specified in a recipe) So....knead away. Fold, push, pull, rotate....repeat. Or whatever way you find yourself kneading. Some say that all you have to do is fold and flatten, rotate. No muscle work involved at all. Your main goal, however you achieve it,  is to get the gluten working.

I wish I had known that a long time ago. It would've really alleviated a lot of my yeast based fears.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Put your dough into the bowl, rotating so that the surface gets coated with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. The dough should be doubled in size (which is difficult to gauge exactly. Don't stress. You'll notice it has gotten really big.)

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a 6" x 10"rectangle by pressing it with your hand on the counter.

Starting at the short end, roll the dough up the length a little at a time. With each "roll" pinch the crease with your fingers to secure the dough in place and strengthen the tension. Once you get to the end, pinch the final seam closed (using your hand or the thumbs...you don't really want "pinch" marks on your bread).

Lightly oil an 8.5 x 4.5" bread pan. Place the dough into the pan. The ends of the loaf should reach ends of the pan. This will aid in an even rise.

Mist the top of the dough with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise, at room temperature for about 90 minutes. Could be shorter. Could be longer. You'll know it's ready when you poke the dough with your finger and it does not spring back at you very quickly (or at all).

Preheat your oven to 350' F. Make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate 180' and continue baking for another 20 - 30 minutes. If you have an instant read thermometer, the inside temperature should be about 190' F. The top and sides will be a nice golden brown.

Immediately remove the loaf from the pan and allow to cool on a rack for at least an hour (or more). This is VERY important. I know...it's hard. You can smell that warm bread and it's begging to be smothered in butter. But...

NO!

You have to wait. The dough is going to continue to do its thing for a bit. You don't want all the inside steam to escape. Just let it be. Let it settle. Allow the crumb to come into it's own. That's the only way you will achieve that light, airy crumb. Otherwise, it'll be a bit doughy and almost sticky. You'll know immediately you've done wrong. The bread will leave a smear mark along the knife. A tale-tale sign that the bread wasn't allowed to fully cool. So do yourself a favor. Just walk away.

I promise, it will be worth the wait. And then you can do anything you want. Slice, dice, rip, break....toast, butter, grilled cheese. It's all good.

I will have more HBin5 and ABin5 recipe posts in the future. (one coming up pretty soon in fact). It doesn't seem like it's been 2 yrs already but the HBin5 Bread Braid is officially done. I have a feeling that we'll all stay in touch and it will seem as if it's still in progress. I can't imagine not sharing my bread with the group...or reading what they have to share. I can't imagine the group not being there to support each other as we work through our bread issues and questions. Thank you all in the HBin5 Bread Braid group!! It's been a wonderful adventure. Sooooo.....whats next?

I want to take a minute to give a special thank you and hug to {{{{Michelle}}}} over at BigBlackDogs.net  You are an amazing woman. I will never make bread without thinking of you, your courage and your strength. This is not good-bye by any means...but a segue to the next stage.

Migas and The Homesick Texan Cookbook Review

It's that time....we've been playing around with The Homesick Texan for a few weeks now. I've shared a few recipes and tidbits here and there. And now....it's time to lay it all out on the table. Tell it like it is....give you the skinny. Express my honest opinion. Give you the scoop on whats between the covers.  I'm going to tell you the lowdown on the hoedown.

Before last month I had never heard of Lisa Fain. After reading through her cookbook, I feel like we would totally mesh! There's something about her that echos within my soul. Although I have never lived in Alabama, I feel deeply connected and very rooted to my family, the way of life and the food there. Being in the city, you just don't get that "down home" connection. One of the ways I cross all those state lines between me and my family is by cooking foods that feed my soul. Which is what Fain did when she started her blog and wrote this cookbook. She fed by her need to connect to her home while living in New York. 

Now....I have never "really" reviewed a cookbook before. It's rather intimidating. I mean, you want to be accurate and informative as well as sounding like you know what you're talking about. That's when I turned to my peeps over on Facebook and asked them what they're looking for when searching for a cookbook. What points they'd like me to touch on in my review. I got some awesome responses. You people are the best! Thank you so much for your guidance. 

