How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

I am a person who is, for some reason, forever forgetting how to cook hard boiled eggs. So I googled it, and am posting it here for simplicity's sake. Thanks to elise.com


1 First make sure that you are using eggs that are several days old. If this is Easter time, and everyone is buying their eggs at the last minute, buy your eggs 5 days in advance of boiling. Hard boiling farm fresh eggs will invariably lead to eggs that are difficult to peel. If you have boiled a batch that are difficult to peel, try putting them in the refrigerator for a few days; they should be easier to peel then.

2 Put the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, covered by at least an inch or two of cold water. Starting with cold water and gently bringing the eggs to a boil will help keep them from cracking. Adding a half teaspoon of salt is thought to help both with the preventing of cracking and making the eggs easier to peel. Put the burner on high and bring the eggs to a boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds.

3 Reduce the heat to low, return the pan to the burner. Let simmer for one minute. (Note I usually skip this step because I don't notice the eggs boiling until they've been boiling for at least a minute! Also, if you are using an electric stove with a coil element, you can just turn off the heat. There is enough residual heat in the coil to keep the eggs simmering for a minute.)

4 After a minute, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes. If you are doing a large batch of eggs, after 10 minutes you can check for doneness by sacrificing one egg, removing it with a slotted spoon, running it under cold water, and cutting it open. If it isn't done, cook the other eggs a minute or two longer. The eggs should be done perfectly at 10 minutes, but sometimes, depending on the shape of the pan, the size of the eggs, the number of eggs compared to the amount of water, and how cooked you like them, it can take a few minutes more. When you find the right time that works for you given your pan, the size of eggs you usually buy, the type of stove top you have, stick with it.

I also find that it is very hard to overcook eggs using this method. I can let the eggs sit, covered, for up to 15-20 minutes without the eggs getting overcooked.

5 Either remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them into a bowl of ice water (this is if you have a lot of eggs) OR strain out the water from the pan, fill the pan with cold water, strain again, fill again, until the eggs cool down a bit. Once cooled, strain the water from the eggs. Store the eggs in a covered container (eggs can release odors) in the refrigerator. They should be eaten within 5 days.

Minestrone Soup

Today was a cold day, and I was craving soup. However, I was low on groceries. I made minestrone with what was in the back of the refrigerator produce bin---and it turned out to be delicious.

pasta pot full of veggie broth
pinch Italian seasoning
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced fine
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
8 oz dry egg noodles
2 onions, diced fine
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
few grinds of fresh pepper
pinch of salt

Before I get to the recipe, I have to talk about one of my most favorite things. Trader Joe's makes these little packets of concentrated vegetable broth. They come in a small green box. Inside are a dozen tubes of...vegetable syrup? Basically, that's what it is. Really concentrated, thick broth. You add 1 tube to 1 cup of water. They save sooooo much cabinet space, are very light to carry, and are perfect for backpacking meals. Also, they have amazing flavor and are low-sodium. Can you tell how much I love them?
So anyway, that intro is just to say--when I made this recipe, I used a pasta pot full of water with 4 or 5 packets of broth mixed in.

1. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add a small pinch of Italian seasoning ground between your fingers. As the broth is heating, dice the celery, then add it to the pot.

2. Dice the carrots, and sautee them in a tablespoon of olive oil. (Don't skimp on the olive oil, it's the only fat in the dish.) While the carrots cook, dice the onions and garlic.

3. When the carrots are "al dente", add them to the pot, and saute the onions and garlic in the pan. When the garlic and onions are translucent, add them to the pot along with the frozen spinach, and bring the pot to a boil.

4. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions. (Mine only took 4 minutes.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

P.S. This was so good that after we ate the whole pot for lunch, I turned around and made another batch before the stove cooled down. Now that is a good recipe.

Mushroom Lentil Barley Stew

Serves 8

8 cups (2 quarts) vegetable broth
2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, torn into pieces
3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
3/4 cup dry lentils
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon dried summer savory
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

1. In a slow cooker, mix the broth, button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, barley, lentils, onion flakes, garlic, savory, bay leaves, basil, pepper, and salt. (Dry ingredients can be mixed ahead and stored in ziploc bags for convenience.)

2. Cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on High or 10 to 12 hours on Low. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Pico de Gallo Quesadillas

The pico de gallo in this is supposed to be fantastic. Got over 400 rave reviews on allrecipes.com

2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup sour cream, for topping

1. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken and saute until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

3. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the hot skillet and saute the sliced onion and green pepper until tender. Stir in the minced garlic and saute until the aroma is strong. Mix in half of the pico de gallo and chicken breast meat. Set aside; keep warm.

4. In a heavy skillet, heat one flour tortilla. Spread 1/4 cup shredded cheese on the tortilla and top with 1/2 the chicken mixture. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup cheese over the chicken and top with another tortilla. When bottom tortilla is lightly brown and cheese has started to melt, flip quesadilla and cook on the opposite side. Remove quesadilla from skillet and cut into quarters. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve quesadillas with sour cream and remaining pico de gallo.

Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

RAWR!

A few weeks ago, I was at a family reunion, where my Aunt Janice gave a presentation on the raw foods diet she has been following. She gave samples of a salad that was ah-mazing. So amazing that I made it within the week. Craveable, I say.

Here is my take on it:
2 ripe avocados
3 ears uncooked corn, kernels cut off
2 peeled cucumbers, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1. Mash the avocado.

