Christmas (or whenever) Nuggees!

 

They're not Buc-ee's, but they're
bucking for home favorite status

Those famous nuggets are, of course, what some people will drive hours out of their way to purchase at Buc-ee's. But those of us who live more than a day trip from one must either do without or make our own variations on a theme.

While this recipe is far from the precise crack-like treat from the famous truck stop, they're more than enough to tempt the otherwise abstemious Bat (she warned me that, if I wanted to give them out to anybody else at Christmas, I needed to hide them). They are, quite honestly, addictive.

And the list of ingredients is pretty simple: puffed corn (I used 2 bags of Clancy's butter-flavored, from Aldi, less about 4 puffs that didn't make it into the bowl – oopsy-daisy!), brown sugar, light corn syrup, butter, vanilla, maple flavor, and baking soda.

You will, though, need a few supplies:
2 large mixing bowls (or 1 very large – 10 quart or so – mixing bowl, if you have one)
A 3-quart saucepan
measuring cups and spoons
1 small mixing bowl or cup
1silicone spatula or wooden spoon
1 set salad tongs, "salad hands", or other long-handled tongs
At least 3 meters (almost 10 feet) of non-stick parchment, or parchment and lots of waxed paper
2 rimmed cookie sheets
oven mitt

                  Christmas Nuggees!
Ingredients:

10 ounces butter-flavored puffed corn
1 cup unsalted butter
1 well-packed cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Prepare baking sheets by covering with non-stick parchment.

Prepare counter or table surface by covering with at least 6 feet (just under 2 meters) of parchment (waxed paper will work here, if you'd prefer).

Preheat oven to 250º F (or about 120º C)

Divide puffed corn into 2 mixing bowls (or dump it all into your giant bowl). Set aside.

Combine vanilla, maple flavor, and baking soda in a small mixing bowl or cup, and set this aside, also.

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup, and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring frequently.

When sugar mixture is at a rolling boil (it continues to bubble vigorously no matter how much you stir), set timer and boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla/maple/soda mixture. It will foam like crazy. 

Pour foaming liquid over the puffed corn in equal amounts per bowl. Quickly toss with tongs or fold with silicone spatula, covering every piece of puffed corn as completely as you can. Spread out on prepared baking sheets. 

Bake at 250º F for 45 minutes, tossing with tongs every 15 minutes to make sure every piece gets equally coated & cooked.

Remove from oven, spread out nuggets across the parchment (or waxed paper) you've laid out, doing your best to separate all the nuggees from each other before they cool and harden into big clumps.

Allow to fully cool before packing them into airtight containers (Mom's stomach does count as one!).

Note: If you make these too far ahead of time, you'll need to make more when the special day arrives. They have a way of vanishing…

Variation: this same candy coating can be used on regular popcorn, but then you have to contend with the popcorn hulls between your teeth. If you do this, you need 10-12 cups of popped popcorn instead of the corn puffs. You can stir a cup or two of your favorite nuts into the mix, as well, before it goes into the oven.

Pecan and Cranberry (Pecranberry) Pies for the Holidays

 

I cheated a little: store-bought gluten-free crust worked nicely

 

Every Thanksgiving, we must have pie. First, there is the family pumpkin pie, followed, usually, by an apple pie or two, and then at last, there is room on the table for at least one more, filling being baker's choice. 

This year, the baker (moi) decided there were enough toasted pecans in the kitchen to make into pie, but not everybody likes how rich and sweet a straight pecan pie is, so a proper variation was in order.

This variation was simple to prepare and difficult to resist.

 

 

 

Pecranberry Pies

 

Ingredients:

2  (9-inch) pie crusts*

2 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, washed and sorted

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs

2 cups toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Line two 9-inch pie pans with your prepared crust (parbaking is optional, not essential).

Preheat oven to 400º F.

 

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, syrup, and water. Over medium high heat stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to simmer, stirring frequently until the cranberries have all popped and the sauce has thickened (about 10-12 minutes). Stir in butter.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, stir eggs until well-mixed but not frothy. When cranberry sauce is thickened, add about 1/4 cup of the cranberries to the eggs and stir quickly to temper them, then add the eggs to the rest of the cranberry sauce, whisking briskly until well-combined. Stir in pecans and vanilla.

