Author: Natalie

Thai Sticky Rice with Peanut Dipping Sauce

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I noticed a strange looking pot at my friend’s house the other day, and when I asked her about it, she told me it was this marvelous thing she picked up at the Asian

This is the steam pot and bamboo basket from the Asian Market

Market on 300 S. and 291 E. in Provo, and it’s purpose was to make sticky rice. Well, I love sticky rice, so the pot was purchased within a week, and while I was in this terrific market, I asked the owner if she could tell me how to make peanut sauce. I am so glad I did! She pointed out all the ingredients, and then was about to write a recipe for me, when I noticed she had a small, self-published recipe book for $6. I bought it, and then I made this rice 3 times the first week, not only because the sticky rice is so fun to eat, but also because her peanut sauce in unbelievable. I would highly suggest finding a market to buy this pot and sticky rice in, and give it a go. It will bring happiness. I’m printing this recipe from Kanakum Lawson’s recipe book, with her permission.

Thai Sticky Rice (a terrific dish for kids!)

1. In lukewarm water, soak stick rice for 2 1/2-3 hours.

2. Fill half of the steamer pot with water. Drain the rice and put it in the bamboo basket, cover the rice with any lid that will fit (or aluminum foil). set the bamboo basket over the steamer pot (don’t let the water touch the bamboo basket).

3. Bring to boil and let it steam for 10 minutes.

4. Stir, so the rice at the bottom moves to the top.

5. Steam for 10 more minutes and stir again.

6. Steam for 10 more minutes. The color of the rice will turn clear when it’s done. Taste to see if it’s soft enough. If it’s still not soft enough, steam just 5 minutes more and check again, until it’s done.

Tips: You can re-steam the rice it it’s too hard later on (because of dry weather). To clean the basket, just leave the rice to dry and then wipe out with your hand.

AMAZING Peanut Sauce

Sticky Rice and Peanut Sauce

2 T. tamarind liquid
4-5 T. peanut butter (Lawson suggests natural chunky, but I’ve used unnatural creamy, and it works great, too)
2 T. red curry paste
6 T. sugar
4 T. fish sauce
1 1/2 c. coconut milk

1. In a saucepan, add coconut milk and heat it up at medium heat.

2. As it’s heating, stir in the curry paste and break the paste into small pices. Mix well.

3. When you see red oil simmering to the top, add the peanut butter, sugar, fish sauce and tamarind liquid. Stir.

4. Taste. You should be ale to taste all three flavors, salty, sweet, and sour. If it becomes too thick, add a few teaspoons of water to thin the paste (if too spicy, reduce curry; too salty, reduce fish oil or add sugar. I think it’s divine how she’s balanced the flavors!)

I just added a rating system

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So I know that my blog is supposed to have only super-terrific, amazing recipes that hopefully will be loved by all, but I have to admit that I still have my all-time favorites, and others are just great everyday recipes. For this reason, and because I’m interested in knowing what others think,  I’ve added a rating system to the posts. You have to click on the individual recipe to rate it, but I hope you do!

Spicy Chicken and Cheese Tamales with Jalapeno

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chicken-tamale
These tamales may be my most favorite food of all-time. I love them, but I remember them to be time-intensive, which frequently puts me off from making them. However, yesterday I

actually timed myself, and they don’t take nearly the time I had remembered. In fact, although I had tripled the recipe, the tamales were all steaming within 1 1/2 hours. So, not a quick and easy meal, but definitely do-able when the occasion calls for it. And, oh my, I think these are amazing. This recipe comes from an older copy of Joy of Cooking.

Note: I have ceased using corn husks when I make these because they are a lot more time consuming. Rather, I wrap them in aluminum foil, and they work perfectly. Not a beautiful

presentation, but very functional, less leakage, and clean-up. So I’m a fan. You should try both, but I would actually suggest using foil if you have never made tamales before.

This recipe makes 8 tamales. So definitely double it. (They freeze really well, if for some strange reason they don’t all get consumed.) I should also add that although the chicken has a little kick to it, the tamales are actually quite mild.

