Kale soup

Potato Kale Soup

4 Some Good Sausage (that was chicken apple sausage from Costco) chopped into 1/4" to 1/2"
3 Medium russet Potatoes chopped into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes
3 Large Carrots chopped into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes
3 Ribs Celery chopped into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes
1 Large onion Diced Small
3-4 Garlic Cloves sliced thin
4 sprigs of Thyme
1 bay leaf
4 or so Kale leafs sliced about 1/2" thick strips

Add about 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil to your large soup pot cook the sausage, browning slightly. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Salt and a little pepper. Sweat the Mirepoix until onions are translucent. Cover with chicken broth, add the potatoes, Thyme and bay leaf, simmer until potatoes are almost done. Add kale and simmer until potatoes are fully cooked. Remove the thyme and bay Leaf.

Enjoy.

J.Jones

Kitchen Equip Re-org: Rice Cooker

You probably have one of these collecting dust in a kitchen cabinet. You got it for a birthday or a wedding gift and you don't really know how to use it. Never fear, we are going to figure it out...Together.

How:
First of all how does a Rice Cooker work? Its simple really. It heats liquid. Once it boils and produces steam the temperature in the Cooker increases and it tells the thermostat to reduce the heat "switching" from "COOK" to "WARM".

Formula Basic Ratio for cooking rice:
Short Grain is about 1 1/4 cup of liquid to 1 cup Short Grain.
Long Grain is 2 cups liquid to 1 cup Long Grain.
Brown Rice is 2 1/4 cups liquid to 1 cup Brown Rice.

Using these ratios will make REALLY GOOD rice. No problems.

What else can you do: Well Barley, that's a grain and its a no-brainer...3 3/4 cups liquid 1 1/2 cup Barley.

How about a Rice Pilaf? In a rice cooker? toss in a little butter turn to "Cook" add your garlic and shallots, stirring, brown slightly and then your rice, toast lightly and then add your, herbs, liquid etc...and let it do its thing.

Ready to try Risotto? You have lost your mind you say! Just like making a Pilaf, stirring and adding liquid as it is absorbed.

Heat up left over soups, sauces other things: Just dump and heat.

I am going to be playing around with this for a while. We will see what I come up with.

More: Check out this NY Times article...

Enjoy!
J.Jones

Make you own crackers (Goldfish not included)

It's easier than you think. Look at it this way. It's some bread dough you made that didn't rise. So turn it into a cracker. Press some seeds in the top, break them into cool shapes and look your an artist!

Cheddar Crackers

1/2 Cups Butter cut into cubes
1 1/2 Cups Flour Sifted
Good Pinch of Kosher Salt
1 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 dash Cayenne Pepper
2 Cups Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated fine

Place all ingredients into a Food Processor except butter and cheese. Turn on for a moment to combine. With the motor running drop the butter in a couple at a time. Then add some of the cheese about 1/2 Cup at a time and pulse to combine. That should resemble a lump of dough. Dump it out onto piece of parchment paper and shape into a log a couple of inches around. Chill for 30 to 40 minutes in the refrigerator. With a serrated knife slice your crackers 1/4-inch
thick.

Bake on a half sheet pan at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool. Store the cooled crackers in airtight containers in a cool place.

Option: You could roll out that dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut with a knife or roller into squares or whatever.

Mix it up! Try different flours or cheeses. Add some nuts or seeds or herbs. It's easy and about as cheap a snack as you are going to get.

Enjoy!
J.Jones

Granola - Weekend Project

Master Granola Recipe Makes 1 quart

Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat oven to 275 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal pan with cooking spray, then set aside. Mix oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, salt and Extra Ingredients --except dried fruit -- in a bowl. Bring syrup, oil, water and any Flavoring indicated below to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Drizzle over oat mixture, and stir to combine. Pour mixture onto prepared pan. Working a handful at a time, squeeze cereal to form small clumps. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir in dried fruit. Continue to bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool. (Granola can be stored in an airtight tin for up to two weeks.) For nutrition information on each granola variation, go to usaweekend.com.

