Short Bread!

Who doesn't love shortbread?  Just sweet enough, simple and delicious.  Here is a very simple, very tasty recipe for short bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. All purpose flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Powdered sugar
3/4 c. Cold butter  cut into pieces

Instructions:
~ Pour flour, salt, sugar into food processor and blend together for 5-10 seconds
~Add butter a few pieces at a time, pulsing after each addition.
~When the dough is course and pea-sized, put dough into a 8 x 8 square pan.
~Poke holes on the top of the shortbread with a fork.

Bake for 15-20 min until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Very Simple, Very Juicy Roast Chicken

I sometimes get a bit complicated with my roast chickens.  One afternoon, I did not have any energy to devote to a complicated roast chicken so I searched out a more simple recipe.  I found a few and adapted them and came up with this "go to" chicken recipe.

Ingredients:

Whole roasted chicken; rinsed inside and out as well as patted dry inside and out (important! don't skimp on the paper towels)
Course ground salt of your chosing (I used flaky Kosher salt)
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 tsps. thyme
4-5 garlic cloves just cut in half

Instructions:

~Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
~Insert the garlic cloves, salt, peper, and thyme into the body
~Liberally sprinkle the salt on the outside of the body
~Place chicken into baking pan of your choice (I use an 8x8 pyrex pan. This keeps the chicken in the juices, but I don't mind.  If you have a roaster and prefer that, use the roaster for sure).
~Bake 50-60 minutes; no need for basting, just let it cook.
~Let rest for 10 minutes and enjoy! The skin turns out so crispy and delicious.

One of the recipes I read said that the lack of water ingredients keeps the steam to a minimum and keeps the chicken juicy.  I am not sure how that happens, but it seems to be true to date. 

Baked Buttery Brown Rice

In order to get Jonathan to eat brown rice, we have to make it this way.  And, it is terrific.  It bakes up to be fluffy, soft, and flavorful.  It is also quick and easy.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. brown rice
1-2 tbs. butter (I started with one when we first cooked it and sometimes use more in the winter)
few pinches of salt
2 1/2 c. boiling water

Instructions:

~Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
~Boil water
~While water is boiling, measure out rice and place in an 8x8 pyrex baking pan (Note: If you double this recipe as we do, you will need a 9x13 pan)
~Place the butter in the pan with the rice
~Pour the boiling water over the rice and butter into the pan
~Stir the mixture together until the butter is mostly melted
~Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40-60 minutes.  You will know the rice is done when you can see through the pan that all the water is absorbed.

Versatile Chickpea Curry

This is a great dish mashed together from a number of other recipes.  I added to my recipe the things that I liked from all the other recipes.  This is a super easy, quick recipe that you can do in the crockpot, after work (using canned beans), or from scratch (using dried beans).  I am not going to cover all the options in this post, just the method I used that was quick and made right after work.  Prep time took the longest.  As usual with foods like this, simmering for at least 20-30 mins makes things meld together, but, you can eat it as soon as it has come to a boil and reduced for a few minutes. 

Ingredients:
 
3 cans garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 1/2 yellow onions chopped small
4 cloves garlic (you can certainly use more, but I liked this sauce mild with only 4 cloves)
1 1/2 inch of fresh ginger (or the same amount as the chopped garlic)
3 c. of liquid any mixture of your chosing of water and veggie or chicken broth.  I used half of each. This amount of broth and water will make the curry liquidy (but delicious), so, if you want a less liquidy curry, use half the amount of water/broth.
1 (14 oz) can of diced tomatoes (I left the juice in)
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk (totally optional)

Spices:

~Measure and mix together and set aside for later
1 1/4 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. coriander
1 1/4 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon (plus a bit more, I just used a small heaping quarter teaspoon)
1 1/2 tbs. madras curry (if you do not have this kind of curry, that is ok, just use more of the curry powder)
1 1/2 tbs. curry powder (generic yellow colored kind you get from the store labeled "curry powder")
0-2 tsp. chili pepper or
0-3 red chilies 

Note:  The chilies or powder is optional.  The madras curry contains just the right amount of kick so I didn't add any more chili powder.  If I was just to use yellow curry, I would add at least a 1/2 tsp of chili powder or 1 dried red chili

~Have ready, IF you have this spice
1 tsp. garam masala.  This is a finishing spice which you add right before you eat the curry

~Also at the end, taste your curry THEN add:
salt to taste.

