Waffles Without Milk

We drink a lot of milk in our home. Raised that way. We were out this morning, and I wanted to make waffles. I really dislike making extra trips to the grocery store. I substituted orange juice for the milk. Same amount. Result = perfect and delicious.

(Thanks, Betty Crocker.)

Not Your Ordinary Oatmeal Cookie

These are our favorite cookies now. I got the recipe from Pat, a colleague and friend, who got it from her mom, Lois. More people have asked me for this recipe than any other. So I'm gonna share the love.


Oatmeal Cookies

1 c. margarine
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. bkg powder
2 c. oatmeal (little more)
1 c. each of any/all: coconut - nuts - raisens/craisens - chocolate chips
(cinnamon)

Bake at 350.

I use coconut, pecans, white chocolate chips, and craisins... and leave out the cinnamon.  And I bake it on parchment paper so keep down the mess.

Can't get any easier or more delicious than this. Thanks, Pat and Lois!

My and Maybe Your Kind of Unrefined Breakfast

Some make elaborate breakfasts with fancy flour, grains, and nuts. I definitely drool over a friend's site unrefinedkitchen.com. I would love to try her recipes, but in the meantime I'm on the run... working and packing for our big move in December.

This oatmeal has become my new favorite breakfast.

- mug
- oatmeal
- salt
- boiling water
- berries, optional

I take a large mug and throw in a handful of oats and half a pinch of salt. Then I pour boiling water on top and walk away to get ready for the day. After a while, I return and throw a few frozen berries in there (sometimes I add these before the water), grab a cup off coffee, and enjoy. Yummmmm.

In the meantime I've added coconut flour to camelcamelcamel.com - a price tracking site for Amazon (my favorite kind of shopping). When it hits a super low price, I'll snatch it and experiment.

Homemade Yogurt

It's so easy. Especially with this maker and this thermometer/timer.

1. Heat 40oz of 2% or Whole milk in a saucepan until it starts to boil (180*F) for a couple minutes.
2. Let it cool to lukewarm (110*F). If you're in a hurry, put the saucepan in cold water, but it doesn't turn out as good.
3. Stir half the milk in a bowl with 3/4 cup of plain yogurt. You'll feel it start to thicken already! Add the other half.
4. Pour into cups. Leave alone for 8 hours (for Whole) or 9 hours (for 2%).
5. Refrigerate and enjoy!
   
   You can add fruit, jam, or other flavorings before filling the jars, but I don't. We like to add our own flavorings afterward. I mostly eat it plain or sprinkle some cinnamon on it. We love to eat it with rice and curry.

Just make sure you start it at a reasonable hour or you'll have to set an alarm. Oh, and don't use Skim milk. Learning to wife!

How do you make/like your yogurt?

Ham & Cauliflower Bread Bowl

Ham & Cauliflower Bread Bowl  

Ruthie Wagner

1-2 ham bones with a little ham on them

6-8 cups water
several brown or red potatoes

1/2 large yellow onion

1 c. of carrots, chopped

1 c. of celery, chopped

1 T. garlic

1 head of cauliflower

sourdough bread (the round roll kind)

grated cheese (preferably the strong and hard kind)

1. Boil and simmer ham bones and water in a large saucepan. The water doesn't need to cover the bones. I boiled them for at least half an hour.
2. Pull the bones out of the water, and leave the liquid in the pot on the stove! Cut the meat from the bone and set aside. Throw the bones away.
3. Chop and add to the liquid the potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
4. Cook on medium until veggies are soft. Pull the veggies out of the pot and puree in blender (or food processor) with a little liquid.
5. Add ham pieces, cauliflower florets and puree mixture to the pot. Cook until florets are done but still slightly firm.

To serve:

1. Cut out the inside of the sour dough roll to make a bowl and set the bread insides aside for later soup dipping.
2. Ladle soup in bread bowl.
3. Top with grated cheese.
4. Enjoy!

Notes: I like to freeze ham bones with some meat on them until I'm ready to use them. Then I can use two for one soup. Hint: Men like meat. Hint hint: My man likes to share so one BIG bread bowl makes for a romantic dinner as you can see from the picture above. It's difficult to eat bread bowls with good manners. Oh well. It's delicious.

Posole

Posole or Pozole is a pork and hominy stew found in Mexico, southwestern USA, or as of last night...  the Wagner apartment. 

That's right, I had a taste of this deliciousness at my sister-in-law Maria's house, yes, the same Maria found here. And she got the recipe from a friend who got it from who knows where. And I switched it from an oven to a crockpot recipe, which I included below. It even got a 5/5 from Josh. :) So, with no further ado...

