Showing posts with label orange. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orange. Show all posts
"Orange" You Glad It's Pig? -- Pork Chops Meet Orange Marmalade
5/16/10: Pork Chops with Orange Soy Glaze and Udon Noodles alongside Hoosier Peanut Bars
Meal details: For the main course I seared 1 inch pork loin chops and braised them in a sauce that had orange marmalade, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and chicken stock. And for dessert I made a really intriguing bar that has a cookie-like bottom layer, a chocolate middle, and a meringue and peanut topping. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?
Defining moments: First time using soy sauce for me! Yeah, it looks like I don't usually cook Asian.
Recipe sources: The pork chop recipe comes from Robin Miller, the host of Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller that airs on Food Network. I specifically chose it because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.
The Hoosier Peanut Bar recipe came from the August 2009 issue of Baker's Sheet, a newsletter written by King Arthur's Flour. Here is the recipe for those who are interested:
Ingredients for Base:
Ingredients for Topping:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan, and line it with a sheet of parchment paper that goes down one long side and up the other, with some extra on each side. Fold the paper so it doesn't droop down into the pan.
For the base: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites into another clean mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl; beat in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the water until the dough is mixed; it will be stiff.
Press the dough into the prepared pan with wet fingers or using a mini pastry roller over a piece of plastic wrap.
For the topping: Spread the chocolate chips over the dough in the pan, pressing them in lightly. Whip the reserved egg whites until they become foamy. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff. Spread over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts evenly over the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and the edges just pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars or squares while still warm. Once the bars are cool, you can pull them straight up and out of the pan using the parchment paper on the sides. Yield: 24 bars.
What I learned: The pork chop recipe was really easy to execute and I can't think of any new knowledge gained by doing this recipe. I do have some notes for the peanut bar recipe. When I was beating the egg whites to form the topping, I was uncertain on what was considered "stiff" as was said in the recipe. I know that you can easily over beat egg whites so I was biting my nails as I carefully watched my KitchenAid. I decided to stop the machine when the whites and added sugar started to look white and glossy. I then started beating it by hand to carry it to the final stage, which was, I am guessing, when it resembled marshmallow fluff. I soon found out that I was right in my assumption because the finished bars looked just like the recipe's photo.
Any modifications? I followed the bar recipe exactly but I substituted egg noodles for the udon noodles called for in the pork chop recipe.
How did it taste? The family loved both dishes! The pork chops were flavorful, tender, and paired very well with the egg noodles. My Papa said they needed more marmalade, though, so I will remember to use the whole jar next time. The peanut bars were very delicious and I love the surprise meringue topping. They look like they would be hard and crunchy but they turned out to be soft and chewy. . . Two textures I love when it comes to desserts. :)
How about a 2nd time? Absolutely.
Note: It seems to me that I almost always give a positive answer to the last question. Now that's encouraging!
My goodness! Look at all that peanut goodness!
That Dick Van Dyke Show episode comes to mind right about now. :D
Is it just me, or is my sister's photos getting better each week?
Meal details: For the main course I seared 1 inch pork loin chops and braised them in a sauce that had orange marmalade, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and chicken stock. And for dessert I made a really intriguing bar that has a cookie-like bottom layer, a chocolate middle, and a meringue and peanut topping. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?
Defining moments: First time using soy sauce for me! Yeah, it looks like I don't usually cook Asian.
Recipe sources: The pork chop recipe comes from Robin Miller, the host of Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller that airs on Food Network. I specifically chose it because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.
The Hoosier Peanut Bar recipe came from the August 2009 issue of Baker's Sheet, a newsletter written by King Arthur's Flour. Here is the recipe for those who are interested:
Hoosier Peanut Bars
Ingredients for Base:
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) cold water
Ingredients for Topping:
- 2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 large egg whites (from above)
- 1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup (5 ounces) chopped lightly salted peanuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan, and line it with a sheet of parchment paper that goes down one long side and up the other, with some extra on each side. Fold the paper so it doesn't droop down into the pan.
For the base: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites into another clean mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl; beat in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the water until the dough is mixed; it will be stiff.
Press the dough into the prepared pan with wet fingers or using a mini pastry roller over a piece of plastic wrap.