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup Extra Ingredients (see complete list below)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 Tbs. flavorless oil, such as vegetable or canola
• 1 Tb. water
• Flavoring (see below)

Classic Granola
Extra Ingredients: 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
Flavoring: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
You can replace the 1/4 cup of maple syrup with 2 Tbs. each of maple syrup and molasses.

Crunchy Granola
Extra Ingredients: 1/4 cup slivered almonds, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 2 Tbs. sesame seeds, 6 Tbs. currants
Flavoring: none

Granola with Tropical Flavoring
Add the coconut along with the cashews and banana chips.
Extra Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted cashews, 1/4 cup chopped banana chips, 1/4 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple
Flavoring: 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Granola with Cherries and Almonds
Extra Ingredients: 1/3 cup sliced almonds, 1/3 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1/3 cup dried cherries
Flavoring: 3/4 tsp. almond extract

Trail Mix Granola
Extra Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, 1/4 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1/4 cup dark or golden raisins, 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips*
Flavoring: none
*Stir chips into the granola only after it has completely cooled.

Orange-Berry Granola with Pecans
Extra Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped pecans,1/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup dried blueberries
Flavoring: 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Pear Granola with Hazelnuts and Vanilla
Extra Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries, 1/4 cup chopped dried pears
Flavoring: 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Orange-Flavored Granola with Pistachios, Mangos and Dates
Extra Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped roasted pistachios, 1/4 cup chopped dates, 1/4 cup chopped dried mangos

Flavoring
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest and 1/4 tsp. allspice

Enjoy!
J.Jones

Source found here

Chocolate cake in 5 min

I have to admit. I have not tried this. But I am intrigued.

Chocolate Cake In 5 Minutes

4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug

1. Mix flour, sugar and cocoa
2. Stir in 1 egg
3. Pour in milk and oil, and mix well
4. Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)
5. Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug
6. Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!

Enjoy!
J.Jones

Dizzy Dee

Ok, ok, ok! After some more research on the web I found something a little more plausible. Someone who can actually bake. I told you any dessert items on this website should be analyzed closely!

Check out what they did here.

Popcorn - No microwave required

The essential steel bowl.

Old Fashioned Popcorn

1/4 Cup popcorn
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons neutral Oil

Place all in bowl. Cover tightly with foil and poke with several
holes. Place on a Med-High Burner and shake until popping slows or
stops. About 5 min.

Uncover, cool.

Enjoy.
J.Jones

Bread Pudding Formula

2-2-1-1 Bread Pudding Formula

Custard:
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
Bread (depending on size of cooking vessel) cut or torn into chunks

Optional Flavoring:
Vanilla, Brandy, Bourbon, Espresso
Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom

Optional Textures:
Raisins, diced apples, pineapple,
Chopped Nuts such as Walnut, pecan, walnut, pistachio

1. Fill cooking vessel (a good option is an 11x7x2 glass Pyrex) with Bread. Sprinkle on the Optional Textures and toss together.
2. Make the custard: mix Eggs, Milk and sugar and Optional Flavorings together, then poor over the Bread. Press down on the bread so to soak up the custard. Let rest while your oven heats up to 350 degrees.
3. Cook for 50-60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

RUM SAUCE
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. Rum or Bourbon or Vanilla

Mix sugar and rum together in sauce pan. Cook until slightly reduced. Serve warm over bread pudding.

define: Sofrito

In Spain, Haiti, France and Italy, sofrito is made by cooking tomatoes, garlic, and onions in olive oil. Sofrito is often used as the cooking base for sauces, stews, and meat dishes. In Haiti, this sauce and cooking base is called epis. In France, it is referred to as mirepoix.

