Farmgirl Follies

Accidental delight

Posted by Farmgirl on February 25, 2010  |  3 Comments

I made delicious meatballs for dinner … by mistake.

I was planning to make meatloaf.

Then my daughters wanted to help. And well … here’s how things progressed.

“Mommy, can I help you?”
No, I’m making meatloaf.
“Please? I could roll them into little balls.”
For meatloaf?
“Well maybe I could make meatballs.”
Oh, why not.

I rarely make meatballs, don’t know why. I headed for my cookbooks and got sidetracked by a snot-nosed three-year-old who was streaking through my kitchen in socks … and nothing else. By the time I headed back to the stove, four little hands had made 57 meatballs and placed them in a large sauté pan.

No time for cookbooks, but with trial, error and general mismanagement, a tasty meatball graced our dinner table. Feeling brave?

Here’s how we made ‘em. I won’t call it a recipe, because it’s not.
It was accidentally delicious, I assure you.

Farmgirl’s Accidental Meatballs

Place 3-4 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.
In large bowl, mix the following (give or take):

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 cups Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Roll into balls and place in the melted butter. Brown.
Drain liquid. Set meatballs aside.

Deglaze the pan with some red wine. When the alcohol has steamed away, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce. I use Sweet Baby Ray’s. Then we added a few dashes of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and a drizzle or two of maple syrup.

I don’t know why … it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

Add the meatballs back to the pan. Spoon sauce over them until covered, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

And then … enjoy.

They had a sweet, tangy flavor that my family really liked. Feel free to make your own adjustments. Like I said, it wasn’t a recipe, it was … experimentation. And sometimes it’s ok not to use a recipe. At least … that’s what I told everyone at the table.

I may have had a different point-of-view if a not-so-tasty outcome had resulted.

Happy accidental cooking!

Cookie monsters

Posted by Farmgirl on February 23, 2010  |  3 Comments

Man of many talents.

Last night he got the skid steer stuck in the snow and muck. He recruited me to drive it while he tried to pull it out with the tractor. I wish I had photos. It was a muddy, miserable mess. Progress was slow and slippery.

And even though he rolled his eyes, shook his head and told me I was such a girl when I told him I envisioned the chain breaking, snapping back and smashing my nose into my brain, I suppose I like him an awful lot.

He’s a keeper.

Especially when he does things like this … and even though he told me I need a little practice before I can drive the skid steer again.

Not only did he make my favorite cookies, he’s being a great daddy.

That hits me in the ticker every time.

(Don’t worry about his fingers … it wasn’t yet plugged in!)

Farmgirl’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix together on medium speed:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar

Stir together in separate bowl. Slowly blend into batter mixture.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in a bag of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Chips.
Place by spoonful onto a cooking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.
Let sit on cookie sheet two minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Yummy!

Flat-out fabulous

Posted by Farmgirl on February 19, 2010  |  4 Comments

Meet flat iron.

It’s second in tenderness to the tenderloin, but costs half as much. Depending upon your region of the country, flat iron could also be known as top blade, petite steak, Butler or book steak.

I pan-grilled flat iron for last night’s dinner and served it with steamed veggies. It was a perfectly healthy meal featuring lean beef and loads of iron, protein and B vitamins.

Salt and pepper.

That’s the only thing I added. There was no need for anything else. Just look at that marbling. It was tender, juicy and honestly, it had a buttery taste that was out of this world.

Somebody needs to tell Emeril.

Sure, “pork fat rules” — but a perfectly prepared steak reigns supreme in my opinion.

Look for flat iron in your grocer’s meat department.

You won’t be disappointed!

Reality check

Posted by Farmgirl on January 21, 2010  |  No Comments

I guess we could call this day 5 of my make and taste recipe  project.

Except this wasn’t a recipe, it was a quick fix. I’m pretty sure every one of you could figure out some way to make it better. It was a busy day. It was a busy evening. And it’s not all cookbooks, celebrity chefs and fancy pans around here.

So let’s talk about keepin’ it real.

Translation: I stopped off at a store, grabbed the first ingredients I could find, and rushed home to throw some semblance of supper together.

Fresh Green Beans with Shallots

1/2-pound of fresh green beans, ends removed
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons or so of diced shallots

(Note: I dice onions and shallots and freeze them. It makes prep time quicker when you’re cooking!)

Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add shallots and saute about 30 seconds. Add green beans, salt and pepper, and any other seasonings you prefer. Cook, covered, 5-7 minutes on medium heat or until beans are crisp-tender.

They’re yummy. And quick. And healthy. And I just love shallots.

But I digress.

After the beans … prepared with great flair to impress my ravenous family, I sliced the little cottage ham and the Italian baguettes. Then I sliced some farmer’s cheese — but you can use any kind you like when you’re making sandwiches because you didn’t have time to cook an entree.