Divide filling between two crusts, bake on center rack of oven for 20-25 minutes, until filling is firm.

Allow to cool completely (overnight in the refrigerator is good) before serving with whipped cream.

*You can make this into a single, deeper 9 1/2-inch pie if you like, with a pretty, uplifted scalloped edge for the crust. If you do so, baking time should be increased to 30 minutes.

Another useful tip: if you're taking pies to someone else's house, use disposable foil pans, and bake them inside your sturdier pie dishes (see above photos). After slicing and distributing dessert, lift the foil liners out of your heavier dishes. That way, you can be comfortable not worrying about flimsy foil pans collapsing and making a mess, at the same time you'll be able to leave pie behind for your hosts to enjoy later, without their having to wash & return your dishes.

Clean and Neat Watermelon Pickles

 

This was my second attempt at making watermelon rind pickles. My first trial was…involved. If I remember correctly, it was an Alton Brown traditional southern recipe, and included lots of spices, including a great heap of star anise. Sadly, there is only one person in my immediate circle who is even remotely fond of that licorice-y flavor, so that batch was pretty much a bust.

This time, I went for the exceedingly simple, and, unsurprisingly, showed to myself that simple is better. These pickles are a pleasant, sweet-tangy snack I am going to have to reserve for serving at special occasions, lest I eat an entire jar for myself in one sitting.

Like most good pickles, there's a bit of extra prep time – the pieces of rind need to sit in a brine overnight or longer, after all.

A few hints to get things started:

1. Dig out a good, sharp vegetable peeler. It'll be useful for removing both the tough skin and the mushy pink pulpy innards from the white-ish rind you're pickling.

2. If your watermelon isn't already cut up into pieces, slice it into quarters first, then into 1-inch wide cross-section wedges. At this point, you will find it simple to serve up the pulp of the melon in whatever form you prefer, and the rind will be easily handled for peeling, chopping, and pickling. 

3. Don't try to substitute salt or sweetener. Use pickling salt, and real (refined cane or beet) sugar.

4. Check your vinegar to be sure it's at least 5% acidity (important for preventing toxic growths like botulins).

You will need:

a large, nonreactive mixing bowl or 1-gallon crock, and something to cover it
Measuring cups and spoons
wooden spoon or silicone mixing spatula
6 quart saucepan or dutch oven
6 quart (or larger) nonreactive stock pot or dutch oven
4 one-pint canning jars, with lids, washed
canning kettle or pressure canner, plus a small saucepan to heat lids
canning funnel & tongs (if you're new to canning, check out this kit)
deep ladle – not a gravy ladle ;)
regular or silicone-tipped tongs
Paper towel, dampened
cooling rack

Simple Watermelon Rind Pickles

Ingredients: 

Day 1:
8 cups watermelon rind, skin & pink pulp removed, cut into 1-inch squares
1/3 cup pickling salt
4 cups water

Day 2:
2 cups water
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 medium or large lemon, washed and sliced very thinly, seeds removed
6 – 8 maraschino cherries, halved (optional)

Instructions:

Slice and peel watermelon rind, cut into approximately 1-inch squares. Put rind in a very large mixing bowl or a crock, mix with pickling salt, cover with 4 cups water, stir until all mixed. Cover and set aside overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse the rind chunks, place in saucepan with enough water to cover them.  Simmer until just tender – about 10 minutes or so.

Drain again.

As the rind is simmering, combine 2 cups water, 4 cups sugar, 2 cups vinegar, whole cloves, lemon slices and cherry halves (if you're using them) in the nonreactive pot and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add drained rind, bring just to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until all the rind pieces become translucent, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, put enough water in the canning kettle to cover the jars with at least 1 inch over the tops. Set on high heat, bring water to boil. You can sterilize your jars in the canning bath, at this time, and use the canning tongs to fetch them out when you need them. Also, lay the lids in the small saucepan so they are spread around, alternating their direction (bottoms up, then right-side up, then bottom again) before covering them with water and bringing them to a simmer. This arrangement makes picking them out of their hot bath easier with those tongs, since the lids won't automatically stick together.

Fill the jars with the pickles, packing them in fairly snugly (but don't press them in too tightly) leaving 1/2 inch headroom, and making sure there's enough syrup to cover. Tap or lightly stir with chopstick or spoon handle to remove bubbles. 

