Waste not Want not Wednesday 4/25/12

Normally on Wednesday's I try and cook up something that would be wasted if I didn't.  You know that last apple or the chicken you forgot to freeze when you bought it Sunday.  This Wednesday however was a little different.  We came back from vacation on Sunday and still had yet to have a home cooked dinner.  We're not complaining though we have just been out busy celebrating because we just got engaged. 

I thought what would be a great dinner?  I knew it had to be chicken because we were eating rich foods like a king and queen while away.  But I have a thing against boring chicken.   So I thought spicy cornmeal crusted chicken.  Then I thought, tenders done on the stove top so I could use the oven for popovers.  They are my fiancees (first time typing that in a blog) favorite.  The way to a mans heart is through his stomach, right?  Last my dear friend gave me fiddle heads.  The best vegetable in the spring hands down!  If you have not tried them because you are scared - buck up, its worth it.  I know I sound a little crass but seriously you are missing out. 

An interesting tid bit about me is that unless I am baking I do NOT follow a recipe.  Now don't panic I will help you out with the recipes.  The thing about cooking is that no one would know if you used 1/2tsp of 3/4tsp in your recipe.  Only you will know.  So just use your judgement on things like that.  Plus - its a double duty tip, less measuring = less dishes.

Spicy Cornmeal crusted chicken is a cinch!  Use your basic 3 part dredging flour, egg and in this case cornmeal mixed with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.  Pat the chicken dry and then dredge in the order above.  Fry in a pan (flipping once) on the stove using equal parts of olive and canola oil.  You could use all canola if you wish I prefer the flavor of the 50/50. For the sauce I used equal parts of grainy mustard and local honey. 

Fiddle heads - they are an amazing little gem of a vegetable.  I simply cut off the end rinse and saute them in garlic and butter.  The longer you saute them the more they will get crispy.  The crispier the better!

Popovers - even easier.  They truly are a set it and forget it item.  Never, EVER open the oven once you put them in there.  She uses a muffin tin and you can too.  I use a popover pan because I have a passion obsession with kitchen gadgets.    I am a huge fan of Melissa D'Arabian from the Food Network, I like self made chefs! Link to the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/fool-proof-popovers-recipe/index.html
Enjoy!

Melissa

Dutch Baby - oh baby!

Saturday morning came around and Ken and I were hungry.  I was also in a 'I don't feel like standing over the stove and cooking' mood.  Which also leads to my 'I don't want to make a huge mess in the kitchen' mood.  So I thought dutch baby!  So simple you just mix all the ingredients together in a blender (I use a magic bullet) pour them in the hot buttered skillet and let it bake.  So simple.  I had a ton of eggs that I had to use up so this was a perfect 'non-conventional' way to use them.

Now take a look at the picture below and tell me you do not want to make this?  One key note - do NOT open the oven.  Treat this like a popover, close the oven and do not open until the time is up.  Add fresh fruits to finish it off if you wish! 

Recipe:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup milk, heated 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract - or the inside of one bean.   
• Pinch salt 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the butter in a large, ovenproof, nonstick saute pan and place in the oven.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the eggs, flour, warm milk, sugar, vanilla extract and pinch of salt, and blend on medium-high speed until uniform. (If mixing by hand, combine the eggs with the milk until the mixture is light yellow and no longer stringy, about 1 minute. Add the flour, sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt, and whisk vigorously to remove the lumps, about 30 seconds.)

Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. The butter should be melted. Swirl the butter around the pan to coat completely, and then pour the remaining butter into the batter and pulse to blend. Pour the batter into the hot pan and return the pan to the oven. Cook until the pancake is puffed in the center and golden brown along the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.

Using a spatula, remove the entire Dutch baby from the pan and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes to allow the steam to escape without condensing along the bottom and rendering the pancake soggy. Dust with confectioners' sugar when cooled slightly. Slice the pancake into 8 wedges on a serving platter or cutting board.

Source - Food Network! 

Citrus is not a one purpose fruit.

I hate when I see someone peel an orange eat the fruit and throw out the rind.  Better yet when lemon is used as a garnish OK it adds flavor in a beer but the rind isn't peeled off first.   Rind is a part of the fruit.  It is just a matter of learning how to use it.  It also allows you to get more bang for your buck by using the fruit for more than one purpose.  I use the rind in bread batters, frosting, and in many bases for soups and stews.  The next time you go to eat an orange or slice a lemon for a meal/beverage first peel off the rind.  Use a pealer to make it easier on yourself.  Then store the rinds in a ziploc (or your preferred freezing method) for the next time you need rind aka zest! 

 
Leftover lemon/orange uses include:
Rub it on your wooden cutting board to remove stains and odors. 
Quarter it and put it down your garbage disposal to give it a good clean
Boil it down and make a simple sauce/syrup
Make Gelato!
Boil the peels on the stove for a fragment scent! 

 My favorite method of food saving, is the food saver.  More to come on that in another blog.

Then when you need the rind to become zest simply toss in a food processor (I use the magic bullet) and it will become the shavings/zest you need.