Garlic Dill Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup olive oil mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup whole fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons sliced, minced fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons Gourmet Gardens® Parsley Paste
• 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh dill
• 1/2 rounded and packed teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 rounded teaspoon of Redmond's® Real Salt
• 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 scant cup whole fat buttermilk

Directions:

In a nutshell, you will add the ingredients in the order which they are given, stirring between groupings of them.  So, prep your garlic first and line up all of your ingredients.  I have always made the ranch dressing in a 4-cup glass measuring cup.

I go back and forth between starting with the fresh herbs and the first two dairy items.  I have settled on starting with the mayonnaise and sour cream, stirring them together.

Then add the chives, parsley paste, dill, and garlic.  Stir well, dipping down to the bottom of your container to ensure that the herbs and garlic are completely mixed into your diary ingredients.

Then add the salt and white wine vinegar and take the opportunity to mix together your ingredients another time.

Next, slowly and gently fold in the buttermilk.  You want your ranch dressing to be thick at first, because the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the more it breaks down to a thin dressing.  Keep folding until you have finished incorporating all of the buttermilk, but only just.

Finally (AND DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP), allow the ranch dressing to sit in the refrigerator for a good amount of time so that the ingredients can meld together.  IDEALY, you want to make your ranch dressing last thing in the evening and leave it overnight.  Trust me, fresh made ranch and "stewed" ranch is worlds apart in tastiness.

I store my ranch in a dark mason jar in the refrigerator, using a four-ounce jar for the bit that doesn't fit into a quart jar.


Myrtle's Note:  Special thanks to my dear friend Becky for giving me the courage to try making ranch dressing from scratch.  Pioneer Woman's base recipe is just perfect and you can modify it as you wish.  I am a lover of dill in ranch dressing and decided to just go whole hog.  For my friend Bethanie, I decided to try to quantify what I do so that she, too, could make it.  It took me two tries to figure it out and then a third batch to ensure that it was replicable.  Friends are the best cook encouragers!

About those ingredients, so often people make substitutions on key ingredients.  So, I am specifying whole fat dairy.  If you do not use it, your ranch dressing will not turn out sublime.  Also, whole fat dairy is healthier than low fat!

I would still use the same amount of dried chives (although my chives grow through the snow) and 2-3 tablespoons dried dill, but high quality, such as Mountain Rose Herbs.  Their shipping is not economical, but they sell the best cinnamon on the planet.  I often buy 2-3 pounds and share it with friends as well as cook liberally with it.  Their cumin is stellar, as is the dill.  Buying larger quantities of those three items makes the shipping moot in comparison to what you pay for lower quality spices in the store and their fresh herbs and spices age better than those in the store.  Sharing all three spices with friends or giving them as gives will make you quite popular.  I find parsley paste better than fresh parsley.  Don't ask me why.  I often use Gourmet Gardens herbs because they last longer and add far more to a meal than dried herbs do.  Their basil paste will knock your socks off!

Pioneer Woman's recipe calls for 1-2 cloves of garlic.  However, cloves vary in size.  I spent eons trying to find that balance of the fresh bite of garlic that falls between awful hot garlic and disappearing garlic.  What I like about cooking with garlic is that I often will double and triple the amount of garlic in most heated recipes and have never, ever had someone tell me that there was too much garlic in them.  But I have learned the hard way that finding the perfect garlic in non-heated recipes is rather tricky.  Hence the specific directions of garlic that is finely minced, packed into a 1/2 teaspoon, and rounded on the top.


Yield:  10-12 ounces

Source:  https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/homemade-ranch-dressing/

Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Balsamic Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced roasted red pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons roasted garlic
• 1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden® Basil Paste
• 1 tablespoon Colavita® Balsamic Vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


Directions:

To roast the bell pepper and garlic, place the bell pepper on its side in a metal pan.  Take a clove of garlic and peel back the outer paper until you get to the tight-fitting inner paper.  [Since roasted garlic is so very tasty, I always roast an extra bulb to have lots of leftovers.] Turn the bulb on its side and slice the tip top of it off, to have a small bit of access to the top of the cloves.  Place the bulb in the center of a square of foil.  Drizzle olive oil atop the bulb.  Salt and pepper the top.  And wrap the foil around the bulb.

Place the bell pepper and the garlic into the oven on the same rack.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Remove the bell pepper and carefully turn it over so that the bottom is now the top, leaving it on its side.  Roast for an additional 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let both cool for a bit.

The bell pepper skin should be blacked and tight.  Pull off the stem.  Peel off the skin.  Discard the seeds.  The extra roasted red pepper can be stored in the refrigerator and is excellent on salads and in sandwiches!

