You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2009.
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At the end of the day, when you’re laying in bed and trying to go to sleep… what do you think about? I always try and think about relaxing things that make me happy. I imagine other people think about counting cute little sheep or something. Or maybe the latest pair of Louboutins that they have their eye on. Or they plan what they are going to wear tomorrow that will totally knock the socks off the cute guy in Sales.
Me? I think about the future… or what I want to be my future. I think about my house. I have visions of Sub-Zero refridgerators and double ovens dancing in my head. I dream of plum-colored walls and a walk-in closet. I dream of a white house on a hill in the country, with a huge garden and a chicken coop. And I dream of making cheese from scratch.
Wait… what?
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Yeah. I’m in my hippie phase. I not only feel the need to make homemade ricotta, homemade pasta, and now homemade yogurt; I want to make breads every day, homemade marscapone, and homemade tomato paste. (And that’s just the food. Hello, homemade soap… will you be my friend?)
And why am I suddenly morphing into Anne of Green Gables? I have no experience with this. I grew up in the suburbs of Virginia… not the boondocks. Not on a farm with cows and horses. I went to college for 5 years. I have a master’s degree. The closest I’ve ever come to a farm is driving by the ones on the interstate.
But then I think, maybe that’s exactly why I’m so enamored of ”country” life… I didn’t have any of that growing up. I didn’t have a garden or fresh milk or fresh pasta or homemade cheese. Most of the things that I grew up eating were bought at a grocery store, not homemade. Not that I blame my mother (Hi Mom, you’re my best friend and you know I love you). It’s just the way things were in my little suburban neighborhood. It’s not like the lady down the street was growing vegetables next to her BMW; she was growing roses.
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These jars of yogurts have halos because they are heavenly-tasting
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And now, here I am: 25, living in the largest city in a 600-mile radius, and what do I want? A plot of land, a garden, a gaggle of kids and a view of the sunrise. The time to attempt making homemade mozzarella, the garden space to plant the 87 different kinds of veggies I want to try growing, and the freezer space to store them. I guess I just want to be able to attempt my vision of a green household as much as possible.
So yeah… here’s my 3rd step towards becoming a dirty, unshowered hippie who spends all day making stuff from scratch. You know you want to be one, too.
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Homemade Yogurt
From the Kitchenette
Serves 8
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I like to use whole milk for this recipe. You can use lowfat milk, or skim milk, but I find that whole milk yields the creamiest yogurt. Plus, it just tastes better! Regardless of the fat percentage, ensure that the yogurt you use as your “starter” says “contains live cultures” on the container. I like to make my yogurt in a large glass canning jar that I bought at a grocery store for less than $5. I would stay away from plastic containers, as the plastic might melt. Even if it doesn’t melt, it will probably impart a nasty taste to your yogurt. Don’t forget to reserve about a cup of your homemade yogurt to use as a “starter” for your next batch. It’s the dairy that keeps on giving.
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Ingredients:
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup whole milk yogurt
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Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250F degrees.
Heat the milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do NOT let the milk boil. (If using a thermometer, this is about 180 – 185F degrees.) Remove milk from heat and let cool to 110 – 115F degrees. Add yogurt to cooled milk, and whisk to incorporate. Pour yogurt-milk mixture into a glass jar and wrap jar in kitchen towels. Put towel-wrapped jar in oven, close the door to the oven, and turn off the oven heat. Leave in oven (while oven is turned off) overnight, or until yogurt has thickened. Refridgerate yogurt until it’s consumed.
Serve with granola and/or seasonal fruit, if desired. Or eat straight from the jar. Depends on how mannered you can be when still unshowered and in pajamas.
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Now Playing in the Kitchenette: The Hollies / I’m Alive – In the spirit of getting old school and making our own yogurt and stuff.
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What do you think about at night? Is there anything you’d like to try making at home?
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Ew. It’s Monday. Mondays are so fail.
