Peachy Pork Chops

This summer I am living at home, commuting to ISU for the first part of the summer for my internship and working at Riverside for the rest of the summer.  It is really good to be at home.  I adore my family and getting to spend time with friends from Story City.  

I also love gettting to cook for my family.  Last week I had a lot of stuff going on in the evenings preventing me from cooking supper.  So I'm making good use of the slow-cooker and have made some really yummy meals from it this week.

After low and slow cooking for 9 hours these pork chops are tender and the peach onion sauce is really great over rice.  Your house will smell fabulous too, which is always nice.

Peachy Pork Chops

1/3 cup peach preserves
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 packet french onion soup mix
1 (16 oz.) bag frozen peaches
1 large onion, sliced
4 pork chops

Whisk together preserves, vinegar, water, and soup mix.  Layer peaches, onions, and chops in a greased 4 or 6 quart slow cooker.  Pour sauce over the top.  Cook on high for 3 hours, then low for 6.

Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes with Blue Cheese Slaw

Last summer, while working at the Pillsbury Bake-Off, my eyes were opened to the wonder of the flavors of buffalo chicken through this recipe: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/kickin-chicken-sandwiches-with-cucumber-topping/517b0b17-3eb8-4f59-9d3e-bdd9b5618c85/  Holy yum.  I've been mildly obsessed with buffalo sauce since then. 

At my internship I am given the freedom to develop any recipe using TSP, so I decided to do something with buffalo sauce:


Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes with Blue Cheese Slaw

Buffalo chicken wings are a football game favorite especially if they’re served with carrots, celery and blue cheese dressing.  Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes with Blue Cheese Slaw combines all the flavors of the buffalo chicken wing experience into one sandwich.  TSP, ground chicken, and cayenne pepper sauce blend to make a mouthwatering base for the sandwich.  The slaw, filled with crumbles of blue cheese, cools down the spice of the sloppy joe while adding an awesome crunch to the sandwich.  All this piled on a hearty toasted whole wheat bun and dinner is served for game day or any day.   Using half TSP, half chicken in this recipe rather than a whole pound of ground chicken saves you $1.79 every time you make this recipe

8 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Blue Cheese Slaw

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1, 16 oz. bag traditional coleslaw mix

4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

Sloppy Joe

1 cup TSP

1 cup hot water

1/3 cup butter, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup diced onion

½ pound ground chicken

½ cup cayenne pepper sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup water

¼ cup ketchup

In a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.  Stir in coleslaw mix and blue cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

In a small bowl add hot water to TSP and let sit for 1 minute.  Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to a large nonstick skillet and melt over medium heat, add garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add chicken to TSP, mix well, and add to skillet, use a wooden spoon to crumble the chicken/TSP, cook until chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add remaining butter, cayenne pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, water and ketchup; cook 2-3 minutes more until sauce has thickened slightly.

To assemble scoop about 1/3 cup of the Sloppy Joe meat on the bottom half of a bun, add 1/3 cup slaw and cover with top half of the bun.

Internship Adventures

For the first five weeks of my summer I am interning with The Soyfoods Council.  The Soyfoods Council's goal is, quite obviously, to promote all soy products and get consumers interested in all things soy. Check out their website for recipes and news about the soy world: http://www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com

My job is to create recipes using Textured Soy Protein (TSP) also known as Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP).  TSP is made from deffatted soy flour and it looks like grape nuts.  You just add a little water to it and it fluffs up and looks and acts like cooked ground meat.  TSP is a vegetarian option or can be used as a meal extender for recipes calling for ground meat.  TSP has no cholesterol or saturated fat and is a great source of fiber and protien.  It is also very inexpensive.  You can find it at most bigger grocery stores in the health section.  It is most commonly made by Bob's Red Mill. See what it looks like and read the nutrition facts: http://www.bobsredmill.com/tvp-textured-veg._protein.html?&cat=

I've had fun figuring out how to use TSP in recipes and getting to test them in the kitchen.  I'm working with another intern, Kylie.  Kylie is focusing on using TSP exclusively, without any meat. This is more difficult because TSP by it self can sometimes have a little bit of a weird texture.  She is doing an awesome job and has some really great recipes.  I'm trying to combine meat and TSP to make TSP more accessible for the consumer who might be a little unsure about TSP (AKA my family.  This week I tried to feed them TSP in a casserole and they were kinda freaked out about it.  I'll win them over yet.)

