Sauerkraut Gratin

So, what to do with all that homemade sauerkraut?  Ask Chef Gaby! After trying my homemade sauerkraut and declaring it was the best she had ever had she emailed me this recipe. A modified version of Paul Grimm's version.

Sauerkraut Gratin

1 leek, finely chopped (I used 1/4 cup finely chopped onion)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed (I used my spice grinder)
4 Tablespoons salted butter
2 pounds sauerkraut, drained and chopped (I used 2 quart jars full of mostly drained fresh kraut)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
salt and white Pepper
3/4 cup Panko crumbs

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion until translucent. Add the juniper and the bay leaf followed by the kraut. Cook down until the kraut is hot. While that cooks, combine the cream, milk, eggs and season with salt and pepper.

Remove bay leaf and transfer the kraut mix into a 9x13"baking dish. 

Pour over the custard mix. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. **

Meanwhile melt the remaining butter and toss with panko crumbs.

Sprinkle crumbs on top and baked an additional 15 minutes until the crumbs are golden brown and the gratin doesn't jiggle when wiggled.

**The recipe called for putting the buttered Panko crumbs on at the beginning of the cooking time but I was afraid it might burn so I added them later.  

Squash Pancakes

My friend Rachel gave me this recipe.  What a great way to get your kids to eat veggies! We eat these as a side with supper.

Squash Pancakes

4 cups shredded squash (zucchini and/or yellow squash are best)

1 cup shredded cheese (pick your favorite)

1/2 teaspoon salt

few dashes of pepper

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups Bisquick (GF also works!)

Stir all the ingredients together. (I pulled my veggies out of the freezer but fresh can certainly be used.)

I used Mexi-blend here.

Drop by scoopfuls onto hot griddle.

Cook until golden brown on the outsides and done on the inside.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

In one of my classes with Chef Gaby we talked about whole spices and grinding our own.  We put together rubs, vinegars, oils, and other dry spices. One was this, taco seasoning.  She threw together spices I would never have thought to put together for true "taco" seasoning.  This is nothing like those taco packets.  It's better!  Why?  First off, they are whole spices that are ground.  A WOW! Bam! Burst of flavor! Second, whatever combination this is, works!!  

I only took basic notes on the spices so I figured up measurements and we liked this combo. 

Taco Seasoning

1 small cinnamon stick (broken up a little)

1 Tablespoon whole cumin seed

1/2 Tablespoon whole coriander 

1/2 Tablespoon whole fennel seed

1 Tablespoon ground chili powder

1 Tablespoon ground paprika

Macaroni Salad with Peas

Quick and easy pasta dish ready in 30 minutes or less!  It's versatile so feel free to chance up the seasonings.

Macaroni Salad with Peas

5 ounces dry macaroni (I used GF)

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used a canola based)

3 Tablespoons buttermilk

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon dill

1-1/2 cup frozen peas (more if you like)

Cook your pasta, drain, rinse under cool water to cool pasta.  Allow to drain while you mix other ingredients.

Mix mayonnaise, buttermilk, Parmesan, and dill together.  Add pasta.

Put your frozen peas in a strainer.  Run cool water over them until any ice crystals on them melt away.  This will also thaw your peas.  Stir into pasta. Enjoy!

If you do not eat it all in that sitting or make ahead to take someplace you will need add a little milk as the pasta will absorb liquid as it sits.

Homemade Yogurt using Dry Culture

Homemade Yogurt using Dry Culture

1 gallon milk (We use our own goat milk)
6 vanilla beans
1/8 teaspoon dry yogurt culture (We use ABY-2C - see below)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Resident yogurt maker!  Carl does all the yogurt biz in this house!

In a double boiler, dump in milk.  Add the vanilla beans which should be split and the "cavier" scraped out into the milk. Heat to 180 degrees and hold for 30 minutes.  Normally we don't like to heat our milk so high but this time we want to take out the bacteria and add in our own to take on this yogurt's flavor.

Strain to get all the vanilla bean pods out.

Feel free to use your clean fingers to press the goodies around to get all the milk thru the strainer.

Cool to 115 degrees by placing the jar in cool water/ice.  When it reaches 115 degrees add your culture and stir to incorporate.

This is the culture we use from Dairy Connection  It it meant to be a thicker sweeter yogurt.

Place in a cooler filled part way with hot water.  The temperature of the air inside the cooler with the lid shut should be 110 degrees.  If not add more hot water or change out some of the water but don't let them go over the glass dishes you will set in there. Carl has now put the yogurt into two half gallon containers.  He places his jars into glass dishes so the hot water does not directly touch the glass.

Place lid on top and let sit for 9 hours.  When it is done, stir in maple syrup and place in fridge.

We enjoy ours with homemade granola and fruit or in smoothies.

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Blueberries, granola, and yogurt.

Apples, granola, and yogurt.

Berry Smoothie

French Toast

French Toast

cinnamon swirl bread slices
For each slice use one egg and a dab of milk. 
Vanilla Extract (optional)

I use a large container and make 8-10 at a time.  Beat eggs and milk, dunk bread.  I let it soak up as much as it can.  Cook until completely done.  Place on cooling rack.  

Add eggs to pan and cook in one piece.  Cut into amount of servings of bread you have.  IE, 8 slices of bread 8 pieces of scrambled egg flats.  

