Sounds Good: Buttermilk Homemade Rolls

Buttermilk Quick Hot Rolls

 

2 C lukewarm buttermilk

8 TB melted shortening or butter

3/4 C sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs, well-beaten

2 yeast packages, softened in 1/3 C lukewarm water

1/2 tsp. baking soda

6+ C flour

 

Mix the above ingredients together. Knead lightly. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. Roll, shape dough in desired-shaped rolls. Let rise approx. 1 hour. Bake @ 350 degrees for approx. 15 minutes. Makes about 3-4 dozen rools depending on the size of the roll.

 

A wonderful homemade buttermilk rolls recipe made for years by my Mother

Enjoy it!

Sounds Good: Salmon Steaks w/Bercy Sauce, sauteed gnocchi and green beans

Today was our 6th wedding anniversary. Time flies when you're having fun! To make it special, and save money, we decided to have a 5 star meal, on a 1 star budget. 

I made the potato gnocchi again but I sauteed it this team to give it texture, color, and flavor. I also sauteed some blanched green beans with them. I used a fish stock from the grocery story to make a Veloute Sauce. Then, I took some Sauvignon Blanc wine with white onions, and more fish stock, and reduced the liquid to almost nothing, and then added it back to the Veloute Sauce. Combining them makes something called a Bercy sauce. Super tasty, on the strong side, but paired with a lightly seasoned Salmon Steak, it was awesome. 

Below are the pictures:

If you have questions or comments, PLEASE POST THEM!

Sounds Good: Potato Gnocchi

I came across this recipe in a book we've had for a long time, I can't even remember where I got it from, called "Potatoes" practical cooking. The recipe for this potato Gnocchi is on page 112 and also includes a cheese sauce which we tried as well and it wasn't to bad. I didn't like it enough to include it in this post on my blog.

If you would like more info on the Gnocchi, see here

Ingredients:

1# of Chef's or Russet Potatoes small diced
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Egg, beaten
1 tbsp milk
Salt n Pepper to taste
Parsley to garnish

Cook diced potatoes in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain well and mash potatoes until smooth and lump free. Beat in flour, egg, and milk, season with salt and pepper and kneed together until it becomes a stiff dough.

On a floured counter top, roll out snakes about a half inch thick and cut with a sharp knife about every inch of the snake. Cook in a boiling pot of salty water for a few minutes, they rise to surface when fully cooked. Be sure to have an instrument like a strainer ready to scoop them out as they get nasty if you over cook them.

Now after they're all cooked you can serve them a variety of different ways, with cream sauces, tomato based sauces. I enjoy them sauteed slightly in butter until just golden brown and tossed with Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy, please post your comments below!

Sounds Good #14 Steak Linguine Alfredo

Unfortunately at the moment I don't have time to post the recipe, I will later tonight. For now here are the photos:

This photos what you'll need to make the recipe. I tried to make it organic as possible.

Alfredo working in the back right. Linguine bottom left. Beef bottom right.

Saute'ing the steak. Butter, Pepper, Salt.

2 Different plate presentations, 1 with everything mixed and the other with steak on top.

Close up of the bowl I thought looked more appealing!

I will add the recipe here later.

Sounds Good #13 Mushroom Risotto

Photo and recipe from www.allrecipes.com

I found this recipes at www.allrecipes.com and just love it so I'm passing it along. 

6 Cups of Chicken broth, divided

3T Olive oil, divided

1# Portabello Mushrooms - thinly sliced

1# white mushrooms - thinly sliced

2 shallots, small diced

1.5 Cups Arborio rice

.5 Cup Chardonnay wine

Sea Salt to taste

Fresh Ground pepper to taste

3T finely chopped chives

4T butter

.33 Cup grated Parm

Cook thinly sliced mushrooms in about 2T of oil in a pan. About 3 minutes. Set aside. Use a cap full of olive oil and saute the chopped shallots and cook for about 1 minute. Add rice, stir to coat the rice kernels with the oil for about 2 minutes. This is called Nacre. When the rice has become a golden color add Chardonnay and stir until wine is fully absorbed. Add broth or stock .5 Cup at a time. Continue adding until rice is au dente (not hard but not mushy). Remove from the heat and mix in mushrooms, butter, chives and cheese. Season with salt n pepper. Enjoy!