Spicy Chicken and Cheese Tamales with Jalapeno

For Tamale dough
4 medium ear fresh corn or 1 can corn (app. 1 1/2 c.)
2/3 c. instant grits
2/3 c. yellow cornmeal [you can substitute the grits and cornmeal for 1 1/3 c. Instant Corn Masa, an import product which is easily found in Latin American markets and even some larger grocery stores. I have had far fewer problems using the Instant Masa than the grits/cornmeal scenario, so I prefer it]
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 c. boiling water [if using Instant Masa, the water just needs to be warm]
6 T. butter or lard, softened
2 T. minced, seeded fresh jalapeno

For Chicken
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground red pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 oz.)
1 T. butter
1/2 c. slivered onions
1/2 c. grated Monterrey Jack cheese

If using dried corn husks, soak them in boiling water for 2 1/2 hours before using. If using fresh corn husks, soak them in boiling water for 1/2 hour, as you prepare the other ingredients.

1. In a pie dish or on a plate, mix cumin, salt, chili powder, and red pepper. Coat chicken breast in this seasoning. Set aside.

2. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a skillet (that has a lid). Add the onions, stirring, until they are tender but not browned. Add the seasoned chicken breast and brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side). Cover the skillet and cook chicken until it is done (reaches 165 F on an instant read thermometer), about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Puree 1 c. of corn in a food processor. In a medium, heat-resistant bowl, combine grits, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine, then add the water and stir until smooth. At this point, the tamale dough should be stiff-ish, like polenta or cooked oats (if it’s runny, you haven’t reconstituted the grains sufficiently and this will be a problem later. I suggest microwaving the mixture for a minute or two until it stiffens]. Add the butter (or lard) and beat until incorporated. Stir in the pureed corn, the 1/2 c. remaining corn, and the jalapeno, and combine well.

4. Shred the chicken by pulling it in opposite directions with two forks. (And definitely snitch some–I love this stuff!)

5. Remove husks from water (if using), pat dry, and tear 16 thin strips from 2-3 pieces of husk to tie the tamales. Arrange two husks, slightly overlapping, side by side and alternating the tips and stem ends to form a rectangle about 9 x 7 inches. Repeat until 8 rectangles are arranged (or just make 8 rectangles of foil and proceed).  In the center of the husk, spread about 1/3 tamale dough into a 4″x 5″ rectangle with the back of a wooden spoon. Don’t worry about being a perfectionist here. Then, in the center, lay 1-2 T. chicken and 1-2 T. of cheese. Repeat with all eight. Fold the long edges of the cornhusks over the filling, slightly overlapping the edges. Twist the ends and tie each end tightly with a trip of cornhusk to form a packet. (If using foil, fold the foil in half lengthwise, fold the top edge over and continue to fold until it is close to the tamale, but leave a little room for expansion. Also crease the two sides in so tamale doesn’t spill out.)

6. Place a steaming rack large enough to hold the tamales in a single layer over 1 inch boiling water, use 2 racks and pans as necessary. Cover and steam, adding more boiling water as needed, until the corn filling is puffed up inside the cornhusks, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm. (I do this in my electric skillet. I place a cookie rack in the skillet, fill the skillet with water below the rack, then heat it at 400. It works well.)

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway Seeds

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irish-soda-bread
On the off-chance that someone out there is looking for soda bread to make tonight (or this weekend), I thought I would post my favorite one that I’ve made–it comes from The New Best Recipe. This is one of the variations that they list for classic soda bread, but I find it more interesting than the normal loaf, and it’s extremely easy to make. If you cook it in a dutch oven or cloche, it also turns out beautiful and crusty. If you want, of course, omit the raisins and caraway seeds, but to make the classic bread, also decrease the sugar by 2 T. and leave out the egg (but what fun would that be?).

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway Seeds

3 c. lower-protein unbleached all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury [I’ve used whatever I’ve had on had, and it’s okay, just be careful not to overwork the dough or it doesn’t have the right crumb; I’ve even included 1 c. whole wheat flour, and it works great]
1 c. plain cake flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cream of tartar
1 1/2 t. salt
4 T. unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 T. melted for the crust
1 1/4 c. buttermilk (or just add 1 T. lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for a few minutes)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 c. raisins
1 T. caraway seeds

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together in a large bowl. Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Combine the buttermilk and egg with a fork. Add the buttermilk-egg mixture, raisins, and caraway seeds to the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until the dough begin to come together. Turn out onto a flour-coated work surface; knead just until the dough becomes cohesive and bumpy, 12-14 turns. (Do not knead until the dough is smooth or the bread will be tough. You don’t want the bread to work up its gluten.)

