Monday, November 26, 2012

Carrabba's Chicken Bryan

Carrabba's Chicken Bryan

 1 T minced garlic
 1 T minced yellow onion
2 Ts butter
1/4 c lemon juice
 1/2 c dry white wine
 2/3 c cold butter, sliced [more authentic: 1 2/3 c. ]
 1 1/2 cs chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 c chopped fresh basil
1/2 t. kosher salt
 1/2 t. white pepper
 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
 extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper [More authentic seasoning: pepper, d. oregano, crushed red pepper, d. basil.]
8 oz goat cheese, room temp.

 [More authentic grill baste : equal parts butter, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a splash of white wine vinegar, garlic, and a bit of parsely.]

1Saute garlic and onion in 2 Ts butter in a large skillet over medium heat until tender.

2Stir wine and lemon juice in skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer to reduce by half. Note, reduce it until it looks like oatmeal and begins to caramelize slightly.

 3Reduce heat to low; stir in cold butter while the reduction is still hot, one slice at a time. Once the emulsion begins to take form, add the rest of the butter.

4Stir in tomatoes, basil, kosher salt, and white pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

5Brush chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

 6Grill chicken over hot coals (or bake in oven) 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.

 7 A couple of minutes before chicken is done, place equal amounts of cheese on each breast.


Added canned Artichokes.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Thanksgiving Seasonal Spinach Salad


Baby Spinach Salad with Roasted Red Onions, Pecans, Dried Cranberries, Crumbled Goat Cheese and Citrus Dressing

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/baby-spinach-salad-roasted-red-onions-pecans-dried-cranberries-crumbled-goat-cheese-citrus-dressing-recipe/index.html

  • 1 medium red onion
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Citrus Dressing, recipe follows
  • 8 cups baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the onion into thin wedges, through the root end. Toss with the olive oil, season with salt, to taste, and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast until just soft and brown, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Put the spinach and onions in a large bowl. Drizzle with some of the dressing and toss. Add more dressing as needed; spinach should just be lightly coated. Divide salad among 4 chilled plates. Top with pecans, goat cheese, and dried cranberries. Serve immediately.

Copyright 2005 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

Citrus Dressing:

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon honey, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Blend together in blender.

Or

 chop herbs. Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, Dijon, honey, thyme, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing.
Yield: about 1/2 cup

Thanksgiving Cooking Plans

Items:

Baby Spinach Salad with Roasted Red Onions, Pecans, Dried Cranberries, Crumbled Goat Cheese and Citrus Dressing

Atkins Pumpkin Pie
GF Maple Pumpkin Pie
GF Apple  Pie


To buy:
CostCo list:
spinachhttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3735671552858943317#editor/target=post;postID=7659291475020553836
7 lg cooking apple
eggs
goat cheese
2 packs of butter (8 sticks)
cream cheese (about 20 oz)
5 c cornstarch  (5 c)

Publix

red onion
1/2 c. craisins/ dried cherries
3 lemons
frsh thyme
2 c Sweet/Glutinous Rice Flour
o j

To do:

Sunday: lemons on counter
 thaw anything if frozen in fridge
  
Monday:
soften cheese/butter
Double salad dressing
4x crisp pie crust, refrigerate ball
find pie plates

Tuesday
Whatever I didn't get done Mon, or on to Wed.

Wednesday

finish  pumpkin and apple pies
start atkins/paleo crust?

 Thursday

Make salad

soak nuts
2x flaky  for apple pie and refrigerate

Friday (2nd Thanksgiving Dinner with Family)

8 : finish paleo crust, 2 hours 
10: make apple pie

finish paleo pie - pumkin

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Pies - Thanksgiving

I used this recipe years ago.  It was yummy.  Now, my problem was the crust browned very quickly.  I covered it with foil.  I would like to know if it is possible to make a pumpkin pie crust that doesn't need to be covered - maybe just make the crust not come out of the filling:cover it with filling.

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Pie
serves 8
 I used the bold options.


Single Crust Pie Pastry
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin spice
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
 2 cups (15 ounce can) pumpkin
1 cup whipping cream 
or (3/4 c. milk +1/4 c. cream) or evaporated milk (didn't have enough cream)
1/4 cup maple syrup  (3/4 c. if w/o topping)
1 tablespoon rum (or bourbon or brandy) or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Optional topping:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecan halves

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare Classic Pie Pastry for one 9 inch single-crust pie.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together in o7ower temp to 350, 40 min. or til set. 