With that said, let's get down and dirty....and into the nitty gritty of it all (ok, are you soooo over the idioms? me too)

When I look at a cookbook, the first thing I do is flip through the pages. I hate to sound so "shallow" but honestly, photos are very important. I have a hard time buying a cookbook that doesn't have a single photograph (besides Mastering the Art of French Cooking....HUGE exception). The Homesick Texan has a ton of fabulous photos. Not only of mouthwatering food but also a few nostalgic, pure Texas shots that are scattered about strategically.

Next...contents. Theme. Tex-Mex is totally up my ally. I love Mexican food. I love southern food. When you combine the two.....you have something uniquely Texan. The Homesick Texan has a fabulously diverse content which is brilliantly divided. How often do you open a cookbook and see a chapter called "The Larder: The Homesick Texan's Pantry"? This is probably my favorite chapter. In it Lisa acknowledges and addresses the fact that not every city has the ingredients for a good Tex-Mex meal. She discovered this while shopping in New York City. You will see a solid 8 pages of ingredients and kitchen equipment that you should have, with descriptions and alternatives. In the back of the book you'll find a "Resource" page that tells you where you can order items and ingredients if you can't find them in your local market or Mexican grocer.

Not only does she have your typical chapters for Appetizers, Seafood, Sweets but there are whole chapters dedicated to Pickles and Preserves....Salsa, Sauces, And Gravies and Tex-Mex Classics (not to mention Morning Foods; Chilis, Soups, and Stews; Beef, Pork, and Fowl; Sides, Hot and Cold and last but not least, Breads). That pretty much covers it all. And if you can't find what you need based on the chapters....all you have to do is look in the Index where you will find recipes listed not only by name, but by ingredient.

One important factor that was brought up on Facebook was the desire to see the level of cooking experience needed as well as the length of time it takes. Neither of these are addressed in The Homesick Texan. I have found though, that most of the recipes range from very basic to requiring a bit more "how-to" knowledge. But to be honest, this is all good, down-home food that can be cooked and enjoyed by anyone with any level of cooking experience. Each recipe includes a great little intro that makes you wish you were in Texas having it the way it was originally experienced. As for the "how long" portion. You'll have to gauge this a bit. If you browse through the instructions...mentally adding up the cooking time frames...you should get a pretty good idea on what's required. I will say that the instructions are easy to follow.

If you haven't been following along during The Homesick Texan journey I've been on, you can view the recipes I've cooked below:

Pork Tacos, and Black Beans

Poblano Mac and Cheese

Pan De Campo

And now I have one more recipe to share. This is an easy one. Not as quick as your typical scrambled eggs....but when you're getting ready to experience something fabulous.....prep is never as quick as ready set, ready go. But it can be effortless.

Migas

Printable Version

Oil for frying

4 corn tortillas cut into strips

1/2 medium onion, diced

4 jalapeno chiles, seeded, stemmed and diced (I didn't have fresh jalapenos so I used the kind in a jar)

8 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (4 oz) grated cheddar cheese, jack cheese or maybe a combo

 

Usually I show you a nice display of ingredients all arranged on a cutting board or something. This time I decided to be real. I do gather all of the ingredients before starting on a recipe. But it's always "everywhere" on the counter....and that's how I really cook.

In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil over a medium-high heat. Put the tortilla strips in the hot oil and let cook until nice and crispy...about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Drain out the oil, leaving about 2 TB. Turn the heat down a bit and add the onions and jalapenos. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent. While that's going on, whisk together the egg, milk, salt, pepper, cumin and cilantro in a bowl.

Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the egg mixture to the skillet along with the tortilla strips. Let the egg cook for a minute so the bottom sets a bit. Stir gently and then add the cheese

I have a confession to make here. I did a few things out of order. When I measured the cumin, instead of tossing it into the egg mixture, I tossed it into the pan with the onions and garlic. (silly me). Then I forgot to add the cilantro to the egg...so it went in along with the cheese. But you know what? It didn't matter. This is such a free-form recipe and very forgiving as it also allows for adjustments to accommodate your own personal tastes. More cheese? Less cheese? No onions? More heat? Just do it. We're talking about eggs here. Make it so you like it. 

