Author: Natalie

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

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This is definitely my favorite side dish. I like to have 2-3 sweet potatoes on hand just to make these, if the occasion arises. It’s also incredibly simple and can cook while you prepare the rest of dinner.

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
Serves 3-4 people

2-3 sweet potatoes, skins on (if you like them, of course)
3-4 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Cut each potato in half lengthwise and in half width-wise. Then, turn them with the flat surface touching the board, and cut them into wedges by slicing them lengthwise. Toss them in a large bowl, and drizzle with 3 T. olive oil (the oil should coat all slices of the sweet potato well, and there should be a little excess in the bottom of the bowl. Add more, if needed). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to completely coat. Spread in a single layer over the baking sheet, and roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring and flipping the fries once or twice during baking. The fries are done when the are tender to a fork’s prick.

Veggie Burgers with Bulgur Wheat and Tahini

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I’m not an expert of veggie burgers, but I think this is a good one. If you’re expecting it to taste like beef, it doesn’t, but it has a nice flavor and texture and is another way to use beans (if you happen to have lots of them on hand, like me). Plus, they’re a great alternative to the sometimes unending amount of hamburgers and hotdogs we seem to eat in the summertime . . .

Veggie Burgers with Bulgur Wheat and Tahini
Makes about 4 large patties

1 15 oz. can pinto beans or 1 1/2 c. cooked pinto beans, drained
1/2 c. bulgur wheat
1/4 c. dried bread crumbs, panko, or saltines, crumbled, (whatever you have on hand)
1 egg
1 carrot, grated coarsely
4 spring onions (scallions), sliced thinly
2 T. tahini (sesame seed butter–found by the peanut butter in most markets. Not necessary, but has a great flavor and can be used in hummus, if you need another use for it)
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
2-3 T. vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put the bulgur wheat in a heat-resistant bowl, pour 1 c. boiling water on top, and then cover with a plate. Let sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mash the beans, and then add bread crumbs, egg, carrot, spring onions, tahini, and cayenne pepper. Add the bulgur, once it has cooked, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Shape the mixture into patties, or simply drop the mixture into the hot oil and flatten and shape them to look like patties. Cook on each side for approximately 5-6 minutes.

Serve on buns. You can make a tahini mayonnaise (1/2 c. mayo, 1 T. tahini, and juice from one lemon, with a little salt) to accompany. I serve these with a salad and roasted sweet potatoes.

Snickerdoodles

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Growing up, this was my favorite cookie. A typical sleepover for me usually meant making snickerdoodles, post-midnight (I now realize this  wasn’t normal–thanks to Brynn and Ali who humored me–and of course to the moms who woke up with 3 dozen cookies on their counters). I still love them, and of course, it’s fun for the whole fam to roll the cookies in the cinnamon and sugar. For some reason, the New Best Recipe doesn’t include this recipe, so this is from the first edition of The Best. Make sure not to make these cookies too big, or they don’t turn out as well.

Snickerdoodles

2 1/4 c. flour
2 t. cream of tartar (sold in the spice rack at the grocery store)
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
12 T. butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1/4 c. shortening (helps with the texture–important to use)
1 1/2 c. sugar plus 3 T. for rolling
2 eggs
1 T. cinnamon

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pull out two cookie sheets.

Whisk flour, tartar, soda, and salt together. In another bowl, cream the butter, shortening and the 1 1/2 c. sugar together for about two minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each egg addition. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine, about 30 seconds.

In a smallish bowl, combine 3 T. sugar with the cinnamon. Make the dough into 1″ balls and roll into the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place the cookies about 2″ apart on a cookie sheet (they spread) and cook for 9-11 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Grilled Mexican Corn on the Cob

We’ve already made this a couple times this summer, and have become big fans. All the family likes corn on the cob (surprisingly, even the kids), so this is a terrific side dish, although my kids don’t like the topping, so I leave it off for them, and add extra to ours.

Grilled Mexican Corn on the Cob

6 large ears of fresh corn, husks and silk removed
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. mayo
2 T. cilantro, minced
1 T. fresh limes juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t. chili powder
salt
1 oz. queso fresco, Mexican farmer’s cheese, or feta, crumbled (about 1/4) c.
Pepper

Adjust your oven rack to 5 inches below the broiler, and heat it to high. Line a baking sheet with foil, brush the corn on all sides with the oil, and place under the broil until browned on one side, about 10 minutes. Flip the corn, and broil another 10 minutes.

