Thursday, January 25, 2018

Pecan Pie

For some reason I feel like I posted a Pecan Pie recipe in here...but at any rate..it wasn't this one I'm about to post now!

INGREDIENTS:



For the crust
  • 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbsp. ice water (or more, if needed
For the filling
  • Cooking spray, for pie dish
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
  • 1 c. corn syrup
  • 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 c. Pecan halves
  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Make the crust: Place flour and butter into freezer for 30 minutes before starting crust process.
  2. In a large food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until pea-sized and some slightly larger pieces form. With the machine running, add vinegar, then ice water into feed tube, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough starts to come together and is moist but not wet and sticky (test by squeezing some with your fingers). Mixture will be crumbly.
  3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, form into a ball, and flatten into a disk (making sure there are no/minimal cracks).
  4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is very cold, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
  5. Make the filling: Preheat oven to 425º and lightly grease a 9"-x-1.5" pie dish with cooking spray.
  6. Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 12” circle. Drape over pie dish and gently press to fit, making sure there are no air bubbles. Trim edge to 1” and tuck overhang under itself. With a fork, lightly prick bottom of crust and decoratively score edges. Refrigerate 30 minutes or freeze 10 minutes.
  7. Line crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 10 minutes, then remove parchment and weights. Reduce heat to 350º.
  8. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Whisk in brown sugar until smooth and remove from heat. Whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and beaten eggs.
  9. Scatter pecan halves into pie crust and pour over sugar mixture. Mix gently with a spoon to coat nuts and evenly disperse.
  10. Lightly place foil over top of pie and bake 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake until filling is puffed, only slightly wobbly, and crust is golden, 35 minutes more.
  11. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
  12. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream.


There...Simple....Enjoy..Eat Well My Friends!



Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

We are not re-inventing the wheel here...Just coming up with a simple recipe for an old staple of comfort food..

INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS: 
 Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water.

Add salt and bring to a boil, then cook until the potatoes fall off a fork when pierced, about 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes, reserving about a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Using a potato ricer or sieve and rubber spatula, gently press the potatoes over a large bowl.

Mix in the butter, salt, buttermilk, and green onions and stir to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of cooking liquid if necessary to obtain desired consistency.

Salt and pepper liberally and serve.

There that was simple enough...Enjoy...Eat and drink well my friends.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Cheddar Jalepeno Chilli Pie

Heyyy Guys...Here is the first recipe for the new year...Cheddar Jalepeno Chilli Pie..

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 package McCormick® Chili Seasoning Mix, Original
  • 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 box Zatarain’s® Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread Mix(Shameless plug)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
DIRECTIONS:
  • Brown ground beef in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain fat. Add onion; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent.
  • Stir in Seasoning Mix, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, stir Cornbread Mix, 1 cup of the cheese, milk and egg in large bowl just until moistened. Drop spoonfuls of batter over meat mixture. Cover. Cook on medium-low heat 15 minutes or until cornbread is cooked through.
  • Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and green onions. Cover. Cook on low heat until cheese is melted.
There,that was easy,enjoy! Eat well my friends!

Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






Cavier & Vodka
Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household