Using a dampened paper towel, wipe the rim of each jar to remove any possible residue before putting on the lid. Put the screw rings on the jars, tightening them until you feel firm resistance, and no more ("finger-tight", not over-tightened).

Place the jars of pickles in the canning kettle water bath, cover, bring to a full rolling boil, and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove.

Allow to cool on rack.

 

If you have any syrup left over, keep it in the refrigerator. It's pretty good as a mixer for some beverages, or as a "lift" in salad dressings.

These pickles can last on the shelf for up to 1 year. After opening, refrigerate them, & they'll be good for about a month, if you're not like me & inclined to eat them all in a single afternoon.
 

One-Dish Tuna Italianate

 


Long years ago, I bought a remaindered copy of a brand-name cookbook, the contents of which were – as one might guess – recipes developed for use with brand name food products. Since then, I may have had use for a half dozen of those recipes at least once, but one in particular got more than its fair share of revisiting, because it was a triple-whammy: simple, tasty, and generally inexpensive (read: super-cheap!).

The original came from Success brand rice, and looks like this:

Over the intervening years, a few things have changed. For one, the standard can of tuna is no longer 7 ounces, but a mere 5 ounces. Go figure. One can adjust the recipe to that change by doubling the rest of the ingredients and using 3 cans of tuna, giving the extra tablespoon to the cat, if one wishes, or by going with the flow on a single batch and assuming 5 ounces of fish will be enough to share with three friends (raised eyebrows notwithstanding. It's your budget and they're your friends).

1 bag of Success brand rice still cooks up to 2 cups of fluffy carbohydrates.

I've made my own adaptations (naturally), not the least of which is ditching some of those carbohydrates, by using alternate "rice" options. However, those rice substitutes don't absorb moisture the way the original does. So, reducing the called-for milk is an absolute need, if you use riced cauliflower, zucchini, or heart of palm.

Also, you can play around with the meat in this dish. If you're like me, you have some leftover ground or pulled meat in the freezer, or, if not, you can cook some expressly for the purpose. Or open a can of your favorite other. With each option, you may want to tweak the amount and type of seasoning a bit, but the baseline stays the same: 1 1/2 cups cheese, about 1 cup meat,  about 2 cups rice-ish stuff, 1 egg, 1/2 cup chopped sweet pepper, 1/4 cup minced onion, and a bit of milk to mix it together.

This, though, is my recent reduced-carb variation, using hearts of palm rice (different brands may have different portions. Palmini pouches usually contain 12 ounces, or 3 servings), and cauliflower… well, you can play around with fresh-steamed, or a package or two of frozen (thawed), but you'll also need to reduce the milk used in this recipe.

It's also slightly reduced-sodium, by doctor's orders. If you're like my dad, though, and find seawater too bland, you can add back in the original salt and add more to taste.

Also, if you use prepackaged shredded cheese, I recommend lightly rinsing and draining it, so it will melt better (the cellulose fiber that they coat it with – so it doesn't re-congeal in the pouch – does interfere in the way it'll react to heat).

One-Dish Tuna Italianate

Ingredients:

 2 (9 ounce) packages of riced hearts of palm, rinsed, and moisture pressed out of it
2 (5 ounce) cans good tuna packed in water (I use albacore when I can afford it), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded,
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1/2 cup sweet bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup sweet onion, minced
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup extra mozzarella, shredded (optional)
fresh-grated Parmesan (optional)

Directions:

With rack in middle of oven, preheat oven to 375º F

Arrange your rinsed "rice" in a single layer in a well-greased 1-quart baking dish,

In a medium mixing bowl, combine rinsed tuna, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, onion, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Apply in a layer over the "rice".

In small mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, Italian seasoning, and ground pepper. Whisk until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella. Pour over tuna and rice, distributing evenly. If you're a cheese-maniac like me, you can add an extra layer of cheese to the top, for a pretty finish.

Bake at 375º F for 20 minutes, or until cheese begins to blister and turn brown.

Allow to cool and rest at least 5 minutes before serving.


Top with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, if you like, and serve with a nice green salad on the side.

Variations:

Using 1 cup leftover (or store-bought) pulled beef, pork, or chicken, substitute your favorite BBQ seasoning mix for the Italian blend.

