Wow, it's been a few days! And still, I have not come up with any new culinary masterpieces. With work and everything, it has just been so hard to find the time. But alas, this is not a good excuse, and for that I apologize.
I'm headed out of town this weekend for a wedding. So I probably will not be coming up with anything at that time, either. So if anyone who reads this has any good ideas, please share them!
Also, I have recently started training for a race, so I have to be much healthier in my eating habits. So the butter-laden recipes will probably cease, for the time being. But I will post some healthy ones! That is better anyway, right?
The last time I made dinner, it was my first time working with new potatoes. That sounds simple, right? Those little suckers take forever to soften into a consistency that one might consider edible! But they were pretty incredible, once it was all said and done.
I will leave you with a simple recipe for tomato sauce. Just the good old fashioned, on-top-of-spaghetti kind. Only better. Why did i choose this recipe? I don't know. Because tomato sauce sounds really delicious to me right now, I suppose!
Tomato sauce
Serves 4
5 whole tomatoes, peeled (look at the bottom for a quick and easy way to peel tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 leaves fresh basil, chopped (or 2 Tbsp jarred basil)
6 leaves parsley, chopped (or 1 Tbsp jarred parsley)
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place peeled tomatoes in a medium sauce pot, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add garlic. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Do not stir, or disturb in any way. Once 30 minutes has passed, use a pastry or potato masher to thoroughly mash tomatoes in pot. Add olive oil, water, and spices, and simmer on low for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash tomatoes once again, to ensure consistency of sauce. The longer that the tomatoes simmer, the more tender and easy to mash the tomatoes will become, and the more uniform the sauce will be. If you do not like the chunks of tomato, you can then puree in a food processor until the desired consistency is reached. Store refrigerated in an air-tight container, and use within 4 days.
*to easily peel tomatoes, fill a large pot 2/3 full with water, and bring to a rolling boil. Add tomatoes, and allow to boil for 3 minutes. Drain off water, and immediately fill pot with cold tap water. The sudden temperature change will cause the tomato skin to shrink away from the fruit, and a gentle rub is all you will need to remove the skins.\
-Happy Cooking!-
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
It's been a Kraft kind of day...
I've been sooo lazy lately! Well, as far as food preparation is concerned. We've been living on boxed foods lately... Lots of mac and cheese! :-)
However, the other night I DID do some improvisation. Someone at church has been giving us fresh veggies from their garden. Well, my husband left them in his car on a hot day, and they sort of "pre-cooked" in the hot sun. Needless to say, the shelf life was drastically shortened. So we needed to use them fast. We had a squash and two green peppers. An odd combination, but with a little help from my own stash of veggies (in the refrigerator), I made a very non-Asian stir fry. And it turned out so well that I decided to share it with you, even though it is really more of a variation on another recipe than a totally new creation. So without further adieu, I give you Squash Stir-fry!
Squash Stir-fry (if you have a better name, feel free to rename it!)
1 large yellow squash
2 small or 1 large green bell peppers
1 small Vidalia onion
1 carrot
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tbsp olive oil (or whatever oil you like to cook with)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp coarse sea salt (I use Fleur de Sel, but it's pricey. Morton is just fine!)
Slice the squash in half lengthwise, then cut into thin slices so that you have thin, half-moon slices. Cut the peppers into thin strips. Thinly grate the carrot. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is heated, add onions, and saute until caramelized. Add chicken, and stir-fry until nearly done, then add vegetables in order of slicing: squash, pepper, carrot. Once squash slices have begun to soften, add the liquids, and mix evenly to coat all vegetables and chicken pieces. There should be a small amount of liquid pooling in the middle even after mixing. Use your spoon or spatula to form a well in the middle of the ingredients, allowing sauce to puddle in the middle. Add brown sugar, stir until thoroughly dissolved, then mix to coat all pieces again. Sprinkle salt over food, then continue stir-frying for 3-4 minutes. Serve over rice.
Serves 4
Well, I hope that if you try this recipe, you enjoy it as much as we did!
If there are any types of food that you'd like to see, comment! I'm always looking for new ideas!
However, the other night I DID do some improvisation. Someone at church has been giving us fresh veggies from their garden. Well, my husband left them in his car on a hot day, and they sort of "pre-cooked" in the hot sun. Needless to say, the shelf life was drastically shortened. So we needed to use them fast. We had a squash and two green peppers. An odd combination, but with a little help from my own stash of veggies (in the refrigerator), I made a very non-Asian stir fry. And it turned out so well that I decided to share it with you, even though it is really more of a variation on another recipe than a totally new creation. So without further adieu, I give you Squash Stir-fry!