One of my good friends, Melissa, just started a blog: http://triedinblue.blogspot.com/  Melissa is a Culinary Science grad from ISU and she writes about her life and about the recipes she is trying.  She has themed days like fermented Friday (recipes with beer, wine, or yeast).  Melissa is funny and thoughful, she writes beatifully and all the recipes sound awesome.  Seriously, you have got to check it out.

This is one of the recipes I've developed so far:

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Toasted Sesame Glaze

Okay, so this is not the best picture, but I can assure you they are delicious!

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Toasted Sesame Glaze are a perfect entrée when served over brown rice, alongside simple sautéed vegetables.  They also make a great party appetizer; just place the prepared meatballs in a slow cooker on low and serve with toothpicks for easy portioning.  Using half TSP and half ground turkey in these meatballs is a great way to stretch your dollar, because TSP is such an economical choice.  TSP is easy to use and adds great texture to the meatballs.  Using TSP in place of half of the ground turkey saves you 99¢ every time you make this recipe.

Meatball

1 cup TSP

¾ cup hot water

½ pound ground turkey

2 eggs

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup bread crumbs

Toasted Sesame Sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce

1¼ cups water, divided

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 375°F, grease 10x15” jelly roll pan or shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.  In medium bowl combine TSP and water, let sit for 1 minute: add remaining meatball ingredients.  Mix with clean hands and roll into 24 meatballs, about 1½” in diameter.  Place meatballs on prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on edges and cooked through.

Add toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, 1 cup water, ginger, onion and garlic powders, and sugar to a large skillet, over medium-high heat.  Whisk for 1 minute, or until sugar is dissolved.  In a small bowl combine cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water, add to sauce.  Whisk until glaze boils and thickens slightly; reduce heat to low and stir often until meatballs are done. Add cooked meatballs to the large skillet with glaze.  Stir gently to coat all meatballs and simmer meatballs in glaze for 5 minutes.  Remove meatballs to a serving platter, drizzle with remaining glaze. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

Yield: 6 servings (4 meatballs)

Note:  To toast sesame seeds, add seeds to a saucepan or small skillet over medium high heat.  Swirl pan frequently until sesame seeds are golden brown and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. 

Banana Oatmeal Crumb Muffins

We use this recipe in the Riverside kitchen often, it is simple and the crumb topping adds something special.

                                                            Banana Oatmeal Crumb Muffins

Based on Banana Crumb Muffins by Lisa Kreft from allrecipes.com

Muffin:

3 very ripe bananas

1/3 cup canola oil

¾ cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup old fashioned oats or quick oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Crumb (I like a lot of topping, but you could get by with half the amount if desired):

½ cup softened butter

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 cup old fashioned oats or quick oats

½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°F and spray or line muffin tins.  Combine bananas, oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs using a stand or hand mixer until almost smooth.  Add flours, oats, baking soda and powder.  Mix on low until just moistened.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.  In the same mixing bowl, no need to wash it, combine all Crumb ingredients and mix until all the ingredients are combined.  Crumble over each muffin.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges of the crumb topping are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.  Yield: 18 muffins

Cake is a vehicle for frosting

Last week in my American Indian Studies class I gave a presentation about myself.  This presentation was to include a personal artifact: something that holds cultural significance in your life. I brought cupcakes as my artifact and talked about how food is such a significant part of my life: how I love to eat and cook but most importantly I love how food brings people together.  I grew up in a family where we ate almost every supper together, this time was set apart from the rest of our day to just be together: to talk about our day and listen to each other.  Family meals are certainly a beautiful thing and I'm so glad my parents made this a priority.

So my speech went well and there were cheers when I passed out the chocolate cupcakes with chocolate marshmallow frosting.  When I was done with my speech I opened the floor for questions, a guy in my class raised his hand and promptly asked me to marry him.  The class erupted in laughter and then he asked me a serious question. 

For the cupcakes I just used a chocolate cake mix and substituted dark coffee for the water and sour cream for the oil, and adding 1 Tablespoon vanilla.  Once the cupcakes were baked and cooled I frosted them with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting.

Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
4 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sour cream
1, 7 oz. tub marshmallow cream

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with wire whip attachment.  Mix on low for 1 minute or until all the powdered sugar is combined, scrape down the sides mix on high for at least 5 minutes.  If you like your frosting thicker add more powdered sugar by the 1/4th cup, thinner add milk by the Tablespoon until the desired consistency is reached.

Pipe onto cupcakes or brownies, spread on crackers and/or eat by the spoonful.

Book Reviews

Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen: This book was a difficult story of loss and love in the circus industry during the depression. This isn't a "feel good" book, the painful realities of the depression are evident on every page and the potentials for human cruelty are portrayed vividly and often. I am glad I read it but I definitely walked away from this book very sad for the people who actually lived in the conditions presented in Water for Elephants.  I hope to check out the movie from the library sometime soon and see how it compares to the book.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:  A superb book:  "I laughed, I cried, I read some parts aloud to my roommates because they were too beautiful to keep to myself, and a few times I just had to stop and breathe because I felt all the feelings." -my quote to a friend about The Fault in Our Stars. This book tells the incredible story of teenagers living with cancer and trying to make the most of the time they have.  It may sound cliche, but it is not.  This book is my favorite of John Green's books, a must read for everyone.

The Help by Katheryn Stockett:  I will admit that I saw the movie before I read the book.  I went to the theater by myself and it was a busy night so I sat next to people I didn't know.  I cried through most of the movie and the folks I was sitting by just kept turning and looking at me weird.  Oops.  Anyway the book was better than the movie, although the movie did follow the book pretty well, it can't compare.  Stockett writes from the truth of her life, growing up with a black maid herself, as well as doing extensive research.  Even though The Help is a work of fiction so much of it rings true still today.  Reading about the complete dehumanization of African-Americans was really quite terrifying.  I am still astounded by the racial climate of that time, and how it persists today in similar forms.  I cried while reading the book, but I had the good sense to read it in my apartment rather than out in public where people could give me weird looks.

Clementine Cake

I am mildly obsessed with Pinterest.  I love finding neat recipes, cool dresses, funny pictures, inspiring quotes, and a lot of really interesting photography.  My favorite part is definitely the recipes. 

The recipe that inspired my Clementine Cake was posted by a friend on pinterest and when I followed it to the blog (http://somekitchenstories.com/2012/01/11/clementine-cake-my-lovelies/ )  I was pleasantly surprised to find not only a unusual recipe, but a funny story from Little Women: Vampire Hunters, and the recipe was written in the style of Nigella Lawson.  What more could I want from a blog post!?!? 

Step 1: Simmer clementines for 30 minutes

Step 2: Cut butter into small chunks and

add to food processor

Step 3: Remove clementines from water, cut

into 4ths and add to food processor.

Step 4: Pulse until the clementines are pulverized

to tiny bits and no butter chunks remain.

Step 5a: Add sugar, vanilla, almond extract, eggs,

flour, and baking powder

Step 5b: Do not be alarmed at the brilliant orange

color of the batter.

Step 6: Bake in a greased 7x12 inch pan for

25-30 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Be aware this is a fairly dense cake,

it won't rise a lot.

Step7: Frost while still slightly warm

 for maximum ooey-gooeyness.

Clementine Cake

5 whole clementines

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a 2 quart sauce pan.  Add clementines and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 F, grease a 7x12 inch baking pan, cut butter into small cubes and add to the food processor.  When clementines are done remove from boiling water and cut into 4ths, add to the processor.  Pulse until clementines are pulverized and no butter chunks remain.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse just until flour is incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick or knife comes out clean and edges are golden brown.  Let cool for 30 minutes, meanwhile make frosting.

Almond Buttercream

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 lb. powdered sugar

2-4 Tbs. milk or water

Use a hand mixer or wire whip attachment with stand mixer to combine butter, yogurt, extract, and vanilla.  Add powdered sugar, mix on low adding milk or water as needed to get all powdered sugar incorporated.  Then beat on high for 2 minutes, until very fluffy.  Spread on cake.

PS: Don't throw out the water you boiled the clementines in.  After removing the clementines add a couple tea bags and steap for a few minutes.  Then drink hot or pour over ice.