This recipe is only for me.
That's because we never grew up with Beef Stroganoff. I don't think my dad liked it, and since he was a picky eater, this dish, among many others, was not among our circulating dinner menu.
When I got older and started experimenting with my own recipes, I decided to try my hand at stroganoff.
After a few less-than-stellar attempts, I finally found a recipe that really spoke to me and my tastes.
I love the egg noodles in this dish, but you could easily use a pasta like penne or bow-ties for this dish as well. You'll want something that carries a cream sauce well, and is thick enough that it doesn't get outplayed by the beef, mushrooms and sour cream sauce.
If you're like me, or you're somewhat of a novice with homemade pasta sauces, this will be unlike any you've made before. It's not overly garlicked out like most Italian sauces, and there are zero tomatoes. But, the taste is nonetheless superb and it's a total departure from what you might be used to. It's a great way to substitute in an unusual pasta dish that's also easy and fast for a weeknight.
I mean, what's not to like about that?
Beef Stroganoff
1 lb. egg noodles
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely diced
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb. steak meat, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup beef stock
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup sour cream
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Boil water and add egg noodles. Cook until soft, then drain. Set aside.
In olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onions and cook until fragrant and translucent, about five minutes.
Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add meat and mushrooms. Cook until meat is completely browned.
Mix cornstarch and beef stock in a cup and stir until cornstarch has dissolved completely. Add to the meat mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in white wine and cook and additional 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and seasoning until the sauce is creamy and homogenous.
Pour sauce over egg noodles.
Garnish with parsley.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Steak Gorgonzola Pasta
It's an ice stormy kind of day.
If you don't know what that means, you don't live in upstate New York.
Right now, there are tree branches scattered across my lawn and one (thankfully small) on my roof. My car is encased in solid ice and the roads look like they've been converted into outdoor skating rinks.
It's pretty exciting.
This kind of thing happens around here every few years, but this year, it's actually led to an state of emergency in my area. That would be cool and all if I didn't work in a profession where I still have to go to work amidst an environmental disaster. So, I'll be making the dangerous trek into work shortly, and I'm so sarcastically excited about it.
I made this pasta because of the fact that I'm one of the only streets in my town that still has power, and I had all of the ingredients handy. Thank heavens for a freezer of meat and some boxes of store-bought pasta.
Usually, I don't have gorgonzola at the ready, but I'd been trying some recipes with pears and gorgonzola cheese lately, and I had enough left to try this recipe. I really like the pairing of red meat and gorgonzola as I've put in on my hamburgers a number of times. Mixed into this creamy pasta sauce, this cheese is tangy and sharp enough to complement the robust flavor of the steak without being too overpowering. And pasta, especially the shorter, fatter pastas (ex. rotinis and pennes) or egg noodles, like I used, absorb and collect the sauce, serving as the perfect bed for this dish.
This dish is warm and savory, and perfect for a cozy day snuggled inside the igloo that Mother Nature just made for you.
Steak Gorgonzola Pasta
1 lb. egg noodles
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely diced
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb. steak meat, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup beef stock
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup sour cream
6 oz. gorgonzola cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Boil water and add egg noodles. Cook until soft, then drain. Set aside.
In olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onions and cook until fragrant and translucent, about five minutes.
Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add meat and mushrooms. Cook until meat is completely browned.
Mix cornstarch and beef stock in a cup and stir until cornstarch has dissolved completely. Add to the meat mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in white wine, sour cream, gorgonzola and seasoning. Stir until the sauce is smooth and homogenous.
Pour sauce over egg noodles.
Garnish with parsley.
If you don't know what that means, you don't live in upstate New York.
Right now, there are tree branches scattered across my lawn and one (thankfully small) on my roof. My car is encased in solid ice and the roads look like they've been converted into outdoor skating rinks.
It's pretty exciting.
This kind of thing happens around here every few years, but this year, it's actually led to an state of emergency in my area. That would be cool and all if I didn't work in a profession where I still have to go to work amidst an environmental disaster. So, I'll be making the dangerous trek into work shortly, and I'm so sarcastically excited about it.
I made this pasta because of the fact that I'm one of the only streets in my town that still has power, and I had all of the ingredients handy. Thank heavens for a freezer of meat and some boxes of store-bought pasta.