Squash Stir-fry (if you have a better name, feel free to rename it!)
1 large yellow squash
2 small or 1 large green bell peppers
1 small Vidalia onion
1 carrot
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tbsp olive oil (or whatever oil you like to cook with)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp coarse sea salt (I use Fleur de Sel, but it's pricey. Morton is just fine!)
Slice the squash in half lengthwise, then cut into thin slices so that you have thin, half-moon slices. Cut the peppers into thin strips. Thinly grate the carrot. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is heated, add onions, and saute until caramelized. Add chicken, and stir-fry until nearly done, then add vegetables in order of slicing: squash, pepper, carrot. Once squash slices have begun to soften, add the liquids, and mix evenly to coat all vegetables and chicken pieces. There should be a small amount of liquid pooling in the middle even after mixing. Use your spoon or spatula to form a well in the middle of the ingredients, allowing sauce to puddle in the middle. Add brown sugar, stir until thoroughly dissolved, then mix to coat all pieces again. Sprinkle salt over food, then continue stir-frying for 3-4 minutes. Serve over rice.
Serves 4
Well, I hope that if you try this recipe, you enjoy it as much as we did!
If there are any types of food that you'd like to see, comment! I'm always looking for new ideas!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Hmmm...
Well, by the time I got home the other night, it was too late to make pizza, so we went with the frozen-type pizza instead. But eventually I will post my recipes for all things pizza (crust, sauce, etc.)
As I was typing this, I realized that I just don't have anything good to talk about! I haven't really made anything in the past few days, at least nothing to talk about (unless you would like to know my variations on a box of Kraft mac & cheese.) So I am going to go home tonight and really create. I'm going to make something, and it's going to be good!
And when I do that, I will be back to share it with you!
Until we meet again!
As I was typing this, I realized that I just don't have anything good to talk about! I haven't really made anything in the past few days, at least nothing to talk about (unless you would like to know my variations on a box of Kraft mac & cheese.) So I am going to go home tonight and really create. I'm going to make something, and it's going to be good!
And when I do that, I will be back to share it with you!
Until we meet again!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?
Holy Heck! I have a new project! Making my own vanilla extract! I go through so much of it that when I came across this little gem of an idea, I just HAD to get on board!!
Home-made Vanilla Extract -> joythebaker.com
(click the link, I already bookmarked the post about vanilla for you!)
If you ever find yourself wanting to check out a puts-my-blog-to-shame site, check out some of her other posts! She's incredible!
Now, on with the show
Someone at church recently gave my hubby some fresh yellow squash from their garden. It sat around in our refrigerator for quite some time, just trying to decide how it wanted to be cooked. Well, inspiration came to me one day in the form of home-made squash ravioli. It sounded delicious, and I had some pasta dough left over from my recent homemade spaghetti venture. So I tried. And failed. The two halves of the ravioli "shell" wouldn't stick together unless I used so little filling that it just made no sense to even make them. So I scrapped the ravioli idea, but I still had a pan full of this squash-carrot-garlic creation. I had failed, but refused to be defeated. I added a little melted butter, a splash of cream, and turned it into an INCREDIBLE pasta topping. ( I realize that this is my second recipe in a row to include pasta, but hey! I'm Italian, after all!)
No-Name Squash Pasta Sauce
1 medium to large yellow or Butternut squash, cleaned and sliced cross-wise)
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced paper-thin (this is best done with a razor blade, but BE CAREFUL!)
1 carrot
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp cream or the milk of your choice (the less fat in the milk, the less creamy the sauce)
1/3 cup of grated cheese of your choice (optional)
Place the squash slices into a medium sauce-pan of water, bring to a rolling boil
Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat, turning to coat entire cooking surface. Add garlic slices, saute lightly until just beginning to turn light brown. Finely grate entire carrot into skillet, and continue cooking for approx. 2 minutes, until carrot begins to soften.
Once squash has been at a full rolling boil for 4 minutes, remove from heat, drain in a colander, and return to pan. Using a potato masher, mash squash just until it no longer looks like uniform slices. The idea is to leave the rings of squash rind mostly intact while mashing the middles together. Add brown sugar, salt, and pepper; use masher to blend until just combined. Add entire contents of skillet, plus cream (or milk) and cheese (if you're using any.) Use a wooden spoon to gently stir all ingredients together. Serve still warm over the pasta of your choice, or serve as is for an interesting side dish.
