Three Things Thursday; vol. one

In case you haven't noticed, I have been having a little trouble with updating this blog. I could make the usual excuses, but you have heard them all before. (...and probably don't care. You came here for a recipe, right? Well hold on, it will be up sooner than you expected.)

In an attempt to revive my neglected ramblings with some current info, I am going to implement a new feature: Three Things Thursday. On random Thursdays, I plan to simply list three things. Two of the things may or may not be food related; they may be things I love; they may be things I hate, or at least intensely dislike; maybe I will talk about something I want to know more about or understand better. There are no rules, except that the third thing will be a recipe. Maybe it will tie in with the other two things, maybe it won't. I want to keep it simple. I hope it will jump start real blogging for me (but, no promises).

So, here goes with my first Three Things:

1. Herbs on the window sill. It is that time of year when a few nice days cause me to break out the flip flops and get the itch to garden. Then, a Spring snow storm hits along with the reality of the season. Herbs on the window sill are the best remedy for me (and locally available at Solar Barn Greenhouse).

2. BeautiControl Ultra Care+ Daily Complexion Refiner, I have finally outgrown the oily skin of my youth, but it has unfortunately been replaced by a few dry flakes. This cleanser makes a difference for me. A big difference. It isn't too drying, and doesn't leave my face feeling greasy. I tend to alternate it with another basic gentle cleanser and use every other day for my best face forward. (If you want to get to know a BeautiControl consultant, drop me a comment. I know a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy. Or, something like that. Disclaimer: I don't sell it myself and receive no kickbacks whatsoever for mentioning it in this list.)

3. Chicken with Mushrooms and Marsala. Chicken with a pan gravy that is perfect over mashed potatoes. These days, I tend to prep my chicken breasts as cutlets or paillards. The chicken breast is placed on the cutting board and held flat with one hand while a sharp knife slices horizontally the length of the breast. Two portions are formed with relatively uniform thickness. They cook quickly without drying out and provide a reasonable serving size.

Chicken with Mushrooms and Marsala
(adapted from Cooking Light)

2 boneless-skinless chicken breast halves, sliced lengthwise into cutlets

4 teaspoons flour, divided

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups cremini or button mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup dry Marasala wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

fresh basil leaves

Season 3 teaspoons flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture.
Heat a large skillet and coat with olive oil. Add chicken; cook 2-3 minutes on each side, or until done (don't overcook; these are thin pieces of chicken). Remove from pan; cover and keep warm.
Add a little additional oil to the pan. Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender, but not yet translucent. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt and oregano. Saute until mushrooms have released moisture and are tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour and stir. Cook just a minute to remove the raw flour flavor.
Stir in wine and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add the chicken and tomatoes to the pan sauce. Simmer 2 minutes until chicken is heated through (turning chicken once).
Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes and garnish with fresh basil. (Serves 4).

South Dakota Magazine Recap

It is time once again for an update of my recent submissions online at South Dakota Magazine.  I have been contributing articles and recipes to their website every couple of weeks for just over a year and have really enjoyed the process.

Some of these recipes may have already appeared On My Plate, but they are tried and true favorites that have really fit into my menus (and I hope yours).

In November, one second grader was spot on when he told me that I would be hungry later because I didn't finish my lunch. If I would have been feasting on an Open-Faced Hot Chicken Sandwich with Mushroom Gravy, nobody would have had to told me twice to clean my plate.

South Dakota Public Radio noticed another story I shared in November about holiday letters. The accompanying recipe for Green Salad with Pomegranate and Mandarin highlights the juicy bits unlike some seasonal greetings.

December brought a revival of a classic craft that while great as Christmas ornaments could be adjusted to any holiday with the proper cookie cutter shape. Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments smell so good that they shouldn't be limited to just the Christmas tree.

Garlic and Lemon Salad Dressing is my stand-by for quick salads and has helped me keep off the 10 pounds that I lost during my tonsillectomy. Tip: It is also a great marinade for chicken.