3. Pat the dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches high; place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. [I put mine in a cloche or dutch oven.] Score the dough by cutting a cross shape in the top of the loaf.

4. Bake, covering the bread with aluminum foil if it is browning too much, until the loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees, 40-45 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and brush the surface with the melted butter; cool to room temperature, 30-40 minutes. Serve.

Spicy Pork Posole

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I first had posole soup at a Chicago restaurant my sister took me to, and I’ve been meaning to make it home ever since, and finally found a good recipe. This recipe is from Everyday Food, but for some reason cannot be found on their website (?!!?), so I’m typing it up. I love the hominy in it. If you haven’t tried hominy yet, you’re in for a big treat. It’s corn that’s been alkalized, so it puffs and has a completely different texture and taste than corn does. The closest thing I can compare it to is garbanzo beans, but if that makes it sound gross, ignore that, because it’s not. Anyway, my Cape Verdean friends in Rhode Island use hominy in some of their great dishes, but posole is the only other dish I’ve seen it in (you can read this as a call for more great hominy recipes, if you have some). This soup is also a great, easy weekday dinner that uses many kitchen staples. Incidentally, you can leave the spice out by using only the adobo sauce, and not the chile, if you prefer the soup to be mild.

Spicy Pork Posole

2 T. olive oil
1 pork tenderloin (1-2 lbs.)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 c. water
2 (15 oz.) cans chicken broth, or 3 1/2 c. homemade chicken broth
2 cans hominy, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, with juices
1 chipotle chile in adobe sauce, chopped (with 1 T. sauce, if you prefer)
1/2 c. chopped cilantro, stems removed
lime wedges, diced avocado, sour cream for serving (optional, but really a good idea)
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the pork tenderloin to the pan, allowing it to brown on every side, rotating it every 2-3 minutes. Remove the pork to a bowl.

2. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, salt and pepper according to taste, and then, stirring frequently, cook until tender and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add water, chicken broth, hominy, tomatoes, chipotle chile, and pork (with any accumulated juices) and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, and allow to simmer until the pork is fully cooked (between 5-10 minutes. You may want to check it with an instant-read thermometer. It should be from 160-170 degrees).

3. Remove the pork from the soup and shred it (use 2 forks and scrape the pork down with the grain). Return to soup, adjust seasonings, and allow to simmer until ready to serve. Stir in cilantro just before serving, and pass chopped avocados, sour cream, and lime wedges with the soup, if desired.

Swiss Fondue without (much) Wine

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We really just do fondue on Valentines Day, but it’s a tradition I really look forward to. However, since I’m not a wine drinker, I’ve found that all the recipes I’ve tried have a little too strong of a wine taste to suit us. This year, I played with it, and I liked the result. I’ll include the original recipe amount for wine as well (the recipe comes from the Best International Recipe), because I’m sure there are many other people who feel quite the opposite of me!

Also, if you haven’t ever purchased Gruyere and/or Emmentaler, you will probably be surprised at how expensive they are (usually about $20 total for the amount needed in this recipe). You can find Gruyere at Costco at a more reasonable cost, but I’m not sure about Emmentaler. Using a nicer cheese makes all the difference, though, since the ingredient list is short, but you should definitely feel free to experiment to fit your budget and taste. In Rhode Island, we asked our Farmstead people for a good fondue mix, and they gave us some amazing cheeses, including one called Appenzeller, I believe. Here in Utah, Harmons has a really nice selection (including bags of preshredded Gruyere and Emmentaler–how convenient! But, I haven’t bought it yet). I’ve even used a mix of Gruyere and plain Swiss when things were tight, and it was fine. Not amazing, but highly edible.

Swiss Fondue

8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
8 oz. Emmentaler cheese, shredded
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced in half
1/8 t. freshly ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 3/4 c. dry white wine
or
1 c. chicken stock (or broth)
1/2 c. apple juice
1/4 c. white wine (or take the wine completely out, and just use 3/4 c. apple juice)

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cheeses and toss with cornstarch.