For the topping: Spread the chocolate chips over the dough in the pan, pressing them in lightly. Whip the reserved egg whites until they become foamy. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff. Spread over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts evenly over the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and the edges just pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars or squares while still warm. Once the bars are cool, you can pull them straight up and out of the pan using the parchment paper on the sides. Yield: 24 bars.
What I learned: The pork chop recipe was really easy to execute and I can't think of any new knowledge gained by doing this recipe. I do have some notes for the peanut bar recipe. When I was beating the egg whites to form the topping, I was uncertain on what was considered "stiff" as was said in the recipe. I know that you can easily over beat egg whites so I was biting my nails as I carefully watched my KitchenAid. I decided to stop the machine when the whites and added sugar started to look white and glossy. I then started beating it by hand to carry it to the final stage, which was, I am guessing, when it resembled marshmallow fluff. I soon found out that I was right in my assumption because the finished bars looked just like the recipe's photo.
Any modifications? I followed the bar recipe exactly but I substituted egg noodles for the udon noodles called for in the pork chop recipe.
How did it taste? The family loved both dishes! The pork chops were flavorful, tender, and paired very well with the egg noodles. My Papa said they needed more marmalade, though, so I will remember to use the whole jar next time. The peanut bars were very delicious and I love the surprise meringue topping. They look like they would be hard and crunchy but they turned out to be soft and chewy. . . Two textures I love when it comes to desserts. :)
How about a 2nd time? Absolutely.
Note: It seems to me that I almost always give a positive answer to the last question. Now that's encouraging!
My goodness! Look at all that peanut goodness!
That Dick Van Dyke Show episode comes to mind right about now. :D
Is it just me, or is my sister's photos getting better each week?
The Man with the Orange Clogs' Empanada
2/21/10: Empanadas and Easy Fruit Salad
Meal details: For the main course I made empanadas with a bacon, chorizo sausage, bell pepper, onion, and cheese filling. But these weren't your typical half moon shaped empanadas, these were of the full scale variety. And for a side dish I made a fruit salad that had pineapple, apple, oranges, bananas, and something a little different: stove-top pudding. Hmm. . . Interesting, huh?
Defining moments: It's kind of funny but this is my first time making stove-top pudding using a mix. :) I only helped stir the pot before! And this is the first time for empanadas.
Recipe sources: The empanada recipe is from Mario Batali, the host of Molto Mario and numerous other cooking shows. He is known for his exceptional knowledge of Italian cooking and of course everyone knows his scooter and orange clogs! You might remember him from the show, Mario Eats Italy. I haven't seen the show in years but that was one of the most interesting (and funny!) cooking related programs I've seen. I chose this recipe because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog. When I was searching for a Batali recipe I learned that Mario had (or does, not too sure) a show on PBS about his road trip in the great country of Spain. It is called Spain: On the Road Again. Boy, I would like to watch that!
The empanada recipe requires pizza dough and I made my own using a recipe from the 2500 Recipes from Everyday to Extraordinary cookbook. I discovered earlier while making my Le Hog Pizza that this is one great recipe!
The fruit salad recipe came from the October 2006 issue of Home Cooking Magazine. Here is the recipe for those whole are interested:
Easy Fruit Salad
What I learned: I learned what an empanada is. :) Yeah, that's always important. I sort of had a good idea of what it is but I get kind of confuse with all those calzone-type dishes. So what is it exactly? An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry and comes from the Spanish word empanar, which means to wrap. In Spain, an empanada is usually a large circle that is cut into wedges, but in Portugal and Mexico, the empanadas are made in semi-circular shapes like the one seen here.
Did I learn anything else? None of the recipes I did this week were really foreign to me. I mean, the empanada recipe was very close to the way I prepare my BBQ Chicken Pizza; the only difference was adding another crust on top of the filling. And the fruit salad was really easy to do. So not many new techniques or ingredients this week.
Any modifications? Yes, I made modifications to both recipes. For the empanadas, I didn't roll out the dough in a circle, I just stretched the dough out to the shape of a cookie sheet. And by the way, there is a typo in the recipe. Where it says to roll out into a thin round, they mean a 14" round, not a 1/4 round. Yeah, it kind of confused me a bit! And I also substituted bacon for the pancetta and added a Monterey Jack cheese mix to the filling because my family can't have pizza without the cheese!
And for the fruit salad. I used two Clementine oranges instead of the canned mandarin oranges. And to reach the necessary amount of juice, I added some orange juice from the carton.
