Baker Bettie: Wassail

Okay, let the Christmas cooking marathon begin!  This is recipe #1, for a delicious drink to keep everyone warm while the rest of the goodies are cooking.  Because you add the alcohol to each individual serving, the main slow cooker stash stays child-safe.  Pretty darn tasty.  And easy.  I'm all about easy this time of year.

Wassail
From Baker Bettie blog

½ gallon apple cider
3 cups pineapple juice
2 oranges, sliced into rounds
⅓ cup honey
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon allspice berries
Bourbon, for serving

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients except for bourbon. Set to HIGH for 2 hours. After 2 hours, set the crockpot to LOW and allow it to sit until and during serving time. When ready to serve, add about a shot of bourbon to each serving, if desired.

Makes 12 servings

Jerusalem: Basic Hummus

I don't know why I decided now was the time to whip up a homemade hummus, but here we are.  Maybe it was the bag of beautiful Rancho Gordo garbanzo beans.  Maybe it was because I needed to make something not specifically linked to a holiday.  Whatever prompted it, I'm pleasantly surprised at how good and yet easy it was.  Biggest hassle is just remembering to soak the beans overnight.

Note: I felt like my dip needed a little more salt and lemon juice; just taste and adjust as you see fit.  I topped mine with a very nice olive oil and some dukkah I had laying around in the fridge, but there are also much fancier versions in the cookbook.

Basic Hummus
From Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

1¼ cups dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 teaspoon baking soda
6½ cups water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light tahini paste
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
6½ tablespoons ice-cold water
Kosher salt

The night before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight.

The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas will need to cook between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy.

Drain the chickpeas. You should have roughly 3⅔ cups now. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. Then, with the machine still running, add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and 1½ teaspoon salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the ice water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste.

Transfer the hummus to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using straightaway, refrigerate until needed. Make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Uglesich's Restaurant Cookbook: Baked Shrimp with Garlic

I think that the most perfect way to cook shrimp is with some sort of butter/garlic mixture.  There's something about those flavors that just works beautifully with shrimp.  This is why scampi is such a popular item at restaurants: everyone else agrees with me.  And even though I have other similar recipes on this blog, I'm never going to turn down trying another version.  This is a pretty quick meal that can be served with almost anything - pasta, rice, cheese grits - you name it.

Baked Shrimp with Garlic
Adapted from Uglesich's Restaurant Cookbook by John Uglesich

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
8 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place the butter, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Place the shrimp in a baking dish and pour the sauce over the shrimp. Spread the garlic over the shrimp, and then sprinkle with the parsley, paprika, and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Appetizing.tv: Savory Vatrushki (Russian Cheese Buns)

Okay, these cheese buns took a surprising amount of research, but they're pretty darn delicious.  The original content creator is from Romania, and the recipe called for mozzarella and "cow cheese".  Now, last time I checked, there is a plethora of cow's milk cheeses.  I needed to get more specific.  I looked up what would be a common crumbly cow's milk cheese in Romania, and found that there is a cheese called Urdă that is used often.  No Urdă at the store, but it does have a good substitute: Ricotta Salata.  I actually kind of enjoy these little food detective cases, especially when the result makes it worth the investment.

Note:  I had to add an additional 100g of flour on top of the 350g that the original recipe called for.  That seems excessive just for humidity differences (and it's a sunny day today), so I would just start with 350g and work your way up until you have a good elastic dough that isn't sticking to every surface of your hands.

Savory Vatrushki (Russian Cheese Buns)
Adapted from Appetizing.tv

1 cup warm whole milk, approximately 110°F
1¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2¾ to 3⅝ cups (350 to 450g) all-purpose flour
1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
4 large eggs, divided use
6 green onions, thinly sliced, green portions only
1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
5½ ounces shredded mozzarella
3½ ounces crumbly cow cheese, such as Urdă or Ricotta Salata

Whisk together milk, yeast, and sugar; set aside for five minutes to bloom yeast. Add yeast mixture to flour with 1¼ teaspoons salt, garlic powder, and one egg, mix well. Knead mixture into a dough. Add green onion and softened butter and knead again briefly just to combine. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Remove dough from bowl, sprinkle lightly with flour, and roll into a cylinder. Divide dough into eight portions, rolling each portion into a ball shape, and place each on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using a drinking glass with about a 2-inch diameter on bottom dipped in oil, press down on each dough ball to create an indentation. Mix together cheeses, two eggs, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Spoon cheese mixture into indentations on dough balls. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl; brush edges of dough balls. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 8 servings

Kimmy's Kreations: Cornbread and Chicken Dressing

I have had this dish multiple times over the years at comfort and soul food restaurants all over the south.  I knew that it probably wasn't that hard to make, but probably a bit more complicated than just slapping some chicken in a box mix of cornbread dressing (although this is probably a quick way to the finish line).  More and more I'm trying to get layers of flavor into my cooking, and using a seasoned cornbread as the basis for this recipe gets everything off to a good start.  I will admit to backing off on the seasonings ever so slightly, but really, season with your heart.  Taste along the way.  You'll know when it's right.

