Easy Brown Gravy

Tonight's dinner menu featured a slow-cooked roast beef and homemade mashed potatoes.  I also found a recipe for a delicious brown gravy that I could make using everyday ingredients, and without the help (or crutch!) of a packaged gravy mix or bouillion cubes, neither of which are ever pantry staples in my kitchen.  This is the first time I've ever made gravy, so I was pretty proud of the result, which was super yummy. I apologize for the lack of photos - I had several things going on at once and I didn't think about it until I was nearly finished!

This recipe makes about 8 servings of gravy, although I halved it because there's only two of us.  It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, so make sure you leave plenty of time.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1 clove garlic, minced (I cheated - I used the squeeze bottle minced garlic!)

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 quart (4 cups, or 32 oz can) of cold beef broth (as high-quality as possible!)

salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by melting the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, whisk it in, and cook for about 5 minutes (whisk about every 30 seconds) until the mixture is golden-brown and smells like a pie crust.  Then, add the garlic, stir, and cook for about 30 seconds.  Whisk in about a cup of the beef broth.  Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the salt & pepper), and stir in the rest of the broth last, so that you'll have room to whisk in the other ingredients without splashing.

Bring the gravy to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Give it a taste test, season with salt & pepper, and then generously adorn your roast beef & mashed potatoes with yummy goodness.

Note: if you cut the recipe in half, like I did, be sure to use the SAME amount of Dijon & Worcestershire sauce. I didn't realize I had kept the same measurements on these until after I was finished, but honestly, any less & I don't think it would have had the same great flavor.

Tip: I keep my beef broth in the pantry, not the fridge, but since this recipe called specifically for "cold" broth, I just put my unopened can in an ice bath in the freezer for about 10 mins.  Find a container deep enough that the can will stand up or lay on its side (a loaf pan, perhaps??) Fill it about 1/2 way with cold water, and then put ice in the water around the can until it is submerged (or as close to it as possible).  If the size of your container is compatible with your freezer, pop it in for 10 minutes while you start your gravy.

~~~~~~~

BONUS!

By the way, if you are going to make gravy as awesome as this, it would really be a crime to make instant mashed potatoes.  C'mon...impress your family and make the real deal.  Just in case you've never done this before, here's a bonus recipe to go with the awesome gravy.  This one takes a while too, so start early!

What you'll need:
-- 3-4 potatoes (mine were small, but made plenty)
-- 3/4-1 c milk
-- 4 tbsp butter
-- salt (preferably sea salt, but any will do), and any seasoning you want in your mash, such as garlic powder.

Lightly scrub the potatoes to get any dirt off.  Put them in a large saucepan and submerge in cold water. (Don't use a bigger pan than you need!  It will only take longer for the extra water to boil.)  The water should be about 1 inch above the potatoes. 

Season generously with salt and set the saucepan on the stove to boil.

Once the water is boiling (10ish minutes), reduce heat and simmer the potatoes for about 35-40 minutes or until they are fork-tender. (This is the part that takes a while - start your gravy about 15 minutes into the simmer).

Drain the potatoes in a colander.  If you want to peel the potatoes, then you'll need to let them cool before you can safely handle them.  I don't bother with peeling them, so I get to save that extra 20 minutes of cooling time and eat sooner!  Besides, by cooling the potatoes, you tend to end up with cold mashed potatoes!  So skip the peeler.  A little potato skin never hurt anyone.

Melt about 4 tbsp of butter in the microwave for about a minute (30 seconds at a time).  Then add milk up to the 1 cup mark (a pyrex measuring jug is great for this), and nuke it for another minute to heat it a bit.  While your microwave is running, return your potatoes to your pan (no water, heat reduced to low), and cut them into halves or quarters - or just small pieces.

Pour in your milk & butter, and mash those potatoes!  Give it a little elbow grease.  By the way, that whisk that's taking a break from stirring the gravy?  Works great as a potato masher - especially if you can't find the real deal in a kitchen with too many utensil/junk drawers......

