Tag: Tiny House

Day After Soup

If I feel like it. Sometimes I’m tired of cooking and I just throw the turkey carcass away.

Cooking equipment I used:
8 quart stock pot
8 cup Pyrex measuring cup
Strainer

For the broth:
Turkey carcass
1 large carrot roughly broken
2 celery stalks roughly broken
2 bay leaves
1 yellow onion quartered with skin on
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
2 sprigs of parsley

Put all ingredients in large stockpot add enough water to cover or just about cover the turkey. Bring to a boil then simmer for two hours or so skimming off any foamy stuff around the edge. Take out the big pieces and then strain into another pot or bowl big enough to hold the broth.

For the soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion medium dice
3 carrots sliced thinish
3 celery stalks sliced thinish
3 cups turkey meat pulled apart
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (or half teaspoon each of sage, thyme, marjoram rosemary, pepper— I leave out the nutmeg due to allergies)
1 teaspoon salt—taste to adjust after a little while
3/4 cup Madeira wine
1/2 pound wild rice or mixed wild rice like Lundberg wild blend
All the broth plus water if needed

In a stockpot/soup pot add one tablespoon olive oil, teaspoon of salt and add onion, celery and carrot and cook on medium-high until softened. Add poultry season stir for a minute so it can bloom. Add 3/4 cup Madiera wine and turn heat to high and reduce about half. Add broth, turkey, rice and water if needed (I add water if needed to bring level up to about 4/5 of stockpot) bring to a boil, simmer for a few hours. Spoon off any foamy stuff around edge.

Copyright © 2018 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Holiday Beef and Peppers

…because it’s red and green.

For this four person version, you’ll need:
1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice
2 1/3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or use garlic press
1 tablespoon curry powder (recipe at end because I have a fenugreek allergy)
1 pound ground beef
1 large yellow onion sliced into strips
1 red pepper cut into strips
1 green pepper cut into strips

Make rice. I bake short grain brown rice. Oven 375º. Bring 2 1/3 cups of water to a boil. I use a measuring cup in the microwave. In a covered baking dish or use foil, combine 1 1/2 cups rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the boiling water. Stir. Cover. Bake for 50 minutes.

Make sauce. In a measuring cup add a tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix in 1/3 cup soy sauce slowly. Then 1/3 cup water. Add 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or put through the press, 1 tablespoon curry powder.

Brown around one pound ground beef. I freeze ground beef for dishes like this. I use 90% lean grass-fed. In a large frying pan, add frozen ground beef. On medium high heat, turn and break up with spatula. Meanwhile, slice one yellow onion into strips. Add onion when beef is browned. While onion is browning cut red and green pepper into strips. Add peppers to the pan and about a half cup of water. Cover and steam until peppers are how you like them. Work in the sauce for a minute or so, adding water if needed. Serve over rice.

Done.

I’m thinking about trying this with a butter, Worcestershire sauce, and curry over mashed potatoes.

Curry powder: 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon tumeric, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

Copyright © 2017 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Salmon and Vegetables Teriyaki

The same dish they have for takeaway at Whole Foods with better salmon and a less sweet teriyaki and also you can control the teriyaki here. Plus it hasn’t been sitting there all day.

For this four person version, you’ll need:
2 cups short grain sushi rice
3 cups water
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 carrots
1 large red pepper or 2 small
4 cups broccoli florets
1 pound salmon
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 rice wine or sake
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated ginger
Toasted sesame seeds

Rinse rice. Sushi rice in the rice cooker or heat 2 cups rice with 1 tablespoon of canola oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. To make more or less rice: 1 teaspoon canola oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for every 1 cup of rice add 1 1/2 cup water. About 17 minutes. Or use rice cooker.

Mix teriyaki sauce: in a measuring cup add a heaping spoon of cornstarch, then stir in 1/2 cup soy sauce until you have a smooth slurry. Then 1/4 cup each mirin rice wine or sake, brown sugar. Add a teaspoon of grated ginger and fresh ground pepper to taste. Microwave a minute at a time until thickened or bring to a boil on stove.

Bake salmon however done you like (remove pin bones if needed). I use around a pound for four people. 350º for around 25 minutes usually works.

Steam Carrots, red pepper, and broccoli: start carrots first for a few minutes, then red pepper, then broccoli.

Garnish with teriyaki sauce and toasted sesame seeds. Maybe some thinly sliced scallions too.

Done.

Would work for chicken. Short ribs? All vegetables?

