Showing posts with label Alphabet Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alphabet Challenge. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Xmas Eggnog Fudge

Turn everybody's favorite creamy, sweet holiday beverage into Xmas Eggnog Fudge with this simple recipe your friends and family are sure to love. It's perfect as a holiday gift or to take on the road for when you need an eggnog fix.

Turn everybody's favorite creamy, sweet holiday beverage into Xmas Eggnog Fudge with this simple recipe your friends and family are sure to love. It's perfect as a holiday gift or to take on the road for when you need an eggnog fix.

One of my favorite recipes for the holidays is my grandmother's homemade eggnog.  She always made enough for a houseful, starting with a gallon of milk and almost one dozen large eggs. 

I remember one of my last Christmases at home, following her around the kitchen as she made a batch, writing down the ingredients and her steps. Just four ingredients for a thick, rich, wonderful eggnog. When I got back to my house, I copied it out more neatly into a blank leaf at the back of my Good Housekeeping. I didn’t want to lose it.

I tend to halve the recipe for our smaller household and that still makes plenty. Mo’s homemade eggnog is always served warm with a splash of some strong stuff, either bourbon or rum. 

We also always have store-bought eggnog on hand because we like to drink it cold, spiked or not, and use it in baked goods like my streusel coffee cake, eggnog pound cake, muffins and mousse or homemade candy, like this Xmas eggnog fudge. 

I think it would be fair to say that we are huge fans of The Nog. Hope you are too!

Xmas Eggnog Fudge

Abject apologies for the lack of process photos for this recipe. The lighting was terrible and shots of the pot on the stove would genuinely not have been helpful to include. Make sure you use a timer and a candy thermometer and follow the instructions. You’ll be fine. (Any questions? Leave me a comment.)

Ingredients
2 3⁄4 cups or 550g sugar
1 cup or 240ml commercial good quality eggnog (NOT low fat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces or 170g white chocolate, chopped roughly (Use good quality- not baking chocolate or chips)
1 1⁄2 cups or 85g mini marshmallows
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup or 150g almonds, toasted and chopped coarsely
1⁄8 cup or 30g butter (Do not substitute margarine!)
Freshly grated or powdered nutmeg for decoration. 

Method
Line a 9x9-inch 23x23cm pan with aluminum foil and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the eggnog, sugar and salt, bring to a slow rolling boil over medium to med-high heat. Do not walk away from the pot. If it threatens to boil over, turn the heat down just a little bit. You still need a rapid boil. Set a timer for 2 minutes when it starts to boil.

When the timer rings, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the marshmallows and cinnamon.

Put the pot back on the stove and bring it back to a rolling boil and set the timer for 6 minutes. 

Put your candy thermometer in the pot. The temperature should reach at least 234°F or 112°C but no higher than 238°F or 114°C. Then the pot should be removed from the heat.

When the 6-minute timer rings or the mixture reaches the proper temperature, whichever happens first, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the butter, white chocolate and chopped almonds.

Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate have melted and are completely incorporated and the mixture has a glossy appearance. 

Pour it into your prepared foil-lined pan and quickly sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Leave to cool completely at room temperature. 

To cut, remove the fudge from the pan by lifting the foil lining out and cut it into small squares with a sharp knife. It’s very rich so you can cut them quite small. 

Turn everybody's favorite creamy, sweet holiday beverage into Xmas Eggnog Fudge with this simple recipe your friends and family are sure to love. It's perfect as a holiday gift or to take on the road for when you need an eggnog fix.

You can put the squares in little candy liners to serve (or gift) or stack them on a decorative plate. 

Turn everybody's favorite creamy, sweet holiday beverage into Xmas Eggnog Fudge with this simple recipe your friends and family are sure to love. It's perfect as a holiday gift or to take on the road for when you need an eggnog fix.

Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 24th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter X. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the X recipes below:


X. Xmas Eggnog Fudge -  this post!


Pin this Xmas Eggnog Fudge!

Food Lust People Love: Turn everybody's favorite creamy, sweet holiday beverage into Xmas Eggnog Fudge with this simple recipe your friends and family are sure to love. It's perfect as a holiday gift or to take on the road for when you need an eggnog fix.

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Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Honey Walnut Brittle

This microwave recipe for Honey Walnut Brittle is super easy and quick, yet delightfully buttery, nutty and delicious. I think Gram would approve.

Food Lust People Love: This microwave recipe for Honey Walnut Brittle is super easy and quick, yet delightfully buttery, nutty and delicious. I think Gram would approve.