2. If you have a fondue pot, rub the inside of it with the garlic clove. If you don’t, rub the inside of a heavy-bottomed pan with the garlic. Either way, in a heavy-bottomed pan, bring the wine or chicken stock, apple juice, and wine to a simmer. Once the liquid is simmering, add the cheese a handful at a time, whisking after each addition to incorporate. Then, add the nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Transfer the cheese mixture to a fondue pot, if you have one, or simply bring the pot to the middle of the table and enjoy!

Note: When the fondue cools down, it will get stringy. You can remedy this by either having it over a sterno can, or placing it back on the stove to reheat (but DON’T put a ceramic fondue pot on the stove–it will crack. I’ve done this).

We’ve fondued many different foods, but our favorites are cooked and sliced apple chicken sausage, roasted or steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and of course, cubed french bread.

Chocolate-Cherry Fudge Bars

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I come back to this recipe every February: chocolate, cherries, pink. Nice. And a real winner  if you’re a fan of marachino cherries and fudginess, which I

Quite festive, n'est-ce pas?

certainly am on both accounts.  I’ve tried substituting cocoa powder for the baking chocolate, and the baking chocolate comes out better. It’s also important not to overbake this recipe, or it will come out more cakey than fudgy. I pulled it from a collection of Kraft recipes years ago. I’m leaving out all the branding, but I’m sure if you use all Kraft products, the brownies will taste, umm, Krafty.

Chocolate-Cherry Fudge Bars

4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
3/4 c. butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 pkg. (small–4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding dry mix (1/2 c.)
3/4 c. maraschino cherries, divided
7 T. maraschino cherry juice, divided
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 13×9″ baking pan with foil, ends extending over the side of the pans. Spray foil with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Heat chocolate and butter in small saucepan (or microwave in a bowl in 30 second increments) until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate has also melted. Add sugar and mix well. Blendin eggs and vanilla. Add flour and dry pudding mix. Combine. Stir in 1/2 c. of the chopped cherries and 5 T. (1/3 c.) of the cherry juice. Spread into the prepared pan.

3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Place pan on a wire rack to cool.

4. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and remaining cherry juice until well blended. Drizzle over cooled dessert [I find this works best by dipping a fork into the glaze and quickly drizzling across the top of the brownies, moving from left to right; speed’s the key]. Top with remaining 1/4 c. cherries. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into bars. Store leftovers in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Note: If using a glass baking dish, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees.

Black Bean Burgers

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Well, I’ve tried several recipes that are light at this point, and I think only one is post-worthy (the sweet potatoes from a few posts ago). So, I’m abandoning that approach, and going instead back to my old stomping grounds for good recipes. We tried this one last week, and I’m already sure it will grace our table many times in the future. It’s from the 2011 America’s Test Kitchen Annual, and I love the red pepper in it–it’s terrific. A suggested variation is to sub 1 T. minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce for the cayenne and replace 1/4 c. of the red pepper with 3/4 c. thawed frozen corn. Sounds like a good plan for next time.

Black Bean Burgers

2 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 large eggs
3 T. olive oil
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1 shallot, minced (about 3 T.)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pulse the bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Spread the crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and dry, 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. {I just realized I skipped this step–the burgers were quite moist–I’m sure this dries them out and gives them quite a different, likely better, texture. But, foregoing it still produced great results.}

3. Whisk the eggs, 1 T. of the oil, the cumin, salt, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Place 2 1/2 cups of the beans in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Stir in the bread crumbs, egg mixture, remaining 1/2 c. beans, bell pepper, cilantro and shallot until just combined. Divide the bean mixture into 6 equal portions, about 1/2 c. each, and lightly pack into 1″ thick patties.

4. Heat 1 T. more oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully lay half of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, 8-10 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

5. Transfer the burgers to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Return the skillet to medium heat and repeat with the remaining 1 T. oil and remaining burgers. Serve.

