Monthly Archives: March 2012

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Your Basic Meatball

March 30, 2012 in Beef/Lamb, Mains, Pork

You could call them mini-meatloaf bites if you wanted to.  They essentially are.  A basic meatball can be used for a variety of cuisines and is so simple to accomplish.  The worst meatballs are dry and have a texture that could remind you of food not fit for human consumption.  The best meatballs are moist, tender, and hold up well in sauce as well as on the end of a toothpick and dipped in a condiment.

Meatballs, like meatloaf, are better made when you have a party of animals going on there. In mine, I do a combination of ground pork and ground beef. Ideally, I would have wanted a less lean pork.  Why?  Fat = moisture = flavor. Alas, the local grocery only had one type of unseasoned “extra lean” pork for sale. *sigh* Ce la vie, I suppose. As for the ground beef, it was 20% fat. I admit, the lacking pork fat was missed.

I prepared these meatballs two ways.  One way, I pan fried them, getting a nice dark brown crust on the outside.  The seared meatballs were then finished in a marinara sauce.  The other way, I baked them in the oven so I could freeze and store them.

Basic Meatballs

  • 1 lb. of ground beef (not lean, you want something like ground chuck)
  • 1 lb. of ground pork (go for around 70% – 80% lean)
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (I would have used a bit more, but I got tired of grating cheese.)
  • 3 eggs
  • salt and pepper (be generous, you’ll be happy with the results)

Dump everything in a bowl.

Get down and dirty and mix WITH YOUR HANDS.  It’ll be fine.  You’ll survive.  Just mix it up until everything looks incorporated and evenly distributed.

crappy shot. that's what happens when you have a "meat hand."

Next, still with your hands, grab a chunk any size you want and roll into a ball.  Do so with all of the mixture until you no longer have any leftover.

Cook however you want!

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot enough, lay in the meatballs. and let them fry until a brown crust forms.

When they have enough color, turn over and let cook until they reach a similar shade again.

If you want the meatballs in a sauce, pour in your sauce of choice and turn the heat on low-medium, cover the pan, and let them simmer until cooked through. (I used Trader Joe’s Low Sodium Organic Marinara.)

If no sauce is desired, then give the meatballs a stir, and pour in a small amount of water or broth. Cover, and let the steam finish them off.

If you want to bake them, put the raw meatballs on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (maybe longer depending on the size of your meatballs); flip them over, and rotate the sheet halfway through.

Easy peasy, George and Weezy!

 

 

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Sticky Sweet Biko!

March 29, 2012 in Desserts

Sometimes I get these cravings that come from what seems like no real rational place. Maybe it’s like scent memory, but working in the opposite direction where something subconsciously triggers a desire for a particular foodstuff.  This time around I was stunned by a deep hunger pang that could only be satisfied by that sticky and sweet Filipino rice dessert, BIKO.

This is something that’s I’ve grown up with.  Always on the lengthy buffet table at pretty much any gathering where the ratio of Filipinos to everybody else is at least 1:1, it’s usually in some circular bamboo basket lined with banana leaves.  Often times it will be in tandem with ube (we’ll get to that some other time) or leche flan (a.k.a. leche plan).  Growing up, whenever my mom made it, it was usually one of two versions.  The one I saw most of was a layer of sticky rice cooked in coconut milk, covered by a layer of condensed milk that browned when baked in the oven.  The second one was a rare occurrence; it was a little more involved.  My mom had to make sure the whole thing didn’t burn by constantly stirring as the rice cooked on the stovetop resulting in a stiff viscous ball.  The molten mass (it is extremely hot sugar we’re talking about here) is then transferred to a dish or mold, pressed, and left to cool.  This is the rendition I took a stab at this time around.

I used the biko recipe from a fantastic Filipino cuisine site Panlasang Pinoy.  In my version, I halved it, and used slightly less sugar overall, as well as part brown sugar and part cane sugar.

Biko!