Usually, I don't have gorgonzola at the ready, but I'd been trying some recipes with pears and gorgonzola cheese lately, and I had enough left to try this recipe. I really like the pairing of red meat and gorgonzola as I've put in on my hamburgers a number of times. Mixed into this creamy pasta sauce, this cheese is tangy and sharp enough to complement the robust flavor of the steak without being too overpowering. And pasta, especially the shorter, fatter pastas (ex. rotinis and pennes) or egg noodles, like I used, absorb and collect the sauce, serving as the perfect bed for this dish.
This dish is warm and savory, and perfect for a cozy day snuggled inside the igloo that Mother Nature just made for you.
Steak Gorgonzola Pasta
1 lb. egg noodles
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely diced
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb. steak meat, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup beef stock
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup sour cream
6 oz. gorgonzola cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Boil water and add egg noodles. Cook until soft, then drain. Set aside.
In olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onions and cook until fragrant and translucent, about five minutes.
Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add meat and mushrooms. Cook until meat is completely browned.
Mix cornstarch and beef stock in a cup and stir until cornstarch has dissolved completely. Add to the meat mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in white wine, sour cream, gorgonzola and seasoning. Stir until the sauce is smooth and homogenous.
Pour sauce over egg noodles.
Garnish with parsley.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Habanero Jelly
Let's talk about Christmas appetizers.
It's something we rarely talk about given the amount of thought we put into the cookies and the big family dinner. Most of the time, we're so busy trying to perfect the big things that we forget about the little snacks and treats we can put out that require little to no effort.
And, we all know how much I love little to no effort.
This jelly is something that you can make ahead of time, can to preserve until the big day, and then unveil on a plate with some cream cheese and crackers. I mean, seriously, how easy is that?
You don't even have to prepare the plate. Just stick a knife in the cream cheese and let your guests fend for themselves!
I love this jelly because it's a little spicier than other pepper jellies, but not overpoweringly 'burn your face off' spicy. In fact, this jelly is sweet with a confident heat at the end.
Combine that flavor combo with cream cheese and carb-laden crackers?
I'm a happy girl.
A word to the wise: I've learned from prior experience that these peppers require the use of protective gear when handling. Having a pair of gloves at the ready will save your hands, and more importantly, any sensitive face membranes your hands may come into contact with within the following twelve or so hours.
Because even though you think you washed your hands good, trust me, you didn't.
You will burn your pretty little eyeballs off if they come into contact with habanero juice.
So, for the love of Pete, glove up and get ready for some spicy sweet habanero jelly!
Habanero Jelly
(adapted from Bernardin)
1/3 cup finely diced dried apricots
3/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp. finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers, seeded
3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup liquid pectin
Rehydrate apricots in vinegar for two hours.
Combine apricots, onion, peppers, sugar and remaining vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir for one minute.
Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Continue to stir as the mixture thickens.
Pour mixture into two sterilized pint jars.
Use a water bath to properly can the jars.
It's something we rarely talk about given the amount of thought we put into the cookies and the big family dinner. Most of the time, we're so busy trying to perfect the big things that we forget about the little snacks and treats we can put out that require little to no effort.
And, we all know how much I love little to no effort.
This jelly is something that you can make ahead of time, can to preserve until the big day, and then unveil on a plate with some cream cheese and crackers. I mean, seriously, how easy is that?
You don't even have to prepare the plate. Just stick a knife in the cream cheese and let your guests fend for themselves!
I love this jelly because it's a little spicier than other pepper jellies, but not overpoweringly 'burn your face off' spicy. In fact, this jelly is sweet with a confident heat at the end.
Combine that flavor combo with cream cheese and carb-laden crackers?
I'm a happy girl.
A word to the wise: I've learned from prior experience that these peppers require the use of protective gear when handling. Having a pair of gloves at the ready will save your hands, and more importantly, any sensitive face membranes your hands may come into contact with within the following twelve or so hours.
Because even though you think you washed your hands good, trust me, you didn't.
You will burn your pretty little eyeballs off if they come into contact with habanero juice.
So, for the love of Pete, glove up and get ready for some spicy sweet habanero jelly!
Habanero Jelly
(adapted from Bernardin)
1/3 cup finely diced dried apricots
3/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp. finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers, seeded
3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup liquid pectin
Rehydrate apricots in vinegar for two hours.
