Marshmallow Fluff

One of the most rewarding things about this website has got to be the background research.

I feel like I learn something new every single day.

Things that can easily be bought in a store filled to the brim with preservatives and ingredients that should never, ever be ingested by humans, can now be made 100% homemade the way I like them.

To my preference.

To my taste.

Just the way I like it.

Because I'm selfish like that.

It opens up a whole new world when you can make anything you want homemade.  Take this fluff.  Now, I've never been a huge fluff eater.  I've heard it's good on sandwiches with peanut butter, but I'm not completely sold on that yet.

But, I do like marshmallow creme on cupcakes.  And, swirled in my ice cream.  And, used as a quick substitute for s'more flavored delights.  

Making homemade fluff turns out to be super easy and cheap since the ingredients list is small and easily obtainable.  For just over a dollar, I made almost double what the containers at the grocery store carry, and it's made with ingredients that I know and trust.

And because I'm selfish, I'm keeping it all to myself!

 

Marshmallow Fluff

 

3 egg whites

2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups Confectioner's sugar

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

 

In a stand mixer, combine egg whites and corn syrup on medium-high until the mixture forms soft peaks.

Reduce speed to low and add Confectioner's sugar and vanilla until just combined.

Cajun Seasoning

Has anybody else been watching an over-abundance of television lately?

 

I have been such a lazy bum lately, filling my brain with the likes of "Duck Dynasty", "American Hoggers" and that show about the guy who high-pitch squeals every time he wrestles some wild creature out of the Louisiana swampland. 

 

I hope we are all on the same page.

 

If you've lost me, it means you clearly have a life and watch more more meaningful forms of entertainment.  If you do flow on my wavelength, I'm glad we're friends.  We need to stick together.

 

Watching everybody on this show scarf down gator balls and jumbalaya makes me desperate to try some cajun cooking.  Truthfully, up until this point, I didn't even know if I would like it.  I started off nice and slow, electing to make this seasoning and sprinkle it on some good ol' fashioned, familiar chicken breasts.

 

Because I'm boring.

 

And, because you can't find good gator meat here in upstate New York. 

 

It took a lot of tweaking on part, as it always does, until I was satisfied with the end result.  In fact, by the end, I couldn't even guarantee that I had achieved an authentic cajun flavor.  I had no palate for it to begin with, so I was not someone who could be trusted to judge my own seasoning.  A coworker of mine stationed here from the northern part of Louisiana was my taste-tester.

 

After a couple suggestions led to a bit more tweaking, I was finally left with an authentic and delicious seasoning.  The chicken I made was outstanding, leading me to wonder why I hadn't tried something like this before.  Now I'm ready to try this out on many more meals.

 

Next stop:  gator balls!

 

 

 

 

Cajun Seasoning

 

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

 

 

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. 

Szechuan Sauce

So, am I the only one who is completely oblivious to the ways and origins of Chinese cooking?

 

My education only consists of what the local take-out menu contains.

 

That's embarrassing.

 

I'm not a fan of all of these Anti-MSG posters all over the doors when I pick up my order.  I mean, I'm glad I'm not eating it, but seriously, what exactly is it that I'm eating then?  What other three-letter acronyms am I unknowingly ingesting?

 

Not cool.

 

So in trying to eat all my favorite foods without eating all the added junk, I've started trying to recreate some of my favorite sauces.  Szechuan sauce, named for a particular region in China (see, you really do learn something new everyday), is a versatile sauce for meat, rice and vegetable that combines many of the traditionally "Chinese" flavors into one tangy, slightly hot sauce. 

 

Plus, in doing it myself, I'm not only empowered by my newfound mastery of another food staple, but I also have absolute control over the ingredients and what exactly I put in my food, and subsequently, my body. 

 

Keep coming back to see how I utilize this sauce to make my everyday chicken and vegetables and turn them into a field trip to the faraway lands of China right from my very own kitchen!

 

 

 

Szechuan Sauce

 

15 dried szechuan peppers

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp white sugar

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp crushed ginger

Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Do not boil.

Cook down for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is thick.

 

 

 

Szechuan Vegetable Stir-Fry

At the forefront of many of my culinary adventures recently, I've been trying to take an interest in recreating cultural food staples.  From Greek to Irish to Chinese, I'm becoming more and more fascinated with different styles of cooking as well as different flavors.  Some things I never thought I would try have now become some of my favorite snacks and meals.

Whenever I cook Chinese food, the first thing I think of is meat.  I'm always trying to recreate some of the typical chicken and beef dishes from the takeout menu,  I've never concerned myself with trying to figure out veggies and side dishes. 
 

So, last night, I did just that.

