Well, the New Year has arrived and we are back to work after a lovely week and a half sort of vacation. Christmas was a blast with a houseful so packed that the noise and bodies got a little claustraphobic, but isn’t that what family is all about?! Of course, part of the noise was coming from that new little grandbaby who is just the cutest baby on the earth. You know she is!! After Christmas, I had the pleasure of starting my canning and dehydrating classes at Red Dawn in Midwest City. If you are in the area, the classes run from 6 pm until 9 pm. You can call the store at 405-732-0717 for information. Sure would love to see you there!! And then, New Years Eve rolled around and Mr. Fix-It and I had a really wild party. He, I and Ellie (our miniature, long-haired dachshund) watched The Help, since Mr. Fix-It had not seen it, and then ushered in midnight with the 1956 movie, The Solid Gold Cadillac, with Judy Holliday and Paul Douglas. We toasted the New Year with lead crystal flutes of Miers Sparkling Chablis (nonalcoholic white grape juice because we are so wild and crazy) and stood on the front lawn to watch the fireworks displays of nutty neighbors who evidently haven’t figured out that we are so dry, a minute spark could start an inferno!! Yes, it was an exciting night of revelry. The one thing I DID do to celebrate the evening was to make a very special dinner for my Mr. Fix-It. There is nothing that does his tummy more good than to serve up something blackened, ala Cajun cooking. I don’t care if you serve him liver – if it’s blackened – he’ll chow down. And so, I had fun with the recipe that follows. It is really very quick and easy and if you serve it to guests, they’ll think you are a chef extraordinaire. However, be warned. You’ll have to open windows and get the exhaust fan going because when you blacken something there IS smoke involved! I hope you’ll try it! The dinner was topped off with a homemade pecan pie (and I’ll put that up later) and we made ourselves sick. Gonna be a good year!! Serves 4 4 Tilapia filets (Salmon or Flounder will work too) 12 large shrimp 2 tbsps butter 2 tbsps Cajun Seasoning (my homemade is found by clicking on the link) Lemon Butter Sauce 1 – 14.5 oz can chicken broth 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped onion 1 tblsp butter 1 tblsp flour 1/2 cup heavy cream 4 tblsp butter Juice from one lemon Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat Stir in flour until a creamy roue is achieved Slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking to incorporated roue with no lumps. Boil until sauce is reduced by about a fourth. While the broth is cooking, add onions. I am using dehydrated here (of course) but fresh onions are fine. When the sauce has reduced, add cream while stirring Add butter and stir in until melted and mixed Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Now comes the fun part. Take a cast iron skillet and place it upside down over the large eye of your stove. Turn the eye on High. Watch carefully and as the bottom of the skillet starts to smoke, quickly turn it over and drop in 2 tbsps of butter, which will melt really fast and start to blacken, and then sprinkle 2 tbsps of cajun seasoning across the surface. Place filets into skillet. I only made two on New Year’s Eve, but if you are doing all four, use a larger skillet that will accommodate that many. Turn the heat down to medium-high and cook the tilapia for about 2 minutes on that side. Turn fish and cook for about three minutes. Cover and turn heat down to medium to finish cooking until flaky. If using salmon, this will take longer. In the meantime, have a pot of water boiling and drop shrimp into the water. Immediately remove from heat and let stand until shrimp are white all the way through. This does not take but just a few minutes for large shrimp. Place a filet on each plate, top with shrimp and then pour sauce over both. Serve with rice and veggie. Here, I am using Zatarain’s Dirty Rice. So Happy New Year to you all. I hope to post some different kinds of recipes that aren’t normal Okie cooking in the next year, along with that regular stuff! Nothing like trying something new! |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
Archive for the ‘Let’s Cook!’ Category
Blackened Tilapia with Creamy Lemon-Butter Sauce
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Povitica
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
Continuing with the theme of what customers are doing with their Oklahoma Pasty Cloths™, we have some great pictures to share. Facebook fan, Kathleen Szewc, ordered one of our very large Oklahoma Pastry Cloths™, sized 48″ x 48″ and my curiosity got the best of me. I had to know what in the world she was making that required such a large pastry cloth. She cheerfully informed me that she and a group of ladies would be making Povitica, a traditional bread of Croation and Polish origin. Families have their recipes that have been handed down for generations and understandingly, Kathleen’s recipe is top secret! She was very kind to send pictures and so I found a recipe to go with the pictures, posted by Roberta and Krystal Dent of Salina, KS, which won second place at the Kansas State Fair! I am itching to try my hand at this bread because it looks and sounds absolutely scrumptious – and sinfully good!!! Sweet Dough: •1-1/2 cup lukewarm milk •1/2 cup sugar •2 teaspoons salt •2 eggs •1/4 cup soft butter •2 