How it tasted? Super! Everyone enjoyed the empanadas immensely. The fruit salad was loved by some and was "OK," for others. It mainly was caused by the addition of bananas. Some don't like bananas mixed with other flavors, but for some, like me, they love it that way. So it was a sort of hit and miss recipe for this family.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, I will do both recipes again but will take away the bananas from the salad and just add more apples or oranges.
Meal details: For the main course I made empanadas with a bacon, chorizo sausage, bell pepper, onion, and cheese filling. But these weren't your typical half moon shaped empanadas, these were of the full scale variety. And for a side dish I made a fruit salad that had pineapple, apple, oranges, bananas, and something a little different: stove-top pudding. Hmm. . . Interesting, huh?
Defining moments: It's kind of funny but this is my first time making stove-top pudding using a mix. :) I only helped stir the pot before! And this is the first time for empanadas.
Recipe sources: The empanada recipe is from Mario Batali, the host of Molto Mario and numerous other cooking shows. He is known for his exceptional knowledge of Italian cooking and of course everyone knows his scooter and orange clogs! You might remember him from the show, Mario Eats Italy. I haven't seen the show in years but that was one of the most interesting (and funny!) cooking related programs I've seen. I chose this recipe because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog. When I was searching for a Batali recipe I learned that Mario had (or does, not too sure) a show on PBS about his road trip in the great country of Spain. It is called Spain: On the Road Again. Boy, I would like to watch that!
The empanada recipe requires pizza dough and I made my own using a recipe from the 2500 Recipes from Everyday to Extraordinary cookbook. I discovered earlier while making my Le Hog Pizza that this is one great recipe!
The fruit salad recipe came from the October 2006 issue of Home Cooking Magazine. Here is the recipe for those whole are interested:
Easy Fruit Salad
- 1 (3 1/2-ounce) package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding
- 1 can pineapple tidbits
- 1 apple chopped
- 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges
- 3 bananas
What I learned: I learned what an empanada is. :) Yeah, that's always important. I sort of had a good idea of what it is but I get kind of confuse with all those calzone-type dishes. So what is it exactly? An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry and comes from the Spanish word empanar, which means to wrap. In Spain, an empanada is usually a large circle that is cut into wedges, but in Portugal and Mexico, the empanadas are made in semi-circular shapes like the one seen here.
Did I learn anything else? None of the recipes I did this week were really foreign to me. I mean, the empanada recipe was very close to the way I prepare my BBQ Chicken Pizza; the only difference was adding another crust on top of the filling. And the fruit salad was really easy to do. So not many new techniques or ingredients this week.
Any modifications? Yes, I made modifications to both recipes. For the empanadas, I didn't roll out the dough in a circle, I just stretched the dough out to the shape of a cookie sheet. And by the way, there is a typo in the recipe. Where it says to roll out into a thin round, they mean a 14" round, not a 1/4 round. Yeah, it kind of confused me a bit! And I also substituted bacon for the pancetta and added a Monterey Jack cheese mix to the filling because my family can't have pizza without the cheese!
And for the fruit salad. I used two Clementine oranges instead of the canned mandarin oranges. And to reach the necessary amount of juice, I added some orange juice from the carton.
How it tasted? Super! Everyone enjoyed the empanadas immensely. The fruit salad was loved by some and was "OK," for others. It mainly was caused by the addition of bananas. Some don't like bananas mixed with other flavors, but for some, like me, they love it that way. So it was a sort of hit and miss recipe for this family.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, I will do both recipes again but will take away the bananas from the salad and just add more apples or oranges.
Oliver's "Twist" on Apple Pie
2/14/10: Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs and Appleberry Pie
Meal details: For the main course I made meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese to be served on top of spaghetti. And for dessert I made two apple pies, one with blueberries and orange added.
Defining moments: First time for me to make meatballs, an apple pie with additional fruit, and an apple pie made with frozen apples. Frozen apples? Learn more about me freezing Gravenstein apples here.
Recipe sources: The meatball recipe came from the cookbook, Ciao Italia - Five Ingredient Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito, the host of the Ciao Italia t.v. show. The appleberry pie recipe came from Jamie Oliver's website. Jamie Oliver is the host of The Naked Chef, Jamie's Kitchen, and Jamie at Home on the Food Network channel. I chose this appleberry pie because I am part of the FNCCC (Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge), being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.