Sounds Good #12 Italian Tuscan Soup (slightly spicy)

I unfortunately do not have photos of this recipe yet.......I will add and edit this post when I have time to buy the ingredients and post photos for you. This recipe makes about 1 gallon of soup which is a lot but it's a hearty meal and if you like soup, you'll like this. 

This is a modified recipe from a restaurant chain:

1# of Ground Sausage (Try to avoid sausages that have dextrose or sugar)

2 teaspoons of Crushed Red Peppers

2 oz of Ham preferably cubed or small chunks

1/2# Onions (White or Yellow). 

2 oz of Green Onions thinly sliced

1T of Minced Garlic

4T of Chicken base

2.5 Qt Hot Water

2.5# of Russet or Chef's potatoes sliced thinly or into small cubes

1 Pint Cups of Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon of Pepper

Start a large pot on the stove on a medium-high heat and cook sausage. Use the fat from the ground up (or broken up if you wish) sausage to saute the minced garlic, pepper, crushed red peppers, green and yellow onions, and ham. 

Cook until onions become translucent without scorching other ingredients. Lower heat if necessary. Mix hot water and chicken base and stir until dissolved. De-glaze the pan by pouring the "chicken stock" into the pot to loosen anything and unlock all the flavors. Add potatoes and bring to a simmer. 

Once temperature hits at least 185 F test consistency of potatoes, to make sure fork tender (fork can enter and exit softly and with out force). Mix in heavy cream gently whisk until thickens. Once soup hits at least 185 again, turn off heat, and serve. If you wish to serve later chill rapidly till at least 32 F. When reserving make sure temperature reach again at 185. 

What I love about this recipe is that it can be modified very easily. You can make it spicy, you can make it bland, you can use bacon or no meat at all. You can add greens like spinach or collard greens for a green leafy flavor, or you and other ingredients to make it your own. 

Enjoy :) 

Sounds Good #11 Home Made Flat Bread Pizza

MMMM Flatbread pizza with Mozz & Goat Cheese, and Portabello Mushrooms

MMM Creamy n Cheesy 

A few slices of the flat bread and

 some sliced green olives for Lisiane

1 Envelope of active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup butter or margarine

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

mix water and yeast and let stand for 1o minutes. Mix remaining ingredients 

Bake at 350 F until just golden. Remove bread and butter. Spread cheese, and desired ingredients on top and bake until melted. Remove, Cut, ENJOY!

If you drink wine, this best goes with a red wine particularly Cab. Sauvignon especially if you add portabello mushrooms and goat cheese. 

Sounds Good #10 Orange Chicken

Serves 4

Sauce

1.5 Cups of Water

2T Orange Juice

.25 Cup of Lemon Juice

.33 Cup of Rice Wine Vin

2.5T Soy Sauce

1t Grated Orange Zest

1 Cup Brown Sugar

.5t Fresh Grated Ginger 

.5t Minced Garlic

2T Scallions (Green Onions)

.25t Red Pepper Flakes

Slurry

1T Water

2t Corn Starch

Chicken

2 Boneless Chicken Breasts cut in .5 inch cubes

1 Cup AP flour

.25t Salt

.25t Pepper

3T Olive Oil

Pour 1.5 Cups of water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice wine vin, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. 

Place chicken pieces into a re-sealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. In another re-sealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces from the other bag (after 2 hours of refrigeration), seal the bag and shake to coat. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plated lined with paper towels and cover with aluminum foil. Keep warm in oven about 200 degrees F.  Mix together 1T of water and 2t of cornstarch and stir into remaining heated sauce. Pour over cooked chicken and serve. 

Sauteed carrots, peanuts, broccoli, scallions, snow peas, or mushrooms can be added to make meal even better. Server over basmati or jasmine rice.

Sounds Good #9 French Crepes

This recipe is from Susan Spicer and her Cookbook: Crescent City Cooking page 61 to 63

3/4 Cup of milk

2 Tablespoons of butter, plus extra for frying

3 eggs

1 Cup Flour

1/8 teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons of herbs, such as any combo of Tarragon, thyme, chives, and parsley

Scald the milk and add the 2 tablespoons butter, then cool to lukewarm. 

