Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Tim's Tips
Have eggs in the fridge that have met the expiration date? Don't throw them out. Hard boil them and put them back into the fridge. They'll keep for a couple weeks and make for a healthy quick snack or a nice salad topping.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Asparagus Bacon Wraps
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1 to 2 pounds asparagus
4 slices of bacon
Olive oil
Black pepper
Divide asparagus into 4 bundles. Wrap each bundle with a slice of bacon. Drizzle with olive oil. Pepper to taste. Place on a roasting rack. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes. Serves 4.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tim's Tips
Tim's Tips
When cooking with any stock try to use unsalted if you can find it. This stuff is usually meat flavored sodium in a box. Unsalted or even low sodium is becoming more available. Its healthier and puts the cook in charge of the seasoning. As it should be!
When cooking with any stock try to use unsalted if you can find it. This stuff is usually meat flavored sodium in a box. Unsalted or even low sodium is becoming more available. Its healthier and puts the cook in charge of the seasoning. As it should be!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Tim's Tips
Tim's Tips
Note to self...Whenever roasting with fig jam glaze always line the pan with aluminum foil. I'm still scrubbing 3 days later and the pan is (was) non-stick.
Note to self...Whenever roasting with fig jam glaze always line the pan with aluminum foil. I'm still scrubbing 3 days later and the pan is (was) non-stick.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Pear and Blueberry Bread Pudding with Lemon Sauce
Pear and Blueberry Bread Pudding with Lemon Sauce
Ingredients:
5 cups stale bread cubed
2 pears thinly sliced
1 cup blueberrys
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups half and half
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a lightly buttered baking dish place bread, pears, blueberrys and almonds. In a large bowl whisk all the other ingredients and pour over the bread and fruit and toss. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp vanilla
Place in a sauce pan over medium heat and reduce to half or until syrupy.
Ingredients:
5 cups stale bread cubed
2 pears thinly sliced
1 cup blueberrys
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups half and half
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a lightly buttered baking dish place bread, pears, blueberrys and almonds. In a large bowl whisk all the other ingredients and pour over the bread and fruit and toss. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp vanilla
Place in a sauce pan over medium heat and reduce to half or until syrupy.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Pork Loin Chops with Fig Jam Glaze
Pork Loin Chops with Fig Jam Glaze
Ingredients:
4 Pork loin chops
1 Bulb of fennel thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples thinly sliced
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup fig jam
1tbls dijon mustard
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix fig jam, mustard and garlic then coat the chops. Reserve a bit of the fig mixture. Place the chops into a roasting dish coated with olive oil. Core and thinly slice the fennel and apples. Coat the fennel and apple with the remaining fig mixture and scatter around the roasting pan. Bake for 1/2 hour then flip the chops and bake another 15 minutes to 1/2 hour.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Comments please
Please send comments. What would like like to see me experiment with? What kitchen disaster or triumph would you like to witness?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Chicken Florentine in Puff Pastry
I've never attempted anything like this, but it was fun to create.
Ingredients:
4 thin sliced chicken breasts
1 box frozen puff pastry (thawed)
1 10 ounce box frozen spinach (thawed)
1 large shallot
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms of choice
2 gloves of garlic minced
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp coarse ground mustard
2 tbls butter
1 egg
1/4 cup gruyere cheese
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a high sided skillet over medium heat add the chicken stock, heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Then add the spinach, mushrooms, butter, lemon juice, garlic, mustard and shallot. Reduce until the flavors are concentrated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a bit while you prepare the breasts. After the breasts are prepped then add the grated gruyere, nutmeg and mix.
Rinse off the chicken breast and pat dry. I found breasts already sliced so there was no need to butterfly them. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Divide the spinach mixture into fourths and add a dollop into the center of each breast. Roll the chicken up over the sides and place it on a plate.
The puff pastry will come in 2 large sheets. Divide each sheet in half. Wrap each breast in a piece of pastry and place into a lightly greased baking dish with the seam side of the pastry facing down. Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water and brush the egg wash over each pastry. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Place on a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon slices.
I thought that this would serve only 4 people but the portions are large. Depending upon what side dishes you choose this could actually serve 8.
I regretfully added some tarragon to the herb mix since tarragon is usually so tasty with chicken, but I would completely leave it out. It fought with the subtle flavors of the spinach.
I look forward to experimenting with this recipe again!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tim's Tips
Tim's Tips
The next time you make instant oatmeal for breakfast make it with apple juice instead of water. Its amazingly tasty.