Once the cheese has been added, gently stir until the cheese has melted. Add more salt and pepper to taste (if needed). 

Lisa Fain recommends that you serve Migas with salsa and tortillas. I personally found it very filling and satisfying. Not to mention simple. I didn't need the extras. (BTW...I halved the recipe and this plate served 2). All I did was sprinkle some jack cheese over the top and let it melt. (love me some melted cheese).

This is the perfect example of many of the recipes in The Homesick Texan. Complex in flavor yet simple enough for any level of cook to make. I loved the corn flavor that the tortilla strips added to the eggs. The jalapenos were a great addition of some slight heat. The smokey flavor from the cumin was wonderful. If I wanted to beef it up a bit....I could've added some chorizo or sausage. If I wanted more veggies...some diced tomatoes would've been a wonderful addition.

Let me wrap this up with a simple 5 star rating for a fabulous cookbook. It has been a sheer pleasure being part of the The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off that was sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at Girlichef*, (where you will find others who have cooked from and reviewed this cookbook. I recommend that you mosey on over there and see what the rest of us have to say).

If you love Mexican and / or Tex-Mex food....I highly recommend that you not pass this one up. It's a keeper and bound to become a favorite in your collection, as it is mine.

Thank you Hyperion and Girlichef* for including me in such a fun adventure.

Citrus Chicken

A couple of weeks ago I was hunting for a new chicken recipe. Nothing in particular in mind....just something I hadn't done before. I came across Grilled Citrus Chicken over at Spryte's Place and the freshness of it...zest and juice from lemon, lime and orange....really got my attention. As I read her post, I noticed that Spryte had gotten the recipe from a fellow BakeSpace member...AND she included the link to the forum thread that lead to the sharing of the recipe. I clicked on the link to see if I would remember the conversation...but of course I didn't. It occurred over 2 yrs ago...but it was fun to reminisce.

The good ole days.

Well...I made a couple of changes in the recipe. Not because it "needed" it by any means...but we weren't grilled and I was in the mood for little bite sized chicken. And I was planning on making rice. The original recipe had Dijon mustard in it. Spryte replaced it with soy sauce. I used both. I'm not a fan of thyme...which was in the recipe. I replaced it with sage. I then made a sauce so go over the chicken and rice.

Let's just say....it was fabulous! A new favorite around here for sure! I wish I had made it 2 yrs ago when it was first shared with all us lucky BakeSpace peeps.

I have to warn ya here...I didn't jot down exact time frames on cooking this dish...you just have to kinda keep and eye on it and go with your gut.

Citrus Chicken
Printable Version

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs or a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used the prepackaged chicken thighs from Costco) cut into chunks
1 TB each lemon, lime and orange zest
1 TB each lemon, lime and orange juice
2 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil plus extra for the pan
1 1/2 TB honey
2 TB fresh sage, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

In a sealable baggy, combine the citrus zests and juice along with the shallots, garlic, Dijon, soy sauce, veggie oil, honey, sage, salt and pepper. Squish around to combine. Add in the chicken. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for a few hours. I wouldn't do it overnight though. Citrus is a fantastic tenderizer but if left too long, it starts to break down the meat. I've even heard that it will begin to "cook" fish. I don't do fish (due to allergies) so I haven't investigated how and why this happens. Or how technically true it is.....anyways....2 - 6 hours is fine.

Add enough oil in a hot skillet to cover the bottom. Pour everything, chicken and marinade, into the heated skillet.

Cook on medium low, stirring often, until liquid is pretty much cooked down. This is were you have to be careful. If the heat is too high or you cook it too long, you could scorch the marinade residue.

Remove the chicken and set aside

Add the vermouth to the hot skillet and deglaze the pan, stirring up all those crispified bits that might be stuck to the bottom...mmmm....lots of flavor in those babies. Add the chicken broth

Allow to simmer until reduced a bit. Not too much cuz you want enough sauce to pour over the chicken and soak into the rice...ya know? Because once the sauce is done, you add the chicken back into the pan and serve it over some nice fluffy rice