Serves 4
Note- You can make this recipe vegan (or just healthier!) by swapping olive oil for the butter, and using 1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp cool water in place of the milk (or using plain soy milk.) Neither of these trades will affect the final look, flavor, or texture of the dish. Perhaps I should have just written the recipe that way...but I love butter!
*I wish that I had made extra of this, because my mouth is watering as I'm typing the recipe. :-)
Tonight we are having a friend over for some TV watchin', beer drinkin' fun. I am going to make a homemade pizza. I will let you know how it turns out!
-Happy Cooking!-
Home-made Vanilla Extract -> joythebaker.com
(click the link, I already bookmarked the post about vanilla for you!)
If you ever find yourself wanting to check out a puts-my-blog-to-shame site, check out some of her other posts! She's incredible!
Now, on with the show
Someone at church recently gave my hubby some fresh yellow squash from their garden. It sat around in our refrigerator for quite some time, just trying to decide how it wanted to be cooked. Well, inspiration came to me one day in the form of home-made squash ravioli. It sounded delicious, and I had some pasta dough left over from my recent homemade spaghetti venture. So I tried. And failed. The two halves of the ravioli "shell" wouldn't stick together unless I used so little filling that it just made no sense to even make them. So I scrapped the ravioli idea, but I still had a pan full of this squash-carrot-garlic creation. I had failed, but refused to be defeated. I added a little melted butter, a splash of cream, and turned it into an INCREDIBLE pasta topping. ( I realize that this is my second recipe in a row to include pasta, but hey! I'm Italian, after all!)
No-Name Squash Pasta Sauce
1 medium to large yellow or Butternut squash, cleaned and sliced cross-wise)
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced paper-thin (this is best done with a razor blade, but BE CAREFUL!)
1 carrot
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp cream or the milk of your choice (the less fat in the milk, the less creamy the sauce)
1/3 cup of grated cheese of your choice (optional)
Place the squash slices into a medium sauce-pan of water, bring to a rolling boil
Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat, turning to coat entire cooking surface. Add garlic slices, saute lightly until just beginning to turn light brown. Finely grate entire carrot into skillet, and continue cooking for approx. 2 minutes, until carrot begins to soften.
Once squash has been at a full rolling boil for 4 minutes, remove from heat, drain in a colander, and return to pan. Using a potato masher, mash squash just until it no longer looks like uniform slices. The idea is to leave the rings of squash rind mostly intact while mashing the middles together. Add brown sugar, salt, and pepper; use masher to blend until just combined. Add entire contents of skillet, plus cream (or milk) and cheese (if you're using any.) Use a wooden spoon to gently stir all ingredients together. Serve still warm over the pasta of your choice, or serve as is for an interesting side dish.
Serves 4
Note- You can make this recipe vegan (or just healthier!) by swapping olive oil for the butter, and using 1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp cool water in place of the milk (or using plain soy milk.) Neither of these trades will affect the final look, flavor, or texture of the dish. Perhaps I should have just written the recipe that way...but I love butter!
*I wish that I had made extra of this, because my mouth is watering as I'm typing the recipe. :-)
Tonight we are having a friend over for some TV watchin', beer drinkin' fun. I am going to make a homemade pizza. I will let you know how it turns out!
-Happy Cooking!-
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Last night, I got the itch. To create a new recipe and make it for dinner, of course! I needed something that was simple, inexpensive, and yet delicious. So I decided to keep it simple, angel-hair pasta and chicken, and save my creative juices to invent a spectacular pasta sauce. I wanted to stay true-to-form, and make it using things that I already had at home, but my cabinets were getting pretty bare. I figured if I already had to go to the grocery, I might as well make something that truly sounded good to me. So this is what I came up with. It's pretty easy, but unfortunately not too healthy :-)
Garlic Butter Sauce with fresh Basil and Cherry Tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic (you can use the pre-diced jarred stuff, but fresh works best)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp chunks
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp organic peanut butter
1 tbsp whole or 2% milk (or 1 tsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp cold water)
6 large basil leaves, torn in half
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grate garlic clove directly into hot oil, and saute until lightly browned (this should only take about 45 seconds, so watch closely.) Reduce heat to medium-low, and add butter, one chunk at a time, until melted. Add basil leaves, stir, and return to medium heat. When basil leaves begin to darken and curl, add oregano, peanut butter, and sea salt. Stir continuously, until salt has dissolved and sauce begins to take on a uniform consistency. Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, and add milk or cornstarch mixture. Sauce will begin to thicken slightly as it cools. Spoon over pasta.