Season with salt & pepper and perhaps a little garlic powder.  If you're not making gravy (or even if you are!), you might take this opportunity to add a little shredded cheese, sour cream & ranch dressing (aka, loaded baked potato mash!)

Smother in gravy.  Devour. 

Mexican Casserole

Here's another easy (kid friendly!) weeknight dinner from AllRecipes.com

Very yummy, but with all due respect, it needs a little more flair. The pictures you see here reflect the original recipe, but I will make some suggestions along the way that I wish I had thought of earlier.  So with all my extra input, this post has taken on a "choose your own ending" kind of feel, but part of the fun in cooking is experimenting!

Here's what you'll need:

Not pictured:
Ground beef (which was already in the pan by the time I remembered to get my camera)
Veggies, Rotel, Garnishes

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef *OR* 3/4 lb cubed skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
1 (15 oz) can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 (8.75 oz) can of sweet corn (drained)
1 can of Rotel *OR* use chopped bell peppers & onions
1/4 cup salsa
water as needed
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1.5 cups crushed plain tortilla chips
Suggestion: can of refried beans & a little guacamole would go a long way!!
Pick one for garnish: fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, or sliced jalapenos.

Yield: about 5 servings.

*Note: The original recipe actually uses chicken, but I had a prego-brain moment this afternoon and pulled ground beef to thaw instead of chicken.  Thankfully, it's an easy substitute!

Here's what to do:

Preheat oven to 350*F.

 

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown your ground beef.  Or, if you are using chicken, saute the chicken in about 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil until cooked through and no longer pink inside.  Then, if you are using chopped veggies, toss those in the skillet and saute until tender (probably about 2 mins).

Add your taco seasoning, beans, corn, salsa, and about 1/2 cup of water to keep it from drying out.  You could also add that can of Rotel here (not part of original recipe) and probably skip the water - there will be enough liquid in the Rotel can.

Cover skillet & simmer over med-low heat for 10 minutes. 
(It's hot.  To avoid turning on your oven too early and turning your kitchen into a personal sauna, you could wait to start preheating until this point!  If you live in the firepit that is the Midwest USA right now, this would be a smart thing to do!)

Transfer the ground beef (or chicken) mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. 
At this point, I might have added a layer of refried beans.  Yeah, it's a lot of beans, but it would add an extra flavor to the recipe. And the fiber is good for you. :-)

Top with 1/2 cup of cheese & crushed tortilla chips.
I actually ended up using about 2 cups of the crushed chips, which seemed to cover it a bit better.  I also recommend putting the cheese under the chips - my chips got a little soggy & stale-tasting under all the melting cheese! 
If you are using green onions as a garnish, sprinkle them on top now.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Then top with another 1/2 cup of cheese and bake about 2-3 minutes longer until it is melted and bubbly.

To make it look pretty, add a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, or for the brave ones, sliced jalapenos. 

Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream as condiments.


Enjoy!!

Perfect Crepes

I am always filled with awe whenever this French treat graces my plate.  Which is not often.  I did get to enjoy them on a number of occasions when my family lived in Montreal, Quebec.  And, I have been blessed with exactly one opportunity to order the real thing, once upon a trip to Paris, circa 2004.  However, my life has been significantly lacking in crepes for the past several years, so I decided to put an end to the famine and look up a recipe. 

How hard could it be?

Not hard at all, as it turns out. 

In fact, it was so simple and preparing them went so flawlessly that I felt like somebody else had stepped into my kitchen.  Believe me, my cooking blunders could quite easily fill a book; one which I would title How NOT to Cook, and that would more than likely be a bestseller.

So here, with credit to one of my favorite go-to recipe sites, is a ridiculously easy recipe for crepes.

Here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter, melted

First, put 1 cup flour & 2 eggs in a large bowl.  I used my favorite Pyrex batter bowl which is perfect, because it has a pour spout on the side for direct transfer to a pan later.

