Eggnog Bread Pudding

Town in downtown San Carlos has the best bread pudding in the Peninsula.  I
 managed to get the recipe from the cook once but now I can't find the napkin it was scribbled on.  I know one of their secret ingredients is that they use sourdough instead of regular bread.  I wanted to try it out with this recipe I found online that called for Panetonne bread.  Celina's family will be guinea pigs tonight, hehehehe.

Eggnog Bread Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 loaf sourdough bread
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups eggnog
• 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup cranberries
• 2 tablespoons currants

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine eggs, eggnog, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. 
3. Whisk well. 
4. Add bread and raisins. Toss well.
5. Pour into 8 x 8 casserole dish.
6. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, or until puffed and set in the middle.

Please note:  I have an electric oven and its a hit or miss on how it browns things.  This bread pudding was in there for 50 minutes only.

Quick tip from Celina's Mom:  2 to 1 ratio for eggs and milk.  With 2 cups of egg nog, you should use 2 eggs for better binding.  Also, use stale bread and let the liquid mix soak/marinate into the bread for at least 2 hours for better results.

What a Crock: Lamb Shanks with Herbed Potatoes

I decided to stay in the Bay Area for the holiday season and was invited to spend the Christmas Eve with my friend Celina and her family.  I wanted to make something special to share with her family to thank them for their thoughtfulness and hospitality.  I was drooling on this recipe earlier this week and thought this would be the perfect occasion to make it.  Again, this calls for my new best friend in the kitchen, the crock pot.

Lamb Shanks with Herbed Potatoes
Prep:  35 minutes
Cook:  10 to 11 hours (low) or 5 to 5 1/2 hours (high)
Yields 4 servings


INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 to 5 lbs. meaty lamb shanks ( 3 to 4 shanks but I actually used lamb shoulders per butcher's suggestion)
1 1/2 lbs round red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon snipped fresh sage
1/3 cup chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped tomato

STEPS:

1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley

1)  In a small bowl, combine mustard, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.

2)  Brush mixture onto lamb shanks.

3)  Place potatoes, and garlic cloves in a 5-to-6 quart slow cooker.

4)  Sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, and sage.

5)  Top with lamb shanks.


6)  Pour broth over all.

7)  Cover; cook on low setting for 10 to 11 hours or on high setting for 5 to 5 1/2 hours.

8)  Remove lamb shanks from cooker.

9)  Skim excess fat from cooking liquid; season to taste with salt and pepper.

10)  Serve lamb shanks with potatoes and cooking juices.

11)  Sprinkle with tomato and parsley. 

Oh Fudge!

I love chocolate.  No, really I LOVE CHOCOLATE so much that I used to sleep with it in my mouth.  When I lived in Cebu my father worked in Saudi Arabia and used to send boxes of American chocolate. Hershey's Kisses were my favorite and I used to hide a few (insert sarcasm) from my mother and pop it in my mouth right before I went to bed. Needless to say, I carried on with this gluttonous affair till my early twenties.  

Fudge is another American invention dating back to the 1880's. Different types of chocolate melted together with cream, butter and sugar -- it is a lover of chocolate's ultimate dream.  This recipe is a modern rendition with sweetened condensed milk.   I volunteer at a local Elementary school as a reading tutor.  My program manager gave out fudge pieces with a recipe card for the holiday season and wanted to share it with you. 

Quick Yummy Fudge

1 c milk chocolate chips
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
dash of salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c walnuts, chopped

1)   Add condensed milk, chocolate chips, and salt to pan.
2)   Mix.
3)   Stir over low heat until melted.
4)   Add vanilla and walnuts.
5)  Line 8" square pan with aluminum foil.
6)  Pour in fudge.
7)  Let cool on counter.
8)  Put in fridge for 3 hours.
9)  Remove foil.
10)  EAT ALL NOW -- just kidding, cut into pieces.

What a Crock: German-Style Pork Stew

Crock Pots emerged in America in the 1970's at the crossroads of convenience and love of meat.    I work all day, go to the gym daily and spend about 1 to 2 hours there and by the time I get done with my day, it is late and I am hungry.  Crock pots are the perfect solution to my time crunch.  I love the idea of "set it and forget it."

