comfort food

the past two days have been emotionally and spiritually rough. i felt like i was being dragged over a shredder then haphazardly put back together. the kids were fine, they were wonderful, but i was facing opposition that i had unwillingly been dragged into. all i wanted was to stay in my batman jammies, curl up in bed, and eat comfort food- i tend to take my frustrations out via exercise or by cooking/ baking. unfortunately, i have responsibilities i must fulfill, it's too cold outside for jammies, i watch my calorie intake, so the only remedy i had was to bake oatmeal chocolate chip raisin cookies. i'll eat them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream smooshed in between, and if i have some, with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top. the ultimate "the world isn't so bad if i could have this" food.

they are deceptively easy to make and take about 10 minutes my oven. just ten quick minutes to a comforting not too bad for you treat.

oatmeal chocolate chip raisin cookies

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups raisins
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat to 350⁰ F. If using a convection oven, reduce oven temperature to 325.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, including oatmeal. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients, raisins, and chocolate chips. Mix until the flour is just incorporated. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.  

Drop dough by spoonful onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until bottoms are light golden brown and the tops are slightly shiny. Remove from oven and cool.

Enjoy with a glass of milk.

until next post- maggie

pulling an overnighter

by request...drum roll please...pulled pork! the most tender pulled pork that requires almost zero prep time. i cook this overnight- on low heat for 12 hours, in my slow cooker and when it's finished, the meat is so tender it falls apart as i'm removing it from the pot. it's fantastically delicious.

maggie's apple- balsamic pulled pork with caramelized onions

1 pork shoulder- my grocery store has a label that says "great for pulled pork"- look for marbling!
apple juice
balsamic vinegar
about 1 tablespoon of honey
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
salt and ground black pepper and garlic powder- use as much or as little as you want
2 chicken bouillon cubes
bouquet garni- thyme, rosemary, and basil
or 1 tsp each of your favorite dried herbs.

for the bouquet garni-

cheesecloth
butcher's twine
preferred herbs- dried or fresh
kitchen shears

cut a two layers of cheesecloth into small square. put in 1 tsp each of your preferred herbs. i love the combination of thyme, rosemary, and basil. gather the corners of the cheesecloth together and tie tightly with the butcher's twine. cut off excess cheesecloth and twine. put aside for later.

you can make the broth in a separate pot and simmer it together first if you want to taste the finished broth before pouring it over the pork. the ratio of apple juice to balsamic vinegar is 3 parts apple juice to 2 parts balsamic vinegar. pour the liquids into your slow cooker or pot. add the brown sugar, honey, garlic powder, salt, and ground pepper and stir to combine. 

if you're making this in a pot first, bring the broth to a simmer and add the bouillon cubes and bouquet garni. simmer until the cubes are dissolved and taste. re-season if needed. the broth should taste sweet from the apple juice, honey, and brown sugar, slightly acidic from the vinegar, then savory from the bouillon cubes.

if you're making this directly into your slow cooker, you can still taste the broth. the savory taste will not be there because the bouillon cubes won't have dissolved yet, but don't worry, once your slow cooker is on the cubes will dissolve and balance out the flavors. oh, and throw the bouquet garni in with everything else at the same time.

place your pork in your slow cooker. if you're making the broth in a separate pot first, allow to cool and pour over the pork. you'll notice i don't sear the sides or season the pork before. that's because the pork is going to sit in the broth, in the slow cooker, marinading, until you turn on your slow cooker. there should be enough liquid to cover most of the pork.

see the bouquet garni? it just floats:)

as i mentioned before, i make this overnight- low heat for 12 hours. sometime in the afternoon, i'll put this all together and the pork marinades until i turn the slow cooker on, about 7 in the evening. in the morning, the house smells of apple-y, balsamic-y, meat-y goodness. if the meat falls apart with a fork, it's ready. i turn off the slow cooker and let the pork sit some more until i'm home from sending everyone to school. then i'll shred the pork into a microwave safe casserole dish and cover it in the cooked broth. this helps to keep the meat from drying out when i reheat it later for dinner. then i use any remaining broth to make an au jus for dipping pulled pork sandwiches in- i just pour the broth into a small pot and reduce it. viola! pulled pork!