Carefully pluck off the cloves of garlic.  Peel back the paper and scoop (or squeeze) out the roasted garlic.  The extra roasted garlic can be stored short-term in the refrigerator or frozen.  It is excellent atop brie cheese on slices of french bread and then broiled in the oven.

Once you have your roasted bell pepper and garlic ready, turn your softened butter into a bowl and beat it to make sure there are no hard portions left.  Add honey, balsamic vinegar, basil, bell pepper, and garlic.  Fold and stir, turn the bowl, fold and stir,  and repeat again and again until the ingredients are all thoroughly mixed together.  The butter will be very wet and soft.

Place into an airtight container (or your molds) and refrigerator a minimum of two hours, but preferably overnight.   Serve on crusty bread, atop vegetables, or atop chicken or fish.


Myrtle's Note:  Compounded butter needs a few hours if not overnight in the refrigerator to blend.  However, this was so very tasty that I found myself licking the spatula after I scraped the butter into my jars and molds.  The smell of making it was enough to drive me crazy.  The one major change I did was to ditch the parsley in favor of basil.  I also slightly increased the bell pepper and change the garlic from number of cloves to a measurable amount.  I was slightly hesitant about trying this butter, but I already know it will be a hit.


Source:  http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/condiments/roasted-red-pepper-compound-butter/

Herbed Goat Cheese Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 2 large cloves of garlic and 1 small one
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence
• 1 heavily rounded teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Soften butter and set aside.  Zest lemon and set aside.  Finely mince garlic and set aside.  Weigh out goat cheese and set aside.  Measure out Herbs de Provence and set aside.

Rough mix the butter and goat cheese until the mixture is looking equally blended.  Add garlic, salt,  and lemon zest and fold those into the mixture.

Taking a small amount of the herbs at a time, perhaps a half a tablespoon at a time, place into the palm of your hand and use the thumb pad of your other hand to crush the herbs by rubbing it back and forth over the herbs, keeping them in the palm of your hand.  Drop the crushed herbs into the bowl and take another amount to crush.  Continue until all the herbs are crushed.  Crushing dried herbs releases their aromatics more so than simply dropping them into the bowl.

Thoroughly fold in the herbs until you have an even mixture.  As with all compound butters, it is best to let it set in the refrigerator over night before the first serving.

Compound butter can be shaped into a log, spread into silicone molds, divided into 4 ounce mason jars, or placed into a single glass container.


Myrtle's Note:  This is from a recipe for roasted corn, as in slather the butter all over roasted or grilled corn.  However, it is BLOODY FANTASTIC on steak.  Seriously sublime!  I had to adjust the original recipe because I wanted the ease of just using a whole stick of butter.  My end result was so very tasty that I feel confident in my estimate of how to make that adjustment.


Source:  https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Grilled-Corn-with-Herbed-Goat-Cheese-Butter

Orange Cranberry Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter
• Zest of one large orange, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/3 cup minced craisons (dried cranberries)
• 1/4 cup Really Raw® honey
• 1 teaspoon Watkins® Pure Orange Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:

Mince enough craisons (dried cranberries) to fill 1/3 cup and set aside.  Zest one large orange.  If your zester creates strips, mince them.  Set aside. Squeeze the juice from the orange and set aside.

Soften the butter, but do not let it melt.  Thoroughly mix in the honey, orange juice, and orange extract.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and slowly fold them in until you have a uniform mixture.  

Press into storage containers or silicone molds.  Leave in the refrigerator (or freezer) overnight to allow the flavors time to meld together.

Myrtle's Note:  I have declared 2019 The Year of the Butter.  This is my first one.  I adapted one recipe to include the ingredients I wanted to use, because I couldn't find a single recipe that had everything.  I chose the Really Raw Honey because its viscosity is higher and works quite well with mixing into butter as opposed to regular honey.  As for the taste, the three folk who've tried it beside myself have all declared it to be extremely tasty.  I wanted a truly orange tasting cranberry butter.  I believe I have achieved that, especially having plowed through the first jar of it that I earmarked for myself in rapid fashion.  I am in love with this butter!

Adapted from:  https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cranberry-honey-butter

Turmeric Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (two large breasts)
• 1/2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 large lemon
• 1 heaping tablespoon Gourmet Gardens® Ginger Paste
• 1 heaping tablespoon Gourmet Gardens® Garlic Paste
• 1 heaping tablespoon grated onion
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon Rose Mountain Cinnamon (Cassia) Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon Redman's® Real Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormack® Peppercorn Medley 
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preparation
The day before, decide if you want to roast whole chicken breasts or roast chunks on skewers.  If the former, evaluate your chicken breasts.  If the large end is overly thick, then pound it just a bit to even out the chicken.  Just a bit.