Combine apricots, onion, peppers, sugar and remaining vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir for one minute.
Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Continue to stir as the mixture thickens.
Pour mixture into two sterilized pint jars.
Use a water bath to properly can the jars.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Grasshopper Fudge Bars
Chocolate and mint.
We have a love/hate relationship.
I hate that I love it.
See, I never used to find the combination of chocolate and mint palatable. I loved chocolate with nearly everything else, but I could easily skip over mint choco-chip ice cream, Thin Mints, or grasshoppers.
In recent years, that has unfortunately changed. I say it with disdain because we all are painfully aware of how little willpower I have to begin with, so every time I find out I like another candy or cookie, I lose a little more hope that I'll ever be one of those naturally-healthy-eating kind of people.
I just like junk too much.
When I saw this recipe by Averie Cooks, I decided to give it a try. Not so much so I could post it, but just to see how deep my new-found interest in chocolate and mint went. Turns out, that was a really bad idea. As far as choco-minty things go, this has jumped up to the top of my little list.
What makes this even more delectable is the fact that it's seriously easy to assemble and it's a no-bake confection. There aren't a ton of ingredients and the hardest thing to find is the mint extract. Once you've got that, you're golden.
Or green.
Minty green.
Grasshopper Fudge Bars
(Adapted from Averie Cooks)
36 mint cookies (Thin Mints)
1/2 stick melted butter
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 tsp mint extract
Green food coloring
Crush mint cookies into fine powder. Add melted butter and combine well.
Press mint cookie mixture into the bottom of 8x8 pan. Chill for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, combine white chocolate, mint extract, green food coloring to preference and 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring between until chips are completely melted. Spread green fudge mixture over the mint cookie layer. Chill for 30 minutes.
In another bowl, add chocolate chips and other 1/2 of the sweetened condensed milk. Microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring between until chips are completely melted. Pour and spread over green fudge layer. Chill for 1 hour before serving.
We have a love/hate relationship.
I hate that I love it.
See, I never used to find the combination of chocolate and mint palatable. I loved chocolate with nearly everything else, but I could easily skip over mint choco-chip ice cream, Thin Mints, or grasshoppers.
In recent years, that has unfortunately changed. I say it with disdain because we all are painfully aware of how little willpower I have to begin with, so every time I find out I like another candy or cookie, I lose a little more hope that I'll ever be one of those naturally-healthy-eating kind of people.
I just like junk too much.
When I saw this recipe by Averie Cooks, I decided to give it a try. Not so much so I could post it, but just to see how deep my new-found interest in chocolate and mint went. Turns out, that was a really bad idea. As far as choco-minty things go, this has jumped up to the top of my little list.
What makes this even more delectable is the fact that it's seriously easy to assemble and it's a no-bake confection. There aren't a ton of ingredients and the hardest thing to find is the mint extract. Once you've got that, you're golden.
Or green.
Minty green.
Grasshopper Fudge Bars
(Adapted from Averie Cooks)
36 mint cookies (Thin Mints)
1/2 stick melted butter
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 tsp mint extract
Green food coloring
Crush mint cookies into fine powder. Add melted butter and combine well.
Press mint cookie mixture into the bottom of 8x8 pan. Chill for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, combine white chocolate, mint extract, green food coloring to preference and 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring between until chips are completely melted. Spread green fudge mixture over the mint cookie layer. Chill for 30 minutes.
In another bowl, add chocolate chips and other 1/2 of the sweetened condensed milk. Microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring between until chips are completely melted. Pour and spread over green fudge layer. Chill for 1 hour before serving.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Buffalo Egg Salad Sandwich
I think at this point, we can agree that I'm kind of a hot sauce freak.
I spent all day, well, maybe not all day, but a good chunk of my morning, trying to figure out something new to do with these cartons of eggs I've got.
See, we've got this Amish family in our town that collect fresh chicken eggs and sells them for a dollar a dozen. All you have to do is bring your own carton to fill.
My grandmother visits them weekly and fills up and tons of eggs. This week, she brought me three dozen.
Since they aren't pasteurized, I've got to use them fairly quickly.
Thus, I've been brainstorming.