Instructions:

~Saute the onions until soft and browning
~Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 30-45 seconds more stirring the mixture so that the garlic doesn't burn
~Add the mixture of spices and saute until fragrant; about 30 seconds
~Add your broth and/or water
~Add garbanzo beans, can of tomatoes, and coconut milk.
~Bring curry to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for at least 10 minutes to 30 minutes. 

Serve over potatoes, rice, or with pita/naan.  You can also enjoy this plain! We ate our curry with Baked Buttery Brown Rice.  Recipe also on this blog.

The versatile part of this is, you can totally omit the beans and add different ingredients (chicken, veggies of your choice, etc.).  I am not eating beans at this time so I just took the curry sauce part and put broccoli in it and let it cook and ate it that way.  It was delicious. 

Jonathan's Spaghetti Al Carbonara

Jonathan makes a mean spaghetti al carbonara.  It is what my mother requested for her birthday dinner this past year and what Jessica likes to request as well.  He has made this a lot since we have been here in Juneau and it is yummy each time with all sorts of different cheese choices.  My dad doesn't really like the pancetta, but the rest of us do, so he gets overruled.  This could be made using bacon instead, but, shh, don't tell my dad.

Ingredients
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1/4 lb. pancetta
3 cloves garlic-minced
2 eggs
1/4 lb pecorino romano or parmesan grated (about 1 cup grated)
Black pepper

Instructions
1.  Start cooking spagetti in boiling water
2. Mix cheese and eggs in a bowl and set aside
3. While spaghetti is boiling,  cook pancetta in a pan on medium heat until browned
4.  Add garlic and cook until soft-be sure to watch that the garlic doesn't burn.  Remove from heat when cooked
5.  Drain pasta and add to the pan with the pancetta and garlic
6.  So as to not scramble the eggs, be sure that the noodle mixture is not on the heat.  Add the egg and cheese mixture and stir quickly until the noodles are fully coated.
7.  Add a lot of black pepper

Enjoy with garlic bread and a nice white wine. 

Easy Chocolate Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Mmmmm...mmmm....mmmm.  I think that this is the best description for this cake.  It was super fast to make and light, moist, fluffy, (but dense) and delicious.  The frosting was just as easy to make. Edit (September 24th):  I also made these into cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting and peanut butter frosting.  The cupcakes and both frosting types were a hit, so I thought I should return to this post and add the other frosting recipes that I used.  I must admit that I am not (yet?) a big fan of decorating.  I can do it, but I usually don't have the patience and am more focused on flavor more than presentation.  I like to see something ugly and then taste it and be blown away rather than see something that looks super yummy and turns out that more effort was put into presentation than flavor.  I have been fooled by looks more than once when it comes to desserts.  Ok, a photo of the cupcakes and then the other frosting recipes.

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 x 9 inch pan

1 large egg
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) sour cream (you can substitute greek yogurt as long as it isn't low fat)
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup brewed coffee--cooled (I poured it back and forth between two cups to cool quickly)
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1. Combine egg, sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla.  Whisk until smooth and combined
2.  Add coffee and cocoa powder.  Mix until smooth and free of lumps
3.  Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and whisk until just combined
4.  Pour the batter (it will be runny) into the greased pan and bake for ~25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in pan before frosting.

For the Mocha Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:
1 cup butter at room temp
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee crystals (optional, but the buttercream will not be "mocha")
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled

Instructions
1. Whisk butter for about 5 minutes
2.  Reduce speed of mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar.
3.  Add the vanilla until combined on medium high
4.  Add melted chocolate and whip at medium high speed until fluffy--about 2 minutes.  Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so that your frosting won't be streaky.

Chocolate Buttercream frosting

Ingredients:
 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but not melted.
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (fat content of the milk is important

Instructions 

1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. 

2. Add the  sifted 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. 

3. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. 

Peanut Butter Frosting:

Ingredients

1 1/4 c. smooth peanut butter (not the natural kind of pb, though.  It must be something like Jif or Skippy)

1/2 c. butter (at room temperature:  this means that when you lightly press on the butter your finger easily  makes an indent)

2 c. powdered sugar (plus a bit more for reaching the correct consistency)

1 tsp. vanilla (you can start with 1/2 tsp and add more to your own taste preferences.  I tried making this frosting without the vanilla and it didn't have enough depth.)

3 tbs. Cream or half and half plus a bit more to reach the right consistency.  (I had to add a lot more cream than 3 tbs. as I wanted a much fluffier frosting)

Instructions:

1. Whip the peanut butter and room temperature butter together until there are no streaks of butter showing in the peanut butter.  