If the latter, take the chicken breasts and slice them down the middle lengthwise.  Then, cut four times crosswise.  If you start at the smaller end, you can do a better job of making sure the cubes are similar in size, so that they cook evenly.  This makes a total of 16 cubes of chicken.  Place the chicken in a large, shallow glass bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, starting with the yogurt and lemon juice, mixing them thoroughly before continuing.  Then add the ginger, garlic, and onion.

[I prefer the Gourmet Gardens® products in recipes like this because it is easy to have equal amounts of both garlic and ginger and the pastes.  I do not measure them out so much as make a rather large dollop in the bowl.]

Finish with the dry ingredients.  The cayenne will provide a bit of heat to the dish.  If you prefer spicy, you could add more.

Scrap the yogurt marinade over the chicken and toss thoroughly.  If roasting breasts, ensure there is plenty of marinade beneath them.  If choosing skewers, toss until all sides of the cubes are coated.  With both, smooth the marinade over the top of the chicken.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours.

[It is popular to do a marinade in a plastic bag.  However, you are going to want to have as much marinade as possible as you place it in the oven, so a bowl is best.]


Roasting
Preheat oven to 450 degrees (if whole breasts)
Preheat oven to 500 degrees (if cubed pieces on skewers)

If roasting whole breasts, carefully lift out the chicken meat and place on a metal pan (lined with foil if you want easy clean-up), ensuring the bottom of the meat is coated with marinade.  Using a spoon, drop some of the remaining marinade on the top of the breasts to make sure they are thickly and evenly coated.  You can smooth it out with the back of the spoon.

Roast until the center of the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.  Switch the oven to high broil and brown the top of the marinade, approximately 3 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest five minutes before cutting.  Slice into thick slabs.  Serves four.

If using skewers, soak bamboo ones in water for 30 minutes.  Approximately half-way through, begin preheating the oven.

When the skewers are ready, thread the chunks onto the skewers.  If putting four pieces on a skewer (recommended), you'll want to use two bamboo ones so they don't bend down to the pan with the weight of the meat and marinade.  [Next time I plan to use metal skewers.]  You want to place them across the top of a baking pan with high sides, such as a 9x13 cake pan (lined with foil if you want easy clean-up), so that you can rest the meat up off the bottom of the pan.

Roast until the center of the meat reaches 165 degrees, approximately 15-20 minutes.  Switch the oven to high broil and finish browning the marinade, approximately 3 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest five minutes before removing from the skewers and serving.  Serves four.


Myrtle's  Note:  I cooked half the meat whole and half on skewers.  I had cooked skewers for the Chicken Tikka Masala, and I was basically trying to come up with the way to cook the meat since the original idea is for a whole turkey breast.  I wanted to experience both cooking methods.  For the whole breast, I went looking for advice on roasting chicken and found a post about how chicken dries out the longer it is in the oven, so higher temperatures creates moister meat.  Oh, my!  Was the author ever right.

The whole breast meat is insanely moist.  You have a thick coating of marinade that flavors each bite of the slices.  I ate half warm, with roasted broccoli.  I ate a quarter cold, because I was curious.  And a quarter with saffron rice.  Even the leftovers were moist.

The skewers are still moist, but have a different sort of taste, being smaller cuts and coated on all four sides.  I might prefer them, but I just don't know.  I ate the first half with grilled ginger mustard summer squash.  For me, being single, I'll definitely cook the two breasts both ways again so that I can have the flexibility in my leftovers.

My dear friend Mary suggested making the skewers with veggies, such as tomatoes and onions, which is how swish tawook is made.  I think I would create an olive oil based marinade, toss the veggies in it, and put them on their own skewers, mixing chicken and veggies atop a middle easter rice pilaf.

Of course, the skewer-roasted meat would also do well with hummus, baba ganoush, labneh, and naan. Or you could serve it in gyro bread.  The possibilities are endless!

The flavor is amazing!  You can taste the lemon and turmeric and cinnamon and the heat from the cayenne.  I really enjoyed eating this chicken and am glad someone mentioned the concept to me!

Finally, get the Rose Mountain cinnamon.  It will change your life.  You will never regret it!  [And their cumin.  And Ancient Forest Tea.]


Yield:  Four servings

Source:  Myrtle; an idea from a friend who had something like this for roasting turkey breast.

Lemon Greek Yogurt Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar, plus ¼ cup for glaze
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste
• 1/4 cup lemon juice for cake, plus1/4 cup for syrup and 2 tablespoon for glaze
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• zest of two lemons
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


Directions:

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.  Butter and flour a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until smooth and light in color.  Add the eggs one and a time followed by the vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Fold in the lemon juice, the zest of one lemon, and the yogurt.  Finish mixing on low until combined.  The batter won't be perfectly smooth.

Pour the batter into the pan, leveling the top.  Bake for 75-90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  The top will be dark brown and split open.