Using fresh ground meat, add 1/2 of the seasoning blend before browning the meat, drain away fat, and stir in a tablespoon of good tomato paste, then add the bell pepper, onion, etc. before applying it to the "rice" layer.

Using your favorite fresh/frozen fish instead of canned tuna, steam or broil it until it becomes flaky, allow it to cool, and shred it. Using steamed or boiled shrimp, chop them coarsely & add a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of tomato paste before mixing in the peppers, onions, etc.

Make it vegetarian by substituting 1 cup stir-fried mushrooms and/or spinach (chopped, cooked, and squeezed to remove most of its liquid) instead of the tuna.

Add a mess of garlic. Get wild.

Loaded Baked-Mock-Potato Salad

 

Perfect for picnics – low in carbs, too!

Nearly every picnic around has someone bringing a great heaping bowl of potato salad. In my circle, the one whose taters are most popular has recently been put on a severely carb-restricted plan, making that just a little awkward.

Naturally, I wanted to come up with an alternative that we can both enjoy when everybody else feasts upon those spuds. And, to my surprise, I learned that cauliflower can be a very nice substitute.

The surprise came because, for years, the cooked cauliflower I'd been subjected to was…well… sort of skunky and cabbage-y. But with the judicious use of a hot oven, some cooking oil, and a little salt, the veggie sweetens up in a way that stir-frying and steaming won't.

As for this salad, it can be served hot or cold, so adapts to suit your mood or menu. Either way, I recommend making it in advance, and letting it sit in the refrigerator for several hours (overnight is ideal), so the flavors meld. It also doesn't require much in the way of clean-up… all you'll need is a baking sheet, some non-stick parchment, and a preferred method for spreading oil on the surface of the veggies for early preparation work, and then a large mixing and/or serving bowl, plus measuring cups/spoons, and a spatula or spoon to mix it all up.

Loaded Baked-Mock-Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, cut & broken up into bite-size pieces
About 3 Tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil* (just enough to coat the cauliflower bits)
Salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)

1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup good mayonnaise (I use Duke's)
1/3 cup coarsely-shredded or small-cubed medium cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1/4 cup diced celery
about 3 Tablespoons diced bread-and-butter pickles
1/3 cup crisp-cooked bacon bits, divided
chopped chives or more scallion greens for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Cover large baking sheet with non-stick parchment (or, if you don't have parchment, lightly grease your baking sheet).

Clean and cut/pull apart cauliflower, putting the florets into a large mixing bowl or gallon zipper bag.
 

Pour cooking oil over the florets, stir/shake until all the pieces are coated, and then spread the pieces over the parchment-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt, and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes, turning at least once for even cooking. The aim is to get them golden-brown and their edges slightly crisped.

Remove from oven, allow to cool enough to work with (I then pop it into the refrigerator for an hour or two. The choice is yours, though).

In large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, scallions, celery, and diced pickle. Stir thoroughly.

Add 1/4 cup bacon bits, roasted cauliflower, and dressing mix. Stir until dressing evenly covers all the cauliflower pieces. 

Almost forgot the bacon.

Store covered in refrigerator for several hours to overnight. 

Fancy-shmancy containers like mine
need to be carefully cleaned before use,
though.

May be heated in oven or microwave, if your preference is for warm salad.

Sprinkle remaining bacon on top of salad immediately before serving, for garnish and extra crunch. Chopped fresh chives or scallion greens may also be added before serving, for garnish and flavor. (I skipped them during the photo sessions, because I was making this for family, and The Bat is not a fan of either flavor.)

*I leave the choice up to you. Others like working with avocado oil, or even melted ghee. I'm kind of a weirdo. I like the flavor and finish of corn oil.

Velvety Stir-fry Lemon Chicken

No long story or background to waste your time in scrolling past.

Where it may not look wildly colorful, it's madly flavorful. Just toss this together and enjoy a feast.

Velvety Stir-fry Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken, sliced very thinly and cut into bite-sized squares (I aim for about 2 centimeters square)
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 – 2 Tablespoons)
about 1/4 cup water (plus more set aside for cooking, if needed)
1/4 teaspoon crushed fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 egg white, beaten
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, mostly the white parts
1 – 2 cups fresh baby bok choi (or your favorite other leafy greens), sliced into ribbons
about 2 tablespoons cooking oil or fat (I used duck fat, but go with what you have & like) for stir-frying
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine sliced chicken, sweet onion, lemon juice, water, ginger, and garlic. Stir well, until Set in refrigerator to marinate at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 hours.

