Sourdough English Muffins--or How I Tried To Start Up The Cooking Thing Again

And...I'm unemployed. My contract with The Denver Center has once again come to an end. Instead of running off to San Diego for the summer, I'm hanging out here in Denver. In March we began a kitchen remodel, and we are slowly finishing what was an epic project. The new kitchen, although not quite finished, makes me so happy. It is much more user-friendly, and some of the upgrades have had benefits I didn't even know they would.

Because the days are warming, the sunroom is the perfect place for things like painting, starting seedlings for my garden, and making a sourdough starter and proofing bread...

Started--lemon cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers, eggplant, cauliflower, Anaheim and bell peppers, basil, sage, tomatoes and tarragon. And a cyclamen for color!

Rosemary, marjoram, chives, thyme, and oregano sit on the wood burning stove, soaking in the sun. I believe the marjoram is attempting world domination.

Happy, lazy basil. A little short at the moment as I made curry the other night and shredded a bunch for garnish.

...or snoozing.

I love bread. I don't really eat much of it, but I love it! Since I have learned appropriate ingredient proportions for different types of bread, making it has become a very fast and enjoyable pastime for me also. With all this extra time on my hands, I thought I might try something I haven't tried before, but always wanted to. Sourdough!

The process of sourdough always seemed so time intensive and complicated to me. And let's be honest--I grew up on central coast California (San Francisco) sourdough. I live in Denver and I know darn well the sourdough could never be the same. But I'm trying it anyway. After doing some online research, I decided to try the King Arthur's Flour method for a starter. You can find it easily, and I started mine with rye flour--all subsequent feedings done with all-purpose flour.

It's easy, so easy. Even as lazy as I am I have kept mine going beautifully. I have made waffles and pretzels with the discard--recipes from KAF website, and I am currently doing a final feeding to make a loaf of sourdough bread tomorrow.

This brings me to the English muffin experience. I wanted something to do with the discard (I really hate wasting it) and decided I would try the muffins. Using the KAF recipe, I got started. I put all of the ingredients--minus the sour salt--into the Kitchen Aid and let the dough hook go at it. This is my favorite way to make bread, especially when I think I don't have the time for bread. Once all the ingredients are combined, I let the hook go until the dough is smooth. It does the kneading so I don't even have to flour a board, work it, and clean it up.

In this case, I used close to 7 cups of flour which is just a bit too much for my size Kitchen Aid to knead easily. This is where my kitchen remodel really came in handy! On each side of the stove, we laid in granite countertops, and I flopped the ball of dough directly onto the cool surface and worked it for a couple of minutes. Nothing stuck, the dough smoothed out, and I put it into a greased bowl and into the fridge.

 

A quick wipe of the countertop and all was cleaned up. For a true cook, or a wannabe like me, granite, marble or quartz countertops can be useful tools.

Refrigerating 24 hours before allowing to rise is optional, but helps develop the sour flavor if that is what you are looking for. This is the tough part for me--waiting! Aargh!! I want to watch the dough rise today, shape it and cook them up. Bread products fresh from the oven, or griddle, are so good, I want them now!

But I will wait...patiently...-ish.

**NOTE**

I put the dough into the bowl, as pictured above, thinking it would not rise much due to the fact it was going into the fridge. Boy, was I wrong! An hour later I opened the fridge to find the dough nearly doubled in volume, being smashed by the glass shelf directly above it. Oops!

Sourdough English Muffins

1 c sourdough starter, fed or unfed

2 c lukewarm water

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp salt

1/2 c nonfat dry milk

1/4 c butter softened

7 c all purpose flour

1/4 tsp sour salt (citric acid) OPTIONAL--I don't have this so I refrigerated the dough 24 hours to build the sour flavor

Cornmeal to sprinkle on cookie sheets

Put all ingredients, except cornmeal, into bowl and mix. I put mine into the Kitchen Aid and used the dough hook to mix everything well. Once it was mixed and I could hear the motor struggling to mix through, I turned it out onto the counter to knead it into a smooth ball. Alternately, you can mix completely by hand or completely by a large mixer until dough is smooth and elastic. It shouldn't be sticky--if it is, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.