For the syrup:
Warm 1/4 cup of lemon juice.  Mix together with 1/4 cup sugar until sugar has dissolved.  Set aside whilst the pound cake is done.

For the glaze:
Measure out two tablespoons of lemon juice.  Gradually add it to the powdered sugar until your desired drizzling consistency is reached.  Add the zest of one lemon and stir thoroughly.

To finish:
Turn the warm cake onto a wire rack and brush all over with the syrup, including the bottom!  Make several passes on all sides to have a good soaking, but do not feel pressed to use all the glaze.  Do this when the cake is still warm! 

Drizzle with the glaze. Serve warm or room temperature.

Myrtle's Note:  This recipe is so good that even when you do not cook it quite long enough, it is still tasty!  Lemon.  Lemon.  LEMON!  The only change I made was to add lemon zest to the glaze, since I had to use four lemons to get all the juice needed.  Why waste lemon zest?  I cooked it for 75 minutes and made the mistake of putting my toothpick in the top of the loaf instead of in the middle.  So, that clean toothpick and the browned top made me think my first loaf was ready.  But cutting into it, I found a close texture and a bit of undercooked at the bottom of the loaf.  Even so, oh my! was this ever tasty.  It is not super sweet, just like a traditional pound cake.  But it is very, very lemony.


Yield: 1 loaf

Source:  http://www.thebakerchick.com/2015/01/lemon-greek-yogurt-pound-cake/

Colonial Brown Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2  teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Directions:

Grease and flour a 9-inch pan and set aside.

Stir together the flours, sugar, salt, and soda.  Add the buttermilk.  Stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Fold into the pan and level out the batter.

Bake for one hour.


Myrtle's Note:  I had to cut the recipe in half and made mistakes on the first three attempts at trying this recipe because baking maths are difficult for me now.  I persevered because it is a favorite of my dear friend Mary.  And I like old recipes!  I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat Bread.  The bread is close-textured, moist, and sort of a nutty sweet flavor.  I slathered it with Pulgra's European butter.  Mighty, mighty tasty!


Yield:  1 loaf

Source:  http://www.cooks.com/recipe/yr8ja9e8/colonial-brown-bread.html

Peruvian Pork Stew with Chiles, Lime, and Apples

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 pounds trimmed boneless pork shoulder or sirloin roast
• 2 large yellow or Vidalia onions
• 4 large apples
• 3-5 ancho or other mild dried chiles
• 3 bay leaves
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon Redman's® Rea Salt, plus more to taste
• McCormick's® Peppercorn Medley to taste
• Steamed rice for serving
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Zest one lime.  Using a reamer, juice limes until you have at least 1/4 cup and set aside.   Rinse and pat dry pork, cut into 2-inch pieces, and set aside.  Rough chop the onions and set aside.  Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers, straighten them out and cut into squares, and set aside.  Core the apples, cover with a towel, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a caste iron dutch oven and brown the pork on two sides, working in batches so as not to steam the meat.  Use medium heat, approximately a minute a half per side.  Set the meat aside.  

In the same pot, begin sautéing the onions on low heat.  Add the cloves and the bay leaves.  Quickly peal and rough chop and apples and add to the onions.  Cook until the onions are tender, approximately 10 minutes.

Add the pork, lime juice, lime zest, and stock and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat until so that it simmers.  Cook covered for 30 minutes.  Stir and continue cooking uncovered, until the meat is very tender and just about falling apart, at least an hour.  Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.  When satisfied, turn off the heat. 

Serve over steamed rice, garnished with cilantro.


Myrtle's Note:  I really liked this recipe, though I did make a few tweaks to it.  Most are in how I only used one pot to cook it and the order in which I did the prep so that I could do so and keep the apples from browning.  I didn't want to try and remove the meat to reduce the liquid, so I cooked it half the time uncovered.  And I added salt!  I was so surprised at how the apples disappeared into stew sauce.  Four of them!  The onions, which I normally try to disguise in any way I can, were so soft their texture didn't bother me.  And I enjoyed eating the bits of pepper.  Next time I make this, I plan to increase the peppers to five, which is the number that goes in another pork recipe I have.  I could taste the apples and the lime and the chiles, but I thought it could have used more.  I ended up using 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and probably could have used a bit more.  I put in a shake or two of Ancho chili pepper and some of the peppercorn medley.  Next time, I will add a bit more.  I would really like to see what this tastes like with a layer of mild heat to it.  Also, since I am not a fan of rice, I plan on trying it with crusty bread.  However, I will say that the stew sauce was mighty, mighty tasty on the rice.