For about two seconds, I considered brewing my own beer from my Christmas tree, but instead used a really flavorful ale to make Beer Brined Pork Chops with Onions.

I gave my endorsement to silly food holidays and celebrations with Brownie Cherry Cheesecake. It really is a party in your mouth.

My most recent South Dakota Magazine submission promotes the great works of Dakota Dachshund Rescue. Our family expanded with the adoption of two more little wiener dogs, and our waist lines are expanding with Deviled Chili Cheese Dogs.

As I look ahead at recipes and ideas for future articles, I wonder what you would like to see? Have a local delicacy that you think deserves to be shared state-wide? Add your suggestions in the comments, and I will see what I can do.

What Men Want

In this age of technology, we have weather apps, financial apps, shopping, maps, email, instant messaging, Words with Friends, Draw Something, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Kindle, iTunes, and (of course) Angry Birds downloaded on our smartphones to inform and entertain us at any time, day or night. We are constantly connected. That little screen puts anything we want in the world in the palm of our hands.

Hubs has a poker game that he plays during his down time. However, when he registered, all of the user names that he usually prefers were taken. Tongue in cheek, he tried "Sissy Sue," the name of our little, female dachshund, and it was accepted. He went with it.

The other day while we camped out waiting for a very delayed doctor's appointment, Hubs pulled out his phone and started gambling. It was then that he confided that although it was a free online game, he had never had to jump through hoops to earn the fake cash to play. Men around the world gifted "Sissy Sue" with fake money presents all the time.

Men.
using a poker game phone application.
want.
my.
husband.

They like the idea of a delicate, little player at their table. They think he is cute.

I am sure they don't picture a stocky, 6'4", bearded farmer when they send Sissy Sue the cash to play another hand. That old cartoon with the overweight man in boxers sitting at a computer screen pretending to be a sexy, 20-something female is burned into my mind.

I don't know if I should be amused or scared.

 

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1/3 cup onion, chopped (divided)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground beef

olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered

1/3 cup dry red wine

2 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon flour

Combine 1/4 cup onion, pepper, salt, garlic, and beef.

Shape into 4 patties.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.

Add patties; browning on each side (about 3 minutes).

Remove and set aside tenting with foil to keep warm.

Melt butter in the pan.

Add mushrooms and saute until tender.

Stir in wine and remaining onion and cook a couple of minutes until onion is tender.

Combine broth and flour.

Add to pan and bring to a boil.

Cook until thickened.

Add patties to pan and simmer a few more minutes to heat beef through. (Serves 4)

Makeover

Last year, we had an issue with the old house plaster ceiling in my closet. It decided that after almost 100 years of being a ceiling, it was tired of hanging out up above the room and found its way to the floor...crumbling over my clothes...and shoes...and handbags...and everything else I had stashed in that black hole known as my closet. I was forced to sort and wash everything as I pulled it from the debris. Clean-up involved arranging my wardrobe in half-hazard piles in the spare rooms. Plans were made for the ceiling repair. Paint and plaster were purchased. Organizers were researched. Then, just like everything else in my life, stuff happened. Hubs got busy with farm things; other commitments took all our time. My closet was a bare, empty ruin waiting for some much needed attention...and waiting, and waiting. For the past year, I have gotten dressed by pulling items of clothing from an ugly mess of tottering stacks in weird locations around the house. Don't peek in my windows in the morning. You may likely see me running from one end of the house to the other in various states of dress or undress with random articles of clothing in hand searching for the piece that I really want (or that actually fits my expanding frame~sigh).