Also place on cooling rack.  FREEZE all!  When frozen place in freezer zip bag.  Take out a piece of French toast and a piece of egg scramble and place in toaster.  Pop down.  Egg usually takes just one turn and bread two. Easy easy!!  YES, I put eggs in my toaster!  It does require adult help to get the egg out with tongs. 

Cut into slices and the kids can dunk them in their syrup.  I prefer my French toast with butter spread on and cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on it, not that yucky syrup!  ;)

Yum Soup

This recipe is courtesy of my first grader.  They made this as part of a social studies project.  Some of the students in her class brought something to add to the pot and since it's made by kids you know it's easy and for it's simplicity it is tasty!  I use my homecanned vegetables, juice and broth in ours.

Yum Soup

1 pound cooked ground beef, drained

1 can mixed vegetables, undrained (2 if you want more veggies, drain the second one)

2 cans beef broth or ~4 cups homemade beef broth

3 cups tomato juice

salt and pepper to taste

saltine crackers 

Throw in a pot, heat, and eat!

Here is a scan of the recipe she brought home.  Luckily she was able to give me more details and measurements. 

Meringues

Meringues

3 large egg whites at room temp
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Separate eggs, one at a time into a small bowl making sure there is NO trace of egg yolk in the white.  If there is you must discard the egg white and start over.  If it is ok then dump it into a medium bowl.   After you have been successful with all 3 you can add the cream of tartar and beat on medium high speed until soft peaks form.  Slowly add sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar has been added.  Continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy. Add vanilla and beat just 30 more seconds.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.   Fill frosting bag fitted with a large frosting tip of your choice with meringue.  Pipe meringue onto parchment in 1-1/2 inch cookies.  They won’t expand much so you can put them as close as 1/2”.  Sprinkle on crush almonds or finely chopped walnuts. Bake for 1-1/2 hours until dry and crisp.  Cool.  Keep in airtight container.  

Try to use them within a day or so if you can as they will soak up any humidity around them and become sticky.  If they do you can sprinkle powdered sugar on the serving dish before you place them and sprinkle a little more on top.  Even if they aren't sticky that makes a pretty presentation.  

These simply melt in your mouth!!

Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

1 1/4 cups coarsely ground cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

8 tablespoons butter, melted --divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet inside.  Allow it to heat while you make the batter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar,  baking powder, and baking soda.

In another bowl whisk the milk, buttermilk, eggs and almost all of the melted butter.  Keep back about 1 Tablespoon for the skillet.

Pour into dry 

and mix. 

Remove the hot skillet from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Dump the other tablespoon of butter into bottom of hot skillet. Use a pastry brush to brush it up on sides.  Pour the batter into the skillet and place in the oven.

Bake until the center is firm and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes.  I found that 15 minutes was plenty for my 10" pan but each oven and pan can differ.

It is a really moist cornbread but not a very sweet cornbread so we drizzled honey on it.  YUM!!

Baked Potato Soup

Please see new posting here:

http://www.inthekitchenwithjenny.com/2014/11/loaded-baked-potato-soup.html

Thank you!!

Cheater's Guacamole

I love guacamole but don't always have the time to chop or want to make a mess.  This is a quick and easy way to cheat your way to guacamole!

Cheater's Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
salsa
sour cream

Mash avocado in small bowl, add about 2 Tablespoons or so of drained salsa and 1-2 Tablespoons of sour cream.

Mix and enjoy without all the chopping and mess!! 

Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake and Frosting

Easy Chocolate  Sheet Cake and Frosting

cake:
1 box Devil’s food cake mix (I use Pillsbury)

1 large pkg instant sugar free chocolate fudge pudding

1-3/4 cup water

3 egg whites

frosting:

1-1/4 cup milk

1 small pkg instant sugar free chocolate fudge pudding

8 ounces whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dump cake mix, pudding, water, and egg whites in large bowl.  Beat on low until incorporated, then on medium for 2 minutes.   Pour into a greased jelly roll pan. Bake for 13-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool.

When cake is cool and you are ready to frost place milk and pudding in medium bowl and whisk for 2 minutes. Let set for at least 15 minutes.  Fold in whipped topping.  Slice cake and then frost cake. I used a frosting top to make designs on each slice of cake.  Keep in fridge until ready to serve.

Homemade Croutons

 Homemade Croutons

4 cups cubed bread, preferably starting to stale (I use my honey wheat bread)
2 Tablespoons (approximate) olive oil
salt or other seasoning of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put cubed bread in medium bowl, drizzle some of the olive oil, toss, drizzle rest on. If it is not coated as you like you can put a little more oil on but don't drench it.  If you want a little salt or other seasoning such as garlic or ranch then put it on here while the bread is wet.  Be sure to add a little, toss, then add more so your top pieces aren't what gets all the seasoning.

Dump onto cookie sheet and make sure they are in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, toss/turn.  Go an additional 5, toss/turn.  Taste one of the croutons if they are not nearly crunchy and aren't too brown you can throw them in for another 5 minutes.  You don't want burns croutons but you do want the moisture out so they last. They will completely firm up when they cool.

 Put into a plastic container with an airtight lid or a zip shut bag.

 You can us them on salads or soups.