There was really nothing my grandmother liked more than a good old-fashioned peanut brittle so occasionally I used to make or buy her some. She wasn’t really supposed to be eating candy because of her diabetes but, hey, the occasionally treat didn’t kill her. 

In fact, she lived to the impressive age of 99 1/2 years old. When she passed away in July of 2013, we already had a big shindig planned for December to celebrate her 100th birthday. Truly, we expected her to live even longer than that.

Though a child of the early 1900s who rode a horse and buggy to school every day, she eagerly embraced cooking breakthroughs like the microwave and canned "cream of" soup. Her favorite cooking appliance was a little toaster oven. She made all sorts in that thing, from biscuits to baked chicken thighs and mini pizzas. 

As I stirred this microwave brittle, I thought of Gram and how much she would have enjoyed both eating it and how easy it is to make.  

Honey Walnut Brittle

You need a large microwaveable bowl for this recipe! When it boils in the microwave and again when the baking soda is added at the end, the mixture foams up and will overflow a small bowl. This recipe is adapted from one on All Recipes.

Ingredients
1 cup or 200g sugar
½ cup or 120ml honey
1 cup or 100g chopped walnuts 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the foil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon baking soda

Method
Line a large baking sheet with foil and grease it well with butter.

Mix the sugar and honey together in a large microwave-safe glass bowl. 


Place in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute. 


Stir, and cook 1 minute more. 

Stir mixture again, and cook until mixture boils and the sugar is completely dissolved, an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. I watched through the microwave door and mine started to bubble up at about 45 seconds. 


Fold the walnuts into the sugar/honey mixture. 


Heat in the microwave another 3 minutes, stirring between each minute. (I took photos all along the way but do you truly need to see them all? I'm guessing not.) The bowl will be hot so use mitts to protect your hands. 


Stir in the butter, salt and vanilla extract. 


Microwave until mixture is caramel in color, an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

Carefully remove the hot bowl from microwave, and quickly stir in baking soda until fully incorporated. This will foam up!


Immediately pour the mixture onto your buttered foil-lined pan. 


Allow to cool until the brittle is set, about 15 minutes in a cool kitchen. It could take longer in a warm place. In hot Texas, I popped mine in the refrigerator when I got impatient. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Food Lust People Love: This microwave recipe for Honey Walnut Brittle is super easy and quick, yet delightfully buttery, nutty and delicious. I think Gram would approve.

Enjoy! 

Food Lust People Love: This microwave recipe for Honey Walnut Brittle is super easy and quick, yet delightfully buttery, nutty and delicious. I think Gram would approve.

Welcome to the 23th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter W. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the W recipes below:


Pin this Honey Walnut Brittle!

Food Lust People Love: This microwave recipe for Honey Walnut Brittle is super easy and quick, yet delightfully buttery, nutty and delicious. I think Gram would approve.


.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken

Tangy and tasty, this spicy vinegar braised chicken is made with balsamic and red wine vinegars and lots of garlic. It’s delicious! 

Food Lust People Love: Tangy and tasty, this spicy vinegar braised chicken is made with balsamic and red wine vinegars and lots of garlic. It’s delicious!

Back in the day, it was quite common, at least in the southern United States to save rendered bacon grease for frying other ingredients. In fact, I have my grandmother’s can on my stove today but I must confess that it now contains just the regulators for my pressure cooker.  


Not because I don’t save my bacon grease – bite your tongue! - but because I keep my bacon grease in a Mason jar in the refrigerator. It lasts for ages like that and I just keep adding to it whenever I fry bacon.

I guess in the old days, refrigeration wasn’t common. My mom remembered when an ice box was actually an ice box and a man would deliver a big block of ice each week to put in the bottom drawer to keep everything up top cool. 

All of that to say, this recipe calls for bacon grease! It adds a lot of flavor but if you don’t save yours – why not? - please substitute olive oil or canola. 

Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken 

We like food spicy so I use a whole teaspoon crushed red pepper here. Use less if spicy isn’t your thing. This recipe is adapted from one on New York Times Cooking

Ingredients
2.2 lbs or 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs
Fine sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons bacon grease (or substitute olive or canola oil) 
6 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and lightly chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ cup or 120ml good quality balsamic vinegar
½ cup or 120ml good quality red wine vinegar
5 1/2 oz or 155g baby roma tomatoes, halved

For garnish and added flavor:
Small bunch cilantro, hard stems discarded, chopped

Method
Season chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat the bacon grease over medium heat. Panfry the chicken, skin side down first, making sure not to crowd the pan. We want to get some good color on the skin and if the chicken is packed too tightly, it will steam instead of fry. 