In a separate small bowl, beat egg white until frothy. Add to chicken and stir until egg completely distributed over chicken bits.

In a large wok or frying pan on high heat, bring oil to the point where it begins to shimmer. Using your hand or a slotted stirring spoon, scoop out chicken from mixing bowl, leaving any excess liquid behind in the bowl, and toss into hot oil, stirring constantly until chicken is completely cooked but not browned.

Add in the remaining liquid from the bowl, and stir until it simmers and shows signs of thickening (at this point, you may need to add a little extra water to prevent sticking, and to make a little "gravy" to coat your rice).

Stir in scallions and bok choi, and, as soon as the bok choi begins to show signs of wilting, remove from heat.


Serve on your favorite rice.  Serves 2 or 3.

Helpful hint for chicken prep: If you're working with fresh chicken breasts or thighs, pop them into the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes, to firm the meat up before slicing it. Or, conversely, if you're raiding the freezer for your chicken, allow it to rest on the counter for the same 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.You can consistently get very thin slices this way.

The Absent-Minded Shopper's Tangy Celery Slaw

Some recipes happen because I'm absent-minded…

Occasionally, Mom and I forget what's in the fridge when we're at the store, so we end up with a surplus of something perishable. This week, it was celery. Imagine realizing you had two great honkin' bunches of celery, and no inclination to make a hundred servings of "Ants on a Log"!

And not only did we buy too much celery, but Pop's garden has already started yielding a few tasty morsels, so we had a superabundance of baby bok choy to work into the menu this weekend. Therein lay a dilemma easily solved, if one is inclined to slawg away in the kitchen for a few minutes, chopping veggies and fruits. And so inclined I was.

 

Tangy Celery Slaw

Ingredients:
 

slaw:
4 to 6 cups celery, sliced thinly (leaves included)
3 cups baby bok choi leaves, coarsely shredded
2 cups crisp apple, julienne sliced
1/2 cup scallion greens

dressing:
1/2 teaspoon simple syrup*
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 Tablespoons olive oil (I used blood orange flavored oil, because I had some on hand)
juice of 1 medium lemon (about 3 Tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
salt, pepper to taste



Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced celery, bok choi leaves, julienned apple, and scallion greens. Toss/stir until completely mixed.


In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and stir to completely coat.

Allow to chill in refrigerator at least an hour. Toss in bowl again before serving.





*simple syrup: put equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan. On high heat, stir to make sure sugar completely dissolves. Bring to full boil for at least 1 minute. Allow to cool completely. Can be kept in refrigerator a very long time, and used in making all sorts of desserts and drinks (especially lemonade). Can also be diluted (3 parts distilled water /1 part syrup)  for hummingbird feeders.

Variations:

If you don't have baby bok choy as an option, you can easily substitute young spinach, kale, or whatever other tender greens you prefer.

For apples, I cut up a pair of mid-sized Cosmic Crisps, because they were on special and they showed more color in this particular dish than would the Granny Smiths that were the same price. If you have another favorite baking apple, though, I encourage you give it a go.

Crumble a bit of feta or blue cheese into the dish right before serving, if you want to add some protein.

Chopped toasted almonds can give added crunch to this slaw, and raisins or other dried fruits like blueberries, cherries, or cranberries can add a spot of tenderness and/or tang, according to your tastes (but if you use the fruit, I'd suggest reducing or eliminating celery seed from the dressing).

..........................................

Like many slaws, this salad is excellent the next day, as well, so don't throw away any leftovers you might have.


Go ahead. Have some fun playing in the kitchen. You know you want to.

Soupy Twist! Zippy Lentil Soup

Just right for a chilly evening, this will warm your belly and stay within a somewhat tight budget.

Start with a good vegetable broth If you already have a favorite way to make this, go for it. If you're still a rookie, look in your veggie drawer for the stuff you're a few days away from composting, and toss it into a stock pot with water, salt, pepper, and herbs. You don't have to do anything fancy – just clean & chunk it all – beforehand. If you're still unsure of the concept, look to the Pioneer Woman's instructions, here, or Eating Well, here.

Or, if you've got the flexibility in your budget, you can buy a quart of the stuff from your local grocer.

