First up: A salad Brian & I threw together. We were craving something of the Italian variety to bring to a pizza party. I've since not been able to get enough of this combination: spinach, radicchio, flat-leaf parsley, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes,
pepperoncini,
parmesan cheese, whole wheat croutons and homemade Italian dressing (I use the recipe printed on my
Pampered Chef Measure, Mix & Pour.)
Next up: a super simple fruit cobbler I made for a recent football watch party we attended. It received positive praise and requests for more, so this one's a keeper. (I figured it's fairly healthy stuff considering I made it with organic fruit and oats ... right???)
Eating for two, I am on a natural foods kick, so I've been doing my best to avoid high fructose corn syrup and sugar substitutes. Brian & I tried and were blown away by
Turkey Hill Dairy's vanilla ice cream. If you haven't tried it, I'd suggest you do.
Deep Dish Berry Cobbler1 package
Krusteaz Crumb Cake Mix
4 cups frozen mixed berries (I used a combination of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries & raspberries.)
1 pouch Cinnamon Topping (included in cake mix)
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 tablespoon water
* * *
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, gently toss together berries and 1/2 cup cake mix. (If you accidentally misread the directions and add half of the cake mix, no worries. It comes out just fine.) Spoon berry mixture into an
ungreased 10-inch deep-dish pie pan.
In a separate bowl, place remaining cake mix, full pouch cinnamon topping, butter, oats and water. Using an electric mixer, mix on medium speed until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle topping over berry mixture.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
Source: Krusteaz
This weekend, Brian tried his hand at a culinary feat he's always wanted to attempt: making homemade stocks. These are Brian's recipes, and we haven't actually cooked with them yet. We're currently freezing a total of about four gallons of stock divided into two-cup portions using Solo cups. I used a flashlight to help me illuminate the picture above. Brian encouraged me to share his recipes and to ask for feedback. Have you ever made homemade stock? Do you have a recipe to share? How might you tweak his recipes below?
Chicken stock8 pounds whole chicken, cut up (remove breasts) and browned in hot oil
2 medium onions, skin on, quartered
3/4 to 1 head chopped celery
3 chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, skin on, smashed
1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 to 4 sprigs fresh
majoram2 sprigs fresh savory
3 to 4 fresh bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh sage
1 large sprig fresh lavender (We got this from our garden. Let me know if you need some!)
3-4 basil leaves (Ditto ... but our crop has gone into hibernation for the winter.)
48 cups water
* * *
Simmer covered for at least 4 hours. Remove chicken, veggies & herbs. Strain. Cool. Skim fat. Parcel into ice cube trays or plastic cups for later use. Freeze.
Source: Chef Brian BuseltBeef stock6 pounds bone-in beef stew meat, browned and seared in hot oil
1 medium onion, skin on, quartered
1/2 to 3/4 head chopped celery
2 chopped carrots
1/2 chopped leek
1/2 head chopped fennel
6 cloves garlic, skin on, smashed
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 to 4 sprigs fresh
majoram3 sprigs fresh savory
3 sprigs fresh rosemary (From our garden. Hopefully we'll have some to share next year after our new plants take root.)
3 to 4 fresh bay leaves
3-4 basil leaves
Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
24 cups water
* * *
Simmer covered for at least 4 hours. Remove beef, veggies & herbs. Strain. Cool. Skim fat. Parcel into ice cube trays or plastic cups for later use. Freeze.
Source: Chef Brian Buselt