Yield:  8 servings

Source:  https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12192-peruvian-pork-stew-with-chiles-lime-and-apples?mcubz=1

Julia Child's Provençale Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ⅔ cup finely minced yellow onions
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 5 to 6 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered
• ⅛ teaspoon sugar, plus more to taste
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
• A large herb bouquet: 8 sprigs parsley, 1 bay leaf and 4 sprigs thyme, all tied in cheesecloth
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens® Basil Paste
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 bunch fresh oregano
• 2 stems fresh rosemary
• Large pinch saffron threads
• 1 dozen coriander seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 2-inch piece dried orange peel (or 1/2 teaspoon granules)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)

Directions:

In a large heavy pot, toast the fennel and coriander and orange peel over medium low heat for a few minutes until fragrant.  Then add the oil and heat it. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt, and cook slowly for about 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Sprinkle on the flour and cook slowly for three minutes, stirring occasionally; do not brown.

Meanwhile, fit a food processor with the coarse grating blade. Working in batches to avoid overfilling the machine, push the tomatoes through the feed tube to make a coarse purée.

Stir the tomatoes, sugar, garlic, herb bouquet, basil, saffron,  and one teaspoon salt into the pot. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, so the tomatoes will render more of their juice.

Then uncover and simmer for about an hour, until thick. The sauce is done when it tastes thoroughly cooked and is thick enough to form a mass in the spoon.

Remove herb bouquet and taste. Season with salt, pepper, sugar and tomato paste, and simmer two minutes more.

The sauce may be used immediately, refrigerated, or frozen for up to 6 months.

Myrtle's Note:  I adapted the recipe primarily regarding the herbs, by adding more, most particularly the fresh rosemary because I grow it.  I found the recipe easy to follow and tasty in its results.  Since I am growing roma tomatoes, I have been making this a half-batch at a time.  I should note that I have not been able to get saffron yet.  I do plan on using it when I can, which is why I left it in the recipe.

Source:  https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12685-julia-childs-provencale-tomato-sauce?action=click&module=Collection%20Page%20Recipe%20Card&region=33%20Ways%20to%20Do%20Justice%20to%20Summer%20Tomatoes&pgType=collection&rank=6

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Bamboo or wooden skewers

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric 
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 10 ounces water 
• 9 ounces cream

Chopped coriander, to garnish
Basmati rice and naan, to serve

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.


Directions:

Slice the chicken into chunks, then combine the chicken with the rest of the chicken marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Mix until evenly coated, cover with plastic, and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.  Soak bamboo skewers for a half hour.

Skewer the marinated chicken pieces on bamboo skewers, then place them over a baking dish with sides high enough to hold the chicken off the bottom of the pan to help distribute the heat more evenly.  Bake for about 15 minutes until slightly dark brown on the edges and the meat has reached 160 degrees.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onions.  Once the onions are translucent, add both the ginger and garlic and continue cooking until fragrant.  Do not let the garlic burn.  Add in the spices for the sauce and cook for a short while to release their aromatics and flavor, stirring constantly.  Then, stir in the tomato paste.  Finally, add the tomato sauce and water, then bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the cream and stir thoroughly.  Add in the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve with Basmati rice and naan!

Myrtle's Note: Oh, my!  Was this ever a pleasant surprise!!  I was a bit surprised at all the garlic I needed, but it does not overwhelm the dish.  What I like most is the layering of flavors in it between the seasoning of the chicken and the seasoning of the sauce.  A dish that made me think that I was in a restaurant!

Yield:  8 servings

Source:  https://www.buzzfeed.com/alvinzhou/this-homemade-chicken-tikka-masala-is-perfect-for-dinner?utm_term=.ke5MpQ40QZ#.pvRAv7Gj7X

Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (4 large thighs)
• 6-8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt and black pepper
• Nonstick cooking oil spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


Directions:

Slice the chicken breasts into 5-6 pieces each and the thighs into 3-4 pieces each and set aside.

In a glass bowl large enough to marinate the chicken, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, the spices, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Then add the chicken pieces and stir until all of them are evenly coated in the marinade. Cover the marinating dish with plastic wrap. Place chicken in the refrigerator and let it marinate at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.

Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking oil. Place the chicken pieces on the sheet, evenly spaced.  

Place the chicken in the oven. Let it roast for about 15 minutes till cooked through (reaches 160 degrees), turning the chicken pieces once with tongs halfway through the cooking period.

Take chicken out of the oven and let it cool slightly. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into small, thin shawarma-like pieces.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium. Pour one third to half of the chicken into the skillet and sauté several minutes till the smallest pieces of chicken turn brown and crisp. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.  Repeat the process, adding more oil when needed, with the next batch of chicken.  And with the third if you divide it that way.  Whilst working, put the sautéed chicken pieces in foil to keep them warm.

Serve warm with dishes such as chicken tikka masala, baba ganoush, toum, labneh, lemon basil humus, and naan.