Place the eggs, flour, salt, and cooled milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the herbs and pulse a time or two to mix. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator to relax and release air bubbles. If used the next day from fridge, thin slightly with a tablespoon or 2 of water. Melt a small amount of butter in a small nonstick skillet or crepe pan and when hot, pour in about 2 tablespoons of batter swirling to coat  the bottom of pan. Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook for about 5 seconds. Remove from the pan and repeat. Should make about 12-16 crepes. Wrap extra crepes in plastic and refrigerate or freeze for another time. 

Sounds Good: Not forgotten......

To anybody who frequents this blog I have not forgotten the major point of having this blog and that is: Recipes. Having spent to much time battling the "evil ones" on an website that shall remain nameless, I have just been to lazy to post anything new. I have tried some different things and even bought a new book that has some awesome recipes in it. If I get around to it on my day off tomorrow, I'll post one. 

Sounds Good #8 Vegetable Teriyaki Chicken with Peanuts

This is my first attempt at making anything Asian and it turned out decent. The recipe comes from a user website called www.allrecipes.com. Search: Baked Teriyaki Chicken. This is great website and full of info. Several recipes I've tried in the past to vary everyday dishes I've gotten the recipes from other users on this website. 

Ingredients:

1 T Corn Starch

1 T Cold Water

1/4 C Brown sugar

1/4 C White sugar

1/2 C Soy sauce

1/4 Apple Cider Vinegar

1 clove of minced garlic

1/2 t ground ginger

1/4 t black pepper

4 Chicken breasts

Aluminum foil an 8X8 pan and place the raw breasts cleaned in the pan. Preheat your oven to 400. Mix all the ingredients except the corn starch and water in a pan on a medium heat. Mix the corn starch and water in a separate bowl until looks like sauce consistency. Should NOT be lumpy or pasty. If it is add small amounts of water until thins. After mixture in sauce pan has simmered add the corn starch mixture (slurry) into teriyaki sauce and simmer some more until thickens. Pour hot sauce over raw chicken, foil the top of the pan, and place in the oven for 25 minutes. 

If you want to vary or add to this recipe, I suggest using carrots thinly sliced into circles, small cut broccoli florets, and peanuts. I added these things after the chicken was cooked and cooked them with a little bit of water, butter, and hot teriyaki sauce so they were cooked but still had a small amount of crunch texture to them. 

ENJOY!

Sounds Good #4 Southern Slow Cooking: Carnitas Tacos PART 2

Pork Butt, Celery, Oregano, Salsa, Kosher Salt, an Avocado, 

Pepper, Cilantro, Ham & Pork Stock

So we decided to just have the meat with rice instead of into tacos, this is what that whole 3# pork butt looks like after 12 HOURS in the crock pot. It literally just fell apart. It was a bit fatty/oily. If I was to make this again I would sear off the pork a little bit to try and cook off some of the fattiness.  But it turned out very tasty. 

Sounds Good #7 Homemade Mac 'N' Cheese

Tired of Kraft Mac 'N' Cheese?? Make your own! This recipe certainly takes longer and more patience but ohhhh the taste is awesome!

You need to do several things for this recipe: 1) Make a Roux, Cook Pasta, and Make Béchamel Sauce. 

1) Make a Roux: Equal parts flour and clarified butter (melt butter and pour through a strainer to remove milk solids) 2 Tablespoons clarified butter and 2 Tablespoons of flour. Heat butter and mix in flour until it thickens into a paste make sure not to burn by using a medium heat. 

2) Start a pot of salted water and boil. Add enough pasta when water is boiling for quantity of people going to eat. Cook pasta until done (au Dente) 

3) Make Béchamel Sauce: To make about a quart (liter) of béchamel saute a few ounces of small cut onions in a saute pan until the onion becomes translucent. Add a pint (16 ounces) of milk and a pint of heavy cream to the pan and bring to a low simmer (not a rolling boil or simmer) just barely bubbling. Allow the liquid to simmer for about 20 minutes occasionally whisking it to make sure it doesn't scald. After it has simmered mix in roux and whisk until roux dissolves and mixture visibly begins to thicken careful not to boil, burn or scald. IF mixture becomes TOO THICK add more milk in small amounts until it thins out slightly. 

