Elementary Chef

It’s turning chilly. And chilly weather, in my opinion, requires at least one pot of soup a week. One of my favorite things to make this time of year is bean soup. I get this love from my mother. She made bean soup so frequently that some of the kids in our neighborhood (who liked eating at our house) came to the conclusion that we must be down on some really hard times. (I think in reality, she was probably trying to discourage their nightly trips to HER kitchen!)

I still remember my grandfather adding ketchup (or is it catsup?) to his soup. And yes, I admit, I sometimes do it, too. I think I like this particular recipe because it calls for tomatoes. I also like the mix of herbs.

Here’s a super-easy bean soup recipe using, what else?, your crockpot! It goes great with corn muffins.

Bean Soup

1 package (20 oz.) 15- or 16-dried bean soup mix, sorted and rinsed
1/2 lb. smoked beef sausage ring, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
10 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/s tsp. pepper
2 medium carrots, shredded (1 1/3 cup)
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

Mix all ingredients except carrots and tomatoes in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beans are tender.
Stir in carrots and tomatoes. Cover and cook on high heat setting about 15
minutes longer or until hot. Yields 12 servings.

I have been sick this week. It’s a bit early in the season yet for that, but it hit me. And made me once again grateful that God created Crockpot cooking. Here’s a slightly complicated recipe that I dearly love. 15 minutes of prep work. 9 hours of cooking. Then a borders-on-gourmet dinner when you get home! This particular recipe involves mostly meat. If you’re like I was, you’ve mainly used your slow cooker for soups, chowder, and chili. But, believe it or not, with the right recipes, you can have just about any dish waiting and ready when you get home at night! Indeed, after you try this pork roast recipe, jump over to this post for a great old-fashioned pot roast recipe!

Pork Roast with Creamy Mustard Sauce

2 1/2- to 3-lb. pork boneless sirloin roast
1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
3/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup half-and-half
2 to 3 Tbsp. country-style Dijon mustard

Trim excess fat from pork. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook pork in oil about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Place pork in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except half-and-half and mustard; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 9 hours or until pork is tender. Remove pork from slow cooker; cover and keep warm. Skim fat from pork juices in cooker if desired. Stir half-and-half and mustard into juices. Cover and cook on high heat setting about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve sauce with pork. 8 servings.

recipes, pork, crockpot, slow cooker

I’m not really sure why this is called Italian roast beef. I think it might be the spices. But the reason you’re getting this recipe today is because, well, sirloin roast was on sale at our neighborhood grocery store. And I needed to find a recipe to cook this big honking slab of beef I bought for dinner tomorrow night. Browsing through my files, I found this one, with a note that I liked it.

I tend to like sirloin roast better than chuck roast (which is commonly used for pot roast.) Sirloin is usually a bit cheaper and it’s not as dry. I like the dryness. It seems to have less fat on it, but I haven’t actually researched that. It’s very easy to prepare and it makes GREAT sandwich cold cuts when you’re done with dinner! I’ll be serving mine with a garden salad and brussel sprouts. (My daughter and I both LOVE brussel sprouts, which I prepare in chicken broth — NO butter.) Check out this old post for some of my favorite salad toss-ins!

ITALIAN ROAST BEEF
Rump or sirloin roast
2 c. water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Few drops of Tabasco (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Bake roast in 350 degree oven until it is rare. To pan drippings add water and beef bouillon cubes. (For more gravy, use 3 cups water and 3 bouillon cubes.) Add marjoram, thyme, oregano, Worcestershire, garlic, Tabasco and salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Slice roast very thin when it is cool. (Cornstarch can be added to gravy to thicken if desired.) Cooked strips of green pepper and onion can also be added to gravy. Add sliced beef to gravy a little at a time; simmer just long enough to heat beef. Serve on fresh French bread rolls.

I’ve had requests before for Thai recipes. Requests that I have largely ignored. Because by and large Thai food is NOT elementary. Is a complicated affair with lots of chopping and LOADS of steps involved to create the special curries and sauces you expect.

Recently, though, I saw a box of Thai Pavilion’s Green Curry with Noodles at the grocery store. I wasn’t sure about this Hamburger Helper version of Thai, but I thought it would be worth a try. Well, we finally tried it tonight, and I’m going to give is a less than enthusiastic thumbs up.

What I liked: It was super easy to prepare. First, you boil water and add the rice noodles. You simply let them simmer while preparing the meat. I already had half of a roasted chicken left over from the other night. So I picked the meat off of it and threw it in the wok with a little oil. Once the chicken had re-heated and fried a little, I turned down the heat and threw in the curry. I tossed the then-done noodles with the curry and chicken, and voila! The meal was ready.

