I steamed asparagus for the first time on the grill the other day. It came out great! My only critique is that I would have cooked it longer. I made hamburgers and put the asparagus on about halfway through but I should have put it on the grill right when I started the burgers. Anyway, here’s what I did:
- Snap the ends off of about 15 spears of asparagus (you can also trim them with a knife).
- Cut a large piece of aluminum foil and place it shiny side up.
- Place the asparagus in the center of the tin foil. Sprinkle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper (all to taste).
- Cover the asparagus with the tin foil (make sure all of the spears are covered).
- Place it on the grill away from the center of the direct heat.
- Timing varies. If you like your asparagus crispy, leave it on for 15 minutes. If you like it cooked all the way through, leave it on for about thirty minutes.
When I first started making chocolate chip cookies from scratch, I did what most people do. I followed the Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe that can be found on the Nestle bag. All that changed when I completely messed up. Halfway through following the instructions, I started following the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies recipe that was also on the bag. I noticed after a few steps, said “Oops” and resumed following the chocolate chip cookies.
My husband declared that they were the best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever had. They had a crispy outside and soft, gooey inside. Since that time, I’ve improved on the cookies even more.
My challenge to you is to find your own “special” chocolate chip cookie recipe. Take the recipe you always use, and make some changes to it. Here’s what I did to modify the recipe. You can borrow my ideas.
- add extra granulated sugar
- add more brown sugar
- use large, not extra large eggs
- add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee grinds to the batter
- add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to the batter
- line the baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper before dropping the cookies down
- let them cool on a cooling rack instead of in the pan
If you decide to make any changes and they come out great, let me know!
I just had this for breakfast today. It was filling and low in carbohydrates. I think scrambles are easier than omelets but if you would like to turn this into an omelet prepare the sauteed mushrooms and garlic separately and then follow the procedure for making an omelet. For now, I’ll explain to you the scramble version in more detail.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley
grated Parmesan cheese to finish it off
Set a fry pan to medium and let it heat for about a minute. Add olive oil, mushrooms, and garlic. Sautee until the mushrooms are soft. Add scrambled egg, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper. Prepare as you would scrambled eggs. Everyone likes them differently. I like mine a little firmer than usual. Transfer to a plate and top with Parmesan cheese.
Now that this blog is a little older, it is starting to take shape. I’ve been offering you some ideas for the kitchen. If you notice, I tend to focus on seasonal cooking. That’s how I cook at home. It’s a habit I picked up on when I lived in Germany. I choose the freshest ingredients available.
I have fond memories of strawberry season. That is perhaps my favorite time. That, and when the tomatoes come out in late summer.
But, I digress. The real point of this blog post is to tell you that in addition to sharing with you my cooking recipes, insights, and tips I’ll be reviewing cooking equipment. Mainly, I’ll be talking about the things in my own kitchen that I absolutely can’t do without.
I’ll leave you today with a list of kitchen utensils I can’t do without. You can use this as a baseline to stock your own kitchen. As you gain comfort in the kitchen, no doubt you’ll have your own list of essential items. Most of these tools may not even be on your list, but it’s a good place to start.
- wire whisk
- chef’s knife
- knife sharpener
- kitchen shears
- OXO good grips kitchen tongs
- my hands
- a sturdy wooden spoon
You can make almost anything if you have these items. For me, it is important to learn how to do things such as make bread without a fancy machine. After you know the basic techniques you can move on and learn how to use the fancy gadgets.
I personally don’t really use a lot of equipment. I prefer to keep it simple. My kitchen has almost everything - a blender, a mixer, a food processor, ice cream machine… but I really do prefer to keep my tools as simple as possible. Since I have a hard time getting the lid onto my food processor, I don’t save any time at all using it.
I learned today that a balsamic vinegar reduction is great as a stand-alone salad dressing. I had a version of Insalate Caprese that used this reduction instead of olive oil - I thought it was brilliant.
The end result is a product that is still a little tangy but has more sweetness than regular vinegar. It would pair well with a fresh berry fruit salad (use in season strawberries and other berries). I can also picture it drizzled on a crepe that is filled with goat cheese and even on potato pancakes or oven fries.
To make it, just put the vinegar in a small saucepan and reduce it down by half by simmering it. So, if you put two cups in the sauce pan, reduce it down to one cup.
Here are some more ideas on things you can do with the vinegar reductions:
- Drizzle it on cheesecake instead of using the standard fruit fillings
- Use it in place of syrup on pancakes
- Use it as a dip for bread or crudites
- Toss roasted potatoes or roasted vegetables in the reduction after they come out of the oven
Can you think of more ways to use a balsamic vinegar reduction?