Myrtle's Note:  This was part of my 50th birthday celebration meal that I cooked with two of my friends.  True shawarma is made by roasting meat on a spit, but this gives you the feel of the dish in a rather tasty manner.  The recipe author is adamant about using a combination of boneless, skinless chicken breast and boneless chicken thighs instead of just the breast meat to add some fat to the recipe.  I am not a thigh meat gal, but I followed the instructions and all who consumed the meal agreed that this mock shawarma was mighty tasty.  We were so very intent on eating all the tasty food, I forgot to take a photo of just the chicken shawarma.  But we did grab a shot of my friends plate before she started chowing down!


Yield:  8 servings

Source:  http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2012/08/chicken-shawarma/

Toum

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 - 4 cups sunflower oil chilled
• 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, divided
• 1/2 cup ice cold water, divided
• 1 3/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Before you begin, place your oil in the freezer or refrigerator so that it is chilled, but still liquid. While the oil chills, remove the ends from your garlic cloves, split them in half and remove any green layers from inside. In a food processor, combine garlic cloves, salt, 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the ice cold water.

Process until smooth, then stop and scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula.

Turn the food processor back on and drizzle the chilled canola oil through the top as SLOWLY as possible, one cup at a time. If you don't have a steady hand I suggest putting the oil in a squeeze bottle and drizzling it in that way. After each cup of oil, add 1 tbsp each of the lemon juice and cold water.

Scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary. Be sure that your processor does not get too hot, as this can cause your sauce to separate.

Add oil until you've reached the texture you desire. The final result should resemble a soft mayonnaise. Store toum in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe makes a pretty big batch, but it should keep for up to 4 weeks and it can be used on so many things. You'll be happy you have extra. Enjoy!

Myrtle's Note:  This was exactly like the white garlic sauce that I have had in Lebanese restaurants.  It  did not last very long for me before separating.  I do not know if that is because I didn't emulsify it enough or because this was my first batch.  I mixed up the separated toum again and it tasted just fine.  A lot of folk consider it middle eastern mayonnaise.  It goes so well with meat, but also combined with other middle easter food on pieces of naan, such as chicken shawarma, baba ganoush, lemon basil hummus, and labneh.


Yield:  3 cups

Source:  http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2015/03/toum-middle-eastern-garlic-sauce/

Spicy Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 6 cobs of corn
• 4 large red potatoes
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon and more olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion
• 4-5 large cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons Redmond's® Real Salt
• 1 teaspoon McCormack's® Peppercorn Medley
• 2 teaspoons Old Town Spice and Tea Merchant's® Raspberry Chipotle seasoning
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 large handfuls of fresh thyme 

Directions:

Mince onions into small cubes and set aside   [Slice the onion in half.  Then place it cut side down and slice into 3/16 inch slices.  Then slice each slice into 3/16 inch cubes.]  Mince the garlic and set aside.  Pull off the thyme leaves off all the stems and set aside.  Cut the red potatoes into half-inch cubes and set aside.

Melt the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil into a cast iron dutch oven.  When hot, add the onions and sauté until translucent and browned.  Use a potato masher to mash the onions into a soft mush.  Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.

Once the garlic is fragrant and soft, slowly sprinkle the flour over the onion mash and garlic, stirring frequently.  Once the flour is incorporated, allow the mixture to cook a little bit as the color darkens.  Then slowly, stirring constantly, pour in the cream until you have a smooth (lump free) sauce.

Raise the temperature and slowly stir in the vegetable broth, sea salt, pepper, and bay leaves.  Add the potatoes, bring to a light boil, and cook until the potatoes begin to break down (approximately 10-12 minutes).

Whilst the potatoes are cooking, cut the corn off the cob into a large bowl and milk the cobs.  Once the potatoes are done, add the corn, raspberry chipotle seasoning, and thyme.  Drizzle olive oil across the top of the chowder and simmer vigorously for about 15 more minutes.  Serve warm.


Myrtle's Note:  I had some leftover corn on the cob and thought to try my hand at a chowder.  I am not good with soups, but thought a chowder might be a good place to start.  I adapted the recipe somewhat because I wanted a bit more depth of flavor.  I changed to red potatoes and added bay leaves and the raspberry chipotle seasoning.  I also decreased the broth, based on a few reviewer's comments, and increased the thyme leaves.  I thought the end result was amazing, even if it was my very first ever chowder.


Yield: 8 servings

Adapted from:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/corn-chowder-recipe-1915497

Williamsburg Orange Cake

Ingredients (cake):

• 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 1 tablespoon orange zest

Ingredients (icing)

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar 
• 3-4 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.  Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.  

In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter.  Add the eggs, orange zest, and vanilla paste.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, alternating between the two, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you do. Beat 2-3 minutes on high.