What I didn’t like: The flavor is good, but not as good as our local Thai restaurant. The curry is somewhat oily to my taste.

All in all, we liked it. Not a gourmet meal, but this was a good alternative to eating the chicken as left-overs!

I served Thai tea with the curry, which is a must-have for us when we’re eating Thai food out. To properly prepare Thai tea, you need Thai tea leaves. These are CHEAP — like about $2.00/package. They come as loose tea, and they infuse to a reddish color.

Thai Tea
4-6 t Thai tea leaves
6 c boiling water
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

In an 8-cup teapot, mix all ingredients. (I use a large infuser so I don’t have to strain off the tea leaves.) Serve over ice. The tea is a peach-color and wonderfully sweet!

Thai tea, curry, recipes

I really do love pumpkin seeds. There’s something amazingly salty about them, and they’re just terribly wonderful to crunch. You feel like you’re eating something “bad”, but they’re actually good for you!

Since pumpkin carving time is upon us, it stands to reason that we have also reached that wonderful night of the year when there are seeds to roast! I learned today that pumpkin “guts” can actually do a number on your plumbing system. (Read the article here.) So why create waste? Roast those glorious guts!

This is a great recipe to do with the kids!

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Seeds from one pumpkin
2 tb Vegetable oil
Salt to taste (I like a lot!)

Scoop out the seeds and pulp from a pumpkin, and separate the pulp from the seeds, discarding the pulp. (Do NOT throw the pulp down your garbage disposal! Pumpkin pulp is not plumbing friendly!)

Rinse the seeds in a large colander under cold running water, removing any remaining clinging strings. Seeds will feel slippery to the touch under the water.

Dump the seeds, a small amount at a time, onto a stack of paper towels and pat dry.

Spread the seeds onto a large baking sheet and allow to finish air-drying for an hour or so. When seeds are dry, toss them with the vegetable oil to coat well and sprinkle liberally with salt. Spread into a thin layer on the baking sheet and place in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

This is an incredibly easy soup that is both a family favorite and a Weight Watcher’s choice! For those who aren’t counting calories, you can substitute ground beef, and I highly recommed crumbling tortilla chips into the soup.

Mmmmmmmm……

TACO SOUP

1 lb. ground turkey (or beef!)
1 medium onion, diced
1 can tomato sauce (16 oz.)
1 can Mexican or Italian stewed tomatoes (16 oz.)
1 can corn (16 oz.)
1 can pinto beans (16 oz.)
1 package taco seasoning

Brown hamburger and onion. Pour all ingredients into stock pot and cook for 1/2 hour.

soups, recipes, taco, Mexican

Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Muffins

Yields 12 Muffins

1 Medium Sweet Potato, Peeled & Cut Into 2″ Pieces
1/2 tsp Nutmeg, Ground
1/2 tsp Ginger, Ground
1/2 Cup Butter, Softened
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar, Packed Firmly
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Cloves, Ground
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Water
1 3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt

Place the sweet potato in a saucepan with water to cover.
Simmer until tender (about 25 minutes).
Drain.
Puree in a food processor (you’ll need 1 cup of puree for 12 muffins).
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Butter and flour the muffin tins (or line with muffin papers).
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Beat in the egg and sweet potato puree.
Sift the flour, salt, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves
together into a bowl.
Stir half the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.
Add the water.
Mix well.
Stir in the remaining dry ingredients.
Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.
Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean (18-20 minutes).
Serve warm.

recipes, sweet potato

Sweet Potato & Molasses Muffins

Yields 12 Muffins

1 Cup Pureed, Baked Sweet Potato
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 Eggs, Beaten
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Whole Milk
1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground
1/2 Cup Light, Unsulfured Molasses
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ginger, Ground
3 Tbls Butter, Melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Line the (large) muffin cups with foil muffin liners.
Combine and mix the sweet potato puree, eggs, milk, molasses and butter (in
that order) together in a large bowl.
Add all the remaining ingredients and stir until just mixed.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups.
Bake until springy to the touch and a tester inserted in the center comes out
with just a few moist crumbs (about 25 minutes).
Transfer to a rack to cool.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

recipes, sweet potato

Peanut Butter Muffins

Yields 14 Cornsticks

1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
2/3 Cup OLD FASHIONED STYLE Peanut Butter
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
5 Tbls Brown Sugar
1 1/3 Cups Milk
1 tsp Salt
2 oz Sweet Butter, melted
3 tsp Baking Powder
2 Eggs