Copyright © 2017 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Tabbouleh

The first time I had this was in a Persian restaurant in Washington DC. A salad of parsley. It’s a bit of a pain to make, especially since I don’t like parsley stems, but foolproof.

1 1/2 cups bulgar wheat (medium or coarse)
2 big bunches of parsley
1 small red onion
2 large tomatoes
1 cup lemon juice (4-5 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh or dried mint
Salt and pepper to taste

Start proofing the bulgar wheat. There are many ways to do this. I’ve settled on putting it into a mesh strainer fitted into a saucepan—shown above—and running hot water over it to wet the grains until the water reaches the top. I sit it by the sink and about 45 minutes later it’s all puffed up and you can just pick the strainer up and let the water run out.

While this is going on, get out a large bowl, the biggest one you have. Finely dice the tomatoes and put them in your bowl and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

In a 2 cup measuring cup, add a half cup of olive oil and stir in the mint; finely minced if using fresh. Squeeze the lemons and add to the olive oil.

Now finely dice the red onion and add it to the olive oil and lemon juice mixture.

Now the parsley. I don’t like stems so I painstakingly pluck the leaves and then coarsely chop them. But you can do this however you want.

Once the bulgur is drained and ready, add everything to the bowl with the tomatoes. Add freshly ground pepper to taste or not.

Watch it disappear in less time than it took to make.

Copyright © 2017 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Yucatán Bentosh

A very loose interpretation Cochinita Pibil, which I first had in Mérida. Cochinita Pibil is like pulled pork, but with a kick from sour orange juice instead of vinegar.

For this four person version, you’ll need:
1 pound ground beef
1 red onion halved and sliced thinly
2 small/medium yellow onions finely diced (one for the rice, one for the beef)
1 medium tomato for the rice
2 cups Jasmine rice
3 cups water
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon +1 tablespoon chili powder
3 cloves garlic finely minced of put through garlic press
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
Iceberg lettuce (to me, iceberg tastes the best here since it is cool and kind of sweet)
Cilantro leaves (I pluck the leaves unless the stems are really tender)
1 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
Additional toppings: avocado, jalapeno slices, shredded cheese….

Work on the onions first because they need time to cool; you can also make them early in the day or days in advance. Halve and thinly slice red onion and boil covered in water for two minutes or so, until they soften. Don’t worry when you see their color fade. Drain the onions, place in a bowl big enough for them, and cover with white vinegar. Now the magic will happen: they’ll start turning bright pink.

Get a pot out for the rice. Add some oil to the pot, I use about a teaspoon of olive or canola oil, and a teaspoon of salt. You can set this on low while your finely chop a half of a yellow onion. Saute the onion until it’s kind of soft. While this is going on, finely dice a medium size tomato. When the onion is done, add about a teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder and let that warm up a bit. Add the tomato and saute for a minute. Stir in two cups of rice— I’ve been using Jasmine rice here—and three cups of water and bring to a boil; then cover and set on low for seventeen minutes. You could also make cilantro lime rice. Or you could also use Near East Rice Pilaf Spanish Rice to cut down on prep time; two boxes would equal about what I have here. Put the bowls on the stove to warm up.

Once the rice is on its own, start browning your ground beef while you chop one yellow onion and a few cloves of garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the meat and brown everything up a bit before adding around a tablespoon of chili powder and a teaspoon of cumin. Give the spices a minute to bloom before adding a 14.5 (why isn’t it 15 ounces?) can of diced tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil and then let this simmer. Add a little white or apple cider vinegar. I stir it every few minutes; sometimes I need to add a little water.

While the meat and rice are cooking, you can get the toppings ready. Toppings can be a lot of things here: any kind of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, any kind of salsa, cilantro leaves, sliced jalapeno peppers, roasted peppers, shredded cheese, gosh what else? Don’t forget the pickled onions. I’m sure there’s other stuff. Oh, lime quarters (maybe not with the pickled onions). Avocado. Beans too. I’m allergic to legumes so I can’t really recommend what kind, but they could be in addition to or instead of the meat. Margaritas and mojitos. But Mexican Coke in the green bottle is awesome. Or horchata!

Notes: I’m starting to buy some different chili powders. There are a lot of different flavor notes in them: different kinds of smoky, some have citrus flavors, and others are almost sweet, some are H-O-T. I find them in local Hispanic markets, where I also see a lot of whole dried peppers. I haven’t advanced to grinding my own, but one day I’ll probably give that a try just to see if it makes a difference. Whole Foods has some different ones now. I use grass-fed ground beef all the time now. In this dish, you can’t really taste the difference, but you can appreciate the tender texture of the grass-fed beef. I also want to try cotija or queso blanco. I’ve made this with jack cheese, but I wasn’t crazy about the flavor.