Whisk together the flour & eggs.  It will be a big clumpy mess & will all be stuck inside your whisk, but never fear.  It will come out! :)

Next, gradually stir in the milk and water.  I poured in 1/4 cup at a time, which seemed to work perfectly for making sure it was thoroughly mixed in & for de-clumping the ingredients stuck in my whisk.

Then, toss in the salt & melted butter.  Whisk it all together so that it is smooth and well-blended.  Put a little elbow grease into it so that you don't end up with a clumpy mess on the bottom.



Here's what I started with - and ended up with a few ingredients later!

Heat a lightly greased pan over medium high heat. 

(I just used a drop of extra virgin olive oil between each crepe, to make sure they wouldn't stick.  I try to stay away from vegetable oil or aerosol sprays wherever possible.)

 Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan.  Tilt the pan and rotate it so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan.  Depending on the size of your pan, this may require slightly more batter.  This will create a very thin layer on the bottom.  Don't worry - it'll come off! :)

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom is a light brown.  Loosen it with a spatula and flip it over.  (A thin metal spatula works best, and actually you may find that the edges start to curl up a bit & you won't have to do too much work to flip them over in one piece!)





I can't believe how easy this is........





This recipe makes 4 large crepes.  The original one that I printed promised 8, but I ended up whipping up an extra batch of batter half way through my cooking.

Serving suggestion:

We love breakfast for dinner, so I filled my crepes with bacon and scrambled eggs, seasoned with a pinch of salt & pepper, Italian seasonings, and a small can of Rotel (drained).  I topped mine off with a little A1 steak sauce. (Don't knock it til you've tried it!)  Oh, and a baked sweet potato on the side, which went surprisingly well with the rest of the meal.

It is worth noting that it is significantly harder to fry bacon if you don't have a smoke alarm in the kitchen as a backup timer.  The bacon in this picture can be identified by its charcoaled edges.  Still good!

Mmmmmmmmmmm...



Perfectly easy crepes!  Accident-prone chef tested, guinea-pig taste testing husband approved!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins & Cream Cheese Frosting

Today out of nowhere, I was attacked by a pretty intense craving for something involving pumpkin & cream cheese.  Pregnancy really does do crazy things to you, including sudden desire for flavors that hadn't even entered your thought process until it was just there.  I have recently learned that when you crave sugar, your body really actually needs protein.  So, to the friend who is wondering: yes, I ate my chicken first, drank two large glasses of water, and waited a good 45 minutes after dinner before baking, just to make sure this craving was legit. 

Sure enough, my crystal ball very clearly showed some yummy pumpkin cream-cheese muffins in my immediate future.  It just so happened that I had every single ingredient already in stock, including several of which I do not regularly buy unless I have a reason for doing so.  Further proof that this was meant to be. :)

Credit for this recipe goes to The Pioneer Woman.  Here's the fun I had trying it out! 



Artist's rendering of Heaven.





Here's what you'll need. 

An apron and your trusty happy face spoon.



That's right.







Not pictured: Cream Cheese. Oops!

Muffin ingredients:1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter (half stick) cut into pieces

1 c. (heaping) pumpkin puree 
(Muy importante: do NOT use pumpkin pie filling!!!! Just regular canned pumpkin.)
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 egg
1.5 tsp vanilla
Optional: (pick one or more) golden raisins, walnuts, pecans, coconut, chocolate chips

Frosting:
1/4 c butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 lb Powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400* F.

In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & salt.

 Next, cut up 4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) of butter. I may or may not have cheated and used margarine. (This is a sin!)  Cut it into your flour mixture until it is fully mixed in.  A pastry cutter would work a lot better, but since I couldn't find mine, my whisk did the job just fine.

  

What butter???

In another bowl, mix together your pumpkin puree (repeat: NOT pumpkin pie filling. Cannot emphasize enough!), egg, evaporated milk, and vanilla.  Mix with a whisk until it's good and creamy.  Please forgive lack of pre-mixed picture.  It did not look so yummy....