 

 

I took some vegetables from the fridge and attempted to do my very first stir fry using traditional Szechuan flavors.  These vegetable are a healthy and delicious way to complement any of your favorite Chinese meat dishes.  I served this with some delicious chicken and felt like I had saved $10 and tons of abbreviated chemicals from staying away from a take-out place. 
 

And, it finally gave me an opportunity to eat up some green vegetables since I've been severely overlooking these little gems in my diet. 
 

Deliciously sweet and tangy, with a hint of heat, these vegetable will make even the pickiest eaters chomp down their greens in a heartbeat!

 

 

Szechuan Vegetable Stir-Fry

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 white onion, sliced

1/2 lb.  green beans

1/2 lb. broccoli florets

1/2 lb. whole peas

1 cup Szechuan Sauce

 

 

In a wok or large skillet, saute onions in olive oil until fragrant and translucent over medium heat.  Add broccoli, peas and beans and turn heat down to low.  Continuously stir the vegetable to cook them for 3-5 minutes.
 

Add Szechuan sauce and heat bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Pastitsio

As a non-Greek human being, I sure feel like my stomach is going Greek.

 

I've been cooking a lot of Greek food lately and experimenting with Greek-style herbs and seasonings to update some other recipes I have.

 

I've seen pastitsio before on various blogs and such, but I never paid much attention to it.  Truthfully, I thought that it was basically just a cool name for baked ziti.  It wasn't until I actually researched it that I found out how wrong I was. 

 

Pastitsio is kind of a cross between baked ziti (so I'm not completely wrong after all), lasagna and moussaka.  There's a bunch of sauce and noodles and ground meat, but it's organized neatly in layers.  Then there's a creamy bechamel sauce poured over the top. 

 

Who knew I'd learn to like bechamel so much?

 

But oh, am I learning.

 

Greek casseroles are quickly climbing on my list of things I NEED to bake.  I'm super glad I started with this rich and savory Pastitsio first.  As equally glad as I am that I made a whole pan of it and I can have leftovers for days.  Moussaka is next on my list of Greek foods to try, but for now, I'm savoring this little slice of heaven.

 

Or, in my case, this big, fat, thick, delicious slice of heaven!

 

 

 

Pastitsio

 

1 lb. penne noodles

1 lb. ground beef

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cups Red Sauce

1/2 white onion, diced

2 tbsp garlic

2 cups mozzarella cheese

2 cups Bechamel Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

 

 

Preheat oven 350F.

 

Cook and drain penne noodles.

 

In a large skillet, saute onions over medium heat in olive oil until translucent.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute.  Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.  Drain excess liquid.  Season to taste.  Stir in Red Sauce and remove from heat.

 

In a greased casserole dish, layer 1/3 of the noodles.  Follow with 1/3 of the beef mixture and 1 cup of cheese.  Continue this layering until the third layer of beef is on the top.  Pour the bechamel over the top.

 

Bake for 1 hour.

English Muffin Bread

I don't know what it is, but I have been in a serious bread-baking mood lately. 

 

Whenever I get a chance, which recently has been hardly ever (in case you were keeping track of my sporadic posting), I've been kneading and forgetting perfectly moist and chewy loaves of bread.  Some sweet, some savory, and tons of recipes from all of the world.  One of the biggest reasons for starting this blog was to learn how to cook and learn how the rest of the world cooks as well.  It's been such an eye-opening experience to try different recipes from across the globe. 

 

This bread is a little bit more homey in the sense that I grew up eating English muffins as a child and teenager, especially in the morning before school.  My favorite ways involve peanut butter for breakfast and pizza-style at dinner time.  I mean, how many kids were lucky enough to enjoy English muffin pizzas?  I'm thinking a lot.  And if you're not one of them, you need to make this bread and then slather a slice in sauce and cheese under a broiler. 

 

Amazing.

 

Anyway, this bread is obviously different from the store-bought brand in that it comes in a loaf-shape.  But this is way more economical than paying for those little six-packs when you can have a whole loaf.  And besides that, the unmistakeable pockets within the bread are present just like your favorite store-bought brands, just waiting to be covered in whatever your favorite toppings happen to be!

 

 

English Muffin Bread

 

 

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1 packet active dry yeast

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

 

 

 

Combine all of the ingredients into a standmixer and mix on medium until combined.  The dough will be tacky.

 

Place in a greased bowl and cover with a slightly damp towel.  Let rise one hour.

 

Punch dough down and place in a greased loaf pan dusted with cornmeal.  You can fill one large loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans.  Let rise an additional hour.

 

Preheat oven 350F.

 

Bake 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush with 2 tbsp melted butter.  Return to oven for 10 more minutes