This is my latest creation, born out of my love of hot sauce and the fact that I generally pour enough hot sauce on my egg salad to turn it bright orange. It's a lot more delicious than it is visually enticing, I promise.
Anyway, this recipe came together super easy and tastes amazing. This is probably my new favorite way of making egg salad.
If you are a hot sauce enthusiast like me, I'm sure you will love it too!
Buffalo Egg Salad Sandwich
8 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup Buffalo sauce
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sliced bread of your choice
Smash hard boiled eggs until they are in small chunks.
Add Buffalo sauce and blue cheese. Stir until well combined. Season to taste.
Spoon onto a slice of bread and spread. Top with another layer of bread.
I spent all day, well, maybe not all day, but a good chunk of my morning, trying to figure out something new to do with these cartons of eggs I've got.
See, we've got this Amish family in our town that collect fresh chicken eggs and sells them for a dollar a dozen. All you have to do is bring your own carton to fill.
My grandmother visits them weekly and fills up and tons of eggs. This week, she brought me three dozen.
Since they aren't pasteurized, I've got to use them fairly quickly.
Thus, I've been brainstorming.
This is my latest creation, born out of my love of hot sauce and the fact that I generally pour enough hot sauce on my egg salad to turn it bright orange. It's a lot more delicious than it is visually enticing, I promise.
Anyway, this recipe came together super easy and tastes amazing. This is probably my new favorite way of making egg salad.
If you are a hot sauce enthusiast like me, I'm sure you will love it too!
Buffalo Egg Salad Sandwich
8 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup Buffalo sauce
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sliced bread of your choice
Smash hard boiled eggs until they are in small chunks.
Add Buffalo sauce and blue cheese. Stir until well combined. Season to taste.
Spoon onto a slice of bread and spread. Top with another layer of bread.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Yellowman Sponge Candy
Allow me to introduce my new favorite blog.
Seriously, I love this blog. I love the woman who writes the blog. Not in a weird way, just in that intense 'need to be your best friend -slash- want to know all of your culinary secrets' king of way. It's kind of like when you love Charlie Hunnam, so you instantly love every movie and show he's ever done. I can't miss an episode of Sons of Anarchy anymore...
Love, in this case, is a hyperbole that means intense adoration.
Now that we've figured that out, let me explain the who and the why. The blog is called Wilde In The Kitchen. It is operated by a woman named Vicki and she is a genius! Not in the figurative sense, but like a real life genius. An organic chemist, to be exact. And, her prowess in the lab led her to create the easiest, most fool-proof recipe for Sponge Candy I've ever seen.
See, you would have gotten a recipe of Sponge Candy from me a long time ago, except for the fact I could never get a recipe to work right. Vicki actually chronicles her failures for you to see, which I'm always way too embarrassed to do. But, it definitely shows how tricky a pan of Sponge Candy can be.
In fact, it was that honesty that made me try her recipe. I'd tried others that came out with a pan of seemingly perfect candy, but when I tried it, I was defeated. This time, I decided to give her recipe a shot, and it worked!
So, I'm standing 100% behind this version because it worked out so well for me. I was so hell-bent on making it because it kind of represents two important aspects of my life. Yellowman candy is a traditional Irish toffee that I've always wanted to make, and when it's dipped in chocolate, it is exactly the way real Buffalo Sponge Candy is supposed to taste. As an Irish New Yorker, this is a pretty great candy for me to learn how to make!
Thanks Vicki!
Yellowman Sponge Candy
(adapted from Wilde In The Kitchen)
1/2 tsp gelatin
1 tsp water
1 tbsp baking soda
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cups light corn syrup
½ cup water
Grease and flour and 8x8 baking dish.
In a small bowl, add gelatin and baking soda into 1 tsp water.
Combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup water together over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Using a candy thermometer, bring mixture to a boil and continue cooking until you reach 310F, stirring frequently.
Add the gelatin and baking soda mixture. Return to heat and cook an additional 30 seconds, careful of rising and spitting sugar.
Pour into baking dish. Let cool completely before cutting into pieces. Dip in melted chocolate if desired.
Seriously, I love this blog. I love the woman who writes the blog. Not in a weird way, just in that intense 'need to be your best friend -slash- want to know all of your culinary secrets' king of way. It's kind of like when you love Charlie Hunnam, so you instantly love every movie and show he's ever done. I can't miss an episode of Sons of Anarchy anymore...
