The sandwich maker returns: chicken in puff pastry

Someone stop me!! Ever since I found out that I could make things besides sandwiches in my sandwich maker, (like pancakes...), I've been going crazy experimenting with the thing! I've made cornbread, omelets, and chicken in puff pastry. The puff pastry experiment was probably the best one - neat little triangles of pastry dough filled with chicken, broccoli, pesto, and cream cheese. Of course, you could do any filling - I had some left-overs from making calzones a few nights before. So, I thought: if it's good in a calzone... Of course, puff pastry dough is not exactly a health food (disclaimer!!) - but...















I mean, don't those look tasty?? Who knew I could do that in a sandwich maker? Of course, I could also do it in the oven, but would they come out looking so perfect? I used this recipe as a starting point, although I used a different filling, obviously. And I sprayed the thing with nonstick oil instead of using margarine. You could totally do turnovers! I'm getting goofy with this now - dh and I were joking about having a sandwich press Thanksgiving this year - we could have 5 or 6 of them running simultaneously - you wouldn't be able to tell what you're eating except by the color - you could walk around with your wine in one hand and a triangle in the other. 


Anyway, I'd love to tell you about the omelet experiment, but I'm too tired, so it'll have to wait. I'll just give you this picture to ponder:

Popcorn honey balls

These were so easy to make! I can't believe I've never tried this before. Of course, Picky has only been daring to eat any form of popcorn for 3-4 months now, but still. I got the recipe from a book that I believe is now out of print called "The Good Goodies" by Stan and Floss Dworkin. I managed to pick up an old copy through e-bay after I saw the title mentioned in another cookbook (I think Laurel's Kitchen, or Laurel's Bread Book). They have some good recipes, although they also have some outdated ideas about nutrition. One is that honey is better for you than sugar (it isn't), and so they have tons of candies made with honey in there. The other is that carob is better than chocolate (I'm not sure about this one, but I have my doubts...plus I don't like carob...). Anyway, they do have a lot of treats and snacks with very wholesome, simple ingredients. Like this one. It only has 3 ingredients: oil, popcorn, and honey. You gotta love the simplicity. If you have an air-popper, you can probably skip the oil part. I don't, I have this great old-style popcorn maker pan from Back to Basics - although you can cook popcorn in any large pot, of course.

Popcorn Balls

• 1 to 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup popping corn
• 1/2 cup honey

Oil the bottom of the pot with a thin layer of oil (I use canola). Pour in the popping corn and shake the pot to oil the kernels. Cover pot tightly.

Turn the heat to high and begin to shake the pot. Keep shaking while the corn is heating and for the first few seconds of popping. As the popping sounds come closer together, stop shaking. Leave the heat on until it stops popping.

Pour the popcorn into a big bowl.

Put the honey into a small saucepan, bring to a boil over low heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour the honey over the popcorn, and, with a pair of forks, begin to toss the corn gently, to get as much of it covered with honey as you can.

Here the directions say to wait until just cool enough to handle before pressing large handfuls together into balls - but I tried to do this before the honey was cool enough to stick and it was a frustrating experience. Just know that if the popcorn won't stick together, you should wait a few minutes until it cools a little more and try again. You probably don't need to try to spray your hands with canola oil, like I did...

Wrap each ball in waxed paper. They will keep for a week or so. The amount this makes depends on what size the balls are - I made 16 medium-sized balls.

You can also try adding peanuts: 1 cup of shelled peanuts with skins, added before the honey. I haven't tried this yet, but I'm tempted...

Picky insisted that I dig out an ice cream cone to serve, but that's purely optional. It did make a nice picture, but no one actually ate it that way.

P.S. - the popper I have is aluminum, but the stainless one looked better, so I linked to this one:

sandwich maker pancakes!!!

Ok, I'm not suggesting that you should run out and get another gadget for your kitchen...although I have seen these at thrift stores. I have owned a "sandwich maker" for about  8 years. Oh, you caught that, did you? Yes, my daughter is 5, but I've owned the maker for about 8 years, probably longer. Well, I got it originally for my husband, I admit. He had some nostalgic memories attached to the thing, I think. I remember working at a child care center when I was a teenager that had one, and they used it for snacks all the time: the kids loved the thing. Anyway, I have made sandwiches in it off-and-on for Picky, but just grilled cheese. They come out pretty good, although the cheese in the middle gets really really hot, which can be a problem when you have a child waiting who is hungry right now. Anyway, for some unknown reason, I decided recently to do a web search to see if there were any sandwich recipes specifically for a sandwich maker out there that I could use. And I discovered that you can make things besides sandwiches in there....I honestly never thought of that before!

I decided to give pancakes a try.

They came out great!! You could use any pancake recipe (I have a decent one from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe that I could share, or check out this one on Isabelle's blog from King Arthur Flour.

I heated the maker while I was getting the mix together, and then I sprayed it lightly with non-stick spray (you could use butter or margarine, but I think the spray is easier). I used a scoop to fill the triangles with batter, but I didn't really measure it (fill it full, but not too full). Then I closed the lid and set a timer for 4 minutes. When I opened the maker, I had perfect puffy triangle pancakes! 