The next time you make instant oatmeal for breakfast make it with apple juice instead of water. Its amazingly tasty.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Honey Maple Glazed Carrots
Baked tarragon chicken last night. Pretty basic. But I needed a side dish. I rifled through the fridge and thought I'd roast some carrots. Before I popped them into the oven I thought, "How boring". I looked in the cupboard and wondered what honey and maple syrup mixed together would taste like as a glaze. Turns out its great!
Honey Maple Glazed Carrots
6 Carrots peeled and diced
1/4 cup honey
2 tbls maple syrup
2 tbls butter
1/2 lemon
Olive oil, salt and ground pepper
Peel and dice the carrots. Dice them at a slant. (Its just prettier.) Place them in a baking dish that is drizzled with olive oil. Scatter bits of the butter over the top. Mix the honey and maple syrup in a bowl and pour over the carrots. Toss the carrots to coat thoroughly. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. 5 minutes before they're done squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the carrots and return them to the oven to finish cooking. Cook for 5 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Another happy accident!
Honey Maple Glazed Carrots
6 Carrots peeled and diced
1/4 cup honey
2 tbls maple syrup
2 tbls butter
1/2 lemon
Olive oil, salt and ground pepper
Peel and dice the carrots. Dice them at a slant. (Its just prettier.) Place them in a baking dish that is drizzled with olive oil. Scatter bits of the butter over the top. Mix the honey and maple syrup in a bowl and pour over the carrots. Toss the carrots to coat thoroughly. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. 5 minutes before they're done squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the carrots and return them to the oven to finish cooking. Cook for 5 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Another happy accident!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Website Title
I've learned that my last title belongs to somebody else. I'm no longer accidental. I bumble.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Dressing a Salad. Off the Rack vs. Couture
Don't buy those bottled salad dressings. Ugh! Salad dressings are so easy to make yourself. I'm just gonna throw this one out there.
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 half cup mayo
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 handful gorganzola cheese
Large salad of choice.
Mix it all up in a bowl and pour over a large salad of your choice.
Don't buy that bottled stuff full of chemicals. No need. Salad dressings are easy to make, much less expensive, and much healthier than that bottled drek full of ingredients that you can't pronounce.
How much easier can it be?
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 half cup mayo
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 handful gorganzola cheese
Large salad of choice.
Mix it all up in a bowl and pour over a large salad of your choice.
Don't buy that bottled stuff full of chemicals. No need. Salad dressings are easy to make, much less expensive, and much healthier than that bottled drek full of ingredients that you can't pronounce.
How much easier can it be?
New Soup
Soups are really fun and easy, and you can really use your imagination. I whipped this one up the other day.
Bok Choy Soup with Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients:
2 32 ounce boxes of low/no sodium chicken stock
1 head roughly chopped bok choy cabbage
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 medium diced onion
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 cloves grated garlic
1 tbls soy sauce
1 bunch chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 egg
2 tbls olive oil
In a large pot over medium/high heat olive oil and add onions, carrots and celery and heat until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add garlic, soy sauce and ginger.
In a bowl mix the ground turkey with the egg and salt and pepper to taste. Form the turkey into meatballs, a bit smaller in size than a golfball and drop them into the simmering pot.
When the soup comes back up to a simmer start adding the bok choy a handful at a time. With a wooden spoon push it down into the broth. It will wilt quickly. Keep adding the cabbage until the whole head is wilted into the stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. At the last minute add the parsley and serve.
I had never made this before and I admit I think it can be improved. As you know I cook with whatever I have on hand. I would have added rice noodles if I'd had them. I also think it needed a bit of sweetness, but not sugar. I'll have to think about that. But overall it was a pretty good effort. Enjoy!
Bok Choy Soup with Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients:
2 32 ounce boxes of low/no sodium chicken stock
1 head roughly chopped bok choy cabbage
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 medium diced onion
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 cloves grated garlic
1 tbls soy sauce
1 bunch chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 egg
2 tbls olive oil
In a large pot over medium/high heat olive oil and add onions, carrots and celery and heat until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add garlic, soy sauce and ginger.
In a bowl mix the ground turkey with the egg and salt and pepper to taste. Form the turkey into meatballs, a bit smaller in size than a golfball and drop them into the simmering pot.
