Apricot Chicken

Raise your hand if you remember "Thirty Minute Meals."  Keep it raised if you miss it.  

I know Rachael Ray made a smart business decision when she made the move to the big network, but I'm a cooking kind of girl, not a talk show fan.  I miss the old series, Rachael's girl-next-door un-fancied-up appearance, and her appealing thirty minute meals.  

I know Rachael still cooks on the talk show but she races through it, and doesn't make the same excellent presentation she used to.  

Okay.  Finished griping now.   :^)   

At least I still have my favourite recipes from the old series.  

This is one of them.  

Apricot Chicken is an excellent weeknight meal to add to your repertoire.  It has great flavour, it's quick and simple to make, and I keep most of the ingredients on hand.

I've kept this recipe pretty close to Rachael's original, with just a few small adaptations.  We both like the recipe a lot, but prefer it with more acid and less sugar.  We also use more onion and more dried apricots in ours.  

To make Apricot Chicken, you'll need:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large cubes
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
• 9 dried apricots, cut into a medium dice
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

You'll need a skillet with a lid.

Add your oil to the skillet over medium heat, and turn to coat the bottom of the pan completely.

Add the chicken to the heated pan, leaving it to cook until it's taken on some colour on each side.  

Once the chicken is lightly browned, add in the onion and cook it, stirring, for about 5 minutes more.  The chicken will take on more colour.  The onions should brown slightly too.

Add in the cider vinegar and continue stirring until it has evaporated.

Once the vinegar has evaporated, add in the chicken stock and the diced dried apricots.  

When the stock comes to a boil, add in the apricot jam and pepper flakes, stirring until the jam dissolves into the stock.  It will look quite soupy.

Ladle off about 1/4 cup of the liquid from the pan into a small bowl.  Set the bowl into a larger bowl of very cold water, so that it will cook quickly.

Bring the pot up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and put the lid on.  Leave it to cook for about 15 minutes.  

Much of the liquid will boil off, leaving you a mixture that looks like this:

Stir the cornstarch into the cooled, reserved pan liquid, and add it back to the skillet.  

Stir until the liquid boils and thickens.

Dinner's ready!  

I like to serve my Apricot Chicken over rice but it's very good over noodles too.

What We Spent April 1 - 7

My husband and I have a standing date for a weekend outing. We have rules about this outing:  We must choose a destination within 2 hours' drive of our home, we must pack a lunch, and we must refrain from buying anything while we're out.  As dates go it's a pretty frugal outing, but gas prices keep climbing. 

At present, gas is taking as much from our monthly budget as food, and sometimes it's taking more.  

Some of our driving - like my commute to work - is unavoidable, but our weekend outing is an increasingly expensive optional treat.  We discussed giving up our date but in the end decided to keep it, opting to do without some other things instead.

Budgeting is all about this type of adjustment.  We can be pretty sure that prices are not going to go down, so making ends meet comes down to making choices.  We must either give up the optional extras in our routine, or find ways to earn more income, or both.

I must confess that I struggle with this sometimes.  I work hard and I'm no spendthrift so I tend to feel resentful when faced with the need to cut back ever further on the things I enjoy.  

I'm working on an attitude adjustment. It's important for me to remember that compared with much of the world's population, I'm very rich indeed.  I have a safe, comfortable home, enough to eat, access to good medical care, plenty of clothing, and even a car. So much more than so many! 

Here's what we spent this week:

Date	Item	Amount
April 1/13	Gas	$51.56
	Pre-payment for egg delivery for April, May, & June	$48.00
	.62 kg/1.36 lb grapes	$2.69
	.2 kg/.45 lb red onion	$0.76
	household goods	$12.48
	4 liters skim milk	$4.53
	1.08 kg/2.38 lbs bananas	$0.93
April 6/13	Gas	$44.72
	2 cauliflower	$1.98
	2 heads romaine	$1.96
	1 cantaloupe	$1.50
	1.56 kg/2.55 lb tomatoes	$1.73
	4 kg/8.8 lb frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts	$26.28
	Personal care items	$11.45
	Dinner out	$13.05
	Total Coupons Redeemed	-$9.60
	TOTAL EXPENDITURES	$214.02

What We Ate, April 1 - 7

Our weather is very changeable right now and so, it seems, is our diet. Our menus last week are kind of a mixed bag: We enjoyed our first picnic of the season and treated ourselves to a meal at our favourite burger joint, but we also cooked from the pantry several days.  We enjoyed some asparagus and took advantage of lower pricing at the farm market, but also ate home canned fruit and vegetables, winter vegetables, and food from the freezer.