(Never tried, but noting for later) Topping:

  1. Partially bake for 40 minutes.

  2. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon; stir to mix. Add pecan halves, stir to mix. Gently arrange pecan topping over the top of the pie. 
  3. Return to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer until the topping is lightly browned and a kitchen knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool on a wire cooling rack before cutting and serving. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.


Searched for an Atkins pumpkin pie, for aunt's diet - No sweetener, sugar, etc.  Just some dates in this crust:

Almond-Pecan Pie Crust

 

http://www.paleofood.com/pies.htm
 
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup chopped pitted soft dates, such as Med-Jool
3 tablespoons water
 
other: wax paper
 
 In separate bowls, cover almonds and pecans with water and let soak for 8
to 12 hours.
 
 Drain and rinse. In a food processor, grind almonds to
consistency of moist meal. Place in a medum-size bowl and set aside.  In a
food processor, grind pecans to consistency of moist meal and stir into
almond meal. Set aside. In a food processor, blend dates and water until
smooth. Stir into nut mixture until thoroughly mixed and dough-like in
consistency. Shape nut mixture into a ball and place on 12" length of waxed
paper. Top with another 12" length of waxed paper. Flatten ball with palm
of hand. Using rolling pin, rollout dough into a circle 11" in diameter.
Carefully remove top sheet of paper. Invert pie crust into an oiled 9" pie
plate, pressing gently. Trim excess crust and press gently to even edges of
dough. Place crust in a food dehydrator set at 125 degrees for 2 hours.
(Or preheat conventional oven to 250 degrees and immediately turn off heat.
Let crust sit in oven with door closed until it is dry and set, about 30
minutes.) Note - it will not be very set, it is still sticky and very moist
and will fall apart when cut,

Btw, sometimes I want to see if the gaps version will bake well:
from http://thebarefootcook.com/recipes/key-lime-pie/

 Or could use just nut crust.


ATKINS pumpkin pie Filling:
  •  
  •  
  •  
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 from http://community.atkins.com/Templates/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=A91FD273-0C24-E011-9663-001EC9B2B3C8

Bourbon Pecan Pie

for three pies

 3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 cup dark corn syrup (or one part of molasses into three parts of honey)
9 large beaten eggs
3 cups pecan halves
6 tablespoons good quality bourbon
3 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie shell


Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and melted butter. 
Add the syrup, eggs, pecans and bourbon, and stir until all ingredients are combined. 
Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell, and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet. 
Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 °F, and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Want to try reducing syrup 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Making Imperfect Pies More Perfectly

Oh, I love making pies.  But making 3 GF pumpkin, 1 GF apple, and a sort of Paleo/Atkins Pumpkin pie... it was daunting.  So, when I ran across GlutenFreeGirl's post, I read a bit to get advice.
Here's what I gleaned:
"
1. Work cold. 

keeps some AP

GF flour and butter in the freezer.

(After you have the pie crust made and formed in the pan, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes before you fill it. Even better.)

2. Let it rest. 

...at least 30 minutes in fridge. Overnight is best.   ...[when ready] out of the refrigerator...Let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes ...efore...rolling it out.

Soaking/Toasting Nuts - en Masse

So, Nourishing traditions methods.  Basically the same for most nuts, give or take a little salt.  I needed a quick reference for just the exceptions.

The basic: 

soak 4 cups raw nuts
2 t. sea salt
filtered water
 
 cover in a warm place at least 7 hours.
 Drain and spread on sheet.
lowest temp 12-24 hours.


My protocol: Night before, soak.
First thing in morning, dehydrate.  *170o for 30 min.
Off. Turn on in hour.
  Repeat from * until go to bed.  Ok to take out if need it for cooking, like for dinner.

Pumpkin Seeds and Peanuts - double/triple salt
Almonds- sprinkle with salt/honey/other flavorings if desired

Read about Cashews –at mommypotoamus.  She's great!

Soak 4 cups cashews in warm water with
 3 tsp sea salt
 no more than 6 hours.

Rinse, sprinkle with salt and bake at 200-250o  for 12-24 hours, turning occasionally.

Apple Pie for Thanksgiving

My plan: use Gluten Free Girl's pie crust.