  • 1 cup sticky/glutinous/sweet rice
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup regular sugar (I recommend using an unbleached sugar)
  • 1 14 oz. can of light coconut milk
  • A few pinches of sea salt
  • butter or cooking oil (for greasing)

Put the water and rice in a rice cooker and let cook until cycle is finished.  If you don’t have a rice cooker, then pour the rice and water in an accommodating sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the flame to low-medium, cover and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the water looks like it is completely absorbed.

Lightly grease a dish or mold, whatever you have on hand that is about the size of a pie dish.

In a second pan (I used a skillet with 3 inch walls) pour in the coconut milk and sugars and heat on medium-high to get the sugar melted.  I recommend stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid burning the sugar that’s resting on the bottom of the pan.  I emphasize a wooden spoon because plastic can actually melt from the heat of the sugar.

Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat to medium. When it looks fully incorporated, it will look like a mocha color and be of a slightly thicker consistency.  Add the salt.

Add the semi-cooked rice and break up the rice if necessary.  Now comes the fun part.  Stir, stir, stir!  Don’t let the bottom sit still for too long or it will burn.  Burned sugar is great for some things, but not this.  Cook it until the liquid is evaporated/absorbed by the rice.  This will be stiff and almost form a ball when you stir it.

Pour it into your prepared dish and press the rice into it.  Let it cool on the counter.  When it’s a tolerable temperature, either warm or room temperature, eat it!

 

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Ch**ting in The Kitchen

March 27, 2012 in Uncategorized

The c-word.  It’s usually reserved for the lazy or the uncaring.  Today, I’m using it in the kitchen.  Reinventing leftovers and buying a couple of things to create the meal is an example of what I call “cheating in the kitchen.”  Cutting corners in the kitchen can be bad, but it can also be OK.

Trader Joe's corned beef brisket with mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts.

Last night I pan-fried some leftover Filipino Pork Adobo to be the main filler for Adobo Pork Tacos.  To the grocery store I turned for tortillas and refried beans, despite the fact I had flour and dried pintos in the cupboard.  Sometimes, you just don’t want to knead the dough, or you forget to soak the beans while doing other things like laundry and packing boxes.  That’s fine.  To avoid the stigma surrounding packaged food items, I opt for the organic something or preservative free whatever when I can.  And sometimes resources are limited and I just can’t.  I weep for a moment, and then pick up the item that closely matches my needs. You do what you can, when you can.

Based on conversations with non-cooking friends or rarely cooking friends, the biggest hurdles are putting in the time and gathering the exact ingredients.  No sweat.  If those are the real turnoffs, then don’t be ashamed to use sauces and seasoning packets. Does a recipe call for oregano?  Just use the general Italian seasoning in your pantry.  I do recommend collecting a few basic herbs and spices.  These can be used in combination, or even singularly (with salt and pepper, of course!):

  • Thyme (excellent for poultry)
  • Bay leaves (gives an extra depth to soups and sauces)
  • Rosemary (great for beef, lamb, poultry, and vegetables)
  • Onion powder and Garlic powder (perfect for when you don’t have either to chop)
  • Paprika (nice smoky sweet flavor that’s nice for pork and chicken; think of it as an extremely tame chili powder)
  • Soy sauce (makes something instantly feel generically “Asian”)
  • Olive oil (skip out on the extra virgin and just get regular pure olive oil; it will have a higher smoking point, i.e. better accommodating for cooking at medium to high temperatures, and frying with extra virgin olive oil actually alters the taste of it, so reserve that for salads and finishing dishes otherwise you’re wasting your money!)
  • Vinegar (gives that sour taste and helps with marinating)
  • Spice/herb blends for flavors you like (Italian, Lemon Pepper, and the like)

Also, leaving some seasoning ingredients out of a recipe is OK.  It will change the dish, but most of the time it won’t be missed.  It’s a matter of reading the amounts and directions and seeing what gets more emphasis.  Try it out!  If you’re unhappy with the results, then do something else next time. Substitutions in the same flavor family are fine, too.  Does something call for lime? Sub lemon!  Don’t have apple cider vinegar?  Use another type of vinegar you already have!  A quick Google search will uncover great ideas, and you’ll learn something, too. Navigating meal prep is conquerable.  Happy cooking!