why do i use a bouquet garni instead of just putting herbs in? you could just put dried herbs into the stock, but i like the broth to be smooth. i save the broth and use it to flavor the caramelized onions and i don't like caramelized onions when they're speckled with herbs.

for the caramelized onions-

2 large onions, finely sliced in half- moons- i like to use sweet onions and red onions

2 tsp of olive oil

salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder

broth from the pulled pork- start with about 1 1/2 cups

i used the broth from after the pulled pork is cooked because it contains the yummy meat flavor. it adds another layer of flavor to the onions

in a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. add the onions. season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. cook until onions are caramelized. add the stock and simmer together until the stock has thickened. use more if needed.

my family loves this version of pulled pork. the pork is so tender and falls to pieces with a fork. we eat this with homemade applesauce, or stuffed inside quesadillas with homemade guacamole and salsa, or rolled into homemade tortilla dough and baked into taquitos. my favorite way to eat this dish is with soft buns and some havarti cheese. i drizzle some au jus onto the inside of a bun, layer the pulled pork with some of the onions and shredded havarti, and savor each bite.

until next post- maggie

rite of passage

happy chinese new year! there are a plethora of traditional chinese dishes to eat in celebration of this holiday, but the only ones i made this year are dumplings and chow mein. every chinese kid grows up watching their moms make dumplings. it's a rite of passage, learning how to flavor the meat and veggies and, most importantly, how to wrap the dumplings properly so they look like little coin purses. all food eaten during chinese new year has a symbolic meaning. the only ones i can remember are the noodles representing longevity and the dumplings representing prosperity. coincidentally, those are also two of my favorite dishes.

dumplings take time to make. i don't make my wrappers from scratch, but i do marinade the filling for at least three hours- i find this helps the flavor to really sink into the filling. the wrapping takes the longest. i usually put on a movie and watch while i wrap. when i first started helping my mom make dumplings, i would get so frustrated with my ugly flat little dumplings, instead of plump pretty ones like hers that didn't fall over, but sat nicely on the tray. it's one of those things that just takes practice. the more you make, the better you get. i wouldn't say my dumplings are as pretty as my mom's, but they taste delicious, and that my friends, is the whole point of chinese new year, at least in my head- gorging oneself on lots and lots of yummy food!

dumpling marinade-

soy sauce

hoisin sauce

garlic powder
ground ginger

honey

brown sugar

salt and ground black pepper

combine everything into a large measuring cup. i usually make about 1 1/2 cups of this marinade, with a 1:3 ratio for the hoisin sauce and soy- 1 part hoisin for every 3 parts soy sauce. i also use low sodium soy sauce so i can control the salt content. add as much seasoning as you want and taste before you pour it over the filling. the marinade should taste a bit savoury, a bit tangy, and a bit sweet. you can add some heat with sriracha sauce, but i didn't because my kids can't handle spice, yet.

dumpling filling-

3-5 pounds of preferred ground meat- i use ground pork, but ground chicken or turkey works well

3 cups of minced green cabbage

2 stalks of green onion, minced

in a food processor, process the cabbage and green onion together until everything is finely chopped. empty into a large mixing bowl and add meat to it. season everything with salt and pepper and mix together. pour marinade over and combine. you can add as much or as little of the marinade, but i usually end up using the entire 1 1/2 cups. cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

time to assemble! you'll need about 3 packs of dumpling skins. each pack comes with two stacks, so you'll end up with 6 stacks of skins. 

spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of a dumpling skin. dip a finger into water and wet the perimeter of the skin. the water acts as the glue that holds the dumpling together.

fold the dumpling in half  and form a semi- circle with the filling in the middle. 

now comes the part that took me almost 20 years to perfect- pinching the dumpling closed. one side at a time, pinch the edge of the dumpling together. you'll be left with a little "pocket" that sticks out- flatten that against the curved dumping seam. repeat on the other side. it's almost like origami. 