Note: I used a cast-iron skillet to cook my cornbread, as should you all.  I used a big lasagne pan for the casserole dish - this makes A LOT.  You can also use turkey instead, especially if you have a lot left over from the holidays.

Cornbread and Chicken Dressing
Adapted from Kimmy's Kreations

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
4 teaspoons granulated onion
4 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons Badia Complete seasoning

1 tablespoon kosher salt  
1 (10½-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10½-ounce) can cream of celery soup

3 to 4 cups chicken broth
1 pan Seasoned Cornbread (below), crumbled
Meat from one rotisserie chicken, shredded

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 large eggs

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter, then add bell pepper, onion, and celery, and sauté until soft. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so.  Sprinkle with the seasonings and add the two cans of condensed soup. Add the chicken broth and mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread, the shredded chicken, and the soup mixture together. Add additional chicken stock if needed, and taste to see if additional seasonings are needed. Once thick, add the eggs and mix well. The mixture should be thick but jiggly. Pour into a casserole dish and cook at 375°F for 45 minutes.

Makes 8 to 10 servings  

Seasoned Cornbread

1¼ cup yellow cornmeal
1¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ tablespoon poultry seasoning
½ tablespoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon onion powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
Melted butter, for pan

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk to ensure all spices are evenly distributed. Add liquid ingredients and mix well. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with melted butter, and pour in the batter.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean.

Reddit: Brown Butter Espresso Brownies

Sometimes you're just really craving a good brownie.  And sometimes you're just cruising Reddit, and your wish is granted.  I came across this luscious beauty and knew immediately that this was going to happen in my kitchen.  Each step of the process adds more and more flavor, until these are bursting with goodness.  And definitely don't skip the Maldon salt sprinkle at the end - this adds the something super special to the whole thing.

Note: I used Valrhona cocoa powder in my version, as I feel like it gives a really deep chocolate flavor.  If a 9x13-inch pan is too many brownies (is this even possible??), you can make a half recipe and use an 8x8-inch square pan.  If you can't find the espresso chips, you can of course use regular.

Brown Butter Espresso Brownies
From u/christophwelty on Reddit

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon espresso powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted to remove lumps
1 cup espresso chocolate chips
Maldon sea salt, to finish

Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and then proceed to cook it, stirring occasionally, until it browns and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and let set to cool slightly.

Add the sugars to the browned butter and mix well. Beat in each egg, one at a time. Mix in the espresso powder, salt, and vanilla paste. Stir in the flour and cocoa, taking care to mix just until combined completely.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the espresso chips. Bake for 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the Maldon sea salt.

Jubilee: Catfish Étoufée and Pappadeaux Copycat Dirty Rice

When I got the Jubilee cookbook on a whim, I was not expecting to immediately identify a recipe I wanted to make.  Especially one that I wanted to make pretty much immediately.  But when I saw this catfish étoufée, it was love at first sight.  The recipe is really not hard to make (I was scared to make roux!), and it's absolutely delicious.  This will definitely be a repeat.  I served it with some dirty rice that I cooked up from an old recipe I got from the corners of the internet many many years ago.  Who knows where it originally came from, but it was also pretty good.

Note: I have doctored the dirty rice recipe to bring it more in line with what I remember the actual Pappadeaux version being like.  1) Less cayenne, since the restaurant version isn't that spicy, 2) more salt, since this one was a little bland, and 3) I think more pork next time instead of the gizzards it originally called for, since there's nothing chewy like that in the restaurant version.

Catfish Étoufée
From Jubilee by Toni Tipton-Martin

1 pound catfish fillets, or any other firm-fleshed white fish, cut into 4-inch pieces
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup minced onion
2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 small bay leaf
1½ cups fish stock, warmed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
Freshly cooked rice

Place the catfish pieces on a plate and dry with a paper towel to help the seasonings adhere to the fish. In a small bowl, combine the cayenne, salt, black pepper, and thyme. Season the fillets with half of the seasoning.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat until sizzling and nearly smoking. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Gradually whisk in the flour until smooth, being careful not to splatter any of the hot roux on your skin. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is medium-brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and the remaining seasoning mixture. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are softened, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in ½ cup of the warm fish stock and the tomato paste and stir until the sauce begins to thicken, about 1 minute, then remove from the heat.

In a separate skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter until sizzling. Add the catfish and green onions and cook until the catfish is opaque (it does not need to brown), 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Transfer the fish, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, and the remaining 1 cup stock to the skillet with the vegetables and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking or stirring the pan constantly to melt the butter and emulsify it into a rich sauce. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Sprinkle the étoufée with the parsley and serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings

Pappadeaux Copycat Dirty Rice

⅓ pound ground chicken livers
⅔ pound ground pork
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Dirty Rice Seasoning (below)
1 bay leaf
½ cup onion, diced

½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper  
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups steamed long grain rice

Brown the ground meat mixture in the oil. Stir in the seasoning mixture and the bay leaf, and sauté about one minute. Add the vegetables and sauté 3 to 4 minutes over high heat, stirring frequently. Add the uncooked rice and chicken stock and mix in well. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in the steamed rice.