Place dough into a large, oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for about an hour in a warm spot until it doubles in size. If you choose to refrigerate dough, put it into the fridge immediately after putting in bowl and covering, and leave for 24 hours. Remove the next day, and let sit at room temp for an hour before continuing on.

Deflate dough, turn out onto floured board, and let sit for about 5 mins. Divide dough in half, and working with one piece at a time, roll to 1/2" thick and cut with 3-3 1/2" cutter. (I used the lid ring from a Ball jar, and got 25 from my dough)

Place on cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, and sprinkle more cornmeal on top. Cover and let rise about 45-60 minutes, (2 hours if you refrigerated the dough) until they get puffy.

Heat griddle or frying pan over medium-low heat (350 degrees) and place as many muffins overheat as will fit. Cook the muffins 10-12 minutes on each side, until an instant read thermometer reads 190.

**I read a tip somewhere and thought I would try it--it worked well. When the first side is cooking, place a cookie sheet on top of muffins to keep them flat and rising evenly.

Cool on cooling racks and wrap. They're great 4-5 days at room temp, or you can freeze them!

Or give a few to your friend, Roo.

 

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What?? You have 3 1/2 hours with absolutely nothing to do also!?!

The last couple weeks of my life have included paint, plaster, carpet and more paint. Somehow, vacation is not actually being a vacation. I guess I knew that going in, but this has been almost more exhausting than work. One of the things that I have been doing for fun, though, is cooking things that I never took the time to do before. I mean, I can't work all day, get home after 6 pm, and then make a meal that takes 3-4 hours to cook. We would be throwing food down, tossing dishes into the dishwasher and running off to bed. Never mind the fact that I would most likely pass out in my plate of food once I finally got to sit down and eat. And weekends? I don't want to spend half of my hard earned Saturday standing in the kitchen. So, I am attempting things like Beouf Bourguignon and homemade Mole while I can. I think Josh is enjoying my vacation more than I am. He gets the house worked on, amazing dinners, and really great lunches made up of leftovers.

This past Tuesday, I decided to make this time consuming French dish that was recently made popular again by Julie and Julia. My version is very similar to Julia's, but with slightly fewer steps and just as many dirty dishes. I cleaned as I went along, and it still took two of us 25 minutes to clean up after dinner. This dish is for someone who REALLY wants to attempt classic French cooking. It is a lot of work, but I am not going to lie--it is SO GOOD!!!

Boeuf Bourguignon

1 tbls olive oil
6oz bacon cut into 1/4" slices
3 lb bottom roast cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1 med onion cut into 1/4" slices
2 carrots cut into 1/4" slices
3 tbls flour
3 cups red wine (big, full bodied)
2-3 cups beef broth
2 tbls tomato paste
4-5 cloves garlic smashed
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large heavy skillet (I used cast iron) heat the oil over medium/high heat, and saute bacon for 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to oven proof casserole/dutch oven. In batches, begin browning beef. Saute each side for a couple of minutes, salting and peppering each batch to taste. Transfer to same dish as bacon. When finished, add a little olive oil if necessary, and saute carrots and onion until lightly browned. Add beef and bacon back to skillet, sprinkle flour over all, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add wine and 1 cup of broth, tomato, garlic, and herbs. Stir to combine and heat through to simmering. Pour back into casserole and add enough broth to just cover all ingredients. Cover and put in oven. Cook in oven for about 3 hours. check occasionally in first half hour to make sure it is simmering (not a fast boil), and adjust oven temp as needed. I eventually lowered my oven to 325 degrees for duration.
About an hour before stew is done, start onions:

Braised Onions

1 1/2 tbls olive oil
1 1/2 tbls butter
18-24 pearl onions
1/2 c beef broth
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat. Add peeled onions (instructions for doing this should be on bag of onions) and saute for about 10 minutes, rolling frequently to brown evenly. Add broth and herbs, season to taste, cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes. I just shoved them in the oven along with the stew and let them simmer there.

About 10 minutes before stew and onions are done, start mushrooms:

Sauteed Mushrooms

1 1/2 tbls olive oil
1 1/2 tbls butter
8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat. When butter stops frothing, add mushrooms and saute, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

Assembly!!
I served this over bowtie pasta, but it could be served over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or even rice. Spoon the carbohydrate of your choice onto a large platter. Using a slotted spoon, add stew meat, onions, and carrots over top, leaving sauce and herbs in casserole. Spoon onions and mushrooms over top. Strain sauce, or if you are lazy like me, simply pull out the herbs and any large chunks. Adjust seasoning as needed. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. If it is too thin, simmer over low/medium heat to reduce. Pour over top of everything and serve.