Aside: it is important to note the expiration date on your can of evaporated milk before you pour it in to make batter.  Thankfully, I noticed just in time that, despite having purchased this particular can only days ago, the date on the can was 11/11/2006.  Way to go, Walmart.
*Insert mad dash to grocery store here*

Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture.

If you are lucky, you may even end up with a smiley face in your pumpkin mixture! 
No, I did not do that on purpose.
Even the ingredients are excited about becoming pumpkin muffins!



Woohoo!!

Mix together until just combined. 

Generously grease a muffin pan (Baker's Joy w/o flour works well for this). Pour the batter into the cups, filling each one about 1/2 full.  There will be barely enough, so start small and come back to fill in.

Lick the spatula. Mmmm, pumpkin goodness.

Yummmm

In a small measuring cup, mix together equal parts sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon & ground ginger.  You only need enough to sprinkle on top of your muffins.

By the way, if you're adding a mix-in, it is highly advisable to do it before you get to this point.  Try not to be sorely disappointed in yourself for forgetting to stir in your white chocolate chips before filling the muffin cups.

:'(

Bake your muffins at 400*F for 22-26 mins.  I went for an even 24 and this is what I ended up with:

Perfection.

Let your muffins cool for at LEAST 15 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.  If you are going to frost the muffins, let them cool completely (read: 30-45 mins) before you go anywhere near them with the frosting.  Otherwise it will all run off and you will have a big gooey mess on your counter.

Frosting
It is totally up to you, the pastry chef, whether or not you frost the muffins.  However, it is my belief that in order to be blog-post worthy, anything worth doing is worth doing all the way. :)  Also, a little frosting goes a long way toward convincing your picky husband to try your pumpkin muffins.  Which may also be a good reason for leaving it off...heehee!

Make your frosting while your muffins are cooling.

Rinse out & dry one of the bowls used earlier to avoid:
a) running out of bowls
b) creating extra mess to clean up later.

In this bowl, make a big fluffy pile of powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter & vanilla.  Again, my apologies for lack of "before" picture.

Use a hand mixer to blend frosting ingredients until smooth & whipped.  There should not be any chunks of butter left in it. 

More spatula-licking fun to follow.
Hopefully you are using a different spatula than the one you licked earlier.
I happen to have a set of three that look identical. :) 

  Also, you should not take your eyes off of the hand mixer & powdered sugar to check your Facebook chat window unless you are wearing a HazMat suit and are prepared for some major cleanup.

Before licking the spatula, use said utensil to scoop your frosting into a ziplock bag for easy spreading.  A pastry bag would be preferable, but this being my first true baking endeavor since moving, I have discovered that my box of pastry & decorating tools is MIA. 

Put the bag of frosting in the fridge until you are ready to use.  A good 15 minutes or so will firm it up a bit so that it isn't quite so messy when you come to use it.


While you are waiting for your muffins to finish cooling, you could start cleanup & load the dishwasher.  This is also a great time to console yourself for the chocolate chip blunder by munching straight from the bag. :)

Nothing a little chocolate can't fix!

After 15 minutes of cooling time, remove muffins {carefully} from pan & place on wire cooling rack for the rest of your cooling time.  Try really, really hard to wait a full 30 minutes before frosting. :)

Tip: Spread a layer of plastic wrap on the counter under your cooling rack
to catch any drips of frosting.

Frosting time! 
Cut a tiny hole across a bottom corner of the ziplock bag. 
Put a big happy swirl of frosting on the top of each muffin.
Spread the frosting with the back of a spoon. (Just trust me - it works SO much better than a knife!)

 Put your muffins on a pretty plate or serving tray.  No matter the season, your favorite snowman plate from Christmas will work just fine.  Besides, pumpkin muffins are kind of holiday-ish, so you might as well finish up with some snowman flair.



If you don't have room on your plate for all 12 muffins, eat one.  Somebody has to be the royal taste tester!

Store the plate in the fridge, since cream cheese frosting will run if it gets warm.