But…
I’m meeting the Pioneer Woman today!!!!!!!!!!! I’m SO EXCITED!!!!
Ahem. I apologize. I get a little more fangirl every hour closer I am to meeting Ree. Rachelle, my friend and macaron conspirator, is going with me to Ree’s cookbook signing tonight. Rachelle and I love the Pioneer Woman. We instant message during the day, and Rachelle will be like “Did you see PW is giving away a red Kitchenaid mixer today???” Or I’ll be all, “Did you see PW is giving away a Le Creuset set today???” You know, we like to keep each other informed of free cookware. Because that’s what friends do.
Anyhoodle, because today is such a momentous and holy day, I made two (count ‘em, TWO) P-Widdy recipes for dinner last night. I made her Ranch-Style Chicken, which is a chicken breast marinated in lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, paprika, and crushed red pepper, topped with bacon and melted cheddar. Mr. Kitchenette devoured this one; P-Widdy is right when she says this is “Cowboy Food.” I liked the chicken best by itself without the bacon, but I think maybe the bacon I used was just too strong in flavor. Regardless, this chicken will now be part of my Poultry Rotation (the few recipes I make over and over again) along with the Balsamic-Roasted Chicken I love.
I also made PW’s Fluffy New Potatoes, which were kind of DE.LI.CIOUS. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned my love for potatoes before, but they are my Kryptonite. For serious. I would eat potatoes with every meal, if my thighs wouldn’t balloon to the size of tree trunks. In light of my desire to fit my thighs into my favorite jeans, I relegate my potato consumption to Thanksgiving, and the occasional Holy Day. Today is a Holy Day. So I ate potatoes to celebrate. And I’m so glad I did, because these potatoes were WORTH IT. Basically, you halve the potatoes, bake them, scoop out the middle of each half, and mix the potato with cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, chives, and monterey jack. (Yes, I know. These potatoes are the Devil’s creation.) Then you fill the potato halves back up with the mix and bake until the middle is all warm and gooey.
I tried to restrain myself, and I still ate 4 halves of these potatoes. I totes have a muffin top consisting entirely of sour-cream-and-potato this morning. That’s how good they are.
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Ranch-Style Chicken
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices bacon
canola oil
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
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Directions:
Mix the mustard, honey, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes in a Ziploc bag. Pound the chicken with a mallet or heavy saute pan until 3/4 inch thick. Add the chicken to the bag and close; toss to cover the chicken with the marinade and refridgerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Saute the bacon in a saute pan over medium-high heat, until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set on paper towels to drain. Add canola oil to bacon fat (you want about equal parts bacon fat and oil). Add chicken to pan, and sear until browned and crispy on one side. Repeat sear on other side of chicken. Remove chicken and lay on sheet pan; cook chicken on sheet pan in oven for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Lay bacon on top of chicken, and garnish chicken with grated cheese. Return chicken to oven for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
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Fluffy New Potatoes
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
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Ingredients:
1 pound red potatoes or Russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup sour cream
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 garlic clove, grated
salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Rinse and dry the potatoes; cut in half. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes (or until you can hold a potato without withstanding 1st degree burns). Scoop out the insides of the potatoes into a bowl and mash, or use a potato ricer, such that the potatoes are a fluffy consistency. Mix mashed potato with sour cream, cream cheese, cheese, chives, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill the potato halves with the filling, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the filling is melted. Hoover, and don’t let anyone steal the last piece.
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Now Playing in the Kitchenette: Bon Iver and St. Vincent / Roslyn – This is from the New Moon soundtrack. Yes, I’m excited for the New Moon movie to come out. Yes, I’m 25 years old. Are we done now?
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A note for some of my less-tech-savvy readers: click on the title of this post, and scroll to the bottom of the new page, to leave a sweet comment telling me what you think of this recipe. Or to tell me to stop posting Gossip girl clips. Or to tell me to post MORE Gossip Girl clips. Or whatever you want, really.