I don't often see Jamie on Food Network now, and I only watched one episode of Jamie at Home. So he is one of the few chefs from Food Network that I haven't watched much!
What I learned: Hmm. . . Let me think. First off, I learned that I should take a shopping cart to the freezer when gathering the ingredients. :) You should have seen the load of freezer containers I brought up for this meal! A package of ground beef, two quarts of spaghetti sauce, three quarts of frozen apples, a quart of blueberries. . . What an armload.
Secondly, I learned that moving the ground beef to the fridge on Friday morning gives just the right amount of thawing time. I had no problem forming the meatballs.
Another thing I learned is that these pies love to spill their juices over during the baking process. I needed to place cookie sheets on the bottom rack to catch the falling juices from the two 'geysers' on the second level. :) And once the collected juices started to steam and later smoke. . . Well, you can guess the rest. Exhaust fan on full blast!
Any modifications? I made one modification to the meatball recipe. Instead of using the recommended ground chuck and sirloin, I used all ground chuck. Sirloin is a bit too expensive so that's why I made the change.
And I also made some changes to the pie recipe. To better explain what I did, here is my ingredient list: (Note: I am including cup equivalents to the gram weights and American lingo to the British lingo.)
For the pastry:
For the filling:
The appleberry pie and Gravenstein pie were both very tasty. The appleberry pie kind of surprised me because the major flavor is orange. I thought the blueberries would be the primary fruit in this pie, but it was that one orange I used! Go figure. I'm not a big orange fan so I was kind of disappointed by this. I'm glad I only used one orange instead of the suggested two, or boy, that would have been a very orange-y pie for sure. Next time I think I will either eliminate the orange altogether or just add orange juice. But for those who do like orange, go for a whole orange here.
The appleberry pie had a good amount of juice on the bottom, but from what I can tell from the recipe's picture, this is normal. It didn't affect the 'mucho' crust at all. The crust for this pie was flaky.
The Gravenstein pie was surprisingly good. The frozen apple slices I used held up well and had a good texture. Initially, I thought this pie would have applesauce for a filling; thank goodness I was wrong. The crust was less flaky than the appleberry pie but was more tender. So the addition of shortening and subtraction of butter did make a difference. Gosh, Alton Brown was right. ;)
How about a 2nd time? Yes, to both recipes. But maybe next time I'll add onions to the meatballs (I love onions, hehe) and omit the orange from the pie.
As you can see, there is a bit of juice on the bottom of the pie.
Meal details: For the main course I made meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese to be served on top of spaghetti. And for dessert I made two apple pies, one with blueberries and orange added.
Defining moments: First time for me to make meatballs, an apple pie with additional fruit, and an apple pie made with frozen apples. Frozen apples? Learn more about me freezing Gravenstein apples here.
Recipe sources: The meatball recipe came from the cookbook, Ciao Italia - Five Ingredient Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito, the host of the Ciao Italia t.v. show. The appleberry pie recipe came from Jamie Oliver's website. Jamie Oliver is the host of The Naked Chef, Jamie's Kitchen, and Jamie at Home on the Food Network channel. I chose this appleberry pie because I am part of the FNCCC (Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge), being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.
I don't often see Jamie on Food Network now, and I only watched one episode of Jamie at Home. So he is one of the few chefs from Food Network that I haven't watched much!
What I learned: Hmm. . . Let me think. First off, I learned that I should take a shopping cart to the freezer when gathering the ingredients. :) You should have seen the load of freezer containers I brought up for this meal! A package of ground beef, two quarts of spaghetti sauce, three quarts of frozen apples, a quart of blueberries. . . What an armload.
Secondly, I learned that moving the ground beef to the fridge on Friday morning gives just the right amount of thawing time. I had no problem forming the meatballs.
Another thing I learned is that these pies love to spill their juices over during the baking process. I needed to place cookie sheets on the bottom rack to catch the falling juices from the two 'geysers' on the second level. :) And once the collected juices started to steam and later smoke. . . Well, you can guess the rest. Exhaust fan on full blast!
Any modifications? I made one modification to the meatball recipe. Instead of using the recommended ground chuck and sirloin, I used all ground chuck. Sirloin is a bit too expensive so that's why I made the change.
And I also made some changes to the pie recipe. To better explain what I did, here is my ingredient list: (Note: I am including cup equivalents to the gram weights and American lingo to the British lingo.)