Notes: Next time I will double the muffin recipe, because I am now left with half a can of perfectly good pumpkin puree and no other plans to use it this week.  Also, the frosting recipe leaves a TON of extra, so doubling the recipe would use it up a lot better.

Serve with a tall glass of cold milk and enjoy! 

Easy Ramen Dinner

I've had a few requests in the last several days for quick & easy recipes. I am no subject matter expert, but I'm trying to accomodate! :) 

Tonight I made one of the easiest and quickest recipes I know how to make and thought I'd share.  It only takes about 15-20 minutes.  Best of all, it only requires ONE pan on the stove for quick cleanup.  I make this when my pantry is running low or when I just got back from the grocery store & don't feel like doing much in the kitchen (like today!).

Serves 2-3 people (Chris & I, plus leftovers for Chris' lunch)

What you'll need:
-- 1 lb lean ground beef (as lean as you can get) or turkey
-- 1/2 bag frozen stir-fry veggies (snap pea stir fry is my favorite!)
-- 2-1/4 cups water
-- 2 pkgs Oriental flavor Ramen noodles w/ seasoning
-- sea salt
-- black pepper
-- 1/2 to 1 Tbsp low(er) sodium soy sauce (optional)


1. Brown your beef (or turkey) thoroughly in a large saucepan - deep enough to accomodate all of your ingredients. (Note: Lean beef works the best, with 93/4 being the minimum. Otherwise you end up with too much grease).

2. Pour 1/2 bag of frozen veggies into pan w/ browned beef & stir slightly.

3. Add 2 to 2-1/4 cups water to your pan - enough to cover the meat & veggies and the ramen noodles that will join in a few minutes.

4. Bring to a boil over med-hi heat for 2-3 mins or until veggies are tender.

5. Add Ramen noodles & the oriental flavor seasoning packets.  Submerge the noodles in the boiling water with a wooden spoon.  (Note: I like to break up the Ramen into fourths before I open the package. This makes it easier to serve.)

6. Reduce heat slightly (keeping a bit of a boil but not quite low enough to simmer) and boil until noodles are cooked.

7. Season to taste with black pepper & sea salt.  Stir for about 30 seconds or so to distribute salt/pepper flavors. You may choose to add soy or teriyaki sauce here, if you must, but be careful, because it gets very salty really fast. I highly recommend putting the soy sauce on the table as a condiment instead so that the sodium-conscious at the table can steer clear. :)

Serve hot and enjoy!

The Best Chicken Quesadillas!

In preface, I must apologize for lack of photos of this recipe. I didn't think to take any until I was halfway through devouring their Royal Yumminess.  Maybe I can post pictures tomorrow when I eat the leftovers!  This looks like a lot of steps, but it's REALLY easy.  And trust me on the zucchini.  It's yummy and it's flavor does not adulterate your chicken quesadilla in any way.  Even my veggie-hating husband eats these happily!

Ingredients:
-Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)  Note: Pure olive oil is too heavy.
-Whole wheat tortillas (soft taco size or larger)
-1 medium-large chicken breast, thawed & chopped into very small pieces.
-Chicken seasoning (I love Kroger's basic seasoning...so good!)
-1 can of black beans
-1.5-2 cups diced zucchini (a medium-large one will do)
-Cumin
-Shredded cheese of choice

Prep time: 5 mins, Cook time: 8-10 minutes.  Serves: 2-3 people easily. Nutrition: Lots of protein!
 1. Heat about 1 Tbsp of EVOO in a large non-stick skillet or frying pan over med-hi heat.

2. Cut your chicken into small pieces & season generously.  I have no trouble making this recipe to serve 2-3 people with 1 chicken breast.  Your chicken pieces should be about 1-2 cm, or about the size of the top joint of your little finger.

3. Cook chicken until no longer pink.

4. While your chicken is cooking, you can dice your zucchini.  I usually make two long cuts lengthwise to make four "pickle spears", and then cut each one in half lengthwise again. Then chop into small pieces.  (Just be sure to keep an eye on that chicken & make sure your oil isn't spitting all over your stove. =D)

5. When chicken is cooked through, add your zucchini to the pan. You may need to add a tiny bit more oil to your pan to keep from burning, BUT remove your pan from the heat for a moment before you do this.  Kitchen fires are not a part of this project!