Turn the chicken once the skin is browned and panfry till golden on the other side as well. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate deep enough to contain any juices that form. 


Remove all but a couple of tablespoons of the oil from the pan. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until it starts to become fragrant and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. 


Add in the crushed red pepper and fry for another 30 seconds or so. Pour in the vinegars and bring to a boil. 


Reduce the heat to medium low and put the chicken and any accumulated juices back in the pan. 


Cover and cook for 15 minutes, basting the chicken occasionally with the sauce. The chicken will let out juice so for a while you’ll have more sauce but just keep cooking. 

Remove the lid and continue cooking and basting until the sauce is almost completely gone and the chicken is fully cooked inside. (You can check by cutting into one of the thighs. There shouldn’t be any pink left near the bone.)


Add in the tomato halves and pop the lid back on for a minute or two, so they warm through. Baste again so that the tomatoes are covered with sauces.


Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. 

Food Lust People Love: Tangy and tasty, this spicy vinegar braised chicken is made with balsamic and red wine vinegars and lots of garlic. It’s delicious!

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 22th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter V. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the V recipes below:







Pin this Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken! 

Food Lust People Love: Tangy and tasty, this spicy vinegar braised chicken is made with balsamic and red wine vinegars and lots of garlic. It’s delicious!

.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Spicy Urad Dal

This spicy urad dal is made with split and skinned black lentils, seasoned with many spices including cumin, ginger, coriander, onion and dried chili peppers. 

Food Lust People Love: This spicy urad dal is made with split and skinned black lentils, seasoned with many spices including cumin, ginger, coriander, onion and dried chili peppers.

I was racking my brain to come up with a recipe ingredient that starts with the letter U for this edition of the Alphabet Challenge when all that thinking sparked a memory. Once upon a time I had eaten at an Indian restaurant in Dubai and was served dal makhani. It was a beautiful dark color, rich and flavorful and unlike any dal I had enjoyed before. 

My only experience prior had been with dals that were yellow! I offer this recipe as evidence: My Tarka Dal or Curried Lentils.


Of course, when I got home, I did a little google search to discover that dal makhani is made with whole black lentils or urad dal. Further investigation revealed that urad dal can be purchased whole - with the black skins still intact, split – with skins intact but with the inside exposed, and "white" – with skins removed. 

Now I had my ingredient name for U, but where to buy some? Had I been back in Houston where Indian supermarkets abound, no problem. But in Jersey, we aren’t so fortunate. Amazon to the rescue again.

I ordered white urad dal as well as some asafoetida which is recommended when cooking legumes of any sort, including lentils, as it is meant to meant to help with digestion and, ahem, gas. 

Spicy Urad Dal

Despite the urad dal I bought being skinned and split, every recipe I found assured me that I could not skip the soaking step. So I did not and you shouldn’t either! Soaking the dal not only reduces the cooking time but also makes the dal more easily digestible. Even with soaking, this did not break down to a mush like other lentils. We really liked the texture.

Ingredients 
To cook the dal:
1 cup or 220g white urad dal (split and skinned black lentils)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Small knob ginger, peeled and grated

For the tempering aka tarka: 
3 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon asafoetida (also known as hing)
¼ teaspoon kalongi
2-3 dry red chili peppers
½ medium onion, chopped
5-6 curry leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne

To serve:
1 tablespoon lime juice
chopped cilantro 


Method
Rinse the dal well with water until it runs almost clear. This takes a few times. 


Soak it in 4 cups or 960ml water for 30 minutes.


Drain the water and add the dal to a large pot. Pour in 26 oz or 750ml water. Bring to the boil, and use a slotted spoon to remove the scum that rises to the surface. 


Add in the turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt and grated ginger. 


Stir to combine and turn the stove to simmer. 


Put on the lid, but leave it partially ajar, to prevent the pot from boiling over. Simmer for about 30 minutes, checking it every so often to give it a stir. Add a little more water if necessary so the lentils don’t dry out.

When the lentils are cooked, we make the tarka. Heat the ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat. Once the ghee is hot, add the asafoetida, cumin seeds and kalongi and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.


Add the dry red chili peppers and chopped onions and cook until the onions turn golden brown, stirring frequently.


Quickly stir in the curry leaves and cayenne.


Immediately add the tarka to the cooked dal.


Stir then add the lime juice.


Garnish the dal with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice, naan or chapati. 