Picky thinks I should replace the picture of her making a "yucky face" on the blog with one of these "yummy face" pictures - what do you think?

Purple Majesty Potatoes

These potatoes are so pretty...



I made "Jo Jo Potatoes" with them the other day (a cross between oven-baked fries and chips)...





Wow - this picture came out really purple...






They fade a bit when you cook them - but they are a lovely light purple. Here I made an olive-oil based potato salad. The cilantro gives a nice color contrast (and tastes good too!) I wish I had some more potatoes so I could try making lavender mash or purple soup! Sometimes the unusual captures Picky's interest, although I'm not sure she'll go for the "green bits" - we'll see. Of course, I'll probably put cheese on her portion...kinda wrecks the color, though...

Jamaican Tomato Soup

I just have too many cookbooks. I pulled this one out the other day: Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special by The Moosewood Collective. I've always considered it one of my favorite books, but if truth be told, I've only ever tried to make a handful of things (or less). This cookbook concentrates on soups and salads, and is mostly vegetarian (some seafood). I have earmarks throughout, but I haven't actually made most of the recipes that have been marked (shame on me!). I've had the book for more than 10 years, so I really have no excuses. 

Anyway, I revisited this cookbook with a new approach: I've been playing things relatively safe (food-wise), and I want to try some new flavors - things that might not actually have cheese in them (I'm discovering that I may be lactose-intolerant, for one - I'm sure I'll be discussing that at some point, but for now I'm trying to forget...). Ok, new but also familiar - you know? I mean, I did bookmark the "Caribbean Sweet Potato Coconut Soup", and it does sound really good - but lets not get crazy just yet - I mean, the goal is for Picky to at least try it, right? I might have to work up to some of the more interesting recipes...

And that's why I landed on "Jamaican Tomato Soup". Picky already likes tomato soup, although I admit that I don't usually make it - I buy the boxed version - Pacific Natural Foods makes a good roasted red pepper and tomato soup that Picky accepts, so I haven't bothered to come up with my own recipe. There is one other tomato soup that we've tried, at a restaurant nearby, and we all love it - and I have to say that this recipe comes very close to the flavors in that soup, but without all the cream.

Of course, I've modified it a little, because I can't seem to leave things alone...

Jamaican Tomato Soup

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 cup chopped onions (ok, I need to admit something here - I hardly ever measure stuff like this...I figure that 1 medium onion equals about 1 cup chopped...and 2 big glugs of olive oil is about 2 Tbsp - I mean, soup isn't a science, you know?
• 4 14.5 oz cans of tomato, undrained (the original recipe called for 3 cups fresh and 3 cups canned tomatoes, but it's winter, ok? I realize that boxed tomatoes would probably be better here, considering the stuff they use to make cans, but I haven't made the switch. I'm sure you can figure out the portions if you use something else - just think "6 cups")
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I surprised myself and actually measured this - it was much less than I thought it would be...)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or juice from one big juicy lemon)
• 1 Tbsp grated orange peel (I zested one large orange)
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (please use flat leaf here...curly parsley isn't really food...)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Garnish

• chopped fresh basil, parsley, or scallions
• curried croutons (I didn't do this, but they do have a recipe for it if anyone is interested...)
• nasturtium blossoms (sounds pretty, but unnecessary...)

1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, then add the onions and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes, the basil, sugar, lemon juice, and orange peel, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove 1-2 cups of the tomato mixture and set aside. Add the orange juice, cilantro, parsley, salt, and pepper to the soup pot and puree with an immersion blender (or in a blender in batches) until smooth (be careful here - this tends to splash). Add the reserved tomato mixture for texture, or just use it as a garnish for those who like a little texture (in other words, not Picky).
4. Serve hot, topped with chopped basil, parsley, or scallions and with Curried Croutons (like I said, I skipped the croutons)
5. Another variation that worked for me: I added a swirl of half-and-half to Picky's bowl (because I had some in the fridge from some other recipe...). It cut the acidity a bit and made it more palatable to her...

According to the recipe, this is also good cold (in summer, I imagine...).

Picky did try this, and proclaimed it "delicious!", although she then ignored it and ate her quesadilla. But still. I thought it was delicious. And really simple. And I love delicious and simple. She'll come around. At least she didn't say "Yuck!", right? 

Individual Zucchini and Cheddar Frittatas

I really need to get a flash for my D60 - it's too dark to take decent pictures right now, so I'm just doing everything with a little point-and-shoot. It really doesn't capture the beauty (yummy-ness?) of some of these dishes. Especially this one - they come out of the oven really puffy and beautiful. I know you'll get better pictures, Isabelle! Anyway, I've actually only tried this recipe once, and the only variation I made was omitting the thyme (because I didn't have any...), but I wanted to post it for Isabelle, because I forgot to bring the cookbook over to share the other day (and I know you'll need this before I see you on Thursday...right?). This recipe is from The Family Kitchen by Debra Ponzek.