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Butter the cornstick molds or muffin tins.
Sift the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together into a bowl.
Beat the eggs with a whisk in a separate bowl.
Mix the peanut butter with part of the milk until the mixture is smooth.
Add the the eggs along with the rest of the milk and the melted butter.
Beat well.
Quickly but thoroughly stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Fill the molds 3/4 full.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean
(15-20 minutes).
Remove from the molds immediately.
Serve warm with sweet butter.
May be stored frozen and rewarmed.

peanut butter, muffins, recipes

This is a ridiculously Southern recipe. Sweet cornbread muffins. Serve with sweet tea and butter.

Cornmeal Muffins

Yields 18 Muffins

1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
3/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Egg, Beaten
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 1/4 Cups Sour Cream
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Cup Melted Shortening
1 tsp Baking Soda

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Combine the first 6 ingredients.
Stir the eggs, sour cream and shortening together.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Mix thoroughly.
Lightly grease the muffin tins.
Fill each muffin tin 2/3 full.
Bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes).

muffins, recipes, cornmeal

Blueberry muffins are one of my favorite things to wake up to. They are the essence of a long weekend at a bed and breakfast, destined to be eaten in an elegant bedroom with a cup of tea, a flower on my pillow, and a copy of The New York Times. No, I don’t read The New York Times, but it’s my fantasy, and The Huntsville Times just didn’t sound right. Oh, and did I mention that the walls are a perfect shade of coral with lime-ish green trim?

But back to blueberry muffins… I’m not sure what makes them so sumptuous. Probably the very nature of blueberries, fruit that virtually bursts from its skin, even more so when baked into a bread….

This recipe, as with all blueberry recipes, works equally well with frozen blueberries as with fresh. Blueberries do an amazing job of retaining their freshness and juiciness when frozen, so don’t be afraid to save a few dollars and buy them frozen!

Blueberry Muffins
Yields 6 Servings

Butter for tins
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbls baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbls butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 egg
Flour
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly butter muffin tins.
Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Break egg into a small bowl. Add melted butter to milk and stir both into
egg. Pour over dry ingredients and beat briefly to blend. Shake a little
flour over the berries to coat them and fold gently into the batter.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 20 minutes.

And in case you’ve forgotten my love affair with blueberries, I am still in mourning I can’t buy this at home.

muffins, blueberries, recipes

I rarely devote a week to an idea, but this week we’re going to celebrate muffins. In all their various goodnesses. Let’s kick the week off with bananas AND blueberries. Yum.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

Yields 6 Muffins

1 Cup Pureed Overripe Bananas
6 Tbls Sweet Butter
6 Tbls Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Lemon Peel, Grated
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries, Rinsed & Drained

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cream the butter and brown sugar (using electric mixer) until light and fluffy. Mix in the banana and egg.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel. Blend into the banana mixture by hand until just moistened. Gently fold in (this means to add by gently turning over the batter — stir very lightly) the blueberries.

Line LARGE muffin cups with paper liners. Coat the liners lightly with vegetable spray. Fill each cup a little more than half full.
Bake until muffins test done with a wooden toothpick (20-25 minutes).

muffins, recipes

While we still have summer vegetables available, now is a great time to make some fresh veggie soup. We’ll make more soups with frozen vegetables later, but I tried this one the other day, and it’s wonderful!

While we don’t always think of soups during warm weather, the truth is, they’re a quick and easy meal unto themselves. All you need is a loaf of bread – a GOOD loaf of bread that is! – and you have a ready meal. My favorite bread lately has been the artisan bread at my local Costco! (My friends would tell you I love EVERYTHING at my local Costco!)

And while we’re on the subject of tomatoes, if you have been blessed with an abundance in your backyard garden, may I re-recommend the tomato quiche recipe here? This is a somewhat “wet” quiche – not because the eggs haven’t cooked, but because the tomatoes are juicy! Make sure you de-juice the tomatoes as much as possible before adding them to the quiche!

Fresh Tomato Soup

6-9 Garden fresh tomatoes
2 stalks of celery, chopped coarsely
1 med-large onion, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups water
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 cup bell or jalapeno pepper (if desired – I liked the jalapenos to add a little heat!)

Boil tomatoes until skin cracks. Peel and place back in pot. Chop onions and celery and add to tomatoes. Add water, wine, and seasonings. Bring mixture to boil. Cover and reduce to simmer for 2 hours.

soup, recipes, tomatoes