And here's the filling I'll make:

Honey-Sweetened Apple Pie with Spelt Crust

FROM http://www.nourishingdays.com

Recipe Notes: This pie is not terribly sweet, ...Served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream sweetened with stevia (or maple syrup), ...If you prefer a sweeter pie filling add a touch more honey and a touch more flour, to counteract the liquid. 


Ingredients
  • 1 pie crust recipe, using whole spelt or sprouted flour (see sources)
  • ~ 7 large granny smith or other baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1/3 cup honey, heated until pourable
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • pinch each of cloves, nutmeg, and sea salt
  • 1/3 cup flour, preferably sprouted (see sources)
Directions
  1. Prepare pie crust. Roll out and fill 9" pie pan with bottom crust.
  2. Mix apple slices, honey, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, sea salt, and flour in a large bowl. Taste for sweetness and adjust if necessary.
  3. Carefully pour apple mixture into prepared pie crust, filling in gaps and holes along the way. Your pie filling will seem like way too much, creating a mountain of apples in the middle. Don’t worry, it cooks down a little bit and you want a higher pie filling.
  4. Roll out top crust. Create an egg wash with one egg white and a tablespoon of water. Brush the bottom crust edge with egg wash.
  5. To transfer crust to pie: Place rolling pin over one side of crust. Very carefully and loosely roll the crust around the rolling pin and bring the rolling pin to the pie. Carefully unroll the crust and drape over the pie filling. Don’t worry if tears appear, you can patch it up. A rustic pie lets everyone know it’s homemade.
  6. Trim the edge of the crust to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash and cut 4 or 5 slits for ventilation.
  7. Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until golden brown. If the edges start to brown too fast remove the pie and cover the edges in aluminum foil.

Easy! GF Crispy Pie Crust + a Flaky Rolling Out Crust

Besides these two crusts, the only other crust I'll ever want is GAPS date-nut crust for cold desserts.


Easy Pie Crust - can roll out with some creativity I guess

Surprisingly simple to make, this crispy, flaky, and flavorful pie crust is the first step in creating many wonderful pies.

½ Cup (1 Stick) Butter
5 Ounces Cream Cheese
¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
½ Tablespoon Corn Syrup
1¼ Cups Cornstarch
½ Cup Sweet/Glutinous Rice Flour
 Egg for egg wash (opt.)

Yield Single 9˝ or 10˝ Pie Crust.

Egg Wash
Place egg in bowl and slightly beat. Add hot water; mix until combined. Set aside for later application to pie crust.

Pie Crust
Cream butter and cream cheese,  vanilla, and honey together.  Add cornstarch and glutinous rice flour, baking powder. Mix until just blended (will start to stick together).

Refrigerate.  Thaw for 1/2 hour.  Grease plate and  press crust in.*

light coating of egg wash over entire surface of crust. Bake at 450° for 29 minutes (only 15 minutes if pie will be baked after filling - may want to place tin foil strips over the exposed edges of the  crust to prevent over bakin.).
 

Baker’s Tip____ Crust will hold up best if filling is cooked first and then added to the baked pie crust, or if the filling to be baked in pie crust is not too watery.

* If crust is to sticky to work with, simply place in refrigerator for half an hour and then press into pan.


Flaky Rolling Out Pie Crust (GF)

Yield:2 pie crusts - for two
For the dough
350 grams Aherns’ all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
 (2 sticks) frozen unsalted butter

about 1/2 c. +  ice-cold water  (I used extra 1/8 c. water)

She gives detailed instructions, with reasons for following them which I delete for fast reading. :)
 Cut the butter into one-inch cubes. Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until fluffy
Add the butter cubes. Pulse ten times. (Count: one! two! three! as though you are a toddler proud to know how to say it.) The flour and butter should look like a sandy mixture, with the butter chunks still visible.
Add  ½ cup of  water. Pulse five times.  If it looks a bit dry, add a splash more water, not exceeding another ¼ cup. The finished dough should like curds of dry cottage cheese. (See photograph onsite.)

 Dump the dough onto a clean, cool surface. Working quickly, take each half the dough, make a ball,  flatten it into a plump disk, about 2 inches tall. Wrap in plastic wrap; let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes - 24 hrs.

disks out of the refrigerator and let them sit out for 15 minutes; let come to a chilly room temperature.Preheat the oven to 425°.

