Dumplings. Rolled, Not Dropped

Dumplings should be rolled out with a rolling pin.  That is all.

Dropped dumplings are biscuits.  And if you think canned biscuits can be used for dumplings, then we can't be friends.

Seriously... biscuit dough is great for pot pies, but not for chicken and dumplings.

My grandma always made rolled dumplings, and those are the gold standard.  Sadly, my Grandma stopped making these long before I was old enough learn how.

My sister has a handwritten card of grandma's recipe, that she wrote while listening to Grandma... it starts out with "A bunch of flour, depending on how much dumplings you want."  Oh, and it includes a "fair sized pinch of baking powder plus an extra look for good measure".   Gaaaaaah, I can't cook like that.   Grandma probably cooked these on a wood stove...

So.... trial and error time.  I think this version is pretty darn close.  It makes a good amount for two people, or more if they don't eat like pigs (I wouldn't know).

You can put these into any boiling liquid, but of course chicken soup is the best.  Cook up a couple of chicken thighs in water with salt, pepper, onion, maybe a carrot or two. A bay leaf. Simmer it until the chicken is so done it falls off the bone.  Pull the meat off the bones and put it back into the broth (the meat, not the bones... not the skin, either).   Heat it up to boiling to put the dumplings in.

Sometimes I make it with meat off a rotisserie chicken.  A Costco chicken is $4.99 and we can eat three or four meals off it.  Simmer it in chicken stock, add a chopped onion and a sliced carrot.

This stuff makes good stock and doesn't take up a lot of room in the cabinet:

ROLLED DUMPLINGS

1 cup flour + some for dusting
2 tsp baking powder*
1 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons oil
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk

Stir dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Make a well in the center.

Add milk and oil, stir with a fork until combined into a soft dough.

Place on a floured surface and knead 5 times.

Roll out about 1/8 inch thick.  Cut into 1 inch squares.

Drop into boiling soup, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

NOTES:

I like to roll these out on a cutting board dusted with flour.    My 11 x 14 cutting board holds it all.   Take a handful of flour and rub it into your rolling pin.  Don't shake off the excess flour, that helps thicken the soup.

Use a pizza cutter for quick and easy cutting.

One inch square is just a suggestion, 1 by 2 inch rectangles work.  Just don't cut them too big or they won't cook in the middle.

You want the soup to simmer at a low boil, just turn it down enough so that it doesn't boil over.

*If they don't come out fluffy enough to suit you, try using 3 teaspoons baking powder next time.

Grandma always took the lid off, and dunked the dumplings down into the broth once or twice to be sure they're nice and chickeny.

Italian Sausage and Pasta

So... we went to check out a new supermarket because they sent some great coupons... and one was for Johnsonville bratwurst... brats cooked in beer are YUM-MEE!  But they weren't brats, they were Italian Sausages.  So we bought them anyway.  One package of "mild" and one of "sweet".

This is another recipe I modified.  Wow, that's something I used to never want to do, I always figured I'd ruin it.   But it needed modifying.  Besides cutting it in half, the original insisted you needed spicy sausage, cooked in oil.  And hey, you don't.  Use whatever you like.  The sweet was really good, and a bit spicy, too.   And you definitely don't need oil.


ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH PASTA

4 ounces (dry, uncooked weight) pasta
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic  (3 cloves)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 Tablespoons tomato sauce
5-6 ounce bag of fresh spinach
Optional: canned, diced tomatoes, as much as you want
Optional: Sliced mushrooms
Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, in salted water, and drain.

Remove the meat from the casing and crumble the sausage into a large skillet and heat over medium high heat, breaking up the meat.   After about 2 minutes, when a little fat has rendered out, stir in the onions and garlic (if you have a non stick skillet, you can add the right away).  Add mushrooms now if you want them.  Cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Skim off any excess fat in the skillet.

Add the broth and basil, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes to reduce.

If you want to add some canned, diced tomatoes, do it now.

Add the spinach, and cover.  Simmer for a few minutes until the spinach is cooked.

Stir in pasta.


Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. .

Serves 2

NOTES:

Any shape pasta should work. Tri-color rotini, makes it look fancy.