A Warm Winter's Squash

Okay, I killed two birds with one stone. I figured out what to do with Buttercup Squash, which I had never before eaten or cooked, and I made mashed potatoes better. Some people like mashed potatoes just the way they are. Some people like to enhance them with cheeses and garlic. I don't get excited by plain mashed potatoes, and the bleu/goat cheese addition is good, but I was ready for something new. I have recently mashed parsnips or celery root with the potatoes, and really enjoyed the simple addition of the other veggies, while not adding calories with high fat cheeses.

When we were in Montana, one of the garden items we were sent home with was Buttercup squash. It is a slightly sweet squash that looks like a green pumpkin. Adding some mashed potoatoes to the cooked mashed squash made a super yummy side dish, and adding the leftovers to a bread recipe made amazing bread, perfect for sandwiches at lunch, or even toast with marmalade in the morning.

Browned Butter Mashed Squash

2 Buttercup squash, halved and seeds removed
3 medium Russet potatoes
3 tbls butter
10 leaves fresh sage finely chopped
milk or vegetable broth
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash in large dish, cut side down, with about 1 inch water in bottom. Steam until a fork pierces flesh easily. Scrub potatoes and cut into one inch chunks. Boil until tender. Strain and put potatoes in a large bowl. Scoop flesh of squash bowl with potatoes. Using a hand masher, smash potatoes and squash together to your preferred texture. On stove top, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add sage, and simmer, swirling often, until butter begins to brown. Pull off the heat and pour over potato/squash mixture. Stir to combine, adding milk or broth until squash is creamy. Season to taste and serve hot as a side dish.

This made quite a lot, so we had some leftovers. The next day I pulled out the bread maker, found a recipe for bread using mashed potatoes, and made a great loaf of bread using the leftovers. It made a loaf that was really nice for sandwiches, but the savory flavor was also really tasty toasted with a thin layer of butter and a thick layer of orange marmalade. And what a great way to use the leftovers.

**Quick note: I have also taken the ends of that loaf of bread and put them in the freezer. I will pull them out at Thanksgiving and use them in my bread dressing. When I went back to school, I was given a breadmaker and made all of my bread for the 2 1/2 years I lived in Tucson. Living alone, I often did not finish a loaf, but found that the frozen ends came in handy anytime I wanted to make a bread dressing, especially since they almost all had a firm crust, enabling the bread to hold up well to other ingredients and moisture.

It's been so long...

I just realized it has been 11 months since I posted anything. Well, this weekend gave me something to write about. Josh and I left Thursday night after work and began driving north. We stopped in a small town in Wyoming (so small I cannot remember the name) for dinner, then stayed the night in Casper. Friday morning, we got on the road and drove to Bozeman, MT to visit Howard and Molly Dreiseszun. Josh lived with them and their daughter Robin for two years when he played hockey for the Bozeman Ice Dogs.

We had a GREAT visit!! We hiked in the nearby national forest, explored the "main street" downtown after the MSU homecoming parade wrapped up, visited with the neighboring horses--a special delight for me and Scottie--and had dinner with Howard, Molly, Robin, and Clint (Robin's boyfriend). Of all the great things we did, one of the best was going to Sir Scott's Oasis, what Josh called a true Montana steakhouse. It wasn't the best because of the huge slabs of cow overflowing people's plates, or because of my dinner which consisted of chunks of steak which were battered and deep fried, the local beer, or even the great company. All of that was wonderful.

The crowning moment came at the end when everyone was finishing dessert and geting ready to be rolled out of the place. The hostess passed by our table, paused, then asked Josh if he had played for the Bozeman Ice Dogs, "like a decade ago?" Oh yeah, that's right. He told her he had and she said she didn't think there could really be that many guys named Josh Prues, so she figured he had. She used to be a season ticket holder and had recognized his name. Twelve years after leaving the team, Josh is still famous! I loved it, he was embarassed. The truth is, Josh played for the team the first two years it was in existence, and the second year brought them a brand new arena to play in. They packed the arena, every game--standing room only. Molly said they were the biggest thing to hit the city when they came in.