For the pastry:
- 500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting (4 cups All-Purpose flour)
- 100g icing sugar (3/4 cup powdered sugar)
- a pinch of salt
- 250g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes (2 sticks) -- For the Gravenstein apple pie I made, I used half butter and half shortening. Wanted to try out this ratio because Alton Brown mentioned it on Good Eats last year.
- 2 large eggs
- a splash of milk
For the filling:
- 10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and halved, 3 sliced -- I used Calville Blanc variety of apple for the appleberry pie and Gravenstein apples for the 100% apple pie. I didn't prepare the apples like he states here, I sliced all the apples. Why? The apples I chose don't cook down as much as Granny Smith and my family is used to slices.
- juice and zest of 2 oranges -- I used one orange.
- 7 heaped tablespoons caster sugar (granulated sugar) -- I used 5 tablespoons.
- 400g huckleberries or blueberries (2 3/4 cup) -- I used blueberries.
- 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour (All-Purpose flour)
- 1 large egg
- A small handful of demerara sugar -- I didn't use this sugar, never seen it before. I read from an internet source that this sugar is used in sweetening tea and coffee.
The appleberry pie and Gravenstein pie were both very tasty. The appleberry pie kind of surprised me because the major flavor is orange. I thought the blueberries would be the primary fruit in this pie, but it was that one orange I used! Go figure. I'm not a big orange fan so I was kind of disappointed by this. I'm glad I only used one orange instead of the suggested two, or boy, that would have been a very orange-y pie for sure. Next time I think I will either eliminate the orange altogether or just add orange juice. But for those who do like orange, go for a whole orange here.
The appleberry pie had a good amount of juice on the bottom, but from what I can tell from the recipe's picture, this is normal. It didn't affect the 'mucho' crust at all. The crust for this pie was flaky.
The Gravenstein pie was surprisingly good. The frozen apple slices I used held up well and had a good texture. Initially, I thought this pie would have applesauce for a filling; thank goodness I was wrong. The crust was less flaky than the appleberry pie but was more tender. So the addition of shortening and subtraction of butter did make a difference. Gosh, Alton Brown was right. ;)
How about a 2nd time? Yes, to both recipes. But maybe next time I'll add onions to the meatballs (I love onions, hehe) and omit the orange from the pie.
As you can see, there is a bit of juice on the bottom of the pie.
My First Slice of Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
12/27/09: Chicken with Fresh Orange Cranberry Sauce and Whole Wheat Bread
Meal details: For the main course I browned some chicken breasts and made an orange, cranberry sauce to go with them. To round out the meal I made an artisan whole wheat bread.
Defining moments: First time making a whole wheat bread. And the first time I tasted orange and cranberry together.
Recipe sources: The sauce recipe came from the 1978 cookbook called The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two. My family and I are not close to being vegetarian, by the way! I found this recipe on the internet when I was searching for sauces that will pair well with chicken. You can find the recipe here.
The whole wheat bread recipe came from the newly published book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, written by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. It is the "Master Recipe" found in the book.
What I learned: What quickly comes to mind is learning a whole new way to bake bread. The Healthy Bread in Five book showed me how to make bread dough that I don't have to knead and how to make a bread with a nice chewy crust and a soft crumb.
Any modifications? No, I followed both recipes exactly.
How it tasted? Both the chicken and the bread tasted good! Everyone liked the sweet--tart--savory combination of the sauce and the bread was outstanding.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, to both recipes.
Meal details: For the main course I browned some chicken breasts and made an orange, cranberry sauce to go with them. To round out the meal I made an artisan whole wheat bread.
Defining moments: First time making a whole wheat bread. And the first time I tasted orange and cranberry together.
Recipe sources: The sauce recipe came from the 1978 cookbook called The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two. My family and I are not close to being vegetarian, by the way! I found this recipe on the internet when I was searching for sauces that will pair well with chicken. You can find the recipe here.
The whole wheat bread recipe came from the newly published book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, written by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. It is the "Master Recipe" found in the book.
What I learned: What quickly comes to mind is learning a whole new way to bake bread. The Healthy Bread in Five book showed me how to make bread dough that I don't have to knead and how to make a bread with a nice chewy crust and a soft crumb.
Any modifications? No, I followed both recipes exactly.
How it tasted? Both the chicken and the bread tasted good! Everyone liked the sweet--tart--savory combination of the sauce and the bread was outstanding.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, to both recipes.
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