Roll  on a floured countertop, a floured marble pastry board, or two pieces of parchment paper. whichever one works best for you.
(If you’re brand-new to this, try the parchment paper trick first.  When I use two pieces of parchment paper, I very lightly oil them, to try to prevent sticking. )
 
 use plenty of gluten-free flour to flour the board.

 Detailed rolling out instructions:  Pat down the disk and put the rolling pin on it. , imagine that the dough is the face of a clock. Roll out once at 12 o’clock. Then, lift the pin and roll at 12:10. Moving in “ten-minute” increments, roll out the pie dough to slightly larger than your pie pan. Be patient. Think of this as meditation. Roll out the dough evenly.
 if you have worked with the parchment paper, lift the top paper, put the pie pan on top of the dough, and flip it over. Carefully, strip away the parchment paper. Go slowly. Voila! Pat the dough down into the pan.


Now, if some of the pie dough has stuck onto the parchment, do not despair. Simply peel it off and pat into the rest of the pie dough. With a gluten dough, this might make a crust tough. Guess what here? No gluten! No problem. Pat away.
(If you have used the marble board or countertop, roll the dough onto your rolling pin and transfer to the pie pan. Again, if it sticks, no worries.)
Crimping the edges. with floured fingers. I press from the inside of the pie pan with my thumb and first finger on the left hand, then press between those with the first finger of my right hand from the outside. (That’s a lot of words. Try to visualize it. This will make sense.) This is one of my favorite activities in the world. Go slowly and enjoy it.
Fill the pie with the filling. Pat it down.
Roll out the remaining dough the same way. Lay it onto the pie gently, like you’re putting a blanket on a sleeping child. And if the dough sticks and breaks, just pat the pieces together. (That’s what happened with both the finished pies you see here. They didn’t suffer.) Tuck the edges into the crust.
Baking the pie. Cut a few slits into the top crust. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg. Slide the pie pan into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 375°. Bake until the juices are bubbling out of the pie, the crust is browned, and you hear a sizzle-whump when you put your ear to the baked pie, about 45 to 55 minutes. (That last part will tell you that the juices are boiling in the pie and are thoroughly cooked.)


"And, you have pie.
But wait.
You HAVE to let it        cool for at least 2 hours          before you cut it. I know. Hard. But you want happy pie, not sad pie. Wait."  =]

All-Purpose Flour Mix (GF)
200 grams superfine brown rice flour
150 grams sorghum flour
50 grams potato flour
250 grams sweet rice flour
250 grams potato starch
100 grams arrowroot powder
from Glutenfreegirl.com

GAPS frozen KEY LIME PIE!

GAPS frozen KEY LIME PIE!
Key-Lime-Pie
This is essentially the Internal Bliss Cookbook recipe, though this blogger made some changes/additions.  I'll check is sometime.

Pie Crust
  • 1 cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 6 pitted dates
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
Filling
  • ¾ cup lime juice
  • ½ cup maple syrup or honey
  • ¼ cup organic coconut milk
  • 1 cup avocado
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil (optional – this helps to hold the pie together)
Whip Cream
  • 2 cups organic whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon sweetener of choice
Instructions
  1. Place dates in the food processor and process until they become a paste.
  2. Add nuts and remaining ingredients and process until crumbly.
  3. Pat this mixture down in the spring form pan and up the sides creating a thick crust.
  4. Blend filling ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour into pie crust. Place in freezer and freeze for 1 hour.
  5. Meanwhile, whip cream until it forms soft peaks. Spread whipped cream onto pie and place back in freezer 2 hours more. Freeze for 3 hours total or longer.
  6. When you are ready to serve, remove from freezer and let sit 1 hour before serving to soften. Slice and serve. Garnish with lime slices, raspberries and mint leaves.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Free Apron Patterns

_MG_0869
http://www.sewinginnomansland.com/pattern/
Also, a great site well organized: http://tipnut.com/free-apron-patterns-tutorials/
And another:
http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.ca/2011/12/191-free-apron-patterns-and-titus-2sday.html
kitchy patternless apron on model
http://www.sewinginnomansland.com/pattern/
Apron

How to Make an Apron from a Men's Shirt

Click to Enlarge

Custom Order: Krista Apron
"incredibly easy! I bought the material, created the pattern, and made the apron all in one afternoon. The only tricky part for me was attaching the seam binding around all of the curves."  Add more buttons for growing kids.


Click to EnlargeClick to Enlarge

Free Girlie Patterns - Great Site