Either way, you need a good stock, for starters.

After that, you need about 45 to 60 minutes, including prep time.

And a stock pot that holds at least 4 quarts.

And an appetite.

Have fun!

Zippy Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 medium carrots, sliced or diced
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves (about 2-3 teaspoons, crushed or minced)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed thyme (or several generous sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed)
zest of 1 small lemon
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced fire-roasted tomatoes (or regular, if that's what you have), drained
1 cup lentils, sorted & rinsed (don't rinse until you're ready to add them into the mixture, as they're likely to cement themselves to each other as the moisture evaporates in the strainer)
4 cups broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less, to taste)
1–2 cups greens, (your choice. I prefer spinach or dandelion), stems and/or ribs removed, and coarsely chopped
1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
In the bottom of the pot, heat oil on medium heat until it begins to shimmer, add carrots and cook, stirring frequently until they begin to soften. Add onion & stir constantly until they become transparent.

Stir in garlic, cumin, curry powder, thyme, and lemon zest, cooking until fragrant (just 30 seconds or so). Pour in tomatoes and simmer lightly.

Add lentils, salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, broth, and water. On high temperature, bring to full boil, reduce heat to medium, and, with lid partially covering, allow this to simmer about 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

Using a hand blender, give a quick whir (about 10 seconds) in one small section of the soup, or put about 2 cups of the soup into a blender and puree it before returning it to the pot (this makes for a creamier base). Add greens and cook only until the greens have softened (with spinach or dandelion, all you need to do is stir in. Kale or other heavier greens like mustard may take up to 5 minutes).

Remove from heat, add lemon juice.

Serve hot.

A nice companion to this is warm bread or toast of your favorite type, or, if you're feeling nostalgic, a grilled cheese sandwich.

Molasses Sponge Cake Roll with Orange-y Buttercream Frosting

 This year, I anticipated having two separate Christmas dinners, so for each I made a different Bûche de Noël. Since my parents would be enjoying both meals, and I didn't want them to be bored with the Same Stuff, Different Day, two different flavors of cakes were in order.  And since my recipe for white chocolate/orange liqueur mousse is enough to fill two cakes with plenty to spare, I needed to make them both compatible with said filling. The first was a given: chocolate. Been doing it for a decade, now (even during the 2020 shutdown, when I sliced it & shipped it out to everybody in local extended family). 

Cake the second, though, needed to be Christmassy without peppermint or chocolate. My final choice: a variation on Grandma's Molasses Sponge Cake. Clearly, I couldn't use it as written, as their version is baked in a tube (Bundt) pan, & I needed a sheet I could roll. Also, I had to adapt to gluten-free formula, for certain persons who shall remain nameless (wink, wink)…

So here is what I came up with:

Dusted with a little cardamom/cinnamon/powdered sugar, and garnished with sugared cranberries, a Christmas delight

Molasses Sponge Cake

Ingredients:
3/4 cup gluten free 1:1 flour (I now use King Arthur's Measure-for Measure)
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup molasses
1 Tablespoon finely grated zest of orange or tangerine (I used 3 Cuties)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or other)


Directions:

Line bottom of 15"x 21"x 1" baking pan with greased parchment, also oiling the sides of the pan.

Preheat oven to 325º F, with rack in center.

In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together flour, starch, and salt. Set aside.  In bowl of stand mixer, with paddle, (or with regular beaters) beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until lemon-colored and fluffy. Gradually add in molasses (you may want to turn off mixer and drizzle in small amounts at a time toward the center, so the beater doesn't spray it all up the sides of the bowl). When all is mixed in, beat this mixture at low speed for another 3 minutes. Stir in zests, lemon juice, and liqueur.

Gradually add in flour mixture, 1/3 of it at a time, until fully incorporated. When all has been added, beat until light and fluffy.

Now for the meringue part of the sponge cake batter:

Scrape out the fluffy batter into the bowl which used to hold the flour mixture and then thoroughly  clean the mixing bowl and whisk attachment, wiping dry and then re-wiping with vinegar-soaked paper towel, or, if you're blessed as I am with 2 stand mixers, you can get this going on slow at the same time you mix the above...