Here's what we ate last week:

Monday, April 1:

Breakfast - Oatmeal and applesauce

Supper - Our first picnic of the season!  Lettuce, tomato, red onion, and gouda sandwiches on home made rye bread made with beer and caramelized onions, potato salad, grapes, and homemade lemonade.

Tuesday, April 2:

Breakfast - Homemade oat cakes, sliced cheddar, apples

Supper - Chicken drumsticks breaded with a mixture of homemade bread crumbs and parmesan seasoned with freshly cracked black pepper and oregano, clapshot, steamed asparagus, coffee cake.

Wednesday, April 3:

Breakfast - Homemade granola, homemade yogurt

Supper - Fritatta made with cooked grated potato, steamed asparagus, and gouda, steamed, shredded cabbage dressed with butter and freshly grated nutmeg, leftover coffee cake for dessert.

Thursday, April 4:

Breakfast - Peanut butter and banana sandwiches on home baked whole wheat bread

Supper - Home canned salmon in a cream sauce flavoured with the reserved liquid from the salmon jar, lemon zest and dill, served over rice, with home canned beets, and steamed green beans (from the freezer).  Home canned pears and blackberries for dessert

Friday, April 5:

Breakfast - Leftover pears and blackberries, homemade yogurt

Supper - Home canned chicken vegetable soup, egg salad and watercress sandwiches on toasted whole wheat bread.

Saturday, April 6:

Breakfast - Carrot cake pancakes

Supper - Burgers at Triple O's

Sunday, April 7:

Breakfast - Oatmeal and applesauce

Supper - Cauliflower and bacon gratin, salad of romaine, grated carrot, red onion, tomato, and kalamata olives with herb vinaigrette, pineapple cake with coconut frosting.

Homemade Ricotta

Did you know that ricotta is not a cheese?  

Technically speaking, real ricotta is a low fat, spreadable milk product made from the whey left over after cheese is made.  

To make it, cheese makers reheat the whey and make a curd from the milk solids suspended within. The name ricotta is derived from this process, and means re-cooked.

If a large amount of whey is not available to you, you can make something very similar to ricotta by adding an acid (vinegar or lemon juice) to warm milk or cream.  The milk will curdle, with the solids separating from the whey, and the whey can then be strained out, leaving only the curd.  This is the method I most often use to make ricotta at home, following the directions provided in method two of this post by Italian Food Forever.

Lately, though, I've had a lot of whey left over from making homemade Greek style yogurt so I thought I'd look further into the idea for making ricotta from whey.

In the posts I found about making ricotta from whey, the whey was quite milky looking.  The whey leftover from my yogurt making was not milky looking at all.  It was quite clear, with almost no milk solids left in it.  

I didn't think it there were enough solids in the whey from my yogurt to yield a batch of ricotta if I used it all by itself, but I did want to incorporate my whey into the process somehow.  

It was time to consider an alternate plan.

I often substitute the whey from my yogurt making for the buttermilk called for in baking recipes, so I thought that perhaps I could use it to make a ricotta recipe that calls for buttermilk.  I searched around and found this recipe from 101 Cookbooks.  

I'd already been to the store by the time I found the recipe so, instead of the gallon of whole milk called for in the recipe, I used the 2 litres of whole milk and 1 litre of whipping cream I had on hand.  I adjusted the amount of whey I used to 750 ml so the recipe proportions would remain the same.  

(If you're working in quarts and cups, the proportions would be 2 quarts of whole milk, 1 quart of whipping cream, and 3 cups of whey.)

I poured the milk, cream, and whey into a heavy bottomed pan and heated them to 175F.  

The instructions in the recipe said the milk would separate into lumpy curds but it didn't.  It was a little curdled but I wasn't confident that it had broken enough that the milk solids would strain out, so I added in another 250 ml of whey (approximately 1 cup) and reheated the mixture to 175F.  

The milk mixture did curdle after I added the additional whey, but not in big pieces.  When I stirred the mixture, I could see that the whey had separated from the curds, but the curds were tiny and still suspended within the liquid.  

I decided to try straining it anyway.

Because I like a little saltiness to my ricotta, I stirred a teaspoon of sea salt into the milk mixture.  Once the salt was dissolved, I removed the pot from the heat. 

I lined a fine sieve with a piece of old sheet material that I use for straining yogurt, and for making jellies.  I set the sieve into the top of my half gallon measuring cup (you could use a pot or a deep bowl instead) and ladled in some of the milk mixture.  