pinch along the curve of the dumpling to make sure everything is sealed and viola! you have a dumpling!

i usually end up with almost 200 dumplings. as i make them, i put them in rows on a nonstick baking sheet, about half an inch apart, and freeze them overnight. once frozen, i transfer them into freezer bags and i have a quick meal ready to go. you can eat these babies steamed or fried. whatever your preference, make more of the marinade to dip the dumplings into, or use sriracha sauce, because dumplings are made for dipping. 

happy chinese new year!

until next post- maggie

helpful

i love the internet. i love the plethora of ideas. the kitchn is one of those sites that always has a good idea. i found this via facebook and i thought i would share it with you. just trying to be helpful!

http://www.thekitchn.com/8-small-cooking-habits-that-make-a-big-difference-184414

if you have a minute to spare, peruse the site a bit. it's a wonderful resource for cooks and a wealth of recipes, organizational ideas, and tips. it's rapidly becoming one of my go to sites!

until next post- maggie

out of necessity

i baked up a storm in my kitchen today.why? out of necessity. my five munchkins devoured all the cereal in the house and needed breakfast. so i made muffins...moist apple muffins with a sweet streusal topping. the kids helped, of course, and happily licked the bowl clean.

i love the crumbly texture of the streusal topping with the tenderness of the muffin. it's just begging to be eaten with a glass of cold milk. i think i'll have one now. 

apple streusel muffins

for the muffins-

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

1 cup of milk or vanilla yogurt or sour cream or a combination

1 cup of brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 medium honeycrisp apples, unpeeled and minced- i use my food processor to first shred, then chop the apples

1/2 cup raisins- optional

preheat oven to 325⁰ F. line 2 six cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. sift together dry ingredients and set aside.

in a large bowl, whisk together oil and eggs. add sugar and vanilla. slowly add in half the milk and mix until smooth. add in the dry ingredients and the minced apples. fold into batter and add the remaining milk. keep folding until flour streaks are gone. 

fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full and cover tops with streusel topping, about 1 tablespoon per muffin. bake for 20 minutes, until topping is light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 

allow to cool inside muffin tins. 

for the streusel topping

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup  + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter

in a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients. cut in butter with fingers and blend. sprinkle liberally over the top of the muffin batter, before baking. 

until next post- maggie

valentine sugar cookies

i love cookies. they are my downfall. i can say no to brownies, cakes, cupcakes, muffins, but not to cookies. they make me happy...so when one of my kids asked me to make sugar cookies for his school's valentine's day party, i couldn't say no. after all, making cookies means there's cookie dough to sample and any leftover cookies are all mine. mine mine mine <insert evil laugh here>

valentine sugar cookies

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda ½  teaspoon baking powder 
1 cup softened butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾  cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons buttermilk, vanilla yogurt, or sour cream

colored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 375⁰ F*

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet.
Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. With a brush or fingers, moisten the top of each cookie with the remaining buttermilk and slightly flatten the top of each cookie. 

Bake for 8 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack. 


*if you're using a convection oven lower the temperature to 350 and bake for 8 minutes, until cookie bottoms are light golden brown. 

buttercream frosting

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 heavy cream- you can substitute table cream

2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt- optional

In a stand mixer, or in a bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add in cream and vanilla. Add salt if the frosting is too sweet for your liking. Beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add more cream until desired consistency is reached. 

Frost cookies once they are cool. Have kids decorate cookies with colored sprinkles. Try not to eat all of them. 

until next post- maggie

swoon worthy

two words. nutella brownie. as though brownies needed to be more perfect. moist, gooey squares of chocolate-y goodness now with all the delicious addictive-ness of nutella. i tested a few recipes before i decided to just alter my perfect brownie recipe. oh my. i died and went to chocolate hazelnut heaven.

can you see the gooey center? i'm drooling just looking the photo. here's the recipe. i hope you like it as much as my family did.