Plain iced tea is fine, but sometimes I want something with a little more pizazz. The delicate taste of peach adds a sweet flavor while the ginger gives it a zing. You can use either green tea or black tea. I prefer black tea. You’ll need a quart sized pitcher for this recipe. If you have a larger pitcher just double the recipe.
- 4 cups boiling water
- 4 tea bags
- 1 ripe peach
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
Slice the peach down the middle and remove the pit. Cut the peach into quarters and add to the pitcher. Sprinkle the peaches with the ginger, add the teabags, and pour the boiling water over it. Let it steep for around ten minutes and then remove them. You can leave the peach and the ginger in. Serve chilled and garnish with fresh mint lives or candied ginger.
That is the name (or roughly) at a dish I enjoyed over the weekend at the Cape Neddick Lobster Pound in Cape Neddick, Maine. The chef made a scampi that included baby shrimp and fiddleheads and poured it over the seared salmon. It was served with vegetables and rice - both of which seemed slightly out of place. Truth be told, I would have been content with just what was on my plate and some bread. But I ate the veggies anyway because it was broccoli and I always feel bad leaving such a healthy vegetable on my plate.
Fiddleheads are only around during the spring. But as I was about to dig in, my husband looked over at my plate and declared that the fiddleheads looked a little like asparagus. He’s right. So, if I were to replicate this dish in the off season, I would use asparagus as a replacement for the fiddleheads.
Of course, if I were to make it I’m sure it would taste a lot different than it did at the Lobster Pound - my cooking always does. I always seem to prefer the restaurant’s dish in these occasions. But if I do hit the kitchen, I’ll take detailed notes so that you all can enjoy a replica of this dish.
I thought I’d take advantage of the fact that asparagus are in season. So, dinner tonight was pan seared bison steaks with roasted asparagus.
Unfortunately, I didn’t write anything down. But I can try to describe for you what I did.
To roast the asparagus, I snapped the ends off and laid them in a single layer on a baking dish. I preheat the oven to 350 degrees, sprinkled the asparagus with oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted it for about 15 minutes. I took it out of the oven and sprinkled them with lemon juice.
To prepare the steaks, I sprinkled each side with salt and pepper and let it sit for about five minutes before I seared it. I let the steak cook for about six minutes each side. When both sides were done, I transfered it to a plate and let it sit. I poured about a cup of wine in the pan and scraped all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. After the liquid reduced by half, I added two tablespoons of butter and let it melt.
I poured the sauce over the steak after I plated it and before I put the asparagus down. I didn’t want the sauce to go on the asparagus so I waited.
It was really satisfying. I prefer bison over beef because of its taste, and it’s a lot leaner.
As a kid, my parents would take us out for ice cream sundaes once in a while. My favorite was the simple sundae because I always got to choose the sauce and the ice cream flavor. This sundae takes me back to that time. Plus, there’s something about a warm sauce that makes the dessert feel extra special. Finish it off with candied ginger pieces for an unconventional twist.
2 medium scoops ice cream of choice (try vanilla or chocolate, or use your imagination)
3 tablespoons strawberry sauce , warm
1 tablespoon candied ginger, chopped (optional)
Scoop ice cream into a pretty dessert dish. Top with strawberry sauce and sprinkle with candied ginger. If you don’t like candied ginger you can also try candied orange peels or dark chocolate pieces.
Sometimes, there just isn’t time to make a healthy supper from scratch. So, I need to raid the pantry or freezer. There are plenty of canned soups and prepackaged, frozen meals that are healthy. But, they always seem to be missing something. To me, they’re bland. They lack that personalized touch that makes home cooking so great.
My way of getting past that is to put the food on a pretty dish or bowl and garnish it or add extra ingredients to give it a homemade feel. Here’s a few examples of what I mean:
- Canned Soups. To spice up canned soups, I heat the soups up in a saucepan. While it’s warming, I take some time to chop up some fresh herbs. My favorites are chives and parsley (but I never use both). I also like to use scallions. Pour the soup in a bowl when it’s down and garnish with the fresh herbs.
- Frozen Meals. Warm up the meal according to the package directions. Remove food from the tray and place in a plate or bowl. Garnish with chopped, fresh herbs.
- Mac and Cheese. I once helped my sister make her packaged mac and cheese seem homemade. So, we cut up some scallions and mixed it in after the it was all prepared.
You can make anything seem homemade by garnishing with fresh herbs. You can also add extra ingredients. For example, you can add cooked chicken to a canned vegetable soup or extra cheddar cheese to a packaged mac and cheese.