Copyright © 2017 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Winter Chicken and Tomatoes

Four small chicken breasts
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
1 or 2 heads of garlic cloves peeled
2 cups of orzo
1 cup of parsley leaves (I don’t like the stems, so I pluck the leaves)
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of capers
Sea salt flakes, ground pepper, olive oil

Arrange the shelves in the oven to make room for the baking dish with the chicken and the baking pan with the tomatoes to go in together— I put the chicken just below the middle and the tomatoes and garlic just above the middle. Get the oven going at 400°. Put the cherry tomatoes and peeled garlic cloves and capers in a bowl. Toss with a little olive oil, spread this out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper. If the baking dish doesn’t have a lid, cover with foil; I use an 11 cup Anchor Hocking baking dish with a glass lid which is good for up to four not too big chicken breasts. Put everything in the oven. The tomatoes will take around 30 minutes to shrivel up and get some brown spots. I usually just leave the chicken in until everything is done, but you can test it around 20 minutes; if it looks cooked through when you pierce it with a knife or the instant read thermometer says it’s 165º, it’s done. You can take it out and let stay warm on the stove.

While the tomatoes are roasting, start a pot for your orzo and bring it to a boil; salt the water if you wish. Orzo usually takes 10 minutes, so try to plot for it to be done when the chicken and tomatoes come out. While you’re waiting, finely chop some parsley for the orzo, and have some lemon wedges ready— I take out any pips that I can see. Set your bowls on the stove to let them warm up a bit.

When the tomatoes and garlic and capers are shriveled up and brown in spots, it’s ready. Drain the orzo and put it back in the pot; drizzle with some olive oil and fold in the parsley and maybe some salt. Take the chicken and tomatoes out of the oven and slice or dice the chicken in the baking dish or on a cutting board. Now it comes together: every bowl gets some orzo, a few slices of chicken, tomatoes and garlic. Then I finish the dish with a few capers and a splash of lemon juice. This might work with fish, maybe tilapia dredged and pan fried. The orzo could be any small pasta (little shells with fish could be nice) or even rice, quinoa, or couscous.

Update February 2016: I made this with quinoa instead of orzo and I like it just a much.

Copyright © 2017 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Hark! The Cookie

Common name: White chocolate chip mint chocolate cookies.

This was my younger daughter’s idea for a holiday cookie, based on her love of peppermint bark, that we cobbled together from various cookie recipes.

6.5 ounce bag of starlight mints or box of candy canes
8 ounces of butter (two sticks), I used regular salted butter this time because that was all I had
1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2/3  cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 cups of flour (I used Gold Medal)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Guittard Cocoa Rouge)
1 teaspoon baking powder
12 ounces of white chocolate chips (I used Guittard Choc-Au-Lait)

Get the butter and eggs out to soften and get up to room temperature (this usually takes a half hour or so).

Get the oven going at 350˚.

Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats (such as Silpat) if needed.

Bash the candy into something around the size of Red Hots or M&M Minis. Careful here. The first time I used a rolling pin and now it is covered in pock marks. I had better success placing the candy between two layers of heavy duty zip lock bags and using the flat side of a meat mallet on a plastic cutting board. I have also used a food processor, but that just turns it to mostly dust (it also gets the machine really hot and etches the bowl).

Combine 2 cups of flour, 2/3 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Set aside. I don’t usually sift the dry ingredients together unless it’s a cake or cupcake.

With a stand or hand mixer, cream together 8 ounces of butter, 1 cup sugar, and 2/3 cup brown sugar. Scrape down as needed. Add the eggs. Mix until all mixed together.

Scrape down the bowl and begin adding the dry ingredients in three additions. Scraping down between each addition. This is to help incorporate the dry ingredients and also to keep you from having a flour bomb go off.

Once everything is thoroughly mixed, fold in the crushed candy and white chocolate chips. Don’t worry if the batter seems ridiculously thick.

Now you can decide what size you want the cookie. I used a large ice cream scoop that holds a ⅓ of a cup. I baked 5 cookies at a time on a large baking sheet. This made a ‘monster’ size cookie between 4 and 5 inches across. I baked these for 14 minutes (17 in new convection spaceship range). I did one sheet at a time, although if I would have turned the convection on, I could have done three sheets at a time.

Makes 17 cookies.

Let cool slightly and eat.