When the soup comes back up to a simmer start adding the bok choy a handful at a time. With a wooden spoon push it down into the broth. It will wilt quickly. Keep adding the cabbage until the whole head is wilted into the stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. At the last minute add the parsley and serve.
I had never made this before and I admit I think it can be improved. As you know I cook with whatever I have on hand. I would have added rice noodles if I'd had them. I also think it needed a bit of sweetness, but not sugar. I'll have to think about that. But overall it was a pretty good effort. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Cajun Sour Cream Chicken
A while back I was craving my granny's buttermilk soaked fried chicken, but I didn't have any buttermilk and was too lazy to go to the store. I opened up the fridge and Aha!!! Sour cream. I mixed the sour cream with some spices, garlic and pepper and such, and soaked the chicken in it. Very tasty. This is a variation on that recipe. So simple.
Cajun Sour Cream Chicken
1 Whole chicken cut into parts
1 16 ounce container sour cream
2 tbls Cajun seasoning (I use Luzianne)
3 whisked eggs
1 cup flour
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
Salt and cracked black pepper
Mix the sour cream with the cajun seasoning in a large bowl. Dump in the chicken and coat thoroughly. Cover and pop into the fridge to soak for 2 hours (overnight is better). The chicken will absorb the sour cream almost totally if soaked overnight. Remove from the fridge. Into 3 seperate plates put flour, whisked eggs and bread crumbs. Coat each piece of the bird in the flour and dust off any extra, dredge in the egg and coat with the bread crumbs. (The Panko bread crumbs should be mixed with the salt and pepper to taste. The crumbs add great crunchy texture, but no flavor). Place on a baking sheet which is lightly coated with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or golden brown.
This makes a very rich tasting and zingy dish. And so easy. I hope you all enjoy it.
Cajun Sour Cream Chicken
1 Whole chicken cut into parts
1 16 ounce container sour cream
2 tbls Cajun seasoning (I use Luzianne)
3 whisked eggs
1 cup flour
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
Salt and cracked black pepper
Mix the sour cream with the cajun seasoning in a large bowl. Dump in the chicken and coat thoroughly. Cover and pop into the fridge to soak for 2 hours (overnight is better). The chicken will absorb the sour cream almost totally if soaked overnight. Remove from the fridge. Into 3 seperate plates put flour, whisked eggs and bread crumbs. Coat each piece of the bird in the flour and dust off any extra, dredge in the egg and coat with the bread crumbs. (The Panko bread crumbs should be mixed with the salt and pepper to taste. The crumbs add great crunchy texture, but no flavor). Place on a baking sheet which is lightly coated with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or golden brown.
This makes a very rich tasting and zingy dish. And so easy. I hope you all enjoy it.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Overly Ambitious
Still fighting with the new laptop. I think the oath to cook a recipe everyday was a bit overly ambitious. But I will be posting in a day or so the recipe I created last Sunday. Cajun Sour Cream Chicken. (aka Cajun Glenn Chicken), dedicated to a certain bayou boy. Its very simple. And there's a whole backstory as to how and why I created it. Sometimes a person just aches for Granny's home cooking. Know what I mean?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Computer hell
I'm so sorry. I started this blog and my computer died. But I'm back now (and $700 poorer...thanks Dell)and cookin up a storm. New recipe to follow very soon. Stay tuned folks.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Maiden Voyage
Hello everybody. My follower of 1 so far.
Its my plan to chronicle each recipe as close to the actual date it was cooked as possible, hopefully the same day. But since tonights planned chicken is not yet defrosted I thought I'd start off instead with a dish I made a few nights ago that I absolutely loved. Let's start on a positive note shall we? Trust me, the disasters will follow fast and furious. And I intend to share everything. Even if its fish sticks and mac & cheese when I come home exhausted. The good, the bad, the ugly and the glamorous!
Ok. Here we go...
Sauteed Ravioli with Roasted Vegetable Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
4 plum tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
1/4 red bell pepper
3 minced garlic cloves (more or less as preferred)
1 cup mushrooms of your choice
2 tsp sugar
2 cans unsalted tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
Sour cream
3 tbls butter
Gorganzola cheese
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
1 bag frozen ravioli
Cracked black pepper, basil, parsley.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roughly chop tomatoes, onions, red pepper and place in a high-sided baking pan. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil and roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium heat add chicken stock, and 3 tbls of olive oil. Add ravioli to the skillet. The ravioli will steam in the chicken stock until the stock evaporates. Once the stock is evaporated add butter to the skillet and toss the ravioli until cooked through and golden brown.