6. While zucchini is getting a 2 minute head start, drain a can of black beans in a strainer & rinse with cold water.  Add to your pan.

7. Season chicken mixture with generously with cumin.  I don't measure mine, so I can't give you an exact, but I'd guess I use about 1/2 to a full Tbsp of cumin.  (Beginning cooks - this is a dark yellow in color and sort of a milder version of chili powder, and it is one of my favorites to cook with.)

8. Let your mixture sit on med-hi heat for about 3-4 mins or until zucchini is tender. (I like mine with a bit of a crunch left in it, so I don't cook it as long.)

9. Put chicken mixture into a Pyrex bowl.  Or as much of it as you can - those hot black beans are a little suicidal at times, and a few will end up on the floor, much to puppy dog's delight.  Note: This recipe usually makes a good amount of leftovers, so a glass bowl with a lid is ideal so you can pop the rest in the fridge for later).

10. Add a drop or two more oil in your pan. REMEMBER to remove from heat for a minute first! :)  Heat oil for about a minute (try to be a little more patient than I am!) and then drop your tortilla into the pan. If all is going to plan, you should hear a nice little sizzle & you can add your filling right away.  If it doesn't sizzle, let your tortilla rest in the pan for about 45 seconds before adding filling).
  NOTE:  If you are feeding a crowd, you may want to have a second frying pan heating on standby for this part, so that you can make more than one at once!

11. Spoon chicken mixture onto half of the tortilla.  Sprinkle generously with cheese (it makes good "glue" when you fold the tortilla in half!).  Let tortilla & filling rest in pan for another 45 secs to a minute.  The underside should be a light golden brown.  You may notice air pockets in the tortilla - this is okay!

12. Fold your tortilla in half and [try] to flip it without losing all your filling.  I am not good at this part and end up sheepishly shoving it back inside....  Let it sit for another 30 seconds or so (but don't burn it!).

13. Lucky 13!!  Use a spatula to transfer your tortilla to a plate.  Cut into half or thirds & serve with salsa.
Soooo easy and DELICIOUS!!

Fruit - The Ultimate Pregnancy Craving

At least, it's MY ultimate pregancy craving.  I can't get enough!  I guess this is a good thing.  I'm a little concerned about all the sugars, but at least I am not shoveling handfuls of gummy bears or potato chips.  My favorite so far seems to be peaches.  And the farmer's market that moved in at the end of my street (woot!!) promises fresh peaches very soon (double woot!!).

Today, my yummy fruity snacks have consisted of 2 apples, an orange, a peach, a pear, a banana, fresh pineapple, and the second peach that I'm munching on right now.  Oh, and lemon slices. Yep, preggos like weird-tasting things, and when you can't find your favorite sour candy at the store, lemons are the next best thing!  I do put a bit of sugar or Truvia on them to take the edge off, but oh my...yum yum!!

One of my favorite recent purchases was an awesome fruit basket from Bed, Bath & Beyond.  It even has a banana-hanger over the top!!  It is prominently displayed on my kitchen island counter, so I usually help myself whenever I walk by my mini produce section...which is often!  I'd take a picture of it, but it's empty after today's raid.  Maybe tomorrow after my grocery trip.  Produce is always the largest selection in my cart (as well as baby spinach, salad veggies, yogurt & chicken for the grill)...and I'm usually standing in front of the person with 6 bags of chips, 2 gallons of ice cream, a 24 pack of root-beer, and a bucket of fried chicken under the arm.  More than once, this person has taken a glance at my cart, sheepishly glanced at his/her own selections, and rushed out of line toward the market section with that "Oh, I knew I was forgetting something!" look on their face.  Ha! 

The latest pregnancy milestone at 16 weeks is that Mini Miller now has taste buds and can taste everything I eat!  I wonder what bambino's favorite fruit is??