packages Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast •1/2 cup warm water •7-1/2 to 8 cups flour Filling Directions: The dough was kneaded and divided. It appears the ladies used a counter top, but the pastry cloth can be great for this part of the process too. I noticed in the recipes that the less flour used in the dough the better, especially during kneading and rolling, because the dough must be light. The pastry cloth makes that easy. They rolled the dough on the Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ and then stretched the dough using their fists to make a really thin dough. Rolling the dough really thin is easy on the Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ because it doesn’t stick. Kathleen said that they stretched the dough and then laid it back onto the pastry cloth, added the filling and then, by lifting the edge of the cloth easily rolled the dough onto itself like a jelly roll. See? No sticking!! The long “jelly roll” is snaked into a loaf pan to rise. Isn’t that cool? Then it is baked Aren’t those spectacular? I want to dive right in. Thank you so much, Kathleen, for sharing this unique experience and for giving me a new challenge! |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
Reader Contributions
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
On FaceBook, I put out a request for those who are ordering the Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ to send me pictures of what they are doing for their Christmas baking on their cloth. Ruth Yarbrough jumped right in and shared her beautiful project. Aren’t these Gingerbread Men perfect? Good job, Ruth! And thanks for sharing. Update: And another Reader, Candy from Lazy J Bar C Farm Blog, has sent in her latest project on her Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ – Yule Goat Cookies. She says she loooooves her Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ in those very terms!! Thank you, Candy!! Wish I could try some of those cookies. |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
Game Day Chicken Fingers
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
Apple Time Giveaway Not a soul in Oklahoma is away from the television when OU and OSU come together to fight it out at “Bedlam” when the Red and White intermingles with the Orange and White. Mixed marriages of OU and OSU alumni have been known to need police protection on the premises. This year, Bedlam is the last game of the OU season and though my dear son-in-law is of the OSU variety, I have to cheer the Sooners on, singing Boomer Sooner at the top of my lungs. Fortunately, Mr. Fix-It and I are of one mind and he tolerates my screams at the television set, my jumping up and down and my offers to Coach Stoops the expertise that can only come from a woman who has never played football or had a son who had any interest in playing football. Both of our sons played drums and guitar, but I see a similarity to the passion needed in a team, so that makes me qualified to coach from a standing position in front of the television in Mr. Fix-It’s line of sight. Of course, there is always food for a game and one of Mr. Fix-It’s favorites are boneless chicken fingers dipped in a variety of sauces. This recipe is especially for you new cooks who are just getting started and is very elementary. But it’s quick, easy and yummy and it is my own recipe. So get out those big, foam fingers and get ready for your favorite big game. It doesn’t matter who wins – at least you’ll be full! (this recipe can be doubled or tripled, etc for larger groups) 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts cut into strips Milk 1 to 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 package Liptons Cream of Chicken Cup-a-Soup Oil for frying Directions: In a large, plastic bowl with a lid, add flour and spices and mix. Mix in powdered soup Place pieces of chicken into the bowl with the flour mixture and cover tightly with lid. Shake until all pieces are well-floured Place floured pieces of chicken one at a time into the hot oil. Brown and then turn to brown the other side. Only brown, it doesn’t matter if the chicken gets done all the way through. When browned, place pieces of chicken onto a cookie rack that has been placed over a shallow cookie pan. Place the rack and pan of chicken, uncovered, into a 350º oven and bake for 20 minutes. This cooks the chicken to tender and also removes much of the oil while leaving a nice crust. Remove chicken from the oven and let cool slightly. Now you can cover pieces in different sauces. I like to toss some of the pieces in honey. And then add our favorite barbeque sauce to make a honey-barbeque. I coat the pieces evenly by putting them into plasticware dishes with lids and then covering and tossing in the sauces. Of course, I HAVE to have my hot wing sauce! Leave some plain to be served with white gravy or chicken gravy and you have a nice variety! As I said, this recipe can be increased for however many people you plan to entertain. And IF you have any left-overs, lunch or dinner the next day is yummy indeed with a nice salad of organic greens, cranberries, sunflower seeds and plum tomatoes topped with the cubed chicken and blue cheese. |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
Just A Reminder
Monday, November 14th, 2011