Love, in this case, is a hyperbole that means intense adoration.
Now that we've figured that out, let me explain the who and the why. The blog is called Wilde In The Kitchen. It is operated by a woman named Vicki and she is a genius! Not in the figurative sense, but like a real life genius. An organic chemist, to be exact. And, her prowess in the lab led her to create the easiest, most fool-proof recipe for Sponge Candy I've ever seen.
See, you would have gotten a recipe of Sponge Candy from me a long time ago, except for the fact I could never get a recipe to work right. Vicki actually chronicles her failures for you to see, which I'm always way too embarrassed to do. But, it definitely shows how tricky a pan of Sponge Candy can be.
In fact, it was that honesty that made me try her recipe. I'd tried others that came out with a pan of seemingly perfect candy, but when I tried it, I was defeated. This time, I decided to give her recipe a shot, and it worked!
So, I'm standing 100% behind this version because it worked out so well for me. I was so hell-bent on making it because it kind of represents two important aspects of my life. Yellowman candy is a traditional Irish toffee that I've always wanted to make, and when it's dipped in chocolate, it is exactly the way real Buffalo Sponge Candy is supposed to taste. As an Irish New Yorker, this is a pretty great candy for me to learn how to make!
Thanks Vicki!
Yellowman Sponge Candy
(adapted from Wilde In The Kitchen)
1/2 tsp gelatin
1 tsp water
1 tbsp baking soda
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cups light corn syrup
½ cup water
Grease and flour and 8x8 baking dish.
In a small bowl, add gelatin and baking soda into 1 tsp water.
Combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup water together over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Using a candy thermometer, bring mixture to a boil and continue cooking until you reach 310F, stirring frequently.
Add the gelatin and baking soda mixture. Return to heat and cook an additional 30 seconds, careful of rising and spitting sugar.
Pour into baking dish. Let cool completely before cutting into pieces. Dip in melted chocolate if desired.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Mumbo Sauce
Earlier this year, my mom and I visited Washington, D.C.
Now, I'm not a history buff, by any means. I had no idea just how many monuments and memorials we would see. And, I had no idea where the White House was located. In fact, I walked right by it without noticing it. It wasn't until I pulled a 180 back down the sidewalk that I realized I was literally right in front of it. True story.
My mom, on the other hand, is a lover of all things historical. Washington was a dream vacation for her. My dream vacations always include booze, gambling, beaches and more booze.
Obviously, I'm my father's daughter.
One of the things we did share an interest in was the food. We ate at some ridiculously trendy and expensive restaurants, but we didn't really venture out into the world of local cuisine, trying some of the goodies only found in D.C. I didn't really realize this until it was too late, so when I got home, I started looking up recipes that were specific in origin to the Capital.
The first one I found was this Mumbo sauce. This sauce is predominantly used in Asian cooking. It tastes reminiscent of sweet and sour sauce with a hint of spicy barbeque sauce. I'm sure this description doesn't do it justice, but just trust me when I say it's good.
Mumbo Sauce
(adapted from Huffington Post)
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Serve over chicken.
Now, I'm not a history buff, by any means. I had no idea just how many monuments and memorials we would see. And, I had no idea where the White House was located. In fact, I walked right by it without noticing it. It wasn't until I pulled a 180 back down the sidewalk that I realized I was literally right in front of it. True story.
My mom, on the other hand, is a lover of all things historical. Washington was a dream vacation for her. My dream vacations always include booze, gambling, beaches and more booze.
Obviously, I'm my father's daughter.
One of the things we did share an interest in was the food. We ate at some ridiculously trendy and expensive restaurants, but we didn't really venture out into the world of local cuisine, trying some of the goodies only found in D.C. I didn't really realize this until it was too late, so when I got home, I started looking up recipes that were specific in origin to the Capital.
The first one I found was this Mumbo sauce. This sauce is predominantly used in Asian cooking. It tastes reminiscent of sweet and sour sauce with a hint of spicy barbeque sauce. I'm sure this description doesn't do it justice, but just trust me when I say it's good.
Mumbo Sauce
(adapted from Huffington Post)
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Serve over chicken.
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