Once again, I bought a magazine book a while back with 179 crock pot recipes without owning a crock pot. I finally got one for $16 during the holiday sale.  What a deal!!!  I picked this recipe  because it was under the "Budget Bests" section and it literally has 6 ingredients and 3 steps, thanks to the crock pot.  How can one falter?  Apple juice and caraway seeds, classic flavors that compliments pork, season the meat and the rich brown gravy.

Prep:  25 minutes
Cook time:  7 to 8 hours (low) or 3 1/2 to 4 hours (high)
Yields 4 servings


Nonstick cooking spray
2 to 2 1/4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder or beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 16 to 20 oz. package of refrigerated diced potatoes (I used fresh ones since I had them around)
2 12 oz. jars of mushroom gravy (cream of mushroom)
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 teaspoons of caraway seeds

1)  Lightly coat a 12-inch skillet with cooking spray.  Heat the skillet over medium heat.  Add pork; cook and stir until light brown.  Drain off fat.

2)  In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker, combine pork, potatoes, gravy, apple juice, and caraway seeds.

3)  Cover; cook on low-setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high settings for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Please note:  No pics till I fix my camera or get a new phone.  :)

Scrumptiously Crispy Apple Crumble

Apples are one of my favorite fruits next to mangoes, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, and papayas.  Many have seen the great versatility of the apple in the kitchen.  You can make applesauce, apple cider, apple pies and etc. I decided to just stick with the basics.  I am referring to the apple crumble.  The ingredients are easy to find in your kitchen pantry or in the grocery stores.  The steps are only 5 steps and the finished crumble will leave you with a Scrumptiously Crispy Apple Crumble.




YIELDS 2 SERVINGS 
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
2 tbsp Brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon (for a more potent fragrance, grate a cinnamon stick with a microplane)
2 tbsp / 30g / 1oz. cold butter, cut into cubes (room temperature butter melts much better)
1/2 lemon juice squeeze


Topping:
½ cup oats
½ cup flour
1/4th cup granulated sugar
1/4th cup brown sugar
1/4th cup walnuts, chopped I used almonds since they were all I had)
5 tbsp / 75g / 2.65 oz. cold butter, cut into cubes  (room temperature butter melts much better)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. In a bowl, toss together apple, brown sugar and cinnamon, until well coated.
3. Grease an ovenproof dish with butter and transfer the apples to it. Dot with cold butter. Set aside.
4. In another bowl mix together the ingredients for the topping. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or a fork. Refrigerate this for about 10 minutes if you’ve got the time.
5. Spread chunks of the topping mixture over the apples and bake for 35-40 minutes until the apples are done.
6. If the apples are rather juicy, you might have to drain off the excess juices halfway through baking.
7. Sneak in a few bites while still in the oven, under the pretext of making sure there isn’t too much liquid in there.
8. Serve the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce or even Dulce de Leche.

 Please note:  

• Borrowed recipe + added lemon and almonds instead of walnuts
• I wish the recipe called out what size of pan to use.  I used the traditional pie pan.
• I need to take better pictures which leads me to believe I need a better camera or some photography lessons. 

Chicken Gumbo Soup

An old friend came over the other night and to celebrate this surprise visit I decided to make Chicken Gumbo Soup.  It has been a while since I saw my old friend but I am happy to see we are restarting our friendship.  I picked this soup mainly because I had extra thyme, parsely and bay leaf (see CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP from last posting ).  Again, I got the recipe from "Splendid Soups & Spectacular Sides to make a meal" by Cuisine at Home.

Traditionally, gumbo requires hours to make but this one should take about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.  I decided to make Akeya rice instead of plain white rice to accompany the gumbo.  Akeya rice is a healthy substitute to plain white rice. For one serving (a cup) it has 160 calories compared to the 204 calories with plain white rice.  Either way, I decided to make it since my health-conscious mother gave it to me to try.  Cooking it on the stovetop was a long wait.  In retrospect, I could have gone to bed earlier if I cooked the plain white rice instead.

