Assuring the Best Tasting Homecooked Foods

Care of Flours and Oils

Flour has oils in it, as do most plants based products, and when it is stored at room temperature for long periods of time that oil gets rancid, and gives it an off odor and worse, off flavor.  When you bake and cook with it, that off flavor will be noticeable in delicate flavored recipes, or recipes with only a few ingredients; like my Shortbread Recipe. The refrigerator extends the useful life of flour extensively. My nose is sensitive to this off odor, and you can probably smell it also. I can also taste when I am served food prepared with rancid flours.  The other thing that is important here is that rancid flours and cooking oils are not healthy.  See this article from the Chicago Tribune to explain it better.

One of my favorite tricks for keeping flour fresher longer is storing it in the refrigerator. I put it in a glass or PBA safe plastic canister. PBA safe plastic is simple, play by the numbers, use containers with recycling numbers of #1, 2 or 4, and avoid the others.  Some of my low use flours will get rancid if not used in a timely manner.  I try make those recipes that call for the special flours I have on hand to assure that it gets in and out quickly.  Good storage methods are a must when you use a lot of different types of specialty flours.  I noticed that the article specifically calls out whole grain flour as susceptible, but ALL flour can get rancid after a time.  If you don't use a LOT of flour, store it in the fridge.

I also use the fridge to store my cooking oils. This increases the life of the products, but they will still get rancid eventually so make sure you sniff the stuff before you use it, especially if you can't remember how old it is. I only use extras virgin olive and expeller pressed grape seed oils which are polyunsaturated.    These oils are highly susceptible to rancidity if stored at room temperature for a long time.  Although I use mine fairly quickly, I still store them in the fridge to be on the safe side.  I can tell when something is going rancid way before most other people will even notice it.  Although the larger bottles may look like a better bargain, if you don't use much oil, stick with the smaller bottles, and store those in the fridge.  I hate when I have to throw out unused portions of anything when they get rancid before I finish them.

Olive oil, as do most other oils, gets solid when cold, so I transfer it into a wide mouth canning jar for storage, and just use a spoon to dip it out.   You can also let it sit a room temp for a brief time and it melts pretty fast. Grape seed oil does not solidify in the fridge, but I have never explored why.

Here are some links to the benefits of Grape Seed Oil:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4821428_benefit-grapeseed-oil.html
http://familyfood.hiddenvalley.com/grape-seed-oil-cooking-tips-2985.html
http://healthybodydaily.com/doctor-oz-supplements/dr-oz-glucomannan-best-appetite-suppressants-to-lose-weight

Shortbread Done Right

Tips & Tricks

Ingredient Tips
Shortbread recipes are pretty simple, but there are a few techniques that make them great.  The first thing is to start with good "Butter"; real butter.  Margerine is noticably different.  This is not a recipe that you will make if you are worried about calories.  This is a simple indulgence, and very tasty. 

The second secret to really flaky, great textured shortbread is rice flour.  My recipe is made with one cup of flour, and it does pretty well with just all-purpose flour.  By substituting 1/4 cup of rice flour as part of the one cup flour, the texture is improved greatly.

Flour Freshness is important to this delicately flavored recipe.  Because there aren't many ingredients in the recipe the rancid taste of old flour will stand out, you need to be sure that the flour is fresh.  One of my favorite tricks for keeping flour fresher longer is storing it in the refrigerator.  I put it in a glass or PBA safe plastic cannister.  PBA safe plastic is simple, play by the numbers, use containers with recycling numbers of #1, 2 or 4 and avoid the others.

Utensil Tips
I use the Brown Bag Shortbread Pans.  These have proven to be outstanding for shortbread, and you can put them in the dishwasher, what a time savings.  Most of the shortbread pans have intricate designs, and trying to wash them by hand proves to be very difficult.  A pie plate will also work for this, but does not give the same browning on the bottom.

