Leftover mashed potatoes don't keep long, and if you're like me, you always make too many mashed potatoes for family meals. I have a quick and easy to use those taters and make an entirely new meal. It could be a breakfast, lunch or dinner, as you prefer.
Quick Potato Pancakes (Ingredients per one cup of mashed potatoes)
1 T flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 C mashed potatoes
1/8 tsp celery salt
Mix all the ingredients together and cook on a hot skillet like ordinary pancakes. (Medium high heat--don't burn them!)
I like to serve them with onion gravy and bacon--a savory pancake instead of a sweet one. Goes well with ham, too!
Onion Gravy
1 C water
1 heaping T beef boullion
1 T minced onion
1/4 cup cornstarch water (mix just enough water to make the cornstarch a liquid).
Boil the water with boullion and onion. When it comes to a boil, stir in cornstarch water.
Reduce heat, cook for 1 minute. As with any gravy, if it is too thick, add a little water; too thin, add more cornstarch water and cook a little longer.
TIP: Put a couple of T of cornstarch in a ceramic cup, drizzle cold water into the cornstarch. At first, it will be stiff and difficult to stir. But there will come a moment when the last drop of water you added suddenly makes the whole stiff mess into a liquid. Add a couple more drops. Then it is ready to add to your gravy base.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Midnight Eggs
I have always liked breakfast foods at night. Maybe it came from years working as a bartender, when the crew would often go out to breakfast after work. At any rate, I often want eggs and such late in the evening.
Scrambled eggs is the first recipe anyone should learn to cook. It is fast, easy, and if you do it right, it teaches you the finesse of maximizing the quality of the food you are cooking.
So, tonight, I decided to make simple scrambled eggs and toast. And although I make scrambled eggs often, I don't often write about the technique of cooking eggs. I skimmed a few recipes to make sure I was still doing it right and here is what I came up with.
Scrambled eggs
You will need the following:
2 eggs for every adult and 1 for every child you are feeding
1 T milk (nonfat, low fat, 2%, or whole) or half-and-half or cream, as you prefer, for each egg
1 T butter
Optional: for a boost on the texture and fluffiness, add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar for each egg
Heat a cast iron skillet or other frying pan over a medium heat.
Whisk eggs, milk and cream of tartar vigorously in a copper (ideal) or stainless steel bowl for approximately 2 minutes.
Add butter to the pan.
When the butter is just finished melting, add the eggs all at once. Let the eggs begin to set (about 45 second to a minute), then using a spatula or wooden spoon, push the eggs toward the center, mounding up the cooked portion. Continue until the eggs are cooked, approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on how well done you like your scrambled eggs, and how many eggs you started with. Serve hot.
Mmmm. Late night or early morning comfort food.
Scrambled eggs is the first recipe anyone should learn to cook. It is fast, easy, and if you do it right, it teaches you the finesse of maximizing the quality of the food you are cooking.
So, tonight, I decided to make simple scrambled eggs and toast. And although I make scrambled eggs often, I don't often write about the technique of cooking eggs. I skimmed a few recipes to make sure I was still doing it right and here is what I came up with.
Scrambled eggs
You will need the following:
2 eggs for every adult and 1 for every child you are feeding
1 T milk (nonfat, low fat, 2%, or whole) or half-and-half or cream, as you prefer, for each egg
1 T butter
Optional: for a boost on the texture and fluffiness, add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar for each egg
Heat a cast iron skillet or other frying pan over a medium heat.
Whisk eggs, milk and cream of tartar vigorously in a copper (ideal) or stainless steel bowl for approximately 2 minutes.
Add butter to the pan.
When the butter is just finished melting, add the eggs all at once. Let the eggs begin to set (about 45 second to a minute), then using a spatula or wooden spoon, push the eggs toward the center, mounding up the cooked portion. Continue until the eggs are cooked, approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on how well done you like your scrambled eggs, and how many eggs you started with. Serve hot.
Mmmm. Late night or early morning comfort food.
Friday, August 12, 2011
My Legendary Meatloaf
When I was growing up, all the other kids ate meatloaf. But I hated the stuff that was cooked with the baked-on ketchup. (I never was a big fan of tomato-type sauces.) But when I was a young wife, living on a very tight budget, I had to learn ways to stretch that pound of hamburger to feed a growing family. So I looked up meatloaf recipes and then launched into my own version. The amounts are rough, and you can adjust according to your own taste, but here is a version of meatloaf that even meatloaf haters will love.