2.  Slowly add the powdered sugar (powdered sugar is always best when sifted, but it isn't essential.  It just keeps the frosting from turning out with little sugar lumps in it).

3.  Add the cream 1 tbs at a time

4. Add the vanilla 1/2 tsp at a time

5.  Taste after each addition of vanilla until the frosting reaches a flavor you like.  

6.  If your frosting is too liquid-y, add more powdered sugar.  If it is too stiff, add milk a bit at a time until it reaches the consistency your prefer.   I made this frosting pretty "fluffy".  It looks a bit grainy (check out the picture) but tastes pretty good.  If you pipe it out, it would probably look better.  I just didn't have any access to a frosting piper.

Cake + Frosting:

When the cake is cooled frost using your favorite method.  I don't really have one so I just use a spatula and then smooth it out with a butter knife.  Very high tech.

I had hardly any patience to wait until this cake was very cool and frosted the cake when it was still a bit warm and had a piece and it was delicious still warm.  The verdict is still out on whether it will be just as yummy when cold. Edit 9/24:  The cake is just as delicious cold and with all three types of frosting.

Everyone loves Thai Green Curry

Green curry is a favorite in our house.  It is easy to make a lot of it and it (almost) tastes better the next day.  Take some to work and heat it up and make everyone jealous with the delicious aroma of curry and jasmine rice.  I have never made my own curry paste and opt to purchase curry in a can or tub from an asian market.  If you don't have an asian market you can buy this in any asian store or order online! I love this website for thai goodies, including curry pastes of all kind.  I use the mae ploy brand and get the bigger one cause we love curry and the paste lasts forever in the fridge.

Ingredients:
2 c. jasmine rice (I use brown, but white is good, too)
4 c. water
2 cans coconut milk
3/4 can OR 2-4 tbs of green curry paste (I use about 4 tbs maybe more near the end if I want it stronger)
1 lb chicken or pork cut into thin slices or small cubes
1 can bamboo shoots (optional)
2-3 c. of sliced and diced combo of veggies of your choice.  I like zucchini, green beans, red pepper, (avoid green pepper it tastes odd) peas
4 kaffir lime leaves sliced into strips OR 1 lime
2 tsp of lime juice (if you use the leaves)
3/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional, but a nice addition)
1-4 tbs fish sauce--depends on your taste (I put about 2 or 3)
1-2 tbs palm sugar OR brown sugar to your taste (I put in about 1 1/2)

Steps:
For all Thai foods it is best to have all of your ingredients measured and prepped beforehand.  Thai food cooks fast once you get it over the heat!

1) Start the rice.  I use a rice cooker and add the water and rice together then start the cooker.  
2) Turn a large pan (one to fit the rest of the ingredients) and heat on high.  When the pan is hot add the 1/2 of the coconut milk and stir almost constantly.  The coconut will make crackling noises.  Cook until the milk is reduced then keep adding the coconut in batches until the coconut milk is reduced and thick looking.
3) add your curry paste.  I cook it until the paste becomes noticeably more fragrant.
4) Add your meat, or, if you aren't using meat, add your veggies
5)  Let the meat cook until it is halfway done and then add your veggies.
6)  Let the meat and veggies simmer until your veggies reach a consistency you like and the meat is thoroughly cooked.  I try to let it simmer as long as my patience allows as the flavors become more intense the longer you let it simmer. 
7) When the curry has simmered to your liking add the:  kaffir lime leaves, thai curry leaves, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce. 
8) Stir to fully incorporate and then serve sooner rather than later over rice.

Sour Cream and Dill Halibut

I originally got this recipe from my parents and have added a few flourishes of my own, although perhaps I am kidding myself as they probably added all these ingredients at one time or another.  This used to be (and still is) my favorite way to eat halibut.  We ate fish a lot growing up and usually fairly plain.  Not that that is (much of) a complaint, it was still nice to have fish that was flavored up with a bit more than a few spices or nothing at all.
The story!
My friend who I will dub "Joy" was just here and we had to give her the full Native Alaskan Food treatment.  This mostly means a three course meal of manually gathered native foods with lots of bubbly water and dessert with a hot drink.  I told her that I would post this recipe for her as she is almost fully Alaskan and needs more halibut recipes.  Because her friends give her "so much halibut." What crappy friends.