I used two Italian sausages.  The first time I used "sweet", the second time I had one mild and one sweet.   The sweet has basil in it, so it blended right in.   If you like hot and spicy, you could use that, too.

You shouldn't need any oil in the skillet, especially if it's a non-stick skillet.  Just be sure to stir the meat until a little fat renders out.  Then you can add the onions and garlic.

I've made it with and without tomatoes, and I don't think they add much besides color.  If you really like tomatoes, then by all means add some.  As many as you want.

You can use as much or as little spinach as you want, I usually get a 5 or 6 ounce bag, depending on where I buy it.   It will all clump together anyway. I was wasting my time trimming off the stems, they cook just as soft as the leaves.  Who knew? Just toss the whole bag in there and don't worry about it.

Use soft grated Parmesan, not the stuff in the can.   You want it to melt on top.  Italian Blend is good, too.   Romano, Parmesan, Mozzerella, etc.

I didn't take a picture, so here's some  rotini for you to look at...  hee-hee

Spell check doesn't think "rotini" is a word? Seriously?

UPDATE... PICTURES! 


So... here we go.   Here's the sausage with lotsa onions and some garlic...

Here's the broth, tomato sauce, and basil simmering away...

Add the pasta (Bowties!):

Add the spinach.  This is a 6 ounce package.

Cover with the gigantic lid....

Let it wilt a little bit, then stir.

When it looks like this, it's done!

Scoop it up (use a slotted spoon), sprinkle a little pepper on top, salt to taste, and top with cheese.

That was "Pizza Cheese" which was mozzeralla, parmesan,& romano.  Tasty. 

Yes, I have new kitchen towel! Makes a better background.   And yes, that's an insulated bowl holder, because we never eat at the table... well, not at home, at least.

I was going to add a few mushrooms, sliced, but when I went to the refrigerator to get them, they refused to be sliced and jumped directly into the trash...

I always think this would be good with garlic bread, but I never have any bread to make any.

Eat up! You're too skinny!

UPDATE:  I found this at the supermarket yesterday... Looks a lot less messy than pulling the meat out of the casings.   One pound was $3.99.

Sadly, someone at Kroger decided a photo of lasagna would be appropriate for the label... OMG, what is it with that stuff?  Am I the only person who gags at the sight of it?!?!?! Apparently so, as lasagna is the most searched recipe on the internet.  Well, don't look here. 

So there, I fixed the photo...

Leftover tomato sauce?  Freeze it in an ice cube tray, one cube is right around two tablespoons.  Pop the cubes out and store in a container or a freezer bag.  Wash the ice cube in the dishwasher and it's good as new.

Steak Bites

One of my favorite sites is The Pioneer Woman.   Ree Drummond is witty, clever, and likes her food real without going overboard on the home made wagon.

Two things, though... she likes hot peppers, and she's feeding a hungry family of 6, so everything is BIG.

But, her advice on cooking steaks was so good.  Use seasoned salt, a little butter in the grill pan, and cook it.  I do that with thin cut steaks.

This recipe was divine! Just cook it like she says!  Adjust the amount of meat to fit your needs.  I used 1/2 pound of petite sirloin.   I only needed to cook it one batch since it was less meat and a big skillet.
 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/steak-bites/

And it's easy to eat if you're sitting on the couch, no steak knife needed.   So much easier to cut the meat with a big, honking knife on a cutting board before it's cooked.

You definitely need the exhaust fan going, and an open window is good, too.

Buttermilk Fried Boneless Chicken

UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!

Frying is messy, stinky, and you never know when the chicken is done... but it's tasty.   This chicken finishes its cooking in the oven at a low temperature, so you don't have to tend to it every minute, and you have a little leeway with cooking time.

This also frees up space on the stove to make a nice pilaf, or some hot veggies, or something else to go with it.   Sure, my stove has four burners, but who wants to mess around there with hot, frying chicken on it, hot oil popping on your hands... besides, my stove is weird and only has one large burner.  (Edit: now I have a stove with FIVE burners, talk about confusing... 😏)

You need an oven proof skillet for this.  If you don't have one, you can transfer the chicken to a shallow baking dish.  An 11 x 7 inch should work.  Or even a cookie sheet if it has a rim.

