Jammy Bread

 Great idea!

Slow Cooker Korean Pork Tacos

NOTES:

• This recipe makes a lot of pulled pork. Stash half in the freezer for a quick meal another night.
• Depending on the jalopenos, this makes for mild-medium heat pulled pork. If you'd like to make it spicier, add 1-2 tablespoons of sriracha to the soy sauce mixture before cooking meat.
• Would be good with plain Greek yogourt or sour cream too and Jenny says next time she would go extra heavy on the jalapeno and lime.

PULLED PORK:

• 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 2 jalapeno peppers , finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 3 lbs pork tenderloin or pork butt/shoulder roast
• Salt and pepper , to taste
• 5 whole garlic cloves

SLAW:

• 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded green cabbage
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 4 scallions , chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

TACOS:

• Corn or flour tortillas
• Shredded pulled pork
• Slaw
• Cilantro , optional
• Lime wedges , optional

TO MAKE THE PORK:

• Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, red onion, jalepeno, ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
• (Optional step) Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper and brown in a large pan set over medium high heat. Brown all or most sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
• Place pork in a slow cooker. Pour soy sauce mixture over the top. Add the garlic cloves.
• Cover with lid and cook on low for 7 hours, on high for 4 hours.
• Shred pork slightly into large pieces and continue to cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.
• Shred pork completely and use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 1 week in the freezer for up to 3 months.

TO MAKE THE SLAW:

• Combine the brown sugar, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger and salt in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
• In a bowl toss the green and red cabbage, scallions and cilantro together. Pour dressing over the top and toss until combined.
• Use immediately, the slaw won't keep for very long.

TO SERVE THE TACOS:

• If desired, toast tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat.
• Top tortillas with pork, slaw, cilantro and a squeeze of a lime wedge.

Peaches'n'Cream Pie "the easy way"

Sadie is celebrating pi day March 14, 2021

Recipe for the Peaches'n' Cream Pie "the easy way" (Thanks Jill)

1 can sliced peaches

Crust

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 pkg. vanilla pudding (not instant)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Topping

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp peach juice

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine ingredients for crust.  Beat for 2 minutes. Pour into a deep 10 inch pie plate.  Drain sliced peaches (reserving juice) and arrange slices on pie crust base.  Blend cream cheese, sugar and juice.  Beat for 2 minutes and spoon on pie.  Top with sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes.

 

Fresh Pasta

Grandmaman pulled out Oma's pasta machine today and Papa and I made pasta.  Results were very tasty.  We made fettucine this time and although the results were not uniform we learned a few tips that will help with future endeavors.

Recipe we used today:

1 1/2 cups flour (we just used all purpose flour)

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Mound flour on counter or in large bowl.  Mix salt in to flour.  Make well in center of flour.  Put eggs and oil in mound of flour and mix with fork (whisking eggs as you go) until a soft dough forms.  Turn onto a floured surface.  Knead dough for 5 minutes. Wrap with a tea towel (so the dough doesn't dry out) and let rest for 15 minute. For this amount of dough cut the dough into four pieces and process one piece at a time (wrapping the waiting dough until ready to process).

Processing the Dough into Pasta

Set the regulator knob to position number 1.  Pass a dough piece through the smooth rollers. Fold the slice of dough and sprinkle flour between the folds.  Flour as necessary and repeat a few times through position 1.

 Set the regulator knob to number 2 and pass the dough through.  Reduce the thickness of the dough by adjusting the regulator know decreasing it one number at a time until the dough reaches the desired thickness.

Once you have your pasta sheet it can be shaped  into the desired pasta form.  Today we made fettucine by passeing the dough sheet into the cutting rollers. We hung the fettucine on rulers.  Next time we will watch for uniform size.  Practice makes perfect.  

And for supper Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo with Fresh Pasta

Sadie's SuperBowl Cake

Sadie created this Football Cake

 to enjoy for the Superbowl game in their new home. 

A snowy day in Massachusetts, a telephone drawing game with the Calgary cousins led by Logan and cake to end the day.

 

Reegan's Creme Brûlée

Reegan got ramekins for Christmas 2020 and today she tried them out.  Crème Brülée for a crisp Alberta polar vortex day ( minus 40 with the windchill), zoom with the Boylston cousins and SuperBowl to end the day with Mom's ribs and a very special dessert.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups heavy or light cream, or half-and-half
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 5 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar, more for topping

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)
2. In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.
3. When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within two hours.

Oma's Christmas Stollen

 Oma often baked a Christmas bread which was a 

variation of the Christmas Stollen bread and 

would deliver it to us over the holidays to be enjoyed 

during the holiday season.  

Stollen is the traditional bread served in Germany on Christmas Eve.  Families would gather to eat the Christstollen at about five in the afternoon. Then they would attend church and return home to open their gifts and have a late supper.  Stollen is kept in the house during the holiday season to serve guests with wine, in place of fruitcake.

Here is the recipe I used in 2020 (the year of the Covid pandemic).  I didn't have almonds but sprinkled pecans over the icing.  I also kneaded in cinnamon and nutmeg.  Click Stollen  for more variations and history.

3/4 cup milk

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water   

2 teaspoons sugar

2 packages active dry yeast

3 beaten eggs

5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup chopped blanched almonds

3/4 cup mixed candied fruits

1/3 cup golden seedless raisins

Confectioner sugar frosting

Combine milk and butter in a saucepan.  Heat over low heat until liquid is warm and butter melts.  Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt.  Let cool while yeast from next step rises.

Measure 1 cup warm water into a large bowl.  Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar and active dry yeast.  Let stand 10 minutes, then stir well.

Add the milk combination to the dissolved yeast.  Add eggs and 2 cups flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in an additional about 4 cups flour to make a soft dough.  

Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes).  Knead in almonds, fruit and raisins.  Place into a greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.  

Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured board.  Divide dough into 3 equal pieces (I made it into only two today). Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 7 inch oval.  Fold in half lengthwise.  Place on greased baking sheets (or parchment paper).  Cover and let rise in warm lace, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Bake in a moderate oven (350) about 20 to 25 minutes, or until done.  Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.  Frost with confectioners sugar frosting while warm.  If desired, decorate with blanched almonds and candied cherries.