Just Recipes

[prhoshay]

I seem to remember that there is a way to make dark brown sugar out of light brown sugar, but most cooks that I know always utilize the dark. I am not big on baking, but I do love to make that apple crisp! I am also dying to make that pound cake with the apricot nectar but, overall, baking is just more trouble than I am interested in going through.

[Google]

 

[myrosiedog]

YOu can make your own light or dark brown sugar. Put white sugar in a ziplock bag. Add molasses and knead the bag. Less molasses, light brown sugar. More molasses, dark brown sugar. I go by the color and don't measure.

[Marleybone]

I was catching up on my recorded shows while peeling and slicing apples, and this sounds like a great idea for using the slow cooker to make a cozy autumn evening supper. I'm definitely going to try this.

Maple-Orange Chicken with Acorn Squash and Sweet Potatoes, 2006, Robin Miller, All rights reserved

1 small to medium acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 leeks, rinsed and chopped
5 (5-ounce) skinless chicken breast halves (with or without bone)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
For the garnish:
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves


Place squash and sweet potatoes and leeks in the slow cooker. Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper and place on top of vegetables in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine orange marmalade and remaining ingredients. Pour mixture over chicken and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Serve 4 of the chicken breast halves with squash and potatoes on the side and extra sauce spooned over top (reserve remaining chicken for pizza). Top with parsley and rosemary just before serving.


Episode#: RM0202
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

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[Critical]

Gnomie's pasta fagioli recipe ended up inspiring me to make something similar. Instead of Italian sausage, I used some smoked turkey and chicken pesto sausage from Trader Joes - it's the kind you slice up.

I sauteed up some onions, garlic and celery and then added a can of diced tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, two sliced sausages, two sliced zucchini, a few sliced carrots, a handful of fresh basil, a bit of dried oregano, fresh ground pepper and 2 cups of macaroni noodles (I cooked the pasta ahead of time, so added it right at the end). It was so easy and really good. I added too much salt and ended up having to correct with a bit of sugar, so I'll know next time that it doesn't need any salt.

We had an event at work and there was almost an entire huge vegetable platter left over. No one ever eats the veggies, so I took it home. I made the soup so I could use up some of them. Next time, I think I'll add some spinach and more squash. The more veggies the better!

Anyway, thanks for the inspiration, Gnomie!

[Brodie]

Originally Posted by Marleybone

I was catching up on my recorded shows while peeling and slicing apples, and this sounds like a great idea for using the slow cooker to make a cozy autumn evening supper. I'm definitely going to try this.



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That DOES sound really good and I LOVE Robin Miller!! I'm going to try this too...

Do you know what hoisin sauce is?

[Critical]

Originally Posted by Brodie

That DOES sound really good and I LOVE Robin Miller!! I'm going to try this too...

Do you know what hoisin sauce is?

Here you go

Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is commonly used for barbequing or in the common dish "Peking Duck." Hoisin sauce is soy-based and regularly used in Chinese dishes, as well as stir-fry recipes. The ingredients in a typical bottle of hoisin sauce are soybean paste, garlic, vinegar, and various spices such as chili peppers. The flavor this mixture yields is described as sweet, salty, and spicy.

It is common for people to either love the taste of hoisin sauce or hate it. Hoisin sauce has a very distinct taste. When used in large quantities, it may be overwhelming for someone who has never tasted it before. For first time users, water can be added to hoisin sauce to make the flavor less strong.

One version of a hoisin sauce recipe includes a combination of any type of soy sauce, peanut sauce, honey, molasses, white vinegar, sesame oil, and hot pepper sauce. There are many variations in recipes for hoisin sauce, but all contain the same basic ingredients. Hoisin sauce can be made into a creamy version, or it can be made to be thick. The consistency depends on the particular recipe used. The color of hoisin sauce is dark brown, sometimes with a reddish tint.

It is possible to make hoisin sauce from scratch by following any number of available recipes. It is also possible to purchase a jar in any Chinese or regular grocery store. The best tasting pre-made jars of hoisin sauce are typically made and packaged in China or Hong Kong.

An unopened jar of hoisin sauce can be kept in a food storage cabinet for quite a while. Every jar should, however, contain a "best if used by" date stamp. An opened jar can remain good for an extended period of time if it is sealed and stored in a properly cooled refrigerator.

What is Hoisin Sauce?

[canuckinchile]

Hoisin sauce will be in the aisle with the soya sauce and Chinese food products. I'm printing out that recipe right now. It looks really yummy!

[prhoshay]

Hoisin sauce sounds good!

[Marleybone]

Originally Posted by canuckinchile

Hoisin sauce will be in the aisle with the soya sauce and Chinese food products. I'm printing out that recipe right now. It looks really yummy!

I made it yesterday, it turned out pretty good. My husband liked it even though he doesn't like sweet potatoes. I used sugar-free marmalade to make it diabetic friendly, but I used regular maple syrup because I hate the taste of the sugar free stuff, and since it was only a tablespoon. I didn't really care for the leeks though, next time I think I will just use a regular onion. The best part is that I remembered to use a crock pot liner this time.

[DesertRose]

At YG's request

TIRAMISÙ

5 large eggs
1 cup of sugar
500 gr. of mascarpone (Galdoni or Polenghi)
1 cup of espresso coffee
1 or 2 tablespoons of tia maria or other coffee liqueur
1 pack of savoiardi ladyfingers

Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
In one bowl, beat the whites until they form peaks.
In other bowl, beat egg yolks, add the sugar slowly, then add the mascarpone. Mix well.
Add half the egg whites and mix at low speed until well incorporated. Fold the rest of the whites into the mixture.
Pour the Tia maria in the espresso and dip the ladyfingers in it. Line the ladyfingers in a glass container. Spread half of the mascarpone mix on top. Line another row of espresso-dipped ladyfingers, then top with the rest of the mascarpone mix. Top the dessert with powered cacao or grated chocolate.
Cover and let rest for a few hours in the fridge (best if done the day before).

Two little tips that make a big difference:
1) If they sell Tre Stelle Tiramisù in the States, please do not buy it unless you want your Tiramisù to be very liquidy. The ones I listed are those I used and liked. There might be others that are good, but I don't know which.
2) Dip the ladyfingers in the espresso one at a time and very quickly. The longer they stay in the coffee, the soggier they'll be.
3) I found the longer you beat the egg yolk mixture before adding the egg whites, the fluffier and lighter the cake will be.