You also need an exhaust fan and/or an open window.

The oven is set for TWO-HUNDRED FIFTY degrees, that's not a typo.

I always use thighs but you could probably use breasts, too.  They might take a little longer to cook, but you'll have to try it yourself, I'm not gonna...****

BONELESS FRIED CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
Salt
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup buttermilk*
Vegetable (NOT olive oil)

Heat oven to 250 F.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt.

Mix the flour and pepper together in a shallow bowl or on a plate.

Pour the buttermilk into a shallow bowl.

Dip the chicken pieces into flour, shake it off, dip in the buttermilk, and then back into the flour.  Coat thoroughly.

Pour about 1/4 inch of oil into your skillet and heat over medium high heat.

Heat the oil until hot but not smoking.**

Brown the chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes each.

Remove chicken, drain the oil from the skillet, and return the chicken to the skillet.***

Place the skillet  in the oven for about 20 minutes.

NOTES

* You can use soured milk instead of buttermilk.  Use about 2 teaspoons of white vinegar in a half cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.   You could also use plain Greek yogurt thinned with a little milk.  But buttermilk is best.

** Smoking things is bad.   Especially oil on the stove.  If it smokes, it's too hot, so turn it down before putting the chicken in or it'll burn.

DO NOT USE OLIVE OIL! It has a low smoke point.

***  If your skillet isn't oven proof, place the chicken in a shallow baking dish.

**** Tenderloins work well for this, too.

PS: I tried a recipe once that was similar... but it called for putting the skillet into a 475 degree oven, with all the oil still in the pan... let's just say that's it a good thing thing they were throwing that stove away when I moved out of that apartment... It was a mess, oil everywhere.  I never did get that thing clean.

UPDATE: After making this a dozen or so times, I've given up on the oven proof skillet.  I also don't dip the chicken in flour before the buttermilk.  Just salt it, dip in the buttermilk, and dredge in the flour mixture.

Use MEDIUM-HIGH heat to brown the chicken.  Place it on a rack on a cookie sheet to bake.  Less mess, less oil, less oily mess.

The dredging process is a mess no matter what, but it's less messy this way and tastes the same!


ANOTHER UPDATE: This works well on chicken tenderloins.  I'm not a white meat fan, but tenderloins are usually OK, and they stay moist and juicy when cooked this way.

This is before baking.  They don't brown any more in the oven, so get them how you want before baking.

Here they are, bubbling along on the stove... these will have to be turned over again to get browner.  It's better to not keep turning them over and over, the crust can crack and flake off.

 

Really, I meant 250...

 

Blackberry Cornmeal Cake

OK, it sounds weird, but it's really good.

Blackberry Cornmeal Cake

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, and ¼ cup for sprinkling
½ cup buttermilk*
2 eggs
½ cup butter (one stick) divided
12 ounces fresh blackberries

Heat oven to 375.

Melt 7 Tablespoons butter. (There's 8 in a stick, so just cut one off.)

n a large bowl, mix together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup sugar.

In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then stir in buttermilk and melted butter.

Add this to the dry ingredients, and mix well. (You don't have to beat it as much as you would a regular cake.)

Put the other Tablespoon of butter in a 10" cast iron skillet, place in the oven for 5 minutes until butter is melted and skillet is hot. Remove from oven and swirl the butter to coat the bottom.



Toss the blackberries with 1-2 Tablespoons of flour.

Pour batter into skillet. Scatter blackberries over the surface, then sprinkle with the 1/4 cup sugar,

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until top is evenly browned. Let cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature (warm in my kitchen).

I don't see any reason you couldn't bake this in a cake pan, but the skillet was full when it puffed up, so a 9 inch pan might not work. The directions said to put a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch drips, but I didn't see any.



Store loosely covered...if you put it in an airtight container, it gets soggy.

* You can add 1.5 tsp vinegar to 1/2 cup milk instead.

This thing is HUGE!   So, I experimented and cut it down to a reasonable size.