Serves 2-3
I made this, plus a simple grilled chicken breast seasoned with lemon and parsley. It was a hit!
I have also been working for the past week on a loaf of sourdough bread. It takes that long because you have to make a "starter" which is water, flour, and yeast, and let it ferment so that you get the sour taste. I have to say, the bread turned out wonderful! I will post the recipe soon!
-Happy Cooking!-
Garlic Butter Sauce with fresh Basil and Cherry Tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic (you can use the pre-diced jarred stuff, but fresh works best)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp chunks
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp organic peanut butter
1 tbsp whole or 2% milk (or 1 tsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp cold water)
6 large basil leaves, torn in half
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grate garlic clove directly into hot oil, and saute until lightly browned (this should only take about 45 seconds, so watch closely.) Reduce heat to medium-low, and add butter, one chunk at a time, until melted. Add basil leaves, stir, and return to medium heat. When basil leaves begin to darken and curl, add oregano, peanut butter, and sea salt. Stir continuously, until salt has dissolved and sauce begins to take on a uniform consistency. Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, and add milk or cornstarch mixture. Sauce will begin to thicken slightly as it cools. Spoon over pasta.
Serves 2-3
I made this, plus a simple grilled chicken breast seasoned with lemon and parsley. It was a hit!
I have also been working for the past week on a loaf of sourdough bread. It takes that long because you have to make a "starter" which is water, flour, and yeast, and let it ferment so that you get the sour taste. I have to say, the bread turned out wonderful! I will post the recipe soon!
-Happy Cooking!-
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Since my last post was about hummus (a Greek dip), it seemed fitting to me that this post be about hummus' favorite companion, pita (a Greek bread!) Those chewy, delicious pockets of bread are also useful for more than just dipping in pureed beans. They are delicious when made part of a sandwich, or just eaten by themselves while they are still warm. The recipe that I have isn't my own (It comes from the book Bread by Eric Treuille,) but it is simple, and the results were even better than I expected.
Pita Bread
Makes 8 servings
Oven temperature- 425 degrees
2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for coating a medium-sized bowl
Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup of the water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast and the olive oil.
Mix in the flour. Stir in the remaining water, as needed, to form a firm, soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth, supple, and elastic, about 15 minutes. Initially, the dough will be quite stiff. It will soften and stretch gradually as you continue kneading.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, turning it to coat evenly with the oil, and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, then let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into eight pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball to form an oval, 9 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.
Cover with a dish towel and let it rise slightly, this takes about 20 minutes.
Dust two baking sheets with flour and preheat in the oven for 5 minutes. Place the dough ovals on the hot baking sheets and return immediately to the oven. Bake for 5-10 minutes until puffy. Wrap in a clean, dry cloth to keep bread soft and to prevent drying out.
* I used the dough to make 4 large pitas instead of 8 smaller ones. This makes using them for sandwiches easier. I also made mine round instead of oval. These minor differences didn't alter the recipe, so you should feel free to use them.
Tonight for dinner I am going to be making asparagus. I do not like asparagus, so I am not sure how to cook the stuff in order to make it more palatable. It will be interesting to see how it turns out, or if I even decide to eat any of it!
-Happy Cooking!-
Pita Bread
Makes 8 servings
Oven temperature- 425 degrees
2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for coating a medium-sized bowl
Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup of the water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast and the olive oil.
Mix in the flour. Stir in the remaining water, as needed, to form a firm, soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth, supple, and elastic, about 15 minutes. Initially, the dough will be quite stiff. It will soften and stretch gradually as you continue kneading.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, turning it to coat evenly with the oil, and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, then let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into eight pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball to form an oval, 9 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.
Cover with a dish towel and let it rise slightly, this takes about 20 minutes.
Dust two baking sheets with flour and preheat in the oven for 5 minutes. Place the dough ovals on the hot baking sheets and return immediately to the oven. Bake for 5-10 minutes until puffy. Wrap in a clean, dry cloth to keep bread soft and to prevent drying out.
* I used the dough to make 4 large pitas instead of 8 smaller ones. This makes using them for sandwiches easier. I also made mine round instead of oval. These minor differences didn't alter the recipe, so you should feel free to use them.