I noticed this weekend that starting Wednesday here in Okieland that celery, sweet potatoes, turkeys, etc are all going on sale for dirt cheap prices. So now is the time to grab and can or dehydrate for the rest of the year. For example: Celery is 3 bags for $1 here. Guess what I am going to be dehydrating. The step-by-step tutorial is here Sweet potatoes are on sale for 3 lbs for 99¢ so I will be dehydrating those too for wonderful sweet potato casseroles and candied yams. You’ll find my step-by-step directions here. And get extra turkeys if you can. Put them in the freezer for later. After Thanksgiving, I’ll be showing you how to can the meat for wonderful pot pies, casseroles and turkey and dressing. |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
Quick Curried Chicken
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
Apple Time Giveaway It’s cold in Okieland!! Who would have believed this past summer, as we suffered through 60 some odd days of triple digit temps, that we could ever reach 30 degrees! It’s glorious. The sun is shining, we got a little rain yesterday and the air is clear. Good times! In this cold weather, this wonderful chicken dish is hot, fast and filling. Accompanied by hearty Indian Basmati rice and fried spinach you’ll think you are in Calcutta. Mr. Fix-It loved this dish and ate two helpings. I think you’ll love it too because it is so easy to fix. So here you go: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes or strips 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion chopped 2 cloves garlic minced or 2 tsps garlic paste 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons yellow curry powder 1/2 cup coconut milk salt and pepper to taste 3/4 c. flour 1/4 c. cornstarch 1/4 tsp tumeric 1/2 tsp. soda 1 egg 1/4 – 1/2 cup ice water Pour olive oil into large skillet Add chicken and cook on medium high until lightly browned but not cooked all the way through. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add onions to the skillet And garlic. I have found this wonderful stuff at Walmart. It is in the produce section. There are a variety of organic herbs in paste form. How cool is that? It takes two teaspoons of this garlic paste. Cook until onions are tender and slightly clear Reintroduce lightly cooked chicken to the skillet with the onion and garlic and add tomatoes. I am using home canned tomatoes here, that I pulsed in the blender for a few seconds. Stir until ingredients are mixed. Add two tbslps curry powder and stir until curry is mixed throughout. Simmer the mixture for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring occassionally, until thickened and chicken is cooked and tender. Start your rice. You can find coconut milk at any grocery store. Shake the can and then pour out 1/2 cup. Store the rest in the frig in a refrigerator dish. Add coconut milk and stir to incorporate. Allow to simmer 10 more minutes, stirring occassionally. While the curry is cooking, mix flour, corn starch, tumeric and soda in a bowl and add beaten egg. Slowly add 1/4 cup ice water and stir. Add more water as necessary to form a nice, thick batter like pancake batter. Start a skillet or pan of hot oil about 3″ deep and heat to 350º. Take a handful of fresh spinach and dip the entire handful into the batter. It’s messy, I know. It doesn’t matter if all of the spinach is covered. The object is to make all the leaves of spinach stick together. Drop battered clump of spinach into hot oil and fry on one side until browned and then turn. Drain on a rack over a paper towel. Put rice onto plates and spoon curry over rice. Add spinach and a salad and you are done! |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
Quick BBQ Wings
Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Apple Time Giveaway Last night was supposed to be Game 6 of the World Series, but it got rained out. We are happy here in Okie Land, though, because evidently, St. Louis sent us that rain!! All night long. It was wonderful. It smells so good outside and it is very cool. Finally, plenty of wet stuff. It’s about time!! Of course, this is the time for all things football too and we Okies put aside everything for Saturday OU or OSU games. Got appendicitis? Tough beans. You’ll just have to wait until the game is over. No doctors available. And when OU faces OSU? Oh my. It’s the Hatfields and the McCoys, however, my son-in-law, an OSU Cowboy, graciously defers to my daughter, the OU Sooner, because he likes his teeth with which to eat. And speaking of eating, here’s a really quick and easy way to have your wings and eat them too, while glued to the television, watching those ball games. It’s something I do for Mr. Fix-It that’s quick and doesn’t need babying. They are tender and yummy and messy to eat!! The same thing can be done with strips of chicken breast for “boneless wings”. For 12 wing parts – Using fresh wings, divide at the two joints and use the drumstick and forearm portions. Use the pointed wing end for chicken stock. These wing portions can be purchased this frozen as well. 12 wing portions Place wings into a plastic dish that has a lid and add bbq sauce. I am using Head Country sauce which is produced right here in Ponca City, OK. Next, add honey. Hint: Rinse measuring cup with warm water (do not dry) and then pour in honey. The honey comes out of the measuring cup easier. Add 1/2 tsp garlic powder And 1/4 tsp thyme Snap on the lid and shake until all of the pieces are covered with the sauce mixture. Place the chicken onto a greased baking sheet and spoon about half of the leftover sauce mix over the pieces. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon rest of the mixture onto the pieces and return to the oven to bake for 15 to 20 more minutes until brown and tender. Golden brown and melt in your mouth good. |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