Anyway, enough bird-walking, as my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. McCalip would say. Molly and Howard, well Howard mostly, had a huge beautiful garden. Before we left, Monday morning, Howard raided it and gave me a ton of veggies to bring home. Included in the bounty were: Beets, carrots, horseradish, onions, buttercup squash, tomatoes, Swiss chard, and rainbow chard. Last night I put a number of those vegies together in my own version of Italian Marriage Soup. I am going to get the horseradish into the ground, and as soon as I figure out what to do with the butercup squash, I will post that too.

Italian Marriage Soup

1 1/2 lbs meatball recipe, uncooked--can be found in a previous post
1 c diced carrot
1 c diced celery
1 c diced onion
3/4 c fresh fennel stems and fronds diced finely
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbls tomato paste
10-12 leaves fresh basil finely torn or chopped
1 large fresh Rosemary sprig
1 med can diced tomatoes
5 c vegetable broth
6 c chopped Swiss chard
Orzo pasta

In a large soup pot, saute the onion, carrot, and celery for about 10 mins on medium heat. Add the fennel and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and saute for 2-3 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the basil, rosemary, tomatoes, chard and broth, and bring to a boil. Use a small scoop or spoon to drop meatballs in to soup. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Cook Orzo using the instructions on the package. Spoon pasta into a bowl, ladle soup over the top. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve hot.

This was a great dinner, all on it's own, as it is very balanced and one can control the fat content by the amount of olive oil used, and the fat content in the meatballs. I actually used an extremely lean ground beef from the meat counter for this.

Some people just toss the pasta into the soup for the last 10 minutes of cooking time, which is fine if it will be consumed the first night. But, if it is going to be eaten as leftovers, it is best to make fresh pasta so that it does not swell up to the size of New Jersey while sitting over night in the soup.

FYI--we folowed it up with chocolate cupcakes for dessert. :-)

Thanksgiving--Oh Yeah, It's That One!

Although there are a lot of people out there who like to call the upcoming holiday "Turkey Day", I still like to call it Thanksgiving. I am always thankful for those who are coming together, the ability to entertain and give back to my loved ones, good food, and a husband who is really good at doing the cleaning part! I like to cook, and I like to cook BIG for this holiday. Thankfully, Josh doesn't mind cleaning big.

This will be a smaller celebration, the two of us and three friends, but the spirit will be the same, and the food won't be much different from the last few years. We won't be serving it in the backyard here in Colorado this year, but we will relax, enjoy good friendship (and more football than I want to, I am sure) and eat our little hearts out.

For someone who used to dread most of the food at Thanksgiving (I didn't like turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes--yuk!), I have come a long way, and really enjoy making all the classic Thanksgiving foods with a twist. This would have been the fourth year of the Turducken, but I am changing course slightly. I can take-or-leave the chicken in a Tur-Du-cken, so this year I am replacing it with a Pheasant. That's right folks, I am making a Tur-Ph-uck. A turkey stuffed with a pheasant, a duck, and two kinds of stuffing. No bones--all succulent, mouth watering bird and stuffing.

Alongside the birds, I serve Sweet Potato Balls, garlic-mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry relish, green beans, salad, Stuffin' Muffins, and the Rice and Sausage dressing that doesn't make it into the birds. I think I am leaving off the salad this year--with all the other food, no one ever really wants salad. I usually put out some kind of appetizers, but I am leaving those off this year also, opting for passing out Cranberry-Orange-Lime Finger Jello squares instead. I will make a pumpkin pie and an apple pie to finish, and my friend Melanie is bringing a Pumpkin Roll for dessert as well.

I think the only traditional, family recipe I make is the Rice and Sausage dressing. But, the truth is, this family can't pass it up. It is, absolutely, the best dressing ever. And my mom makes it the best--no doubt!

Cranberry-Orange-Lime Finger Jello squares (for grown ups)

Make cranberry finger jello according to manufacturer's instructions, substituting vodka for half of the water. Pour into 9x9 pan and put in fridge to set. When set, make orange finger jello, pour over top of set cranberry, and put in fridge to set. Repeat with lime and put in fridge until ready to serve.