Do not try to process this with a mixer; I don't care how fancy it is.  For one thing it makes the dough texture coarser, and for another the dough doesn't come together as nicely.  Quite a lot of uncessessary cleaning also.  This is sooo easy to do by hand.  All there is to clean is a bowl, spoon, and pan.  Oh yeah, and a measuring spoon.

Ingredients

 

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter at room temperature

¹/₃ Cup Powdered Sugar

¼ teaspoon Vanilla-I prefer Watkins Double Stregth Extract

¾ Cup All Purpose Flour-Make sure it is fresh with no rancid aroma-I like King Aurthur.

¼ Cup Rice Flour-Fresh with no rancid aroma-Bob's Redmill is what I use.

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 325° Farenhiet.  Spray Brown Bag shortbread pan with nonstick cooking spray; be sure you get good coverage of the surface so you don't have a sticking problem.  Make sure the spray is fresh and doesn't have a rancid smell.  Using any other method to grease the Brown Bag pan may result in areas of poor coverage due to the patterns in the pan.  A pie plate can be greased anyway you want.

 

In a small mixing bowl cream the powdered surgar, and butter together.

 

Add the vanilla to the butter & sugar, and mix thoroughly.

 

Add the flour and work it into the butter mixture.  When it comes together, I just pick it up in my hands an knead it by folding it in half, and squeezing it together; then in half again and squeeze.  I keep doing the fold/squeeze until I have a nice smooth dough. This can take a few minutes to do right.  I've been know to walk into the livingroom to check on the TV while kneading the dough. :)  You can use conventional kneading methods on a floured board, but my texture is lighter because I'm not incorporating additional flour into mine.

 

Place the dough ball into the center of the pan.  Press it out to the sides of the pan, try to maitian and even layer.  I make sure that I press all cracks from the edges of the dough.  Prick the dough with a fork all over, to allow steam to escape from the bottom of the pan.

Place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. 

When it comes out of the oven I run a knife around the edge of my pan to loosen the shortbread.  I place a dinner size plate over the top of the shortbread pan, and flip both of them over.  The shortbread will probably just drop out of the pan, but if it doesn't, wrap the plant and pan on the counter, and it will drop out.  If you didn't get enough nonstick spray, then some may stick in th pan.

I cut mine on the cut lines of my pan design, whick is 8 pieces as soon as it comes out of the pan.  A pie plate works for this also, and you can cut that into 8 pieces as well.  Cutting it immediately make a much nicer presentation than when it cools more.  If it is cold, all you get is a bunch of crumbs, and that looks, well...crumby.

This is so simple, and so good.  I make this when I deserve an indulgent treat.  My poor skinny hubby would like it more often, but my health just won't handle that, and I can't eat just one.  I'd be willing to bet that most people would have trouble just eating one piece.

I hope you enjoy.

Namaste

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients

6 chicken breast halves or the equivalent of chicken tenders (I just fill the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan).

I pint of spaghetti sauce

½ bag of Kraft Finely Shredded 4 Italian Cheeses

2 bay leaves stuck in the sauce.

Instructions

Lay the chicken in the pan, this works with frozen chicken as well as fresh.  Sprinkle the cheese on the chicken and pour the spaghetti sauce on top.  I have used Ragu Spaghetti sauce when I’m out of my own or don't have time to make the fresh.

Bake for one hour at 350°F.

You can cut the sauce recipe into smaller portions, and make it fresh and use it without canning it.  It is really easy to make in small batches.  I rarely use commercial sauce anymore.

You can sprinkle parmesan cheese of this before serving, but I can’t get that past my nose, and I ate this after the pictures were taken.  Plain mozzarella cheese works on the chicken for backing, but then it isn't parmigiana.  I don't bread the chicken, as I wanted it to be low calorie, and low carbohydrate.

This is good with veal or eggplant.  