5 min bread

I have a minor love of bread. I really could take it or leave it. However making bread is so much fun! I really don’t mind measuring out flour and kneading bread is a cathartic act. But that will not stop me from trying to find better ways to do it. I had a great time with the No-Knead craze that took hold of the cooking world a couple of years ago. It was revolutionary and fit right in with my motto “there has got to be an easier way of doing this”. It was however very challenging when it came to timing. Those of you who have used his method know what I am talking about.

About the same time this crazy new way of making bread was coming out a Medical Doctor who moved from New York to Minnesota was experimenting in his own kitchen trying to find an easier way to make the bread he so loved in his home state. He met a chef they rubbed their brains together and Bing bang boom here we are with “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”.

This is a truly cool way to make bread. It’s a snap to mix up the dough and you really only need an hour or so to make the bread after that. The best part is after the dough is made you have up to 2 weeks to use it up. And the possibilities are endless!
If you are interested in their story check it out here: Star Tribune article 12/07/2007

So lets get down to the nitty gritty. I dont think I am telling tales out of school here when I give this recipe it is available here.

Master Bread Recipe
from “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”

Preparation time: 15 minutes to prepare enough dough for four loaves, to be baked over four days. Each daily loaf will average 5 minutes of active preparation time.

Makes four 1-pound loaves

• 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100º F)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour (no need to sift)
• Cornmeal for the pizza peel

1. In a 5-quart bowl, mix the yeast, water and salt. Add all the flour, then use a wooden spoon to mix until all ingredients are uniformly moist. It is not necessary to knead or continue mixing once the ingredients are uniformly moist. This will produce a loose and very wet dough.
2. Cover with a lid (not airtight). Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, about 2 hours, but no more than 5 hours.
3. After rising, the dough can be baked immediately, or covered (non completely airtight) and refrigerated up to 14 days. The dough will be easier to work with after at least 3 hours refrigeration.
4. On baking day, prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent the bread from sticking when you transfer it to the oven. Uncover the dough and sprinkle the surface with flour. Pull up and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece of dough (serrated knives are best). Store the remaining dough in the bowl and refrigerate for baking at another time.
5. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick. Create a smooth ball of dough by gently pulling the sides down around to the bottom, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. While shaping, most of the dusting flour will fall off. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten out during resting and baking. Shaping the loaf this way should take no more than 1 minute.
6. Place the dough on the pizza peel. Allow the loaf to rest for about 40 minutes. It does not need to be covered. The bread may not rise much during this time.
7. Twenty minutes before baking, place a pizza stone on the center rack of the oven. If you don’t have a baking stone, use another baking sheet. Remove any upper racks. Place a broiler pan on a rack below the pizza stone or on the floor of the oven. Preheat oven to 450 F.
8. When the dough has rested for 40 minutes, dust the top liberally with flour, then use a serrated knife to slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top.
9. Slide the loaf off the peel and onto the baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door.
10. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. Allow the bread to cool completely, preferably on a wire cooling rack.

I have made with this dough:

• Pizza Dough (cut off a piece and roll it flat and as round as you like, no need to proof)
• Pitas (cut off a smaller piece than the pizza and roll it as flat as you can, no need to proof)
• Rolls (take on big piece of dough and cut it into small equal sizes, roll with a cupped hand let the proof on a sheet pan)
• Bread Sticks
• Batard (picture above)

Enjoy some homemade bread. It doesn’t take much and it is very rewarding.

J.Jones

Flexible Casserole

Casserole

1 cup main ingredient
1 cup second ingredient
1-2 cups starchy ingredient
1 1/2 cups binder
1/4 cup “goodie”
seasoning
topping

Main ingredient: tuna, cubed chicken, turkey, ham, seafood, etc.
Second ingredient: thinly sliced celery, mushrooms, peas, chopped hard-boiled eggs, etc.
Starchy ingredient: thinly sliced potatoes, cooked noodles, cooked rice, etc.
Binder: cream sauce, sour cream, can of soup, etc.
“Goodie”: pimiento, olives, almonds, water chestnuts, etc.
Topping: cheese, bread crumbs, etc.

The Simple Dollar