Fill sink 2" with hot water. Hold bottom of pan in water for 15-30 seconds, until you can easily invert mold onto a plate. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Cranberry Relish

1 can whole cranberries
zest of one orange
juice from one orange
3-4 slices fresh ginger
1/2 c water

Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Remove ginger and pour into bowl to serve. Any citrus works nicely with this--use your own taste preference.

Tur-du-cken (Tur-ph-uck)

1-18 lb turkey
1-4 lb duck
1-5 lb chicken

1 recipe Sausage and Rice dressing (see past blog post)
1 recipe Bread dressing (recipe follows)

Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

4 tbls butter softened
8-10 slices of bacon

4-5 needles pre-threaded with upholstery thread, button thread, or Hymark
4 pieces butcher's twine cut to 30" lengths

Bird preparations: Duck and chicken--remove wings, split back, remove all bones from body, thighs and legs. Remove skin and excess fat from chicken. DON'T remove the fat from the duck--trust me! Save the wings that you cut off, and toss the bones, etc.
Turkey--Split breast and remove bones from body and thighs only. Leave wings attached and leave bones in the drumsticks. Do not remove skin.
Note: This takes hours, even if you have done it more than once. Either buy fresh birds early, remove bones and freeze until needed, or plan your defrosting to be done by the night before Thanksgiving. Don't try to do this Thanksgiving morning, or you will need to be up at 3 in the morning.

Dressing/stuffing--make the day before and refrigerate it so you are ready to go in the morning.

Turducken prep!!!

Mix salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl--enough to season each bird completely. By mixing it in the bowl, you don't have to put your foul (fowl) hands all over the salt and pepper mills--eeeeewwww!!! Mix more than you think you will need, you can toss the rest when you are finished.
Lay out butcher's twine, each piece a few inches from the other. Lay turkey, skin side down on top of twine. Sprinkle seasoning liberally over expose flesh side. Spread a thin layer of rice and sausage dressing over turkey, making sure you cram it into the thigh where you removed the bones. Lay the chicken down on top of dressing and sprinkle liberally with seasoning. Spread a thin layer of bread dressing onto chicken, carefully shoving it into the thigh and drumsticks where the bones were removed. Lay the duck down on top of the chicken--What! Your duck is in a bunch of pieces and not like a whole duck!?! Yeah, that happens. Just lay down the pieces, season it, and layer the rice and sausage dressing on top of it.

Here is where you need another set of hands. Have your helper fold the sides of the turkey together, and tie each string around it to hold it together. (Okay, in 3 Turduckens, I have never used the twine, but I am thins year because I know it will be WAY easier!) Take a needle and begin stitching your turkey back together using a whip stitch or the kind of stitching used on a baseball. Make sure you go through the meat of the bird when you can, not just the skin.
Lay bird, stitching side down on rack in roasting pan. Rub softened butter over entire bird and sprinkle with more of the seasoning. Lay the strips of bacon across the bird and put into a 225 degree oven and roast for 9-10 hours. Your meat thermometer, inserted all the way in so it gets to the duck, needs to read 165 degrees. Baste your bird every hour, and at about 4 hours in, remove the bacon. If he starts to get too brown too soon, tent foil over the top and remove for the last 15 minutes to crisp up.

Let bird sit for 15-20 minutes--if you can stand it!--before cutting in.

Note: It doesn't matter what size your duck and chicken are (or pheasant), just put them into turkey in descending order of size.

Bread Dressing

3 tbls butter
1 onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 small apple, cored and chopped, skin on
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup craisins or golden raisins
1 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
4 cups dried or day old bread cubed
1/3 c apple juice 1/2-
1 c vegetable stock

Melt butter in large pot or skillet and saute onion and celery for a few minutes, just until they are translucent. Add apple, nuts, craisins and herbs and toss together, cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add bread cubes and toss with apple juice and enough stock to make moist. I like quite a bit of moisture in mine, as I like to cook what doesn't go into a bird in a hot oven and make the top super crispy!! If it is going into a bird, less moisture is needed, since it will draw it from the bird. If it is not being cooked in a bird, spoon into a pan and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. My favorite way to do it--spoon it into a cupcake pan and make individual "stuffin' muffins". I got that idea from Rachel Ray, and we love it. Everyone gets there own crunchy part!