First of all, meatloaf shouldn't just be ground beef. Then it would be beefloaf. this recipe includes three meats.
Catt's Legendary Meatloaf
1 lb. ground beef (Should be 70%-80% lean; 85% or higher doesn't create enough juices to make the gravy.)
1/2 lb. ground pork or plain sausage
1/2 lb. ground turkey or chicken
2-3 T granulated beef buillion
1/2 C (a handful) of oatmeal
1/2 C barley (optional)
1/2 C corn flakes or bran flakes
1/3 C cornmeal
1 T garlic powder
3-4 T minced onions or onion flakes
3 T soy sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T sherry
2 T teriyaki sauce
2 eggs
Other ingredients as you prefer: liquid smoke, salt, black pepper, celery salt, all purpose seasoning, bread crumbs, crushed croutons. Be creative.
Mix the entire batch in a big bowl, making sure to mix ingredients thoroughly. Pat into loaf pans and shape the loaf so that it is slightly domed in the middle. This makes sure the juices drip back into the pan. Bake 45 minutes to an hour at 350ยบ.
Gravy:
Pour pan drippings into a small saucepan. If you don't have approximately 3 T of drippings, add butter to make 3 T. Add 1 C water and 2 tsp. beef bouillion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Take 3-4 T cornstarch in a cup and drizzle in enough water to make a loose paste. You'll know when you have the right amount because the cornstarch mixture will stop "pulling" and suddenly be easy to stir. Add to the water and bouillion and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. If you like, you can add dehydrated onion flakes to the mixture and have a beef and onion gravy. Makes a little over a cup. (If the mixture is too thin, you can add more cornstarch/water paste; if too thick, just add water.)
Serve with mashed potatoes, a vegetable, and a nice salad. Full bellies and lots of nutrition. This is real comfort food. You can also serve it with ketchup, if you must.
First of all, meatloaf shouldn't just be ground beef. Then it would be beefloaf. this recipe includes three meats.
Catt's Legendary Meatloaf
1 lb. ground beef (Should be 70%-80% lean; 85% or higher doesn't create enough juices to make the gravy.)
1/2 lb. ground pork or plain sausage
1/2 lb. ground turkey or chicken
2-3 T granulated beef buillion
1/2 C (a handful) of oatmeal
1/2 C barley (optional)
1/2 C corn flakes or bran flakes
1/3 C cornmeal
1 T garlic powder
3-4 T minced onions or onion flakes
3 T soy sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T sherry
2 T teriyaki sauce
2 eggs
Other ingredients as you prefer: liquid smoke, salt, black pepper, celery salt, all purpose seasoning, bread crumbs, crushed croutons. Be creative.
Mix the entire batch in a big bowl, making sure to mix ingredients thoroughly. Pat into loaf pans and shape the loaf so that it is slightly domed in the middle. This makes sure the juices drip back into the pan. Bake 45 minutes to an hour at 350ยบ.
Gravy:
Pour pan drippings into a small saucepan. If you don't have approximately 3 T of drippings, add butter to make 3 T. Add 1 C water and 2 tsp. beef bouillion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Take 3-4 T cornstarch in a cup and drizzle in enough water to make a loose paste. You'll know when you have the right amount because the cornstarch mixture will stop "pulling" and suddenly be easy to stir. Add to the water and bouillion and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. If you like, you can add dehydrated onion flakes to the mixture and have a beef and onion gravy. Makes a little over a cup. (If the mixture is too thin, you can add more cornstarch/water paste; if too thick, just add water.)
Serve with mashed potatoes, a vegetable, and a nice salad. Full bellies and lots of nutrition. This is real comfort food. You can also serve it with ketchup, if you must.
Iowa Farm Wife Cooking
When I was first married, my then-husband was a very particular eater. He insisted on only all natural foods and food made from scratch. And although the marriage didn't last, I did learn to cook "like an Iowa farm wife."
Scratch cooking isn't that hard to do, and it is very economical. A little more time is involved than simply nuking something in the microwave, or heating up a pre-processed meal in a skillet, but it doesn't have to be back-breaking and it is one of the most gratifying experiences to put a meal on the table that you have pride in.