Pour into the cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Whilst the cake is cooling, make the icing.  First, cream together the butter and sugar.  Then, stir in juice and orange zest.  Beat until smooth.

Ice when the cake is completely cooled.

Source:  https://lynn-southernwithatwist.blogspot.com/2014/01/williamsburg-orange-cake.html?m=1

Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds green tomatillos
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 serrano chiles or more to taste
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and upper stems 
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped white onion
• 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil

Directions:

Peel the husks off and since the tomatillos.  Then place them, along with the garlic cloves and chiles, in a pot and add enough water to cover. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the tomatillos change in color from bright green to a pale green, are cooked through, and are soft, but are not coming apart.

Transfer the tomatillos, garlic, chile (you may want add only 1 chile at first), and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to a blender and puree until smooth. Incorporate the cilantro leaves, onion and salt and process again. Taste for salt and add more if need be. Also taste for heat, you may add the other chile in pieces until you reach your desired heat level.

In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, pour the oil. Once hot, pour in the salsa verde, bring to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until it thickens a bit and deepens its flavor and color. Turn off the heat.

Allow to cool to room temperature and serve. Or, once it cools down, you may store it in a closed container in the refrigerator for weeks.

Myrtle's Note:  I have never made salsa and I do not eat salsa.  So, when looking for a recipe, I thought to use one of Pati Jinich.  I chose the salsa verde, because I thought that might be my sister's favorite.  For the "heat,"  I used 1 and 1/2 chilies.  My guests LOVED this!

Yield:  2 cups

Source:  https://patijinich.com/recipe/salsa-verde/

Bran Cereal Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Fiber One original cereal
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed tightly)
• 1 1/4 cups King Arther® Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon Redmond's Real Salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees


Directions:

Spray your muffin tins with Pam® Baking Spray or grease them and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (or your stand mixer), pour boiling water over cereal, stir thoroughly until all the water is absorbed, and let stand.

Mix together the milk and lemon juice, stir thoroughly, and let stand for 10 minutes.  Alternatively, you could use two cups of buttermilk and skip the lemon juice.

While waiting, measure out the spices into a small bowl.  Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl.  Gather the brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla paste, and dried cranberries on the counter.

When the cereal has cooled and the sour milk is ready, add the sugar, eggs, applesauce, and milk and stir.  Next add the spices and vanilla paste and stir.  Then slowly add the flour mixture until all is incorporated.  Finally, add the dried cranberries and stir until they are thoroughly mixed into the batter.

Spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling to just below the top.  Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.


Myrtle's Note:  I wanted a bran cereal muffin recipe, but had to do some tweaking when I found one that started with Fiber One cereal.  I changed the type of milk and sugar and flour, I dropped the egg substitute for real eggs, I added spices and flavoring, and I added dried cranberries.  I botched the cooking time, so the first batch and the second look different.  You can see the ones on the left have a higher muffin top, as they were cooked at the right temperature (400 degrees).  I thought that the muffins turned out fantastic ... if you like bran muffins.  By the way, it will not hurt my feelings if you swap out the dried cranberries for raisons.  I know that is more traditional.  I just prefer dried cranberries, and I am the one eating these!


Yield: 27 muffins

Adapted from:  http://www.food.com/recipe/absolutely-delicious-bran-muffins-60141?ftab=tweaks

Spicy Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Dr. Pepper
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ teaspoon liquide smoke
• 1½ teaspoon Redmond's® Real Salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon McCormack's® Chipotle Chili Pepper
• ½ teaspoon McCormack's® Peppercorn Medley
• 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens® Garlic Paste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients into a sauce pan, whisking thoroughly.  Bring just to a boil and continue to simmer vigorously for

Myrtle's Note:  I swapped out garlic powder to garlic paste, for a bit fresher taste.  I wanted to add a little heat to this to balance all the sweet, so I added the two peppers.  And I upped the salt to that end, too.  This is my first ever barbecue sauce.  I was tickled pink to discover a recipe for Dr Pepper barbecue sauce posted on my Facebook wall by a dear friend.

Yield:  ~28 ounces

Adapted from:  http://www.missinthekitchen.com/dr-pepper-barbecue-sauce/

Chilorio

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds boneless pork loin 
• 1 1/2 cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed 
• 1 cup water
• 5 (about 55 grams) dried ancho chiles
• 1 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid (see below)
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped vidalia onion
• 5 garlic cloves peeled
• 2 large dollops Gourmet Garden's® Parsley Paste 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper or more to taste
• 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher or sea salt
• Flour tortillas warmed, optional

Directions:

Rinse the pork and cut into two inch chunks.  Place into a cast iron pot. Barely cover with the orange juice and water, add a teaspoon of salt and set over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, bring the heat down to low and let is simmer for about 40 to 45 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off and the meat is thoroughly cooked and has rendered most of its fat.  