2. Mix the avocado with the corn, cukes, and onion. That's it!

This salad was so yummy and easy that it made me start thinking about trying raw for a while. Summer in California is halfway there. For example, tonight for dinner, the hubby and I had a Caprese salad: sliced heirloom tomatoes (from the Smith Family Farm) with mozzarella, fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar with olive oil to dip it all in. Oh, wow, it was good.

P.S. I found this link to a New York Times article with 101 ideas for summer salads. Very cool.

August 2009 Meals (and a Lot of Peaches)

Yesterday I went to a U-Pick farm in Brentwood and picked 20 pounds of peaches at this esteemed establishment. Yes, you read that right, 20 pounds of peaches. So I'll be making a lot of cobbler and pie this week. Yum....
The farm also has a beautiful display of already-picked produce to buy, like peppers, zucchini, and a large selection of heirloom tomatoes. I bought some orange romas to make a quick homemade pasta sauce. Inspired by the Smith Family Farm (and the leftovers in my fridge that need to be used up), here is my meal plan for the month.

Spinach salad with sliced tomatoes and rotisserie chicken
Fettucine with homemade pasta sauce
Caprese Salad (sliced tomatoes with mozzarella and fresh basil)
Homemade macaroni and cheese with garlic roast beef
Nie's Penne with Tuna and Red Onion
Spaghetti with Sauteed Zucchini and Feta
Noodles with Peanut Sauce
Tabouli
Cucumber Salad with Pesto Dressing
Homemade Chipotle Hummus with Vegetable Dippers
Black Bean Tacos with Coleslaw and Fresh Pico de Gallo
Quinoa with Sauteed Onions and Wilted Spinach Parmesan
Cold Cream of Zucchini Soup

Ruth's Grandma's Pie Crust

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups shortening
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1/2 cup water


1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.

2. In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com

Shiitake and Sourdough Stuffing

Serves 8.
Prep time is 15 minutes, total time is 40 minutes.

1/4 cup butter
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cups shiitake caps, sliced
6 cups sourdough bread, in 1/2 inch cubes (slightly stale is best)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp sage
1/2 cup broth

1. Preheat oven to 325. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery, onion and mushrooms, and saute 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in bread cubes, spices and broth.

2. Spoon stuffing into a lightly greased 3-quart baking dish. Bake 30 minutes or until bread is golden and toasted.

Recipe courtesy of Try-Foods International.
274 calories per serving.

Long time no see...

Wow, only four recipes in the last six months---I guess it's proof that I've been busy lately. But I am officially moved into my new house, with its gorgeous kitchen, and I am ready for chopping, dicing, sauteing, and lots of other fun stuff. Stay tuned, I expect to be posting quite a bit more.

Bread Machine Naan

2 cups bread flour or plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried yeast
4 tbs milk
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs natural yoghurt
1 egg

1. Add ingredients to breadmaker in the order recommended by your breadmaker manual (mine stipulates all the wet ingredients first, then the dry, then the dried yeast last).

2. Set machine to the "Dough" cycle and press start.


3. Preheat the oven and a baking tray to 220'C/ 425'F.


4. When the machine is finished, remove the dough and cut into three pieces. Roll each out into a tear drop shape about 1/2" thick, and place onto the hot baking tray.



5. Bake until puffed up and golden on the top, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and brush with melted butter or a mixture of melted butter and crushed garlic or herbs, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of http://simple-living-simple-cooking.blogspot.com

Low-Carb Barbeque Sauce

Leon, this one's for you.

Makes 4 cups.

1 tsp. canola or olive Oil
1 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bouillon cubes
1/2 cup hot water
3 6-oz cans tomato paste
1 cup granular Splenda
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. Hickory flavor Liquid Smoke
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Tabasco sauce, more to taste

1. Place oil in large saucepan. Add onions and garlic, and saute over medium heat until translucent.

2. Mix the bouillon cubes and hot water until partially dissolved. Add bouillon mixture and all remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Stir well using a wire whisk.

3. Simmer uncovered 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Refrigerate overnight in a non-metallic container, sauce is best if prepared a day before using. May be refrigerated for up to a week.

Note: This recipe is fantastic. My dad made it for ribs the other day, and it is officially my favorite sauce in the world--suitable for vegetarians to carnivores, no-carb diets to all-carb diets. Yum.

Recipe courtesy of diabetesforums.com

Janet Nelson's Persimmon Cookies

1/2 c butter
1 c sugar (I use less)
1 egg
1 c of persimmmon pulp (see note)
1 1/2 c nuts
1 1/4 c cran-raisins
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp each - cinnamon
ground cloves
nutmeg
often I add orange peel

1. Add the baking soda to the persimmon pulp and set aside for at least 5 minutes

2. Cream the butter, sugar, egg. Add the pulp and mix.

3. Gently stir in the flour mixture (with spices etc). Add the nuts and cran-raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls (it spreads) on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Note: The type of persimmon used to make these cookies is called Hachiya, and they are kind of pointy at the bottom. (There are other varities of this fruit, so make sure that's the kind you have.) Make sure the persimmon is ripe/soft and just scoop the pulp out with a spoon. 1 cup equals about two big fruits.

These cookies freeze exceptionally well, so make a bunch when persimmons are in season, and you can have healthy cookies all year.