Copyright © 2016 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Thai Beef and Basil

3 cups basil total

For this four person version, you’ll need:
1 to 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cups Basmati rice
6 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup beef broth or water
2 cups basil leaves
1 tablespoon of canola oil (if cooking rice in pot)
1/2 cup rice wine
Salt and pepper

For the sauce:
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of fish sauce or oyster sauce or hoisin
1 tablespoon of sugar (optional)

To finish:
1 cup basil leaves (torn if big)
2 or 3 carrots julienned or shredded (I use this Japanese julienne tool)
4 to 6 scallions
1 lime cut into four wedges
Chili garlic sauce

Cooking equipment I used:
10 inch frying pan for beef and basil
Pot for rice—I used a 3 quart saucepan, or use rice cooker

If using frozen beef, get that started in the pan, breaking it up as it browns. Then make the rice how you want. I usually heat the rice up in a tablespoon of canola oil, stirring to coat, and then add 1 1/2 cups of water for every cup of rice. Here, I used two cups of rice and three cups of water. Add salt to water if desired. Bring to a boil and cover for 17 minutes before fluffing. Put your bowls on the stove to warm up.

While the beef is browning, julienne the carrots, remove stems from basil, finelly slice the scallions, and take skins off garlic cloves. Stir the soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar together. When the beef is browned, add the garlic. You can slice, finely mince, or put the garlic through a press and add to the beef. Let this work together for a minute. Deglaze the pan with a half cup of rice wine and let that almost burn off. Then add the beef broth and two cups of basil. When the basil is wilted and the sauce is bubbling, it’s ready! Put some rice in the bowls, top with the beef and basil, then divide the the basil and carrots, then drizzle over the sauce, and finally, sprinkle the scallions. Serve with lime wedges and chili garlic sauce.

Copyright © 2016 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Salmon Teriyaki

Broccolini options: You could use any greens here. I have made this with something called ‘Chinese broccoli’ and also with baby bok choy. All steamed. But stir frying the vegetables would work too.

Salmon options: I have been seeking out wild Sockeye, King, or Coho salmon because they have the deepest color. I’m not sure what goes on with farmed salmon, but they look like I do after a long winter—pale. I might try arctic char the next time. Also you can either pan fry the salmon or bake it at 275ºF until it reaches 140º (about 30 minutes for a one pound piece.)

Rice options: Instead of brown rice, you could use white rice, quinoa, couscous…

Sauce options: I have been using bottled teriyake sauce. The Whole Foods brand has a pretty good one.

Time note: If you do the baked rice, it will take about 10 minutes to prep and boil the water and 50 minutes in the oven. Everything else will come together within that time. I usually manage to clean up the kitchen and check messages, email, etc. while things are cooking.

For this four person version, you’ll need:
Around a 1/4 to a 1/3 of a pound per person for the salmon
3 cups of medium grain brown rice
2 bunches of broccolini
Around a 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
Around 4 or 5 spring onions finely sliced to garnish
Salt, ground pepper, olive or canola oil
Optional: sea salt flakes, fresh cracked pepper

Cooking Equipment I used:
Frying pan for salmon (I used a 12″ pan for four pieces of salmon)
4 quart pot with steamer insert
Anchor Hocking 11 cup covered baking dish or 9×13 baking dish with foil to cover for the rice
Four cup Pyrex measuring cup for boiling water

Get the oven going at 375º.

Next, get the rice going. This is my big, hoping for leftovers portion, but you can cut it in half or thirds:
• Mix 2 cups medium grain brown rice and 3/4 tsp table salt in the baking dish
• Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a pot or microwave in a four cup Pyrex measuring cup or other microwave safe bowl.
• Add the boiling water to the rice
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of canola olive oil
• Cover and bake for about 50 minutes.

Once the rice is in, put the bowls on the stove to warm up and cut up the broccolini in roughly 3 inch pieces. Discard (or compost) any really woody ends. Set aside until you get the salmon in the pan. Prepare the pot and steamer. Add about 1 cup of water and set on low.

When the rice has about fifteen minutes left, set a pan or a griddle on the stove and let it get good and hot. Prepare your salmon: rinse, dry, remove any bones, season with a little table salt and ground or fresh cracked pepper. You can cut into serving sizes or leave whole.

Turn the steamer up to high. Put the broccolini when the salmon has about four minutes to go.