Then you slap a sandwich on a plate, hand them the ever-present ketchup before they ask, and add the bowl of green beans. Pour them all a glass of milk …

… pause for one moment to reflect on a happy family … briefly wonder why your son has a mohawk … sigh because it’s so late your daughters are showered and wearing pajamas at supper …

And then head for the next endeavor.

Indecision: tomatoes vs. macaroons

Posted by Farmgirl on January 19, 2010  |  3 Comments

Day four of my make and taste recipe adventure.

I couldn’t decide. First, I looked through The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

I considered making these …

I didn’t have all of the necessary ingredients, which is fortunate for my hips.

Then I took a look at this one …

I slobbered at bright photos of fresh produce and herbs from the garden.

I wished for summer sunshine and juicy, ripe tomatoes.

So I made this … and sprinkled a little feta cheese on top for good measure.

Because I love tomatoes. But my family hates tomatoes.
So don’t worry … there’s another recipe after this one.

Garlic & Herb Tomatoes

3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopps fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pour olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic to the oil and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and herbs, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 7 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to lose their firm, round shape. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped basil and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

And then I look at this one.

I decided my kids needed more sugar in their diet.

I made macaroons.

The Barefoot Contessa’s Coconut Macaroons

14 oz. sweetened shredded coconut
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl.

Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, until they make medium-firm peaks.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop or two teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

They’re yummy!

And so were the tomatoes, which I had for lunch while my offspring chowed down on mac and cheese with peas hidden in the sauce.

Macaroons. Tasty little coconut-ty treats.

Tomatoes. Good to look at. Good to eat. Good to your body.

A perfect match made in heaven.

Don’t you think so?

Bread and butter

Posted by Farmgirl on January 18, 2010  |  6 Comments

Day three of my make and taste recipe adventure.

Never-fail Refrigerator Rolls … but first, a butter churnin’ tutorial.

Before we get to today’s recipe — the real recipe — I have a question for you: Have you ever made your own butter? Don’t worry … you won’t need an antique butter churn or even a cow, although if you had one or both it would be swell.

You can make butter in a quart jar … perfect for toning your arms. Or, you can grab your handy dandy food processor.

Everyone should make butter at least once. Especially if you have kids. They’ll love it. It’s cool. It’s magical. And trust me when I say it couldn’t be easier.

Farmgirl’s Butter Churnin’ Recipe

You will need:
2 cups heavy cream
food processor
cheesecloth
bowl and sieve
optional: wildflower honey and cinnamon

Yield: about two sticks of butter.

Directions:
Pour two cups of cream into a food processor. Process continuously until butter separates from the whey — five to six minutes or so.

It will start to thicken …

… and about 30 seconds later, chunks of creamy butter will appear. The liquid whey will remain in the bottom of the bowl.

Get your sieve ready — place it over a bowl and line with cheesecloth.

Pour the butter and whey into the cheesecloth-lined sieve.

Use a butter paddle or wooden spoon and work the butter into the sieve. This squeezes the remaining whey liquids from the butter.

At this point, you’ll have a nice little mound of freshly-made butter. It’s perfect … but let’s make it even better!

Add about a tablespoon of wildflower honey to the bowl. Then work it in with your paddle or wooden spoon until it’s incorporated into the butter.

It looks mighty tasty at this point … but let’s spice things up a bit!

Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the bowl. Work it in with your paddle or wooden spoon until it’s incorporated into the honey butter.

Now … spread it on a piece of bread, toast — or if you made Saturday’s recipe and have some left, try your cinnamon honey butter on a Blackberry Blue Corn Meal Muffin. Delicious.

Alrighty. That was the fun part!

Now for the real recipe … the make and take recipe of the day. It was taken from this delightful cookbook, Prairie Home Cooking. There are so many wonderful recipes I’d like to try — 400 to choose from! — but since I made some butter and I really need to make bread more often, how about:

Never-fail Refrigerator Rolls

These traditional Sunday supper rolls are easy enough for a beginner but good enough for a gourmet. They get their name because the dough can be made well in advance and refrigerated. The finished rolls freeze well, too.

2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening or unsalted butter
2 (1/4-oz.) packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
5 to 6 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Combine the milk, sugar and shortening in a saucepan over medium-high heat and scald, but do not boil, the milk. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm, about 90 degrees. Sprinkle the yeast on top (do not stir), and let stand for at least 5 minutes to proof to a foamy consistency.

Stir the mixture to dissolve the yeast and add the salt. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough is firm.

Lightly oil a separate large bowl. Turn out the dough onto a floured board. Knead dough gently until it is smooth and elastic.

Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place until it is doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. (The dough may be made ahead to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days.)

Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. From each  half of the dough, portion off 15-16 pieces and roll the pieces into round balls.

Transfer the balls to the baking sheet. Cover the balls with a towel and let dough rise in a warm place until it is again doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, and serve warm or at room temperatue with your freshly-made cinnamon honey butter!

Enjoy!

Whiskey bent and ribeye bound

Posted by Farmgirl on January 17, 2010  |  3 Comments

Day two of my make and taste recipe adventure.

Ribeye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce

This time I pulled a recipe from Ree Drummond’s new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. The recipes are easy to follow. If you’re new to cooking and need a bit of extra guidance, Ree’s step-by-step instructions and photos are a dream come true.

And then there’s the stories and profiles of family life — her adventures with a cowboy  husband, four kids and life on an Oklahoma ranch — complete with cattle and wild Mustangs.

I agree with the cowboys.

Ree writes that her husband and the cowboys generally prefer their steaks unadorned. Me too. If you start with a great steak you don’t need anything more than a little salt and pepper to bring out the flavor. However, it’s ok to adorn your steaks every once in awhile … especially when the recipe sounds as sinfully delicious as this one.

The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for
Ribeye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce

5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons diced onion
1/4 cup whiskey
1/4 cup beef stock or broth
Dash of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cream
2 ribeye steaks

Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the onion and cook until brown. Pour in the whiskey (Ree suggests you turn off your stove first, for safety reasons). As soon as the whiskey evaporates, turn the burner on medium and pour in the beef stock or broth. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Whisk in another tablespoon of butter. Allow the mixture to bubble for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to low. Pour in the cream. Whisk, adding more cream if mixture looks too brothy. Allow to simmer on very low heat while you prepare the steaks. Stir occasionally.
Now it’s time for the steaks.

******I interrupt this recipe post for Farmgirl’s Beef 101 ******

Secrets to Steak Success

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grades the beef we eat. The best grade is Prime, then Choice and so on. Trust me … you should never, ever spend your hard-earned dollars on anything below USDA Choice grade … unless of course you like the taste of shoe leather. If so, read no further.

If you want to beef up your steaks, read on.

I always, always buy Certified Angus Beef ® brand beef. No, they didn’t pay me to say that. I’m telling you because it really is the best. WHY?

Because beef is graded Prime and Choice by the USDA … AND THEN … to earn the Certified Angus Beef brand label, it MUST pass 10 additional specifications for quality — and the USDA makes sure of it. That means it is better — tastier, more tender and juicier — than regular USDA Prime and Choice grades of beef.

Less than 8% of all beef can earn the brand. It’s that good.

A word of caution: There are many, MANY brands of “Angus beef” — but only the “CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF BRAND” is owned by the American Angus Association™ and more than 30,000 Angus producers. Hardee’s DOES NOT serve the product I’m talkin’ about. And trust me … neither does McDonald’s.

Ok … so what.

Well … see that photo, above? See all those little white flecks in the steak? That’s called marbling.

Marbling makes your steak taste even better. The more marbling in beef, the better it tastes. Essentially, marbling is flecks of fat. The good thing is, the marbling melts during cooking — basting beef with natural juices that increase the flavor factor.

The more flavor, the better your steak, right? Absolutely. Where can you get this kind of euphoric flavor? Search for stores and restaurants in your area here.

Whew!

Thanks for letting me speak my mind … now back to the recipe.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Generously salt and pepper the steak on both sides, then add it to the hot skillet. For medium rare, cook for 2 minutes on each side, or 3-4 minutes for a thicker steak. (Use a meat thermometer to determine when steak has reached your desired degree of doneness.)

When the steaks were done, I spooned the Pioneer Woman’s yummy sauce all over.

Then Farmguy took a bite.

Then his eyes rolled back in his head and I didn’t hear him say anything for 15 minutes while he devoured his food. It was very, very good.

One thing to note: Be sure and let your steaks rest a few minutes before adding the sauce and cutting into them. I forgot. As you can see, the juices didn’t have a chance to redistribute in the steak and instead, they ran all over the plate. Not that it affected the taste … mmm.

Next up:

A recipe from Prairie Home Cooking — 400 recipes that celebrate the bountiful harvests, creative cooks and comforting foods of the American Heartland.

But don’t worry, I won’t be making all 400.

Blackberry blue

Posted by Farmgirl on January 16, 2010  |  5 Comments

I have a stack of cookbooks. I should use them more often.

So here is the first in my series of make and taste recipes.

And since cowgirls are akin to farmgirls, I began the endeavor with this collection of recipes. It details the story of Paula Disbrowe, chef and food writer. She traded her subway card for a pickup and stiletto heels for boots when she moved to Texas … from New York City.