Nutella Brownies

¾ cup semi- sweet chocolate chips, melted

1 cup nutella

2 large eggs

½ cup all purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat 350⁰F. Grease and flour a 8x8 baking pan. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Remove from heat and add nutella. Stir until smooth and creamy. Leave to cool.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each egg. Add the vanilla. Stir until combined and mixture is smooth.

Add in flour and mix until flour is just blended and there are no more streaks.

Bake for 15- 18 minutes, until top is papery and cracked and a toothpick comes out slightly moist. 

if you're using a convection oven, preheat the oven at 325⁰F. bake for 15 minutes and remove when the top of the brownie is just starting to crack. leave it to cool, uncovered, at room temperature- as the chocolate cools, the brownie top will crack and have that paper-y look. 

until next post- maggie

stuffed shells

oh stuffed shells. i love them so much. tender, al dente, little pasta shells filled with creamy cottage cheese and spinach, smothered in homemade marinara sauce. i'm drooling just thinking about this. luckily, it's what we're having for dinner! you could use ricotta, but i use cottage cheese because there's a lactose- free cottage cheese and i have yet to see lactose-free ricotta. and cottage cheese is less expensive.

stuffed shells stuffing-

1 large container of preferred cottage cheese- i use two small tubs- two small= 1 large
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 pack of frozen chopped spinach,
2 eggs
salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder
1/2 tsp of granulate sugar
1 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
homemade marinara sauce- see this post for recipe
2 boxes of jumbo shell pasta- i always make two boxes- shells break and my hubby LOVES shells

defrost and drain the spinach. set aside. blend the cottage cheese until smooth- i use my trusty immersion blender- and pour into a medium- sized mixing bowl. add the parmesan, drained spinach- as dry as possible- and season. taste and season if needed. i add sugar to balance the slightly bitter taste of the spinach and the saltiness of the parmesan. add the eggs and combine. set aside.

make pasta according to instructions on package. drain and allow to cool. stuff pasta shells with cheese mixture.

preheat oven to 375⁰F. cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish, about an inch high, with sauce and place the stuffed shells into the pan, with the openings facing up. lightly cover the stuffed shells with more marinara sauce and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. bake for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. turn off oven and leave the dish inside for another 10 minutes so the cheese turns nice and brown.

enjoy with garlic bread and a salad!

until next post- maggie

family favorites- marinara sauce

why buy canned tomato sauce when you can make your own? i learned how to make this when i was in italy. it's not as authentic as what i had in italy, but it's still delicious.

homemade marinara sauce-

1/2 cup of diced onion
1 cup of diced carrots
1 cup of diced peppers- red, orange, or yellow- whatever you prefer
15- 20 large vine ripe hot house tomatoes, roughly chopped- you could use romas, but the vine ripes have more flavor
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tsp of preferred herb- i usually use a combination of dried basil and oregano
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and granulated sugar- i pinch in the salt and pepper and shake a layer of garlic powder and 1/4 tsp of sugar over each ingredient as it's added to the pot.

 in a large pot, add the onion to cold oil, then turn on the burner to medium heat. season and saute until the onions are caramelized. add the carrots and peppers. season and saute. 

once everything is soft, add the tomatoes. season and gently mix. cover and simmer for about 10- 15 minutes.

remove from heat and blend, blend, blend. if you're using a traditional blender, you'll have to let the sauce cool. if you're like me and have an immersion blender, you can blend it right away, just be careful of splatter. blend until it's as smooth as you want it to be.

return the pot to the burner, this time on low. bring to a simmer and taste. re-season if needed and add herbs. simmer for another 10- 15 minutes to thicken.

i make this marinara sauce almost weekly. i use it as a base for any tomato sauce based pasta dish, i cook my pot roast or roast pork in this, as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks or deep fried mac n cheese balls, and as a pizza sauce. sometimes, i'll make an all yellow tomato sauce, using only yellow tomatoes and yellow peppers, or an all orange tomato sauce with orange tomatoes, carrots, and orange peppers. it's a fun way to change things up and the kids love it. 

i hope you enjoy this sauce as much as my family does!

until next post- maggie