Making sure you have NO oils in the bowl or on the whisk/beaters for the mixer, beat the egg whites on low until they become slightly foamy. 1or 2 teaspoons at a time, add in the granulated sugar, making sure it mixes in completely and has a chance to dissolve before adding the next portion. Continue to whip on medium until soft peaks can be formed.

Add 1/4 of meringue to bowl of batter, stir to "lighten" the latter. Then add the batter to the remaining meringue, folding just until no streaks of white can be seen in the batter. Pour into baking sheet, smooth the surface, and tap the pan on tabletop or countertop to force any large bubbles up and out.

Bake at 325º F for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, and/or surface of cake springs back at slight pressure of fingertip.

If you're making a roll cake, allow to cool about 5 minutes. In the meantime, lightly dust top of cake with corn starch, flour, or cocoa powder, lay a clean kitchen towel over it, and set a cooling rack over that. When the cake has just cooled just enough for you to handle it, flip the whole thing, remove the pan, peel away the parchment from the cake bottom, and letting the excess towel cushion the core, start rolling it along the lengthwise edge (unless you want a BIG FAT Yule log, in which case you roll it crosswise).

Seal the cake roll (towel and all) in plastic wrap and allow to rest several hours or overnight.

Make the filling just before you're ready to use it, and, once the cake is filled, allow to freeze for at least 3 hours (or overnight) before trying to frost it.

My choice of frosting, for just about any cake, is buttercream. For this cake, it cried out for oranges, of course.  And so, decadent orange-y buttercream is born

Orangey Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (or more, if needed)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons orange liqueur (I recommend Cointreau or Grand Marnier)
2 teaspoons orange or tangerine zest, finely grated
2 Tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Directions:

In stand mixer using paddle attachment, beat together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and liqueur until completely mixed. Add zest and orange juice concentrate. Beat until light and fluffy.

Apply to your cake as you see fit (hey, it's buttercream. You can slather it on with a trowel, or you can pipe it on like a dandy). It's just enough to generously cover a single yule log or modestly cover a 12" x18" sheet cake.

This can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a month, if you can resist dipping into it.

Also, sugared cranberries go really well with this cake combo…

Zippy Fajita Soup… because why not?

Some of us like fajitas, but aren't supposed to have the tortillas that are usually a major part of the process. In the past, I've dumped my filling on top of a heap of rice (Spanish-style or just plain), but December weather being what it is, this week soup seemed to be in order.

Therefore:

Fajita Soup

Ingredients:

Marinade:
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar

The rest of the stuff:
1 portion of your favorite dry fajita spice mix, divided (like this one, or even pre-packaged from the store)
1 small flank steak (I used a 1-lb portion)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 medium onion, sliced into slivers
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 small leek, diced (optional)
3 cups beef broth
2-3 tablespoons corn starch or other thickener
2 cups sliced (or diced) fresh tomatoes

Optional toppings:
diced avocado
sour cream
shredded or crumbled cheese of choice
salsa
fresh onions or scallions, chopped
fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Score steak, top and bottom, in a diagonal grid pattern. Rub the steak with 1/2 of your spice mix. Place in sealable bag, then pour marinade over it and allow to rest, sealed, at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than an hour.

Remove meat from bag, pat dry, and, in the bottom of an oiled heavy-bottomed stock pot or kettle, sear the meat well at high temperature. Remove from heat, allow to rest while you stir-fry your peppers, onions, and leek (if you want it) in the same pan. Reduce temperature to medium low, add remaining spice mix to cover veggies, then remove from pan & set aside.  Pour in 1 cup beef broth to deglaze the pan. In a small bowl, stir together starch and 1/4 cup room-temperature broth until all lumps are gone. Add starch mixture to hot broth in pan, stir until thickened. Add remaining broth, stir until smooth.

Slice the meat into thin strips, cross-grain, then cut into bite-sized pieces and stir into the broth. Add peppers and onions, stir and allow to return to simmer.

A few minutes before serving, stir tomatoes into simmering soup. Remove from heat source.

Top with your preferred additions, serve hot with tortilla chips, Spanish-style rice, and/or flat bread.

Of course, if you're the sort to make fajitas for a large crowd, and you have leftovers, you can use that as a shortcut… You just need be able to add broth and thicken it a little, and, perhaps, add a few more peppers and onions. Either way, adding the fajita seasoning and stir-fried (or grilled) peppers is a great way to pep up an otherwise basic beef soup.