4) Turn Béchamel into a Mornay sauce by adding cheese. If you want your Mac 'N' Cheese to be the typical Kraft yellow then use all yellow cheese. If you want your dish to be AWESOME mix small amounts of 4 to 7 different cheeses. I went and bought a blend from my local grocery store and added some cheddar at the end so our had 7 kinds. OHHH NELLY IT WAS GOOD!  

Pour pasta into cooking pan after it has been drained. Pour Mornay over pasta into pan and then pour bread crumbs over mixture, Panko Bread crumbs work best. Bake in oven at 350F for 20 to 30 minutes or until bread crumbs start to brown. Serve it up with a protein such as beef pieces or shredded chicken. 

Sounds Good #6 Feijoada Burritos

This recipe is my own design and makes amazing black bean burritos. 

You need a pressure cooker to make this recipe

1/2# of black beans

1/2# of beef, cut in very small pieces. 

1/2# of bacon

Water: Cover beans with water 2 fingers lengths above beans. 

3 bay leaves

Garlic: about a teaspoon of minced garlic

1/4# pork cut in small pieces

4 large Tortillas (preferable Mission, or any other authentic tortillas)

1 Cup of cooked rice

1 Cup of shredded cheese of your choice (Jack, Cheddar, Mozzarella or all 3)

Options to vary: 

1) 4 ounces of a red wine (Cab Sauv, Pinot Noir, or Merlot if nothing else available)

2) Use less beef and add a Bouillon beef cube

Load pressure cooker with beans, beef, pork, water, garlic, bay leaves, and add in variations such as wine or Bouillon. Hold out bacon until end. 

Time on this recipe largely depends on your personal pressure cooker model. Most American cookers can take several hours anywhere from 2 to 8. My best advice in using an American cooker is to cook beans until they become very soft and not chewy. Also when the water they are cooked in starts to turn grey/black and thickens into a salty liquid it is done. I would not recommend salting this recipe at the beginning. Salt and pepper are best added when the beans are done cooking and are used more to season the liquid. 

When feijoada is done remove bay leaves and set on a low simmer on stove or on a low heat in the pressure cooker. Use a large saute pan to cook bacon. Cut bacon in small pieces cook on a medium/high heat to remove most of the fat. Keep fat and cook bacon separate and remove bacon to bowl with several paper napkins or paper towels to absorb any extra fat. When bacon is dry mix into the feijoada. By cooking bacon separate you can remove a large portion of the fat in this recipe. 

Lay out tortilla and place a spoonful of cooked rice down on tortilla. Use a slotted spoon or slotted ladle to remove enough feijoada (but not much or any of the liquid) to cover the rice. Cover beens in cheese and roll up burrito in a way that it creates an envelope to hold your delicious burrito! 

Sounds Good #5:Orange Blossom Vinaigrette

This is a recipe I got from a chef in Charleston, SC when I was on internship. 

This is a large recipe it makes 2 quarts of vin.

1 Small red pepper

1 Small green pepper

1 Small yellow pepper

2 oz red onion

1/4 bunch of cilantro

1/2 quart of honey

2 quarts of blended oil

1 Cup of Rice wine vin

1/4 Cup dijon mustard

1/2 Cup Whole Grain mustard

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 Tablespoon Chili Pepper

1/2 Tablespoon Salt

1/2 Tablespoon Pepper

Blend everything together in a Cuisinart or a Blender if necessary. 

Sounds Good #4 Southern Slow Cooking: Carnitas Tacos

You need a slow cooker to do this recipe. This recipe is from Bon Appetit April 2008 page 76. 

2# Boneless pork ribs, shoulder, or pork butt. Cut into 2 inch pieces

2 Teaspoons of salt

2 Teaspoons of pepper

2 Teaspoons of dried oregano

1/2 Onion cut into 4

1 Avocado halved, pitted, sliced

Cilantro sprigs

Sliced red bell peppers

Corn tortillas

Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, black pepper and dried oregano to coat. Place

quartered onion on top of pork. Cover slow cooker and cook on slow setting for about 6 hours or until meat starts to fall apart. 

Using a slotted spoon transfer pork to a plate and discard onion pieces. Shred pork meat. Cover tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and microwave until warm. Serve carnitas meat with tortillas and any other additions like rice, beans and/or tomatillo salsa or all of the above. 