Tonight for dinner I am going to be making asparagus. I do not like asparagus, so I am not sure how to cook the stuff in order to make it more palatable. It will be interesting to see how it turns out, or if I even decide to eat any of it!
-Happy Cooking!-
Thursday, August 6, 2009
It's all Greek to me...
**NOTE** Last night, I decided to try out the mozzarella recipe that I posted yesterday. I would like to offer some advice. If you use lemon juice, use about 3 teaspoons instead of the 1 1/2 that I listed in the recipe. Otherwise the milk can take about 45 minutes to curdle, instead of the 20 listed in the recipe. Of course, if you are using citric acid, please stick to the recipe.
Now, on to the real post
I also decided last night to try making my own hummus. My husband and I go through tubs of hummus like it's water. And I don't know if anyone else is really into hummus, but it gets EXPENSIVE! So again, I did some research. And again, it turns out to be quite easy (and cheaper) to make your own at home.
Fresh Hummus
2 cloves garlic—roughly chopped (or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup water
14 oz (400g) canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)—rinsed and drained
½ cup tahini
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
PLACE all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally.
Variations: If you like a spicier hummus, add a small red chili (chopped) or a pinch of cayenne pepper, or try a little cumin for a more exotic variation.
*Prepare extra quantities of this hummus—it can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week and frozen for up to 3 months. Because the tahini was only available in a 32 oz jar, I bought the ingredients to make more than the recipe calls for. I wound up making three full 20 oz tubs. It will be gone in no time.
Because some of the ingredients have to be purchased at a health-food store (mainly, the tahini paste), I decided to do a little price break-down for any naysayers that might argue that it couldn't be cheaper than going pre-made. (These are the prices that I paid, they may vary in other areas)
Tahini- $11.49 for a 32 oz jar
Chickpeas- $.79 per can (I used three cans)
Garlic- $3.35 for a 4 oz jar (the recipe uses about a half ounce, but i like garlic so I used the whole jar)
Lemon juice (bottled)- $1.16 for a 15 ounce bottle
Olive oil-$4.48 for a small bottle (The recipe calls for about 1/8 of a regular size small bottle)
--total grocery bill = $22.85
This comes out to about 38 cents per ounce (for the amount that I made (60 oz)
The typical grocery store tub is $3.99 for a 7 ounce tub. That's 57 cents per ounce. To buy as much hummus at the store as I made today would cost you $34.20. That's a 12 dollar difference! I don't think I'll be buying hummus anymore!
If you have any questions, or recipes you'd like to see, leave a comment!
-Happy Cooking!-
Now, on to the real post
I also decided last night to try making my own hummus. My husband and I go through tubs of hummus like it's water. And I don't know if anyone else is really into hummus, but it gets EXPENSIVE! So again, I did some research. And again, it turns out to be quite easy (and cheaper) to make your own at home.
Fresh Hummus
2 cloves garlic—roughly chopped (or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup water
14 oz (400g) canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)—rinsed and drained
½ cup tahini
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
PLACE all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally.
Variations: If you like a spicier hummus, add a small red chili (chopped) or a pinch of cayenne pepper, or try a little cumin for a more exotic variation.
*Prepare extra quantities of this hummus—it can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week and frozen for up to 3 months. Because the tahini was only available in a 32 oz jar, I bought the ingredients to make more than the recipe calls for. I wound up making three full 20 oz tubs. It will be gone in no time.
Because some of the ingredients have to be purchased at a health-food store (mainly, the tahini paste), I decided to do a little price break-down for any naysayers that might argue that it couldn't be cheaper than going pre-made. (These are the prices that I paid, they may vary in other areas)
Tahini- $11.49 for a 32 oz jar
Chickpeas- $.79 per can (I used three cans)
Garlic- $3.35 for a 4 oz jar (the recipe uses about a half ounce, but i like garlic so I used the whole jar)
Lemon juice (bottled)- $1.16 for a 15 ounce bottle
Olive oil-$4.48 for a small bottle (The recipe calls for about 1/8 of a regular size small bottle)
--total grocery bill = $22.85
This comes out to about 38 cents per ounce (for the amount that I made (60 oz)
The typical grocery store tub is $3.99 for a 7 ounce tub. That's 57 cents per ounce. To buy as much hummus at the store as I made today would cost you $34.20. That's a 12 dollar difference! I don't think I'll be buying hummus anymore!
If you have any questions, or recipes you'd like to see, leave a comment!