Sear the salmon flesh side down, turning after it releases from the pan and has a little crust to it; I don’t find that I need any oil here, I just have to wait for the pan to let it go after a few minutes. Sear the other side a few minutes and let the skin crisp up, someone at the table will probably love a side dish of crispy salmon skins. Turn the heat down and let it finish cooking, anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes depending on how thick it is and how done you want it to be. Sneak a peek with a sharp knife at the thickest part if you’re not sure. I always do this because I’m never sure. When the salmon is almost done, take out the rice and uncover the broccolini

It’s ready. Remove the skins from the salmon if you want. Or leave them on. Coat the salmon with the teriyaki. Assemble your little bowl with as much or as little as you want. Top with spring onions.

Notes: For olive oil, I use Columela, for sea salt flakes, I use Maldon, and for pepper, I use the Tellicherry variety. I use table salt for anything mixed in or cooked and save the sea salt flakes for finishing or roasting. Using these ingredients adds a little extra flavor to the dish and they’re getting much easier to find now.

Copyright © 2016 MRuesen • All rights reserved

Tamogoyaki

A very loose version of the Japanese rolled omelette.

Potato options: You don’t even have to use potatoes, you could just do just vegetables— maybe peppers, eggplant, and onions? They wouldn’t need as much time to roast. You can also add other root vegetables, like carrots or parsnips, different onions, any color of peppers— I think I will try orange peppers next time.

Egg options: Any kind of cheese or herbs that you like would work. I find that I like it without the cheddar cheese, but everyone else wants it so I leave a little strip uncheesed.

For this four person version, you’ll need:
6 large or extra large eggs (organic ones usually have better color and flavor)
1 tablespoon of butter for greasing baking dish
1 cup of whole milk
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
6 or 8 or so Yukon Gold potatoes (depending on size)
1 large yellow onion
1 large red pepper
1/2 cup of parsley leaves (I don’t like the stems, so I pluck the leaves)
1/4 cup chives finely chopped
1/2 shredded/grated cheddar cheese
Salt, ground pepper, olive or canola oil
Optional: sea salt flakes, fresh cracked pepper

Cooking equipment I used:
10×15 Pyrex baking dish
Parchment paper
13×18 sheet pan for the potatoes and vegetables (I use a non-stick one)

Arrange the shelves in the oven so one is just below the center and one above with enough room on the center shelf for the baking dish with the eggs. Get the oven going at 375º. Put as many potato cubes—I use Yukon Gold and leave the skin on—yellow onions, and red pepper as you want in a bowl. I have been cutting everything into cubes somewhere around a half inch, but larger or smaller would work fine just the timing would be a little different. Toss the vegetables in some olive oil—or oil of your choice— and spread out on your baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Put in the oven on the top rack so it can get started. The potatoes will take around 45 minutes including browning. Set the bowls on the stove to warm.

Grease some sort of pan or oven-proof dish that is around 10×15 with butter and line with parchment paper. I use a Pyrex baking dish and I usually cut one piece of parchment about ten inches by twenty-three or four inches so it hangs down the sides. This will help you roll the omelette. In a large bowl, whisk together one cup of whole milk— soy or almond milk may work here but I’m allergic to them so I can’t say— with a quarter cup of flour by adding the milk slowly to the flour until it is blended. I used basic all-purpose flour but I’m sure other flours, such as rice flour, would work as well. Add six large eggs, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and around half a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Whisk everything together. Pour the egg mixture into the parchment lined baking dish. When the potatoes have been in around 25 minutes, place the eggs on the middle rack. The eggs will go in for ten to thirteen minutes or so depending on how runny or firm you want your eggs to be. While the eggs are cooking, finely chop a bunch or handful of chives and then a similar amount of parsley. Shred the cheddar cheese if using.

When the eggs are ready, take them out and put the oven on broil to finish the potatoes. Here too it depends on your taste, I like to get them browned to the point where another thirty seconds or so and they would be ashes. And sometimes they do get burnt when you play it close like that. While this is happening, sprinkle the hot eggs with most of the chopped chives and grated cheddar cheese. Then you can lift the parchment up on one end to help you start to roll it. Don’t worry if it’s not tight enough— you can just re-roll it or leave it loose. Wrap the parchment around the roll to hold it together and let it rest. When the potatoes are ready, put some in each bowl and top with parsley. Then remove the parchment and slice of the egg like you would a jelly roll, put the egg on top of the potatoes and top with remaining chives; you can add other toppings if you want: more cheese, scallions, sriracha, ketchup, anything you can think of. If you have a bunch of people, you can put toppings out for folks to choose.

Copyright © 2015 MRuesen • All rights reserved