Buttermilk Whole Wheat Rolls
Monday, October 24th, 2011
Apple Time Giveaway I guess I’m on a bread baking marathon because I’m trying recipe after recipe!! With OU football and Rangers baseball, Mr. Fix-It is reveling in home made soups, chili and bread. Never let it be said that I don’t know the way to a man’s stomach – I mean – heart. Friday, at Deborah Jean’s Dandelion House Friday Blog Hop, I saw that Candy at Lazy J Bar C Farm had been busy in the kitchen making the most beautiful rolls you ever saw. She sells them at her local Farmers’ Market and they evidently go like hotcakes – no hot rolls. Candy is a reader here and I follow her blog, so she graciously gave me permission to post the recipe here for you. Of course, I had to try the recipe first and take pictures! The rolls are so easy. And with a ribeye steak and baked potato last night, Mr. Fix-It put away several of these whole wheat delights, happily cheering on the Texas Rangers and watching Nolan Ryan drop the first pitch by former president George Bush. So here you go. I think you will love the presentation of the rolls and the taste as well! 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup warm milk 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 1/2 cups bread flour (I use King Arthur Bread Flour) 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast (1 tbsp loose) If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk before combining with the remaining ingredients. In the bowl of a mixer with dough hooks, add buttermilk and then yeast that has been proofed in the warm milk (if using packaged or loose yeast). Add butter that has been cut into slices Add sugar (I added honey for Mr. Fix-It) Then, add the eggs, salt and bread flour. Lightly mix all ingredients. Add whole wheat flour one cup at a time. I added a total of 1 1/2 cups and reserved 1/2 cup for flouring my pastry cloth. The dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and is stiff and may not require all of the flour. Do not add too much flour. Scrape the dough out onto your floured Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Lightly knead into a smooth ball Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of a bowl and place the dough ball in top side down. Turn the dough ball so that the oiled top is up. Cover with a warm, wet towel and allow to rise until double. Divide the dough out into 16 equal sections. I used a scale to weigh the dough to make sure each piece was the same. Form each section into a ball and place 8 each into 9″ round cake pans, seam side down. Cover each pan with a warm, wet towel and allow to rise until doubled again. Bake at 375º for 12 – 15 minutes. It helps to rotate the pans from front to back to brown the rolls evenly. Remove to cooling racks immediately. My contribution to the project was a glaze that I put on as soon as they came out of the oven and went onto the racks. I melted 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp honey. Oh yeah. That was brushed over the tops of the rolls. And yes….they are scrumptious. Thanks so much, Candy, for giving me a new, family roll recipe!! |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
A 9-Grain Bread!
Friday, October 21st, 2011
Apple Time Giveaway Today, I am just glad for the sunshine and the cool air. Oh my. It feels so good. I looked back over old posts and saw that we had triple digit temps in Okieland for somewhere around 60 days this summer. Really? My brain doesn’t embrace bad memories. All it is accepting right now is chilly temps and crisp air. Love it!! Of course you know that it is a proven fact that with the cooler days, there is a certain isotope that wafts in with the wind and settles on unsuspecting homemakers, rendering them slaves to a desire to bake and make soups. It is just difficult to avoid. It’s been happening since the beginning of time. I do know some individuals who have managed to resist the bombardment of these atoms by living at Panera Bread with their laptops, purchasing breakfast, lunch and dinner there, but even they have to admit that the first thing they crave is soup and hot bread!! So there you have it! In the realization of this natural phenomenom, I continue sharing bread recipes sent in by readers. This bread, sent in by reader Mrs. B, is very versatile and though it will make a large loaf of bread, I used it to make bagettes and sandwich rolls. Very good with a nutty flavor. I grind my own 9-grain flour from a combination of grain berries including hard wheat, soft white wheat, barley, spelt, millet, oats, triticale, rye and flax seed, but you can find the flour at your local health food store and in some grocery stores. 