-Happy Cooking!-
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
My latest interest...
After visiting a friend out of town, and enjoying a lovely caprese salad, I wondered how I could make one for myself, not using any store-bought ingredients. Growing tomatoes and basil was pretty obvious, and I already have a great recipe for a homemade balsamic dressing, but then I got to thinking, "How hard would it be to make my own mozzarella cheese?" So I did a little research. And it turns out that it is pretty easy! Of course, unless you live on a farm, you will have to buy some of the ingredients, but it would be worth it!
Recipe difficulty: Medium
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 teaspoon liquid Rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet)
1/4 cup chlorine-free water (bottled works best)
1 gallon organic milk
1 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (lemon juice works just as well!)
Salt
Preparation:
Crush the rennet into the water and stir to dissolve(if using tablet. Otherwise just add liquid Rennet to water). Pour milk into a stainless steel pot. Warm over medium heat. Add the citric acid to the milk and stir a few times. Heat milk to 90 degrees F. Milk will begin to curdle.
Add the rennet solution and continue stirring slowly every few minutes until the milk reaches 105 degrees F. Turn off the heat. Large curds will appear and begin to separate from the whey (the clear, green-tinted liquid).
With a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, scoop the curd into a large glass bowl. (If it's still too liquid, let it set for a few minutes). Press the curds gently with your hand and pour off as much whey as possible. Microwave curds on high for 1 minute, then drain off all the excess whey. With a spoon, press curds into a ball until cool. Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each, and continue to drain the whey and work cheese into a ball. In the meantime, place the whey over medium heat and let it heat to about 175 degrees F.
When cheese is cool enough to handle, knead it like bread dough until smooth. When you can stretch it like taffy, it is done. You can sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons salt into the cheese while kneading and stretching it. The cheese will become stretchy, smooth and shiny. If it is difficult to stretch and breaks easily, dip it into the hot whey for a few seconds to make it warm and pliable. Then pick it up again and stretch it into a long rope. Fold over and stretch again. Dip in hot whey as needed to make the cheese pliable.
When the cheese is smooth and shiny (this takes just a few minutes), it is ready to eat. Shape it into a log or ball, then store in a solution of 2 teaspoons salt to 1 cup water.\
-Happy Cooking!-
Recipe difficulty: Medium
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 teaspoon liquid Rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet)
1/4 cup chlorine-free water (bottled works best)
1 gallon organic milk
1 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (lemon juice works just as well!)
Salt
Preparation:
Crush the rennet into the water and stir to dissolve(if using tablet. Otherwise just add liquid Rennet to water). Pour milk into a stainless steel pot. Warm over medium heat. Add the citric acid to the milk and stir a few times. Heat milk to 90 degrees F. Milk will begin to curdle.
Add the rennet solution and continue stirring slowly every few minutes until the milk reaches 105 degrees F. Turn off the heat. Large curds will appear and begin to separate from the whey (the clear, green-tinted liquid).
With a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, scoop the curd into a large glass bowl. (If it's still too liquid, let it set for a few minutes). Press the curds gently with your hand and pour off as much whey as possible. Microwave curds on high for 1 minute, then drain off all the excess whey. With a spoon, press curds into a ball until cool. Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each, and continue to drain the whey and work cheese into a ball. In the meantime, place the whey over medium heat and let it heat to about 175 degrees F.
When cheese is cool enough to handle, knead it like bread dough until smooth. When you can stretch it like taffy, it is done. You can sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons salt into the cheese while kneading and stretching it. The cheese will become stretchy, smooth and shiny. If it is difficult to stretch and breaks easily, dip it into the hot whey for a few seconds to make it warm and pliable. Then pick it up again and stretch it into a long rope. Fold over and stretch again. Dip in hot whey as needed to make the cheese pliable.
When the cheese is smooth and shiny (this takes just a few minutes), it is ready to eat. Shape it into a log or ball, then store in a solution of 2 teaspoons salt to 1 cup water.\
-Happy Cooking!-
Welcome!
Welcome to Homemade is Better! I'm the DIY Chef! I'm a twenty-something aspiring chef with a passion for creating my own new recipes, and also making my own food at home instead of using their store-bought counterparts. There are so many things that we all have come to assume would just be cheaper and easier to buy our local grocery store, but I beg to differ! Making even the simplest of foods at home is more fun, more cost-efficient, and yes, even healthier! Keep reading for some great recipes for items that even the most inexperienced chef can make at home!
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