Check the veggies. They should be done. Add the 2 cans of tomato sauce directly to the pan along with the 3 cloves on minced garlic and mushrooms and sugar. Grind in the pepper and toss. Slide back into the oven for 15 minutes or until the sauce is heated through. Once heated, add basil and parsley and mix.
Place ravioli on a serving platter and pour the sauce over top. Plate a portion and top with a dollop of sour cream and a crumble of gorganzola and more fresh basil.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Bliss.
This truly is one of the best dishes I've ever made. Simple and fairly healthy. No salt is needed at all. Trust me, its delish!
Please everyone feel free to comment and give me feed back.
Well I must say that this has been painless so far, but considering I only have 1 follower I'm not really surprised. But he'll probably turn out to be a heckler.
Enjoy!
Its my plan to chronicle each recipe as close to the actual date it was cooked as possible, hopefully the same day. But since tonights planned chicken is not yet defrosted I thought I'd start off instead with a dish I made a few nights ago that I absolutely loved. Let's start on a positive note shall we? Trust me, the disasters will follow fast and furious. And I intend to share everything. Even if its fish sticks and mac & cheese when I come home exhausted. The good, the bad, the ugly and the glamorous!
Ok. Here we go...
Sauteed Ravioli with Roasted Vegetable Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
4 plum tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
1/4 red bell pepper
3 minced garlic cloves (more or less as preferred)
1 cup mushrooms of your choice
2 tsp sugar
2 cans unsalted tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
Sour cream
3 tbls butter
Gorganzola cheese
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
1 bag frozen ravioli
Cracked black pepper, basil, parsley.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roughly chop tomatoes, onions, red pepper and place in a high-sided baking pan. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil and roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium heat add chicken stock, and 3 tbls of olive oil. Add ravioli to the skillet. The ravioli will steam in the chicken stock until the stock evaporates. Once the stock is evaporated add butter to the skillet and toss the ravioli until cooked through and golden brown.
Check the veggies. They should be done. Add the 2 cans of tomato sauce directly to the pan along with the 3 cloves on minced garlic and mushrooms and sugar. Grind in the pepper and toss. Slide back into the oven for 15 minutes or until the sauce is heated through. Once heated, add basil and parsley and mix.
Place ravioli on a serving platter and pour the sauce over top. Plate a portion and top with a dollop of sour cream and a crumble of gorganzola and more fresh basil.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Bliss.
This truly is one of the best dishes I've ever made. Simple and fairly healthy. No salt is needed at all. Trust me, its delish!
Please everyone feel free to comment and give me feed back.
Well I must say that this has been painless so far, but considering I only have 1 follower I'm not really surprised. But he'll probably turn out to be a heckler.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Welcome Everyone!!! Thank you for coming along on this journey with me!
The title of this blog is very accurate.
I have always been an artistic sort of person and have always needed a creative outlet. I love to paint, draw, sculpt. About 10 years ago I moved into an apartment that was too small to be a living space AND a studio. After a while I became desperate for a creative outlet. Looking around me I zoomed in on the refrigerator. Voila! An oasis named "Whirlpool". It was a morphing experience.
I started to cook. A bumbling chef.
I cook by the seat of my pants so admittedly the recipes don't always work out. But the process is ALWAYS fun. A bit of this, a dash of that, slice, mix, strain, grill, roast, bake, slather, toast. The outcome is always a surprise...delish or disaster.
So come on along. Enjoy the goofs, the gaffes, the giggles and the gifts. Thanks for being here. Lets start cookin!
The Bumbling Chef,
Timothy
The title of this blog is very accurate.
I have always been an artistic sort of person and have always needed a creative outlet. I love to paint, draw, sculpt. About 10 years ago I moved into an apartment that was too small to be a living space AND a studio. After a while I became desperate for a creative outlet. Looking around me I zoomed in on the refrigerator. Voila! An oasis named "Whirlpool". It was a morphing experience.
I started to cook. A bumbling chef.
I cook by the seat of my pants so admittedly the recipes don't always work out. But the process is ALWAYS fun. A bit of this, a dash of that, slice, mix, strain, grill, roast, bake, slather, toast. The outcome is always a surprise...delish or disaster.
So come on along. Enjoy the goofs, the gaffes, the giggles and the gifts. Thanks for being here. Lets start cookin!
The Bumbling Chef,
Timothy
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