Sweet Potato Balls (I know! I didn't know they had them either!)

2 sweet potatos
2 yams
3 tbls butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
8 large marshmallows
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
3 tbls sugar
3 tsp cinnamon

Peel potatos and yams, cut into chunks and boil until tender. You could also roast them in an oven until tender, split the skin, and scoop the flesh out, but that is messy and takes MUCH longer. Just boil them.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mash potatos with butter, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. On a medium sized plate, mix coconut with cinnamon and sugar. Using your hands, form into 8 equal size balls, carefully stuffing a marshmallow into the center of each and sealing it in. Roll balls in coconut mixture and place on baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, until coconut is golden brown and crunchy.

**For a savory option, mix coconut with 3-4 tsp yellow curry powder and a tsp of powdered ginger, leaving off the sugar.

These are fun to make with your kids--even if they are in their 20s. Just ask Belinda!

Green Beans with Bacon

1/8 pound slab bacon, diced
1 tbls olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper

In a large deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate. Clean skillet and add olive oil and the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened. Add the beans, pepper flakes, and salt and saute over moderately high heat, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the boiling water and cover the skillet immediately. Steam the beans, shaking the skillet occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until just tender. Add the butter, vinegar, and salt and pepper and toss until combined. Sprinkle with the bacon.

Pumpkin Pie

I make the recipe off the back of the Libby's pumpkin can. I just put loads of cinnamon, cloves and ginger in, with just a little nutmeg. That's how we like it.

What a great day of GREAT food! Oh right, if you have vegetarian friends coming over, all of the sides, except the Sausage and Rice Dressing, are made without meat. When I make the green beans, the bacon can be sprinkled on top of the individual servings rather than over the whole dish.

Comfort food rocks!

With our snowstorm dumping 18" of snow on us last week, we were all enjoying warm nights inside with the heat turned way up. It is generally impossible for my feet and derriere to be warm during the months between October and April, but one thing that really helps is good hot food and drink.


The right stuff can warm you to the tips of your fingers and toes, and make you feel toasty and comfy while storms rage outside. See, it is true--food can solve all woes. And why not start with a yummy hot drink while working in the kitchen.

One of our favorites is hot spiced wine, which we have found is the same, or at least similar, in many countries of the world. Our other favorite is hot spiced cider. I make this anytime we have college football parties. Most people who want to come over and watch games drink beer or soda, but I have found that for autumn football games, people really get into the hot cider. The nice thing is, it offers a non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverage to those who don't want one or the other. The beauty of both of these drinks is that you can make both with the same ingredients--just swap out the liquidy part!



Hot Mulled Cider (Wine)



1 bottle apple juice, cider, or full-bodied red wine
1 orange sliced 1/4" thick with rind attached
1 apple sliced 1/4" thick with peel still on
2 tbls mulling spices in tea infuser or wrapped in cheesecloth
1/3 to 1/2 c sugar for wine only

Put all ingredients into a stock pot and simmer for about 20 minutes. Ladle into mugs and serve with a cinnamon stick.



Option: to kick up the cider a bit, add 1 oz of Meyer's dark rum to the mug before ladling in cider.



Mulling spices:

You can find these already put together in most food stores (we get ours from Williams Sonoma--vastly overpriced--or at World Market). Or you can easily make your own using whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, dried orange rind, allspice, cardamom, or any spice flavors you particularly enjoy.



So, how about some comfort food to go with your yummy drink starter? Chicken pot pie is a warm, filling and comforting meal that is really pretty simple to make, and so much better than any you can buy in the store. I made this recipe with leftovers one day, and it is truly easy and truly yummy. I actually made it while Josh was at a hockey game, and considered eating the entire thing that night--by myself. But, I saved some for him, and he agreed it was great! Seriously, everything I put into it was leftovers. I cleaned out the fridge quite nicely. You can also make it fancier for simple dinner parties by making individual pies in ramekins, and giving one to each guest.


