chicken and dumplings

I'm going to try to make these this week, and I'm concerned they'll be watery and unflavorful like most that I've tried.  I'm chasing the memory of some good chicken and dumplings but have no idea when or where I had them.

From here. 

Ingredients

Dumplings

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg beaten
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chives chopped
1/2 cup buttermilk (yogurt)


Chicken soup

1 large onion chopped
1 large carrot chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1/2 tsp thyme dried
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
1/2 cup peas frozen (or other frozen vegetables)
2 c chopped chicken

Instructions

• In a large Dutch oven add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until the onion sweats and becomes translucent. Add thyme to the pot and the 4 cups of chicken broth.
• In a small bowl whisk the flour with a ladle of the broth from the pot then pour back into the pot and whisk making sure there are no lumps. Stir in the frozen peas and the shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
• While the broth is cooking, prepare the dumplings. In a bowl whisk together all the dumpling ingredients, making sure not to overmix, if you overmix the dumplings will turn out too dense.
• Drop dumpling batter using a spoon into the thick broth. Make sure you don't take too much batter at once because the dumplings will double in size while they cook, so make them as big or small as you wish.
• Cover the pot and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked. Make sure you don't peek while the dumplings are cooking, because they need to steam in order for them to cook and be nice and fluffy, lifting the lid will release the steam. After about 15 minutes use a toothpick to test if the dumplings are cooked through.

 

stir fry ground beef noodles

I had half a box of linguini and half a pound of ground beef to use up, and I was looking for something to eat with stir fried bok choy and boiled daikon (neither of those recipes were that great, so I'd add bok choy to this instead). From here.

Ingredients

SAUCE

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 Tbsp water 
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 1-2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce, sambal, or sriracha
• 1 tsp sesame oil 

STIR FRY

• 8 oz. rice noodles (or anything like linguini)
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 1 Tbsp grated ginger 
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• bok choy or other greens
• 1 carrot 
• 3-4 green onions 
• Handful fresh cilantro (optional) 

Instructions

• Cook the noodles according to the package directions, being careful to leave them al dente and not over cooked. drain the noodles in a colander and set aside.
• Prepare the sauce by stirring together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil. Set the sauce aside.
• Mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Use a large-holed cheese grater to grate the carrot (or julienne using a mandoline). Slice the green onions on a diagonal, separating the fleshy white portions from the green ends.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground beef, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until the beef is cooked through, adding in the bok coy or other greens. Add the white portions of the sliced green onions and sauté for one more minute. Add the shredded carrots and sauté for one minute more (leaving the carrots slightly crunchy).
• Add the drained noodles and the prepared sauce to the skillet. Stir until everything is coated in sauce and any extra moisture has been absorbed by the noodles. Turn the heat off and top with the green portion of the sliced green onions and fresh cilantro leaves.

Tried this

curtido

I made some black bean patties and fried plantains for brunch, and I like condiments for simple foods like this so made some curtido. 

I followed this recipe because I was making it just a couple of days before eating it - so there's some vinegar in it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Instructions

• Thinly slice the 1/2 head of cabbage, 1/2 onion and 1/2 jalapeno.  Grate the carrot.
• Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl:  1 cup vinegar, 1.5 cups water, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, freshly cracked black pepper, 2 teaspoons salt.
• Add the liquid mixture to the veggies and combine well.  Crush the cabbage a bit so that it will fit into the jars. 
• Fill two pint-sized Mason jars with the veggies and top with the brine.  
• Seal well and let ferment overnight in the fridge.

canning sweet potatoes

It seems like every listing of how to can sweet potatoes involves cooking them first and using a sugary syrup.  I don't want to do either of those.  I just want to can what I can get inexpensively on sale when it's available.  I use it for the dog or I could use it as an ingredient.  Obviously I don't want botulism or any other issue, but cooking first seems silly.

So, I followed some information here and here, and came up with:

Chop sweet potatoes into chunks and put in jars; fill jar to bottom of rim with boiling water.  Process at 10 pounds of pressure for 65 minutes for pints.

sourdough cornbread

This sourdough cornbread definitely has a sour tang to it.  At first I wasn't sure I liked it, but my coworkers were so crazy about it that I reconsidered and now I quite like it.  Plus, I usually have sourdough discard in my fridge to use up, so this is a win-win.  It stays moist longer than many cornbreads, and it freezes well.