While the corn broils, stir together the mayo, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, and 1/4 t. salt. Add the cheese and stir to combine.

Remove the corn from the oven, and brush on all sides with the mayo mixture. Return to broiler for one more minute, or until the cheese is warm and slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and any remaining sauce.

taken from America’s Test Kitchen Annual, 2009

Quick, Slightly Sweet & Buttery Dinner Rolls

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I tried this recipe because I frequently think, “it would be great to have rolls tonight,” at about 4:00 in the afternoon. So, it’s much too late to start something. This recipe, also taken from America’s Test Kitchen 2009 annual, takes about 70 minutes from start to finish–ideal for someone like me. The appearance resembles cupcakes a bit (not the prettiest roll I’ve ever seen), but the flavor got a “This tastes like Grandma Nielson’s rolls” from Rex.  If this doesn’t mean anything to you, but you’ve eaten at the Arctic Circle in Delta, UT during the ’50s-’80s, then you’ve had a Grandma Nielson roll. If that still doesn’t mean anything, give these a try. Grandma’s rolls are great.

Quick, Slightly Sweet & Buttery Dinner Rolls

2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
2 1/4 t. yeast (one packet)
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 egg
6 T. butter, softened

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Keep at 200 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Grease a muffin tin. In a medium-sized, oven safe (glass or ceramic) bowl, whisk 1 1/4 c. flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. Add water, egg, and butter, and whisk together until smooth, about two minutes. Add remaining cup of flour, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap (spray with Pam), and place in warmed oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove dough (it should have doubled) and turn the oven on to 375 degrees. Deflate the dough and then using an ice cream scoop or large batter spoon, fill each muffin tin about 1/2 full. Place greased plastic wrap over the surface, and let sit for 15 minutes. Then, bake for 14-16 minutes, until browned.

For a better appearance, make an egg wash: combine an egg yolk with about a teaspoon of water, whisk together, and then brush onto the tops of the rolls right before baking.

Practically No-Knead Crusty Bread

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No Knead Crusty Bread

 

Probably some of you have been acquainted with no-knead artisan bread, for which several recipes have been popping up for lately. The idea is that for very little work, you can make an incredible, Seven-Stars-Bakery-like loaf. And it’s true. But, there are many recipes out there with different tactics. This recipe lowers the water ratio from most of the other recipes, making the loaf much rounder, and adds vinegar, giving it a slight tang. It also adds beer to enhance the yeast flavor of the dough. It’s excellent and beautiful as it is, so I’m posting the original, but it’s also not a very large round, so I’m going to experiment with it a little to see if I can change ratios that will work better for what my family will eat in one sitting. I also either want the whole bottle of beer to be used in one loaf, or to eliminate the need for it (since no one here drinks it!). Anyway,  I’ll comment on how the experimenting goes!

Note: You need to have a dutch oven in order to get a truly crusty bread. A run-of the mill one will do (the type you’ve seen at campfires) as will Le Creuset’s or other cast-iron pots. Apparently, Target has a great Le Creuset knock-off line for a fraction of the cost. And, they come in great colors.

Practically No-Knead Crusty Bread

3 c. all-purpose flour (you can substitute 1 c. whole wheat flour for 1 c. all-purpose)
1/4 t. instant yeast (I always use 1/2 t. to get a better dome)
1 t. salt (I prefer 1 1/2 t.)
3/4 c. water, at room temperature
1/2 c. mild-flavored beer (non-alcoholic beer works well, too)
1 T. white vinegar

Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together. Add the liquid ingredients and stir to combine (this dough is very dry, but make sure to combine the flour crumbs, using your hands if necessary, so there are no lumps in the dough). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight 8-16 hours.

Place a piece of parchment paper in a 10-12″ skillet and spray with Pam. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 times until its smooth and round. Pull the dough into a tight ball by bringing all edges into the middle and pinching them together (this will be the bottom of the loaf). Place the loaf onto the parchment paper, and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Thirty minutes before baking, place a dutch oven on the bottom rack of your oven, with the lid on (make sure the lid has no plastic parts, or they will melt). Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (if possible :)). When loaf has finished rising, dust it with flour, make an “x” on the top with a very sharp knife, remove the lid to the dutch oven, and using the parchment paper as handles, lower the loaf into the dutch oven, keeping the parchment paper under the loaf. Cover with the lid, and then lower the temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then, remove lid, and continue to bake for 20 minutes longer. You can then sit and marvel that you made, so simply, a gorgeous loaf of crusty bread.

Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 2009 AnnualSliced No-Knead Artisand White Bread

Restaurant-Style Quesadillas

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The first time I made these, I was amazed at how something so simple could taste complicated and felt satisfied that this quesadilla recipe had reached perfection. These are easy enough to be a go-to recipe, and yet extremely wonderful. Enjoy!

Quesadillas

8 flour tortillas
1 8-oz. bottle roasted red peppers, liquid drained and chopped, or 1/2 c. favorite bottled salsa
1 chipotle chile from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. cilantro, sprigs removed and roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 c. shredded chicken (optional)
2 c. monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 T. vegetable oil

Combine chile, garlic, cilantro, and red peppers (or salsa) in a small bowl. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with vegetable oil, place oil-side down in the skillet, then spread 1/4 of the chile mixture on the top of the tortilla, place a few rings of onion on top, then top with chicken and cheese. Place another tortilla on top, then place a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet on top of the quesadilla (to flatten it down and even it out during cooking). Cook for 3-4 minutes, take the pan off the quesadilla, brush the top tortilla with oil, and flip with a large spatula. Place the large skillet/pan on top of the quesadilla again and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and using a pizza cutter, slice into six pie pieces. Repeat process 3 more times to make 4 quesadillas.

Top with sour cream, quacamole, etc.

Note: These are absolutely terrific with homemade tortillas!

Gooey Rice Krispie Treats

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In honor of the 4th of July, I’m posting my favorite 4th of July treat. Probably most people think it’s hard to mess up Rice Krispie treats, but not with the recipe that’s on most packages. My brother Jeff discovered a secret, though, to great rice krispie treats, which is to double the butter and the marshmallows from the amount that’s on almost every Rice Krispies box and marshmallow bags. Most of these recipes only use 1/4 c. butter and a bag of marshmellows to a box of Rice Krispies. Try this ratio instead.

Gooey Rice Krispie Treats

1/2 c. butter
6 c. mini marshmallows (it’s important that they’re mini)
5 c. Rice Krispies
1 t. vanilla
1 c. chocolate chips, or m&m’s, or colored sprinkles, etc. (optional)

Butter a 9×13″ pan (and line with wax paper, if you want). In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat (cut it into pieces to speed up the process). Add the marshmallows, and stir constantly until most the marshmallows have lost shape, but not all of them (if you wait too long and all the marshmallows have melted, you will have a firmer rice krispie treat). Take the pan off the heat, add the vanilla (the mixture will bubble), and stir in the rice krispies, as well as any optional ingredient. Mix thoroughly and then immediately spoon into the prepared pan. Wait ten minutes, and then push the top of the rice krispies down to pat them in more uniformly, either with your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup. Wait an hour or so in order to cut them, but they will be sticky!

Note: if you add chocolate chips, they will melt and you will have chocolate rice krispie treats. If this is not what you want, consider sprinkling chocolate chips on the top of the rice krispies after they have cooled a little or using m&m’s instead.

Ham and Egg Fried Rice

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This recipe is another of my favorites from Everyday Food. It comes together quickly and is really great. We usually eat it as a main, and have broccoli or stir-fried vegetables on the side. And, thanks to a great tip from Amy, I mostly use turkey ham as a substitute for the ham in it. If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s sold in small-ish quantities, comes as a steak (no bones), and is usually sold by the hams. The benefits are that it’s small, affordable, and it’s turkey. Another tip: instead of placing on egg on top, you can scoot the vegetables and rice to the side of the skillet, scramble the eggs in the middle of the skillet, and then mix back together. For some reason, the scrambled eggs are much more appealing to the crowd here. Last tip: definitely use fresh ginger–it really makes a difference.

Ham & Egg Fried Rice

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 thick slice ham (8 ounces), cut into 1/4-by-1-inch strips
  • 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups cooked white rice, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 large eggs
  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add ham, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add rice, scallion greens, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Divide fried rice among four serving bowls.
  3. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Gently crack eggs into skillet; season with salt, and cook until whites are set, 2 to 4 minutes. Top each bowl of rice with a fried egg.

Note: Instead of peeling ginger root with a knife, scrape off the peel using the edge of a spoon. This way, more ginger goes into your fried rice and less into the garbage.