And while I am not a farm wife (and really never have been), I live in Iowa and have learned a number of tips, techniques and recipes from women who actually were or had been farm wives.
The word "wife" in the Middle Ages indicated a woman who had mastery over a skill--midwives were experts in childbirth and women's issues, herbwives were specialists in natural healing. So, of course the idea of being a "housewife" means simply a woman who shows mastery over the many skills necessary to managing a household. And although few of us have the opportunity to be housewives today, even if we wished to do so, we can still honor some of the time honored skills, like cooking real food from "scratch."
The recipes found here will be mostly basic American fare. However, I encourage the use of locally grown foods, natural foods from one's own garden (if you have one), and organic foods when available and affordable.
There is a history of cooking in our family. My grandfather came here from Greece at the turn of the 20th century and made his living as a cook. My father, too, was a cook, chef, sous chef, and restaurant manager for many years. I grew up in and around the restaurant business, and was often taught there was a right way and a wrong way to do things in the kitchen. I shall try to share with you plenty of tips about the way to prepare foods and the why of it as well.
In keeping with the farm theme, let's make biscuits and gravy. Farm families needed substantial breakfast foods to fuel the high levels of physical labor. Stick to smaller servings if you're watching your calories, or supplement the meal with fruit.
Biscuits & Gravy
1-2 pounds sage sausage (amount depending on number of servings and taste)
3-4 T flour
1 cup milk OR half and half
On a medium high heat, fry half of the sausage in a cast iron skillet or frying pan. Make patties from the other half and cook in a separate pan. When the ground sausage is cooked, put heat on low and stir in 3-4 T flour. This will look pasty. Now be hasty and slowly, SLOWLY, add the milk or half and half (or a mixture) into the floured sausage. Stir constantly until all the milk is added. The result should thicken into a nice sausage gravy. Serve over buttermilk biscuits. (Serves 4-6). The entire process takes about 10 minutes, 15-20 including the biscuits.
Scratch cooking isn't that hard to do, and it is very economical. A little more time is involved than simply nuking something in the microwave, or heating up a pre-processed meal in a skillet, but it doesn't have to be back-breaking and it is one of the most gratifying experiences to put a meal on the table that you have pride in.
And while I am not a farm wife (and really never have been), I live in Iowa and have learned a number of tips, techniques and recipes from women who actually were or had been farm wives.
The word "wife" in the Middle Ages indicated a woman who had mastery over a skill--midwives were experts in childbirth and women's issues, herbwives were specialists in natural healing. So, of course the idea of being a "housewife" means simply a woman who shows mastery over the many skills necessary to managing a household. And although few of us have the opportunity to be housewives today, even if we wished to do so, we can still honor some of the time honored skills, like cooking real food from "scratch."
The recipes found here will be mostly basic American fare. However, I encourage the use of locally grown foods, natural foods from one's own garden (if you have one), and organic foods when available and affordable.
There is a history of cooking in our family. My grandfather came here from Greece at the turn of the 20th century and made his living as a cook. My father, too, was a cook, chef, sous chef, and restaurant manager for many years. I grew up in and around the restaurant business, and was often taught there was a right way and a wrong way to do things in the kitchen. I shall try to share with you plenty of tips about the way to prepare foods and the why of it as well.
In keeping with the farm theme, let's make biscuits and gravy. Farm families needed substantial breakfast foods to fuel the high levels of physical labor. Stick to smaller servings if you're watching your calories, or supplement the meal with fruit.
Biscuits & Gravy
1-2 pounds sage sausage (amount depending on number of servings and taste)
3-4 T flour
1 cup milk OR half and half
On a medium high heat, fry half of the sausage in a cast iron skillet or frying pan. Make patties from the other half and cook in a separate pan. When the ground sausage is cooked, put heat on low and stir in 3-4 T flour. This will look pasty. Now be hasty and slowly, SLOWLY, add the milk or half and half (or a mixture) into the floured sausage. Stir constantly until all the milk is added. The result should thicken into a nice sausage gravy. Serve over buttermilk biscuits. (Serves 4-6). The entire process takes about 10 minutes, 15-20 including the biscuits.
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