Zucchini and Cheddar Frittatas

• canola oil spray
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 medium zucchini, shredded on the large holes of a box grater
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 7 large eggs
• 2/3 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Generously spray 12 cups of a muffin tin with canola oil spray.
2. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until just shimmering. Add the zucchini and shallots and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until wilted and soft. Pour off or drain any excess moisture. Season with 1/4 tsp of the salt and about 1/8 tsp pepper.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, cheddar cheese, thyme, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Season with a few grinds of pepper.
4. Divide the zucchini mixture among the muffin cups. Top each cup with the egg mixture, dividing it equally among the cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffy, golden brown, and just set.
5. Run a dull kitchen knife around the outside of each frittata and remove. Serve immediately.

You can try this same technique with other fillings - use spinach, mushrooms, ham. Use Gruyere instead of Cheddar. They re-heat pretty well in the microwave (about 1 minute), but they present much better when they first come out of the oven...

Martian Soup!! (Maybe I should re-name it Yoda soup?)

Soup is easily my favorite thing to make for family dinners. You make soup in stages, which works well for me because I can prepare for the next stage while the first is cooking. You can serve soup with a variety of toppings that suit a variety of taste buds. You can make it smooth or chunky, or some smooth and some chunky, depending on tastes as well. Most soups are pretty low in fat, and you can cram all sorts of vegetables in there that may not be accepted in any other form. I make enough to have leftovers to freeze - I'm always happy to pull out a container of soup for a quick lunch or dinner. You can serve it as part of a larger meal, or as the main event with some toast, cornbread, muffins, etc. Of course, we don't have a lot of variety with our soups at the moment - I only have a handful that I make, and I just vary the toppings and sides - but I'm working on it...

The soup I make most often is "Martian Soup" - I've mentioned it several times before, but I've never tried to post the recipe, mostly because I don't follow a recipe when I make it, and I hardly ever make it the same way twice. I got the name from a cookbook, I think - but I never actually followed the recipe that came with the name. It's probably similar, though. It's basically a spinach-potato soup, but you can use other green vegetables instead - I sometimes use broccoli and spinach, or zuchinni and spinach. I almost always use spinach, because it gives it a really nice color - but that varies as well, depending on the ratio of green to potatoes, etc. Once I tried making it with beet greens - don't do that, the red stems make the color look like duck poop. Still tasted good, though.

Anyway, I made a pretty good batch today, and I remembered to jot down the ingredients, so I can give you a pretty good idea of how to make it - and you can vary it how you like, depending on what you have in the crisper.

Martian Soup

• 1-2 Tbsp Olive oil
  
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1 32 oz container organic chicken broth, or 4 cups homemade
  
• 5-6 small boiling potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 small zucchini, diced (I just happened to have a few that needed using - you could skip this...)
  
• 2 bunches of spinach, stems removed (from the big ones, anyway, I usually don't bother with the little ones...)
• 1 handful flat leaf parsley, stems removed
• nutmeg - to taste
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• salt - to taste

 To serve (any or all):

• plain yogurt
• chopped cooked sausage
• shredded cheddar cheese (Parmesan is also good)
• chopped green onions
• chopped flat leaf parsley

1. Put a dutch oven or soup pot on medium. After a minute, add the olive oil (I don't really measure this, I just do a few glugs.)
2. Add the onions, give a stir, and put on the lid. This is usually when I chop the celery and garlic, keeping an eye on the onions and possibly turning the heat to medium-low so they won't burn. 
3. When the celery and garlic are ready, add them in, give a stir, and put the lid on. Stir them occasionally until they are soft, about 10 minutes. 
4. Sprinkle a bit of salt (be careful if you're using box stock unless it's low-sodium, but it is usually good to add salt in stages instead of all at once at the end. I just do a good pinch of kosher salt. If you put salt in there too early, the onions will not cook properly, so make sure they have a full 10 minutes to cook.) Now add the stock, and bring to a simmer. 
5. While the stock is heating, I chop the potatoes, being sure to keep an eye on the stock so it doesn't get into a good boil. Add the potatoes and let them cook while you chop the zucchini. 
6. When the potatoes are soft when you pierce them with a fork (about 10 minutes), add the zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes more. 
7. Now you can take the pot off of the burner, and stir in the spinach and parsley until they are wilted. 
8. Blend the soup with an immersion blender (if you don't have one, blend it in batches in a blender) until it is smooth. I spend a bit of time at this, because Picky likes it really, really smooth. 
9. Once you are done, return it to the pot if you used a blender, and add the lemon and nutmeg (I just grind in a bit - if you are using already ground nutmeg, just add a few shakes). 
10. Now you can gently reheat the soup if you need to, and taste it for salt. Serve it at the table with some or all of the toppings suggested. I like it with a big dollop of yogurt (everyone is always so afraid to try this! I'm telling you - it's good!! I finally got Picky to try it tonight in addition to her cheese topping, and she loved it!), Picky likes it with cheese, and DH likes it with sausage and green onions. 

One meal that makes everyone happy! And Yoda likes it too, because it's green like him.