7-grain works fine too. And if anybody out there wants to share a favorite recipe, please email it and we will test it and post it! 1 1/2 cups warm water Place brown sugar into mixing bowl. A mixer with dough hooks is great, but this can be stirred and kneaded by hand too. In 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp sugar, sprinkle yeast and proof. When yeast is bubbly, add the yeast water to the brown sugar and add 1 cup more warm water. Melt butter and add to water and brown sugar mixture. Stir slightly. Add 9-Grain flour and stir. Add salt Stir and continue adding bread flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from the bowl. You may not use all the flour. Knead with the dough hooks for 8 minutes on medium speed. Or knead by hand, on your Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ for 10 minutes. On the pastry cloth, form the dough into a uniform ball. Add one to two tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large bowl. Place the dough ball top down into the oil and turn so that the dough top is oiled. Cover with a warm, wet towel and place in a warm place to rise until double. When the dough has doubled, roll it back out onto your pastry cloth and form into rolls or long bread rolls to be placed in bagette pans. With kitchen scissors, make diagonal cuts into the rolls. Cover again with a warm, wet towel and place into a warm place to rise to double again. When risen, for added flavor, sprinkle with cheddar or asiago cheese. Bake in 350º oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. These make wonderful submarine sandwich rolls! I’m thinking soup for next week? |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
White Bread Recipe #2
Monday, October 17th, 2011
Well, it’s a fun journey on to another bread recipe sent in by a reader and this one is from reader, Ken. I made it and oh my, is it yummy and rich! The dough is much softer than a traditional bread dough. This is no ordinary sandwich bread. This is a soft and slightly sweet bread that goes way beyond mayo and ham! I used it to make a loaf and cinnamon rolls and then used part of the loaf to make French Toast for breakfast. Ken said that he uses it to make pizza dough too, so this recipe is very versatile. 6 cups all purpose or bread flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. salt 2 packages of yeast or 2 tbsps loose yeast 2 eggs 1 stick butter or margarine that has been slightly softened 1 cup hot water 1 cup cold water 1/2 cup lukewarm water 1 tablespoon dough enhancer (optional) Proof yeast in 1/2 cup warm water mixed with a tsp of sugar. Allow to stand about 4 minutes until yeast starts bubbling to the top In the bowl of a mixer that has dough hooks (or in a large bowl if stirring by hand) place 2 cups flour (I used King Arthur Bread Flour), 1/2 cup sugar (I used honey for Mr. Fix-It), yeast mixture, the cold and hot water and mix briefly. Cube softened butter and add. Mix slightly Add eggs and salt and mix again. Add tbsp of dough enhancer and add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time. Reserve 1/2 cup of flour for working. Note: Depending on the humidity, you may find that you need more or less flour. It was a very humid day when I made this and added almost 1 cup more flour than the recipe called for. The flour I used was a very fine bread flour and that probably added to the necessity for more to make a good dough. The dough should pull away from the walls of the mixer, but it is still a very soft and sticky dough. Knead in the mixer with the dough hooks about 8 minutes on medium to low. Pour the dough out onto your Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ and knead slightly with the leftover flour to form a ball. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into the bottom of a large bowl and place dough ball top side down into the oil. Turn the dough ball so that the oiled top side is up. Cover with warm, wet towel and allow to rise. I turn my oven to 150º and then turn it off when heated, open the door for 30 seconds and then place the bread into the warmed oven and shut the door. Hint: If the dough sticks to the towel while rising any dough, before removing the towel, use a spray bottle and spray the surface of the towel with water. It will lift right off of the risen dough. The bread rises until doubled. Pour it back onto your pastry cloth and cut in half. At this point, you will be forming two loaves or forming one loaf while using the other dough for rolls, cinnamon rolls or pizza crust. For a loaf, grease and flour loaf pan and place dough into pan to rise. The dough is VERY soft and goes into the loaf pan very soft. But it rises to a beautiful height. When the bread has risen, bake at 350º for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. Turn out immediately onto a wire rack to cool. For cinnamon rolls, I rolled the dough into a large oval about 1/2″ thick and sprinkled powdered sugar over the surface. Then LOTS of cinnamon covered the surface. It is up to you how much you use, but I covered the whole surface. We like cinnamon. Chopped pecans topped off the whole surface of the dough I rolled the dough up like a jelly roll and sliced with a good, sharp knife that was floured between cuts. The slices were placed about 1/2″ apart on a deep cookie sheet. Cover with a warm, wet towel and allow to rise until double in a warm place. After doubled, bake in a 350º oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. After baking, ice with a mixture of 2 tbsp melted butter and 1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar with 1/2 tsp vanilla and enough milk (added 1 tbsp at a time) to make an icing of spreadable consistency. These cinnamon rolls are to die for!! And yes, one is missing! I couldn’t wait. And here is the beautiful loaf of bread… …which was used to make French Toast for breakfast! Lots of butter and syrup. Yummy. |
|
Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|