The whey began to strain out quite quickly, leaving the milk solids deposited within the fabric lined strainer.  

As the milk solids built up, the liquid strained out more slowly. I used a silicone spatula to loosen the solids from the fabric every now and again, stirring them back into the mixture in the sieve.  

I continued this process until most of the liquid had been strained out and I was left with about 4 cups of fairly thick ricotta that had a yogurt-like consistency.

Once the ricotta had reached a yogurt-like consistency, I pulled the edges of the cloth up over the curd and put it, still in the strainer, still set over the measuring cup, in my fridge.  I left it there overnight.

After its night in the refrigerator, more whey had drained from the ricotta and it had set into a solid enough mass that whey I turned it out of the straining cloth, it retained its shape. 

We couldn't resist sampling some ricotta right away, and I'm so glad we did.  It had a far smoother, creamier texture than any ricotta I'd made before, and a pleasing, mild flavour.  

I packaged it into airtight containers, measuring as I went.  We ended up with almost 3-1/2 cups of drained ricotta, and a little more than two quarts of whey.  

The whey from making the ricotta had far more milk solids in it than the whey from making yogurt.  

I think there may well be another cheese making project in my immediate future.  ;)

Cook's notes:

You'll have noticed the pink sticker on the whipped cream container in my ingredients photo.  The cream was on sale for half price because its expiry date was the next day.  Making yogurt or cheese is a great way to extend the life of milk or cream.  The cooking process kills many of the bacteria that cause spoilage, enabling you to use it for a longer time.

My ricotta had a pleasing, mild taste that would carry other flavours well.  I'll definitely be making it again but next time I'm going to try adding some other seasonings.  It's quite a thick cheese when finished so it will be easier to add the flavourings before the whey is strained out.  I'm planning to divide the un-strained liquid into two or three batches stir a different flavouring into each batch.  Right now I'm thinking dill and lemon rind in one, cracked black pepper in a second, and maybe one with some sundried tomato and oregano too. 

Slightly Disheveled Joseph

One of the perks of my brother’s job is the dining room at his workplace.  It’s a beautiful room in a building more than a century old: stone floored, with marble pillars, and windows looking out toward a rhododendron garden.  I’m always honoured when he invites me to join him there.

The dining room menu is quite simple, but the food is well prepared, beautifully presented, and served by waistcoated, bow-tied staff at white-table-clothed tables set with heavy silverware.  Almost any dish will seem special when served so beautifully.

Last time I joined my brother for lunch in the dining room, one of our table mates ordered the daily special:  a Sloppy Joe.  It arrived at the table so beautifully presented that my brother exclaimed “That’s ‘way too classy to be called a Sloppy Joe!  More like a Slightly Disheveled Joseph, I think.”  The name tickled my husband so much that it has remained kitchen currency at our house ever since.

This particular Joseph is a vegetarian; made with lentils.  I adapted it from a Snobby Joe recipe shared by $5. Dinners.   My fella liked it a lot and didn’t even realize it was meatless until I told him so as I was clearing away the plates.

Lentils make a wonderful substitute for ground beef in many recipes.  They’re much less costly than beef, and they have a satisfying, earthy flavour and pleasant texture. 

They bring a lot of nutrition to the plate too: 

A cup of lentils has 230 calories compared to 360 for the same amount of cooked, crumbled, lean ground beef.  That cup of lentils has a single gram of fat, 17 grams of protein, 16 grams of fibre, and 90% of the RDA of folate – a nutrient essential to the production of new cells and the body’s effective use of iron.  Lentils are also rich in magnesium and Vitamin B6, and it is believed that they may reduce the risk of high blood pressure.[1]

Because of their shape, lentils cook from their dried form quite quickly, requiring no presoaking.  They are a busy cook’s good friend.  I call upon them often, and always have at least one bag of lentils in my pantry.  

To make Slightly Disheveled Josephs, you’ll need:

• 1 cup dried lentils (I used green because they’re what I have in the cupboard right now but, yellow, brown, or black will work too.  I don’t recommend red lentils because they’re too small and won’t provide the desired texture.)
• 4 cups water (not pictured)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup
• 3/4 cup finely chopped celery, including the leaves
• 3/4 cup diced bell pepper (I used yellow and purple bell pepper strips from my freezer, and diced them frozen)
• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, very finely minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
• 1/4 cup finely diced bread and butter pickles (gherkins will work too)
• 1 Tablespoon brine from the pickle jar (optional)

Put the lentils and water in a large pot, bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium.  Cook them for about 20 minutes.