POSOLE

Serves 8-10, Total time: 2 hrs 30 min. (includes 1 hr 50 min. simmering time)

Serve with shredded romaine, chopped cilantro, sour cream, and chips or warmed tortillas. 

2 T. vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
Salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. minced fresh oregano or 1 t. dried
1 T. chili powder
3 lbs. boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes.)
5 c. chicken broth
3 (14 oz.) cans white or yellow hominy, rinsed (I bought a gi-normous can at Cub Foods.)
1 T. fresh lime juice
Pepper (I omitted this.)

Oven Version 

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 1/2 t. salt and cook until softened, about 5 min. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Add the pork ribs and coat with the spices. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 6 min.
2. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the pork to a cutting board. Stir the hominy into the broth (be careful of the hot pot handles). Bring to a simmer on top of the stove and cook, uncovered, for 20 min., removing any fat that rises to the top.
4. Meanwhile, when the meat is cool, shred it using your fingers, discarding all gristle, and season the stew with the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Ruthie's Super-Easy Crockpot Version 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Add the onions and 1/2 t. salt and cook until softened, about 5 min. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Add the pork ribs and coat with the spices. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 6 min.
2. Transfer to a large crockpot. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the broth. Cook until meat is tender. (It's great to leave it on low overnight. In the morning let it cool and shred the pork, getting rid of the fat. Put it all in the fridge until dinner.)
3. Remove the fat from the top and stir in the hominy. (At this point I freezer baggy what I know we won't eat. I can get several additional meals this way.) 
4. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Serve with all the delicious toppings, especially cilantro and lime.

To Make Ahead

This stew can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. Reheat over low heat, adding more water or broth to adjust the consistency, and season with additional lime juice before serving.

Leftover Rice to Rice Pudding

On my lunch break one day, I pulled out the leftover rice and made this - a favorite.




You can too. I searched around for a good recipe for a while and threw together my modified version with happier texture and less sugar. :) I'll let you in on the secrets. They don't call me Rice Girl for nothing.


RICE PUDDING - by Ruthie Wagner
(couldn't come up with anything more creative)

3 c. cooked rice (I use leftover cold basmati)
4 c. milk, divided
1/3 c. sugar (more or less)
Dash of salt
2 eggs, beaten
Handful of raisins
1-2 tbsp. butter (I like to do less so consumers can add to taste)
1 tsp. vanilla (I do penzeys so only use half a tsp.)
Shakes of cinnamon



DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook on medium until thick (15-20 minutes):
   rice, 3 cups of milk, sugar, and salt 
2. Add and stir constantly (2 minutes):
   remaining cup of milk, beaten eggs, and raisins
3. Remove from heat and add:
   butter, vanilla, and cinnamon
4. Serve with any/all toppings:
   
   butter, sugar, more cinnamon, peanuts, more raisins, warm milk
   
   

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Maria's Marinade

About three months ago, I wrote this to my sister-in-law:

I can't stop thinking about your delicious marinade.
May I have it, pretty please? Lovingly, Ruthie

 

Being the amazing sister-in-law she is, she responded with the secrets of the most amazing marinade in all the land. (I don't lie, try it.) So being the amazing sister-in-law that I am, I'm making her famous. 

(Disclaimer: There was something about this being adapted from Joy of Cooking, so I better mention it. But Maria's touch is what makes this the best.)

Citrus Herb Marinade

"This is among the simplest and most satisfying ways to give fish, poultry, meat, and large vegetables lively flavor before applying heat. Suit the herbs to the food."

Combine in a dish and blend with a fork:

1/4 cup mild-tasting olive oil or nut oil

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice or dry red wine

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, preferably flat-leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves or other appropriate herb

1/2 bay leaf, very finely crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black or white pepper, or to taste

Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

So, I don't follow this recipe to a T. I usually estimate the ingredients instead of taking time to measure, though with measuring, you will probably come up with the best result. When I did this on Sunday, I omitted the red wine/orange juice, and put in extra lemon juice, omitted the parsley, and crushed the garlic, which I think produces a more intense garlic flavor than mincing, and is faster. I usually marinate chicken for 30 min. at the least, but a few hours is preferable. Also, brushing the marinade on when grilling is helpful to keep the chicken moist.

Enjoy!

With love,

Maria

P.S. from me:

I have definitely put this recipe to use in my own way. I don't follow it to a T, but you know how that goes. I often use Italian seasoning instead of thyme, and cilantro instead of parsley... so delicious! Grilling is the best of course, but it works beautifully stove-top as well. I totally made the chicken in the picture at the top and served coconut rice. Yummmm!