Now, somehow, in the middle of the repairs and mess after the hail storm, we found some time to get back to work on my neglected closet. The plaster has been smoothed and sanded. And after an evening with oil-based primer in the non-ventilated space led to some very unpleasant nausea and dizziness, we have beautiful, white walls and a ceiling eager for paint. (Neither Hubs, nor I, have plans to become huffers after that experience.) The closet makeover makes me realize that so much of the clothing that I have been fighting with for a year needs to go. Why do I need 12 black skirts when I always wear the same one? Am I ever really going to be thin enough to want to wear those white pants again? Let's face it. I won't be sporting that hot pink sweater ever. Really. My wardrobe needs a makeover before it is returned to my *hopefully soon* renovated closet.

On My Plate, I recently gave one of our tried and true menus a makeover. Chicken Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy is an ultimate comfort meal for us. We don't indulge in the sinfully good, fried luxury often, but when we do, we go all out. Tenderized chicken is dipped in buttermilk, seasoned flour, and buttery cracker crumbs before bathing in hot oil until crispy, but melt-in-your-mouth tender. The mashed potatoes are made with butter and cream. Thick, milky gravy covers the entire plate. It is pure heaven...or pure sin, depending on your dietary frame of mind.

I didn't think that our comfort food needed a makeover. There were no falling ceilings to prompt a radical change On My Plate. I just happened to see a recipe request in an old Bon Appetit. A Seattle restaurant serves up a plate of fried chicken with Roasted Poblano Mashed Potatoes and Chorizo-Thyme Gravy. It seemed like the perfect makeover for my Chicken Fried Chicken. I love food with a little heat, and while my traditional menu was comforting, spice would be a great flavor addition.

I kept the prep for my Chicken Fried Chicken the same. I also followed the printed recipe for the Roasted Poblano Mashed Potatoes. It was with the Chorizo-Thyme Gravy that I made a few adjustments. I believe that the restaurant used the Mexican type of chorizo which is a loose, ground, seasoned sausage. They cooked and crumbled it before creating the roux as the base for the gravy. I haven't had positive experiences with that type of chorizo. I considered subbing some other spicy ground sausage, but had some Spanish-style chorizo on hand and went with that cured, firm sausage instead. Diced finely and heated with the onions, it imparted a smokey aura to the milky gravy. It was a perfect makeover that landed Chicken Fried Chicken and Roasted Poblano Mashed Potatoes with Chorizo-Thyme Gravy On My Plate. 

Chicken Fried Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4-1 cup buttermilk

1-2 cup finely crushed buttery crackers (I usually need 1.5 sleeves of Club Crackers)

3 tablespoons peanut oil (or canola oil)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Pound the chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, using meat mallet or rolling pin; set aside. (This is the most awesome way to relieve tension...especially if you haven't had a real closet in almost a year.) 
Combine flour and pepper in a shallow dish.
Pour buttermilk into a second dish.
Spread crushed crackers on a plate.
Submerge chicken breasts, one at a time, into the buttermilk
Dredge in seasoned flour.
Dip into buttermilk, then into crushed crackers to coat thoroughly, pressing with fingertips to adhere.
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. (Will have to do this one or two pieces at a time.)
Remove to oven safe platter or cookie sheet (I use a baking stone); place in oven to keep warm. (Serves 4)

Roasted Poblano Mashed Potatoes

2 large, fresh poblano chiles

4 pounds unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup butter (the real deal, no *shudder* margarine)

1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 500F.
Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan in the oven for 10-15 minutes, roast until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them occasionally. 
Remove the pan from the oven.
Immediately place chiles in a medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand 10 minutes.
Peel and seed chiles; chop coarsely.
Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 14 minutes.
Drain well; transfer to large bowl.
Meanwhile, heat cream and butter in heavy small pot over medium heat until butter is melted.
Add warm butter mixture to potatoes; mash. (We like "smashed" potatoes with some chunks.)
Stir in sour cream and chopped chiles.
Cover with foil to keep warm. (Serves 4-6)

Chorizo-Thyme Gravy

1 tablespoon olive oil

1.5-2 ounces finely diced Spanish-style smoked Chorizo sausage

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1-2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped serrano chile (optional, we didn't have it on hand and left it out this time)