When the lentils have been cooking for about 10 minutes, heat the olive oil in a large pan and use it to sauté the onion, celery, and bell pepper until the vegetables are tender-crisp and the onion has just begun to take on some colour.

Add in the garlic and sauté for half a minute more.

Mix in the tomato paste and cook it for a couple of minutes.

Add in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, grainy mustard, and diced pickles, stirring until the mixture is heated through.  Reduce the heat to simmer.

When the lentils are done they should be tender but still have a little tooth to them.  They’ll have absorbed most of the water but there will be a little bit (maybe half a cup) remaining in the bottom of the pan.

Add the cooked lentils and whatever water remains in the pot to the tomato sauce mixture.  If it’s too loose a mixture, turn up the heat and stir the pot until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

Taste the finished dish and adjust the seasoning.  (I found that I wanted a little more acid in mine, so I stirred in a Tablespoon of brine from the pickle jar.)

Spoon your Slightly Disheveled Joseph mixture over bread, buns, or biscuits (I use my sweet potato biscuits for this) and garnish the sandwich with some torn parsley leaves.  Serve it immediately, while it’s still piping hot.

This recipe freezes well.  You can make it ahead and freeze it in individual portions.  Reheat it from frozen in the microwave.
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[1] http://www.livestrong.com/article/41517-lentil-nutrition-information/
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This post is linked to A Marvelous Mess, hosted by Marvelously Messy, to Craft-O-Maniac Monday hosted by Craft-O-Maniac, Busy Monday hosted by A Pinch of Joy, to Mix it up Monday hosted by Flour Me with Love, to On the Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable Blog, to the Tuesday To Do Party hosted by The Blackberry Vine, to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop hosted by Zesty South Indian Kitchen, Savoring Today, Premeditated Leftovers, and The 21st Century Housewife,

 



   

 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Near the door of our local Superstore is a big cardboard bin filled with huge reddish-brown, orange fleshed tubers. The label on the bin reads "Jumbo Yams" but they are, in fact, sweet potatoes.

That's a good thing:  Sweet potatoes have more flavour and are richer in nutrients than yams[1].  They have a good shelf life too, and can be either canned or frozen (after being cooked and mashed) if you wish to put them by for when they're not in season.

"Jumbo yams" were on sale last week at Superstore for $0.46/pound.  That's some mighty big bang for my grocery buck! I bought 20 pounds of them with the intention of preparing and portioning them for the freezer.  

Before I cooked them, I took a picture of a couple of tubers so you could see how big they were.

Jumbo, indeed!  :)

I divided my cooked sweet potatoes into one-cup portions and froze most of them, but I did set aside a couple of cups for baking. I used one portion to make these biscuits.

This recipe is an adaptation of a biscuit shared recently by Chow.com, changed slightly to suit my cooking style.  

Sweet potato biscuits are a little less flaky than a traditional kneaded biscuit, but they're delicious.  Moist and slightly sweet, they work well with savoury dishes like stew but, should you decide to use them for shortcake, they'll pair equally well with fruit.

To make sweet potato biscuits, you'll need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, very cold, cut into slices of about a Tablespoon each
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup baked, mashed sweet potato

Whisk the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda together until well combined.

Add the butter to the bowl and work it into the flour by rubbing it between your fingers and thumb so that it breaks up into thin, rather flat pieces similar in shape and size to cornflakes.  

Toss the butter and flour mixture with your hands so that the butter is distributed throughout.  

Stir the milk and mashed sweet potato together until well combined.  

Mix the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture to make a soft dough.

You'll probably need to finish the dough by kneading it a few times in the bowl until it holds together.  Try not to overwork it. The less you knead the dough, the more tender the finished biscuits will be.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board or counter top and roll or press it into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick.  

Cut the rectangle into portions and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little milk, then place the pan on the middle shelf of a 400F oven.

Bake the biscuits for about 20 minutes, until the tops begin to take on some colour and they're cooked through.  

Serve your biscuits warm from the oven or allow them to cool on a wire rack before storing them in an airtight container.  Use them within a day or two, reheating them before serving.  

Sweet potato biscuits toast nicely if placed under the broiler.  They taste wonderful with just a bit of melty butter on top, and even better with cream cheese.  

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[1] http://www.livestrong.com/article/257046-sweet-potato-vs-yam-nutrition/