Chicken pot pies


3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c milk, room temp
1 c shredded cheese--white cheddar and provolone
warm vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 c grilled chicken chopped
6-12 stalks grilled asparagus chopped
1/2 c pickled cherry peppers chopped
1/4-1/2 c cooked carrots chopped
2 tsp marjoram finely chopped
2 tsp thyme finely chopped
single crust recipe of pastry


Melt butter in medium sized saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out raw flour taste. Add milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until all milk is incorporated. Bring to a low simmer and begin adding cheese, small handfuls at a time. Once cheese has melted in, add stock until it is the consistency you like. Remove from heat, stir in meat, veggies, herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Pour into oven-proof dish. Roll pastry to fit over top of dish, about 1/4 inch thick. Drape over dish, seal edges, and prick top several times with fork or knife to vent. Cook in 400 degree oven about 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.



What, you're a vegetarian? Fine, leave out the meat and beef up (no pun intended) the veggies. You had pot roast for dinner last night? Use the roast, potatoes, carrots and onions to make a beef pot pie. Better than Swanson's ANY DAY!!! And, no preservatives or weird stuff you don't know about.

Let's all stay healthy

A couple of weeks ago, a recipe appeared on the kitchen counter at work. Someone had found it online, printed multiple copies, and left them for everyone. The recipe was entitled "Special Recipe: Chicken Soup To Fight Flu"--from Dr. Stephen Rennard, Chief of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

It started a conversation about how well this idea really works. Now, the smart way to go about this would be to do the research, then, if the research proves positive, make the soup and try it. Well, I didn't do it in that order. I thought, "Hey, that sounds like good chicken soup--a load of root veggies I would never have put into it. Why don't I try it?"

This past Saturday, I made the soup. I made it in a large stock pot, cooking it for a good part of the day. If the idea of that is enough to turn you off, along with having to deal with a whole chicken, let me say right now that two other women in my shop made it in a Crock Pot using boneless chicken breasts.

It is quite a delicious soup, and I thought I would share the recipe here. Then, I started to wonder about the validity of labelling it as something to "fight the flu". So, I researched Dr. Rennard and found out who he is and what he had to say about it. From a University of Nebraska newsletter--"Dr. Rennard is widely recognized as a leader in the study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. His groundbreaking research in the progression of lung disease has led to a better understanding of the disease and the development and testing of many new therapies. In 2006, he was selected as the first UNMC Scientist Laureate, the highest award given to a UNMC scientist, in recognition of his research in COPD, smoking cessation and lung tissue repair and remodeling."

Here is an excerpt from an online article written by Chet Day for Health & Beyond Online.

Another theory, put forth by Stephen Rennard, M.D., chief of pulmonary medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, is that chicken soup acts as an anti-inflammatory. The soup, he says, keeps a check on inflammatory white blood cells (neutrophils). Cold symptoms, such as coughs and congestion, are often caused by inflammation produced when neutrophils migrate to the bronchial tubes and accumulate there.

In his lab, Rennard tested chicken soup made from the recipe of his wife's Lithuanian grandmother. He demonstrated that neutrophils showed less tendency to congregate - but were no less able to fight germs - after he added samples of the soup to the neutrophils. Diluted 200 times, the soup still showed that effect.

Rennard based his chicken soup research on a family recipe, which he referred to in his article as Grandma's Soup.

When Rennard set out to determine whether there was any truth to the tales that chicken soup has medicinal qualities, he used an old family recipe - and found encouraging results. But he also found that some store bought soups fared even better.

It must be stressed that Rennard did only the one study. He concluded that to draw any definite scientific conclusions, further study would be needed. However, that's unlikely to happen because there's no money to be made with chicken soup.

So, draw your own conclusions. I just know that the soup is good, but I would definitely add a great sprig of fresh Thyme, a bay leaf, and a boat load of garlic. Unless you are a family of 5 or more, don't make more than half a batch. Josh and I will be eating chicken soup for the rest of the winter...and that is after giving a large container to my friend Belinda!

Special Recipe: Chicken Soup To Fight Flu

1--5 lb chicken
3 lg onions diced
1 lg sweet potato
3 parsnips peeled and chopped
2 turnips cut into 8ths
12 lg carrots
6 celery stalks
1 bunch parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Clean chicken and put in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, add onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, and carrots and simmer for 1.5 hours.
Add celery and parsley and cook for an additional 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken and veggies. Shred chicken and add back to broth. Put veggies into food processor and chop until very fine (or mash with a potato masher like I did) and add back into broth. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Stay healthy all my loved ones!!!