Sour Cream and Dill Halibut Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb or 2 steaks of halibut-defrosted
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
2 sprigs of Dill or 1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 of a yellow or mild onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Place cleaned halibut in a pan--I usually take off the skin of all fish I cook/bake especially if it has ever been frozen.  It cuts down on the overly "fishy" flavor that people tend to complain about.
2. I start with equal ratios of sour cream and mayo mix them together.  And, I know this is scientific and may upset some people, but then I add more of whatever I think it needs until it tastes good to me.  If this is too much for you, just keep adding equal amounts of sour cream and mayo until it covers the fish.
3. Layer the onions over the fish.  Cut the onions however you would like.  I like them in circles because it seems fun.
4. Sprinkle some dill over the fish and onions.
5. Pour the sour cream and mayo over the fish and onions.
6. Sprinkle more dried dill over the top.  I am pretty liberal with the dried dill.  If you use fresh dill, you only need to lay down 2 or 3 sprigs over the fish and under the sour cream and mayo mixture.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 min.  I start checking after 30 minutes.  If you don't know when halibut is done, well, you are screwed.  Ok, I will give you a few hints.  Fish will cook for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven, so the trick is to take it out when it gives easily and is "flaky" but doesn't completely flake away.  It takes a few times of cooking fish to get the hang of it, but it is so delicious when you get it right.  On a side note, that is why this recipe is so great!  Halibut is notoriously "dry" and "plain" to those who are not true fish lovers, but this creamy topping can help distract one from the dryness if you don't take out the fish in time. 

Blueberry Gateau

The blueberries of Juneau Alaska have decided to ripen after a cold, wet summer.  Finally, the temp has raised above 60 and the berries have decided to chub out.  There are blueberries for any and all who go and look for them. Especially at The Glacier Gardens.  If you like plants and riding in golf carts, (and spending $25 american) and not being able to pick their blueberries, one should definitely take this tour when in Juneau, AK.
The requisite story:
Every year, my dad requests that I bake something with the gallons upon gallons of berries that we (mostly he) picks.  It is usually a blueberry crunch which I adapted from the Joy of Cooking "cranberry crunch" recipe.  This time, he just said make sure it has lots of blueberries.  So, I googled some recipes and this is what I came up with.  And, we discovered this evening, that, according to dad, "we can keep this recipe" and that it "tastes like toast".  I think that was because I might have cooked it a bit too long and it got a bit toasty.  My mom said it was not too sweet, not too sour, not to mushy among a few other things it wasn't.  And, I can't be a good food blogger without including that "even my husband liked it".  And "he doesn't even like x,y,z".  Which, in this case, was true.  He liked it and doesn't even like desserts all that much.  I think he might have liked it more as he was a part of the blueberry gathering the past few days.

Blueberry Gateau:

You will need:
3 large-ish bowls
1 greased and floured 10 inch springform pan
2 eggs

Bowl #1:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp salt (I used just a pinch because my butter was salted)

• mix/sift/whisk together

Bowl #2:
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1 c. sugar

• cream these ingredients until fluffy.
• add 1 egg at time, fully incorporating the egg before incorporating the other ingredients

Bowl #3:
3   c. blueberries
1 tbs. or so of lemon juice
1 tbs. flour
1 tbs. sugar

• mix these ingredients together 

Instructions:
1. After creaming the butter, sugar and eggs together, add the bowl of dry ingredients into the creamed ingredients and mix together.
2.  Spread the batter evenly onto the bottom of the 10 inch pan
3. Pour the blueberry mixture on top of the batter evenly.
4. Press the blueberries lightly into the mixture so the blueberries are not rolling around on top of the batter
5.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes.  I would start checking at around 45 minutes as I did "toast" mine a bit much the first time I made it.  It is done when it looks a bit gooey and the gateau is pulling  away from the sides a bit.

Tasted really yummy cooled and with a hot drink.  Feel free to eat plain, with ice cream, or with whipped cream.

Fish is Delish!

Driving to work today, the sparkle of the ocean caught my eye and brought me back to warm (~60 degrees F) days on the ocean fishing.  Thinking about sitting in a boat with a pole in my hand waiting for a halibut/salmon to bite the line while staring at the glittering sea with a range of snow capped mountains as a border always makes me a bit calm inside.  Fish isn't just food for me, it is a part of where I come from and who I am.  So, I thought that the blog could do with some fish recipes.  Fish is best fresh, and plain with a bit of salt and pepper, but that wouldn't make an exciting blog recipe.  So, I decided to put down my top three go to recipes for fish of different kinds;  halibut, king salmon, and the other salmons :)