“New York City?” (said with my best Pace Picante Sauce impersonation.)

Yep, New York City. Imagine the culture shock.

I decided to delve into Paula’s cookbook. The first recipe to catch my wandering eye?

Blackberry Blue Corn Muffins
These muffins have a rustic texture and they’re not too sweet.
They’re also heavy on the fruit, which means big bites of warm,
juicy blackberries. The blue corn, which has a sweet, nutty flavor,
gives them a pretty lavender color.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find blue corn meal … Ohio is too far from Texas, apparently.

Blackberry Blue Corn Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup blue corn meal (Yankees may use yellow)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/3 cup corn oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 pound fresh or frozen blackberries (2 generous cups)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease two standard 12-cup muffin tins.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, oil, syrup, vanilla and eggs. Using a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just mixed. Fold in the blackberries. (If you are going to chill the batter overnight, wait and add the blackberries just before baking).

Fill 16 muffin cups just to the top and bake for 10-15 minutes. Rotate the tins and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and slightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out dry.

Allow muffins to cool in their tins for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

Mmm. They’re yummy. There’s a note in the cookbook I thought I should mention:

For best results, make this batter the night before. If the batter chills overnight, the leaveners get a chance to do their thing and the muffins really pop up in the hot oven.

I used my batter right away. My muffins aren’t as puffy as they can be … they are, however, as tasty as can be.

Enjoy!

Jimmy & Jay save the day: a bean recipe

Posted by Farmgirl on December 27, 2009  |  1 Comment

There comes a point — usually after you’ve prepared an appetizer, dessert, breakfast casserole and side dish for four Christmas events in three days — that you just. can’t. stand. the kitchen.

Today is one of those days. Luckily, for this afternoon’s event, I’m to bring a vegetable side dish. When it comes to vegetables, the carnivorous folks attending think that means beans or corn. Excellent.

With a little help from my friends Jimmy Dean and Jay Bush, I can whip up a quick and easy appetizer in 15 minutes or less (if you don’t count bake time).

Depending on the size of your crowd, gather as many cans of Bush’s Baked Beans as needed. Here’s the sneaky part: use a variety of beans. I love the Grillin’ Beans. I love the original Baked Beans. Mix ‘em up for great flavors.

And here’s a tip: If you can buy cans of Grillin’ Beans at your local bent-n-dent store for 85 cents a can, you’re also being frugal. Yippee!

Next, brown a pound of Jimmy Dean Sausage HOT style in your favorite cast iron skillet. Do not be worried about the word HOT. It will not burn your tongue (unless you eat it straight out of the skillet). When all is said and done, the HOT flavors simply add some depth to your beans. Trust me. I do not condone eating painful food.

When your sausage is done, drain it and put it in a casserole dish or bean pot. Then dump in all the beans you feel necessary for your shindig. Gently stir it all around.

Note: See those chunks of red and green peppers? Those ingredients came from the cans of Grillin’ Beans — but the folks you serve this dish to will think you chopped ‘em up yourself. Brilliant!

Disclaimer: I love to cook. I love to chop and dice and mince and puree, make rouxs and mix and saute. HOWEVER, at this point in the holiday season I’ve had my fill. And I just want a quickie. Really.

So … don’t hold such a quick-n-easy idea against me. It’s not gourmet … although Jimmy & Jay may disagree, I did incorporate their secret recipes, after all!

Happy holidays!

Silver and gold, sugar and snow

Posted by Farmgirl on December 19, 2009  |  No Comments

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Finally. There’s white stuff on the ground and more white stuff comin’ down.

I LOVE IT!

And I love making sugar cookies - or as we like to call ‘em around here, cut-out cookies. I first posted this recipe back in July on National Sugar Cookie Day. It’s a perfect Christmas cookie recipe. As you snuggle into home with your family this weekend and throughout the coming days, make a batch of these tasty treats. Together.

There’s nothing like dishin’ with your best girls and boys while frosting cookies and getting sprinkles all over the kitchen floor. And they’re very tasty. I recommend these cookies to anyone of any age. They helped me win over friends and teachers throughout elementary school. They won me the affections of a boy in college. And hey, thank goodness that wore off because I had the opportunity to win over FarmGuy a c ouple of years later.

These are winners. And the recipe’s a keeper.

Enjoy!

Cut-out Cookies

Cream together, then add eggs:
1 1/4 c. softened butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs

Combine in a separate bowl:
5 c. flour
1 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
1 t. nutmeg

Add mixtures together, alternating with:
1/2 c. milk

Roll dough onto lightly flour surface and use your favorite cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
(half a batch works for one recipe of cookies, above)
1 stick butter
16 oz. softened cream cheese
4 c. confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. milk
Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and milk, beat until smooth.