Garlicky Breadsticks

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At Halloween time, I was recipe shopping for breadsticks, and I found that the prospects were grim (Rex says no pun intended). So, I merged a few of the recipes together, and I really liked the results. I’m thinking of it now because of the upcoming Superbowl–which I’m only interested in because of the appetizers we usually eat. Back to the breadsticks, here’s the know-how:

Garlicky Breadsticks

1 recipe deep dish pizza dough
optional add-ins for the breadsticks: 1/4 c. fresh herbs and/or 1 c. parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
2-3 cloves garlic

Mix the pizza dough recipe, using any add-ins you may be interested in, and then allow to rise the first time. Instead of greasing cake pans, grease 2 lipped cookie sheets with olive oil (either brush it on, for a light application, or pour it in and swirl it around, for a heavier one). After the first rise, heat the oven to 375 degrees, and divide the dough into 16? 20? pieces (now I can’t remember, but do whatever seems appropriate to your needs), and stretch the dough into long ropes and place on the greased cookie sheet; cover with plastic. Allow to rise an additional 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a mortar with a pestle, smash the garlic and salt together until the mixture forms a paste. Add the olive oil and allow it to seep while the bread rises and cooks (if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic with the side of your knife, sprinkle the salt on top, and run the knife blade back and forth over the garlic until a paste forms, then add it to a small bowl with the olive oil).

Bake the breadsticks for about 10-12 minutes, or until browned on top, one sheet at a time. Immediately out of the oven, brush the breadsticks with the garlic-infused oil, and allow to cool slightly before serving.

You can also top the breadsticks, before or after baking, with 1 c. shredded parmesan.

 

Deep Dish Pizza Crust

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I did the traditional pizza I posted earlier for many years, but since I’ve happened upon this recipe, I’m almost wholly converted. I find this recipe to be much simpler–less messy, less time-intensive, and more capable of handling a pile of toppings. I don’t fill the pans as full of olive oil as the recipe calls for most of the time, but it’s worth doing the first time, so you know how terrific the recipe can be, and then pare back according to the needs of your constituents (or conscience). I almost always use this crust for a barbeque chicken pizza, so I jotted that down at the bottom.  This recipe is from the 2007 America’s Test Kitchen Annual.

Deep Dish Pizza Dough

1/2 c. olive oil
3/4 c. plus 2 T. skim milk, warmed to 110 degrees (or 1/3 c. dry milk powder plus 3/4 c. warm water)
2 t. sugar
2 1/3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 envelope (2 1/4 t.) instant yeast
1/2 t. salt

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 200 degress. When the oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Coat two 9″ cake pans with 3 T. oil each.

Mix the milk, sugar and the remaining 2 T. oil together in a liquid measuring cup (if using dry milk, just mix the water, sugar, and oil together). Mix the flour, yeast, and salt (and dry milk, if using) in a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn the machine to low and slowly add the milk mixture. After the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium-low and mix until the dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, gently shape it into a ball, and place it in the greased bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

After the first rise, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half, and lightly roll each half into a ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape the dough into 9 1/2″ round and press it into an oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot (not in the oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Ladle 2/3 c. pizza sauce on each dough round leaving a 1/2″ border around the edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 c. cheese and any other toppings your desire. Bake the pizzas until the cheese is melted and the crust is browning 16-20 minutes. Remove the pizzas from the oven and let them rest in the pans for 1 minutes .Using a spatuala, transfer the pizzas to a cutting board, cut each into 8 wedges, and serve.

Barbeque Chicken Pizza: I’ve based this variation off of Wayland Bakery, where they used to serve my favorite barbecue chicken pizza.

Sauce: 1 part pizza sauce to 1 part of your favorite bbq sauce (the Test Kitchen recently rated Masterpiece KC to be taster’s fave–I’ve actually never tried it, so I’ll add it to my list).  An easy pizza sauce is to simmer one can of crushed tomatoes (I think 20 oz?) with 2 minced cloves of garlic and about 1 T. olive oil for twenty minutes.

Toppings: shredded chicken (can be microwaved and shredded, or use leftovers), a mixture of mozzarella and monterey jack cheeses (I just throw a couple handfuls of each on top of the pizza), and sauce

After the pizza comes out of the oven, add about 3 green onions, sliced thin, and a good 1/4 c. cilantro, minced (or larger leaves, which is pretty but tends to turn off the small children here, not that they would eat this pizza anyway).

If you have more time, you can caramelize onions and add them with the chicken, and leave off the green onions at the end. I like this way better, but don’t always get to caramelizing the onions.