From here.

Ingredients

• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups cornmeal (225 grams)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons sugar
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups sourdough starter (345 grams @ 230 per cup)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cream of tartar (or 3 tsp vinegar)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking soda
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Grease up a well seasoned, 9 or 10 inch iron skillet and place in oven while it preheats.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Combine the cornmeal, sugar and salt in medium bowl.
4. Scald milk and pour over cornmeal mixture.
5. When mixture is room temperature, add remaining ingredients and mix well.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
   

Elly's whole wheat sourdough - 1 loaf

Here's another try at whole wheat sourdough, and she mills her wheat herself.  I did it as she suggests but it makes a long day because my house is cold (I put it in the oven too soon because I didn't want to stay up too late). Elly's Facebook group is here, with lots of other good information.

Morning before baking: extended cold autolyse.

• 450 grams whole wheat flour (about 3 cups)
• 405 grams filtered water*

Mix until no water left.  Cover and put in the refrigerator all day (about 12 hours).

In the evening of day 1, add:

• 130 grams active starter
• 9 grams salt

Mix it up well. 

Cover and leave to bulk ferment.  I have a spot in the corner above the heater, where the temperature is usually around 62 degrees.  Leave it about 10-12 hours, until rising and bubbly but not bubbles on top.

Morning of day 2
Shape the dough.  Elly has in her video a method of using stretch and fold for this.  Do it four times over an hour.  Use wet hands.

When ready for final shaping, prepare basket (I use a colander with parchment paper, that I can just move easily to the heated pan).  Shape and put it in container, leave for 1-3 hours.  (I put it in the folding proofer at 85 degrees for 1.5 hours and I think it needed more time.)  

When almost ready (indentations slowly fill in), heat oven up to about 475 degrees (or 450 convection, I use).  Bake 25 minutes in a hot covered dutch oven, then 15 minutes more uncovered. 

Let it cool several hours for best texture.

(I haven't tasted it yet, but the oven spring is promising.)





*I no longer have my Berkey water filter with me, and the tap water is quite chlorinated.  Filtered water in the store is very expensive.  There is fortunately an artesian well just outside town, but when there is any snow/ice on the ground it involves quite a production as they keep the gates to the area closed.  I borrowed a wheelbarrow from work, drove out there, and schlepped the half mile or more to the well, filled up two bottles, and schlepped back.  It was actually fine this time; the last time I tried it with four bottles and the road was very slippery and slushy, and it was pretty awful. 

black bean soup

This soup is so good and perfect on a rainy Sunday.  Big thanks to Ms. Moon for clueing me into it and sharing screenshots!  It's from the NY Times recipe by Julia Moskin, which is behind a paywall so I can't see it.

Ingredients 

 

FOR THE SOUP:

1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, diced 
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
1 pound dry black beans (do not soak)
2 quarts stock
1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Red wine vinegar, to taste 

FOR THE PICKLED ONIONS AND GARNISHES (OPTIONAL but don't skip the onion!):

1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
Salt
Sour cream or Mexican crema
Whole cilantro leaves
Thinly sliced fresh chiles
Sliced avocado

Instructions:
1. Puree can of chilis in blender/food processor, put aside.
2. Heat oil in large heavy pot.  When hot, add onions, garlic, and carrots. Cook until soft (about 5-8 minutes) but not brown.
3. Add in wine and simmer until pan almost dry.  Add jalapenos and cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Push vegetables to sides and add 2 teaspoons of chipotle sauce and fry a minute or so, then blend it in with the rest of the vegetables.
4. Add beans, stock, oregano, and bay leaves. Stir, bring to boil, let boil 10-15 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer an hour or two until beans are "soft and fragrant."*  Add salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, make "pickled onions."  Put lime juice and salt in with onion and let it sit about 30 minutes, then remove liquid and refrigerate. Serve onions with soup, with sour cream, etc. 

Some beans can be mashed if necessary for proper texture.  Taste and add salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, chipotles, etc. to taste.



For canning: I pulled a bunch of soup out when the beans were nearly soft and I put in pint jars and canned.  I wasn't sure of the time, so I went ahead with 75 minutes for pints.