Food Lust People Love: This spicy urad dal is made with split and skinned black lentils, seasoned with many spices including cumin, ginger, coriander, onion and dried chili peppers.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 21th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter U. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the U recipes below:



Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Stuffed Turkey Cutlets

Stuffed Turkey Cutlets are a fun, attractive way to serve turkey and stuffing. Each person gets an individual stuffed “turkey” wrapped in bacon. This recipe is great main dish for a low stress party. No more wondering if the turkey is perfectly done. It is! 

Food Lust People Love: Stuffed Turkey Cutlets are a fun, attractive way to serve turkey and stuffing. Each person gets an individual stuffed “turkey” wrapped in bacon. This recipe is great main dish for a low stress party. No more wondering if the turkey is perfectly done. It is!

Personally, we like stuffing all year long, not just for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I often find myself frying sausage meat and mixing it up to roast under chicken thighs, as a filling for squash or occasionally, just baking it in a pan as a side dish. 

You will find the ingredient list and method below for the stuffing I make over and over again but please feel free to use your favorite recipe here as well. I know that for some families their own treasured stuffing recipe cannot be changed! 

Stuffed Turkey Cutlets

Cutlets or escalopes of turkey can be found at most grocery stores these days. While they are more expensive per pound than a whole turkey, not a bit will go to waste. And look at how pretty they are! 

Ingredients
For the sausage stuffing:
7 1/2 oz or 215g good quality fresh sausage (3-4 links)
6-7 slices stale bread, toasted and cubed
1/3 cup or 75g butter
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
2-3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 cups or 180ml turkey or chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large egg

To assemble:
10 turkey cutlets (approx. weight 2 1/2 lbs or 1135g) 
10 slices smoked bacon
toothpicks

For decoration – optional
20 fresh sage leaves
10 fresh cranberries
toothpicks

Method
Cube the bread and add it to a large bowl that all the stuffing ingredients will fit in, with room to stir.


Remove the sausage from the casings and fry until golden in a skillet, breaking it into crumbles as you go. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and remove all but a tablespoon of any rendered fat. 


Add the butter to the frying pan and turn the heat on low. Sauté the onion and celery in the butter until it’s soft and translucent. 


Add the poultry seasoning, a few generous grinds of black pepper, and the 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne and mix well. 


Add the onion mixture to the bowl with the bread. 


Add the crumbled fried sausage back in and stir. Now add the broth and stir again.
 

Set the stuffing aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, put the turkey cutlets, one at a time, between two large pieces of cling film on a cutting board and use the side of your rolling pin or a similar implement to flatten them out. 


Use new pieces of cling film for each turkey cutlet and set them in a stack, still between the cling film till you’ve pounded them all flat. 

Add the egg to the cooled stuffing and mix well. 

Lay one turkey cutlet on your working surface. Remove the top piece of cling film and discard. Put about 1/10th of the stuffing into the middle of the turkey cutlet and fold the sides over to cover it securely. 


Roll each of the stuffed turkey cutlets up in the bottom piece of cling film and line them up to chill on a plate in the refrigerator as you get them each made.
 
Once they are all made, preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C. 

Remove the cling film from each cutlet and wrap them with one slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks and place in a large baking pan. 


Roast in your preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and center of the stuffing reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F or 74°C.

If desired, decorate each stuffed cutlet by securing two sage leaves and a fresh cranberry with a toothpick. Remove the other toothpicks to serve.

Food Lust People Love: Stuffed Turkey Cutlets are a fun, attractive way to serve turkey and stuffing. Each person gets an individual stuffed “turkey” wrapped in bacon. This recipe is great main dish for a low stress party. No more wondering if the turkey is perfectly done. It is!

Of course, the pan drippings can used to make gravy and I recommend you do! Follow this easy instructional video from TheKitchn.

Serve the stuffed turkey cutlets with cranberry sauce and your favorite gravy. 

Food Lust People Love: Stuffed Turkey Cutlets are a fun, attractive way to serve turkey and stuffing. Each person gets an individual stuffed “turkey” wrapped in bacon. This recipe is great main dish for a low stress party. No more wondering if the turkey is perfectly done. It is!

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 20th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter T. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the T recipes below:
Food Lust People Love: Stuffed Turkey Cutlets are a fun, attractive way to serve turkey and stuffing. Each person gets an individual stuffed “turkey” wrapped in bacon. This recipe is great main dish for a low stress party. No more wondering if the turkey is perfectly done. It is!

.