Food as Medicine:

This is very low carb, high protein, diabetic friendly and downright good.  This has an extra load of lycopene if you use the sauce recipe linked here.  Lycopene is a great antioxidant.  I like to think of my recipes as good preventive medicine.  Good eats, with good nutrition value.  Free range organic meats are best for you.  I can't help thinking that hormones that plump up chickens and cows, can't help but do the same to us.  The ratios of omega 3 to omega 9 are much higher in the free range animals.  The omega 3 is what is so good for you, and also found in Salmon.  Omega 9 is what will raise you cholesterol, but coupled with the higher Omega 3 and in lower proportions the impact is far less when eating red meat.  I am not a doctor, or nutritionist, but you can look these facts up on the web.  It is easy information to find.  Here is a link to one of my favorite places for grass fed and free range meats.  They deliver to where I live, and I get over into their neck of the woods on occasion.  I don't work for them, but the advantages are worth looking at.  It is also good for the environment.

I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Zucchini Boats

Ingredients

One Quart Italian Tomato Sauce, I use my own sauce

1 pound ground meat-beef, turkey or chicken

1 Cup Cheese, I used the Cheddar and Colby Jack for this photo, but mozzarella works great also.

4 Medium Zucchini

Preparation

Heat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Brown the ground meat, and add the Italian Sauce to the meat.  I use really lean meat, but if there is lots of grease or water drain that off.  I have used almost any kind of canned sauce for this, but prefer my own home canned.  Keep sauce warm on the stove while prepping the other ingredients.

While the sauce is warming up, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.  Use a melon baller to remove the seeds, and make the boat shape.  Be sure to leave some of the zucchini for the flavor.

Place the zucchini in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.  I don't like to cook tomato sauce  in a metal pan unless it is coated with ceramic or enamel.  Tomatoes are acidic, and will corrode metal pans, and give your dish a metallic taste. Yuk.

Fill the zucchini's center cavity with the meat sauce.  And sprinkle the cheese on top.

Bake the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until a fork stuck into the zucchini indicates that it is cooked completely.  The zucchini should be tender, but not mushy.  If the zucchini are really large, don't put the cheese on right away.  You really only want to melt it, so wait for the last 10 to 15 minutes to add it.  If you stick with the medium size, then I just add the cheese right away and save myself some time.

Since I'm a cheap date, I like to serve this with Riunite Lambrusco wine, and a salad made with my own homemade Herb Salad Dressing:

Juice of One or Two lemons, about 1/4 cup of juice
1/2 Cup of Good Light Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of Penzey's Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder

If you like a sweeter dressing I use some Stevia Powder, just a small pinch, but sugar will also work if you don't have a problem with it.  I don't recommend Truvia or any Xylitol sweetener as this puts the flavor off.  I sometimes want some sweet, and other times not.

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake to emulsify the dressing.  If you add some citric acid (Fruit Fresh), or vitamin C crushed up it will last about one month in fright, but will last two weeks in the refrigerator with no preservative.  (Chemist meets Food Science.) Yes, I used the word "preservative", however, citric acid and vitamin C are good for you stuff; see the links.  It is all that stuff with the weird names, that aren't good for you.

I hope you enjoy these.  I grew one zucchini plant this year for the first time.  I have enough zucchini to feed an army.  I have frozen tons of it, and use it in everything I can.  LOL

Fresh Italian Tomato Sauce for Canning

It’s easier than you think.

INGREDIENTS

20 pounds of Roma Tomatoes[1]

2 medium onions

2-6 garlic cloves-to taste or Substitute 3 tablespoons Tastefully Simple Garlic-Garlic

Scant 1/2 cup of Good Olive Oil

2-187 mL Merlot Red Wine[2]

3 Tablespoon Italian Herb Mix-I prefer Penzy’s as it is very good quality.

2 Tablespoon Dried Sweet Basil-also from Penzy’s

4 Bay Leaves

2 Teaspoon of Ground Stevia[3]

2 Teaspoon Sea Salt-for low sodium users, but it is still marvelous,add to your              taste. You really don’t need any salt to can this.

Fresh ground pepper mélange to taste-black will be adequate if no mélange is available.