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Blueberry Muffin Cookies

March 22, 2012 in Cookies, Desserts, Today's Recipe

For the past few weeks, I have had a steady supply of chocolate chip cookies in my cupboard ready at the first sign of cravings.  All batches have been different incarnations of the Jumbo Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies inside the Land O’ Lakes butter package.  I’ve kept my empty carton for so long, never having even attempted that recipe until I desperately needed a soft cookie studded with chunks of chocolate.  (Note: levels of desperation are often exaggerated.)

When the last batch was through, and it was time to re-fill the jar, my tastes had changed.  There was no longer the need for melty chocolate.  Instead there was an urge for sweet blueberries suspended in buttery crumbs!  Muffins are too large and in charge.  Storing them in a space limited kitchen is annoying.  What was I supposed to do?  How was I supposed to fulfill the desire of bald blueberry cakes (see Jim Gaffigan) as well as keep it space savvy?  And then it was like the heavens opened up and Jesus himself hovered down with a plate of delicious smelling blueberry muffin COOKIES.

It is/was a perfect synthesis of soft and chewy cookie with blueberries and crumble topping.  Some may say it’s a coveted muffin top (not THAT kind! OH LAWD!).  After a lot of posts sans recipe, it’s finally here.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is a recipe for Blueberry Muffin Cookies!

Main cookie (adapted from Land O’ Lakes Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Cookies):

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 tablespoon amaretto or almond extract
  • 8 oz. dried blueberries

Crumble topping:

  • 1/4 cup butter (softened butter will make it easier)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • a pinch or two of cinnamon (optional)

Before you do anything, preheat your oven to 375°F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, adding the oil in batches so you’re whipping it in. Adding one at a time, beat in eggs, vanilla, and amaretto (or almond extract).

Get a wooden spoon (or any large spoon, really) and stir in your dry mixture in parts.  This will be THICK.  If you need someone else with stronger arms to help you, by all means, don’t be a ashamed to ask!  Then sit back and sip the amaretto sour you may have just made yourself.  When the last of the flour mixture is almost fully incorporated, stir in the blueberries until they are dispersed throughout.  REMINDER: DO NOT OVERMIX.  There simply isn’t a need.  They’re cookies.  It will be OKAY.

On to the crumble. Basically dump everything in a bowl and mix with a fork.  You’ll know when it’s done.  It will look crumbly (duh).

Set your baking sheets in front of you and using an ice cream scoop, tablespoon, serving spoon, whatever, even your hands, and drop lumps of dough onto the sheet about 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart.  Without destroying the shaggy look of the dough drops, sprinkle crumble topping on top of each cookie.  Feel free to be generous.  Or stingy.  These are your cookies after all. Pop the sheets into the oven and set a timer for about 10 minutes.  Better yet, set a timer for 5, rotate your sheets, then set it for 5 more minutes.  Cookies will be ready to leave the oven when the edges are golden brown and the middles look underdone.  Take them out as soon as they seem fit to take out and let the cookies rest on the pan for a minute or two.  After the resting period, move them to a cooling rack, or a plate, or your mouth.

Enjoy!

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Lamb Shanks Braised in Stout

March 22, 2012 in Beef/Lamb, Mains

St. Paddy’s Day!  In honor of Ireland’s patron saint, I wanted to make something hearty and well, Irish.  Doing a search on Irish recipes, I’ve come to the conclusion that the overall take on “Irish” involves adding booze to a recipe, and not just any booze.  It’s either stout or Irish whiskey.  Outside of the add-booze-instant-Irish standard, there’s also the base ingredients of potatoes, cabbage, or corned beef.  Corned beef is overrated.  At least that’s what I told myself as I saw flyer after flyer during the week ahead screaming about deals on corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage.  I didn’t want to be like everyone else and indulge in something that is as synonymous with the holiday as green beer and shamrock green bead necklaces (is that just leftover from Fat Tuesday?).  Trying to avoid another stew, I came across many a recipe for lamb shanks braised in the high and almighty Guinness.  Trader Joe’s was OUT of Guinness.  Instead I found a single bottle brew that was QUITE good.

Ingredients:

Seared and braising in onions, garlic, stout, and beef broth.

The finished product:

Plated!

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