Dirty Rice Seasoning

2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1¼ teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard (such as Coleman's)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves

A License to Grill: Smoked Beef Back Ribs

Holy heck.  I have to admit, I never thought something this beautiful and tender and succulent would come from anywhere but my local barbecue restaurant.  This new toy of mine is definitely earning its keep.  These babies cooked along all afternoon, mostly unheeded by me, and they turned out fantastically.  Get yourself a Traeger, folks.  Worth every penny.

Note: I used a beautiful rack of wagyu beef ribs I grabbed at Costco and The Salt Lick rub, because that's what I had, and their smoked meats are delicious.  Use what makes you happy.  I chose not to use the spray, as I read elsewhere that it basically destroys the crust and makes it take a lot longer to cook.  Every time you open the smoker, you disturb the internal temperature - "if you're lookin', it's not cookin'" appears to be the mantra.  My ribs took somewhere between 7 and 8 hours to finish; I stopped checking time and just checked temperature, so that's an estimate.

Smoked Beef Back Ribs
Adapted from A License to Grill blog

1 rack beef ribs
Rub of your choice

Preheat the smoker to 250°F.

Turn the ribs over so the bony side is up and peel off the membrane. This is the thick tissue that covers the back of the ribs. Use a butter knife to get under the membrane and loosen it. Once you get it lifted, use a paper towel to hold onto it and pull it off. Sometimes it pulls right off in one piece.

 
Generously coat both sides and all edges of the ribs with the rub. Let the ribs sit for 10 to 20 minutes to let the rub settle into the meat. You could also let the ribs sit in the fridge overnight with the rub – it will act as a dry brine and tenderize the meat further.

 
Place the ribs in the pre-heated smoker and cook for somewhere between 4 to 8 hours, until the ribs are 160°F on a meat thermometer.  Remove the ribs from the smoker and wrap in butcher paper.  Return the ribs to the smoker.

Continue smoking until the ribs register between 200°F and 205°F on the meat thermometer.  Remove the ribs from the smoker and cover with butcher paper or aluminum foil for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.

Jam Hands: Creamy Carrot Cornflake Casserole

I figured if there was going to be a lot more meat in life now that I have a smoker, I should probably start working more vegetables into the mix.  I randomly came across this recipe on Pinterest, and I was intrigued.  Carrots in cream sauce?  It sounds slightly odd to me for some reason, but it actually works out pretty well.  And I'm always a sucker for buttered cornflake topping.

Note:  This recipe was a mess.  The original called for ½ cup of flour, which meant that I was basically dealing with a blob of glue until I added another two cups of half-and-half.  I've fixed the ratio in the recipe below, so hopefully this doesn't happen to anyone else.  Otherwise, it's pretty yummy.  Also, not enough cornflakes for the amount of butter; also fixed.

Creamy Carrot Cornflake Casserole
Adapted from Jam Hands blog

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided use
4 green onions, sliced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream
1½ cups half-and-half

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 pounds frozen crinkle-cut carrots, cooked according to the package directions and drained
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

4 cups cornflakes, crushed

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.  Add the onion and sauté for approximately 2 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour over the butter, then the seasonings.  Whisk in cream and half-and-half slowly until there are no lumps remaining.  Lower the heat and continue to cook until the sauce thickens.  Add the cheese; stir until smooth. Stir in the prepared carrots and parsley.

Spread the carrots in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 40 minutes.

While casserole is cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.  Combine the crushed cornflakes and the melted butter; set aside.

Remove casserole from the oven, sprinkle with the cornflake mixture and return to the oven for another 5 to 7 minutes for the cornflakes to crisp and start to brown.  Serve hot.

Makes 8 to 12 servings

Showstopping BBQ with Your Traeger Grill: Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeños

Well, I got a new toy, and that means that I need to start putting it through its paces.  I've never been a grill or smoker girl, and I think this is a bit of a lapse in my culinary experience, so I think it's time to take care of that deficiency.  But I didn't want to start out with a brisket, so I opted for these little parcels of fun.  And they are so delicious.  Not super spicy, but definitely flavorful.  No smoker?  Just make them in the oven, broiling a bit at the end to get the bacon to crisp.

Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeños
Adapted from Showstopping BBQ with Your Traeger Grill by Ed Randolph

10 large jalapeños, 3 to 4 inches long
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
¾ teaspoon granulated garlic
¾ teaspoon granulated onion

½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon Accent powder (optional)
10 slices thinly-sliced bacon

Meat Church Honey Hog BBQ rub

Prepare your smoker by bringing it up to 275°F.

Slice the jalapeños in half vertically, preserving as much of the stem as possible. Using a gloved finger, small spoon, or jalapeño corer, scoop out all the ribs and seeds and discard them.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, shredded cheese, and spices together until well combined. Slice the bacon in half longways, to make 20 long strips.

Spoon the cheese mixture into the jalapeños, then wrap each with a piece of bacon. Sprinkle evenly with the rub.  Place the jalapeños on a sheet tray and put the tray in the smoker for 30 minutes.

Increase the temperature of the smoker to 375°F and smoke for another 30 minutes to crisp the bacon.

Makes 20 jalapeños