1 Teaspoon High Quality Cocoa Powder[4]

1 Teaspoon ground red pepper flake.  Just process with the flat blades of you magic bullet or other such grinder.

INSTRUCTIONS

Tomato Pereparation

Use the large jar on a magic bullet, or a blender.  I prefer the magic bullet as it pulverizes them better, but you can get more in the blender.  Clean the roma tomatoes, and take most of the seeds out ( don’t worry if they don’t all come out.) 

I leave the skins on the tomatoes, as they are pulverized in the processor. This dramatically increases the lycopene in the sauce; as the skins are where most of it is.  It also reduces the preparation time.  You won’t even know the skins are in there.  Along with a couple of bullets full I will throw in the onions and garlic, if used, to also pulverize.  That way all those finicky eaters will not even know they are there (read grandson here.)

I squish as many tomatoes into the jar of the bullet as possible, and shove the blades into the jar and whip it up.  If you are using a blender, don’t pack it in like that as it won’t process as easily.  There may be some small chunks, but they will cook down, and disappear. Pour this into a non-resistive pan, like ceramic, or enamel or Teflon (without scratches).  You do not want to cook tomatoes in a metal pot, as they pick up the metallic taste, yuk.  Tomatoes are extremely acidic, and will actually begin to corrode a metal pot, which is what gives it a metallic taste when cooked for as long as this sauce will need to cook.

Once all the tomatoes, onions and garlic are ground up, I add all the rest of the ingredients.  Let this cook uncovered for at least 2 hours or more, until it is reduced to a consistency that you like.  Make sure that you stir this occasionally as it might burn, but if the heat is low enough to prevent it from splattering all over the stove, then it shouldn’t stick or burn.  I will taste this about 1 hour into the cooking, and adjust the seasoning.  Make sure you let this cook in a while before going to the next step.

This is enough for about 7 pints.  You will process these according to the instructions found on-line from USDA or the Ball Blue book.  I will add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the can.  Some things to think of are removing the air bubbles with a knife or tool designed for this, by running it down the sides of the jar; fill jar leaving ½ inch head space.  Sanitize the jars and tools by placing them in the boiling water of the canner, I just leave the empty jars in the water until I’m ready to fill them. 

If you want to make more, just increase the seasonings accordingly.  I find this to be an excellent size for how my home garden produces tomatoes.  By the end of the season I will have about 28 pints, with very little effort.  I use an organic growing method, so my tomatoes don’t require enormous amounts of cleaning.  If you use commercially grown tomatoes, clean them well.  I would even remove the skins from those, just to reduce the amount of pesticides that I ingest.

Ideas for Use

I add ground beef to mine for meat sauce.  I make spaghetti and baked zucchini boats.  This is also good as a sauce for chicken or veal parmesan.  Recipes on the way shortly, just have to make them so I have pictures for the recipes. 

I always leave a little out for a meal instead of canning it all.  This is wonderful the next day; it actually improves with age, as do most tomato based sauces.  

Enjoy.  

---

[1] You can use others but they all have more water, so add a few more pounds of tomatoes, and longer cooking time. I did find that having some sweeter tomatoes like early girls and grape in the batch improved the taste a bit.

[2] I use two of the bottles from the small 4 pack bottles; the sauce is richer because of this.

[3] This is Green powder, but white powder if adequate if it isn’t available; this cuts acid in tomatoes without added calories.

[4] Use this in all your tomato based sauces, soups and stews to add a rich flavor to the sauce, but no chocolate taste.

The Perfect Reading Nook

Just a glimpse of my favorite nook in the house.  I love to sit there and read.  All of my friends wanted to know how I got the dog to pose for that picture.  Well it wasn't hard.  For one thing, it is also his favorite place in the house when his "Bad Daddy" isn't home; for another, the rug was made by "Bad Daddy", and has his scent all over it.  So there is not difficulty finding him rolled up there.

I wish the picture of the dog was better, but it gives the idea that I like.  I've got some other ideas to improve this picture, but need to wait for darkness to get them.  Aren't blogs wonderful, you can start a project and just keep adding to the process.  I love it.

This is my recharge station, and it is just so relaxing that I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night there.  Then I go to bed.  LOL.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by.