Stay tuned for photos of this recipe, I'll be making this on my day off Thursday! Can't wait to try it out!

Sounds Good #3 part 2:Buffalo Salmon

Out of the oven, notice the creamy white part of the flesh? Salmon when it 

is done starts to ooze fat from between the layers. It's DONE. If you like your fish 

not as dry, cook till an internal temperature of about 140F. If the meat gets to 

165 it's going to start to get dry and flaky. 

Our dinner plated! Buffalo Salmon with herb rice and steamed veggies!

The panko bread crumbs were hard to find but we finally found a supermarket with an international section that happen to have it for $2.50 a pound. 

Sounds Good #3:Buffalo Salmon

I love hot wings and I love Salmon (cooked medium). What could be better? Buffalo Salmon, why not?

Today's recipe comes from the May 2008 of Gourmet Magazine, page 144. 

Buffalo Salmon:

Serves 6 takes about 30 minutes

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 Cup hot sauce such as Frank's Redhot

1/3 Cup Panko bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

2# piece salmon fillet with skin on

Preheat oven  to 425F with rack in upper 3rd. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan. Melt butter with hot sauce and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper over medium heat. Set aside 1/4 cup sauce. Toss panko with oil in a bowl. Put salmon skin side down in baking pan and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then brush with remaining sauce. Sprinkle panko evenly over top of fish, then bake until panko is golden and fish is just cooked through, 16 to 22 minutes. Serve skin side down. 

Wow, think I'm going to have it tonight with some sauteed veggies!

Sounds Good #2: Scallop edition

Okay well here's another recipe that sounds awesome. This one comes from the March 2008 issue of Gourmet, page 83. 

Seared Scallops with Tarragon Butter Sauce

Recipe serves about 4

1 1/4# large sea scallops

7 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into Tablespoons and divided

2 Tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1/4 Cup dry white wine

1/4 Cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

Pat dry scallops and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12 inch nonstick pan over a medium heat until foam subsides then sear scallop turning once till golden brown and just cooked through (about 5 minutes total). Transfer to a plate and add shallot, wine, and vinegar to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits and reduce liquid until 2 tablespoons. Add juices from plate and if necessary boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 Cup. Reduce heat to low and add 3 Tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted. Then add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency. Stir in tarragon and salt to taste; pour over scallops. 

Wow sounds awesome. The sauce is very buttery obviously but it is a bastard buerre blanc sauce or a butter pan sauce. 

Matthew Glenn's Grapity Grape Ice Cream

Grape Ice Cream (Minus candied grapes. Didn't have the $$$)

Frustrated that I couldn't get a hold of Grandma Glenn's Purple Ice Cream I decided to create my own. 

This recipe works perfectly with any ice cream maker but the recipe is tuned to work with our 2 quart Cuisinart Ice Cream and Yogurt Maker. 

2 1/2 Cups of Heavy Cream

3/4 Cup of Sugar

1 Cup whole milk

1/2 Cup of reduced grape juice

1 cup of candied red/purple grapes

To make the reduced grape juice take a liter of concord grape juice (Welch's or Kirkland Costco brand) and on a medium heat simmer to boil the liquid till it gradually becomes thicker. Reduce liter of liquid to about 1/2 a cup. Should take about an hour depending on how high a heat/fire you're using. 

I am experimenting still with the recipe, my mother has suggested trying concentrate from a can, I may try that on the next batch.

To make the candied grapes you need to make a simple syrup. 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar heat on a medium heat till the sugar dissolved and it starts to thicken. Add the halved grapes into the liquid and cook (simmering) until they're candied. Should take about 5 minutes. Remove grapes and cool. Add grapes in the last 2 minutes of churning. 

In a mixing bowl mix sugar and whole milk till sugar dissolves. Add Heavy cream and whip till nearly becomes whipping cream. Add to the freezing cold ice cream machine and start to churn for 20 minutes and the ice cream starts to thicken to near soft serve consistency. Add in the reduced grape juice and mix well, should immediately start to darken and turn purple. Add candied grapes in the last 2 minutes. Mix for a total of 30 minutes. Transfer to container and freeze for at least 2 hours. 

Should be grapity delicious!