I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8 inch pan for 30 minutes. I also made sure the berries were dry, and didn't mix the batter up as much and the berries didn't sink all the way to the bottom.

This makes 6 smaller servings.
Blackberry Cornmeal Cake

½ Cup + 2 Tbls all purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup sugar, plus 2 Tbls for sprinkling
¼ cup low fat buttermilk*
1 egg
4 Tbls butter, melted + 1 Tbls for skillet
5-6 ounces blackberries

Mix together flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar.

In another bowl, stir together buttermilk, egg, and melted butter. (pour the butter in slowly so you don't get scrambled eggs) Pour this over the flour mixture, stir to combine

In an 8" ovenproof skillet, place 1 Tbls butter and put into the oven for 3-5 minutes to melt the butter and get the skillet hot.  (or set it on the burner over medium heat, it gets plenty hot.)

Put the berries in a baggie with 1 Tablespoon flour and shake it up.

Pour batter into skillet, sprinkle berries over the top. Sprinkle the 2 Tbls sugar over the batter.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes.

*I never have buttermilk on hand, I use ¼ cup milk with a splash of white vinegar.   (the usual ratio is 1 Tbls. per cup of milk. )

This Fad Can Be Dangerous!

There are recipes going around for baking cakes in canning jars.

Not that I would ever try this because I don't think it's easier than a cake pan, and the ones I've seen look gross.

And it just seems dangerous.  Hot food in an exploding jar... not only would it be messy, but  the last thing I need is another way to get injured in the kitchen!

And before you "pooh pooh" away the concern, read the warning from the manufacturers and other canning experts, and remember that almost every safety recommendation is the result of someone being seriously injured!  (Mr. Giddy learned this in safety instructor training). 

Jarden the manufacturer of Ball, Kerr, and Bernadin canning jars official position (800-240-3340) is oven canning, heating jars in the oven for canning, or using jars to bake is unsafe and not recommended. 

The jars were not made for this purpose. The unsafe condition is what is call Thermal Shock Breakage. The heat from an oven is a different heat than what is produced in a water bath or pressure canner. The breakage can occur during the heat process inside the oven or outside on the counter as they cool. 

This breakage could be anything from a crack in the glass where shards may be deposited into the jar and not observed by the canner or baker and end up in your food, to a full break of the jars possibly happening during handling and filling with your recipe.
 
In addition the representative agreed that based on the contents that you are canning or baking there is no way to be sure that you are completely killing all the microorganisms and making the jars shelf stable. With baking you are running the risk of botulism as the ingredients that you are using such as eggs, flour, and other non-cannable products will grow bacteria fairly quickly in a jar. You are then giving these products to friends and family that you are putting at risk.

In addition the University of Georgia (UGa) and National Center for Home Preserving states clearly; (http://nchfp.uga.edu/questions/FAQ_canning.html#7)  “No. This can be dangerous because the temperature will vary according to the accuracy of oven regulators and circulation of heat. Dry heat is very slow in penetrating into jars of food. Also, jars explode easily in the oven.”

So don't be trendy!

Easy Pulled Pork (Crock Pot)

This is so freakin' easy... even I can do it.

1 lb pork loin roast**
12 ounces root beer or coke
1 bottle (or less) BBQ sauce

For sandwiches:  2 large hamburger buns


Put the pork and the root beer into the crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the pot, and discard the liquid.   Wipe out the crock with a paper towel (don't burn your hand!).

Take two forks and pull the meat apart.  Next time I'll take a picture.  You don't CHOP it like some recipes say, that's just wrong.  The meat should come apart in shreds.  If it doesn't, it's not cooked enough, give it another hour.

Return the shredded meat to the pot and stir in some BBQ sauce, about 1/3 to 1/2 the bottle.*
 
Cover and cook on low for another hour.

Serve up on hamburger buns, open faced.

* Mr. Giddy likes a lot more sauce than I do, so I scoop up my serving, then stir in some more sauce for him.  Just make sure the sauce isn't cold when you do this!  I leave it out on the counter for that last hour.  Don't worry, it won't spoil and kill you.

**You could use pork tenderloin instead, and it's really, really, good.  It just costs a lot more.