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add chorizo and onion; saute until onion is translucent.
Add flour and Worcestershire; cook 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add cream and milk; reduce heat to medium and simmer 6 minutes, stirring constantly.
Mix in thyme and serrano (if using).
Stir until gravy coats the back of spoon, about 2 minutes. 
Season with salt and pepper. (Serves 4-6)

The Craving Heard Around the World

A month or so ago, I woke up craving biscuits and gravy. Being the dork that I am, I changed my Facebook status to reflect this. You see, I have this little problem. I am addicted to a word game on Facebook. Wordscraper is like Scrabble, and I play frequently, some might say incessantly, with a variety of friends. In between games, I have developed the habit of posting mundane facts or observations in my status bar. I don't know which is worse, my feverish need to form letter tiles into words, or my willingness to announce to the world my eating, cleaning, shopping, and basic living habits. Maybe I have more than one little problem. :-)

But, back to the biscuits and gravy...I posted something about thinking about biscuits and gravy, but settling for oatmeal. It wasn't long before one friend commented about her favorite diner location for biscuits, gravy and hash browns. Another friend asked about my biscuit preference and provided her family's favorites. Yet, another friend declared a love for this simple treat and offered a creamed chicken alternative for those who didn't care for sausage.

Before the day was over, my status update had a string of comments as long as my arm. People heard my craving and responded, people that I had reconnected with on Facebook, but hadn't seen in the 20 years since high school; people that live in the next town, but just don't seem to cross my day to day path; people that I talk to everyday; people that I have never met in real life, but have grown to know through other websites. Some had no clue who the other was, but all of us had biscuits and gravy in common. From Iowa, to Virginia, to Washington, to South Korea and back to my hometown, the craving for biscuits and gravy brought us together.

Ultimately, some did give into that seed of the craving I had planted. They posted their delight on savoring the fluffy biscuits topped with creamy, rich gravy. I was jealous. I still hadn't had my chance to enjoy this comfort food. It was the midst of the holidays, and demands on my time and menus were many. Biscuits and gravy weren't fitting into the schedule...until today.

Today, I tried a new idea on that favorite. Rolling the cooked sausage up Stromboli-style inside prepared dough and baking gives this a slight upscale twist. The gravy is prepared in the sausage pan (don't waste those drippings) and ladled over the slices of the crusty sausage-filled roll. I used HOT Jimmy Dean sausage for maximum flavor and due to ingredients on hand, used half skim milk and half heavy cream in my gravy (although the posted recipe does not reflect that). I heard the craving and responded. I finally have biscuits and gravy On My Plate.

Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Roll

1 Pillsbury refrigerated crusty French loaf
1 (16 ounce roll) Jimmy Dean Hot pork sausage (or your favorite)
4 tablespoons pan drippings
3 tablespoons flour (for this, I prefer Wondra flour, as it seems to clump less)
2 cups 2% or whole milk

Crumble sausage into skillet and brown.
Tilt pan at an angle to filter drippings to one side, push sausage up out of drippings to drain slightly.
Spray a foil (or parchment) lined cookie sheet with Pam.
Open the French loaf and find seam.
Unroll the loaf onto the cookie sheet.
Spread an even layer of the cooked, crumbled, and drained sausage over the dough.
Leave about an inch border on one long side of the dough without sausage.
Starting at the other side, carefully roll up the dough and sausage jelly-roll style using the inch border without sausage to seal the dough on the final roll.
Place seam side down on the cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and baked through. (Mine actually took about 25 minutes.)
Meanwhile, reheat the pan with sausage drippings.
When hot, add the flour and stir to loosen the crust bits in skillet.
Slowly add the milk and continue to stir until creamy and smooth.
Add more milk if gravy thickens too fast.
Slice the baked sausage breakfast roll and serve topped with gravy. (Serves 4-6)