It is okay if there is still a lot of liquid left.  Remove the meat to a bowl and turn the liquid up to boil until it is reduced to a thick broth.  Strain into a cup for later.

Whilst the pork is cooking, set a kettle to boil.  Remove the stems from the chiles, make a slit down their sides and remove their seeds and veins. Place them in a bowl, cover them with boiling hot water, and let them sit and rehydrate for about 15 minutes.  Do not throw out the soaking liquid!

Place the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of their soaking liquid in the blender along with the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, cumin, black pepper, vinegar, and puree until smooth.

Once the meat is ready, place it in a bowl along with any remaining cooking broth. Once it is cool enough to handle, shred it with your hands or with two forks.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Pour in the chile sauce and let it season, simmering it for 4 to 5 minutes. 

Then toss in the shredded meat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and let it cook, stirring often, until the meat has absorbed most of the chile sauce, which will have thickened, seasoned and changed to a darker color. It will take about 20 minutes. 

Taste for salt and add more if need be.

To serve (the way I liked them), take a warm flour tortilla and smear it with mashed avocado, seasoned with salt and a bit of lime.  Top with Chilorio, spreading it out across the avocado.  Roll into a burrito.  

Myrtle's Note:  I tweaked this a bit.  I upped the cumin and garlic and changed the type of onion.  I also swapped fresh parsley for Gourmet Garden's® fresh Parsley Paste.  And I tilted the orange juice/water ratio just a tad.  Wild, I know, for a first time trial of a recipe.  But I know that Pati Jinich writes excellent recipes that can handle slight tweaks.  The Chilorio was really awesome.  It made me think of Mexican food and barbecue all at once.  I just adored it.  

Yield:  8 servings of two burritas.

Source:  https://patijinich.com/recipe/chilorio/

Pomegranate Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• Pork Sirloin (~2.5 lbs)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 cup white onion finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Kosher or coarse sea salt, to taste
• McCormack® Peppercorn Medley

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees.


Directions:

Mince onions and set aside.  Mince garlic and set aside.  Finely chop rosemary and set aside.  Cut up the sirloin in to large chunks, season liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In a cast iron dutch oven (or other oven proof dutch oven), heat up one and a half tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the meat and cook half the pork until browned on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the casserole and place on a plate or in a bowl.  Add another one and a half tablespoons of olive oil and when hot, brown the other half of the pork.  Add the meat to the plate/bowl.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the casserole and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until completely softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant and lightly browned.

Pour in the pomegranate juice and wine, stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate all the browned bits.

Return the meat to the casserole, add the crushed rosemary, and let it come to a simmer. Once it does, cover the casserole with its lid and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is completely tender.

Remove the lid from the casserole, and leave in the oven for another 1/2 hour, or until the meat falls apart when pulled with a fork, and the liquid has thickened considerably. Remove from the oven. Using a couple forks, shred the meat finely and let it sit in the sauce.

I recommend serving in tacos with Avocado Cream and crumbled goat's milk cheese, using Blue Corn Flour Tortillas.


Myrtle's Note:  I spotted this Pati Jinich recipe and wanted to make it immediately.  I bought all the ingredients save for the boneless short ribs.  After three days of trying to track them down, I heard from three butchers that they are not available in my area.  So, I thought I would try the recipe as pulled pork, since I am well verses in making Spicy Dr Pepper Pulled Pork.  I did cut up the sirloin and browned it, trying to follow the recipe as closely as possible.  After all, browning brings flavor.  Meat change aside, I think the recipe turned out fantastic!  The tacos were the best I have made to date.  Mmmmm!


Yield:  10 servings (20 tacos)

Adapted from:  https://patijinich.com/recipe/pomegranate-short-rib-tacos/

Avocado Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (1.5 to 2 limes)
• 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens® Fresh Garlic Paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Redmond's Real Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormack's Peppercorn Medley
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormack's Chipotle Pepper

Directions:

Halve, de-seed, and scoop out the flesh of the avocado.  Place in a processor cup (I used a NutriBullet Pro 900).  Add the rest of the ingredients.

When juicing the lime, use a reamer to also get some of the pulp from the halves of the limes.  I had to add a bit more lime juice to have everything come together.

Pulse and then mixed until thoroughly whipped.  Will be fluffy and light.


Myrtle's Note:  I wanted avocado on a taco but in a light way, since I was also going to be using goat's milk cheese.  This was my solution, not quite dressing or sauce.  More of an airy whipped cream.


Yield: 10-12 servings

Adapted from:  https://patijinich.com/recipe/boston-lettuce-salad-with-avocado-dressing-candied-pineapple-and-spicy-pumpkin-seeds/