 In the end, this soup hit the spot for me though I don't think my friend shared the same sentiments.  I might have added too much cayenne (for an extra kick since I like spicy foods) and maybe just a little (insert sarcasm) dash of  red pepper flakes to see what would happen.  Well what happened was she couldn't handle the heat and couldn't enjoy a full bowl!  With that said, be mindful with how much cayenne you add to the gumbo goodness.

BROWN IN 2 T. OLIVE OIL; in large pot over medium heat for 5-8 minutes.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
8 oz. kielbasa, 1/4"- thick slices

Remove meats from the pot and set aside.

COMBINE in the same pot the meat was browned in. 

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, or until it's the color and consistency of peanut butter.

ADD:
3/4 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup green bell peppers, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. each cayenne, white pepper, and ground black pepper

Cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

STIR IN; SEASON:
1 can diced tomatoes in juice (14 1/2 oz.)
6 cups chicken broth
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

Simmer 10-15 minutes, then season with salt to taste

ADD:
2 cups frozen sliced okra (or fresh)
Reserved chicken and sausage

Simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve gumbo over steamed white rice if desired.

DISCLAIMER:  For some reason, we could not find okra at the grocery store.  We searched high and low in that store and couldn't even find the frozen ones! I told my friend it's not really gumbo without okra.  What do you think? 

Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons

It's finally winter here in Northern California and a perfect time to stir up some Splendid Soups.  I've had too much red meat lately (see last post on meatloaf which I ate in 2 days) and wanted to make either a chicken or seafood type of soup.  Good thing Marina gave me a recipe book with 103 soup recipes 3 years ago!  If you are interested to check it out, it's "Splendid Soups & Spectacular Sides to make a meal" by Cuisine at Home.  I love these recipe books because they practically spell everything out for you.  I've probably made about 10 of the 103.  I wonder how long it will take me to finish the whole thing?  Hmmm...

Chicken Pot Pie Soup?  Huh?  Cooking, as life, is full of creative opportunities and this recipe takes a well-known comfort food that usually takes a few hours to only about 45 minutes to an hour.  This estimation  does not take into account the prep time.  It took me 2 hours because I like to take my time and make sure I'm doing everything right.  Plus, I spent almost 2 hours at the gym so I'm hungry and spent for the day. Unlike traditional pot pies baked in an actual pie crust, this rendition is playfully accompanied with puff pastry croutons. 

FOR THE CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP:

SWEAT in 4 T. UNSALTED BUTTER
Stir In:

1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup of carrot diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
(Sprinkle the flour a little at a time and stir constantly to prevent the flour from scroching.)

DEGLAZE WITH; STIR IN:
2 T. dry sherry
5 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of cooked chicken, shredded (left over rotisserie chicken works though  I grilled 1 lbs of chicken thighs fillets on my George Foreman grill)
2 T. chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2  t. kosher salt
1/4  t. black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg

ADD:
1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels ( I used an 8 oz. can of sweet corn)
1/2 cup of frozen green peas ( I used an 8 oz. can of sweet peas)
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 t. fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
(Stir in the peas and parley just before serving.  Otherwise, their color will fade)

SWEAT onion, celery, mushrooms, carrot and garlic in butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Cook 3-4 minutes, then stir in potatoes and cook for 3 more minutes.  Whisk in flour; cook 1-2 minutes.

DEGLAZE WITH sherry, then stir in the broth, chicken, and seasoning.  Bring to boil, reduce to heat to medium, and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until thickened.

ADD corn, peas, parsley and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

FOR PUFF PASTRY CROUTONS:

ROLL OUT; BEAT TOGETHER and BRUSH OVER:
1 sheet purchased puff pastry, thawed.  (this takes 40 minutes so you can thaw it out while you work on the soup)
1 egg
1 T. water

SPRINKLE WITH:
Kosher salt, paprika, and grated Parmesan.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees; line baking sheet with parchment paper (I forgot to pick this up from the grocery store so I just Pam-sprayed the sheet.)

Roll pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4 thick.  Beat egg with water, then brush over dough.

Sprinkle dough lightly with salt, paprika, and Parmesan, and cut into 1 1/2"
 squares.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

 I might have left the pastry on too long for about 3 minutes.  See below. =P

Give thanks for true friends and their splendid soups!